II Corinthians 6:11-7:16

Dear RTB’ers,

Trying to piece together Paul’s relationship to the Corinthians, as we read it today. (All these verse references are chapter 7.) First, Paul had written a stern letter that caused grief among the Corinthians: For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it… (v. 8a) Paul was concerned for their reaction, so he sent Titus to them. Evidently Titus had never met the Corinthians, but had been informed of them by Paul, …so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. (v. 14b) The Corinthians apparently knew that this “envoy” from Paul was coming and they were concerned about this visit, …how you received him with fear and trembling. (v. 15b) Their concerns were unwarranted – Titus was a wonderful envoy and was well received, …because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. (v. 13b) So Titus returned to Paul with a really positive report, Bu God … comforted us by the coming of Titus … as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me… (vv. 6, 7b) Apparently, the Corinthians’ grief was a good thing, For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret… (v. 10a) Paul and the Corinthians…!

Grief, confession, repentance, salvation. Thank you, Lord!

Blessings!

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See also:

• September 17 (2021) / II Corinthians 6:1-13
• September 7 (2021) / II Corinthians 6:14-7:1
• September 18 (2021) / II Corinthians 7:2-16; 13:11-14

II Corinthians 5:11-6:10

Dear RTB’ers,

For the love of Christ controls us … One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him Who for their sake died and was raised. … Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. (vv. 5:14-15, 20) We no longer live for ourselves; rather, we live for others, we are ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors for Christ…

Last week Carol and I were invited by the Albanian Ambassador to Slovakia to a gala celebration at the Primate’s Palace in Bratislava (please see below). We had never met an Ambassador before. He and his wife greeted each guest warmly – a few sentences each, more than just a hello and a handshake. Then he made the opening remarks for the celebration, first acknowledging his hosts, then his guests and his fellow citizens, then all those who had contributed their efforts to the success of the event. After the program ended and we all enjoyed an Albanian buffet he continued mingling with his guests, not lingering with only a few but circulating around the rooms making everyone feel welcome. Now, late in life I have met an Ambassador.

We are Ambassadors for Christ…

Blessings!

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See also: September 16 (2021) / II Corinthians 5:1-21

II Corinthians 4:7-5:10

Dear RTB’ers,

There are a number of worthy verses and passages for comments today: “…treasures in earthen vessels…” (v. 4:7); “…afflicted…, but not crushed…” (vv. 4:8-9) “…momentary light affliction…” (v. 4:17). But I like Paul’s focus on the eternal. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling… (vv. 5:1-2) and We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord … we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. (vv. 5:6b, 8b, 9) I like the way Paul says all this in his letter to the Philippians: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith… (vv. 21-25). Yes, to live is Christ, to die is gain.

Blessings!

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See also: September 15 (2021) / II Corinthians 4:1-18

Dear RTB’ers,

Paul mentions the Spirit seven times in chapter 3. Our Men’s Group did a Holy Spirit study some years back. We looked at all occurrences of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. When you look for Him, you’ll find Him quite often in the Gospels, even more often in Acts (occasionally referred to as the “Acts of the Holy Spirit”), and a lot in Galatians, Romans, and both Corinthian letters. We don’t see Him as much in Paul’s other letters or in Peter’s or James’ or John’s epistles. But He is prominent today. So take a couple of minutes and look back at today’s reading, at those seven occurrences of the Spirit and see who He is and what He does. Get to know Him better!  

Blessings!

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See also: September 14 (2021) / II Corinthians 3:1-18

II Corinthians 1:23-2:17

Dear RTB’ers,

I am repeating below a comment that I wrote in 2020 (slightly edited), primarily to help us all understand the confusion in Paul’s letter regarding his Corinthian visits and correspondence:

So, is there a lost letter or a lost visit? 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 12:14 and 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,) and on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:2-3). 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. 2:3a) and For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears… (v. 2:4a). 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. So there must be a lost letter.

Finally, a quick word on the other item in today’s reading, verses 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 it’s Paul’s advice to bring him back into the body. Perhaps Paul even had himself in mind, in that he persecuted the church mightily until the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. Oh, if everyone at St. Andrew’s knew our deepest sins… Ouch.

Blessings!

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See also: May 22 (2020) / II Corinthians 2:1-11

II Corinthians 1:12-22

Dear RTB’ers,

As we near the end of this 16^th year of RTB, I’m asking myself if I can apply Paul’s “boast” to myself? He says, For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. (v. 12) Could I say the same thing of myself with respect to RTB and you RTB readers: For my boast is this, the testimony of my conscience, that I behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. I have never claimed much in the way of Biblical training –only experience borne out of some 40+ years of reading Scripture on a daily basis. I pray that some “simplicity and godly sincerity” on my part has come through in my leadership, in my many posts these many years. My only reward comes from you telling me and others that you are growing in the Lord. That’s the essence of Paul’s boast, …it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (vv. 20b-22)

Blessings!

II Corinthians 1:1-11

Dear RTB’ers,

Blessed be the God … of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction… (v. 3-4a). There was a time in my life (summer and fall 1981) when for seven straight months I had some major “affliction” in my life, the worst of which were my father’s death and a broken engagement with Carol. I recall vividly, through it all, asking God, “Why all this? What’s going on here?” I don’t recall being angry – more confused than anything. But the main thing that I can remember through all that was one person in our Bible Study group commenting on the stuff I was going through and my reply, “I don’t know how people go through difficulties without God in their lives.” Through it all, one thing after another, I was calling on God – not unlike David in most of the psalms we just read. How do people survive, trying to do it all on their own?

In today’s reading Paul mentions “comfort” ten times, “affliction” three times, and “suffer(ing)” four times. I think he’s concerned with people and their trials and difficulties. His answer is the second half of the verses quoted above, …so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (v. 4b) God is our only Comforter, but we are His intercessors – we are “comforters” for Him.

Blessings!

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See also:

• Rearranging II Corinthians
• September 12 (2021) / II Corinthians 1:1-24
• December 8 (2023) / II Corinthians 1-7

Psalm 41

Dear RTB’ers,

I don’t know why, but so often it seems like the first words in a psalm are the ones that hit me. Today was the case again, Blessed is the one who considers the poor! (or the “weak” or “helpless”, v. 1a) The ESV ends those eight words with an exclamation mark. Other translations use a semicolon and continue that verse and the next verse with four more sentences. But it was only that first sentence that got my attention. And immediately I thought of Avanza and our parishioners’ involvement therein. I am forever grateful for Kelly and our in-church connections with Huntertown. Truly, lives have been changed, not only the kids and their families, but also our entire church and even people outside our church who have plugged in one way or another!

I don’t know how many illegal aliens there are among those kids and their families, but I think we need to pray over the possibilities of severe family separations if plans move forward as the next administration has pledged. Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

Blessings!

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See also: April 13 (2022) / Psalm 41

Psalm 40:11-17

Dear RTB’ers,

I said yesterday that God’s provision is infinitely ongoing. Today’s last verse repeats that thought, As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. (v. 17a) I see “takes thought for me” as a continual thing, that the Lord is constantly taking thought of me – and everyone else in the universe! Seldom do I think of myself as “poor and needy”. As is often the case with me, I compare myself with others whom I see as less fortunate and more in need of help than I. Sadly, the fact is that I don’t really know how poor and needy I truly am – especially how poor and needy I truly was before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior; how poor and needy I was before I was filled with the Holy Spirit; before I realized that …every good and perfect gift is from above… (James 1:17a, NIV) Truly, God’s provision is infinitely ongoing!! I am / we are blessed!!

Blessings!

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See also: April 12 (2022) / Psalm 40:9-17