TEACHING
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021
10:30 AM (in-person + livestream, communion) SECOND CORINTHIANS SERIES Truth + Love 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:13 #itscomplicated Church discipline sounds like a scary thing. We’ve heard of stories where it was used to cover up abuse and shame victims. But the misuse of a thing does not mean it should be avoided, rather we pursue a proper use. Paul writes and then visits the Corinthians to practice healing through expressing love in its truth-telling, boundary-setting, forgiving, and enabling expressions. We can learn practices that move us into greater relational health in our community. EMAIL QUESTIONS HERE or TEXT: 604-426-1230 CONNECT WITH US HERE GIVE HERE |
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TEXT: 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:13
TAKE OFF FLIGHT Through the Text 2 Corinthians 1:23-24 Explanation of the Canceled Visit (Continued) “Part of what he’s saying in this passage is that sometimes when bad things happen it doesn't mean that anybody’s made a mistake… Paul couldn’t have imagined that the Corinthians were in the wrong frame of mind for the kind of visit he planned; many things happen that are not what we would have expected or wanted, and we have to do the best we can with things as they are.” (Wright, 15) “...there is joy in mending one’s ways. We work with you for your joy, he says, because they were admonishing those who wanted to mend their ways, so they could bring their new desires to fulfillment” (ACT, 211-212). - Ambrosiaster 2 Corinthians 2:1 The Painful Visit The tension between the culture of Corinth and the Gospel was pulling at their relationship with Paul. It was painful. In a community, like a church, pain is shared because we are connected—the good pain of growth and learning or the bad pain of sin. 2 Corinthians 2:2-4 “We scare because we care” Monsters, Inc. movie 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Offense and Joy Forgiving is the act of stopping other people from having power over your life now, based on harm they caused you in the past. Letting go grants freedom. Forgiveness is both granted and received, but it can only be received if there is a proper apology and amends (if possible). You can always grant it in your mind and even to someone who refused to acknowledge their part. “Too often the church, at least in the mainstream of modern Western Christianity, has been so anxious about ever causing sorrow to anyone that it has backed off from confrontation and discipline. Sometimes the opposite mistake is made, of course. But Paul’s point is that the right sequence, and balance, needs to be maintained. And he himself is an example of how it's done.” (Wright, 20-21) 2 Corinthians 2:11 There is wordplay in the Greek—Paul is mindful of what is in the Devil’s mind. 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 Ministry delayed because of unresolved issues LANDING-What Transformations and Growth Are We Invited To Learn and Experience?
FINAL WORD Sources: Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ben Witherington; NIV Application Commentary; The Letters of the Corinthians, William Barclay; Second Epistle to the Corinthians: New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT), Paul Barnett; Wisdom Commentary, 2 Cor, Antoinette Clark Wire; The Story of God Com., 2 Cor, Judith A. Diehl; 1 and 2 Cor., Craig S. Keener; Others. For Reflection and Discussionwritten by pastor, NT Wright study guide, others
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