2 CORINTHIANS

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-7

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.

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.

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.

This is Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, where he addresses apparent persecution of the church. He states that he understands their worries and afflictions, the apostles suffering the same things themselves.

Jesus warned us of this when He said;

JOHN 15:20

20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Persecution actually has its uses, believe it or not. It cleans out the “dead wood” (“Sunday Christians”, hypocrites, etc.) out of the churches and makes Christians really examine their faith and think about what Jesus means to them. Is He worth it? It’s easy to follow and believe in Jesus while things are going well, it is much harder when our lives and livelihood are on the line!!

Persecution also helps spread the Gospel, keeping the Church from stagnating in place. The persecutions of the early Christians in Judea forced the believers to scatter into Samaria and from there to the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11

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 explains the intensity of the persecutions he and his companions endured in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey and surrounding areas) to the point of where they risked death at the hands of their persecutors.

He is also careful to point out that their deliverance was not of themselves or by their own strength but by God alone who had the power to deliver them. And he asks for continued prayer for their deliverance by God, that thanks may be given to Him for their deliverance.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:12-14

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 is expressing his love for the Corinthian church, telling others of their love, sincerity, dedication and faith, sharing the wisdom given to him by God that had not been included in his first letter. He is also careful to mention that he is not behaving any differently with others than he has with them nor is he holding anything back from them as far as teachings, teaching a simple truth of the Gospel.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:15-22

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?

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.

Paul is letting the Corinthian church know that his visits are not done on a whim, but for the purpose of bolstering their faith and a sincere desire to fellowship with them. He also reiterates that his teachings are not like those of the Rabbis and scribes who taught interpretations of the Law from various teachers whose opinions many times differed from and contradicted each other, but his doctrines are straight truth from God.

He also reminds them that God has sent His Spirit with power and signs to reinforce the truth of his Gospel, so that the hearers were ensured that it indeed came from God and was not a clever philosophy of men.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:23-24

23 Moreover I call God as 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.

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, he was appalled by some of the practices of some of the church members and had sharply rebuked them. I think that they feared he was coming to confront them personally so he reassured them that he was not coming immediately.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:1-4

1 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow.

2 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

Paul explains the reasons for his first letter and his reason for refraining in coming a second time. He is giving the members of the church time to correct the problems he wrote about before so that he need not correct them in person but may instead rejoice in their obedience.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:5-11

5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe.

6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man,

7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

In his first letter, Paul had been devastated to learn that a member of the congregation had been having sex with his own mother, and that the church seemed to be okay with that. He sharply rebuked them and apparently the church members had repented and exacted some sort of punishment on the man.

The man had apparently repented and asked for forgiveness and Paul states that they should forgive him, just as he, Paul had, and accept him back into the fellowship of the church.

We are well aware of Satan’s attempts to cause dissension and division within the churches and must be always watchful for his activities.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:12-17

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Paul gives no explanation as to why he sought to find Titus. But he states that believers are like a pleasant fragrance before God, much like the Apostle John’s vision in Revelation of the prayers of believers being like sweet incense before the Lord.

Wherever we go, we carry the knowledge of Jesus Christ, setting forth the choice between life and death to unbelievers. Some refuse to believe, others choose to believe. If believers are a fragrance of life before God, non-believers are a fragrance of destruction before God.

Paul expresses his irritation with those who teach and preach strictly for money, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees did. A good example of such people exists today in the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ preachers who preach that the more you donate to the church, the more God will financially bless the giver.

The result is that the only one who prospers is the preacher. They live in luxurious mansions, have their own private jets, luxury cars, expensive clothes, etc. Recently one such popular preacher was begging his congregation to finance a fourth private jet for him to use!! They use the excuse that they need a private jet to travel the world preaching their ‘Gospel’. Seriously? They are apparently too important to fly commercial like the rest of us. And radio broadcasts can reach people just as easily as being there in person. Islamic preacher Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran overthrew the Shah (king) of Iran by distributing his revolutionary sermons through cassette tapes.

But then again, radio broadcasts don’t enrich the preacher. Besides, why do they think that they’re the only ones who can preach their Gospel message to others and must do so in person, requiring their congregations to pay their lavish expenses? They’re supposed to feed the flock, not fleece the flock.

Besides, if a congregation hires a pastor to preach to them on a regular basis he is obligated to minister to that particular church or congregation. The church is not a ‘travel agent’ for location-hopping and world-wide travel.

An evangelist is free to travel preaching the Gospel if this is what the Lord has commissioned him to do.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-3

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 says that the Corinthian church is an example of God’s true church and Paul’s work, known and visible to all who see and hear, so that Paul doesn’t need to be recommended to other churches.

2 CORINHIANS 3:4-11

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.

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 refers to the weakness and insufficiency of the Law of Moses in that the Law had no provision for salvation. The Law codified what was sin in God’s eyes and made it impossible for Man to follow, requiring lifetime perfection in order to be righteous, thereby condemning all men as being sinful.

The purpose of this was so that only a sinless man could be righteous under the Law, which only Jesus Christ could do. And while those who died in obedience to the Law were considered as righteous, they were still under the condemnation of sin as the Law required a man be perfect all the days of his life, something sinful Man could never do.

Therefore by Jesus living in perfection under the Law, He fulfilled the requirements of the Law, having given the Law to Moses in the first place, He could replace the Law with a better, permanent covenant, and with His atoning death make those who died under the Law sinless and make those who believe in Him sinless as well.

Until Jesus’ resurrection those who died in obedience to the Law went to “the Pit”, a place where the righteous, yet sinful dead were kept as even though they were considered as righteous under the Law, they were not yet made perfect and sinless.

King David spoke of the Pit when he said;

PSALM 30:9

“What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

The fact that no one had yet entered Heaven after death was shown when Jesus said;

JOHN 3:13

13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

With Jesus’ death and resurrection, those who died and whose obedience to the Law made them righteous were now made perfect and were taken to Heaven at His ascension. Scripture says;

EPHESIANS 4:8

8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”

In other words, when Jesus ascended He took with Him those confined to “The Pit” as they were now sinless and worthy to enter Heaven. The gifts spoken of are the spiritual gifts given to all believers in Jesus.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:12-18

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.

In the Old Testament when Moses was given the Law by Jesus at Mount Sinai his face glowed from the glory of God;

EXODUS 34:29-33

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them.

32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

Paul uses the veil analogy to show that the fullness of God’s plan was veiled in the Law, with the fullness of the glory of God’s plan of salvation revealed by His Spirit in the New Testament, the veil being taken away through Jesus.

But with the unbelieving Jews still seeking salvation through the Law, their hearts still have the veil of ignorance over them, not understanding God’s plan of redemption, and not understanding that the Law never had any provision for salvation. Therefore those seeking salvation through the Law today die in sin and ignorance. As Jesus told the Jews of His time;

JOHN 8:21-24

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”

23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6

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.

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 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 is again expressing that the Gospel he preaches is not Man-made but is directly from God Himself. And they preach, not to glorify themselves, but in sincere desire of the salvation of the hearers.

He also states that Satan has been busy blinding men’s hearts with a veil of ignorance as we spoke of in the previous chapter. The Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Christ will remove this veil for those willing to listen and obey.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-12

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—

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.

Paul relates that the excellency of God’s salvation and power is contained in perishable, weak flesh so that it will be immediately seen that it’s God’s power being displayed and not something Man-made.

He speaks of the persecutions he and his fellow-workers suffer to remind them of the frailties of the flesh and so that they don’t become arrogant but rely on God to deliver them. The apostles are at risk more than their audience as Satan will try harder to stop them, and the threat of death is always a close companion of those chosen by God for His purposes.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:13-15

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 reassures his hearers that the faith his audience has is common to all believers as are the promises of a future resurrection, and that God is glorified by the thanksgiving of those receiving His salvation.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18

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 reminds us that physical things, being imperfect will deteriorate and perish, but our eternal spirits are refreshed by God on a daily basis. Paul says any affliction we go through cannot compare with the things that God has reserved for us, invisible, perfect things that are eternal.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-5

1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

If our physical bodies are destroyed we still have an eternal spiritual body reserved for us, one that will be given to us at our resurrection. This spiritual body will be perfect, never again suffering pain, disease, aging and death, something we eagerly wait for.

And while Jesus can’t be with us physically right now, He promised to be with us forever;

MATTHEW 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In order to keep His promise, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us to be with us until He returns for us at which time He will be with us forever.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-11

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

We are here on Earth and Jesus is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. So while we are here, we are absent from the Lord and when we die we go to be with Him, as long as we follow His commandments and maintain faith in Him.

The time of Judgment is coming when we will stand before Jesus to have our lives and works judged before Him and our eternal destination determined by the results of that Judgment. And while we cannot yet see the things promised to us by God, we believe and walk in faith waiting for the fulfillment of those promises.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:12-14

12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Satan always tries to discredit God’s ministers, for if you discredit the messenger you discredit the message they bear. Paul says that personal appearance and presence do not matter, what matters is results. The faith and devotion of the Corinthian church speaks more of the effectiveness of the message of salvation than personal appearances or reputations of the messengers.

Paul also reminds his audience that his preaching and that of others is not for personal gain but was done out of sincere love and hope of their salvation.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-19

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Paul reminds the church to not regard anyone as being greater than anyone else. And if a person receives Jesus they are renewed within and should not be judged by their past. Just as Jesus became a new creature at His resurrection, even so we become new through the Spirit.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-21

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus must remain in Heaven until the time determined by the Father so He can’t be here personally. But He has sent His Spirit to dwell within us, making us ambassadors for God to Man here on Earth.

And by taking all of the sins of the world for all time within Himself while on the cross, He literally became “sin on a stick” in God’s eyes, becoming a literal curse for us. As Paul told the Galatian church;

GALATIANS 3:13-14

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Something to consider here. The Roman Catholic priests and many of its members wear crucifixes around their necks, or have them on the walls of their homes, despite God’s clear command of;

EXODUS 20:4

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

So not only is a crucifix a carved image, it is an image of sin and a cursed thing in God’s eyes. And God warns about things like this when He said;

DEUTERONOMY 7:26

26 Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.

A created image of a deity is an idol, the only difference between them being who is depicted in the image. And God told Israel just before they entered Canaan;

DEUTERONOMY 7:25

25 You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.

In light of this if you have any crucifixes in your possession or in your house, destroy them and ask God to remove any curses brought by them on you and on your house.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10

1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.

4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,

5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,

7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;

10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Paul shows the steadfastness of his faith and that of his fellow ministers by denoting the tribulations that they suffered, his point being that they still believed in what they were preaching in spite of their trials and suffering, the unspoken message being that if they were preaching a lie, they certainly would not be willing to suffer such things. He is also reminding them that they could very well suffer the same things for their belief.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:11-13

11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.

12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.

Paul tells his audience that he has held nothing back from the Corinthian church and if they are having a hard time with their faith it is because of themselves, not because Paul has held anything back. He delivers a subtle rebuke, calling them ‘children’ signifying that they are acting more like children than adults.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-18

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”

18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

This seems to refer to marriage, where believers should only marry believers to prevent strife in the marriage and arguments as to how to raise any children. If two unbelievers marry and one becomes a believer however, the circumstances are different. As Paul relates;

1 CORINTHIANS 7:12-16

12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

If a husband or wife becomes a believer and their spouse does not, if the unbeliever is content to live with their believing spouse, they are to remain married. But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, they are free to go and the believer is free to marry again.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:1-4

1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.

3 I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

I think the Corinthians were ashamed of their former conduct which had caused Paul to rebuke them sharply in his first letter and had withdrawn themselves from Paul as a result. Paul reassures them that his feelings toward them have not changed, in fact he still holds them as an example of a Godly church to other churches.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7

5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.

6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

Paul takes comfort in the fact that the Corinthians have remained faithful in his absence, as he knows of Satan’s efforts to afflict, hinder and discourage believers. Therefore even though suffering persecution, he takes comfort in the faith of the Corinthian church as related by Titus, his fellow worker in the Lord.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-12

8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.

9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

Paul expresses that he was sorrowful after writing his first letter to the Corinthian church, but after hearing of their repentance, he didn’t regret it. He makes an important point in that Godly sorrow leads to repentance and comfort whereas worldly sorrow leads to depression and sometimes suicide.

He also rejoices in that his letter produced swift action in the church to address and rectify the sin and discipline the sinner, thus depriving Satan of a legal right to afflict the church. He also states that he didn’t write the letter to accuse individuals, but to warn the church as a whole.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:13-16

13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.

15 And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.

16 Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

Paul is greatly relieved in that his holding up the Corinthian church as an example to other churches was proven true by the report of Titus. In this Paul knows that his efforts on their behalf has not been in vain.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-7

1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.

7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

Paul is urging the church to give as they are able to the assistance of the poor Christians as well as for his own expenses as a traveling preacher and as a frequent prisoner, imprisoned for his preaching.

This also shows the fallacy of the “prosperity Gospel” in that the Macedonian churches, even though poor themselves, gave what they could to Christians who were even poorer than themselves. This is the true spirit of giving, NOT giving to enrich the church and its pastor. And if the “prosperity Gospel” were true, wouldn’t ALL Christians be rich?

2 CORINTHIANS 8:8-15

8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;

11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.

12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;

14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.

15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

It may appear that Paul is causing the churches to compete with each other in giving, but he is reminding the Corinthian church to keep their promise of giving made a year ago. And if all of the churches give as they are able, if one church can’t give for some reason, the others can continue so that the poor are taken care of. And if circumstances cause a church to become poor, the other churches can support it. He also seeks God’s blessings on the church for their willingness to give as they are able.

His reference to Jesus making Himself poor that we might become rich refers to the fact that He set aside His glory, power and Godhead in order to dwell among us, with the only thing He owned being the clothes on His back and even those being taken from Him at the cross.

But He gave us the riches of the knowledge of the Father, Himself and the unmatched riches of mercy, grace and the knowledge of salvation.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-21

16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

17 For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.

18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,

19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,

20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—

21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Paul commends Titus, a fellow worker and an unknown companion (I suspect Timothy) who are visiting the Corinthian church out of sincere love and concern for their welfare and who would be presenting the gift from the Corinthian church to the poor in Judea.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:22-24

22 And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you.

23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

Paul reminds the church that he has held them as an example of what a Christian church should be like and wants to be sure they live up to his example, that they and he need not be ashamed before visitors.

Paul also throws his support behind Titus and those with him as fellow workers in case any wonder concerning them.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:1-5

1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you;

2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready;

4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.

5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

Paul wants the Corinthian church to be equal to the example of Christian charity that he has held up to as an example to other churches. They were well aware of his teachings of giving and the blessings that came from giving to the poor, and Paul wanted them to be ready for when he came so that sudden collections were not needed but that the gift would be ready.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-9

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

“Prosperity Gospel” preachers love to preach that the more you give to the church, the more God gives to you! This is a poisonous doctrine and God doesn’t work that way. He is not a great “Sugar Daddy” who can’t say “No!” to His followers. The only one who profits from this erroneous teaching is the preacher.

Ministers need to remember that if they are the pastor of a church, that church is their responsibility, they are not called to jet around the globe preaching their message personally while their congregation pays for their lavish lifestyle! That’s why God gave us radio and television.

Paul in Ephesians lists pastors and evangelists as separate callings within the church;

EPHESIANS 4:11

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

If you give from a cheerful heart with no hope of repayment, God will indeed bless you. But if you give out of greed, believing that God is a great “sugar Daddy” who will shower you with abundance if you give to the church, beware for you will bring wrath and woe upon yourself.

Remember Paul’s words concerning riches;

1 TIMOTHY 6:8-10

8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

And;

PROVERBS 30:7-9

7 Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die):

8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me;

9 Lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

 CORINTHIANS 9:10-15

10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

We many times fail to remember that everything we have has been freely given to us by God in His grace. As such, as we can, we need to help those who need it, just as God has supplied for our needs.

Unfortunately there are those who demand that those richer than themselves owe those less rich. This is especially true of the “illegals” who come into our country illegally and loudly claim that we owe them, merely because they exist and they don’t have what we do. We are under no obligation to support them.

But the church is obligated to take care of it’s own members, especially the elderly and those suffering hardship. But Paul also gives instructions concerning this as there are always those who are looking for a “free lunch”;

2 THESSALONIANS 3:10-12

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

The churches in Greece were willing to help the poor believers in Judea and sent their freewill gifts through trusted messengers such as Paul, showing their love for their brethren in the Lord.

But the gift is for the support of those truly in need, not for those unwilling or too lazy to work.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-6

1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul is reminding his audience that just because he is meek in person but strong in his letters does not mean that he cannot be strong in person, and that he plans to confront his accusers when he arrives.

He also reminds them that physical appearance and strength mean nothing, for we war in the spirit, not in the flesh and as such our weapons are spiritual also. Satan is a spirit and physical weapons are useless against him. But he uses sin and unclean thoughts and desires to corrode and weaken our spirit. As such, we need to keep attuned to the Holy Spirit, filling our hearts and thoughts with Scripture and songs of praise to keep Satan from enticing us.

We also need to be always ready to counter worldly arguments and philosophies of sinful people, teaching them the truth of the Gospel in hope of bringing them out of the darkness of Satan’s kingdom into the light of God’s kingdom.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:7-12

7 Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.

8 For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed—

9 lest I seem to terrify you by letters.

10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Unfortunately it is human nature to judge people by our perceptions of them, rather than by their attributes and works. We who are strong in Christ cannot judge or look down on those weaker in faith for we must remember that we started out the same way ourselves.

And if we judge others using ourselves as a measuring standard do we not set ourselves in the place of God who alone is the perfect standard and Judge? As Paul said;

ROMANS 14:4

4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

And;

ROMANS 12:16

16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:13-18

13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;

15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

17 But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Paul is careful to not over-exaggerate his accomplishments, but remains within the confines of his works toward the Corinthian church, taking pride in his own labors, not taking credit for the works of others. And as the faith of Corinthian believers grows the effectiveness of his efforts grows also.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-4

1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.

2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

Paul shows a sense of humor here, taking a subtle jab at the hypocrisy in the Corinthian church. A strong church is a threat to Satan and he tries mightily to corrupt a new church before believers can become grounded in Christ and can effectively oppose him.

Ever notice that when you plant a bed of flowers or a garden, weeds immediately spring up next to the plants and if left unchecked will choke out the flowers or useful plants? Even so Satan seeds the churches with his servants in an attempt to destroy churches that are threats to him, sowing corrupt doctrines, envy, strife, dissensions, etc. into the congregations.

As for preaching a different Jesus or a differet Gospel, Satan will always seek to corrupt the truth, many times by introducing twisted versions of the Gospel messages that to some sound believable.

One such corruption was rampant in South America in the 1970's when Socialist/Marxist governments and preachers portrayed Jesus as a Socialist “worker” who was put to death for opposing a rich, out-of-touch ruling establishment, rather than being the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Another was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, mentioned several times in the book of Revelation as being hated by Jesus, which taught that the flesh was evil and could not be saved, but the spirit could be purified and be saved.

In the book of Colossians, chapter 2, Paul speaks of the “circumcision made without hands” in which our spirit is ‘cut away’ from the flesh and our spirits through the Holy Spirit are given power over the flesh to resist its sinful impulses. The Nicolaitans then taught that the flesh, being evil, could indulge in whatever sinful desires it wished, but the spirit could remain pure and unaffected.

Paul is warning the Corinthian church to avoid doctrines other than those he taught, just as he warned the Colossian church;

COLOSSIANS 2:8-10

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

He also graphically warned about preaching a doctrine different from the Bible;

GALATIANS 1:8-9

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Anyone who twists or perverts the simple truth of the Gospel brings a curse upon themselves. God gave us His written Word to guide us into truth and to counter Satan’s lies. During the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, Satan quoted a part of Psalms 91 out of context to Him and Jesus responded,”It is written.....”

King David also spoke of the holiness of God’s Word when he said;

PSALM 138:2

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name, for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

If God has set His Word above His own name, woe to those who twist or pervert His written Word!!!!

2 CORINTHIANS 11:5-6

5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

Paul pointedly expresses that just because his personal appearance isn’t impressive and he is not a trained orator, does not mean that he is a nobody. He is an apostle as much as any other, and his knowledge is far more important than personal appearance.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:7-11

7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!

Paul is complaining that the more he does for the church, the less he is loved. He did not, as others, charge for his preaching or needs, but relied on donations and gifts from other churches for his expenses so the fledgling Corinthian church wouldn’t be burdened.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:12-15

12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

There are always those who fake being something they’re not, and religion is a big one. In Paul’s time people desiring to be teachers of the Law of Moses were prevalent in Greece as the Greek converts didn’t understand the Law like the Jews did. As Paul reported;

1 TIMOTHY 1:5-7

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

Peter also spoke of false teachers;

1 PETER 2:1

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

God has given us His written Word so that we can know truth from error. Satan, when he tempted Jesus, dared Him to throw Himself down from the top of the Temple into the Kidron Valley below saying that angels would catch Him, misquoted Psalms 91 which actually refers to angels protecting believers.

Unfortunately there are strange and misleading doctrines being taught in churches by what I call “patchwork preachers”, those who take pieces of Scripture and cobble them together into a believable doctrine.

Scripture supports Scripture and corrects erroneous doctrines, and it is important as to why we need to understand ALL of the Scriptures. For example, “Prosperity Gospel preachers” teach that if you give to the Church, God will richly reward you in return, all you need to do is claim it in faith, and it will happen.

Unfortunately, deluded and greedy people donate large sums of money to the church, hoping to become rich in return.

These preachers quote Gods promise of;

MALACHI 3:10

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

Several problems with the “Prosperity Gospel” - first, if the promised return riches don’t occur, the slick preacher merely shrugs and says that the petitioner doesn’t have enough faith, thus putting the blame for the failure back on the believer. And the only one who becomes rich is the preacher.

Secondly, this promise was to Israel of the Old Testament. Back then, the priests who served in the Temple did nothing else but serve God in Temple service and God commanded that they eat of the tithes of food and of the Temple sacrifices offered to Him. But corrupt Israel was not bringing in the tithes and offerings required by the Law, and the priests were going hungry.

Along the same lines, I attended a church where the minister said that God had told him that He wanted to make 12 people in the congregation millionaires, and if anyone wanted to be a millionaire, they were to stand up. There was an uncomfortable silence and no one stood up. He then shouted that he was not going to continue until 12 people stood up. Eventually they stood up and he continued the service.

The problem with both the “prosperity Gospel” and the example of the “millionaires” above is that they violate Scripture. Consider the following;

MATTHEW 19:23-24

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 

And;

1 TIMOTHY 6:8-10

8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

God never promised to make us rich as that would be putting temptation and stumbling blocks in our way, but those who don’t know the Scriptures can be easily swayed by corrupt preachers who twist Scripture to their own ends, who will bring judgment both upon themselves and their followers.

Satan is an imitator, his original sin being that he wanted to be equal with God, even though he is a created being himself. As such, he will sow false teachers, prophets and preachers into the churches to sow confusion and disillusionment among them. And what better way to destroy Christianity than to have your wicked servants pose as Christians?

The Scriptures are our best defense against false doctrines and heresies, and too many supposed teachers and leaders introduce man-made doctrines and rituals as commandments, which complicate and in many cases openly violate God’s simple plan of salvation and create competing denominations, further dividing the body of Christ.

Jesus spoke of this when He told the lawyers and the Pharisees;

MATTHEW 15:3, 7-9

3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

A prime example is the Roman Catholic Church which is riddled with many useless and un-Scriptural doctrines.

 2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-21

16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

17 What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

19 For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

20 For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.

21 To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

Paul uses sarcasm to tweak the consciences of his hearers. Everything they learned about God and Christian conduct they learned from Paul, but unfortunately knowledge causes some to be proud and arrogant. They apparently counted personal appearances as more important than the message, discounting Paul because his personal appearance was not noteworthy neither was he eloquent in speech. In the previous chapter he’d reported that they had said of him;

2 CORINTHIANS 10:10

10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

And there are those, especially in religion that elevate themselves to gain attention, prestige and the like, portraying themselves as more righteous than anyone else.

In the Old Testament God specifically chose Moses to be the leader of Israel, yet his leadership was challenged by both his brother Aaron and sister Miriam, as well as a group of Israelites under a man named Korah. God punished Miriam as an example to everyone by causing Miriam to immediately contract leprosy, and at Moses’ command the ground literally opened and swallowed Korah and his followers alive into Hell in punishment for their rebellion.

I also remember visiting a church some years ago where they played an audio tape of predictions from a supposed “prophetess”. The minister before playing the tape said that most of her predictions come true, and no one seemed bothered by that. It caught my attention immediately, as if she had been a true prophetess, all of her prophecies would come true. God had told Israel;

DEUTERONOMY 18:20-22

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—

22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

She began shouting her “prophecies”, and I caught several erroneous predictions immediately, but everyone else seemed to be raptly listening to her. She was a “prophetess” and everyone in the church seemed to hold her in esteem because of that, despite her false prophecies.

One big failing here is that no one checked or tested this woman to see if she was a true prophetess or not. This is how false doctrines enter the churches. God Himself said;

NUMBERS 12:6

6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.

Jesus also said;

MATTHEW 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Concerning prophets Paul had also said;

1 CORINTHIANS 14:29

29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

If a person has a prophecy, other tested and proven prophets are to judge the accuracy and origin of the prophecy before presenting it to the church to prevent false prophecies in the churches.

This is also where the gift of discernment comes in handy. One with this gift can tell immediately if the person is a true prophet or prophetess, and whether the spirit within the prophet is from God or Satan.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:22-29

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Paul’s answer to those who judge by experiences or accomplishments relays the dangers and persecutions he has faced yet never talked about so as to shame and silence those who glorify themselves in such things.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:30-33

30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;

33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

Paul is letting his audience know that he does not take pride in or brag about his accomplishments or persecutions, but would rather talk about how God works effectively through his infirmities, God’s power being magnified through Paul’s weaknesses.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-6

1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

This is a fascinating section of Scripture. In verses 2-4, Paul refers to John the Apostle’s vision in Revelation where John stood before God’s throne in Heaven and heard seven thunders utter words. John said;

REVELATION 10:4

4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

Several things to note in verses 2-4;

1. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in about 55-56 A.D. and he says that John had his vision 14 years earlier, putting the vision and writing of the book of Revelation at about 40 A.D.

Most scholars believe for some reason that John wrote Revelation about 100 A.D., but John makes no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem or the Temple, indicating that he was probably dead by 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the nation of Judea. And John certainly wouldn’t have waited 60 years to publish his vision!

2. Paul says that John had been taken to the “Third Heaven” in his vision. There are actually three Heavens, the first Heaven being the familiar sky we see from Earth.

The Second Heaven is where Satan has his kingdom and where I suspect Hell is located. The Lord showed me this place and it is a silent, dreary environment. The sky is pitch-black with no Moon or stars, the ground consists of coarse, brownish-red dirt and is very dry and crumbly. I saw some low hills off in the distance. The whole scene was illuminated by a blue-white light source above and behind me which I believe was from the Third Heaven, where God dwells.

This view of the Second Heaven agrees with what Jesus described concerning demons;

MATTHEW 12:43

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

Paul also understands that if he brags about his accomplishments God will humble him publicly, remembering Jesus’ words of;

MATTHEW 23:12

12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Therefore if people see his accomplishments despite his shortcomings and infirmities they will see that it was God working through him that did the works.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul was afflicted by an unnamed ailment to keep him humble, and by the sounds of it, it was to be a permanent affliction, to keep him grounded so to speak so that he would not become prideful. God’s power is magnified in weakness, therefore Paul rejoiced in his weaknesses so that God’s power might be glorified in him.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:11-13

11 I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

13 For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Paul is justifiably frustrated by the attitudes of the Corinthian church whose members seem to be more inclined to elevating each other and comparing themselves to others, rather than humbly serving each other.

Paul laments that he has had to brag about his accomplishments in order to gain the respect of the church members. Apparently his works as an apostle were looked upon indifferently by them and the fact that he didn’t portray himself as someone great caused some to despise him despite all he had done for them.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:14-15

14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

Paul warns that he is planning to visit a third time, but stresses that he will pay his own expenses. But he is puzzled by their attitudes, as he’s not seeking their wealth or adulation, but their welfare.

I am reminded of a song that came out some years ago where a woman was describing the wonderful things her boyfriend had done for her, and her girlfriend said, “Yeah, but what has he done for you lately?” The entire song then kept asking the supposed boyfriend, “What have you done for me lately?” It sounds as if the Corinthian church was asking the same thing of Paul.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:16-19

16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning!

17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you?

18 I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

19 Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification.

Paul is frustrated in the fact that the more he does for the church, the less respected he is, and is frustrated by their seeming attitudes of ‘Thanks for everything, now go away’. I met a single woman one time who said that she wanted a man to “fix her a nice dinner, clean up his mess, then get out.” The same selfish attitude.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:20-21

20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;

21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Paul is worried lest those coming with him find the Corinthians to be below the standards he has portrayed them as following, and the Corinthians becoming resentful of his rebuking them of their sins, causing anger and divisions within the church.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:1-6

1 This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”

2 I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare—

3 since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.

4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul is warning the Corinthians that when he arrives, he will call to account the troublemakers and those who are causing divisions in the church, disciplining these people through the power of Christ. And although his personal demeanor may be unimpressive, yet the power of the Holy Spirit is mighty in him, remembering that God told him that His strength is shown and made perfect in Man’s weakness.

And he tells them to examine themselves before pointing fingers at others.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:7-10

7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.

8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.

10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Paul’s concern is shown in that he urges the Corinthians to follow the Scriptures in guiding their faith and not base it on teachers who are fallible. He also states that his concern for their righteousness and obedience is not for his own glory or edification, but for theirs that they may be examples to others.

He also wants to spare the Corinthians the embarrassment and humiliation of being rebuked and corrected in the presence of those Paul is bringing with him to whom Paul had held the Corinthians as examples of Godly living.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:11-14

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen

Division is a powerful poison within a church, causing bitterness, strife, factions, anger, envy, discord and the like. Healthy debate is good as it can filter out false doctrines from entering the churches, but it needs to be moderated so that it does not devolve into rancorous bickering and feuding

Questions? Comments? E-mail: watchmen_777@yahoo.com

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