2 Corinthians 10:12

“But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

As previously noted, all of chapter 10 is a defense of Paul’s ministry. In seeking to find relevance in an argument over a 2000-year-old dispute, we’re focusing on a couple of key verses in this chapter; verses where we can find challenges and guidance for our own walk with Christ. Today’s verse is the second of those.

A few weeks ago, I had a significant disappointment at the doctor’s office. They weighed and measured me, and found I was about 20 pounds heavier than I thought I was, and about an inch and a half shorter than I know I’ve always been! I decided I didn’t like their standards of measurement.

Their weight scale had become more sensitive over the years. Their vertical measure had grown, leaving me to appear shorter in the comparison. I decided then and there that, instead of referring to myself as 65 inches tall, I would now be 165 centimeters tall. Same measure, but in centimeters it sounds better! Just like 104 kilograms sounds so much better than 230 pounds!

Don’t we do so much the same in our spiritual lives? It’s comforting (in a strictly humanistic way) to compare ourselves to neighbors and acquaintances whose lives are filled with more trouble, more dysfunction, and more sin than our own. We can always find someone to compare ourselves to who will make us look great in comparison, at least in our own eyes.

That’s not, however, how God measures us. He doesn’t see us through our own eyes, or measure our spirits in comparison to our neighbors. Instead, God measures us in comparison to His own matchless perfection. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

What a high standard! Is it even possible? Not according to Romans 3:10: “None is righteous, no, not one.” How can we possibly meet such a high standard?

Not on our own. Jesus has accomplished for us what we could never accomplish without Him. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In this life, we won’t achieve perfection; Jesus’ disciples didn’t either. We will come much closer to it, however, if we first learn to measure our thoughts, words and actions as God Himself measures them; against the standard of His perfection. Having measured ourselves properly, we can then yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and walk ever more closely in step with our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:5

“… take every thought captive to obey Christ”

All of chapter 10 is a defense of Paul’s ministry; a response to critics accusing Paul of self-service in his ministry to the Corinthian church. I confess: it’s difficult to find relevance in an argument over a 2000-year-old dispute. Today, no one questions Paul, his motives, or his ministry.

There are, however, a couple of key statements within Paul’s self-defense wherein we can find challenges and guidance for our own walk with Christ. The first of these is in verse 5: “… take every thought captive to obey Christ”.

All sin begins in our thoughts. We are enticed to sinful choices before we take sinful actions. We are tempted towards inaction and self-appeasement before we sinfully neglect to do the Lord’s work. We resist God’s will in our minds before our steps turn away from Him.

Obedience is a big deal. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Do you love Jesus? Are you His disciple? Then obey Him. Keep His commandments. Do what He says. Live life His way.

The Nike shoe company says “Just do it.” Simple to say, hard to accomplish. Hard enough with exercise; harder still with every work and action in life!

If we’re going to “just do it” with regard to following Jesus, we need to know how to just do it. Paul answers this question in today’s scripture: take every thought captive. If we are in control of our thoughts, we will be in control of our words and of our actions.

Application: What thoughts do I need to take captive today? What thoughts are pulling me away from Jesus, and from living life His way?

2 Corinthians 8

First of all, RELAX! I’m not going to cover the whole chapter! I’ve found in this chapter four key verses which teach and admonish me about current-day Christian life, and I’m going to focus on those four verses.

Verse 5

and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

All too often, when “giving” is taught in our churches, the emphasis is upon monetary giving. There are so many ways to give of yourself within the body of Christ, and while monetary gifts pay the bills, they are perhaps the least important of our gifts. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

God wants my whole being … heart, soul, mind and body … as my living sacrifice to Him. My money is just another tool in my toolbox of service, by which I express my love for God and my gratitude for Jesus Christ.

My question for myself at this verse is: “Have I given all of myself, heart, soul, mind, body and resources, into God’s service? Am I willing to go wherever He sends, to whomever He sends me, to do for them whatever He bids me to do?”

Verse 9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

How can we not pour ourselves out in gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us, when we begin to realize the immensity of all He has sacrificed for us. It was so much more than a physical life given on the cross in our place! He gave all His life before the cross to serve and teach a fallen mankind. Paul perhaps says it best in Philippians 2:5-8:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What is your response to such limitless sacrifice for you? How am I showing Jesus I understand all that He sacrificed to reconcile me to God? What am I holding back? Am I really “all in”, or just 99%?

Verse 14

… your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.

Throughout history, and even in some cultures today, there are concepts about economic equality which sound quite foreign and bizarre to modern American ears. Some even in Bible times believed that possessing significantly more than needed was and injustice, and in some cultures, a moral offense.

Here in Charlotte, and indeed in many inner cities, the poorest people living on the street are often the most generous! They will give a large portion, or perhaps all they have, to help someone in even more dire circumstances. The thought is that, if they help someone today, then tomorrow when they themselves are in need, another homeless person with a bit more than they have will return the help.

Paul seems to be referring to a similar expectation here, where the Corinthians have the “abundance” to share and help their brothers in Christ in Jerusalem, in the confidence that when the tables are turned and the Corinthians are in need, God will make help available to them.

What about you? What about me? Am I holding back significantly more than I need, and regarding the needs of others too little? Does my giving and my saving display a love for God and His people, or does it reflect my lack of confidence in God to provide?

Verse 21

for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

To live without sin is an admirable goal, but according to Paul, still not enough. Paul points out that the world around us only knows our reputation within this world; they don’t know what God thinks of us. People will want to hear what we have to say, or will scoff at what we say, according to our reputation “in the sight of man”.

While instructing Timothy on the qualifications to be required of elders in the church, he added “he must be well thought of by outsiders”. The importance of our reputation goes beyond the church; it is quite important how we are regarded by the surrounding community.

So I must ask myself, Am I living a life which will draw others in, wanting to know more about the God whom I call ‘Father’? Am I saying or doing things to harm my local community reputation?

2 Corinthians 3:14

“But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.”

In verses 12-18, Paul explores the reason why the Jews of his day rejected Paul’s message, and determines that they simply haven’t changed in the last few thousand years. In Exodus 32:9, God said “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” Paul’s reference to the veil which Moses wore is his symbolic reference to the stiff-necked and stubborn nature of God’s chosen people.

Much of the Old Testament is the story of Israel’s continuing struggle to fully accept God as their Lord and Savior; to let go of their sinful desires and fully follow God. We see the nation vacillating between idols and the worship of the one True God, over and over again. Nehemiah chapter 9 recaps the nation’s history of sin and rejection of God up to that time.

What are we to learn from this?

We ought to remember that the Israelites, although having been named as “God’s chosen people”, were really no different from any of the rest of us. They were no more prone to setting aside their faith when it seemed convenient, to going their own sinful way than we are today. We are equally tempted to stiff-necked rebellion. Perhaps not so tempted to worship idols, but we have our own modern-day temptations.

So I must ask myself: In what ways is my mind (and my heart!) hardened against God? What am I stubbornly holding on to, when God wants to give me something better? Am I depending on my retirement accounts too much, and upon God too little? Am I using my time for His service, or for my pleasure? Am I allowing age and infirmity to limit my work for Him, or using it to His advantage? Am I open to learning new truths from God’s Word, or clinging to pseudo-truths which I think I already know?

2 Corinthians 3:5-6a

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant …”

Self-sufficiency … one of the most pervasive and pernicious sins of our modern times.

Webster’s gives two definitions for self-sufficiency. (1) “Able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid; capable of providing for one’s own needs.” (2) “Having an extreme confidence in one’s own ability or worth.” Steve Taylor, PhD, writes about the psychological need for self-sufficiency in Psychology Today: “Self-esteem should be like a tree, deeply rooted in self-sufficiency. Otherwise, it will be fragile and unstable.”

I’m not at all sure that Paul, or God, would agree. Our sufficiency is from God! Paul probably was familiar with Psalm 62, which says in verses 5-8: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”

Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to avoid self-sufficiency. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Jeremiah looks at the flip side, and writes of the sin of failing to rely on God: “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” (17:5)

While we are encouraged, even commanded, to put our faith and dependence in God, too much dependence on our brothers in Christ is discouraged. Take a look at Paul’s letter to the church of the Thessalonians.

My lesson from all these scriptures is that I will work to provide for my needs in this world as God gives me work to do. I will not worry about having work or sufficient resources; I will turn all those cares over to God and depend only upon Him. In ministry, I will depend upon Him to guide my steps and shape my words, and leave the results totally in His court.

This lesson leaves me with much to think about? Is there any way in which I’m holding on to self-sufficiency, any measure of depending upon myself and my own strength instead of totally depending upon God? Am I calling upon Jesus for the strength to resist temptations? And as my friend Bill loves to say, “If not, why not?”

Circumcision

The question arose in a recent Bible discussion whether circumcision was a covenant or a (Old Testament) law. We will depart from our usual format to do a survey of circumcision throughout the Bible, and examine what we find. This will not be a totally comprehensive survey, calling out every reference, but I will try to hit all the related topics and views. Let’s see what we find!

The first reference to circumcision in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 17. Use the link to read the chapter and get the context; I won’t quote all of it here, but these are the high points:

v. 9-11 “And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”
- Circumcision is definately a command of God, related to His covenant with Abraham. God made His covenant with Abraham above in verse 4, so the covenant was not dependent upon Abraham’s obedience; it was decided entirely by God.
- God’s command applied to all following generations. I don’t see any reason that even the coming of Christ would have abrogated this covenant. The command should continue in force even today for descendants of Abraham. Verse 13 says “So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.”.
- The covenant command was extended to foreigners who joined an Israelite household. Verse 12: “…Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring…”. See also Exodus 12:43-49.
Leviticus 12:3: “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”. It appears here that the covenant command was included within the Law that God gave to Moses. While this passage is primarily about the woman giving birth, it also commands the circumcision of the male child, on the eighth day, exactly according to the covenant command God gave to Abraham.
Deuteronomy 10:16: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”

Circumcision was never just about a mark in the flesh; it was always about the dedication of a man’s heart to God. This thought is not unique in the Old Testament; it was repeated in …
Deuteronomy 30:6: “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

The same thought regarding circumcision of the heart is found here also, but it is expanded. Salvation is related to circumcision of the heart, not circumcision of the flesh.
Jeremiah 9:25: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh.”

What God requires of His people is of the heart, not of the flesh.
Romans 2:25-29: “For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

Moving into the New Testament, we find that …
- Circumcision that counts for Jews is circumcision of the heart, not circumcision of the flesh.
- The same standard is applied to Gentile believers.
- Circumcision of the heart is evidenced by obedience to God’s commands.
Colossians 2:11-12: “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

A circumcision made “without hands”, having “put off the body of flesh” is a circumcision of the heart. This circumcision is made through faith. We can’t see a person’s faith,but we can see the changes which faith has wroght in that person.

These are not all the verses throughout the Bible which mention circumcision, but I believe we have covered the major points, which I’ll try to summarize here …

Circumcision was originally a command associated with God’s covenant with Abraham, applicable to all succeeding generations, both natural-born and legally joined. This command appears never to have been rescinded.
Circumcision was always, even in the Old Testament, about obedience of the heart, being far more important than marks of the flesh. The physical circumcision was to be evidence of the heart circumcision.
Circumcision of the heart is enjoined upon all believers in Christ, regardless of the presence or absence of a physical circumcision. It is evidenced by faith, and by the changes in dedication, direction, attitude and action which faith creates within the believer in Christ Jesus.

As always, I want to apply these scriptures, and the lessons therein, to myself. I ask myself, what are the visible results of faith in my life? What can others percieve in my life which can only come from faith in our Lord Christ Jesus?

2 Corinthians 2:15-16

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”

Webster’s defines aroma as “a distinctive quality or atmosphere”. We cannot see an aroma, nor can we touch it, but we know without doubt when it is present.

So should it be with us. Our dedication to Christ, our inner peace because of the Holy Spirit within us, should be apparent to people around us, without having the need for us to speak of it. Yes, when the opportunity to open a spiritual conversation presents, the aroma of Christ should prompt us to speak up and encourage others towards faith in Him; but if the aroma of Christ is present, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to those whom we encourage.

The aroma of Christ should be apparent to all; to believers, a comforting quality or atmosphere which makes the other feel as if they’re with kindred. To unbelievers, an uncomfortable feeling that something within them is lacking, that they either want or fear what we have, without being able to name it or put a finger on it. That is why we are instructed and encouraged to speak for Christ with gentleness and respect. Paul wrote to Timothy: “The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness.” (2 Timothy 2:24-25) James echoed a similar sentiment: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.” (James 3:17-18)

So, I ask myself, how’s my spiritual aroma? Do I need some spiritual Dial soap, and some biblical Right Guard? If I tell someone about my faith in Christ, will he raise his eyebrows in surprise, or nod with an “I just knew it” gesture?

2 Corinthians 2:5-8

“Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.”

Paul was writing with gentleness of spirit; there was really no “if”. The someone who had caused pain was most likely Paul’s opponent who had stirred up the Corinthian church in opposition to Paul and rejection of the gospel he brought to them. Now that this rebellion against Paul was (for the most part) resolved, Paul wanted to ensure that harsh punishment and social rejection of the offender did not cause yet more problems and pain within the church.

We will occasionally encounter people with severe spiritual stuggles and failings within the church. Paul tells us here how to respond to such people after they have seen the error of their ways and repented: “reaffirm your love for him”! Before repentance, Paul takes a totally different view; see 1 Corinthians 5:5.

How do we respond to repentant sinners within the church? In my personal experience, I’ve found that a hug is a good start! By the time they’ve repented, they don’t really need to hear whatever I might have to say; as much as anything else, they need to be heard. All I have to do is listen.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

One of the questions I truly struggle with is “Am I afflicted?”. As a middle-class American, I find it somewhere between uncomfortable and outrageous to claim any degree of affliction or discomfort! So many millions around the world do not live in a comfortable home as I do. So many do not have three (or more!) abundant meals each day as I do; or if they do, they can’t look forward to the next one with the assurance I do. Millions, some even in this country, have no access to quality health care. Millions are living under the daily threat of warfare. There can be no doubt that I live among the most abundantly-blessed in the world, and among the most richly-blessed throughout history.

On the other hand, I must in all honesty confess to feeling afflicted as I struggle to get out of bed in the morning, creeping slowly down the stairs as stiff muscles and joints warm up to a new day. I feel afflicted with multiple eruptions of arthritis pain severely limiting daily activity. I feel afflicted as age and diabetes rob me of strength and energy to even serve family and friends in the ways I’ve become accustomed to doing over the last seventy-plus years.

My point here is that we all have an Enemy, who is a genius at causing us to feel afflicted and burdened regardless of our circumstances.

Paul tells us that, whatever the source of our affliction, whether it be life-threatening or trivial, we have a Comforter; the true and only source of all comfort. Our comfort may not be relief of physical pain or the next meal falling from Heaven, but rather the strength to endure whatever is set before us, knowing we don’t walk through trials alone, but hand-in-hand with our Holy Comforter. God only bids us to trust in Him.

Walking with God, I know that I can do what He has set out for me to do. He didn’t promise that it would be without pain, without hunger, or without fatigue. He promised only that He will strengthen me and enable me to do what He wants me to do.

We must always trust in God’s promises, but we must also not re-interpret His promises to mean more than what He really promised. God never promised the strength to do what I want to do, nor what I think I ought to be doing. He never promised that it would be easy. In fact, just the opposite! Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) Trouble in this life is a God-given guarantee! BUT, Jesus immediately followed that promise with another: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We should also ask ourselves “WHY did God promise to ‘comfort us in all our afflictions‘?” We might at first think the answer is to help us feel better, and to give us encouragement. While that’s not wrong, it’s far from being completely right. Paul goes on to explain that the primary reason for God’s comfort for us is so that “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction”. We are a MIRROR, reflecting the comfort we receive from God to the hurting world around us!

This mirror principle applies to ALL the blessing we receive from God. We are loved by God, and reflect that love to others. We are materially blessed by God, so that we can give to others. We are given grace covering all our sins and receiving reconciliation, so that we can carry the good news of salvation to others. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but in chapter 9 verse 11 we will read “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” Whatever God gives, He gives to be shared with others.

So I’ll end this brief study with these questions: Am I giving comfort to those who need it? Am I reflecting God’s love to everyone I see? Am I generous with the material blessings God has entrusted me with? Am I sharing the good news of salvation and reconciliation with anyone and everyone who will listen? How can I give and share more?

2 Corinthians 1:1-2

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is Paul’s greeting to the Corinthian church, which includes two important principles which Christians everywhere must not miss nor forget.

First, Paul refers to Timothy as “our brother”. Paul wrote in Romans 8:14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” All who accept God as their spiritual Father and Jesus as their spiritual brother are brothers (and sisters), having the same Father and having been grafted into the same family. (Romans 11:17)

This should speak strongly to our treatment of each other. What would we do for another member of our physical family? The question might better be stated, what would we not do?! Family cares for family. This is exactly how we should care for and serve our spiritual family as well.

Second, Paul refers to “all the saints”. The reference to saints can be confusing for some. In the Catholic Church, some people are appointed as saints by the judgements and procedures of the Pope and high church officials. The Bible, however, has a different view. In Acts 9, Ananias spoke to our Lord and referred to “your saints at Jerusalem.” The Greek word translated as “saints” is “ἁγίοις (hagiois)”, which means “set apart by God”, or “consecrated to God.”

If you have placed your faith and trust in Christ Jesus, you are a saint! You have been set apart from the evil world by God, and you have been consecrated to God’s service. If you are consecrated to God, what manner of life should you be living? What should the world around you see as they regard your daily living, and your service to others.

This thought really challenges me. In the concept of “consecrated to God”, I find no place for grumpy, selfish, or indifferent to suffering. If I am consecrated to God, there are some things in life I must leave behind!

Paul’s greeting ends with “grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Where else shall we obtain grace? Where else may peace be found? Without a reconciled relationship with God, there is no grace, and there is no peace.

May God’s grace give you peace and joy today!