II Corinthians 5:1-10

My Study Bible regularly makes the point that we are saved by grace, not by works. Today is one of those examples, in its comment on today’s last two verses: So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (vv. 9-10) My Study Bible says, “This accounting has nothing to do with justification, which is credited to the Christian fully and forever through faith in Christ; instead, it refers to what we have done with our lives as Christians.”

I doubt that I had ever considered the concept of “justification by faith” before my born-again years. I think there was a sense in my upbringing and in many Catholics and “nominal” Christians today that we must work our way to heaven. That is, we need to be “good” to gain entrance into heaven. This belief does not discard the notion that Jesus died for our sins and that we come to heaven through Him. It’s more a mixing to these two theologies – we believe in Jesus and we must be good.

But there is an opposite perspective among those people who mix these two theologies – that a “once saved, always saved” theology is equally unrealistic. You pray a onetime “sinner’s prayer” and you are forever guaranteed entrance into heaven. Then you go back to doing whatever you choose – you’re saved! That never made sense to me either. Of course the counter argument from those “once saved, always saved” folks was that this “sinner” never was sincere in his/her prayer, so s/he did not fall into that “forever saved” category.

So, my belief today…? Ephesians 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. …especially verse 10! Don’t quote me Ephesians 2:8-9 and leave off Ephesians 2:10!

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 4:1-18

There are some really great, memorable verses in today’s reading. Here’s the first: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (vv. 8-9) In each case the former word reflects Paul’s difficulties and the latter word/phrase reflects God’s partial or full deliverance. I certainly do not know your particular life circumstances for each of you, but I doubt that any of us is being persecuted as Paul was, especially not for the sake of the Gospel. But I do know that we have personal difficulties in our lives, items that trouble us constantly or irregularly, and for which we consistently are asking for full or partial deliverance. For these times Paul has a second, really great, memorable verse: For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison… (v. 17) Paul says that we simply cannot dwell on these earthly difficulties; we have eternal joy to look forward to!

Verse 11 can be somewhat confusing when we try to apply it to ourselves: For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. We can imagine Paul writing this about himself. After all, he is writing from Macedonia where he was beaten and jailed in Philippi and run out of town in Thessalonica. So yes, in Macedonia he was constantly being “given over to death for Jesus’ sake”. But how do we apply it to our lives today? I think the answer lies in the phrase, “dying to self”. It’s such a difficult concept for us to apply in our lives – setting aside our personal goals and aspirations and instead seeking what God would have us do. But it’s where we really need to be. What does God want for me? Today! Tomorrow! Next week! Always!!

Most of you know Mark Bruner. He and Tommie are wrestling with this question right now! He just finished his Masters at ATS. Now what? It’s not the end for him, it’s a new beginning. But where? And what? Carol and I got a four-page letter from him yesterday, ruminating on where he has been and where he might be headed. They are seriously in need of prayer right now! Please join us.

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 3:7-18

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. (v. 18) Is this true? That there are degrees of glory and that we are being transformed from one degree to another…? If it’s Scriptural, then I can’t imagine it’s not true. But then the question comes, what brings about this movement from one degree of glory to another? How do we progress? How do we know where we stand? And are we advancing or receding? A strange concept…??!!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (v. 17) I’m not much on music, but don’t we have the second half of this verse in a song that we sing? But beyond that, I sense that there are too many Christians who take this verse too literally, that we have freedom to do what we want, so long as we are not violating Scriptural standards. That is, in the immediate, we can congregate as a church in spite of government restrictions because we serve a Higher Power. I am thankful that our Archbishop follows CDC guidelines and that our church body holds to his guidelines and to state mandates. Still, however, I do look forward to some members of our congregation (not us!) getting back together next week. If all we can do is enjoy their gathering, then we will enjoy their gathering! And hopefully with a Hallelujah!!

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 2:12-3:6

There is a phrase in our vernacular, “…the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law…”. I wonder if that phrase comes from today’s reading: …our sufficiency is from God, Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (vv. 5b-6) When Paul speaks of “the letter”, I suspect that he is speaking of the Law, the Old Testament scriptures, the “old covenant”. He has spoken earlier in our readings about the Law being useful in bringing us to the realization of our sin and of our need for a savior. So here he presents the old and new covenants side by side, in direct contrast one with the other.

I was initially confused by the following two verses: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. (vv. 15-16) Often when we write two sets of two phrases each, the first phrase in the first set corresponds to the first phrase in the second set and the same for the second phrase in each set. For clarity, we write, “respectively”. Here Paul could have written, “not respectively”, because the first phrase (those who are being saved) corresponds to the second (from life to life) and the second to the first. Or, “to the latter” and “to the former” instead of “to one” and “to the other”, respectively.

Another seriously confusing verse, depending on the translation… The ESV has When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord… I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. (v. 12, 13b) while the NASB has Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord… taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. The ESV has “even though” while the NASB has “and when”. For the ESV it sounds like Paul is abandoning his preaching possibilities in Troas while the NASB seems to indicate that his preaching time there was over. The differences in translations…! Since we have so few verses in our readings this year, I would seriously recommend that each of you read two or three translations. I daresay it will help your understanding – although sometimes it will confuse you more!!

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 2:1-11

So, is there a lost letter or a lost visit? I’ve chatted around this topic the past few days. I sense that the majority of scholars tend to believe that yes, there is a lost letter and an unreported visit. There is clear evidence for an unreported visit later in II Corinthians, at II Cor 12:14 and I Cor 13:1, where Paul mentions visiting them for a third time. The only reports that we have of his visits to Corinth are when he first visited during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1, ff, which we read before we read I Corinthians) and on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:2-3), which we have not yet read. So there does appear to be a missing trip by Paul to Corinth. As to when that occurs, most speculation centers on a short visit from Ephesus during his three-year ministry there, between his writing of the two Corinthian letters.

As to that lost letter… There is some evidence of a missing letter in today’s reading: And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain… (v. 3a) and For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears… (v. 4a) I don’t see anything that we read in I Corinthians that would have been painful for Paul to write. Much of the letter was about Paul answering questions that the Corinthians had asked. The chapter 5 incident (a man living with his father’s wife) was a rebuke of one person’s behavior. So I see Paul writing that first letter calmly, much like a teacher counseling a student. I don’t see the harshness that would have caused pain for either Paul or the Corinthians.

Finally, a quick word on the bulk of today’s reading, II Cor. 2:5-11. It appears that someone within the Corinthian church was guilty of some serious sin – perhaps the man I mentioned above from I Corinthians 5. However, whatever this person had done, he had been punished by the church to the point where he was repentant and remorseful, such that Paul’s advice was to receive him back into the body with love and full forgiveness. It’s hard to imagine such a person ever being universally fully received, but I suspect that Paul may have had himself in mind, in that he persecuted the church mightily until the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. And if everyone at St. Andrew’s knew our deepest sins… Ouch.

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 1:12-24

I have a lot of difficulty weighing through Paul’s difficulties with the Corinthians. There are a lot of references to letters that Paul might have written to the Corinthians that have been lost and of visits to them that are not recorded. So it’s difficult to follow his relationship with them when the critical evidence may have been lost. For now, as I said yesterday, scholars believe that Paul wrote this letter from Macedonia, having determined (in the Spirit) not to visit them immediately. And it’s probably good that he did not visit them; he has some harsh words and feelings that he shares. I will point out two. First, he appears very defensive when he says Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? (v. 17) He wants the Corinthians to believe him when he speaks, but he is not sure that he has their confidence.

Second, he uses powerful language in verse 23: But I call God to witness against me… Again, it looks like he is thinking that the Corinthians do not trust him, that he thinks that they think that he may be lying to them. These verses make this section of II Corinthians very difficult to follow.

I don’t know what to make of these thoughts – in one sense it’s true that face-to-face conversation is far better than letter writing (or texting or e-mail notes!). In addition, it appears that the Corinthians themselves, have some serious problems within themselves. But, don’t we all…??!!

Slava Bohu!

II Corinthians 1:1-11

Affliction, suffering, burden, despair, peril, death… Deliverance, comfort, salvation!! There is really only one message in these few verses today. God is a God of deliverance, of comfort, of salvation! No matter our circumstances, He is there for us – and He wants us to be there for others. Whether we are up or down, we can be a comfort to others. It’s not always easy, but it’s what He wants from us! And in this more difficult time in which we now live, it’s more important than ever to comfort and encourage those around us. Make your life a “comfort zone” for others!

Slava Bohu!

Acts 19:23-20:1

So yes, it’s a strange reading schedule – one day’s reading of 20 verses in Acts between Paul’s two Corinthian letters. This is the pattern that they have in our Chronological Bible that I’ve been using the past two years and I have not seen fit to change it (much). However, this Acts reading really does fit here. All of Acts chapter 19 to this point has had Paul at Ephesus, from where he wrote I Corinthians. Now in today’s reading we see this “riot in Ephesus”, with the riot followed by that one verse (20:1) where Paul departs for Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, etc.). Although scholars differ on the makeup of II Corinthians, as to whether it is really one letter or a compilation of pieces from different letters, there is more general agreement that he wrote at least part of II Corinthians from Macedonia. So that’s why we have these 20 verses from Acts inserted here – Paul leaves Ephesus bound for Macedonia.

But even Paul’s trip to Macedonia is not without controversy, this time in Paul’s own mind. Sometime in the next few days we will read Paul telling the Corinthians that he had initially planned to visit them, then go to Macedonia, then return to them again (see II Corinthians 1:15-16). But evidently he changed his plans so that he could have one long visit with them (after Macedonia) instead of two shorter visits. So again, as Acts 20:1 tells us, Paul leaves Ephesus headed to Macedonia. The very next verse finds him in Greece (Athens, Corinth, etc.) after a short Macedonian visit. A small, intriguing item is found a few verses prior to today’s reading: Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem… (v. 21a) Paul “…resolved in the Spirit…” That is, in these few words we see Paul changing his mind (as noted above), but not just “changing his mind” – he was “Spirit-led” to do so!

There’s a lot going on in today’s reading about this riot. Paul wants to venture into this riotous crowd, but not only his disciples, but also some leading Gentile authorities convince him not to do so. Then a Jew named Alexander wants to speak to the crowd, but he is shouted down. So, one asks, why would this Jew want to speak to the crowd? Was he going to defend the Christians against this pagan crowd? Or was he wanting to further incite the crowd against these Christians? We’ll never know! But the Jews were also not followers of Artemis, so Alexander himself is fully rejected by the crowd. Finally, reason wins out in the voice of the town clerk and order is restored. Carol and I visited Ephesus in 2017 and tried to imagine the location of that riot, tried to imagine the crowd and Paul and his friends. Fun.

OK, now back to Corinthian letters…

Slava Bohu!

I Corinthians 16:13-24

Depending on your translation, verse 22b will say either “Maranatha” or “O Lord, come” or “Our Lord, come.” I had noted two days ago that many commentators felt that Paul was expecting Jesus’ imminent return. Now he closes with this greeting. My Study Bible noted Paul’s expectation in its comment on this verse.

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. (vv. 17-18a) It’s not really a comment on this verse, but something of a reality for the present moment. Paul was “refreshed” to have these three visitors. During our current pandemic, I suspect that there are many from our congregation who might also be “refreshed” by a phone call from someone in the church. Our Vestry and Staff are already making these calls, ideally to everyone in our congregation, but it would probably also be a blessing to anyone to also get a note from someone else. And, visits are not prohibited! Make a phone call – invite someone over or invite yourself over to their place; take some cookies; keep your distance; enjoy your time together! Just a thought…!

Slava Bohu!

I Corinthians 16:1-12

…so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go… (v. 6b) and Help him on his way in peace… (v. 11b) These statements seem unusual for Paul to write. Typically he is telling his listeners that he is self-sufficient, that he is not a burden to the church, that he works alongside them. But now he is asking for their support for himself and for Timothy. Maybe it was earlier in his ministry that he was being more self-sufficient and he has found out over time that he is more useful to the Lord when he is preaching than when he is tent-making. Just wondering…

Years ago I was Assistant Treasurer for the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington when Bishop Sauls appointed me to a group that he called the Mission Funding Task Force. Our objective was to evaluate how the local congregations should fund the Diocese. We gathered data and worked through our findings and wrote it up. I don’t need to go into details about our work or our findings, but there was one thing that I learned during my time on that Task Force. There were two Episcopal priests on that committee and three or four other lay Episcopalians. As we looked for guidance from “outside”, essentially where to begin before we started looking at the data, different people (especially one of the priests) did their research and reported back. As I listened, no one talked about the “collection for the saints” (v. 1 in today’s reading). Paul talks about it in his Thessalonian letters and his Corinthian letters and Luke writes about it in Acts. When I brought up this “collection” as a model for the parishes supporting the Diocese, no one knew what I was talking about, not even the priests! I daresay that the priests that we have known in the Anglican Church would have been right there with me, quickly accessing chapter and verse for inclusion in our report. Bottom line: where our Anglican clergy are trained is important – Asbury, Pittsburgh, Nashotah House – when our Anglican priests are trained they come away Bible-literate. And as my wife is prone to say, “And that’s a good thing!”

Slava Bohu!