Chapter 4: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, treasure in jars of clay

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, give us this day our daily bread, forgive us of our trespasses, as we also forgive those who had trespassed against us. Do not lead us not into temptation, deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever and ever, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

VV 1-4, 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Therefore, connects us to thoughts of the previous chapter, regarding Moses, veiling his face before he met the Israelites. Paul encouraged his audience not to give up hope since they had received God’s mercy. Paul’s dealings with his audience was honest, transparent, truthful, and above board. He preached the truth of the gospel with a clear conscience in God’s sight. He had nothing to hide from anyone. The gospel is veiled for those who did not believe because satan had blinded their eyes, hearts, and minds to keep them in darkness.

VV 5-6, 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul and his co-workers did not boast about themselves. They preached the gospel as bondservants of Christ. Paul alluded to Genesis 1:3. The world was in total darkness and chaos until God created the light and commanded the light to shine into the darkness. Our hearts were in total darkness before we are born again until God commanded the light of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our hearts and minds to convict us of sins.

Genesis 1:3, Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

VV 7-9, 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed,

Our bodies are jars of clay, rough, cheap, fragile, unimpressive, and ordinary. Although on the outside we are unimpressive, fragile, and rough, on the inside, we have the treasure of the Holy Spirit. We carry the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit in our jars of clay. Although, we are weak and fragile, Christ in us is strong and powerful. Christ used lowly, ordinary, and fragile people to manifest and display His power and glory. Paul described the hardships, sufferings, trials, and persecutions, that he and his team suffered. They were hard-pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not despaired, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.

VV 10-12, 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

Greek for manifest is “phaneroo”, which means to make known. We carry the death of Jesus in our bodies to manfest the life of Jesus Christ to others. Paul was rescued from the dead for Jesus’ sake, so that Jesus may be manifested in his mortal life. Death was working for Paul but life was working for his audience.

VV 13-15, 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Paul quoted Psalm 116:10. God who raised Christ from the dead will also raise born again Christians from the dead at a future event called the rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

Psalm 116:10, I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

VV 16-18, 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul encourged the Corinthian Christians not to throw in the towel. Our physical bodies undergo degeneration every day but our souls and spirits are renewed day by day. Our sufferings in this world are only temporary. The glory of heaven awaits us in the future where there will be no more sufferings. We should not look at the visible things which are temporal but at the invisible, eternal things. 

Application:

The world was in darkness and chaos until God created the light and commanded the light to shine into the darkness. Before conversion, our hearts were in total darkness, but God commanded the light of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our hearts and minds and we were born again. Our spiritual eyes were opened and we saw Christ. Our spiritual ears were opened and heard the gospel. Our spiritual hearts were softened and we receive Christ into our lives. This was a miracle that only God could do.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us not to be discouraged. Even though our physical bodies are degenerating, our spirits and souls are renewed day by day. We claim the promise that our present sufferings in this world will be compensated by our future glory with You in heaven. Help us not to look at the visible and temporal things but to look at the invisible and eternal things, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Chapter 3: 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Christ’s epistle

 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for understanding as we opened up Your inspired Word for us today in 2 Corinthians. We pray for illumination and anointing of the Holy Spirit. We permit You to search our hearts and motives. We pray that You will create in us a pure heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

VV 1-3, 1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Paul asked two rhetorical questions. Paul used the plural pronouns, we, us, ourselves, our, to include his co-workers. Paul and his team did not require any letters of recommendation from his audience. The Corinthians Christians were letters of Christ written by the Holy Spirit onto their hearts of flesh and not on tablets of stone.

VV 4-6, 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Greek for sufficiency is “hikanos”, which means worthiness. Our worthiness is from God and not from ourselves. God, through the Holy Spirit, made us worthy to be ministers of the new covenant. The Mosaic law brings condemnation but the Holy Spirit gives life.

VV 7-11, 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Paul asked 1 rhetorical question. The Mosaic law written on stone tablets resulted in death to those who broke it. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after meeting God, his face shone with the glory of God. When he came down to meet the Israelites, he covered his face with a veil because the glory of God was too strong for the people. Paul asked a rhetorical question saying that the glory of the Holy Spirit far exceeded the glory on Moses’ face.

VV 12-18, 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech, 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Moses veiled his face because the Israelites could not look at his fading glory. Until today, the veil had covered the hearts of most Israelites preventing them from understanding the revelation of Christ in the Old Testament.

God will remove this veil and free the Israelites from spiritual blindness when they believe in Christ. Christians who looked into the glory of Christ with unveiled faces will undergo transformation of hearts and renewal of minds to conform to the image of God. Romans 12:2, “And do not be conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of minds, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Application:

You are letters of Christ, not written onto ink and paper, but by the Holy Spirit onto your hearts. You carry the image and glory of Christ wherever you go. Non-Christians read your lives daily as if you are the living and walking Bible. When people see you, will they see the glory of Christ? Are you the living and walking Bible that non-Christians read?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for writing Your epistles into our hearts. Help us live our lives worthy of Your calling so that others may see the glory and image of Christ in us. Do not allow the world to squeeze us into its mould. Transform our hearts, renew our minds, and conform us into the image of Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Chapter 1: 2 Corinthians 1: 1-24, God of all comfort 

Prayer:

 

Heavenly Father, we pray for persistence, perseverance, commitment, and diligence to journey with You in this journey of faith into the epistle of 2 Corinthians through the eyes apostle Paul. We pray for open, soft, receptive, teachable, and obedient hearts, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

VV 1-2, 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia, 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul revealed himself as the author. He spelled out his credential,  an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Greek for apostle is “apostolos”, which means a messenger, someone sent out on a mission. Paul acknowledged Timothy, his co-worker, protégé, and spiritual god-son in the faith.  He identified his recipients as Christians in Corinth and Achaia. Corinth is the city. Achaia is the region or state.  Christians are called saints. Greek for saint is “hagio”, which means holy, sanctified, or set apart. Paul’s opening salutation was grace and peace. Grace is the common Greek greeting, “charis”. Peace is the common Hebrew greeting, “shalom”. Grace precedes peace. Grace is the result of justification. Peace is the result of reconciliation. 

 

VV 3-4, 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

 

Greek for blessed is “eulogeo” which means praise. The English word eulogy is derived from the Greek word “eulogeo”. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the God of praise, mercies, and comfort. God comforts us in our sufferings so that we can identify with and comfort other people who are suffering.  

 

 

 

VV 5-7, 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

 

Christ comforts and restores us in our sufferings. Paul identified with his audience’s sufferings because of his suffering. There is a higher purpose in suffering. Suffering helps us to help others in their suffering. Paul encouraged his audience to share in his suffering and consolation. 

 

VV 8-11, 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

 

 

Paul listed out his troubles, trials, tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. Paul used the personal pronouns, us, our, and we, to include his co-workers Timothy, Titus, Silvanus, and others in his team. They had suffered beyond imaginations, to the point of exhaustion, desperation, despair, and depression. There were times when they thought they would not make it out alive. They relied on God for deliverance out of these perilous times. God had delivered them from death in the past, was delivering them in the present, and would continue to deliver them in the future. Paul thanked his audience for their prayer support. 

 

VV 12-14, 12 For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 13 For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end 14 (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul and his co-workers conducted themselves with humility, honesty, integrity, simplicity, godly sincerity, and spiritual wisdom. They dared not boast of anything except to boast concerning the day of the Lord’s second coming. 

 

 

 

VV 15-17, 15 And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit, 16 to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. 17 Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? 

 

Paul planned to travel from Ephesus to Corinth, to Macedonia, to Corinth and then to Judea, visiting Corinth twice. Paul asked 2 rhetorical questions to prove his sincerity and integrity. 

 

VV 18-22, 18 But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

 

Everything that Paul said and do was either yes or no. All the promises of God are Yes and Amen. Amen in the beginning of a sentence means “surely”. Amen at the end of a prayer means, “so be it”. God had established, anointed, and sealed Christians in Christ with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Greek for seal is “sphragis”, which means the impression of a signet ring on wax.

 

 

 

The seal is the authority of God to signify ownership. Christians are owned by God. Greek for guarantee is “arrabona”, which means earnest deposit or down payment. The Holy Spirit is God’s earnest deposit to Christians until Christ’s second coming. 

 

VV 23-24, 23 Moreover I call God as a witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. 24 Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.

Paul declared the genuineness of his dealings by calling on God as his witness.  He did not dominate or oppress anyone but considered all as his fellow workers in the kingdom of God. 

 

Application:

 

There is a higher purpose in suffering. When we go through sufferings, Christ comforts, rescues, and restores us. Sufferings help us to help others in their suffering. Suffering allows us to identify with other people’s suffering. 

 

     We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, God’s down payment to us until Christ’s second coming.

 

Our dealings and conducts with others must always be above board. Our answers to others should be either yes or no. We should not give ambiguous, misleading, dishonest, or vague answers to get out of difficult situations. 

 

 

 

Prayer:

  Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have done for us in our lives. Thank You for delivering us from perilous, critical, and dangerous life situations. Thank You for rescuing us through the various storms of lives. Thank You for delivering us in the past, ij the present, and in the future, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

2 Corinthians, Introduction:

Author, Date, and Recipients:

 

Scholars believed that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians between 55 to 56 AD from Macedonia during his third missionary journey, about 1 year after 1 Corinthians and 1 year before Romans. This was probably the fourth letter that he wrote to the Corinthian church. Scholars believed that two letters of Paul to the Corinthians church did not survive through history. 

 

After spending three years in Ephesus, Paul visited the churches in Macedonia. In Macedonia, Paul met his protégé and spiritual god-son in the faith, who updated him with news about the church in Corinth. 

 

 

 

Purpose:

 

Paul vindicated his apostolic ministry, strengthened the faith of the Corinthian Christians, and offered the rebellious minority a chance to repent before his return to Corinth. 

 

     Theme:

 

Paul confronted the false apostles, whom he called ministers of satan, who peddled heretic doctrines,  opposed Paul’s apostleship, and disputed his apostolic credentials.

 

The message of the cross, God’s righteousness, transforming power of the Holy Spirit,  Jesus Christ, Saviour and universal Judge of the world. The Holy Spirit as a guarantee for Christian’s end-time resurrection.

 

Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to endure hardships, tribulations, sufferings, and persecutions.

 

Outline

 

     1:1-24, salutation, the God of all comfort, godly sincerity

    2:1-17, triumph in Christ

3:1-18, Christ’s epistle, the Holy Spirit, the glory of the New Covenant

 

 

 

4:1-18, the light of Christ’s gospel in jars of clay, seeing the invisible

    5:1-21, assurance of resurrection, the judgment seat of Christ, substitutionary atonement

6:1-18, the hallmarks of a true apostle, warning against the false apostles 

7:1-16, the Corinthian’s repentance, godly sorrow versus worldly sorrow

8:1-25, collection for the mother church 

9:1-15, principles of sowing and reaping  

10:1-18, spiritual warfare, confronting the false apostles

11:1-33, confronting the false apostles, an angel of light, the hallmarks of a true apostle 

12:1-21, raptured into paradise, a thorn in the flesh, the credentials of a true apostle 

13:1-14, Final encouragements and benediction 

 

Application:

 

Times had not changed. Today, we still have false teachers who peddled false doctrines and heresies. Heresies and false doctrines are dangerous and should be rejected at all costs.

 

Prayer:

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for journeying with us through Paul’s epistle of 2 Corinthians. Open our eyes to see the truth of scripture. Help us to encounter You through Your living Word of eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.