Articles from 2 Corinthians

In order to graduate high school I had to pass what was called an “exit exam.” It was a basic test of math, English, science, and social studies. My entire primary education—kindergarten through twelfth grade—was meant to prepare me to pass this test. And that test was designed in a way that it would be easy to pass for anyone that attended school and done the work.

            The apostle Paul describes a test he hopes the Corinthians would be able to pass when he writes, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NASB).[1] Just a reminder about the context of this letter. 2 Corinthians is Paul’s most personal of all thirteen of his letters which we have in our Bible. As Paul has spent twelve chapters getting personal with the Corinthians, now it’s their turn to get personal and evaluate themselves. Notice he uses “yourselves” three times in this one verse.

            One must ask, does this verse describe positional justification (a Christian’s salvation) or practical sanctification (a Christian’s growth)? I believe it is asking for proof of practical sanctification (which therefore proves that positional justification has already occurred). Practical sanctification occurs from the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (Romans 8:9, 16), when we love others (1 John 3:14), practicing righteousness (1 John 2:29; 3:19 or 3:9), and when we are separated from the world (1 John 2:29; 3:9).

            Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to examine themselves to see if Jesus is in them. Thus it causes them to reflect on Christ being in them and working through them in their daily walk with Him. It is a test meant to prove that they have placed their faith in Christ and as a result Christ lives in them.

            Paul’s words here are not intended to cause us to doubt our salvation, but instead to assure us of the faith we have already placed in Him or help us recognize that we have been given the right answers for the test. Our Christian lives should be our “exit exam” and proof that we have passed the test.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Every Christian is in a battle fought with weapons. The apostle Paul writes to the believers in the city of Corinth about that battle and those weapons, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 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” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NASB).[1]

            As Paul writes these words near the end of his letter it’s important to remember the context of what he writes. Earlier in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians he mentions that the Corinthians had been influenced by impressive credentials (1 Corinthians 1:26), that they liked polished speech (1 Corinthians 2:1), and that they were evaluating things according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:2). Yet Paul intentionally did not use those items when he wrote to the Corinthians. Paul tosses those methods of persuasion out (Philippians 3:4-8).

            Instead he used the word of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:17-18) and he depended on God for strength (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) because his goal was to make people obedient to Christ and not to Himself (1 Corinthians 2:5).

            Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians remind us that he’s not fighting the outward war like everyone else (v. 3) because the weapons of a Christian are not of the earth (v. 4), instead we fight the war with our thoughts and our minds (v. 5). One way we wage our war with our minds is through the Word of God. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). We must read it, memorize it, and meditate on it daily.

            A second way we wage war with our minds is through the Holy Spirit’s help. The third member of the Godhead—the Holy Spirit—indwells us and guides us (1 Corinthians 6:19). He gives us the right words to say in difficult circumstances, He cautions us on what not to say, and He brings memories back to our minds when we might need them in the fight that we are engaged in every day (John 16:12-15). As humans we are weak in the flesh, but with the Holy Spirit living inside of us (Ephesians 5:18) we are strong (Galatians 5:22-23).

            A third way we wage war with our minds is through prayer. “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph 6:18). We do not just pray in the morning or in the evening before bed, we should engage in prayer throughout the day. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.”  

            Our battle as Christians is a tough one. We might not have the scientific knowledge or ability to argue with philosophy like some people do in our culture, but through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit’s help, and regular prayer, we can battle the flesh with our minds.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Pastor and Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee was preaching in Arkansas when someone from Oklahoma approached him after his sermon. The woman was from Tishomingo, Oklahoma which was the city in which McGee’s father died in an accident at work and was where McGee’s father was buried.

            The woman was about McGee’s age. As she approached him she told him that she and her mother had cooked and delivered meals to his bereaved family in the months following his father’s death. The woman said to McGee, “I never knew that years later I would be listening to you. We gave you physical food, and now you supply spiritual food for us.”[1] That woman’s story is an example of why it is important that we give to others. Paul writes about the importance of us giving to others in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8,

            “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”[2]

            Here are a few principles Paul describes for us that we should apply to our giving. First, our giving should be generous. Paul says we should sow “abundantly” (v. 6).[3] Our giving should be generous and significant for us. Second, our giving should be intentional. The Greek word for “purposed” (v. 7) has the idea of choosing beforehand or deciding ahead of time. Our giving should be planned ahead of time. Third, our giving should be auspicious. This is something we do in a “cheerful” (v. 7) way. We should consider it a privilege to give to our Lord through the ministry of a local church.

            Giving might not be easy to begin but we should start because Paul tells us God will supply the generous cheerful giver with enough to meet his or her needs and enough to meet the needs of others. Giving can be a tough thing to start, but once we do it in a generous, intentional, and cheerful way, we will find there are benefits to others and eventually to ourselves, just as that woman discovered who had fed J. Vernon McGee years ago.

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[1] J. Vernon McGee, 2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, ), 133.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] The idea of the “tithe” is not mentioned in the New Testament, yet I believe it is a good place to start if you are not sure about how much to give.

Many times I wish I could unsend some of the emails I have composed. I will send something and wish that I had not hit that “send” button. This often leads to sorrow and an apology I make to the person to whom I sent the email. Yet each time it happens, I feel I grow in my discernment about what should or shouldn’t be handled by email, and these sorrowful feelings and apologies happen much less often now than they used to occur years ago.

            The apostle Paul felt the same way with one of the letters he sent to the believers in the city of Corinth. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10, NASB).[1]

            The specific event that Paul is referring to here is the third letter that he wrote to the believers in the city of Corinth. That third letter was carried by Titus (2 Corinthians 7:8-12)[2] and was direct and severe in its criticism of the Corinthians. In that letter Paul rebuked the Corinthians for tolerating a sinning member in the congregation. After sending it, apparently Paul wished he had not sent it.

            In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Paul tells his readers that the sorrow that the world feels is pointless while the sorrow that Christians feel has a purpose. When Christians make mistakes we have a purpose in our growth which is to become more like Christ each and everyday. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

            For Christians, the point of our sorrow is growth. Paul had learned how his letter hurt the Corinthians and as a result Paul grew through that experience. “If we want to succeed in life and to learn from our losses, we must be able to face reality and use it to create a foundation for growth”[3] We too, each day, have opportunities to grow in our faith. Sometimes it comes through our mistakes, but those mistakes bring sorrow that makes us grow more like Christ.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Paul wrote four letters to the believers in the city of Corinth. The first letter was lost and we do not have it (see 1 Corinthians 5:9). The second letter is what we often call “1 Corinthians” which Paul wrote from Ephesus (see 1 Corinthians 16:8). The third letter is this “sharp” letter that Paul wrote and which Titus delivered to the believers in Corinth (see 2 Corinthians 7:1-18). The fourth letter is what we often call “2 Corinthians” which Paul wrote seven months after 1 Corinthians.

[3] John C. Maxwell, Sometimes You Win—Sometimes You Learn (New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, 2013), 41.

A popular pastor of a large and growing church in Atlanta, Georgia was approached by a rock concert promoter. The concert promoter had heard the pastor was looking for a new location for his large and growing congregation.

            The concert promoter had an idea he shared with the church pastor: “I’ll build a new concert location and you can build your new church on an adjacent property that I will donate to you. We can share the parking needs that we both have. If you allow our concert attendees to use your parking at nights you can use our concert stadium on Easter Sundays.”

            But the conversation between the Christian pastor and non-Christian concert promoter stopped when someone reminded the pastor of a few brief verses from the apostle Paul that prohibits Christians from partnering in a close way with unbelievers. The apostle Paul writes about this in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18,

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. (NASB)[1]

              Paul makes it clear believers are not supposed to enter into close partnerships with unbelievers. The prohibition is a formal long-term contract based relationship.[2] The phrase “bound together” in verse 14 comes from the word for yoking animals together as they plow a field. Paul is probably drawing on the Old Testament principle of Deuteronomy 22:10, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.” An oxen and donkey each pull differently which makes plowing in a straight line almost impossible.

            There are three areas that we as Christians should avoid partnering with unbelievers in: ministry, marriage, and business.

            In ministry there is a focus that we need to have about separating from false teachers troubling the church. We as believers should partner with Christian churches that agree with us on the core doctrines of orthodox Christianity.

            In marriage a Christian should not marry a non-Christian. Now, just because you marry a Christian does not guarantee happiness and a trouble free marriage. But if you are a committed Christian and you marry a non-Christian, you are setting yourself up for misery and possibly failure.[3] Love is blinding. Some of us desire to love someone and be loved so much that we can accidently find ourselves dating someone that does not share the same commitment to God that we have. Before we know it we are attending church alone on Sundays, praying by ourselves, and wishing our spouse had the same fervor for God that we have. Sadly I’ve observed too many couples that struggle in marriage because their love of God is not equal. But what does it mean to not be “bound together” with an “unbeliever” (v. 14)? Let me put it this way, if you find the person you are dating is “tolerating your faith” or “supports you and your faith” then you are bound together with a non-Christian. A believer is someone that wants to still attend church on a Sunday when you are sick and unable to attend. A believer is someone that has a Bible and knows how to locate Scripture within it when asked. A believer is someone willing to pray aloud in front of you.

            In business we also need to caution ourselves to not enter into close partnerships with unbelievers. Does this mean we make sure the clerk at Winco is a Christian before we allow him to ring up our groceries? Does this mean we only let the Christian barista prepare our coffee? Does it mean the person preparing our hamburger has to be a devoted believer? Of course not, the partnership Paul restricts is a closely bound long-term mutual relationship that involves a contract. J Vernon McGee says “A child of God and a child of the Devil cannot be yoked together and pull together in their life goals.”[4] If a Christian and an unbeliever partner in business then problems will arise because of the differing values that each person may have.

            Ministry should have two churches each equally devoted to God and obeying His Word. Marriage should include two equally committed Christians. A business venture should include two partners that each share a faith in God. We can be tempted to enter into a ministry partnership, marriage, or business venture, but we need to be committed to following God’s Word even if it costs us dearly. That pastor of that growing church turned down the rock concert promoter’s offer to partner in building a new church and parking lot that they could share. It was hard for him to do that, but he knew he had to as a believer committed to following God’s Scripture. A short time later God provided a new location and new opportunity for him that worked better for his church than the original location the non-Christian concert promoter had suggested.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Charles Swindoll, Insights on 1 & 2 Corinthians (Carol Stream, IL: 2017), 383.

[3] Thankfully, I have never been asked to marry a Christian and non-Christian. But if proposed with the scenario I would need to decline the request.

[4] J Vernon McGee, 2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991),  83.

In seminary I worked as a caddie at a private golf club which provided lots of time to talk with my coworkers. Time after time they shared stories of disappointment and disgust about church and Christians.

            They talked about TV pastors getting rich from the pennies of poor elderly women. They talked about local pastors that were caught having affairs with women in the church. They talked about so-called internet pastors who fancied themselves as “apologists” that could disprove evolution when the pastor had no training or knowledge of basic science.

            I sometimes wondered if there was any Christian that was serving as a bridge—an ambassador—to draw that person to Christ.

            In the Old Testament the nation of Israel was isolated. They didn’t use ambassadors. Additionally, God had told his people that he wanted them to be separate from the other nations around them. They were supposed to be unique, holy, and not compromised by neighboring nations (Exodus 19:6).

            But that changed in the New Testament. Paul wrote, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NASB).[1] Paul says we Christians are supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors. The Greek Word Paul uses here is presbeuo which Paul also uses in Ephesians 6:20, “for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

            The word picture Paul paints in his readers’ minds is someone that represents where he is from (his home country) and where he goes (a foreign country). For us, our citizenship is in heaven, but God has placed us on earth to represent Him. That’s what an ambassador is.   

            I was a Christian attending seminary in order to become a pastor. While working at that golf course I served as Christ’s ambassador. This might have been one of the first times these guys met and interacted with a real Christian.

            As a strong Christian I knew that my “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), but my place of employment was a secular job with earthly guys who were living immoral lives. But that’s where ministry happens! The first step of serving as Christ’s ambassador starts with being in a foreign nation..

            This position as ambassadors is a position we hold. God has given us a new heart and regenerated us (Jeremiah 31:31-33), we have been born again (John 3:3-8), and because of that we have been adopted by God (Galatians 3:26-27, 29-4:7). We truly “are” Christ’s ambassadors.

            It’s a place we get to enjoy. We didn’t earn that place and we didn’t deserve it (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Instead, God gave us a gift of salvation through faith (Romans 5:8; 6:23). That faith saves us from death and gives us eternal life (Romans 10:9-10). Because we call on Jesus we will not die, but instead will live with him forever (Romans 10:13).

            If we follow the ambassador metaphor, you could say it is an “office” we are placed in. But what is this “position” or “office” used for?

            It’s not enough to just “be.” Paul wants people to be “for Christ.” This means going places we might not otherwise go. I have a friend that likes to go to bars because he knows he will meet non-Christians that are going through difficult times. (He doesn’t have a beer, but he sits and talks.) I have another friend who prepares his sermons at Panera Bread because he wants to be around real people living real life while he prepares his messages. A senior pastor I used to work for spent as much time as possible at a locally-owned coffee shop because he wanted to connect with the people that lived and work nearby our church.

            To be “for Christ” means we are out in the community representing Him. We are trying our best to get to know others and love them. Why? This love for others is based on our love for God. Because we “love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

            God loved us before we knew Him, followed Him, or loved Him. Likewise, we too must love others even before they know us or love us. That’s how we are “for Christ” showing love to others before they know us or Christ.

            We are His ambassadors representing His love in a foreign nation—the world—to people that don’t know Him.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Mona spent decades as a meth addict. But after having three daughters with three different men and a couple decades of living the drug-addicted life, she decided she was done. She had been to church before as a young woman. She knew about Jesus. But she had never really placed her faith in Him for her salvation nor had she committed herself to follow Him.  

          But something was different. She went to church, got saved, and decided she was done with drugs. For decades drugs had power over her and controlled her, but after committing her life to follow Jesus everything changed. She left the abusive relationship she was in, she no longer craved drugs, and she started taking steps to get a job and be a better mother to her three daughters.

          Mona told her story to whoever she could. She often told people she was amazed that she was able to leave her previous lifestyle and that she thought nothing would ever change. But God did the work. God removed her addiction. God gave her the courage to leave that relationship. And God helped her become a better mom.

          When we hear these stories they are encouraging reminders for us that Jesus makes us new when we place our faith in Him for salvation.

          “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB). The source of the new creation is shared by Paul a couple verses later, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).[1]

          I trust that you have experienced changes when you placed your faith in Christ. Perhaps not as drastically as Mona, but I’m sure there are things that have changed. Maybe it was a struggle with drinking alcohol, the language you use, eating habits, gossip, affinity for gambling, or a weekly glance at pornography. The grace of God makes us into a new creation.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

The apostle Paul describes his ministry in 2 Corinthians 2:14 through 6:10 in a more authentic way than anywhere else. He starts this long section in this way, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:14–16, NASB).[1]

            There are a couple cultural images that Paul utilizes which are easy for us to miss. First, in verse fourteen when he writes, “God, who leads us in triumph in Christ,” likely is an intentional connection to how a Roman conqueror of their time would lead his captives in triumph around a city that he had recently subjugated.

            When Paul writes this it means that we don’t lead, but instead we follow the lead of Jesus. Christ is our king and the one that leads us into battle. Effective ministry only happens when we are in the wake of Christ who goes ahead of us making a path for us to follow. One commentary I read this week put it like this: “If we were to keep this principle in the center of our focus, we would see fewer names on ministries, projects, buildings, and churches. People would give anonymously, lead from among the ranks, and seek their reward from Christ in the future rather than recognition from Christians in the present”[2]

            The second cultural image is in verses fifteen and sixteen when Paul writes, “we are a fragrance of Christ among . . . saved and . . . perishing.” This is an additional connection to a Roman conqueror of their time. When the Roman conqueror would parade around a city in triumph often there would be a procession that included priests that would carry giant censers of smoking incense. The smell would saturate the air around the celebrators in gladness and the conquered in sadness. When we follow Jesus we should give off an aroma with our words and our works. These things either encourage people to accept our beliefs about God or to reject them. This also means we feature God’s grace for others to enjoy.

            Wherever we go in life it is good to remember that we are following Jesus as we do ministry. And that we have a smell that should saturate the area around us which draws others to follow Jesus with us. That is, the smell of a Christian.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Charles Swindoll, “Insights on 1 & 2 Corinthians” (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Publishers, 2017), 316.

Forgiveness is almost a dangerous word to some people. They don’t forgive and they definitely don’t forget. Furthermore, they won’t let us forget either, even if we are not the one that did wrong to them.

            Apparently there was an issue with a man that had caused sorrow to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:5). As a result the church in Corinth had punished the man (v. 6), and the apostle Paul tells them that since he had been punished the people now need to forgive the man (v. 7).

            Up until this point Paul has had many interactions with the believers in the city of Corinth. 2 Corinthians was written after Paul had already made two visits to the Corinthians and he had sent them three letters. (We don’t have the first letter referenced in 1 Corinthians 5:9, 1 Corinthians was written from Ephesus as described in 1 Corinthians 16:8, there was a “sharp letter” Paul wrote which was carried by Titus according to 2 Corinthians 7:8-12 that we don’t have, and 2 Corinthians was written seven months after 1 Corinthians.)

            Paul describes the importance of forgiveness writing, “But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:10–11, NASB).[1]

            Forgiveness is important because Paul knows Satan will take our unforgiveness and he will transform it into hate. He takes a small matter and festers it into something worse. Satan will take our unforgiveness and use it as an opportunity to take advantage of us. For Christians the best way to battle Satan is to forgive others.

            In his book, I Am a Church Member, church consultant Thom Rainer writes, “Each local church is made up of imperfect members and imperfect pastors. We will make mistakes. We will all sin. Yes, we are all hypocrites. Church unity is torn apart when members refuse to forgive, when any member is too prideful to grant forgiveness.”[2]

            Forgiveness is difficult, but we need to forgive others that have wronged us. It might mean we talk with a counselor about our issues, work through our issues by journaling about them, joining a support group, or reading a book like Lysa TerKeurst’s book, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2020). Forgiveness is hard, but necessary—not just for ourselves—but because of the battle against Satan we fight every day.

             Is there someone we need to forgive? Is there an issue that has been nagging us? Do we find ourselves thinking about that person while are driving our car? When we lay in bed at night do we think about that person? Is there an unresolved topic that comes up in our conversations with others? If so, let’s start taking steps toward forgiveness.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member (Nashville, NT: B&H Publishing, 2013), 28.

“The buck stops here” is a saying we’ve heard many times. Perhaps most famously from former US President, Harry S. Truman. He regularly said “The Buck Stops Here” in speeches and he even had a sign made and placed it on his desk in the Oval Office.[1] As believers we have a slightly different saying. We could alter it to, “The buck stops with God.” And that’s how Paul saw his ministry and his life.

            Paul wrote in one of his letters to the believers in the city of Corinth, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God” (2 Corinthians 1:21, NASB, emphasis added).[2] Paul describes God’s direction for his life and how God’s direction was different than his personal desires. Paul is telling us that God was in control of his life. Paul continues that it was God “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Corinthians 1:22, emphasis added). Here the word “seal” indicates ownership, authentication, and security.[3] The word “pledge” is a guarantee of God fulfilling his promises.

            Paul shared similar assurances in his letter to the believers in Ephesus, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14, emphasis added). These types of assurances that God has a hold of us and that His Spirit indwells us should free us up to do ministry in our churches, work hard at our jobs, and love our families well.

            Cooper Kupp is a wide receiver in the National Football League. While performing well individually and reaching the Super Bowl game as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 he was asked by reporters what kind of pressure he felt to perform in the biggest game of his career. He casually replied, “My motivation coming in every single day is to run the race in such a way as to honor God with the passions and the talents that He’s given me.”[4] Imagine the pressure a young twenty-something year-old feels playing football in front of 60 million people watching. But when you know you are placed where you are by God and for a purpose by God, it removes all the pressure.

            We too can experience that release as well. It’s nice to know the buck stops with God. Why? Because that means it does not stop with us! That’s comforting. And it takes the pressure off of us. While we might experience struggles and difficulties in the place we are in now, the buck stops with God. He’s placed us where He wants us and we are there to give Him glory.

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[1] “The Buck Stops Here” Harry Truman, https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/trivia/buck-stops-here-sign. Accessed January 12, 2022.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] Murray Harris, 2 Corinthians, New International Greek Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005), 207.

[4] “Rams WR Cooper Kupp finds ultimate purpose in honoring God on journey to Super Bowl” by Joshua Doering. February 9, 2022 at Sports and Spectrum.  https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/football/2022/02/09/cooper-kupp-purpose-honoring-god-super-bowl/. Accessed January 12, 2022.

An 80 year-old man still talks about a miscarriage him and his wife had when they were in their twenties. It was painful and hurtful. It was devastating to them. But to this day, more than 50 years later, he knows that experience has helped him comfort others. In his words, “I would never be able to comfort others experiencing the grief of a miscarriage if I had not myself been through the pain of a miscarriage.” But that man’s sentiment is not new. Paul wrote something similar to the believers living in the city of Corinth.

            “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NASB).[1]

            Let me, if I may, point out a few important things in these two verses. Notice Paul tells us that God comforts us in “all” of our afflictions. Every emotional thought and every painful tear involve God’s comfort. A boyfriend cheating on us, a job taken away from us, a marriage that slips away from us, or time of good health that alludes us. He is with us through each and every painful experience we endure.  

            Let’s also notice that there’s a purpose Paul describes in the comforting that occurs in affliction. Paul writes that God comforts us in our affliction “so that” we may be able to comfort others in their affliction. I know that it might sound cliché that we are in affliction and comforted in that affliction so that we can comfort others. While suffering and difficult experiences cause us severe pain, we must remember that those experiences often serve a purpose later to comfort others.

            Pastor Tony Evans writes about these verses, “If anyone assures you that you can avoid suffering like health problems, mental anguish, relationship difficulties, or financial straits—provided that you have enough faith—they’re not telling you the truth. Paul was a visible and verbal follower of Christ who stood head and shoulders above other Christians in terms of faithfulness. And he suffered greatly—not in spite of his faith but because of his faith in and obedience to Christ. Paul’s suffering and ours is directly related to God’s purpose of using us to minister to others.”[2]

            I know most of us reading these words right now are going through tough times of suffering. But God’s message to us in 1 Corinthians is that He will comfort us at this time during our affliction, and He will give us plenty of opportunities in the future to comfort others as they experience similar afflictions in which we’ve already endured.  

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1180.