Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Helpful thoughts:

• God knows every intention of our hearts.  What matters most about our giving is the heart with which we give.  God loves a cheerful giver.
• Paul’s promise of “reaping what you sow” is not a promise of financial prosperity.  The spiritual ministry Paul was encouraging the Corinthian church to pursue would yield spiritual results.
  • Paul uses other words like “every” and “all,” accompanied with “righteousness” and “grace” and “works.”  God will provide for His people, and the things He knows we need (That we might not typically think of) will be given.
• When Paul considers the mutual service, prayers and giving of the churches for one another, he sees the grace of God in Christ on display and says, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
  • The inexpressible gift is Jesus.  The result of the grace we receive through Christ is evidenced in our mutual love and service.

Questions to consider:

1. How much should “each one” give to this special offering (Verse 7)?  What is Paul (And the Lord) more concerned with than the total amount?  Why do you think that is?  In what way is the importance of both the heart and the total amount of the gift also emphasized?
2. How do we rightly discern what is an appropriate thing to say/ask?  How does the fact that Paul was an Apostle and that this offering was a special gift (Not regular giving to the church) impact what we learn and apply here?
3. How was the church (And other churches participating) showing the grace of God in their actions?  In what way does the gospel work itself out in our lives so that we might become generous and cheerful givers of our time, abilities, finances, etc.?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 9:1-5

Helpful thoughts:

• The generosity of the Corinthian church had encouraged others to give as well.  Paul now exhorts them to follow through with what he already knows they will do.
  • Paul had shared with others such high hopes for the generosity of this church, it would have been an embarrassment to him if they didn’t give.
• The offering of the church was to be given willingly.  It was not required of them and it was not in return for services (Exaction).
• It was good for Paul to ask, to encourage, etc.  He stopped short of any demanding.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it important we have a right understanding of the word, “exaction?”  If someone gave to the church “in return of services” how could that go wrong?  Why wouldn’t it be right for a person to give to a church and then demand certain things be done according to their personal wishes?  Or, why wouldn’t it be right for a person to “withhold their tithe” until they got what they wanted?
2. How does the fact that Paul was an Apostle help us to rightly understand his role in asking the church in Corinth for this gift?  Are there people outside of our local church that could do something like this with the same authority today?
3. Why do you think Paul wanted to make sure the gift remained a “willing” one?  What didn’t he want to rob the church of in their giving?  What do we lose (Or miss out on) when we are demanded to pay up as opposed to being offered an opportunity to give?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Helpful thoughts:

• After encouraging the church to give toward the needs of the church in Jerusalem, Paul lets them know who is coming to minister to them as a part of the collection of this gift.
  • The men going were Titus and two others (At least 3 total):
    • One of them was a great preacher of the gospel.
      • With all that is being discussed in this passage, the church needed gospel-centered ministry!
    • One of them had been tested and was earnest for the ministry.
  • The goal was to bring ministry to the church at Corinth (And others) while asking for help on behalf of the church in Jerusalem.  They were going out raising support.
  • The number of men traveling together also provided accountability and safety for the amount of money that would be traveling across the region back to Jerusalem.
  • Churches were working together to accomplish this ministry (Verse 19).
  • Individual local churches were to decide for themselves what they might give.
    • An example of the autonomy of local churches, while still cooperating in fellowship.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways does what we read in this passage remind you of missions/ministry support raising still today?  In what ways is this kind of giving still done?
2. This passage certainly doesn’t forbid individual giving toward missions, churches or other ministries, but what are some special benefits of giving toward ministries together as a church (For the church and for the one(s) receiving the gift?
3. In what ways can churches be strengthened when they work together?  What are the benefits of a fellowship of churches?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul asks the church to continue giving for the benefit of other ministries and believers in need.
• Here are some important principles in Paul’s request of the church to give:
  • It is a grace from God that we get to give to meet the needs of others.
  • Giving is usually done “according to our means.”
  • Acts of generosity above our usual means must be a decision made by the giver.
  • Paul led the church by encouraging them to give.  It was not a command.
  • Giving is an evidence of the love and grace of God working in the hearts of His people.
  • We are to look at giving through the lens of the gospel.
    • Jesus decreased so that we could increase.
    • We can decrease so that others would increase (And there are times, others will decrease so that we can increase).
• In verse 15, Exodus 16:18 is quoted.  This is from the gathering of manna in the wilderness.  God supplied the food each day.  Everyone gathered what they needed.  There was enough for everyone.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some principles of giving from this passage that stick out the most to you?  Why?
2. How does mentioning the Israelites measuring out the manna shape the way we think about giving?  How does remembering that giving is to be voluntary help us not to take that comparison too far?
3. Who are those who benefit from the generous giving of Christian people?  In what ways do they (or we) benefit?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul had earlier been speaking against false teachers who were trying to lead the church to question his apostolic ministry.  This passage serves to conclude his argument against that false teaching (Defending the authenticity of his ministry).
  • Paul’s faithful ministry spoke in his defense.
  • Titus’ faithful ministry and good report spoke in his defense.
  • The Corinthian church’s existence, obedient response to loving rebuke, and continued growth spoke in his defense.
    • The church was alive and well because they were believing, repenting, and adhering to the truth!
• There is a major difference between feeling bad about our sin and truly repenting.
  • Both godly and worldly grief can be accompanied with bad feelings/emotions.
  • Worldly grief does not produce change and is often centered on the self (How this made me feel bad; How this hurt me; etc.).
  • Godly grief produces change/repentance and is centered on the greatest commandments (How this grieves Him; How this hurts others; How I must change for their good; etc.)

Questions to consider:

1. How does this passage help us better evaluate some of the things that make Christians and the church healthy spiritually?  What happens when the truth is preached, taught, and followed (Even when we fall short and then make it right, which we all have to do regularly!)?
2. What kinds of evidence would we see in the life of a person who is experiencing/practicing worldly grief?
3. What kinds of evidence would we see in the life of a person who is experiencing/practicing godly grief?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Helpful thoughts:

• Verse 15 often gets utilized for marriage relationships.  While it is true that believers should marry believers (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:39), verse 15 is being communicated to a church in the context of church relations/fellowship.
  • The direct application is this: While unbelievers can certainly be invited to attend a church service, hear the gospel, be encouraged to repent and believe, and so forth; unbelievers should not be welcomed into church membership.  And if there are people who have been welcomed into membership who afterward give evidence they are not truly converted (Through the process of church discipline) they should be removed from membership.
  • The application can then also be followed in principle to other types of union, such as marriage.
• The “we” of verse 16 is the church!  This is being directly applied to the church at Corinth.  And could therefore be applied to our church as well.  FBC, we are the temple of the living God.
  • That means all of us (And each of us) are responsible for and to each other, to pursue the purity and the health of the church.
• Verses 16-18 contain six Old Testament quotations, originally given to Israel.
  • We are God’s covenant people (Under the New Covenant).
  • We are part of the fulfilment of God’s promises made.
  • We have an incredibly special privilege!  It is to be cherished.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the illustration of being “yoked together” help us to better understand and apply the concept of church membership?  Whose yoke are we under (Matthew 11:28-30)?  What is the purpose of being yoked together?  What are the benefits of being yoked together as a body?
2. Why is it such a big deal to be part of the church?  How was this privilege granted to us (Hint: It wasn’t earned by us)?  How should the privilege of being counted among God’s people compel us to live?
3. Why (Or when) would being “yoked together” with a church be counted as a bad thing?  What makes it a good thing?  How can you help make it good (For yourself and for others)?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• “The grace of God comes about solely through the death of Christ (5:14-19). Those who turn back from Christ show that their initial, apparent reception of God’s grace was not real but in vain.” – Scott Haffeman.
• In verse 2, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8.  The time and the blessings of the New Covenant have begun in Christ, though we await the culmination of all its promises.
• Paul defines the “weapons of righteousness” as purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech and the power of God.

Questions to consider:

1. In what way did Paul’s experiences confirm his apostleship to the church at Corinth?  In what way could Paul’s experiences encourage all of us in how to persevere in Christ through difficulties?  What is our hope, our future, our joy?
2. What are the things (Verse 6-7) that countered the hardships and sufferings of verses 4-5?  How are these actual “weapons of righteous” as opposed to using literal weapons to “fight back?”
3. How can a Christian be “restricted in your own affections” (Verse 12)?  How can the things we desire keep us from having all we could have in Christ? In relationship with the church?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Helpful thoughts:

• Knowing who God is and who we are compels us to share the gospel with others.
• Knowing the love of Christ compels us to share the gospel with others.
• Knowing our commission from the Lord compels us to share the gospel with others.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the job of an ambassador?  How are we to function if we are ambassadors for Christ?  What does that mean about what we consider to be our home land?  What does it tell us about the reason(s) we are still here on earth?
2. Whose sin was placed on Christ at the cross?  Whose righteousness renders you innocent (“not guilty”) before God?  How does this reinforce the truth that our salvation is wholly of grace and not of our works?
3. How do words like “persuade” (verse 11) and “implore” (verse 20) instruct our thinking about evangelism and our efforts to share Christ with the lost?

Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

• This passage is a direct continuation of the thoughts from the latter portion of chapter 4.
• In this life, we can overcome temporary hardships with eternity in view.  But, that doesn’t mean we never groan!  In this “tent” (Our earthly bodies) we groan.
• To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  When followers of Christ close their eyes in death, they enter into the presence of the Lord!
• Knowing what we do about God, about eternity, about the judgment (And our opportunity for reward by the grace of God), we make it our aim to please God in everything we do.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it important to know that we do (and even should) have times of groaning in this life?  What are things in this life that cause us to groan?  Is it right and healthy to force a smile on our face even when we are in times of groaning in the midst of this sin-cursed world?  Should we quickly assume when someone is saddened for a time that they don’t have the joy of the Lord in their life at all?
2. What are some reasons for joy in this passage that can help us to endure and even see victory in and through times of groaning?
3. What does it mean to do everything with the desire to be pleasing to God?  How can that godly desire be applied to even the “mundane” things in life?  How wonderful is it to know that for the Christian, the judgment seat of Christ is a place of reward, since all our sin has already been judged in full (Romans 8:1)?