2 Corinthians 1:12-24

(2 Corinthians 1:12-24)

 

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.  For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea. When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?  But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.Not for that we have dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

 

Corinth was the capital of Agaya, a key point of East and West trade. Corinth was a city of fashion and idols at the intersection of various cultures. The Gospel hit it. In the gospel, people have found new ways and are invited to live anew. However, some have not been able to say goodbye to past lifestyles. The church suffered from ugly fornication, partisan quarrels, and even religious disputes of gifts. In particular, a serious challenge arose for Paul's apostolic power. Even when Paul changed and overturned his plan to visit Corinth, his integrity was questioned. 『For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 』

 

Paul says that what the Corinthians should see is God, not themselves. The Corinthian Church missed God because Paul's appearance, actions, and words were bothersome. Paul shared what he ultimately wanted to achieve with the Corinthians: “For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our's in the day of the Lord Jesus. 』

 

Through 1 and 2 Corinthians, Paul wants to teach the Gospel and how to connect with it. 『For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known』. Like the faintly visible ancient bronze mirror, so is our understanding of the truth. Therefore, the saints wage a fierce war in the Gospel. The Corinthians were getting to know God. The Corinthians were fighting fiercely with non-essential things in the Gospel. Paul embraced the imperfections and immaturity of the Corinthians in the heart of God. So Paul reached out to the Corinthians the hand of the gospel.

 

『Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand』. Paul reached out and wanted the Corinthians to grow into solid Christians like him. Paul did not try to control the Corinthians' faith. Paul invites each member of the Corinthian church to stand alone before God.

 

This is the content of the Apostle Paul's third letter to the Corinthian Church. Be sure to remember what happened in Asia. When a problem arises, think about why this happened to me, rather than solving the problem. This is 『Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 』. Until Paul died, he also pondered his sinful nature. Even though he was born again, the sin nature remained in it. Paul clearly knows his identity, but his sinful nature afflicted him. The sin nature is not the desire to sin, but the desire to live by myself, free from God's heart. Sin is the result of evil, but the sin nature is the old man who wants to escape from God. So the Apostle Paul said, "Do not rely on yourself."

 

The story of Eve's crime is really important. It is said in Revelation that the Antichrist takes over the whole earth at the end and raises his idol and kills all if he does not bow down to the idol. It is said that if you do not receive a ticket with your name and number on your right hand and forehead, you will not be allowed to buy or sell.

The one who acts as God in the Bible is the old serpent. The old snake is the old snake that seduced Eve. Even if the Antichrist takes over this world before the Lord's Second Coming, there is nothing more than a way to overthrow Eve. Man was guilty, but Eve fell in front of sin even though she was not. Satan himself appeared to overthrow Eve. So, at the end, Satan appears again.

 

Satan asks Eve. In Genesis 3:1, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. ? " The only command God spoke of was the fruit of good and evil, but Satan approached it with words of all faults. Even though Eve had only one commandment, confusingly, she could not memorize it: 『Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 』The warning the Bible says (discipline) is not to respond to the words Satan asks.

 

In 2:16-17『And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 』 Eve refers to “the tree that knows good and evil” as “the tree in the middle of the garden”. Then, "You will surely die" is changed to "I wonder if you will die." The more you respond to Satan, the less you will remember the Word of God. This is why we should not respond to thoughts from Satan. Satan says a reassuring word to Eve: ``And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.』

 

Things happen that cannot be solved by our own strength on this earth. You have to know why this happened. 『But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead』. Otherwise, everyone will think, as Satan said, "becoming like God and knowing good and bad." The God who raises the dead is not the God of the old creation, but the God of the new creation. It is to rely on the God of new creation.

 

When we think about God's promises and orders to us, “Why did he give us this command?”, we fall into the old serpent. It is not the first to think about God's command, "Why did you command this?" Our relationship with the Lord is a relationship of trust. So, the first is obedience. This is because thinking about why without obeying leads to delusion. In Romans 12:1, beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 』 Many people try to find something that pleases God and pleases me. This is what the unrepentant looks like. Except for me, I must find something that pleases only God.

 

Then it says in 12:2, "beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

In God's command and covenant, obedience comes first, not discernment. When Jesus performed miracles, he wanted to test his disciples. Deuteronomy tells us that during the 40 years of the wilderness in the Old Testament, He humbled and tested the people. All of God's temptations humble us. It was not God's for the people to be humbled in the land of Egypt by Pharaoh's harsh command.