II Corinthians 8:1-24

As I said in a second note yesterday, I would strongly encourage you to read John’s post from yesterday morning before (or after) you read today’s passage – which begins in the middle of this letter!

Some difficult translation issues here… The ESV has some verbs in the present progressive tense: “he is going” (v. 17) and “we are sending” (vv. 18, 22). But the ESV also has a note that these verbs could be in the past tense, as in “he went” and “we sent”. This past tense usage is also how the NASB and NKJV translate these verbs, in the present perfect tense: “he has gone” and “we have sent”. These differences in tense make it difficult to understand whether Titus is still with Paul as Paul writes this letter or whether he has already gone. Specific to that point, the present progressive tense usage (“he is going” and “we are sending”) could also be reflecting a future activity, as Carol just now noted to me, often an immediate future. John, in his post from yesterday touches on the importance of time frames in our understanding of II Corinthians.

As to the content of today’s reading… Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything … see that you excel in this act of grace also. (vv. 6-7) Reading between the lines here… I get the sense that Titus on his own, or Titus at Paul’s urging had begun in Corinth a collection for the saints in Jerusalem. Then, in my mind, some of the Corinthians had become cross with Paul and stopped their giving to the Jerusalem ministry. Now with his letter-writing and his envoys Paul has done what he could to repair that breach and he has asked that the Corinthians continue with this collection for the Jerusalem church. Whether that is true or not, it is my sense that some people hold their giving as a weapon, withholding or threatening to withhold if things aren’t going their way. Leaving a congregation to go somewhere else is one thing, but staying behind and refusing to donate is quite another. I don’t know of cases like this at St. Andrew’s, but in my mind it is a wrong, wrong thing to do! Donating to a church is our responsibility, our stewardship, available to us by the grace of God: …for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. (I Chronicles 29:14, KJV)

See also: May 30 / II Cor. 8:1-15; May 31 / II Cor. 8:16-24

The text that we know as the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians has come down to us through the centuries in its current form as a single letter. However, as Fred mentioned last year, many — perhaps most — scholars believe that 2 Corinthians is not really one single letter but an amalgamation of a few partial letters. That notion arises primarily due to difficulties in the text itself. So what are these internal textual difficulties that have led scholars to think that 2 Corinthians may not be just one single letter? Here are a few:

• There are a few places where the text seems to jump abruptly, both in content and in tone. For example, 2 Cor 6:14-7:1 appears to be largely unrelated to anything else in the letter, while 2 Cor 7:2 seems to follow much more naturally directly upon 2 Cor 6:13. That is, 6:14-7:1 seems just to be inserted suddenly (and somewhat randomly) between 6:13 and 7:2.
• Different parts of the letter appear to reflect different time frames and circumstances. Paul indicates in 2 Cor 8:17,18,22, for example, that he (currently) is sending Titus and “the brother” and another brother to Corinth, but in 2 Cor 12:18 Paul says that he (previously) sent Titus and “the brother”; that is, chapters 10-13 seem to have been written sometime well after — and separately from — chapters 8 and 9.
• With the exception of the benediction in 2 Cor 13:11-14, the tone of 2 Cor 10-13 is markedly different from the rest of the letter. In those four chapters Paul seems exasperated, frustrated, even angry (and sarcastic), having to defend himself against others who have been attacking his ministry, whereas he seems much more conciliatory and warm in the rest of the letter.

In addition, 2 Corinthians itself refers to another “tearful” or “painful” letter. (See 2 Cor 2:3,4; 7:8.) Although some scholars assume that the other letter is 1 Corinthians, I think that is very doubtful since that letter does not appear to have the characteristics described, as Fred pointed out last year. Most scholars therefore think either that this other “tearful” or “painful” letter has been entirely lost or that chapters 10-13 constitute part of that letter. I am largely of that latter view, or at least that chapters 10-13 could form part of yet another difficult letter that might similarly have caused tears and grief.

As a result of these internal difficulties and clues, I have long been of the opinion that 2 Corinthians might be more easily understood with a little reordering of contents, so here’s my take on a (possible and hopefully reasonable) rearrangement:

• 2 Cor 8:1-9:15
  • I think we can consider chapters 8 and 9 to be just a part of some other letter that has otherwise been lost.
  • As I mentioned above, it seems to me that chapters 8 and 9 cannot have been part of the same letter as chapters 10-13 due to the language about sending Titus, and likewise must have preceded those later chapters by some time.
• 2 Cor 6:14-7:1
  • As I mentioned above, this bit does not seem to bear any particular relationship to anything else in the letter; it seems to stand on its own (but is clearly just a very small excerpt of something larger).
  • Whether it should come first, second, third, or fourth is impossible to say, but I think it makes decent sense to put it here.
• 2 Cor 10:1-13:10
  • Again, I’m considering these four chapters to be (part of) the “tearful” letter to which 2 Cor 2:3,4; 7:8 refer. If so, then these “ending” chapters must necessarily precede those “earlier” chapters.
• 2 Cor 1:1-6:13; 7:2-7:16; 13:11-14
  • That is, everything that isn’t covered by the three prior sections.
  • This part (or these parts) seems to be largely a reconciliation of whatever conflict sparked the “tearful” letter, along with a defense of Paul’s ministry.
  • I’m not entirely satisfied with the notion that all of this goes together, but without doing doctoral dissertation research I don’t have any clear sense of what to break out any differently.

Note that, as far as I know, there is no ancient external evidence to suggest that any portions of 2 Corinthians existed separately on their own. That is, no extra-biblical ancient sources say anything about separate texts being combined together to form 2 Corinthians, and the canon of Scripture has always had 2 Corinthians the way we have it now. The above rearrangement is just my own personal opinion and I am not dogmatic about it. Please take it that way — and with a pretty good sized grain of salt. Nevertheless, I hope you find this suggested reordering helpful in understanding what Paul was saying to the church in Corinth, as well as to us today.

For additional information and other perspectives, see:

• Cliffs Notes
• Wikipedia
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Blue Letter Bible

Acts 19:23-20:1

My comments in the link below from last year are worth reading, in terms of why the reading list was set up to have an Acts passage interrupt the two Corinthian epistles, but also to follow up on what we read yesterday, that Paul had reversed his earlier plan and decided to go first to Macedonia (Philippi) as he left Ephesus, then on to Achaia (Corinth) so he could spend more time in Corinth (see I Corinthians 16:5).

Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. (v. 32) Strange that this verse struck me, but I was thinking that a lot of people in today’s world don’t know why they are doing what they are doing. I started twice to write different musings about this item, that people don’t know why they are doing what they are doing, but my thoughts were not hitting the mark. What is really true in my mind, however, is that we (in this group and in our church) do know why we are doing what we are doing, and we need to share that “why” at every opportunity that the Holy Spirit affords us. Just that…

See also: May 19 / Acts 19:23-20:1

I Corinthians 16:1-24

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus … for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. (vv. 17-18) There are a couple of other possible translations for the second half of that quote, verse 18. The NASB has “…they have supplied what was lacking on your part.” The NASB also offers a second alternative, “…they made up for your absence.” My sense, as I read these three verses (and all three translations) in the context of the rest of this letter that Paul is feeling some hostility directed toward him from the Corinthians and that these three brothers are bringing good will and good wishes – reporting on the problems in the Corinthian church, but also setting Paul’s mind at ease with their words of encouragement that the situation at Corinth is not as bad as Paul might make it out to be. That’s my understanding.

But my real comment is directed at the first half of that quote, the beginning of verse 17. Paul is rejoicing at this visit from the brothers. Carol and I have made regular visits to missionaries in Czechia and Slovakia. And I assure you, they are refreshed by our visits! We are welcomed into their homes and into their worship services and other fellowship occasions. We are regularly asked to share on these occasions whatever “word” we might have. I write this to encourage the rest of you to consider a missionary visit to someone you know serving overseas or to one of the missionaries that our church supports through our Mission Committee. Or be part of a small mission trip, perhaps to Uganda the next time that a formal trip is organized (in 2022, as I recall). Now you may think that the $$ you spend might be better served as support money for that missionary. You’re wrong! Your visit will refresh their souls! Or, do both – visit and send money!! ?!

See also: May 17 / I Cor. 16:1-12; May 18 / I Cor. 16:13-24

I Corinthians 15:35-58

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (v. 49) I think Paul is saying here that we currently bear the image of Adam and Eve, but in the future in our resurrected bodies we will bear the image of Jesus. And the image of the resurrected Jesus is worthy of comment. Mary Magdalene did not recognize the resurrected Jesus, thinking Him to be the gardener. (John 20:11-18) And the two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus until He broke bread with them. (Luke 24:13-35) Immediately thereafter when these two disciples were telling their story to the other disciples Jesus appeared in the midst of them and they barely recognized Him, thinking that they were seeing a spirit. (Luke 24:37) Finally, Jesus came through locked doors to meet with His disciples on that resurrection Sunday. (John 20:19) So Jesus was unrecognizable in all these occasions until He revealed Himself.

So I continue to wonder what our resurrected bodies will look like. I comment in the first link below that we will see one another as we knew each other at our various stages in life. Think how television and movies can slowly morph one person’s face into another person’s face. That’s my image of our resurrected bodies, but an instantaneous recognition of that other person, whether that facial feature is the person at age 20 or 40 or 60 or 80. No matter who we meet or where we met in life, we will bear the image of the resurrected Jesus and that’s enough for me!

See also: May 15 / I Cor. 15:35-49; May 16 / I Cor. 15:50-58

What a strange morning…! Today we are reading, for me, the most energizing passage in all of Scripture. I hope it’s the same for you! But first… The 12-volt battery on our Camry Hybrid was dead – I’ve known that for about a month, but we hadn’t needed it. Today was the day to get it taken care of. So I went out to see if it would start, just maybe. The first thing that I saw was my left front tire, flat. Flat on the ground, wouldn’t even register on my gauge! Got my air compressor out, got that taken care of. But, no battery – had to jump start it with Rachel’s RAV. Done. Drove 20 minutes to Toyota, thank you Lord! And their power is out, all up and down the street! So we wait. Thankfully I’m connected on my mobile hotspot. What a morning!

But back to today’s reading… Yes, energizing!! Those first 20 verses…!! Multiple witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection…! First, “…in accordance with the Scriptures…” (twice mentioned, in verses 3 and 4); second, six persons/groups of witnesses, “…most of whom are still alive…” (v. 5-8); third, Paul’s reasoned arguments in I Cor. 15:12-19 – seven times using the word “if”; and finally, the capstone – “…we are of all people most to be pitied.” Folks, this section lights me up, like no other passage in all of Scripture!

One other intriguing item… Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthian church, a church that is enormously gifted but seriously beset with problems. And after spending time discussing these many problems, Paul writes to this group three of the most beloved passages in all of his letters (maybe in all of Scripture): the Eucharistic celebration in chapter 11, the “love” passage in chapter 13, and this resurrection passage in chapter 15. Very intriguing…!!

Read these verses again, folks, a second or third time. See if you are not energized…!!

See also: May 13 / I Cor. 15:1-19; May 14 / I Cor. 15:20-34

I Corinthians 14:20-40

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (v. 33) I remember reading a Christian book, Miracle at Darien, which is the story of a major revival in a (then-?) Episcopal church in Darien, Connecticut. They had hired a new rector who, on his first talk to his new congregation said, “Jesus Christ is the head of this church.” All agreed – nice words. Then a day or two later at a ?prayer meeting? he said the same thing. Again, all agreed. Finally he said the same words at the Vestry meeting, again soon thereafter. The Vestry members were, frankly, tired of hearing these words a third time. Then the rector went on to explain that if Jesus Christ were the head of this church that He would be present at the Vestry meetings and that the Vestry would agree unanimously on decisions that had to be made, knowing that Jesus Himself had a voice in those decisions. The church was transformed!

Which brings me to our church’s decision in 2019 to move from two services to one and the sad fallout from that decision. What did we miss? God is not a God of confusion but of peace. Yet peace was not the outcome of that decision. As we have moved forward, mostly I’ve come to the conclusion (the hope?) that God is working in our midst and working in the hearts of those who left and those who stayed. Our task is to pray for our church and for those who left and trust that they are doing the same, praying for those they left behind and those with whom they are now worshiping. God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

See also: May 11 / I Cor. 14:13-25; May 12 / I Cor. 14:26-40

I Corinthians 14:1-19

Paul was not present at the first Pentecost celebration. Otherwise he might have referenced that day when …suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:2-4) In today’s reading Paul is not dismissing or diminishing the gift of tongues – he simply wants to put that gift “in its place”. Personally he lauds the gift of tongues: Now I want you all to speak in tongues… [and] I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. (vv. 5, 18) But more than the gift of tongues, Paul is all about “building up the church”. (v. 12b)

The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself… (v. 4, NASB; the ESV has “builds himself up” in place of “edifies himself”). My Study Bible explains this verse in these words: “This edification does not involve the mind, since the speaker does not understand what he has said. It is a personal edification in the area of the emotions, of deepening conviction, of fuller commitment and greater love.” Someone in our Men’s Group asked me a few weeks ago what it felt like to speak in tongues. I gave some response, whatever I said, but this explanation from my Study Bible seems to sum up for me the emotion that is the gift of tongues. I can attest to the “deepening conviction” and the “fuller commitment”, and I have to trust that the “greater love” has followed. I certainly know that “greater love” was there the first time I spoke (prayed) I tongues!! But that’s another story!

See also: May 10 / I Cor. 14:1-12; May 11 / I Cor. 14:13-25

I Corinthians 13:1-13

When I read this chapter I find myself focused on my love for Carol and how I rate on each of these love-attributes. Sadly, I fall short on all too many! Then I also think of God’s love for us, especially that He “bears all things, … endures all things”, and how He must get frustrated with us, yet He continues to love us with love immeasurable! Then this morning I went one step further and thought of people in our church and people outside our church and asked myself how I rated for each of those groups on these love-attributes. I find that with almost every sentence in I Cor 13:4-7 I can point to someone where my love fails on this attribute toward that one (or more) person(s). About the only exception that I can find is that I don’t think that I “rejoice at wrongdoing”. If I see wrongdoing I am sad, not happy. But then I see my own problem of failing to bear or endure that wrongdoing. I can’t win!! But I know that God forgives me in my weaknesses and I can move on, praying that I can get better at living out verses 4 through 7: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

See also: May 9 / I Cor. 13:1-13