This week's Bible study will conclude our analysis of 2nd Corinthians

Paul's Final Warnings to the Corinthian Church

(2^nd Corinthians chapter 12, verses 14-21; Chapter 13)

In this week's study we will be finishing up 2^nd Corinthians as we continue our exhaustive study of the writings of the apostle Paul. Taking up where we left off last week, we are beginning at verse 14 of chapter 12, where Paul continues his train of thought about his trials and tribulations, testifying that he was only able to get through them all with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. He then expresses his concern for the church at Corinth, wondering if they will be strong enough to hold up under trials and persecution as he had.

“Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will be very glad to spend for you everything that I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you with any of the men I sent you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course? Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and that you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have been involved.” (2nd Corinthians 12, verses 14-21, NIV)

Notice what Paul writes in the very first verse of today's study, “ ...what I want is not your possessions but you”. This is a clear reference to something he wrote in the previous chapter (that would actually be two studies ago) when he criticized various churches and factions for competing with each other for membership and fund-raising, very similar to the majority of today's churches. People can tithe their ten percent to the church for their entire lives, but if any are counting on their generous gifts to get them into heaven they are going to be disappointed at best – and horrified at worst – when their time comes. Remember what Jesus said in the four Gospels, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted”. God is exactly the same as Paul wrote about. He couldn't care less about our stuff. He wants us. Everything he, Titus and Timothy (“our brother”) did was for the upholding and edification of the church. They took no credit for themselves for their ministries, but gave all the credit, praise, glory and honor to Almighty God through Jesus Christ our Savior. Yet Paul expresses his concern by wondering if he will find a unified church when he returns, or whether there will be “factions” within the church, as Paul called them. If he finds them at odds, or worse yet in competition, with each other then all Paul's work would have been for nothing and he would be faced with starting over again on a clean sheet of paper, so to speak. This was apparently a significant worry to him. Bearing that in mind, let's now continue at verse one of chapter thirteen.

“This will be my third visit to you. 'Every matter must be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses'. I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you. Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have passed the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in the use of my authority – the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not tearing you down.” (2 Corinthians 13, verses 1-10, NIV)

As you can see in verse 1, Paul has definite plans in place to visit the Corinthian church for a third time. We now know that this never did occur, as we discover in the book of Acts – also called the Acts of the Apostles – but I think I'll save that one until then so we can examine it in better context. For the moment, Paul clearly warns them sternly not to stray from what he taught them, and he wrote “our prayer is for your perfection”, meaning a form of perfection that transcends humanity and intellectual thought that can only be found in Christ. Jesus is the only way we can achieve Spiritual perfection. There is no substitute for Him, none at all. Finally, Paul reminds them that everything he has said and done has been for their own good, and he chides them about being too sensitive to criticism – an antique version of what we would call “tough love” today. Discipline and the exercise of authority, when done responsibly with love, can yield excellent results, and that's want God wants us all to achieve in our walk with Christ.

Never give up, never give in, but keep on trying to become not just a better person than what you are, but to become something more than what you are. Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it in abundance”. He also said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened”. The point Jesus was making is that while God has given us the ability and the freedom of choice to better ourselves, He not only wants us to have as good a life as we possibly can, He also expects us to do our part to help make good things happen. Like the apostle Paul, Jesus would also give us some tough love – and occasionally does as I have found out firsthand – because that's how we become better Christians, better people, and better citizens of the kingdom of God. And now, Paul closes out 2^nd Corinthians with this elegant goodbye.

“Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the peace and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

(2 Corinthians 13, verses 11-14, NIV)

This week's BIble study will be the first half of 2nd Corinthians chapter 12

The Vision of the Apostle Paul

(2 Corinthians 12: 1-13)

Today as we continue our Bible study of 2^nd Corinthians and the writings of Paul, we'll be digging into chapter 12. Taking up where we left off last week, we will finish analyzing Paul's train of thought as he continues to address “boasting” within the early Church. His chastisement of the Corinthian church, you will recall, stemmed from reports Paul apparently received about arguments from within the congregation over who was better equipped to lead, or whose faith was the strongest, or who had the greatest Spiritual anointing. So we can clearly see that denominational rifts have a history dating back to the early church. In other words, this kind of misbehavior among the leadership of today's church – competing against one another for additional membership – has been around for centuries. This is one of several reasons why I, as a minister of the true Gospel, refuse to align this church, my blog postings, or this website with any religious denomination. Such people are in church only for themselves, and in so doing they are bringing judgment upon themselves because they are there for all the wrong reasons, and this is essentially what Paul was saying to them. Having said that, let's take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 1 of chapter 12.

“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know – God knows. And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I were to choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so that no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.” ( 2 Corinthians 12, verses 1-6, NIV)

I consider this to be one of the more intriguing nuggets of Scripture contained within the Bible, because we have a clear reference to to what we now call “out of body experiences”. No doubt you have heard of this in one form or another, and there are many videos posted on You-tube and other places on this topic. Clearly Paul knew someone personally who had one of these experiences, and that lucky person got a glimpse of heaven. He may have even been alluding to himself, but there's no way to tell that I can see due to the passage of time. By the same token, I have seen an equal number of videos or read a number of blog postings about people having such experiences, winding up in hell and then coming back to tell the tale. So it works both ways, and you had better believe there is such a thing as heaven and hell. There are living eyewitnesses to both, so we would all be wise to heed their warnings and believe their testimony. 

 

Moving right along, Paul finishes making his point when he wrote, “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I were to choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth.” So I think that what Paul is really saying is that if anybody is proud of what a good Christian they are, or if any pastor, teacher or evangelist sees themselves as being in a better position from a moral standpoint, Paul is telling those kinds of “religious” people they need to quit doing that. If they want bragging rights about anything, whether it is physical (“my church is bigger than your church”) or spiritual (“my God/faith is better than yours”), they need to cut out that childish stuff and start focusing the efforts of their congregations on what really matters, such as how we treat other people and seeing to the needs of the poor. (The conflict between Christians and Muslims would disappear overnight if we united in an effort to do this.) If we're going to boast about anything within the church, point out the Spiritual growth of certain individuals who are setting the best example. For instance, the gentleman who had the vision or dream that Paul wrote about could not have had such an experience unless he already had an exceptionally close walk with the Lord. It is to these things that we should all be aspiring. And now let's continue starting at verse 7.

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I have made a fool of myself, but you have drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the 'super apostles', even though I am nothing. The things that mark an apostle – signs, wonders, and miracles – were done among you with great perseverance. How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you. Forgive me this wrong!” (2 Corinthians 12, verses 7-13, NIV)

Paul's mentioning of “a thorn in my flesh” has long stirred controversy, mainly within the church, but not exclusively. To this day I don't think anyone can say for certain what Paul was writing about. But the beauty of this passage is God's response of quiet confidence, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'. The moral of the story here is that we can accomplish nothing in and of our own strength, and even when we manage to do so it never lasts. But when we relinquish ownership of our lives and surrender control to Christ, then and only then can His strength supplant our own. The key, as the old adage goes, is to be willing to “let go and let God”. We have to let go of our pride and our ego and allow Christ to take over. That's how we let Christ into our hearts. It's not enough to simply invite Jesus into our hearts as some are teaching. We must surrender ourselves to Him so his healing can begin and so his indwelling can be initiated.

When I am weak, Paul wrote, then I am strong. When our bodies and minds are weak, or when our spirits need to be replenished, that is exactly when the strength of Christ works best. Conversely, when we insist on being in charge of our lives or force situations and various persons to work out for our benefit at the exclusion of everything and everybody else, Christ cannot work in those instances because we are standing in His way. God hates control freaks for this reason, not to mention the fact that being controlling and manipulative is not only a sin, but they are actually forms of idolatry – the worship of false gods (in this case the false god being oneself). Christ, being the complete gentleman that He is, will never force us to step aside. We must freely choose to do so out of a desire to please God so we make it to heaven when our physical lives are over. God is in charge and we're not. He surely doesn't need our help – he's God. Jesus, his only Son, intercedes for us from the right hand of his Father's throne. He's already got everything under control. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”, meaning it's easier and better for us to give our lives to Christ. After all, He gave his life for all of us 2,000 years ago so we could each have eternal life. It seems only natural to me to want to reciprocate by giving my life over to Him. How about you? Has anyone reading this considered giving their life to Christ? Jesus said, “Anyone who clings to his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake will find it”. That eloquent statement is even more true today than it was back then, and I believe Jesus was referring to this very topic. Surrender your life to Christ and let Him take over, the benefits are light-years beyond what you can see. Simply ask Him quietly into your heart as a dwelling place. He will do the rest if you willingly yield to him. How you ask Him doesn't matter, and who you are or what you have done doesn't either. Ask Jesus into your heart today, not just for a visit but to live within you forever, like a good lifelong relationship. You know, there really isn't much time left before He comes back for us all. Why not ask Jesus into your heart right now? Simply pray, “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I dedicate the rest of my life to serving you. Show me what you want me to do for you, and I will do it. In Jesus' mighty name, amen!”

This week's Bible study will be the 2nd half of 2nd Corinthians chapter 11

Putting Up With Suffering

[2^nd Corinthians chapter 11, verses 16-33]

Today we will be finishing up 2^nd Corinthians chapter 11 as we continue with the apostle Paul's train of thought regarding those individuals who were in positions of leadership within the early Church for what Paul contended were all the wrong reasons. Each overseer (as they were called back then) of these various congregations was apparently bragging about how their church was the most spiritual, or the most generous, or the least sinful, etc. More often than not there was considerable time devoted on each Sabbath to preaching against something another church was teaching about its particular view of Christianity. It probably seemed at times as if each church was competing against the others for membership as if they were businesses competing for customers. Sound familiar, anyone? The very same thing continues to occur with disheartening regularity in the modern churches of today. And then they wonder why their congregations are not growing. Well, duh!

I'm so glad that God continues to inspire me to make sure this online church is not like those mainstream churches, and never will be. Those of you who have been visiting this website or reading my blogs must have noticed by now that I never write or post about denominational stuff, and I seldom comment on the teaching of any particular church, with the notable exception of the so-called “prosperity gospel”. That is not by accident, and it's because I'm only interested in teaching about the truth – which is the word of God that is not only devoutly believed in, but which must be acted upon through the adoption of Christianity as a lifestyle and not a mere set of human beliefs. It was Paul who wrote, “Faith without works is dead”, and that's just as true now as when it was first written 2,000 years ago. Having established these facts, let me now start today's study beginning at verse 16.

“I repeat: let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confidant boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit we were too weak for that!” (2 Corinthians 11, verses 16-21, NIV)

So we see that Paul is still on the subject of certain boasting or bragging that was going on between different churches, to the detriment of the spreading of the Gospel. Much the same continues to occur daily in many of today's churches as well. But there is much more below the surface here. It looks to me like Paul is telling the Corinthian church that boasting or bragging in church is completely improper and showed a lack of maturity and Spiritual sensitivity among some of that congregation, and they were obviously not the only ones. Not surprisingly, Paul condemns the actions of these congregations, calling them “foolish” – although I suspect the original wording in Hebrew (the original language of the Bible) may have been far more blunt and direct, only to be sanitized centuries later by Emperor Constantine and what would grow into the Catholic church. Paul continues as he writes, “You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face.” Now what does that look like to you? Paul writes of congregations being enslaved, exploited, taken advantage of, and even physically attacked. There must have been no small number of self-styled preachers and self-appointed teachers who were doing so for profit instead of the advancement of the true Gospel, and some were evidently using intimidation to spread their message like a Christian Mafia (if such a thing were possible). It created divisions within the churches, and there was apparently at least one incident where somebody slapped someone in the face for some long-forgotten reason. It is clear from these verses that profiteers and the power-mad have been in churches for as long as houses of worship have been in existence – dating back to at least the time of Christ (remember the money changers in the Temple in Jerusalem?) or before.

But I wish to take this to another level so that it applies to governments as well as churches. We Americans put up with the fools in Washington who are supposed to be running our country, but instead they similarly enslave us economically and exploit us for profit, “pushing themselves forward” by rigging elections. And then they “slap (us) in the face” by poisoning our food, our water supply, our air above, and the ground below. I think Paul is absolutely right – so long as we “gladly put up with fools”, we will get whatever we deserve. As Benjamin Franklin once famously said, “Those citizens who refuse to get involved in their country's politics deserve whatever leaders they get”. The same applies to churches! Bearing that in mind, let's continue now at verse 21.

“What anyone else dares to boast about – I am speaking as a fool – I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and have been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of all my concern for the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under the King Aretas had the city of Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.” (2 Corinthians 11, verses 22-33, NIV)

As you can see, the apostle Paul is called a saint because of what he went through in the course of his preaching of the Gospel and the founding of churches throughout what is now much of the Middle East, southwest Asia, southeastern Europe and Italy. He put up with all kinds of hardship and inconvenience, abuse and mistreatment, plus was in great physical danger for much of the time, nearly getting killed at least eight times over the course of his ministry before finally being beheaded in Rome. He also wrote about his empathy for the churches and for the unsaved, writing “Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” How many Christians are living this quality of life in the churches today, particularly in the developed world? There is an important lesson to be learned here; if the apostle Paul was willing to put up with all this just so he could spread the Gospel, then we should all examine ourselves as to how totally dedicated we are to the Lord. Is our Christian faith genuine, or have we become plastic Christians who are just going through the motions? When religious persecution of Christians breaks out on the North American continent, and it surely will based on Biblical prophecy (see Revelation chapter 13, verses 5-10), we had better ask ourselves where we would stand in such an event. Christian missionaries of all faiths put up with exactly this kind of risk each and every day as they work overseas. It is a fact that there have been more people martyred for their Christianity in the last 100 years than there were in the previous 1900 years combined. What would you do if the Antichrist came to power tomorrow, or next month, or next year, and who then will say we must all either take the mark of the beast or be killed? As we are indeed getting close to the end of all things as we have known them, it is imperative that we stand up for Christ. After all, He loved us and died on our behalf first. The time has come for all of us to get as serious about our faith as the apostle Paul was, because where we spend eternity will depend upon it. We are rapidly running out of time.

This week's Bible study will be 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, verses 1-15

Contrasting Paul's Ministry vs. the Modern Church

[2^nd Corinthians chapter 11, verses 1-15]

As we saw from last week's study on chapter 10, the apostle Paul was admonishing the early church about being too proud of themselves and the accomplishments of their ministries, writing that “if anyone boasts, let him boast in the Lord”. Today as we begin 2^nd Corinthians chapter 11, Paul continues with this same train of thought, contrasting his ministry to that of his contemporaries. As he does so, we find some interesting parallels between his writing and the state of the modern church. Having pointed that out, let's begin this week's study at verse 1:

“I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. I am jealous of you with a Godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may some how be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those 'super-apostles'. I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.” (2 Corinthians 11, verses 1-6, NIV)

It is pretty obvious from this passage of Scripture that there were already churches in existence that were preaching and teaching their own versions of the true Gospel, presumably in competition with each other rather than undertaking the harvest of souls in unity with common purposes and unified goals in mind. Here we have written documentation of the start-up of denominations, and ultimately of religious cults, each one competing for members for primarily financial reasons. But Paul wrote, “I promised you to one husband, to Christ...”. Jesus, and He alone, is the head of the greater Church. This means that anyone who is a pastor like I am – whether it's a Web church like this or 'brick and mortar' is besides the point – needs to keep in mind that it's not our church, it's His. Moreover, Jesus taught that the Law of Moses – the first 5 books of the Old Testament – was going to be replaced by the New, which is the sacrifice and rebirth of Jesus Christ for all our sins. The Old Law, Jesus said, “was written on tablets of stone”, while the new one would be “written on tablets of human hearts”. Prior to Christ, the Temple where Jesus taught was the church. But after Christ, the church exists within us, and we carry it around with us everywhere we go. As we do so, we do it as much for our own benefit as we do for others so we can be living examples of what it means to live as Christians and as followers of Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

Yet Paul documents his concern that these early churches would somehow be “led astray”. The advice Paul gave the early church regarding this matter is even more relevant today than it was when these words were first written 2,000 years ago. If, upon hearing the gospel being preached or taught, some “new teaching” is encountered that does not agree with us either mentally or spiritually, then do not follow that pastor, teacher or evangelist. At the very least, we should test their spirits to see if they are from God. This is exactly what Paul was writing in the vernacular of his day. He then goes on to imply that just because the church leader is a “trained speaker”, does not make what he or she is saying correct. This is ever so true in the modern church today, and I will write more about that in a minute, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. So before I comment any further, let's continue beginning at verse 7.

“Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the Gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions if Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do! And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2^nd Corinthians 11, verses 7-15, NIV)

The first sentence, which comprises verse 7, should give us all pause when we contrast what Paul wrote to the practices of the modern Church, regardless of denomination (or not). Paul preached free of charge!! So when he preached, he didn't pass around a collection basket, right? Evidently not. In fact, Paul mentions receiving financial assistance from a church in Macedonia, presumably a neighboring state or territory, because he received none from the church at Corinth. So we have a first generation apostle who preaches and teaches the Word while apparently never asking for money. And yet most, if not all, of his daily needs were met. How often do we see that in the modern church? Almost never, as a few minutes of viewing Christian television or an hour spent in worship at any given church on Sunday morning will attest to. You can't help but notice that there is no love lost between Paul and the cult churches of his day, since he calls such pastors and teachers “false apostles” and “deceitful workmen”. When I ask myself who this reminds me of in the present, I immediately think about all the preachers who insist on one tenth our incomes (which for me, as a retiree who ministers and blogs without compensation, would be a financial disaster) It reminds me of a preacher I once met while out in West Texas (I will decline to name the city) who, upon learning that I am disabled (I suffer from PTSD plus a lot of other stuff), offered to ”heal” me in exchange for a $1,000.00 donation to his church. I respectfully declined.

Paul does not mince any words regarding these bogus apostles when he writes, “I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.” I gather from this that – aside from the competition between churches that Paul mentioned in verses 4 and 5 above – there were pride issues that infected some of these early churches as well. It's as if Paul makes a point of saying, “I refuse to play the childish games these other pseudo-churches are playing”. It's possible that there was a little of “my church/religion is better than yours” types of games going on between some of those congregations, and Paul was exercising his leadership authority by telling them that they needed to quit all that immature behavior and start acting like adults. There are no small number of religious people today who are guilty of this very thing, and I think that – with the impending return of Jesus for His people – it would be the very thing that would compel all of us to get our act together and get ready for Messiah's return. That, for today's purposes, is “job one” for every human being, not just every Christian. In the past, competition used to be a good thing, but it has become outmoded and counterproductive here in the early 21^st century. There are simply too many people, meaning we had better learn how to share instead of the worn-out practice of winning the prize and then keeping it all to ourselves. Cooperation must therefore replace competition as the new social and church model of today. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. This is what Jesus would do, it's what He taught, and we would all do well to do the same.

This week'sBible study will be 2nd Corinthians chapter 10

Let Those Who Boast Do So In The Lord

(2^nd Corinthians chapter 10)

For this week's study we'll be going over chapter 10 of 2^nd Corinthians in our ongoing chronological study of the writings of the apostle Paul. When we concluded chapter 9 last week, Paul wrote about – among other things – how God's grace and human generosity go hand in hand, calling it an “indescribable gift”. In chapter 10, Paul seems to move on to the topic of differentiating ourselves from the rest of the world as well as defending the Gospel and keeping it separate from the rest of the world by preserving its sanctity. Let's begin at verse 1.

“By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you – I, Paul, who is 'timid' when face to face with you, but 'bold' when away! I beg you that when I come I may not be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up after the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 1-6, NIV)

It appears from the first verse that Paul may have had some difficulty speaking in front of groups, particularly during the early years of his ministry, considering his remark about being timid. But I doubt that this lasted for a very long time, and there is no question that toward the end of his ministry he evolved into a bold and accomplished public speaker. But he reasons with the Corinthian church in this letter, comparing his apparent timidity with the gentleness and loving kindness of Christ. Notice that he goes on to point out that the Corinthian church should be living the same way, exemplifying the peace and gentleness of Christ. And if we must defend ourselves – which can and does happen – we will use Spiritual weapons that are infinitely more powerful than any weapon made by man, as Paul wrote: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up after the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We have the Spiritual power within every one of us to vanquish our enemies without ever having to lay a hand upon them. That is the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is what happens to every believer who asks for it. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural perception and uncanny wisdom, and I'm speaking from experience. It's not that I think I'm smart and cunning, but rather it's the Spirit that resides within all who believe that gives genuine followers of Christ these abilities. For anyone reading this who does not currently have these Spiritual attributes, all one has to do is ask for it. “Ask, and you shall receive,” Jesus said. “Knock, and the door will be opened. Seek, and you will find.” Here we are 2,000 years later, and these truths remain the same as they were when first spoken by Jesus Christ. These abilities are available to every one who seeks, who asks God, and who knocks on doors looking for the Spirit of the Lord.

“You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing'. Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” (2 Corinthians 10; verses 7-11, NIV)

From the looks of these four verses, it appears that there may have been a few people in that congregation who questioned – and possibly even challenged – Paul's authority within the early church. It is also possible, judging from the way this passage is worded, that there were a small but very vocal minority of people in the Corinthian church who wanted to be in charge of things – not to serve others, but instead launching what amounts to a power grab from within the church for their own enrichment. And so I think that Paul is admonishing such people when he writes, “If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ as much as he”. In other words, Paul is referring to his previous writing about equality earlier in this book, a concept and way of living that was similarly preached by Christ. Understand that back in the first century A.D. when this was taking place, the concept of human equality was radical stuff. Jesus preached equality to those who would hear him, and it was one of the reasons He was crucified. When Jesus walked the earth, women and minorities had few if any rights. Men were considered superior to women, many others lived their lives as slaves, never tasting freedom, and people of other races and nationalities were despised. The basic message that Christ was trying to convey to us is that if only we were all equal, there would be nothing left to fight about. It sounds like pretty smart advice to me. Now let's finish up today's study, beginning at verse 12.

“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case had we not come to you, for we did not get as far as you with the Gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. But, 'let him who boasts boast in the Lord' (Jer. 9:24). For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2 Corinthians 10, verses 12-18, NIV)

The first couple of verses are clearly describing something that has been going on within the greater Church ever since its inception – preachers and teachers of the Word who “compare themselves with themselves”. I once served as a musician under a pastor who was like that. I didn't stay there very long either. It is most unfortunate – and for me sometimes infuriating – that there are some pastors who claim to have a special line of communication with God that no one else has. This kind of erroneous and egocentric teaching – which is dangerous because that's how cults get started – has no business in a real house of worship regardless of denominational affiliation (or not). I would even go so far as to say that any pastor who is operating his/her church in such a manner risks bringing judgment upon themselves for causing their flock to engage in idolatry by worshiping the messenger instead of the message and the One who brought this message of salvation to us. The fact that this is going on within quite a few modern churches is part of what is causing people to leave the church in droves – that and other things like the sexual abuse of young boys within the Catholic church combined with all the financial shenanigans that are ongoing in many churches of all denominations.

Paul then sums up everything and wraps things up for this chapter when he writes, “'let him who boasts boast in the Lord' (Jer. 9:24). For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” And how do we tell which ones the Lord commends apart from those whom He does not? To begin with, listen to what they say and teach, and how they say and teach it. Is what is being preached being presented with a legalistic slant? If so, that is contrary to the teachings of Christ. Does the message glorify the messenger or the Savior to whom it is attributed? If the answer is the former rather than the latter, you're in a cult church. Leave quietly, but get out of there immediately. Finally, does the church teach and preach a gospel that “blesses” material wealth and preaches a “prosperity gospel”? If the church is constantly asking for more money, if it insists on “tithing 10 percent”, or if entering the sanctuary on Sunday morning is like walking into a fashion show, you're in the wrong church. Paul was saying essentially the same thing when he wrote the verses above, and it is a teaching that I follow constantly in my walk with the Lord. You all would be wise to do the same unless you're already doing so. In that case, keep up the good work. Until next week, then. Shalom.

This week's Bible study will move on to 2nd Corinthians chapter 9

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

(2^nd Corinthians chapter 9)

This week we will have a look at Second Corinthians chapter 9, where the apostle Paul basically continues his train of thought where he left off at the end of chapter 8. The topic is the various forms of service that one can perform on behalf of God, but it is intertwined with an emphasis on the intangible, valuing a good heart, mind and spirit over material wealth and possessions. It is clear from Paul's writing that God is far more interested in our availability than our physical ability in our desire for service to the King. But He also urges us to have a desire to be generous, knowing that the good we do now will come back to us in the future at a time when it is needed the most. Bearing that in mind, let's begin at verse 1.

“There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we – not to say anything about you – would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: 'He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.' (2 Corinthians chapter 9, verses 1-9, NIV)

The first thing I notice is Paul's reference to enthusiasm, one of the positive human emotions. You will recall from last week's study of the second half of chapter 8 that the apostle Paul cited Titus as an example of this same enthusiasm, and he exhorted the Corinthian church to follow Titus' example. He then goes on to tell them not to disappoint him with a lackluster response, but he does it in a friendly sort of way, not being overbearing or judgmental. We would all do well in this regard to follow Paul's example, never being pushy or arrogant with regard to our faith. It's our responsibility as Christians, no matter what church we belong to (or not), to be on fire for Christ in such a way as to inspire others and to draw them in rather than drive them away. Jesus commented about this himself when He taught the apostles, “He who does not gather with me, scatters.”

It is at this point that Paul immediately goes deeper, something he does over and over again in his letters to the churches. He wrote, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” So, anyone who is stingy or selfish should not be surprised if they don't get much out of life. They certainly won't get much from God. Generous people, on the other hand, seem to do better in life and be much better adjusted and adaptable people than those who are less inclined. I'm speaking from experience here, and the “high” I get from helping total strangers charges me up Spiritually and energizes me to continue in His Majesty's service. By the same token, when we give to the church or to those in need as Paul writes, we should give whatever we can because we want to, not because we feel like we have to. This decision should be based on whatever is on our hearts regarding one's decision to step in and render assistance, and we arrive at this decision by prayer. If we are unsure of whether to give or not, or how much, ask God about it and let Him instruct you.

This portion of one verse in 2^nd Corinthians flies in the face of what some churches are currently teaching with regard to giving. There are a good many pastors and teachers of the Word who are erroneously teaching that we must “tithe” ten percent of our income. As I wrote in a recent study of part of chapter 8, the concept of tithing is based on Old Testament teaching contained within the Law of Moses, the first 5 books of the Old Testament, and it is rooted in Judaism. Since Jesus Christ – who was also Jewish by birth – came to fulfill that law by His supreme sacrifice that He made for us all, Jesus has literally replaced the old law with the new, a law that is written “not on tablets of stone but on human hearts” as the Bible says. So there is no need to adhere to the old ways any longer. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”, and He said, “no one comes to the Father except through me”. In this same way our giving should be to emulate Christ and follow His teachings, not because somebody says we “must tithe” 10% of our incomes. Real Christians give and expect nothing in return. And now let us continue starting at verse 10.

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved ourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace that God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9, verses 10-15, NIV)

As you can see, Paul continues to go deeper with the concept of generous giving based on a genuine desire to do so rather than as a duty, particularly in light of the “rule” about “tithing 10 percent”. Paul wrote, “ ...he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion...”. Clearly the “one who supplies seed to the sower” is a reference to God the supplier and Christ as the sower. They in turn, Paul wrote, increase our “store of seed” so that our “harvest of righteousness” comes into full bloom. This is an unmistakable reference to the righteousness of Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and to His blood which He shed for all our sins. The shedding of His blood on the cross at Golgotha covers over all the bad things we have done, our imperfections, our character defects, and especially all our failures in life. God covers over our past through His son so that we can better focus on our future, even where we will spend eternity – and all because of Christ. Thanks be to God indeed for His indescribable gift, and I try to thank Him every day for it in my prayers. I recommend that you do the same as a sign of your selfless service to the Lord.

Paul closes out his message and finishes making his point by encouraging us with the words, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”. Remember what Jesus taught his apostles, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. But let me clarify something here, and it has to do with what I view as more incorrect teaching on the part of many churches concerning being “made rich”. This is not purely a reference to man-made wealth or mere material possessions, but instead notice that the text reads that we will be “made rich in every way”. It looks to me like that includes the things you can't buy in the store, such as having a loving family or a close circle of friends (things not everyone gets to have), a successful professional life (ditto), and a rich spiritual life enriched by the knowledge of the deep things of God. Being truly rich can and does often mean possessing the unknowable things of God that enlighten us only after years of diligent study and humble devotion as a servant of Christ. It also includes the intangible things and essences that go along with being a follower of Christ, such as patience, gentleness, kindness, tolerance, understanding, empathy and compassion. These are the riches we should all be seeking, and those who seek to do so emulate both the apostle Paul and Christ Jesus the Son of the living God. It is these things, the sacred things and that of quality, depth and substance that comprise a successful Christian life. The year, make and model of your vehicle, the technology one owns or accesses, your clothing, the size of your house and its decor, all are utterly meaningless in the life of a real live Christian, one who walks the walk as well as or better than they talk the talk. It is the intangible things that make up the being and the essence of a real Christian. That's one of the best ways to tell the phony ones from the real ones. Let's keep this in mind as we go through the rest of this week. If we're going to be Christians, let's get real about it and become the genuine article for Jesus. That's where the true riches are.

Equality's origins aren't from the Declaration of Independence, it's from the Bible

Proving Our Love To Others

(2^nd Corinthians 8: 13-24)

Today we will be finishing Second Corinthians chapter 8 in our continuing studies of the writings of the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. You will recall that I finished last week's study by writing that God is more interested in the quality of our sacrifices and good works than He is the quantity of them. Each believer is duty-bound to give to his or her church or to the charity of their choice, but only as God prompts them to and according to their ability. Meaning, it doesn't have to be exactly 10% as many churches are erroneously teaching today. I am on medical retirement, and I mostly live on a small monthly disability check. I can't work a full time job any more, and I make little or no money from this web site. So, if I were to give 10% of my income, I would run out of groceries and medicine well shy of the end of the month, which would be disastrous! There are millions more who are also in bad shape financially, some of them are worse off than myself. But my point here is that ten percent is the Old Testament law, but Jesus Christ came and gave His life to fulfill that Law. The debt has already been paid, so just give what you can – but don't be cheap either. Remember what the Bible says about that: God loves a cheerful giver. Sharing within or outside of the church is also not limited to financial support of these ministries. It can often be better to volunteer, or to donate unneeded items such as used clothing or household items. Sharing what you have, especially your valuable time, can have the greatest effect, and God will reward you just as well for doing these things in your life as He will in the eternity to come. Paul wrote timeless words to this effect nearly 2,000 years ago, and this is where this week's study will begin, beginning at verse 13.

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard-pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there is equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” (2 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 13-15, NIV)

These three verses written by Paul are the very essence of living a Christian life, aside from our total commitment to the Cross, the empty tomb, and all they represent. I help you when you're down on your luck, firmly believing that any of you would do the same for me if I were in need. Plus, in so doing we emulate the ultimate sacrifice of Christ by giving a little of each of ourselves, not by simply donating material stuff because you ran out of room for all that imported Chinese crap you bought at Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart or wherever. The sacrifices we make have to be real and the donations of money, time or goods must be genuine. God is watching all of us and He knows all our intentions whether they are good or bad. That is what Paul meant when he wrote that we are to “continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord”. This does not mean we have to go through life being scared to death of God – not at all! But it is a clear signal to all that we are to have the utmost reverence for God at all times.

I see two more factors in this heavenly equation that bear mentioning here. The first is the fact that the early churches were mutually beneficial to one another, as were the members of these churches of long ago. Your plentiful resources, Paul wrote, will enable you to help those less fortunate without expectation of repayment. During times of need, the reverse is true if any church is following Christ's teachings. So what we have here is a clear example of mutual cooperation for the benefit of all. Obviously if the world were run in this manner we would all be better off.

But what do we have today instead, and indeed for the entire history of humankind? I see people ferociously competing with each other – from individuals to whole companies all the way up to entire countries – for resources, for access to education and health care, constantly jockeying for position and seizing the advantage, continuously working against one another for power and control, which in the end are themselves illusions that exist only in the human mind! This is how wars get started, and replacing human competition at all levels with unconditional cooperation is the new social and organizational model for the 21^st century and beyond, both in and out of church.

The second thing I see here that bears mentioning is equality, to use Paul's exact word. As you can see from the above passage of Scripture, the concept of human equality that Thomas Jefferson wrote about so eloquently in the Declaration of Independence was based on the Bible, not a man-made ideology. One only need look around them today to see that inequality has persisted within humankind for our entire existence. Women still earn only 75% of what their male counterparts make in today's work force. Racial discrimination runs rampant throughout the world, and teaching unconditional equality to our kids is the best chance we have of stopping all of it. The buck stops with us! From my vantage point, ending institutional racial discrimination globally can best be accomplished one person at a time, it is something that I work at every day, and I encourage all who read this to do the same. Let's continue with our study now, beginning at verse 16.

“I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for all his service to the Gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way in which we distribute this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are the representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. (2 Corinthians 8, verses 16-24, NIV)

Paul is using Titus as an example of leading a Christian life, of having found “The Way”, as it was called back in the days of the early church. Titus was a man who worked alongside Paul, Barnabas, Peter and other apostles in the early church. Rather than focusing on Titus as a historical figure, which he most definitely was, allow me to zero in on what he did that made him such an honorable person to the apostle Paul. You will notice that these contributions by Titus did not involve money or goods, but were rather of a more intangible quality that is worth more in God's sight than mere riches. The first thing Paul writes is “he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.” Nobody was prodding Titus along to do a good job. He did that without being asked, and he was thrilled at the prospect of being able to render any assistance he could to the early church and to God.

But Paul doesn't stop there. The next thing he writes about Titus is, “he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering”. Titus was trustworthy! His mind was uncompromised by the world and the things in it, and that is what gave him the ability to be an honest man devoid of any deception. He then called Titus a “fellow worker” and calls him one of “the representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.” Paul could not have given Titus a higher compliment than that, and there is no question in my mind that it was the Spirit of Christ speaking to Titus through Paul. Titus is one more early believer that I look forward to meeting when I get to heaven some day, but Jesus will be the One who we all long to meet face to face. So I encourage and exhort everyone who reads this to get ready for that event. I can't tell you exactly when His return will occur, but it won't be long at all – of that you can be sure.

This week's Bible study will be the first half of 2nd Corinthians chapter 8

Continuing A Life of Good Work

(2 Corinthians 8: 1-12)

This week we will begin chapter 8 of 2^nd Corinthians, going through the first 12 verses this week and the remainder the next. Paul begins this chapter on a positive note, commending them for reaching out to God for His grace to overcome adversity, and through this to develop into someone who practices gentleness and compassion, freely giving to others who have need, as best they can. As you will see, it is the quality – not the quantity – that counts with God.

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge,in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Corinthians 8, verses 1-7, NIV)

When the apostle Paul wrote about the Macedonian churches and the grace God had given them, he could have been writing about any number of things that was happening in that part of the world at that time. Although I have no knowledge regarding the specific things that Paul was writing about so far as the early church is concerned, for now I will instead focus on the apparent generosity of these churches. Paul wrote, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” I'm sure Paul meant religious persecution when he wrote about “the most severe trial”, but this persecution they were enduring was being inflicted by the Roman Empire, as the Bible and numerous history texts document so well. Paul also notes their generosity and what he describes as “extreme poverty” in the same sentence, which I find rather interesting. We can gather from this interrelation of “severe trial”, “overflowing joy”, “extreme poverty” and “rich generosity”, that being a charitable Christian and one who gives freely without expectation of repayment is the purest form of generosity (and by extension Christianity) known to mankind. Since these Macedonian churches were poverty stricken, we can be reasonably sure that there was no large cash donation or sharing of precious metals. The entire offering was made up of small individual donations in cash and tradeable valuables.

But everyone in the congregation was a craftsman of some kind. They made things because few people had the money to buy goods in those days. Most transactions were done by barter in the form of an exchange of goods or services. So we can infer that this offering was one consisting of items these impoverished churches could use or distribute as they had need. I would imagine that they got things like nonperishable food, clothing, tools, tents, bronze and iron goods of various types, and even weapons. Whatever could not be used or distributed was bartered for things that were more useful, since this was the closest thing to an economic system available at that time. Paul then goes on to share his desire for the Corinthian church to become more like the Macedonian churches, which would imply that Paul was coaching them to do better than they were at the time this was written. Paul then continues this train of thought, starting in verse 8.

“I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8, verses 8-12, NIV)

The two main points Paul makes in this passage of Scripture are the twin necessities of sincerity and willingness, both of which are essential in the Christian faith. Paul wrote that he wanted to “test the sincerity of your love”, but this time instead of comparing them to the Macedonian churches he is comparing their offerings to the ultimate selfless sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Sacrifice, Paul wrote, can be done in far more ways than the mere sharing of material wealth, with the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ being the ultimate example. But Paul then wrote something that I think is very timely concerning the modern Christian church and its myriad of denominations and doctrines. “If the willingness is there”, Paul wrote, “the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” Notice that this is exactly the opposite of what most of the modern evangelical/Christian churches are teaching, especially those with a strong television presence. The “prosperity gospel” says that you must first give in order to receive, with the implication that the greater one's offering is in terms of monetary value, the greater the expectation of heavenly returns, implying that one's offering at church is an investment and not a gift. This is, if I may be rather blunt, a bunch of spiritual BS that has no place in church. Give what you can to others first, and to the church second, according to your ability. The size of your offering does not matter. Real Christians will not judge your offering. God won't either.

This teaching about tithing is cut from the same cloth as the prosperity gospel. Virtually all of the modern churches are teaching the Old Testament concept of tithing, the giving of 10% of the profits, or of one's income, for the support of the Temple at Jerusalem and all the Levitical priests. The fact of the matter is that Jesus, when He was crucified and died, fulfilled the Old Law, or Law of Moses as it is known. But when Jesus rose from the dead on the morning of the third day, the New Law, or New Testament, went into effect and remains as such to this very day! Today in church, its members are expected to “tithe” 10% of their income because the pastors either haven't read 2^nd Corinthians 8 verse 12, or they are deliberately ignoring it or even suppressing the truth. After all, if anybody in the congregation bothered to read that verse, they might (gasp! OMG!!) not put in 10% anymore. If everybody in the church started doing this, how would the pastors make the payments on their Cadillacs, Lincolns, or Mercedes? Maybe the better question is, if these “evangelists”, “ministers” and “bishops” are profiting from what they are teaching, then are they teaching the true Gospel? And if not, are they true Christians?