Archive for May 2023

2 Samuel 3-4, Psalm 108, Mark 14:1-11, 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 2 Corinthians 12:11-21: Paul’s defense of himself—which, as he clarifies at the end of this section, is really a defense of the gospel—continues. You sense here especially the deep emotion, the pain, and indeed some of the frustration that Paul carried in his relationship with the Corinthians. What…

2 Samuel 1-2, Psalm 107, Mark 13:32-37, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10   2 Corinthians 12:1-10: As Paul continues to defend himself, his ministry—all for the purpose of defending the gospel—he now continues to turn the tables on his opponents. He is “boasting” about his achievements and abilities, but in the final analysis, the boasting takes on a distinctly cross-shaped…

1 Samuel 29-31, Psalm 106:24-48, Mark 13:14-31, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 2 Corinthians 11:16-33: Paul is continuing to defend his ministry—because by doing so he is defending the gospel. But now he takes the defense of the gospel a stage further. Apparently the false-teachers had been accusing Paul of being weak and inadequate because he had suffered so much.…

1 Samuel 26-28, Psalm 106:1-23, Mark 13:1-13, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 2 Corinthians 11:1-15: Paul continues to defend himself—but really, he is defending the gospel. Into the focus now come the “super apostles.” These were false teachers who were confusing the Corinthians. Paul takes them on. What can we learn from Paul about how we can confront false teaching?…

1 Samuel 24-25, Psalm 105, Mark 12:35-44, 2 Corinthians 10 2 Corinthians 10: Is it ever right to defend yourself? Paul apparently thought so. Sometimes Christians can act as if they should be run over by the bus, roadkill on the way to someone else’s agenda, all in the name of “self-sacrificial love.” But there is a time…

1 Samuel 21-23, Psalm 104, Mark 12:28-34, 2 Corinthians 9 2 Corinthians 9: This chapter continues Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians (and us) about generosity. How does he teach about generosity? First, he encourages the Corinthians. Sometimes we can only ever hear the “ask.” But Paul takes the time to point out how generous the Corinthians have been.…

1 Samuel 19-20, Psalm 103, Mark 12:13-27, 2 Corinthians 8 2 Corinthians 8: Now Paul moves on to another matter that is a common cause of friction in church life—and which was a problem in Corinth. Chapter 8 is the first of two chapters that focus on generosity. In the early days, the Corinthians had been at the forefront of…

1 Samuel 17-18, Psalm 102, Mark 12:1-12, 2 Corinthians 7 2 Corinthians 7: This part of 2 Corinthians is in essence a lengthy—and somewhat emotional—discussion about Paul’s relationship to the Corinthian church that hinges on a particular observation he has now made. That observation is: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but…

1 Samuel 15-16, Psalm 101, Mark 11:27-33, 2 Corinthians 6 2 Corinthians 6: Paul is continuing to describe some of the characteristics of an excellent gospel ministry. This matters to us because whether we are a gospel minister ourselves or not, we all—all Christians—have a responsibility to share the gospel. And we all need wisdom to be able…

1 Samuel 14, Psalm 100, Mark 11:12-26, 2 Corinthians 5 2 Corinthians 5: Paul now gives us two corollaries that come from living, ministering, and working with the eternal in perspective: confident and evangelistic. First, we are confident. This is because we who are Christians live with a combination of “groaning” and yet also confidence that comes from the…