A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ (Vol. 2, 2 Corinthians 7-13) E-Book

Sam Storms

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 454

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Paul's affection for the Corinthian church and his endurance through hardship for their joy testifies to his deep devotion to Christ. Paul's example and instruction in this letter inspires us to find our joy in Jesus. In this second volume of A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ, Storms provides readers with fifty daily meditations on this great epistle that are both accessible and substantive. His analysis and application of the biblical text make these meditations suitable for private devotions or small group studies, or as a commentary for Bible study, Sunday School lessons, or sermon preparation.

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“There are few people on the planet who embody in life and in teaching the radically biblical and Edwardsian message of Christian Hedonism better than Sam Storms.”

John Piper, Founder, desiringGod.org; Chancellor, Bethlehem College & Seminary

“Sam Storms has served a splendid reflection on 2 Corinthians that will benefit readers at all levels. Those with no theological training will profit from an accessible and clear style, learning not only the rich content of 2 Corinthians, but also how to study the Bible and apply it to life. Those with questions about what happens after someone dies, or how to handle discouragement, or how we can be more confident in sharing our faith with others will find biblical answers. Pastors preparing for sermons on 2 Corinthians will appreciate Storms’s interaction with commentators, his careful exegetical decisions, and the pastoral application of 2 Corinthians. This book is exegetically responsible, theologically profound, and pastorally relevant. I highly recommend it.”

Chris Brauns, author, Unpacking Forgiveness;Pastor, The Red Brick Church, Stillman Valley, Illinois

“Storms in his usual clear, engaging, heartwarming style unlocks perhaps Paul’s most personal and Christ-centered letter. You will be reminded afresh that everything really is all about Jesus. Release the life-changing power of this much neglected letter as Storms demonstrates that its message can change you in every way.”

Adrian Warnock, author, Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything

A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ: 100 Daily Meditations on 2 Corinthians Copyright © 2010 by Sam Storms

Published by Crossway Booksa publishing ministry of Good News Publishers1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Design and typesetting: Lakeside Design PlusCover design: Jon McGrath, Jimi Allen ProductionsFirst printing 2010Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

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All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

Two volume set ISBN: 978-1-4335-1311-4

Volume 1 Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-1150-9PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1151-6Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1152-3ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2382-3

Volume 2 Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-1308-4PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1309-1Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1310-7ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2252-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Storms, C. Samuel, 1951–     A sincere and pure devotion to Christ : 100 daily meditations on 2 Corinthians / Sam Storms.          p. cm.       Includes bibliographical references.       ISBN 978-1-4335-1150-9 (v. 1, tpb)—ISBN 978-1-4335-1308-4 (v. 2, tpb) 1. Bible. N.T. Corinthians, 2nd—Devotional literature. I. Title.

BS2675.54.S76 2010242'.5—dc22                                                                                     2009027808

To Joannamy precious daughterA woman without compromise whose confidence in God alonehas been unwavering.“Delight yourself in the LORD,and he will give you the desires of your heart.”(Ps. 37:4)

Contents

48. Standing on the Promises (2 Cor. 7:1)

49. Learning to Lead Like Paul (2 Cor. 7:2–4)

50. Comfort for the Downcast (2 Cor. 7:5–7)

51. Tough Love: The First-Century Version (2 Cor. 7:8–12)

52. “Body Life” as It Was Meant to Be (2 Cor. 7:13–16)

53. Are Christians Obligated to Tithe? (2 Corinthians 8–9)

54. Grace Giving (2 Cor. 8:1–2)

55. Joyful Giving (2 Cor. 8:1–2)

56. Generous Giving (2 Cor. 8:1–5)

57. Breaking the Grip of Greed (2 Cor. 8:6–11)

58. Money Matters (2 Cor. 8:12–24)

59. Sovereign Lord of Our Hearts (2 Cor. 8:16–17)

60. Giving That Gets in Order to Give (1) (2 Cor. 9:1–6)

61. Giving That Gets in Order to Give (2) (2 Cor. 9:7)

62. Giving That Gets in Order to Give (3) (2 Cor. 9:8–11)

63. In All Giving, God Gets the Glory (2 Cor. 9:12–15)

64. Gentle Authority (2 Cor. 10:1–2)

65. In the Flesh, but Not according to the Flesh (2 Cor. 10:3–4)

66. Taking Every Thought Captive for Christ (2 Cor. 10:4–6)

67. “Super” Spirituality and a Call for Discernment (2 Cor. 10:7)

68. Religious Bullies and How to Avoid Them (2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10)

69. Boasting, Comparing, and Commending: A Warning (2 Cor. 10:9–12)

70. Is All Boasting Bad? (2 Cor. 10:13–18)

71. The Jealousy of God in the Heart of a Human (2 Cor. 11:1–2)

72. Father of the Bride (2 Cor. 11:2)

73. A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ (1) (2 Cor. 11:3)

74. A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ (2) (2 Cor. 11:3)

75. The Horror of a Different Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4)

76. Price-Less Preaching (Don’t Ignore the Hyphen) (2 Cor. 11:5–12)

77. Knowing Your Enemy (2 Cor. 11:13–15)

78. The Devil Disguised and the False Apostles Who Serve Him (2 Cor. 11:13–15)

79. Answering a Fool according to His Folly (2 Cor. 11:16–21)

80. Writing Your Spiritual CV (2 Cor. 11:21–23)

81. Suffering Is a Gift of God (2 Cor. 11:24–25)

82. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares (2 Cor. 11:26–27)

83. Paul the Pastor (2 Cor. 11:28–29)

84. Boasting in Weakness (2 Cor. 11:30–33)

85. Of Visions and Revelations (2 Cor. 12:1)

86. “A” Rapture before “the” Rapture (1) (2 Cor. 12:2–4)

87. “A” Rapture before “the” Rapture (2) (2 Cor. 12:2–4)

88. Character and Conduct, Not Charisma (2 Cor. 12:5–6)

89. Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (1) (2 Cor. 12:7–10)

90. Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (2) (2 Cor. 12:7–10)

91. My Grace, All Sufficient, Shall Be Thy Supply (2 Cor. 12:8–10)

92. Why God Doesn’t Always Heal (2 Cor. 12:8–10)

93. Signs and Wonders and Sarcasm (2 Cor. 12:11–13)

94. To Spend and Be Spent for Others (2 Cor. 12:14–18)

95. Humbled by the Sin of Others (2 Cor. 12:19–21)

96. Toxic Triumphalism (2 Cor. 13:1–4)

97. Examine Yourself! Test Yourself! (2 Cor. 13:5–10)

98. And the God of Love and Peace Will Be with You (2 Cor. 13:11–13)

99. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow! (2 Cor. 13:14)

100. The Power of 2 Corinthians on I-35 (2 Cor.)

Notes

48

Standing on the Promises

2 Corinthians 7:1

Since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

When a known liar makes a promise, few take notice. We’re even skeptical when a trusted friend assures us of something that seems too good to be true. But when the God who cannot lie (see Heb. 6:18) puts his word on the line and stakes his reputation on the fulfillment of his declared purpose, take it to the bank.

Second Corinthians 7:1 is a call to holiness based on the rock-solid, infallible, blood-bought promises of God.

Paul is undoubtedly referring to those precious promises noted at the close of chapter 6: God’s assurance to us that he will make his dwelling in our midst; that he will walk among us and be our God; that we shall forever be his people (2 Cor. 6:16; cf. Lev. 26:11–12; Jer. 24:7; 30:22; 31:33; 32:38; Ezek. 37:27); that he will welcome us to himself (6:17); and that he will be our Father, even as we are his sons and daughters (6:18; cf. Isa. 43:6).

Now, if ever there were good grounds for heeding an exhortation to live out in practical and experiential reality what is already true by virtue of sovereign, saving grace, that’s it! We have been consecrated and set apart unto him who redeemed us and are already that holy temple in which the Spirit abides (2 Cor. 6:16).

Paul’s appeal that one “cleanse” himself from all “defilement” had an obvious point of reference for the Corinthians in the first century that is no longer applicable today (or, at least not for the majority of us). He is undoubtedly thinking of their participation in a variety of ritualistic sexual activities and other illicit behavior associated with pagan temple worship. But the principle that undergirds and gives force to his exhortation is as relevant for us today as it was then for them.

The focus here is two-fold: first the what and then the how. What, precisely, are we being told to do? The answer to this first question is itself two-fold: (1) we are to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and (2) we are to bring holiness to completion. Let’s take each in turn.

Defilement is an ugly word. A variety of distasteful images come to mind, which you will be relieved to know I will not describe. One immediately thinks of a stain on an otherwise clean garment or of a moral blemish that sullies and soils. Of course, it’s important to remember that not everyone believes there is such a thing as defilement, simply because the word assumes an absolute moral standard from which deviation is possible, resulting in a deficiency of character or a spiritual disfigurement that deserves judgment.

Defilement may be something you see or say or in which you participate, but in every case it is unworthy of someone in whom the Spirit of God dwells, who claims God as his Father and Christ as his brother. There’s no need for me to be any more specific than that, for each of us knows from both Scripture and conscience, not to mention experience and common sense, what defiles and what doesn’t.

Anything, Paul says, that casts a shadow on Christian purity must be renounced. This isn’t legalism but a diligent determination to display the character of Christ in word and deed. Its reach is pervasive: both “body and spirit” must be kept clean.

The word translated “body” in the ESV is literally sarx, the common New Testament word for “flesh.” If that seems odd, Murray Harris reminds us that “there is evidence in Paul’s letters of a non-pejorative use of sarx where it is synonymous with soma [“body”] and of a popular, non-theological use of sarx and pneuma [“spirit”] where they refer, in a complementary not antithetical way, to the outward and inward aspects of the person.”1 Thus, combined with pneuma or “spirit,” the reference is to the whole person, both physically (sarx) and spiritually (pneuma), both outwardly and inwardly.

If one should ask how this is done, the idea here is “by keeping clear of” or “by distancing ourselves from” anything that defiles. Contrary to popular thought, this is possible without separating ourselves entirely from the world or its inhabitants. Daniel and his friends managed quite well to thrive amidst the corruption and paganism of ancient Babylon without being spiritually defiled. Paul similarly expected the Philippians to live “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation,” among whom they were to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

This also entails a grace-empowered effort to bring “holiness to completion,” a process that Paul anticipated would only be consummated at the second coming of Christ (see 1 Thess. 3:13; cf. also Phil. 3:12–14; 1 John 3:1–3).

Finally, if that is the what of our sanctification, we must also take note of the how. Bring holiness to completion, Paul says, “in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).

What does Paul mean by this? Is it “because” we fear God or “out of reverence” for him that we strive, by his grace, to live as those in whom he himself lives? Or is it “while reverencing God” or, as someone has said, “in an atmosphere of reverential fear” that we are to pursue holiness? Others say it is “by reverence” for God or “by means of fearing” him that we are to live in purity. Surely there is a sense in which all of these are true.

We earlier saw that a robust, reverential fear of God was one of the primary factors that motivated Paul to preach and persuade others to believe the gospel. Knowing that he, and all men, would one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ was sufficient to energize his efforts in making known the good news (2 Cor. 5:10–11).

Some folks cringe at such a thought. The very word “holiness” conjures up an image of the colorless and grumpy killjoy who lives obsessed with what not to do and where not to go and how not to speak and when not to participate. Being a Christian is reduced to an all-pervasive negative. Following Jesus is perverted into a posture of abstinence and avoidance of virtually everything, rather than an increasingly joyful conformity to how he thinks and a deepening delight in what he loves, together with a healthy aversion to whatever might threaten our complete satisfaction in him.

Holiness, then, is a good and glorious thing because it makes possible our beholding the beauty of God (Heb. 12:14)! It is the “pure in heart” who ultimately “see” and enjoy and revel in him (Matt. 5:8).

If all this seems terribly difficult and demanding, let me close simply by reminding you again of the basis on which such a life is to be pursued. God dwells among us! He is our God! We are his people. He has welcomed us. He is our Father. We are his children! Since, then, we have these promises . . . well, you should be able to quote the verse by now.

49

Learning to Lead Like Paul

2 Corinthians 7:2–4

Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

Books, seminars, and conferences on principles of leadership are in abundant supply today. Equally popular are those that focus more specifically on pastoral ministry. Sadly, many of these are governed by assumptions and values more suitable to the Wall Street boardroom or to the office of a typical CEO than to the local church.

When I’m asked to recommend resources on the training up of pastors or for wisdom in shaping the future leaders of this or the next generation, I instinctively say, 2 Corinthians! Many respond with a nod and a condescending, “Yeah, yeah,” before asking for something more substantive, more up-to-date, more in touch with contemporary culture and prevailing trends in the marketplace.

I’m pretty stubborn. “Yes, I understand what you are asking for,” I respond. “And my recommendation is still 2 Corinthians.” This is the point at which they realize I’m not trying to be cute or disrespectful toward the vast array of more recent approaches to leadership and pastoral development. They get the point, I hope, that I seriously believe that what we read in 2 Corinthians about Paul and the people from that ancient city is the most insightful, practical, wise, and edifying advice for how to lead and be led available in this or any age of the church.

The passage before us is a case in point. It’s brief, but densely packed with pastoral wisdom.

Perhaps the best way to approach the issue of leadership is simply to identify several principles that governed Paul’s relationship with these believers.

The first thing that stands out is Paul’s determination to do everything within his power to facilitate reconciliation with the Corinthians. “Make room in your hearts for us,” he pleads with them. This is a resumption of his earlier appeal in 6:13: “In return (I speak as to [my] children), widen your hearts also.”

Paul refused to settle for the status quo. It wasn’t enough that he had deep affection for them (2 Cor. 6:11–12). He labored to persuade them that there was no good reason to close their hearts to him. Mutual love and mutual commitment was the goal. How tragic is it when leaders and their people become entrenched in long-term grudges, which are, more times than not, based on misunderstanding and miscommunication that could easily be resolved if humility were prized. How tragic, and unnecessary, it is when Christians feed off of relational wounds and simply assume that reconciliation is either too difficult, not worth the effort, or completely beyond the realm of possibility. Paul won’t have it, and neither should we.

To prove that the rift was groundless and that he was deserving of a place in their hearts, he insists that he has “wronged” no one, “corrupted” no one, nor “taken advantage” of anyone. Pastors and elders, take note of the moral and spiritual integrity that is foundational to all levels and expressions of leadership.

Paul insists he had “wronged” no one, a possible response to the charge that he had been unduly harsh in dealing with the incestuous man of 1 Corinthians 5 or the offender mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:5–11.

In saying he had “corrupted” no one, he may have in mind either financial indiscretions or matters of morality or doctrine. There is obviously, here, an invitation to anyone in Corinth to investigate Paul’s behavior. “You’ll find no grounds,” the apostle says, “to justify your mistrust of me or the closing of your heart to my position as your leader.”

The words “take advantage” might also mean exploit or defraud (see its use in 12:17–18). It’s possible that some suspected he manipulated for his own benefit the collection taken up for the Jerusalem church (2 Cor. 8:20–21). Nothing could be further from the truth, Paul says.

I also find it instructive how careful Paul is about his use of words. He knows how prone people are to twist things to their own advantage, so he quickly qualifies his words in verse 2 with his affirmation of love in verse 3. Nothing in what he has just said should be interpreted as condemnation or criticism or rejection of them. In fact, Paul was not only willing to live with them, but to die with them as well (v. 3)!

What a marvelous affirmation of the depth and sincerity of his commitment to them. “Paul is declaring that his destiny, now and always, will be interwoven with that of the Corinthians. Neither the arrival of death nor the vicissitudes of life could divorce them from his affection.”1

There are, moreover, two important consequences to this devotion. Would that all leaders might imitate Paul’s example.

In the first place, he was determined to be utterly and altogether open in his speech with them. This is the force of the words translated, “I am acting with great boldness toward you” (v. 4a). His words are not a cloak for some self-serving agenda or a means to protect a wounded ego. He speaks his mind candidly, fearlessly, and without regard to what consequences might befall him personally. He will not hide his intentions or his feelings or his beliefs about what is right and wrong in the church. Whether his words encourage or rebuke, they are the accurate expression of what’s in his heart.

Second, he boasts to others about them. “I have great pride in you” (v. 4b), he virtually shouts aloud. Perhaps some had thought he was speaking positively to them, when in their presence, but negatively about them to others. Can you imagine what might transpire in our churches if we were honest with and about one another, in both private and public? I dare say half the disputes that split churches and most that destroy personal relationships would never occur.

He is not simply comforted upon hearing good news of these Christians (2 Cor. 7:7), he is “filled with comfort” (v. 4c). Paul’s language is consciously effusive and over the top. He wants no lingering suspicions about his true feelings for them.

Finally, “in all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (v. 4d). Whether his afflictions are the cause of his joy or, more likely, that in the midst of them he yet finds reason to rejoice, he wants the Corinthians to know that whatever he endured to bring them the gospel, whatever he suffered to see Christ formed in them, whatever pain and deprivation he incurred so that Christ might look good in his life, and thus become the treasure in theirs, he did it joyfully.

In a day when self-appointed and self-serving “pastors” and so-called “leaders” fleece their flocks and burden them with the responsibility of providing for a lavish and opulent lifestyle, Paul joyfully embraced whatever hardship might come his way if only it yielded a rich spiritual harvest in the lives of those entrusted to his care.

This is the calling and character of those entrusted with the oversight of God’s people. You probably won’t read about it in any of the New York Times bestsellers or hear of it in the more fashionable leadership seminars. But thanks be to God for his timeless and true revelation of what makes for godly pastors and the people they serve.

50

Comfort for the Downcast

2 Corinthians 7:5–7

For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

Every so often we need to be reminded of the historical nature of the Bible. Contrary to how many have conceived it, this glorious book did not fall gently like manna from heaven. Its many narratives, prophecies, and letters were forged in the grit of real life struggles and the multitude of human relational dynamics not unlike what we encounter today.

Nowhere is this better seen than in 2 Corinthians. In fact, the lengthy paragraph before us (2 Cor. 7:5–16) is unintelligible apart from an understanding of the movements of Paul and Titus and the personal interactions between them and the Corinthian church. So let me briefly set the context for this incredibly instructive and encouraging passage.

As best we can tell, Paul made an urgent and confrontational visit to Corinth in the spring of AD 55, which he described as “painful” in 2 Corinthians 2:1. He immediately returned to Ephesus and changed the plans he had earlier made to visit Corinth twice more: once on his way to Macedonia and then on his return trip (see 2 Cor. 1:15–16). Fearful that his enemies would destroy the work of the gospel in Corinth, he wrote what some have called the “severe” or “tearful” letter (2 Cor. 2:4, 9), entrusting its delivery to Titus.

In late AD 55 Paul left Ephesus and went to Troas, hoping to meet Titus there with news of how the Corinthians had responded to this forceful appeal. Much to his chagrin, Titus was nowhere to be found (see 2 Cor. 2:13). Evidently he and Titus had planned to meet in Macedonia (probably Philippi) should the meeting in Troas not occur. Hence, Paul made his way to Macedonia, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Titus from Corinth. While there Paul suffered greatly, in terms of both external opposition and internal anxiety and distress, unsure of how his spiritual children would respond to what he had written. Finally, Titus arrived from Corinth with the good news for which Paul had prayed. The apostle’s response is described in the passage before us.

Evidently, the Corinthians initially felt sorrow on hearing Paul’s letter (2 Cor. 7:8–9), but soon repented of their sinful behavior and expressed their love and longing for him (vv. 7, 9, 11–12). Titus is greatly comforted and refreshed by their response, and upon his reunion with Paul in Macedonia reports to the apostle this glorious turn of events. Paul’s regret over sending the severe letter is short-lived when he learns of the godly and sincere fruit it bore in the Corinthians’ experience (v. 8). Now he is relieved and filled with joy both at how Titus was encouraged and refreshed by them as well as their genuine and godly repentance (vv. 6–7, 9–12, 13).

Our concern in this meditation is with his opening comments in verse 5–7. It’s a remarkably honest and vulnerable confession by Paul of his state of mind and body. Several things are worth noting.

First, in 2 Corinthians 2:13 it was his “spirit” that couldn’t find rest when Titus failed to appear. Now it is his body (7:5). Whereas “body” (sarx) may be inclusive of Paul’s spiritual and psychological state of being, the emphasis is on the frailty and vulnerability of his physical frame. Paul was not above or insulated against experiencing great physical agitation and weakness. This was caused by a multitude of afflictions (v. 5), what he calls “fighting without and fear within” (however, both “fighting” and “fear” are plural in the Greek text, pointing to multiple occasions when he confronted each).

The “fightings” were not physical battles, as if to suggest that Paul was a regular participant in some ancient version of pugilistic combat! He has in mind ecclesiastical controversies and theological disputes that he apparently faced on a regular basis (see the use of this word in 2 Tim. 2:23; Titus 3:9; and James 4:1).

What is of special interest is his reference to “fears within,” which no doubt included his anxiety about how Titus would be received (not to mention the physical safety of his beloved emissary), his concern about how the Corinthians would respond to his letter (would they reject him or repent of their sin?), and his lingering worries concerning the influence of the false teachers in Corinth.

Take heart: Paul was just like you and me! Murray Harris is right in pointing out that Paul “openly admits to being in emotional turmoil and having persistent fears. So far from being imperturbable or being a model of inner tranquility, he was deeply affected by his circumstances, especially his pastoral circumstances (see 11:28–29), although he was certainly not emotionally fragile.”1

He obviously cared deeply both for Titus and the believers in Corinth. Their spiritual and physical welfare weighed heavily on his heart, and he is unashamed to confess the burden and anxiety and overall toll it took on him, body and soul.

Second, thank God for the “but God’s” of the Bible! “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Cor. 7:6; cf. Isa. 49:13). Yes, Paul was “downcast,” dejected, perhaps even in some sense depressed because of the “fears” (v. 5) that wracked his heart as he waited, dare I say, impatiently in Macedonia.

Don’t overlook an incredibly instructive dual emphasis in this verse. On the one hand, Paul is encouraged by the arrival of Titus. His anxiety diminishes upon seeing his trusted friend and brother in Christ. Don’t ever let anyone tell you Paul wasn’t a people person, as if all that mattered were theological concepts over which he pondered in a remote ivory tower. The welfare of his beloved brother, Titus, mattered profoundly to him! As Paul says in verse 7, it wasn’t simply the arrival of Titus that cheered him but the fact that Titus was himself cheered by the reception he received from the Corinthians!

But on the other hand, take special note that, typical of Paul, he sees God’s providential hand in it all. God was the ultimate source of this comfort. Paul rejoiced to see Titus and to know he was safe and to hear the good news of what had transpired in Corinth. But all this was from God! He is, after all, “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3), and his ways of dispensing it to us are many and varied. It’s truly breathtaking to see yet again God’s intimate oversight in the most mundane of human affairs and how he orchestrates seemingly routine events (such as the return journey of Titus) for our spiritual growth and edification.

The third important observation concerns Paul’s joy on hearing how the Corinthians responded to his severe letter (v. 7). When Titus brought his report to Paul, he focused on three things. He “told us of your longing,” Paul writes. But their “longing” or “ardent desire” for what? Perhaps for Paul himself. Perhaps their desire to be reconciled to the apostle. In any case, Paul is ecstatic upon hearing of the Corinthians’ change of heart.

Titus also reported on their “mourning” or “grieving,” whether over their inexcusable treatment of Paul or their failure to heed his earlier letters and appeals to repent. Their “zeal” may be a reference to their fresh enthusiasm to comply with Paul’s directives, but given the prepositional phrase “for me,” it is more likely a reference to their eagerness to unite fully, in heart and mind and spirit, with their beloved spiritual father.

The result? “I rejoiced still more,” Paul exclaimed (v. 7)! He had great joy upon seeing Titus, but even greater joy, now more than ever, upon hearing how he had been received and how passionate these believers had become for Paul and holiness of life. Paul’s fellow apostle, John, put it best in saying, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Paul couldn’t have agreed more.

What a rich treasure has been entrusted to us: the sacred Scriptures, the inspired Word of God, as I said earlier, forged in the context of real life struggles and the multitude of human relational dynamics. Here, in the messy and often frustrating arena of human failure and weakness and repentance and reconciliation, we find encouragement and instruction and hope. And this too, from God.

51

Tough Love:The First-Century Version

2 Corinthians 7:8–12

For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it— though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

James Dobson may have coined the phrase tough love, but he didn’t invent the concept. Paul did. Well, it might have existed before Paul, but he certainly perfected its use.

Often we excuse our failure to speak truth into people’s lives because of the pain and emotional discomfort it may cause them. We live under the assumption that genuine love will do whatever it can either to prevent or alleviate the immediate distress in the objects of our affection. To permit their pain to continue, or to act in such a way that it might even increase, is in the minds of many misguided folk a sign of cold indifference at best and calloused hatred at worst.

For example, we are told repeatedly today, both inside and outside the church, that if we love homosexuals, we will accept their orientation and behavior and refrain from words of judgment or any suggestion that their lifestyle might be immoral. If we truly love the sincere Buddhist, we will not speak ill of his faith or insist on the exclusivity of Christ, but bless him in his chosen path and embrace him as a child of God. If we truly love our professing Christian brother who has abandoned all local church life because of his disgust with its purported hypocrisy, or for some related reason, we will affirm his decision and wish him well during his time on the golf course or at Starbucks on Sunday morning.

All this reminds me of an interview I recently saw with James I. Packer concerning the reasons for his unwavering stance against the blessing of same-sex unions in the Anglican Church. Packer was asked if this was an expression of love. Yes, he replied, because true love would never tolerate or overlook a fault in the beloved that might well issue in their eternal ruin.

To ignore sin in the name of love is not only unbiblical, it also betrays the very nature of love itself, which by definition always seeks the ultimate spiritual welfare of its object, even at the expense of immediate personal peace.

It’s also an act of cowardice. Confrontation is hard, and we typically prefer finding a way to avoid it. Appealing to our “love” for the person as an excuse for not speaking biblical truth concerning their unrepentant sin is the worst and least loving thing one can do and displays a greater devotion to self than to the sinner. It means, in effect, that we prefer our own emotional peace and sense of well-being above his conformity to Christ and perhaps even his eternal destiny. That hardly qualifies as “love” in any language.

Paul’s so-called “severe” letter to the church at Corinth was hard for him to write. It was “out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears” that he penned this obviously painful missive (2 Cor. 2:4). He evidently spoke forcefully and unequivocally about the nature of the Corinthians’ sin and the need for repentance. In doing so, he ran the risk of alienating them and ending all hope for future fellowship.

His reputation at Corinth was also very much on the line. Would they dismiss him as a hard-hearted authoritarian, concerned only with enforcing conformity to his own preconceived position? Would they use the letter as another excuse to question the authenticity of his apostolic calling? Worse still, would they tell him that it was precisely for this reason that they wanted nothing more to do with the gospel he proclaimed to them? He could have cited all these and, no doubt, other reasons not to write the letter. “I love these people,” Paul might have said to himself, “and therefore don’t want to induce excessive psychological guilt or to contribute to any further schism in the church. I’ll just leave well enough alone.”

No, it was because he genuinely loved them with the love of Christ (what he called in 2 Cor. 2:4, “abundant love”!) and was burdened by the threat of their spiritual defection that he gathered up courage and spoke the truth (firmly and forcefully, I’m sure, but equally with tears of compassion).

Upon hearing from Titus that the letter had indeed hurt them, he initially regretted writing it. But not for long. His momentary grief soon turned to gladness, not, as he says, because he takes some perverse delight in their pain. He’s no sadist. His joy was stirred by their pain because it ultimately led to their repentance, and that was his ultimate goal.

The letter stirred in them a grief or sorrow for sin that was “godly,” or more literally, “according to God” (vv. 9, 10, 11), by which Paul means that it was agreeable to the mind of God or that it was a sorrow prompted by the conviction that their sin had offended God, and not simply Paul. This he contrasts with “worldly grief” (v. 10) that is evoked not because one has transgressed a glorious and holy God but simply because one got caught. Worldly grief is essentially self-pity for having been exposed and having thus lost stature or favor in the eyes of men (not to mention money!). Godly grief is the sort that we see in Psalm 51:4 where David cried out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. . . .”

We know the Corinthians were sincere in their sorrow because of the fruit it bore. They didn’t merely grieve, but thoroughly repented and thereby gave evidence that they were truly saved (v. 10a).

Verse 11 shows us that if they had formerly been apathetic and lackluster in their response to the apostle, now they are earnest in their zeal to do what was right. If before they had denied their duplicity, this time they were eager “to clear” themselves, not wanting their failures to reflect poorly on Christ and the gospel. Paul’s letter, through the Spirit, had set ablaze an “indignation” toward themselves for not defending Paul and for having permitted the situation to get so out of hand (and perhaps also against the wrongdoer for the way his actions constituted a brazen defiance of Paul’s authority).

Paul’s love, as reflected in the letter, awakened the “fear” of God in their hearts, and perhaps even a little fear of Paul himself. He was, after all, an apostle of Christ, and they knew it. Their “longing” for him and their “zeal” for the joy of renewed fellowship were undeniable (see 2 Cor. 7:7). If this meant pursuing the “punishment” or discipline of the guilty person who was ultimately responsible for the rift, so be it.

I suppose an interested observer might have taken note of the distress and discomfort of the Corinthians and simply assumed that they had been victimized by a cold and uncaring leader. If he truly loved them, or so they might have thought, he would have done whatever was necessary to spare them such suffering. Right? Well, no, I don’t think so.

Paul was more than willing to endure the heartache of their short-term discomfort if it yielded the fruit of long-term transformation and, eventually, eternal bliss.

“So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God” (v. 12). Here the letter’s purpose is being viewed retrospectively, in light of its effects. Let’s not forget that when Paul wrote the letter, he was uncertain of how the Corinthians would react. He was, according to his own testimony, restless (2 Cor. 2:13) and fearful (2 Cor. 7:5) about its outcome.

It would seem, then, that Paul is using a Semitic idiom in verse 12 in which a comparison (“not so much X, as Y,” or “not primarily X, but Y”) is stated as a blatant and unqualified contrast (“not X at all, but only Y”). For example, when God says “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos. 6:6; quoted in Matt. 9:13 and 12:7), he doesn’t mean that he has no desire at all for sacrifice or burnt offerings but that he much prefers love and knowledge. Therefore, here in verse 12 “Paul is comparing two secondary purposes with his primary object that he recognized clearly in retrospect.”1

On the one hand, yes, he hoped the severe letter would stir them to apply discipline to the wrongdoer. And yes, he also intended that the letter would vindicate the person who had been wronged (which, by the way, was Paul himself). But exceeding these two aims was his desire to make clear to the Corinthians themselves, in the sight of God, that they were genuinely devoted to him. How they responded to the letter thus served as a measure or gauge of their affection for the apostle.

All told, writing and receiving the severe letter was initially an unpleasant experience for everyone concerned. But in the end, it yielded the harvest of repentance, restoration, and joy. Such is the nature and preeminent aim of tough love.

52

“Body Life”as It Was Meant to Be

2 Corinthians 7:13–16

Therefore we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you.

I’ve always been intrigued by the dynamic interplay that exists within the body of Christ when it is functioning as God desires. The very imagery of the church as a “body” in which the various members contribute to the well-being of the whole is quite remarkable.

Sadly, though, we don’t experience this as often as we should. Western individualism is frequently at odds with the interdependence and mutuality that ought to exist among the many members of the local church. Worse still, we are today witnessing a disturbing trend among professing Christians who insist they can “follow Jesus” and affirm the authority of Scripture without any formal or active or conscientious engagement with a local church. Some would call it a revolution. I think the word rebellion would be more appropriate.

That being said, when I read a paragraph in God’s Word like the one before us, I am again and ever more fervently convinced that the Christian life is a corporate, communal life. God has sovereignly constituted the body of Christ such that no one individual can or should suffer in isolation from those with whom he or she is united through Spirit baptism (see 1 Cor. 12:13). Neither should one rejoice alone.

Surely this is what Paul had in mind when he exhorted the Roman church to “rejoice with those who rejoice” and to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). In his first epistle to the Corinthians he declared that “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:26).

A superb example of this is found in 2 Corinthians 7:13–16, one of those passages that all too often is neglected for what we wrongly consider the more “meaty” portions of Scripture.

We see here the nature of corporate body life in which our affections and joy, as well as our sorrow and distress, are tied up with one another in the body of Christ. There is no place in Paul’s concept of Christianity or church life for the notion of the solitary saint who lives independently of others, untouched by their sorrows or unaffected by their joy. We are to be tightly knit with cords of love and empathy and understanding such that when others rejoice, we rejoice, and when they weep, we weep.

Perhaps the best way to see this in 2 Corinthians 7:13–16 is to identify ten stages in the unfolding relationship between Paul and Titus, Titus and the Corinthians, and Paul and the Corinthians. It is, I think you will agree, a beautiful portrait of the body at work to sustain and console and encourage its many members.

(1) It all begins with Paul’s distress at the alienation between himself and the Corinthian church. We’ve already taken note of his deep longing for them, his desire for their repentance, and the inevitable joy that would come along with it (cf. 2 Cor. 1:23–24; 6:11; 7:2–12).

(2) Although he worries about their spiritual state of mind, he has enough confidence in them that he boasts to Titus that they are fundamentally a good people and will surely respond well to his appeals (see 2 Cor. 7:4, 14).

(3) When the Corinthians listen attentively to the reading of Paul’s severe letter, they experience a deep and life-changing conviction of sin, acknowledge that their suspicions and stubborn resistance to his leadership were unfounded, and in turn open their hearts to him even as he earlier had opened his to them (see 2 Cor. 6:12–13; 7:2–4, 7–12).

(4) Titus is far more than a detached and indifferent messenger. He cares deeply for the Corinthians and experiences a flood of affection for them as he observes their zealous response to Paul’s overtures (2 Cor. 7:15). What he feels is no fleeting infatuation but a deep and very personal love. The word translated “affection” in verse 15 is the Greek splankna, a vivid and forceful term that reaches to the depths of one’s emotional being and expresses the very core of an individual’s most personal and intimate feelings.

(5) As a result of this increased affection, Titus’s “spirit” is “refreshed” (2 Cor. 7:13). The emotional burden and the spiritual heaviness that weighed on his heart are lifted. He finds emotional renewal and physical rest, refreshment and repose.

(6) Titus is no doubt greatly encouraged by the Corinthian response when he sees that it was prompted first and foremost by a reverential fear of God, and only secondarily, if at all, by a fear of Paul or himself.

According to verse 15, the Corinthians “received him with fear and trembling,” a phrase that most likely denotes a Godward rather than a manward reaction (see Ex. 15:16; Deut. 2:25; 11:25; Isa. 19:16). In short, the Corinthians were not stirred to repent for pragmatic reasons but in recognition of their accountability before God. Their affectionate welcome of Titus was thus the fruit of their expectation of one day having to give account to God for their conduct.

(7) When Titus finally meets Paul in Macedonia, the apostle is comforted in knowing his friend is safe and that his mission has succeeded (2 Cor. 7:6–7). Having made several such rigorous journeys himself, Paul was not oblivious to the dangers that Titus would face. He was concerned for the physical safety of his friend and was greatly put at ease upon his return.

(8) When Paul hears from Titus that the Corinthians had repented and obeyed, he experiences even greater comfort in his soul (2 Cor. 7:7, 13a).

(9) Upon hearing of Titus’s own joy, Paul exults even more (“we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus,” v. 13). Yes, Paul knew how to rejoice when others rejoiced!

(10) Finally, as Paul contemplates both their past and the future of the Corinthian church, he experiences renewed confidence, feeling assured that they will press on to maturity and especially that they will respond positively to his appeal in chapters 8 and 9 that they give generously to the church in need in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 7:16).

So, in conclusion, perhaps we should each ask ourselves some pointed questions. Do we experience heartfelt concern for the spiritual welfare of other believers, or are we so wrapped up in our own private world that we rarely intercede on their behalf and are even less likely to offer whatever personal assistance may be needed?

Do we feel anguish over their sin, or self-righteousness? Does our joy fluctuate with theirs, or are we immune to their spiritual and emotional state of being? What sacrifices are we prepared to make to facilitate their growth and increase in the knowledge of Christ?

May God knit our hearts with others to the same extent and depth of love as was true in the experience of these first-century saints!

53

Are Christians Obligatedto Tithe?

2 Corinthians 8–9

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. . . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . . Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (vv. 8:1, 9; 9:15)

As we begin our study in 2 Corinthians 8–9 and dig deeply into Paul’s perspective on the subject of money and stewardship, it may prove helpful to briefly address a most controversial question.

The issue is not whether Christians are responsible to be generous with their wealth in giving back a portion of it to support the work of the ministry. Second Corinthians 8–9, as well as other texts, make it quite clear that we are. The question, rather, is whether new covenant Christians are biblically and morally obligated to give according to old covenant laws. The question is not whether Christians are free to tithe of their income. Certainly, they are. The question is whether Christians are obligated to give precisely 10 percent of their income. Does the Bible legislate to believers under the new covenant a specific percentage of their income that they are to give?

In ancient times tithing was not restricted to religious people, such as the nation Israel. Giving a portion of one’s income either to a pagan deity or to the governing authority was a widespread custom. One need only read Genesis 47:24 where the Egyptians were required to pay 20 percent of their harvest to Pharaoh. Other extra-biblical documents indicate that tithing was commonly practiced throughout the ancient world among such people as the Syrians, Lydians, and Babylonians.1 Was tithing a mandatory or even common practice among God’s people prior to the giving of the Mosaic law? There are two examples of pre-Mosaic tithing.

We read in Genesis 14:18–20 that Abraham gave “a tenth of everything” to Melchizedek. Personally, I am reluctant to appeal to the example of Abraham to justify contemporary tithing, for the following reasons.

First, we don’t know whether Abraham tithed because of some divine mandate that was binding on all God’s people at that time, or because he was following a common ancient Near Eastern custom. There is nothing in the Old Testament that indicates that Abraham ever received divine or revelatory instructions concerning tithing. There is no command associated with this incident or any other evidence indicating that what Abraham did on this one occasion is binding and normative for all believers in every age.

Furthermore, observe that Abraham tithed out of the spoils or booty of war (see the preceding context in Gen. 14:13–16; cf. also Heb. 7:4). Nothing is said about his tithing from his yearly income. We should also note that he didn’t tithe to God but to a man, Melchizedek. And as far as I can tell, there’s no evidence that Abraham ever tithed to anyone again. He may have, but we have no record of such activity and thus no way of knowing if this was a singular event or one example of a common practice.

Finally, the only other reference to this incident is in Hebrews 7. There the author is determined to prove the superiority of the new covenant priesthood of Jesus Christ to the old covenant priesthood. He does this by proving the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham. Remember, it was Abraham who paid a tithe to Melchizedek, not the other way around. It was Melchizedek who blessed Abraham, not the other way around. And as Hebrews 7:7 states, “the inferior [or “lesser”] is blessed by the superior [or “greater”].”

Our author then says that, in a certain sense, Levi also paid a tithe to Melchizedek because he was in the loins of his great-grandfather Abraham when the incident recorded in Genesis 14 occurred. The point he is making, notes F. F. Bruce, is this: “Abraham was a great man . . . but in the account of his interview with Melchizedek, it is Melchizedek who appears as the greater of the two. And if Melchizedek was greater than Abraham, his priesthood must be greater than a priesthood which traces its descent from Abraham.”2 Therefore, Jesus, who is our high priest “after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:20), is greater than any and all priests of the order of Aaron and Levi. It is exegetically tenuous, then, to appeal to this text in defense of contemporary tithing.

The other example of pre-Mosaic tithing is found in Genesis 28:22 where Jacob promised to give a tenth of all he had to God. Is this a solid biblical reason for why we should do the same?

First, note well that this is a vow made upon the condition that God would bless Jacob. This isn’t the case of someone saying, “Tithe to God and God will bless you,” but rather “God, you first bless me and then I will tithe to you.”

Second, do we have good reason to believe that Jacob’s act is to be taken as normative for all believers in every age? I might be willing to grant that we should follow Jacob’s example if the rest of Scripture were silent on the subject of financial stewardship. In other words, if all we had on the subject of giving was the story of Jacob, perhaps then it would be wisdom to pattern our giving after his. But the New Testament is anything but silent on this subject, as our study of 2 Corinthians 8–9 will reveal.