1. What’s going on here?
#1
I have been TRUTHFUL
to you in all things
2 Corinthians 1:12-14
12Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we
have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in
our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that
are from God. We have done so not according to worldly
wisdom but according to God’s grace. 13For we do not
write you anything you cannot read or understand. And
I hope that, 14as you have understood us in part, you will
come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as
we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
#2
I did plan to visit you,
NO DOUBT!
2 Corinthians 1:15-17
15Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you
first so that you might benefit twice. 16I planned to visit
you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you
from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my
way to Judea. 17When I planned this, did I do it lightly?
Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in
the same breath I say, “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?
#3
God NEVER lies!
Gospel is True!!
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
18But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is
not “Yes” and “No.” 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by me and Silas and
Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has
always been “Yes.” 20For no matter how many promises
God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through
him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm
in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on
us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come.
#4
It was for YOUR benefit
that I didn’t come!
2 Corinthians 1:23-24
23I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare
you that I did not return to Corinth. 24Not that we lord it
over your faith, but we work with you for your joy,
because it is by faith you stand firm.
1. What’s going on here?
2. How did they get into this mess?
The Journey of Paul and the
Corinthians
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
1. First Visit (approx. 50-52 AD)
(Acts 18:1-28)
2. “Previous Letter” from Paul
(1 Corinthians 5:9-11)
3. Report to Paul from Chloe’s people
(1 Corinthians 1:11)
4. Letter to Paul
(1 Corinthians 7:1)
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
5. Timothy is dispatched to Corinth to deal
with some of the problems
(1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10-11)
6. 1 Corinthians Letter
(Spring of 55 AD)
7. Second visit, the “painful visit”
(2 Corinthians 1:23; 2:1; 12:14; 13:1)
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
8. “Tearful letter” or “severe letter” from Paul
(2 Corinthians 2:3-4, 7:8-12)
9. Proposed visits don’t come to pass
(1 Corinthians 16:1-8, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, 2:1)
10. Paul to Troas & Macedonia. Titus gives
good report
(2 Corinthians 7:5-7)
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
11. “Super-Apostles” challenge Paul’s authority
(2 Corinthians 11:5; 12:11)
12. 2 Corinthians Letter
(approx, 56 AD)
13. Third Visit to Corinth (57 AD)
(Acts 19:21-22, Romans 15:26, Acts 20:1-5)
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
1. First Visit (approx. 50-52 AD)
9. Proposed visits don’t come to
pass
2. “Previous Letter” from Paul
3. Report to Paul from Chloe’s people
4. Letter to Paul
10. Paul to Troas & Macedonia.
Titus gives good report
11. “Super-Apostles” challenge
Paul’s authority
5. Timothy is dispatched to Corinth to
deal with some of the problems
12. 2 Corinthians Letter*
6. 1 Corinthians Letter*
13.Third Visit to Corinth (57 AD)
7. Second visit, the “painful visit”
14. Paul’s Martyrdom
(64 or 65AD)
8. “Tearful letter” or “severe letter”
from Paul
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
5. Timothy is dispatched to Corinth to deal
with some of the problems
(1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10-11)
6. 1 Corinthians Letter
(Spring of 55 AD)
7. Second visit, the “painful visit”
(2 Corinthians 1:23; 2:1; 12:14; 13:1)
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
The Journey of Paul and the Corinthians
8. “Tearful letter” or “severe letter” from Paul
(2 Corinthians 2:3-4, 7:8-12)
9. Proposed visits don’t come to pass
(1 Corinthians 16:1-8, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, 2:1)
10. Paul to Troas & Macedonia. Titus gives
good report
(2 Corinthians 7:5-7)
2 Corinthians 2:1-4
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another
painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to
make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote
as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed
by those who should have made me rejoice. I had
confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of
heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let
you know the depth of my love for you.
How Does Paul respond to the mess?
Four observations:
1)Paul had “made up his mind” to not make another visit. This
was because he didn’t want another scene, he wanted repentance
2)Paul’s love for this church was deep. He can’t stand to add to
their sadness by coming to them. His solution is to write a letter
of rebuke.
3)He rebukes (grieves) them, but only as a means to conduct them
to pure joy
4)Paul doesn’t hide the fact that he is hurting along with them –
he is on this journey with them
2 Corinthians 7:8-9
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.
Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for
a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made
sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you
became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in
any way by us.
8
In spite of receiving a serious and humiliating rebuff from the
Corinthians, Paul refused to forget the church. He confronted
them in a letter. Sometimes confrontation is the clearest proof of
love. It is easier to gloss over the problems with others, to cover
them up, to pretend that they do not exist, or to write problem
people off and terminate the relationship. Paul refused to do any
of these things and tenaciously tried to restore the bond by
confronting the problems directly. One needs wisdom, however,
to know what is worth a showdown and when airing the
differences will yield the most fruitful resolution. Confronting
others to solve problems rather than simply forcing our opinions
on them requires real love because it costs enormous emotional
energy. It certainly caused Paul mental anguish as he worried that
the letter might exacerbate the problem rather than assuage it.
Garland, D. E. (2001). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The
New American Commentary (112–116). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
How do we respond to messy
situations at Hope Community
Church?
How do we respond to messy
situations at Hope Community
Church?
Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the LORD’S discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Hebrews 10:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but
painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of
righteousness and peace for those who have been
trained by it.
Do I desire that the people around
me live out the gospel?
Do I desire that the people around
me live out the gospel?
Matthew 18:15-20
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between
the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if
they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter
may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they
still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to
the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 “Truly
I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
15
Am I willing to be a gospelcentered person when it comes
to conflict?
Am I willing to be a gospelcentered person when it comes
to conflict?
Matthew 7:1-6
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way
you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at
the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to
your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all
the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite,
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
QUESTION:
What did I bring to the table in this conflict?
What do I need to take responsibility for?
If I am never being rebuked, why is
that?
If I am never being rebuked, why is
that?
Proverbs 9:8
8
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
Applications
1.Do I desire that the people around me live
out the gospel?
2.Am I willing to be a gospel-centered
person when it comes to conflict?
3.If I am never being rebuked, why is that?
What is the Holy Spirit right now asking me
to do in my conflict situations?