2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 2:1

The apostle Paul had no intention of being a burden on the Corinthian congregation. Rather, his desire was to be a blessing to them. That is why chapter 1 ended with him saying, “I don’t want to have dominion over you. I seek to be a helper of your joy.” “When you go to Corinth again, make sure you don’t go with a heavy heart,” Paul said to himself. I point this out because sometimes spiritual self-talk is absolutely necessary. I believe the psalmist set the example for us when he said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalms 103). In other words, “Get it in gear, soul. Wake up and start praising.” In 1 Samuel, we read of an ill-fated military endeavor wherein David and his men left their camp in Ziklag only to return to find their city burned down and their wives and children taken into captivity. As a result, David’s men were so angry with him that they wanted to kill him. It was at this point that David could have descended into real depression. Instead, we read that he encouraged himself in the Lord (1Sa_30:6). Do you ever do that? Do you say, “I’m not going to become discouraged. I’m going to talk to myself about what God has done for me, how good He has been to me, how He’s seen me through so many times previously”? I encourage you to encourage yourself in the Lord. Talk to your soul. Speak out the Scriptures. Memorize them or read them aloud. And as they go from your mouth into your ear, let them bless your heart. Encourage yourself in the Lord when you’re stuck in traffic, when you’re walking down the street, when you’re feeling kind of blue. David did. And what happened? His countenance changed. He rallied the troops once again. They went after the marauders and captured everything that was lost. I wonder how much is lost and wasted in our own lives because we fail to follow the example of David and Paul, because we don’t encourage ourselves in the Lord. Knowing they misunderstood his intention in the first Epistle, Paul said, “I’m still determined to come to you with happiness rather than heaviness.”

2 Corinthians 2:3

“I wrote my first letter to you not to burden you,” Paul says, “but to give you the opportunity to work things out, so that we can celebrate together when I come.” The first time my wife, Tammy, went to a pastors wives’ conference, I said, “On your flight back home, please call when you get to San Francisco.” Although I wanted to hear her voice, I also wanted to know how much time the kids and I had to get the house in order! This was Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 2:4

“It was not with a finger pointing at you, but with tears in my eyes for you that I wrote to you,” said Paul. It’s so important that as we mature in the Lord we don’t err as the Corinthians did. We must not only read the Lord, but listen to the tone in which it was written. A Hearing Aid A Topical Study of 2Co_2:4 I have discovered that the more familiar with the Word we become, the more vulnerable we are to being tone-deaf. Oh, we know the Scriptures. We have our theology down pat. We know where to find all the stories, and we can give the references for major points of doctrine. We know the Wordbut are we hearing its tone? This is the question Paul is up againstfor although he had written the Corinthians a letter that was admittedly corrective, failing to hear the tone with which he had written it, they felt he was unduly harsh with them. In this, I am reminded of another incident in Scripture in which tone played an important role… “Father, glorify Thy name,” Jesus said only days before His crucifixion. Regarding the voice from heaven that answered, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again,” some heard thunder, others the voice of an angel (see Joh_12:28-29). This intrigues me. Within a single group of people on the same spot at the same time hearing the same voice, some thought it thundered menacingly, while others thought it spoke angelically. So, too, we can give a single sermon or Bible study, and some will hear it as thunder, while others will hear it as a message from heaven. It all depends upon what’s happening in the heart. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.Mar_7:32-35 A deaf man who could neither hear nor speak was brought to Jesus, the Great Physician, the Ultimate Hearing Specialist. And as soon as this man’s ears were opened, he could speak plainly as wellfor the way we hear truly affects the way we speak. So let me ask you, how is your hearing? A Hearing Test Realizing they were naked, Adam and Eve hid from God. And as they were hiding, they heard a voice in the garden, calling, “Adam, where art thou?” (Gen_3:9). You know the words, but what tone do you hear? Do you hear a Cosmic Cop saying, “Where are you? Wait until I get my hands on you!”? That is the way most people hear Gen_3:9. But they hear it wrong. This is not the voice of an angry God tracking down a rebellious sinner. Rather, it’s the cry of a heartbroken father looking for a lost son. God doesn’t say, “Where were you?” or “How could you?” He says, “Where are you? Look at your situation. Allow Me to cover you” (see Gen_3:21). Shortly thereafter, God said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Gen_3:19). If you hear Him saying this in anger or frustration, you’re missing the true tone of His voice, for God knew it was work that would keep Adam and the rest of us out of trouble. The chapter ends with God driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden lest they eat of the tree of life and live forever in their fallen, sinful state. Yet many people read this story and see an angry God raining punishment on sinful man. They read the words, but they don’t hear the tone. How do you hear John 8? They caught her in the very act of adultery. With stones in hand, they were ready to execute her as prescribed by the Law of Moses. Jesus defended her, protected her, and then looked at her and said, “Woman, where are thine accusers? Dost no man condemn thee?” And she looked at Him and said, “No man condemns me, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more” (see Joh_8:11). How do you hear this story? Most people hear it as, “Woman, I’m letting you off the hook this time. Go your way. But don’t let it happen again.” But this perception is wrong on at least two counts… First, gune, the word translated “woman,” was a term of deepest possible respect toward a woman. It was the same term Jesus used to address His own mother (Joh_2:4). Second, “Sin no more,” was not said as a stern word of warning, but rather as a loving word of hope. “Go your way free because now you don’t have to sin anymore.” My heart melts when I hear the tone of the Lord’s voicenot thundering a warning, but rather delivering an angelic message of comfort for you and me. “It is finished,” He cries (see Joh_19:30). And the world hears it as the cry of a tragic hero, the end of a sad situation. But wait. The Gospel writers tell us He cried with a loud voicenot the whimper of defeat, but the shout of victory. “It is finished! The price is paid. The work is done. You are free,” He saida declaration that caused the earth to quake, graves to open, and the veil in the temple to split from top to bottom. The magnitude of His statement was such that had His hands not been nailed to the Cross, I’m convinced they would have been raised in the air in victory. Yet we miss this completely if we don’t hear the tone. How is your hearing? What tone do you hear when you read the Word? Do you hear the thunder of condemnation and damnationor do you hear the heart of a Father who loves you so much that He gave His Son for you? A Hearing Aid James gives us a hearing aid to ensure that we hear the heart of the Lord as we read His Word… But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.Jas_3:14-16 This is the filter through which to view every sermon or Bible study, every commentary or devotional. Whatever causes envy or strife, confusion, bitterness, or anguish is not from heaven. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.Jas_3:17 Conversely, you can be sure that whatever is pure and peaceable, gentle and merciful, whatever is approachable and comforting is from the heart of the Father. In other words, the characteristics James gave describe perfectly the personality and nature of Jesus Christ. Therefore, when you hear a sermon, read a book, or have morning devotions, all you have to ask yourself is, “Does this sound like Jesusthe One who ate with sinners and prostitutes; the One the common people heard gladlyor is it harsh and heavy, condemning and accusatory?” If it’s not like Jesus, then what you’re thinking, hearing, reading, or saying is not from above. Jesus is pure and peaceable. Jesus is gentle. Jesus is easy to be approached. To those who want to know Him, He doesn’t say, “Jump higher, run farther, try harder,” but rather, “I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you open the door, I’ll gladly come in.” Because the only autobiographical statement Jesus ever made was, “I am meek and lowly of heart; My burden is easy and My load light,” whatever is a burden to you or a weight upon you is not from Him. Read the Word in the light of Jas_3:17. And as you do, you’ll see not only words on the page, but you’ll hear the heart of the Father.

2 Corinthians 2:5

Concerning the man in their midst who was living in immorality with his mother-in-law, Paul told the church at Corinth to turn him over to Satan in order that his soul might be saved (1Co_5:5). The Corinthians heeded Paul’s word and banned him from their fellowship. Now the problem was that even though he had turned from his sin, the church wouldn’t let him back into their midst. “You took it too far,” said Paul. “I told you to deal with the situation, but the prescribed course of action has been overdone.” We must be those who do not flaunt or tolerate immorality. At the same time, we must be those who love and embrace anyone who says, “I want to walk with you and be part of your company.”

2 Corinthians 2:10

Here, we see Paul’s exhortation to be knowledgeable concerning Satan’s devicesone of which is not only to get someone to sin, but to make him feel terrible about his sin, and to cause division among believers concerning the issue of his sin. Paul says to the church at Corinth, “Don’t let Satan ostracize this one who needs to come back into your midst. And don’t let him divide you in the process.”

2 Corinthians 2:12

An opportunity for great ministry was opened to Paul in Troas. Yet because Titus failed to meet him there with news of how the church at Corinth was doing, Paul left Troas to find Titus. Here, we see an interesting side of Paul not often seen in other places. That is, he left a wide-open door in Troas because he cared about one man, Titus, who was to inform him about an individual churchthe church at Corinth.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Why was Paul so easily able to praise God even in hard times? Because trials don’t make or break a manthey simply reveal the contents of his heart. When someone cuts you off on the freeway, the way you respond is not a result of his action. Rather, it’s an indication of what was already in your heart at that moment. This explains why Paul and Silas could sing in prison (Act_16:25). They weren’t praising God in order that He might set them free, for they had no idea their praise would open their prison door. Paul’s praise in prison as well as in this Epistle was simply the overflow of the praise already in his heart. The Greek word translated “triumph” is linked to the Roman triumphal march. When a Roman general went into battle and killed five thousand or more of the enemy as he secured new territory for Rome, upon his return, he rode in a chariot, followed by his soldiers marching in all of their glory. Behind the soldiers were the men who had been taken captive. Alongside the procession, priests would walk, swinging their incense pots to create a sweet smell of victory as the entire procession made its way through the main thoroughfare to the Circus Maximus, where, for the entertainment of the crowd, the captives would do battle against wild beasts. So, too, we are in a victory march as well. General Jesus, our Leader, our King left His empire in heaven, “invaded” this planet, and conquered the enemy on a hill called Calvary. However, five thousand didn’t die. Instead, five thousand were saved (Act_4:4). And the Enemy forcesdemonsare not headed to the Circus Maximus, but to the lake of fire (Rev_20:10). Marching behind our King as a kingdom of priests (Exo_19:6), the gospel we share and the praise we offer become the incense of victory.

2 Corinthians 2:16

To the enemies of the Cross, our praise and testimony stink. But to those who are headed for heaven, the aroma is wonderful. I say this to let you know in advance that when you go to school or work tomorrow, to those who are destined to live eternally, you will be a sweet savor of Christ. But to those who are destined for hell, you’ll stink. Don’t take it personally. Just realize that it’s a revelation of the fact that they are not yet part of the kingdom. Who is sufficient to march behind Jesus, to carry the fragrance of Him, to be used by Him? Paul will answer this question in the next chapter when he says our sufficiency is of God (verse 2Co_2:5).

2 Corinthians 2:17

This is crucial for every Sunday-school teacher, preacher, Bible study leader, music minister, or anyone else who deals in any way with the Word. We are not to corrupt the Word with our own agenda or axes to grind. We who teach the Word are to realize that when we speak, we’re not speaking theoretically, but that God is very much in attendance (Heb_2:12). If we approach family devotions and Bible studies, Sunday-school lessons and sermons as though God is present, our teaching and sharing become acts of worship. I find that some of my most intense times of worship take place when I’m teaching the Word, for although I’m talking about God, in reality, I’m talking to Him. I’m saying, “Lord, it’s amazing that we can march behind You. It’s awesome that You have captured the Enemy by Your authority. It’s comforting that You are our victory.”