2 Corinthians
Paul’s Early Epistles
We have been studying the early letters of Paul
– 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2
Corinthians, and Romans
These letters are critical to master if we want to
have our lives and churches firmly established in
the gospel and contributing to God’s purposes.
We’ve just completed 1 Corinthians and are
moving into 2 Corinthians.
Paul’s Early Epistles
I have a long history with 2 Corinthians
Impacted as an apprentice in training going
through what would become our Ministry
Perspectives course
Later I saw how many problems are caused by
false understanding of the nature of ministry
Experienced a 3 month depression where 2
Corinthians was key
Paul’s Early Epistles
One tactic the enemy uses to render us
ineffective in our lives and ministry is to foster
false expectations and then dash them.
These expectations often appeal to our
subconscious desires for comfort, well-being,
success, effectiveness, avoiding change, avoiding
risk, or defeating obstacles.
Paul’s Early Epistles
This is why Paul worked to shape expectations…
Having preached the good news in that town
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they went back through Lystra, Iconium and
Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples,
encouraging them to persevere in the faith,
saying, ‘We must all experience many hardships
before we enter the kingdom of God.’
Acts 14:21-22 njb
Paul’s Early Epistles
What is clear
• We are called to participate in the global
progress of the gospel (Acts 1:8; Acts
summaries)
• Through a multiplication of churches locally,
regionally, and globally
• Each church being a transforming influence
locally while entering into strategic
partnerships with Pauline teams globally
Paul’s Early Epistles
How will this get messed up…
If we have a distorted view of…
• New Testament ministry
• New Testament leaders
• New Testament partnerships
Paul’s Early Epistles
For Discussion
1. How does the New Testament portray normal
ministry? What should we expect it to be
like? How is this picture commonly
distorted?
2. How should leaders defend themselves and
their ministry against criticism that is rooted
in a distorted view of ministry?
3. How will distorted expectations effect
strategic partnerships in the progress of the
gospel?
Paul’s Early Epistles
7But we have this treasure in earthenware
pots, so that the extraordinary quality of
the power may belong to God, not to us.
8We are under all kinds of pressure, but
we are not crushed completely; we are at a
loss, but not at our wits’ end; 9we are
persecuted, but not abandoned; we are
cast down, but not destroyed. 10We
always carry the deadness of Jesus about
in the body, so that the life of Jesus may be
revealed in our body.
(2 Cor 4:7-10 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
The nature of ministry?
An amazing treasure in a fragile vessel…
all kinds of pressure
at a loss
persecuted
cast down
not crushed completely
not at our wits’ end
not abandoned
not destroyed
Paul’s Early Epistles
He experienced an extreme weight of
pressure, often as a result of organized
harassment, leaving him injured and in
pain, seriously confused and anxious.
but…..
In all this, he was not without a way of
escape, was not uncared for or left alone,
did not completely despair, and was not
destroyed.
Paul’s Early Epistles
24Five times I’ve had the Jewish beating, forty
lashes less one. 25Three times I was beaten with
rods; once I was stoned; three times I was
shipwrecked; I was adrift in the sea for a night
and a day. 26I’ve been constantly traveling,
facing dangers from rivers, dangers from
brigands, dangers from my own people, dangers
from foreigners, dangers in the town, dangers in
the countryside, dangers at sea, dangers from
false believers. (2 Cor 11:24-26 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
27I’ve toiled and labored; I’ve burned the candle
at both ends; I’ve been hungry and thirsty; I’ve
often gone without food altogether; I’ve been
cold and naked. 28Quite apart from all that, I
have this daily pressure on me, my care for all
the churches. (2 Cor 11:27-28 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
What is ministry like?
• Pressure
• Physical hardship
• Opposition
• Risk
• Hard work
• Fatigue
• Worry
Paul’s Early Epistles
What will be the consequence if we expect our
experience of ministry to be anything else?
There is a distortion common in the relative
comforts of the West
It goes something like this…
Paul’s Early Epistles
• God is powerful and good and unstoppable
• Because God is powerful and good and
unstoppable, ministry done in his name by
his servants will unfold smoothly without
setbacks, confusion, conflicts, or mess.
• Since we are currently experiencing “mess”,
God must not approve, must not be
working through us, must not be in this
work at all.
Paul’s Early Epistles
Not Paul’s view at all.
How does Paul interpret all that was
happening to him?
Paul’s Early Epistles
11Although we are still alive, you see, we
are always being given over to death
because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus
may be revealed in our mortal humanity.
12So this is how it is: death is at work in
us—but life in you! 13We have the same
spirit of faith as you see in what is written:
“I believed, and so I spoke.” We too
believe, and so we speak, 14because we
know that the God who raised the Lord
Jesus will raise us with Jesus and present
us with you. (2 Cor 4:11-14 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
15It’s all because of you, you see! The aim
is that, as grace abounds through the
thanksgiving of more and more people, it
will overflow to God’s glory. 16For this
reason we don’t lose heart. Even if our
outer humanity is decaying, our inner
humanity is being renewed day by day.
17This slight momentary trouble of ours is
working to produce a weight of glory,
passing and surpassing everything, lasting
forever; (2 Cor 4:15-18 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
18for we don’t look at the things that can
be seen, but at the things that can’t be
seen. After all, the things you can see are
here today and gone tomorrow; but the
things you can’t see are everlasting.
(2 Cor 4:18 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
How does Paul ultimately interpret all this?
He identifies with the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ
This is both Paul’s interpretation and his
defense.
Paul and his ministry is legitimate because it
is shaped just like that of Jesus.
Paul’s Early Epistles
Paul’s life and ministry follows that of Jesus
• Jesus suffered and died, and so I die
• Jesus died that others might live. I die for
your sake, that you might live.
• Jesus was raised to life. I and you will be
raised, and I will be presented with you.
• So I do not lose heart!
Paul’s Early Epistles
In the early letter Paul is working to establish
the churches he planted firmly in the gospel.
And the implications of the gospel is not
painless ministry. The implications of the gospel
is that our path will be similar to our savior’s –
death and life – with God winning in the end.
Paul’s Early Epistles
Why is Paul telling them this?
He is getting undermined in multiple ways, with
consequences to the ongoing partnership he
wants to have with them.
Paul’s Early Epistles
12We aren’t trying to recommend ourselves
again! We are giving you a chance to be proud
of us, to have something to say to those who
take pride in appearances rather than in
people’s hearts. (2 Cor 5:12 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
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! (2 Cor 10:1 nasb)
For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong,
but his personal presence is unimpressive and
his speech contemptible.” (2 Cor 10:10 nasb)
Paul’s Early Epistles
For I consider myself not in the least inferior to
the most eminent apostles. But even if I am
unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in
knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made
this evident to you in all things. Or did I commit
a sin in humbling myself so that you might be
exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to
you without charge? (2 Cor 11:5-7 nasb)
Paul’s Early Epistles
For we are not like many, peddling the word of
God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we
speak in Christ in the sight of God. (2 Cor 2:17)
but we have renounced the things hidden
because of shame, not walking in craftiness or
adulterating the word of God, but by the
manifestation of truth commending ourselves to
every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (2
Cor 4:2 nasb)
Paul’s Early Epistles
1. Some were competing for influence out
of self-serving motives (2 Cor 2:17)
2. Some casted doubt on his competence
and credentials (2 Cor 3:1-2)
3. Some criticized his bearing,
communication style, and appearance (2
Cor 10:1-2, 10; 11:5-6)
4. Some criticized acceptable ministry
practices (2 Cor 11:7-11)
5. Some cast doubt about his love and
concern for the church (2 Cor 11:7-11)
Paul’s Early Epistles
Assumptions in churches of the West:
• God is powerful and good and unstoppable
• Because God is powerful and good and
unstoppable, ministry done in his name by
his servants will unfold smoothly without
setbacks, confusion, conflicts, or mess.
• Since we are currently experiencing “mess”,
God must not approve, must not be
working through us, must not be in this at
all.
Paul’s Early Epistles
The implied assumption almost always is that
God is not with the leader, that the leader is
somehow out of step with God. If the leader
were only more in touch with God, he would
have God’s blessing, and the work would be
going more smoothly.
Paul’s Early Epistles
How will partnerships in the progress of the
gospel be effected if false assumptions about
ministry are allowed to do unchallenged as well
as false judgements about leaders?
Paul’s Early Epistles
10I know what they say: “His letters are serious and
powerful, but when he arrives in person he is weak,
and his words aren’t worth bothering about.”
11Anyone like that should reckon on this: the way we
talk in letters, when we’re absent, will be how we
behave when we’re present. 12We wouldn’t dare, you
see, to figure out where we belong on some scale or
other, or compare ourselves with people who
commend themselves. They measure themselves by
one another, and compare themselves with one
another. That just shows how silly they are!
(2 Cor 10:10-12 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
13But when we boast, we don’t go off into flights of
fancy; we boast according to the measure of the rule
God has given us to measure ourselves by, and that rule
includes our work with you! 14We weren’t going
beyond our assigned limits when we reached you; we
were the first to get as far as you with the gospel of the
Messiah. 15We don’t boast without a measuring rule in
the work someone else has done. This is what we hope
for: that, as your faith increases, we will be given a
much larger space for work, according to our rule,
(2 Cor 10:13-15 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
16which is to announce the gospel in the lands
beyond you, not to boast in what has already
been accomplished through the rule someone
else has been given. 17“Anyone who boasts
should boast in the Lord!” 18Who is it, after all,
who gains approval? It isn’t the person who
commends himself. It’s the person whom the
Lord commends. (2 Cor 10:16-18 nt wright)
Paul’s Early Epistles
How will partnerships in the progress of the
gospel be effected if false assumptions about
ministry are allowed to do unchallenged as well
as false judgements about leaders?
• Progress will be slowed
• Leaders will be distracted
• Churches can be completely side-lined
Paul’s Early Epistles
North Campus – Yuma Plant
Over the last 18 months
• Wives of 4 leaders had major health issues
• Yuma at one point was sitting at 3 families
• Curtis wondered if they would last
• A new couple joined Yuma. The husband
questioned Curtis’ competence as a leader
• The individual gradually got bolder and
become critical on social media. We had to
confront.
Paul’s Early Epistles
North Campus – Yuma Plant
Paul’s Early Epistles
Paul’s Early Epistles
Paul’s Early Epistles
but remember….
7But we have this treasure in earthenware pots,
so that the extraordinary quality of the power
may belong to God, not to us….
Paul’s Early Epistles
The North America CityChurch Network
Paul’s Early Epistles
When we talk…
For even when we came into Macedonia our
flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every
side: conflicts without, fears within.
(2 Cor 7:5 nasb)
Paul’s Early Epistles
2 Corinthians has a great deal to offer. Process it
now, so that when the normal conflicts without
and fears within come, you have the tools to
interpret what is happening and to respond to
others who may buy into a distorted view.
Paul’s Early Epistles
Paul’s Early Epistles