12 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—
4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.
5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
A very touchy subject is offering. We don't like
to talk about money, and it is harder when the money is being offered.
We need to prepare our offering intentionally
with an understanding that everything belongs to God. Much the same when we prepare
to worship God our worship is much better. The more we prepare the better the service
goes. Preparing our heart for offering or service will make a huge difference.
If we are prepared to make offering and our hearts
are soft, then the offering will not be a burden.
If we believe that God is our priority, then giving
an offering is a blessing. If we believe that God will provide whatever we need,
then it will be able to give easily and cheerfully.
2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV
[6] The point is this: whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
It is not only money that we can give. We can
give our time, our day, our service, our prayers, our lives. We need to prepare
our hearts to accept God's word.
Is our spare time used for us or for God. Is our
left-over time given to God after everything else has been done. Our meditation
and Bible study should be our priority not an afterthought.
When we give our time ad offerings to God
a genuine gratitude to God, we will be blessed
There were many churches at the time Paul wrote
II Corinthians suffering because there was a famine affecting the Roman Empire.
Paul didn't intend competition among churches but rather to encourage the Corinthians
to give.
The church needs leaders, but there are no perfect
leaders. Everyone needs support and encouragement and leaders also need this.
Paul was not trying to punish the Corinthian or
shame them, but he is trying to have them return to their original efforts to help.
2 Corinthians9:5ESV
[5] So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers
to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so
that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
There are many ways to be a better Christian. One method is preparation.
2 Corinthians9:3-4ESV
[3] But I am sending the brothers so that our
boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready,
as I said you would be. [4] Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find
that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so
confident.
Paul gives the example of preparing for mission
work. We need to prepare our hearts before we go to church. We have to make sure
our hearts are soft enough to receive His word. It is not enough to look good, but
to prepare for worship and the service.
The seed is important but if the soil is bad,
it will not grow. No matter how good the sermon, a hard heart will not allow for
the message to take root.
Paul also talks about offerings. Although in this
context it is money, offerings can be time, effort and attention
2 Corinthians9:6ESV
[6] The point is this: whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
When Paul speaks about giving generously, he is
talking about giving to God first and not the leftovers. This again is about our
time, efforts, attention and our resources. Giving sparingly to give what is left
over if there is anything.
Paul is not saying that we have to buy God's love
or his blessings. It is a response to the God's great love to us.
2 Corinthians9:7ESV
[7] Each one must give as he has decided in his
heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
When we realize that we do not truly own anything,
including our lives, we can act more generously. Through preparation and being joyful
Paul
wrote this letter to remind the Corinthians that he had planted this church and
still cared for it. Paul also defends his ministry.
Paul mentions that a power can cover the
Gospel. God allows us to see and hear the Gospel.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled to those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 4:3 ESV
We must work with God if people are to hear
the Gospel because there are principalities we have to fight.
In their case the god of this world has
blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV
Paul also tells us that we cannot give glory
to Christ without giving glory to God.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV
Light is the unveiling of the Life of God within You which becomes your direction and guide in your journey in this world.
1. Motivation of unveiling of light.
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy
of God, we do not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:1 ESV
To understand this verse we need to go back a
few verses.
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is
removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV
Whenever we turn to God, the veil is removed.
The mercy that Paul received removed the veil. When we remember that God
removed the veil and we now can see the light.
2. Method of unveiling the Light.
But we have renounced disgraceful,
underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word,
but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s
conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled
to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the
minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:2-4 ESV
The method we handle the word of God must be
right and truthful. We cannot trick or deceive others. We must be Christians
whose conduct is right.
Even if we use the right method, the Gospel
can still be veiled.
3. Message for unveiling the light.
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but
Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV
As we were going to the place of prayer, we
were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners
much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men
are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”
Acts 16:16-17 ESV
Here is an example of someone who preaches a
message that is not Christ. She is preaching Paul and Silas. Eventually Paul sees
the difference of what the slave girl was preaching, and he stops her. If he
had let her continue, it could of have been disastrous for Paul and Silas.
Jesus only is the message. We don't always do
this. Our wisdom, skills and advice cannot change any man. It is only Jesus
that can change a man.
We must preach Jesus not just with words but
also with our actions.
4. Mark of the unveiling light
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV
The glory of God becomes your
personality. The glory of God will become a part of you.
