2 Corinthians Paul s Defense His Attitude and Actions Towards the Corinthians May 5 th, 2013

Transcription

1 2 Corinthians Paul s Defense His Attitude and Actions Towards the Corinthians May 5 th, 2013 Introduction Open your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 10 Inspiration: God will vindicate His children by His truth and His testimony! Introduction: Subject: The provision of comfort and encouragement of joy in affliction and weakness as each believer becomes more and more like Jesus Christ Key Verse: 3:18, 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 from the Lord, the Spirit. Paul s Defense His Attitude and Actions Towards the Corinthians His Attitude Compared to the Charges against Him o 2 Corinthians 10:1-2 Paul s meekness o 2 Corinthians 10:1 1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! meekness = strength that accommodates to another s weakness; in contrast to harshness o Paul is in the midst of having to defend himself to those that he brought the gospel to and yet he does so with meekness Application: Do you show the meekness of Christ to others? Paul s gentleness o 2 Corinthians 10:1 1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! gentleness = the quality of gracious forebearing; fairness, kindness, graciousness 1

2 o Paul hasn t been weak in his response, he s been gracious and patient in his response Application: Do you show the gentleness of Christ to others? Paul s boldness o 2 Corinthians 10:2 2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. bold courageous = confident and firm in purpose; confident to defy danger or opposition o While Paul is meek and gentle, he is also firm in his purpose and standing against opposition Application: Are you bold in attitude like Christ? Paul, being made into the image of Christ, shows that his attitude is one of meekness, gentleness and boldness His Actions in Spiritual Warfare o 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 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 of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Destroying all that works against God o 2 Corinthians 10:5 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, destroying = of buildings tear down, destroy; of people conquer, overthrow speculations and every lofty thing = the activity of one s reasoning and ramparts or bulwarks o Paul wants to demonstrate that he is working against those things that are working against God and the reception of His revelation 2

3 Application: Are we destroying people or destroying the results of sin that affects their minds and reasoning? Taking captive all thoughts for obedience o 2 Corinthians 10:5 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, taking captive = military term for taking prisoners every thought = the psychological faculty of understanding, reasoning, thinking, and deciding o Paul is working to hold captive every thought that would not be leading him or them into obedience to Christ Application: Are all of your thoughts captive to produce obedience to Jesus? Punishing all disobedience to God o 2 Corinthians 10:6 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. ready to punish = KJV s a readiness to revenge or NIV s be ready to punish ; but for Paul this moves from ready to actual action (letter and visits) all disobedience = those opposing the work of God through Paul o Paul is working to bring godly punishment to those who are disobedient to God (in acting as adversaries to him and his work) in the church Application: Are you willing to take a stand in the Body against those who would sin against the Body? Paul s actions involved in spiritual warfare are to destroy what stands up against God, captivate thoughts not leading to obedience and punish disobedience His Actions in Building Believers o 2 Corinthians 10:7-11 Paul defends his position o 2 Corinthians 10:7 3

4 7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. Christ s, so also are we = Paul is as much a child of God, member of the Body, apostle of Jesus as those who attack him claim to be o Our defense of our position in Christ builds other Christians up it s their position as well Application: Are you resting in your position in Christ? Does your position in Christ build others up or does your position in other areas tear them down? Paul defends his authority o 2 Corinthians 10:8 8 For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, authority = the right to control or govern over o Paul is not exercising anything except what was given to him by the Lord o The exercise of his authority is not being misused it is being used to build others up Application: Do you use your spiritual authority to build others up or to destroy them? Paul defends his letters o 2 Corinthians 10: for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. letters = This letter and the former (1 Corinthians) if not up to 3 other letters 10 For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present. we are also when present = Paul is claiming a consistency in his approach to them, whether in his letters or in person o Whether Paul is present or writes to them, he treats them the same building them up by encouraging the things of God and addressing the things that are not of God Application: Do people find you consistent in how you treat them? 4

5 Paul defends his position, his authority and his letters as all being used to build up the Corinthians in their faith His Attitude Compared to the Adversaries against Him o 2 Corinthians 10:12-18 Paul s integrity o 2 Corinthians 10: For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. compare ourselves = Unlike these others, Paul doesn t compare himself to others he compares himself to Christ 13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. which God apportioned to us = God gave Paul this ministry to the Corinthians he doesn t go around, like these adversaries, and stick himself into someone else s ministry 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, 16 so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. sphere of another = their ministry o Paul conducts himself honorable and compares himself only to Christ and His image being formed in him Application: Have you fallen for the devil s distraction of comparing your life to another s instead of to Christ? Have you involved yourself into the work of another because it is easier to attack their work than to do your own? Paul s humility o 2 Corinthians 10: But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. boast in the Lord = if there is anything to glory in, it is the Lord 18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. 5

6 whom the Lord commends = Paul doesn t exalt himself he trusts the Lord to do that for him o Paul conducts himself with humility, the humility of Christ, and serves for His commendation Application: Is your service for your glory or for the Lord s? Paul s attitude, compared to his adversaries, is that of Christ integrity and humility Response God will vindicate His children by His truth and His testimony! As disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to pursue His attitudes and actions in our lives especially when others mistreat us. If you have never come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then this morning I would invite you See Jesus See who you can become if you will follow Him As disciples of Jesus Christ Are your attitudes the attitudes of Jesus? Are your actions the actions of Jesus? 6