TOGETHER WITH GOD. Paul sees all the servants of Christ working together with God in the mission of persuading people to let God change them from enemies into friends! WASTED. Grace is free, and salvation cannot be earned by our own efforts. Yet God's act in Christ will be wasted by the one who does... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR. Isaiah 49:8 Septuagint. _Johnson_ understands this prophecy to point to the saving of the Gentiles. Paul uses it to emphasize the fact that we servants of Christ _work together with God!_ In the passage quoted, God was through his servant bringing in divine help. THIS IS THE HOUR! "Fellow-work... [ Continue Reading ]
TO FIND FAULT. Paul lives a holy and pure life, so that no one will find fault with his work. All God's servants must do this! OBSTACLES. This includes many things. Probably Paul is pointing to the false teachers who used unholy methods (2 Corinthians 4:2).... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTEAD. The true servant of God must be like his Lord! The false teachers boasted about worldly things. For Paul, they disqualify themselves by this, and destroy any claim to authority. TROUBLES. 2 Corinthians 1:8. HARDSHIPS. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:11. DIFFICULTIES. Acts 17:5-8. WITH GREAT PATIENCE. Dedic... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE. Paul shows a general picture of the things which servants of Christ faced in his day! He describes his own personal experience!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE SHOWN OURSELVES. "This is how we have shown ourselves to be God's servants: by our purity of life and motives, by our knowledge of the Truth, by our patience as we endure suffering, by our kindness toward all, by the Holy Spirit (compare 1 Thessalonians 1:5), by our true love which is unhypo... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE. Paul shows the paradox of his service to Christ. People respond differently to his work of preaching Christ. [_MacKnight_ sees in this the fact that Paul neither becomes conceited nor discouraged.]... [ Continue Reading ]
AS UNKNOWN. In this verse Paul seems to contrast outward appearance with actual fact. Some said Paul's sufferings proved he was _unknown to God._ But _in fact,_ he is known by God (authenticated). Some said he was _dead,_ because he constantly _tempted death_ by the risks he took in proclaiming the... [ Continue Reading ]
ALTHOUGH SADDENED. See Hebrews 12:11. WE SEEM POOR. The false teachers probably said that Paul's poverty showed God's disfavor! But he follows the example of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9). He makes others rich spiritually!!! NOTHING. He did not have the rank and honor, nor the luxury which the false te... [ Continue Reading ]
DEAR FRIENDS IN CORINTH! Paul wants them to know that he has spoken frankly to them in the past, and is doing so now! Paul and the others had opened wide their hearts to the Corinthians, and they were still open!!! If there is an obstacle in Paul's relationship with the Corinthians, he is still open... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS YOU. "You do not love me, otherwise you would have stood up for me against the false teachers! If there is any barrier between us, you have built it!... [ Continue Reading ]
I SPEAK NOW. "You are my spiritual children! I have given myself for you! Will you love me now in return???... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT TRY. Paul has just told them: "Open wide your hearts!" This phrase has a bad meaning in the Law (Deuteronomy 11:16). Too much tolerance would place them in a dangerous situation! Therefore he gives this warning. Paul's warning is: _Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for i... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST AND THE DEVIL. It would be unthinkable to expect Christ and the Devil to work together (but some are saying this now)! [Belial is a name for the Devil, which appears in late Jewish literature, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls. It has much the same meaning as the Enemy of Christ.] BELIEVER... U... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S TEMPLE. PAGAN IDOLS. The Dead Sea Scrolls use _idol to_ mean any temptation to sin. Paul identifies the temple of God as WE! Compare 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 and notes. AS GOD HIMSELF. Paul paraphrases Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27 to show that God now mak... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SO. Paul paraphrases Isaiah 52:11 to show they must separate themselves from the false teachers who make the messianic community (church) _unclean_ by their unholy conduct and their distorted teaching! AND I WILL ACCEPT YOU. This phrase comes from Ezekiel 20:34. God will accept all who follow hi... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BE. Paul paraphrases 2 Samuel 7:14. Paul is saying that this promise is fulfilled in the church (messianic community)! [The Dead Sea Scrolls quote this often, showing that the Qumran community believed the promise came true in them.] SONS AND DAUGHTERS. _Sons_ commonly includes _daughters_ as... [ Continue Reading ]