2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER ONE - Verse-by-verse Bible …



2 CORINTHIANS chapter one

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salutation verses 1,2

SUMMARY VERSES 1,2

1. PAUL STRESSES HIS APOSTLESHIP IN LIGHT OF THE REPORT FROM CORINTH.

2. Timothy is not the co-author but a co-laborer with Paul. (As were Titus and Silas.)

3. Timothy is Paul's student.

4. The Timothy principle is still operative (2 TIMOTHY 2:2).

5. Paul's familiar salutation “grace and peace” is only realized where positive volition exists.

6. Grace and peace are multiplied via GAP (see 2 PETER 1:2).

7. Living grace comes with or without volitional involvement.

the ministry of comfort/encouragement

(VERSES 3-11)

SUMMARY VERSE 3

1. PAUL PRAISES GOD THE FATHER FOR HIS ESSENCE IN TERMS OF GRACE.

2. As author of the plan, His plan reflects what He is.

3. The plan embraces those who receive His grace benefits.

4. Mercy and compassion are human characteristics, which when attributed to God, are anthropopathisms.

5. As the Father of mercies, He must think and act in a way that is consistent with His righteousness.

6. The principle of grace cannot act apart from righteousness and truth. (He can't forgive apart from rebound.)

7. As a God of mercies, He first thinks grace (compassion) then acts.

8. Man is the object of His thinking and acting.

9. Mercies (plural) is all that God is free to do for man based on the cross.

10. The only limitation to act (overt blessing) is predicated by correct volitional response.

11. God has an unlimited reserve of mercies.

12. This pool of mercies is provided for all men though the sacrifice of His Son. (He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

13. To tap this reserve, one must be positive to the truth.

14. Correct targets of mercy:

a. A sinner at salvation.

b. A believer using rebound.

c. A believer under reversionism recovery. (Examples: David, the prodigal son.)

d. A believer under undeserved suffering.

e. A believer under blessing.

15. Mercies are to be tied to the three “Os” of Divine essence:

a. He knows.

b. He is there.

c. He has all power.

16. Mercy and compassion do not rule out the function of judgement.

17. Comfort or encouragement is that soulish state when the believer is filling of the Holy Spirit and Divine viewpoint in his brain computer under mercy.

18. All the comfort we need comes to us from God's word ministered by the Holy Spirit. (He is so designated.)

19. We may be encouraged in Bible class, through other positive believers, through circumstances, through remember Scripture, or in prayer.

Summary verse 4

1. IF YOU ARE POSITIVE TO BIBLE DOCTRINE, THIS MINISTRY IS YOURS FROM GOD.

2. We assume that you are filling of the Holy Spirit so that when comfort comes you are able to appreciate it.

3. Mental attitude sins neutralize this ministry.

4. What we are studying is an important addendum to the doctrine of suffering.

5. We are promised comfort/encouragement in the sphere of suffering.

6. While under pressure, we are ministered to by God so we can go on and pass the test.

7. And so that we can minister to others (i.e. the comfortee can become the comforter).

8. The short-term purpose of Divine comfort is to nurture us through our test while the long-term purpose is so that we can minister comfort to others.

9. We are to tell other believers of the comfort that God has ministered to us so that they may take comfort in similar tests.

10. God brings me though a test; later I see you under a similar one; at this juncture I am to tell you of my experience.

11. If you are sensitive to Divine comfort, you will be ministered to.

12. Both parties must be aware of and sensitive to this ministry.

Summary verses 5

1. THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST REFERS TO THE SUFFERINGS OF HIS BODY, THE CHURCH.

2. X amount of suffering the body will experience in the Church Age and then the rapture.

3. Paul contributed his allotment (COLOSSIANS 1:24).

4. The sufferings in view here refer to undeserved sufferings, not deserved sufferings (compare 1 PETER and the Doctrine of Undeserved Suffering).

5. The suffering comes from persons and circumstances. (Example: health).

6. Now the Word of God makes it clear that these sufferings are “in abundance”.

7. Jesus, Himself, said that we would have qliyij (thlipsis) in the cosmos (JOHN 16:33 compare 1 PETER 5:9).

8. This suffering comes to us because the cosmos practices evil and persecutes believers.

9. It takes various forms: verbal, overt (compare 1 Peter).

10. Those who do not cave-in in the face of persecution, who maintain their doctrinal integrity will suffer. (Compare seed sown on the rocky ground.)

11. We live in an alien environment; so expect persecution.

12. Paul always made it clear to believers that the road to victory and SG3 was filled with suffering (ACTS 14:22).

13. First Peter tells us how to field undeserved suffering.

14. From the beginning, we learn that suffering will be a reality for the advancing believer (GENESIS 3:15).

15. In 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11, Paul tells us another reality associated with our “abundant” sufferings, namely the parallel ministry of comfort.

16. Verse five promises us that we will receive encouragement in the same measure as we suffer.

17. Mechanics: regular attendance in Bible class, fellowship with category three and two, providential circumstances, memory of Scripture and past deliverances.

18. So as you suffer, be looking for comfort as you await delivery.

19. The suffering saint receives:

a. Delivery.

b. SG3.

c. Comfort/encouragement.

Summary verse 6

1. THE AFFLICTION OF PAUL AND COMPANY IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE CORINTHIANS IN TERMS OF COMFORT/ENCOURAGEMENT AND DELIVERANCE.

2. While the Corinthians suffer on the glory road, they are to observe the suffering of their leaders.

3. They will see the sufferings and the comfort provided for Paul and company on the front lines of the Angelic Conflict.

4. They see this and take heart, receiving comfort and deliverance.

5. Two things the Corinthians are promised: comfort and deliverance.

6. The same for Paul and company.

7. When they hear of Paul's comfort/blessing under adversity, they are comforted while under testing.

8. You must learn to apply other’s comfort and deliverance to your own situation.

9. Comfort is only an inner reality where the believer avoids reactor factors.

10. Patience (faith/rest under circumstances) is the soil in which comfort flourishes.

11. Those not in the sphere of patience do not benefit from comfort.

12. Comfort comes their way anyway but they aren't responsive to it.

13. The same sufferings that come to them are the common human problems of the royal family (tests, undeserved suffering, cosmic antagonism, four walls, living grace, etc.).

Summary verse 7

1. PAUL'S STRONG CONFIDENCE FOR THEM IS NOT BASED ON WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE; RATHER IT IS BASED IN WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS.

2. Paul's confidence is in the doctrine that as we suffer, so we will receive comfort.

3. Paul's confidence is firmly grounded in Scripture.

4. Paul's confidence is based on knowing.

5. Paul's confidence is in the specific promise that as we suffer, so we will be comforted (compare verse 5).

6. We (believers on the glory road) have a camaraderie of sufferings and comfort.

7. As the sufferings vary, so does the comfort. (It comes in various forms: deliverance from tests, deliverance in the test, a visit from Titus, a detail, a Bible class or classes, etc.)

8. Two doctrines are brought together—if there is no suffering, there is no need for comfort.

Paul practices what he preaches (verses 8-10a)

SUMMARY VERSES 8-10A

1. PAUL TAKES THE DELIVERANCE IN EPHESUS TO BE A SOURCE OF PRESENT COMFORT.

2. The test at the end of the Ephesian ministry was beyond their human resources.

3. They even gave up hope of living.

4. Their human resources failed them.

5. If they were delivered it had to be of God.

6. This experience brought them to a place where they had no place to turn but God.

7. Not that they trusted self, but God allowed every prop to go so that death was the only outcome.

8. Acts 19:23 describes the death-test as follows: “And about that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.”

9. The mob was on the verge of destroying the leaders.

10. The doctrine that helped them through was the doctrine of resurrection.

11. Resurrection being the greatest, and ultimate, deliver of the body.

12. If God can deliver the body in resurrection, He can deliver from any

death-test.

13. The doctrine of resurrection carried Abraham through the Isaac test.

14. That deliverance was the basis for the present comfort in Macedonia.

15. Paul tells us that God will deliver us from all tests (2 TIMOTHY 4:18).

16. So every test, no matter how great, has a deliverance.

17. The believer is challenged to keep his mental attitude straight.

two kinds of prayer and Paul's testing

(VERSES 10B,11)

SUMMARY VERSES 10B,11

1. DELIVERANCE FROM PAUL'S PRESENT TROUBLES IS CERTAIN.

2. And the “rules” remain the same:

a. Patience from application.

b. Comfort from God.

3. They have a responsibility toward Paul and company to engage in intercessory prayer (de,hsij deesis).

4. They join in Paul's test.

5. The result will be comfort plus the obligation to offer thanks.

6. Two kinds of prayer on Paul's behalf (two times u`per [huper] is used with respect to prayer) are in view in this verse.

7. Intercession and thanksgiving.

8. Paul anticipates both from them.

9. Thanks for the grace benefit (i.e. deliverance from his present testing).

10. There are a lot of believers at Corinth.

Summary verse 12

1. THEIR BOAST TOWARDS THE CORINTHIANS IS THAT THEY CONSISTENTLY CONDUCTED THEMSELVES IN EXPERIENTIAL SANCTIFICATION AND INTELLECTUAL HONESTY.

2. Holiness is how they dealt with the Corinthians morally.

3. Intellectual honesty is how they handled the Word of God in respect to the Corinthians (compare 2:17).

4. They did not lead with the STA and its lusts and human viewpoint.

5. But stuck with grace even when living grace ran thin.

6. This doesn’t mean that they never sinned, but the indwelling STA never dictated the message or how they led the flock.

7. The temptation to resort to human viewpoint, legalism, and lust is always there, but they avoided the pitfalls.

8. This set of principles was applied to those outside the plan, but the standards they set for the royal family was even higher.

9. Can you boast that you handle the Word of God honorably or do you crank up a breakthrough for approbation or do you teach so that you can bully, secure sexual favors, etc. (compare 1 THESSALONIANS 2:3 “out from

self delusion, nor out from uncleanness (sex) nor in deceit (to get $).

Summary verse 13

1. PUT ANOTHER WAY, PAUL IS SAYING THAT HE HOLDS NOTHING BACK FROM THEM.

2. Something he is being accused of and so with all true teachers.

3. Intellectual honesty will teach all the truth and nothing but the truth.

4. Paul's hope is that they will retain these doctrines to the end of Ph2.

Summary verse 14

1. PAUL IS REFERRING TO 1 CORINTHIANS W\AAA IND.

2. Their response to it was only in part.

3. Certain misapplications remain.

4. Epiginwskw (epiginosko) means to both know and made the correct applications.

5. Second Corinthians is designed to trouble-shoot on the misapplications out of 1 Corinthians.

6. They have accepted the 1 Corinthians message, but not without some false applications.

7. Paul wants them to fully get it together so he can boast at the rapture.

8. Those who arrive complete in Christ at the BEMA will have a “right pastor” they can boast in.

9. And pastor-teachers who arrive complete will have believers they can boast in.

10. I can't get my crown without you and vise versa.

11. This Ph3 BEMA boast will be verbalized by those who study/teach and those who hear and apply.

12. The Corinthians, who are back on the road to boasting, still need some further orientation.

13. We will boast in each other at the BEMA as the SG3 is given.

Paul defends his itinerary and thus defends himself

SUMMARY VERSES 15,16

1. AT ONE JUNCTURE WHILE IN EPHESUS, PAUL PLANNED TO VISIT CORINTH ON HIS WAY TO MACEDONIA.

2. That way he could visit them a second time on his way to Judea.

3. Paul wanted to visit them earlier but couldn’t because of the need at Ephesus (compare 1 CORINTHIANS 16:7).

4. Reconstruction of Paul's visits (real and intended) and letters to Corinth:

a. His first visit was on his second missionary journey in which he stayed eighteen months (ACTS 18:1ff: March 51-September 52).

b. The second visit was brief and sorrowful; it took place while he was in Ephesus on this third journey (2 CORINTHIANS 2:1).

c. He wrote a lost letter while at Ephesus in which he told them to separate from fornicators, etc. (1 CORINTHIANS 5:9) who were believers.

d. Either in his second visit or lost letter, he made his intentions of a double visit known to them (compare 2 CORINTHIANS 1:15,16).

e. Further news of the Corinthian problem led him to write 1 Corinthians.

f. In 1 Corinthians, he explains that he will only visit them after he has traveled through Macedonia (1 CORINTHIANS 16:5-7).

g. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians somewhere in Macedonia upon receiving Titus’ news about their response to 1 Corinthians (2 CORINTHIANS 2:13;

7:5-7; September/October 56 A.D.).

h. He visited them for the third and final time during the winter of 56/57 A.D. (compare 1 CORINTHIANS 16:6).

5. Why did Paul cancel this visit on his way to Macedonia?

a. To give the Corinthians time to get their act together and digest

1 Corinthians so that his visit wouldn’t be sorrowful and so to spare them

(compare 2 CORINTHIANS 1:23).

b. Paul is prepared to exercise the sternest discipline if they don’t shape up, but hopes this won't be necessary (2 CORINTHIANS 2:1; 13:2 compare 1 CORINTHIANS 4:18-21).

c. So he abandoned the first leg of his itinerary after Ephesus to avoid a second unpleasant visit (compare point 4b).

d. Besides, based on his itinerary, this visit would be too brief to do them the necessary good (1 CORINTHIANS 16:7).

e. As for the Ephesians ministry, it took longer than he earlier made allowance.

6. This alteration in his itinerary was seized upon by his critics at Corinth and brandished as bad faith on his part.

the charges of his critics

SUMMARY VERSE 17

1. PAUL DENIES THE CHARGE THAT HE IS A VACILLATING ACCOMMODATING TYPE.

2. Such a person is operating under the STA.

3. The STA is flaky.

4. When Paul said, “Yes,” to the first visit, he anticipated a forth-coming change in the church and more time.

5. People who constantly say, “Yes,” and do “no” are unstable, ruled by their STA and to be avoided.

6. They are often pompous and assertive with their fickleness.

7. When they say, “Yes,” to you, you know that it could just as easily be “no”.

8. They mold their responses to the occasion.

Summary verses 18-20

1. WHEN GOD SPEAKS ON ANY MATTER, HIS POSITIVE DOES NOT CARRY A NEGATIVE.

2. His adjusted servants will speak and act accordingly.

3. Since we aren't God, we are free to fall prey to unforeseen circumstances where our yes becomes no.

4. This, however, will only be an occasional phenomenon, as with Paul.

5. This is not at all the same as the untrustworthy type.

6. The teaching of these men further negates the charge of accommodation.

7. A close examination of their doctrine reveals consistency.

8. They weren't guilty of altering their doctrine to suit the situation.

9. They held to the truth even when it seemed best to switch horses.

10. All three were this way (Silas was Paul's companion on the second journey; Timothy joined Paul at Lystra on the second journey).

11. All true established promises are to be handled in an emphatic, consistent, affirmative manner.

12. The integrity of God's plan depends on each.

13. They are yes, when one is under testing.

14. Christ becomes our Amen (compare REVELATION 3:14) because of these unfailing promises.

15. All are in Him; all are yes in Him; therefore, He is our Amen.

16. When He is taught as the Amen of God, this brings glory to God.

Through us He receives glory when we say, “Yes,” to these promises.

Not when we express reservations.

Summary verses 21,22

Paul reminds them that the bond between their teachers and them is related to God.

A pastor’s true bond with his congregation should be positive volition.

God, over the years, forges this bond.

A pastor need never resort to artificial means which will undermine this grace bond. (Examples: visitation, one on none).

There was an attack to drive a wedge between Paul and the church.

Those who are positive will stick with Paul (no need to fear).

A pastor must get his eyes off of self in this regard.

As pastors, we have an anointing that is a special commission to study and teach.

The One who commissions you will give you an assignment and support you in it.

Nothing can separate you from the Plan and you have the indwelling Holy Spirit as a guarantee of a new body with SG3.

This is equally true for all of us.

reason for the cancellation of the visit through them to macedonia

Summary verses 23,24

Paul explains why he cancelled the visit.

He wanted to avoid “the rod” approach to recalcitrant believers (to kick back obstinately, defiant of authority or restraint, not responsive to handling).

He wanted to give them extra time to shape up so he sent 1 Corinthians and cancelled the previously announced visit.

It is no fun for a pastor or the congregation for him to teach under these conditions.

Paul calls God to witness since Paul's change of itinerary has been maligned.

If necessary, Paul will use the rod approach (compare

1 CORINTHIANS 1:24; 2 CORINTHIANS 13:2).

He hoped that 1 Corinthians would produce the desired result—“godly sorrow” leading to a change of mind (compare 2 CORINTHIANS 7:9,10).

In verse twenty-four Paul denies “lording it over” their priesthood.

This denial comes in the context of “the rod approach”.

APPLICATION: A PASTOR SHOULD SEEK TO AVOID THIS TACTIC IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. (Give people every chance to adjust.)

The “rod approach” is to be used only when flagrant negative volition and reversionism exist.

It may be directed towards a group of individual.

Warning and exhorting believers is not necessarily the rod approach.

The rod approach is towards known and flagrant recalcitrant reversionists in the church.

Not ordinary failure to apply.

It should be used in the face of conspiracy and apostasy.

Most troubleshooting can be taken care of outside the pulpit. (This doesn’t include everyday exhortation.)

Sending 1 Corinthians and a positive response was less painful that a face-to-face confrontation.

Paul was charged with being a bully based on his threat of the rod approach.

Which he denies.

What characterizes “lording it over” believers?

It has to do with how one wears or exercises authority.

To use one’s office to bully believers into applying.

To act arbitrarily.

To remain aloof and so to seek to avoid the sufferings of the body.

To avoid the role of servant.

To seek recognition without experiencing the pressures and hardships of the advance.

Lack of patience towards believers.

We, as pastors, are not to so exercise our authority (1 PETER 5:3;

LUKE 22:25).

Paul says that we are co-workers of their happiness.

Note what Paul endured so that they could hear and be saved.

Salvation is the example he uses to make his point.

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