Light ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14-10:18
HighLights ~ “Unequally yoked”; repentance dynamics; Titus; blessed to be generous; the collection for Jerusalem Christians; Paul’s authority.
InSights ~ Paul begins today’s portion with a warning against the risk of being contaminated with “worldly” values and attitudes by spending too much time around non-believers. This risk is at its highest when we are around someone constantly, as in a marriage relationship or work environment, or maybe at school. The New Living Translation’s “don’t team up” is a fair translation of a Greek phrase that could be applied to yoking farm animals… in this case unequally. When we have a choice in the matter, we ought to seek to be around people with whom we can mutually grow in the direction God is leading us. This is not only spiritually helpful, it can also be pragmatically efficient, unlike the unequally yoked partners in the illustration photo.
Much of chapter 7 is spent revisiting the issue of discipline and exhortation that has previously been mentioned as “the painful visit” and the tension that had developed between Paul and some of the Corinthians. It feels like Paul is still trying to smooth this over, though his main goal was repentance and rehabilitation, and he seems happy that these things are happening. (If only such problems/conflicts could be handled more comfortably!)
We are introduced to one of Paul’s converts to the faith who is now helping out with the ministry, Titus. Titus grows in grace and ability and eventually has a ministry of his own; one of the Pauline epistles of our New Testament is written to Titus. Paul’s investment of himself into other leaders should not be underestimated. For believers who are uncertain of what their “personal ministry” should be, the encouragement and strengthening of just one other believer who is trying to serve the Lord and or others is no insignificant contribution. Paul and the Lord and other apostles did this with many others.
2 Corinthians 8 and 9 are well-known as “stewardship” passages, for they deal not only with the contributions by Greeks for the needs of their Jewish Christian brothers and sisters, but also with attitudes about giving. One of the main things I glean from these passages is the concept that God blesses us SO THAT we may help others (9:11). Our congregation has discovered this dynamic in its mission efforts. Since we have an abundance, we can share with those who do not have enough, and when it is done correctly, the recipients understand that the gift is really from God, and they direct their thanks and praise to Him. AND they lift us up in prayer as we do them, and there is a wonderful circle of blessing that flows from God to giver to receiver and back again (9:13-15).
Today’s portion closes with another segment in which I can’t help but see a measure of Paul’s self-consciousness or insecurity again. He takes time to justify his ministry and authority, obviously in reaction to criticism about which he is hearing. THEN he becomes self-conscious about his self-consciousness… that is, about his need to “boast” to offset the criticism, and closes by saying he really only wants to boast about the Lord, and that the only commendation that is really important is that of the Lord, no matter what humans think.
It seems hard to believe that tomorrow we will begin our final month of this odyssey through the whole Bible… but that is exactly where we are. And there are still plenty of treasures to be (re-)discovered between now and year’s end!
ReSight ~ Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT)
PrayerWrite ~ O Lord, thank You for the intelligence and wisdom of Your servant Paul. May Your word through him sink deep into my spirit.
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