Milo

Galatians

OCTOBER 30

Reading 303

PAUL’S GOSPEL Galatians 1–2

“The Gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11–12).God validates the Gospel, not the church or any group of men.

Background

Judaizers.

The first Christians were Jews who acknowledged Christ as Saviour. These Jewish Christians continued to express their faith within Judaism, all of them “zealous for the Law” (Acts 21:20). But as the church expanded beyond Judea and Galilee, and Gentiles were saved, tensions developed. Jewish and Gentile Christians had vastly different cultural heritages. And many Jews understandably felt that since God had ordained the Law of Moses, they should continue to express their faith within Judaism’s traditions. Some went further, and held that Gentiles must also show their faith by adopting Jewish ways. To be saved, they must keep the Laws given to Israel, be circumcised, and in essence become Jews. When Paul heard that men representing themselves as messengers from the Apostles in Jerusalem were teaching legalism in the Galatian churches, he was incensed. He immediately wrote this powerful though brief circular letter. Galatians played a central role in the Protestant Reformation’s recovery of the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Martin Luther playfully called it by the name of his wife, for he said of Galatians, “I am wedded to it.” Millions since then have found in this book joy, freedom, and the liberty to live a victorious Christian life.

Overview

Paul greeted the Galatians (1:1–5) and immediately launched a defense of his Gospel (vv. 6–10). He received this Gospel directly from God (1:11–23), his call was confirmed by the original Apostles (2:1–10), and he defended his Gospel against Judaizing tendencies by rebuking Peter himself (vv. 11–21).

Understanding the Text

“Sent not from men nor by man” Gal. 1:1–2. The polemic nature of Paul’s letter bursts from its very first line. Paul did not come representing men, nor did he depend on any human commission for his authority. Paul was an apostle—a royal emissary—who spoke authoritatively for the Person who did send him, Jesus Christ. Paul was not acting like a maverick here. He was not one of those folks who couldn’t get along with denominational leaders and so started up his own splinter movement. Paul was stating the facts. His conversion was by a direct confrontation of the risen Christ, and his commission to go to the Gentiles also came from Jesus (cf. Acts 9). Paul was in harmony with the Jerusalem Apostles, but in no way dependent on them or the Jerusalem church for his authority. Many young persons chafe under leaders they feel hold them back, lack vision, or simply resent them. Let’s not be too quick to take the maverick solution, and set out on our own. Unless we have as clear and certain a calling as did the Apostle Paul! In most cases it’s far better to accept waiting as a discipline from God, and be patient until He opens doors. “Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” Gal. 1:3–5. Paul had affirmed his own direct call as an apostle. Now he affirmed grace. Jesus gave Himself not only that we might be forgiven, but that we might be rescued from the present evil age. The power that will free us from sin, and enable us to live righteous lives, is found in Jesus. Not, by implication, in the Law! Salvation is received as a grace gift, and brings peace. Any “gospel” which fails to rely on Christ’s sacrifice of Himself for our sins, which fails to rescue us from the evil within and around us, and which fails to rest on grace rather than self-effort, is not the Gospel of Jesus. “A different gospel” Gal. 1:6–10. In Greek allos means another of the same kind. Heteros means another of a different kind. The gospel these Judaizers had introduced to the Galatians was a heteros gospel: it was a gospel that was essentially different from the Gospel of God. It was, Paul said, “No gospel at all.” Why? Because the Gospel is “Good News.” Any message that tells us “try harder,” even if we’re provided with a rule book, is no good news at all. No matter how hard you or I may try, we can never be good enough to escape the chains of “the present evil age.” Only God’s grace, bursting into history in the person of Jesus Christ, and doing for us what we could never do for ourselves, is truly Gospel, “Good News.” “Am I now trying to win the approval?” Gal. 1:10 One of the arguments the Judaizers had against Paul was that he emphasized salvation by grace alone to make salvation easy, and so “win approval” from men. Salvation by faith alone still seems to some to be an “easy” or “cheap” religious philosophy. But it wasn’t cheap at all. Jesus paid the ultimate price that we might enter heaven free of charge. “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” Gal. 1:11–23. The Judaizers claimed to represent Christ’s original Apostles. Paul answered in two ways. Jesus Himself revealed the Gospel to Paul, so he was not dependent on the Twelve, nor did his authority come from them (vv. 11–17). Then, after Paul had worked out the implications of the Gospel through years of prayer and study, when he did visit Jerusalem, the Apostles added nothing to his message but instead praised God for his conversion (vv. 18–24). Don’t get the impression that Paul was a loner. Acts shows us that even during these early stages of his Christian life Paul was actively involved in preaching the Gospel and in fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters (9:19–31). We may not derive spiritual authority from others. This comes as a gift from God. But we do need to fellowship with other believers if we are to mature spiritually. “I . . . set before them the Gospel that I preach among the Gentiles” Gal. 2:1–7. Paul continued with the story of his relationship with the Apostles. He explained the Gospel he preached to the Apostles, and did so just because “false brothers” like those that have disturbed the Galatian believers “infiltrated our ranks” in order “to make us slaves” (of the Law). The Apostles not only added nothing to Paul’s message, they also acknowledged his call to minister to the Gentiles. They didn’t even ask that Titus, a Greek Christian who accompanied Paul, be circumcised! Paul’s point was that the Judaizers, who claimed to represent the Jerusalem church, did not in fact have the approval of the original Apostles. And Paul—though he did not depend on this—did! Have you ever noticed that it’s often the least-mature or least-taught believer who is most eager to set up rules and impose them on others? This is what happened in the first century. The Apostles, who truly grasped the Gospel, affirmed Gentile freedom from Jewish Law. It was others, still unaware of the Gospel’s implications, who tried to tie the Gentiles down with Jewish laws and customs. Watch out when young believers tell you how you should or must live your Christian life. Especially when they claim that the authority for their rules is someone you respect. Don’t accept their word for it. Go to the source. “Those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship” Gal. 2:8–10. Do you remember an incident reported in Mark 9:38–41? The disciples of Jesus, who were now Apostles, saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name and “we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” What a difference now! Paul and Barnabas report their ministry among the Gentiles, and now the Apostles “recognized the grace given to me.” They even agreed that Paul should concentrate on a Gentile ministry, while Peter, who also traveled at this time, focused on a ministry to Jews. Let’s not be put off when other Christians have a different emphasis than we do, or come from a different tradition. Let’s recognize the grace given to them, and gladly extend the “right hand of fellowship.” “I have been crucified with Christ” Gal. 2:20. The Christian’s hope and joy is our union with Jesus Christ. We share in His death, and thus the bonds of sin are broken. We share in His resurrection, and thus receive power for a new life. It is Christ living in me, not any attempts of mine to keep a law given to men of a different race in a different age, that is the secret of spiritual life and vitality. Jesus, not the Law, must remain the beating heart, the sole center of our lives, the key to our personal relationship with God.

DEVOTIONAL

Setting Aside God’s Grace(Gal. 2:11–21)

For Paul, this was the decisive argument. He had been accused of preaching a distorted Gospel: one not sanctioned by Jerusalem. So he told of a time when Peter himself acted the hypocrite. When Peter was alone with Gentile believers in Antioch, he sat right down with them and ate Gentile food. But when some Jewish Christians arrived from Jerusalem, Peter was fearful of what they might think, and wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. Paul saw this not merely as hypocrisy, but also as setting aside the grace of God in favor of a Law which had never and could never produce righteousness. So Paul confronted Peter openly. He argued that the principle of justification by faith had set aside observance of the Law. Peter’s pandering to Judaizers “rebuilt” a way which the Gospel had destroyed. What’s important to us here isn’t the confrontation. We might admire Paul for standing up to Peter, and Peter for bowing to the truth Paul spoke. But what we learn is we can, by our actions, “set aside God’s grace.” We can act in ways that obscure, or even deny, grace. One of the most deceptive ways to deny grace is to confront non-Christians with their sins. “Don’t you know that’s wrong?” we ask. Or we suggest, “What you’re doing is harmful as well as sinful.” Our motive may be good. We may expect exposure of sin to lead to conviction and this to salvation. But by drawing disapproving attention to another’s sin, we draw attention away from Jesus and the grace of God. Our message isn’t that all men are sinners. Deep down others know their flaws. Our message is that God loves sinners. We must display the love of God, or we will surely obscure the message of His grace.

Personal Application

Let God’s love shine through everything you do and say.

Quotable

“Men may not read the Gospel in sealskin, or the Gospel in morocco, or the Gospel in cloth covers, but they can’t get away from the Gospel in shoe leather.”—Donald Grey Barnhouse

Galatians

INTRODUCTION

Paul’s letter was directed to churches in the Roman province of Galatia, founded during his first missionary journey. These churches were soon visited by men from Jerusalem who denied Paul’s apostolic authority. The “Judaizers” insisted that to be saved a Christian must be subject to Jewish Law and adopt a Jewish lifestyle. Grace, they charged, led to loose living. Paul answered each charge in turn in this little letter, proving that believers are saved and enabled to live holy lives by faith, not by Law. This epistle continues to bring joy to Christians who experience the freeing relationship with the Holy Spirit which Paul explained here.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Paul’s Apostleship	Gal. 1–2
II.	Salvation and Faith	Gal. 3–4
III.	Godliness and the Spirit	Gal. 5–6

OCTOBER 29

Reading 302

CHRIST IN US 2 Corinthians 12–13“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 in God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you” (2 Cor. 13:3–4).Christ in us remains the source of our strength.

Overview

Paul’s chronic illness exhibited Christ’s power at work through weakness (12:1–10). Paul’s “defense” had been motivated by a desire to help the Corinthians understand and repent (vv. 11–21). Christ will surely discipline those who do not test themselves (13:1–10). Paul closed abruptly, with very brief greetings (vv. 11–14).

Understanding the Text

“Visions and revelations” 2 Cor. 12:1–6. Anyone other than Paul would have quickly broadcast reports of the stunning vision of paradise he alluded to here. Paul, however, preferred to highlight his weaknesses. Why? In part perhaps because the revelation Paul mentioned may have been personal: an encouragement from God strengthening Paul for the hardships ahead. But Paul had another reason. He knew that no one’s faith can rest on secondhand experiences. The conversion and growth of the Corinthians must be a response to the Word Paul had been called to teach, not to Paul’s report of a personal supernatural experience. Paul wanted the Corinthians to base their belief on what Paul said (his teaching of truth) and did (his modeling of truth). In this way the Corinthians’ faith would be rooted in their own experience of God, not Paul’s. You and I can testify to what God is doing in our lives, and so bless others. But no one can have our experience “secondhand.” At best such testimonies encourage others to step out in personal response to God’s Word, and experience Him for themselves. “There was given me a thorn in my flesh” 2 Cor. 12:7–10. Scholars still debate the nature of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” Most often mentioned is a disfiguring eye disease that made it difficult for Paul to read and write (cf. Gal. 6:11). All we really know is that it troubled Paul greatly. So greatly that he prayed futilely for its removal and that he finally came to appreciate his thorn as a weakness through which Christ’s power might be more clearly displayed (see DEVOTIONAL). The lesson Paul learned can encourage us all. That sense of weakness we feel need not keep us from ministering confidently. In fact, it is a source of confidence. The more clearly I realize that God’s power is best expressed in weak human beings, the more freedom I will have to serve. And the more Christ will use me. “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses” 2 Cor. 12:9. In a significant little book on ministry (When the Vision Has Vanished), Bob Girard reviews the weaknesses that Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11–12. He notes that Paul admits: he was not a skillful speaker (11:6) he was seen as a “weak” leader (11:21) he had a prison record (11:23) he was wracked by internal conflict (11:28–29) his prayers had gone unanswered (12:8–9) he had been insulted (12:10) he had been in distress (12:10) he had experienced persecution (12:10) he had been afraid of disappointments (12:20) he had been afraid of rejection (12:20) he had been afraid of facing difficult situations (12:20) he had feared public humiliation (12:21) he had feared he would break down and cry publicly (12:21) he had been afraid people would not listen, but keep on being rebellious (12:21). Yet all these things which might make us stamp “failure” on Paul’s forehead were actually turned by God into strengths. Paul faced his weaknesses, accepted them, and in complete confidence that God would work through a weak—and thus humble—man, set out to serve with all his might. When we catalog Paul’s successes, the churches he planted, the letters he wrote, the clarification he brought to the nature of Christian faith, we might well stand amazed. All this done by an admittedly weak man? Yes. Because in his weakness this man trusted himself completely to Jesus, so that Christ’s power might rest on him. What an exciting prospect for you and me. Let’s not conceal our weaknesses, or deny them. Let’s learn to use them, to turn our hearts to Christ that we might know His power. “The things that mark an apostle” 2 Cor. 12:11–18. The Corinthians were unwilling to take weakness as a mark of apostleship. Or even Paul’s failure to demand money! So Paul reminded them that God “persistently” performed miracles among them while he was there. Paul became a bit sarcastic now. What a crafty fellow! He tricked them into following him by not demanding money! And the only explanation he had was love! How strange that some Christians are totally loyal to those who exploit them for money. More than one minister has said, and truthfully, “My people want me to drive a Mercedes. They expect me to have a half-million dollar home.” And more than one congregation has been contemptuous of those who serve them out of love. The things you and I see as marks of apostleship are often the measure, not of the man we evaluate, but of our own spiritual maturity and insight. “Everything we do . . . is for your strengthening” 2 Cor. 12:19–21. When I first read 2 Corinthians, I was embarrassed for Paul. I misunderstood what he was doing in sharing so openly. Only later did I understand how a careful study of 2 Corinthians is not only a course in Christian leadership, but a guidebook for congregations. If the Corinthians would only understand the implications of Paul’s sharing in this deeply personal book, their view of ministering and ministry would be transformed. Then they would respond, not to the exploitative “super-apostle,” but to the “weak” Paul. And following him rather than other divisive leaders would bring an end to the “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” that marked the church. Have you learned the lessons Paul was so eager to teach? Does your church understand? Look around. The existence in any church of these sins of Corinth suggests that leaders and people alike have missed Paul’s point. “He is not weak in dealing with you” 2 Cor. 13:1–10. Paul now warned the Corinthians. If they did not respond, he would use the authority he had been given by God to discipline them. The issue of authority has troubled the church in every age. Too often authority has meant power, and power the ability to punish. Thus some leaders have assumed a worldly kind of authority, and ruled over God’s people. Paul rejected worldly authority in all its forms. Yet he warned the Corinthians of the danger of resisting the authority he had received from Christ. What is this authority Paul had, and how was it exercised? Paul said simply “He [Christ] is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you” (v. 3). Paul’s authority was from Christ, and rested entirely on Christ’s work among His people. He, Paul, didn’t have to do anything to discipline the Corinthians. Jesus, living in His church, “is powerful among you.” When Suzie began living with a married man, we elders went to see her. We encouraged her to see that what she was doing was sin, and to break off the relationship. When she refused, we followed the biblical pattern for discipline laid down by Paul in 1 Corinthians. But we also rebuked Suzie. God does not permit His own to ruin their lives by habitually practicing sin. Exercising our authority, we sternly warned her. What were we elders going to do? Put her in jail? Fine her? Burn down her house? Of course not. We had no worldly power. But we knew that Christ lives, and is powerful in His church. Our warning simply meant that unless she repented and turned back to the Lord, Christ Himself would act. And He did. True spiritual leadership relies on God for spiritual results. And relies on Him to exercise authority over the church which is Christ’s body. “Aim for perfection” 2 Cor. 13:11–14. It’s not enough to be an “average church.” It’s not enough to wait patiently for Jesus to return. God calls us all to aim for perfection: to work toward the goal of fulfilling Christ’s purpose in our individual and corporate lives. For this we too must hear Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians, to be of one mind, and to live with one another in peace.

DEVOTIONAL

Unexpected Gifts(2 Cor. 12:1–10)

“Why has this happened to me?” She was a young woman, with two children. An aerobics instructor, and a teacher. She’d hurt her back, and been told an operation would solve the problem. But something terrible went wrong. Nerves were cut, and suddenly she found herself able to walk only with the aid of a walker and, most awful of all, without bowel or bladder control. Some Christians give peculiar answers to the question of “why?” “You didn’t have enough faith,” some will say. And they are likely to add, “Claim the promises of God and even now He’ll heal you.” Another person will say, “You sinned in going to a doctor. You should have relied on God only.” I suppose that Paul offered the strangest answer of all. It’s found in verse 7. “Your back injury and the operation were a gift from God.” That’s what pops out if you look at this verse in the Greek. Edothe moi skolops te sarki, it says. “THERE WAS GIVEN ME a thorn in the flesh.” And that word “was given” is a word used to denote special favors given by the Lord to His saints (cf. Gal. 3:21; Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 4:14). God gave Paul a terrifying weakness, a chronic illness, and though Paul prayed desperately for relief, God caused Paul to live with it the rest of his life. As a gift. You and I do others no favor when we tell them that God guarantees His children health and wealth in this life. That simply is not true. We do them no favor when we tell them if they only have enough faith, they’ll be healed. That’s not true either. Paul prayed with total confidence, only to learn that the answer was no. He learned in time that the weakness which devastated him was truly a gift from God. A gift that enabled him to experience God’s grace, presence, and power, in ways he would never have experienced them otherwise. Perhaps this is what we need to tell others, or remind ourselves of, when tragedy strikes and disaster comes. God gives His own strange gifts. But gifts they are. As we seek His strength, we’ll discover a depth to our relationship with the Lord that we would otherwise never have known. And a strength that makes weakness a triumph and a joy.

Personal Application

God’s best gifts are often wrapped in tragedy and suffering.

Quotable

“I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, then all the world would be wise. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable.”—Anne Morrow Lindbergh

OCTOBER 28

Reading 301

PAUL’S APOSTLESHIP 2 Corinthians 10–11

“ ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Cor. 10:17–18).The differences between true and false servants of God are surprising.

Overview

Paul further explained his New Covenant ministry, touching on its resources (10:1–6), its essential character (vv. 7–18), its counterfeits (11:1–15), and its costs (vv. 16–33).

Understanding the Text

“ ‘Timid’ when face to face” 2 Cor. 10:1. These words reflect charges made against Paul by those in Corinth who shrugged and tried to dismiss the apostle as an insignificant man. They surely had their reasons. Paul wasn’t much of an orator (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4). He wasn’t a dominating personality: “timid” fit far better than “bold.” If we can believe early descriptions Paul was unimpressive physically. The earliest account we have describes Paul as a wizened little man, with a large hooked nose, peering up through eyebrows that met in the center of his forehead. Only his bright, twinkling eyes reflected the force of his personality. It’s all too easy for us to dismiss others on the basis of appearances. Or to be overly impressed. The last four chapters of 1 Corinthians serve as an important corrective, as Paul helps us better understand the qualities that make for spiritual power. Judging by appearances is neither right nor safe! “We do not wage war as the world does” 2 Cor. 10:2–6. Paul had been dismissed as spiritually irrelevant. He was not. Christians do not “live by the standards of this world” and there is a vast difference between spiritual and worldly power. Paul relied not on weapons of the world but on “divine power to demolish strongholds.” The image here is of an ancient fortified city set to resist a conqueror by taking refuge behind strong walls. Paul knew that those who resisted his authority resisted Christ, who appointed him an apostle. Paul was absolutely confident that God’s “divine power” would “demolish” the arguments of those who resisted his authority, for Paul’s sole goal was to bring every thought of the Corinthians into harmony with Christ’s will. Three things here lie at the root of spiritual power. To be called by Christ. To have confidence in spiritual rather than worldly power. To desire only to bring others to obedience to Jesus. Too many try to rest ministries on a two-legged rather than three-legged stool, and thus fall. Some are called and confident, but desire personal power over others. Some are called and seek to bring others into obedience to Jesus, but rely on worldly styles of “leadership.” But effective ministry must rest on all three legs for spiritual power. “Once your obedience is complete” 2 Cor. 10:6. Paul was sure that God’s power would work within the Corinthians, to change the minds and hearts of the majority and reestablish their obedience. Any who then continued to resist would be disciplined. Let’s be among the first to respond when called back to Christ. It’s dangerous to be among the last. “Building you up rather than pulling you down” 2 Cor. 10:7–11. Paul used this same phrase again in 13:10 to describe his authority. This is a critical difference between spiritual and worldly authority. Spiritual authority builds up others. Worldly authority builds up leaders. Watch a parade in Russia, and you see gigantic pictures of Marx and Lenin, with the current Chairman. In a land supposedly dedicated to equality, the fluttering portraits bear witness to the fact that in this world, leaders exalt themselves, not others. Christians become so used to worldly leadership that unless Christian leaders behave in the same way, we assume they are weak. We want “strong leaders.” Leaders the world will look at as “great” because they exalt themselves. It makes us feel good to be the followers of an acknowledged “great man.” But Paul, and mature believers today, knew that spiritual authority is given leaders to build others up. The test of spiritual leaders is not how “weighty and forceful” they appear to the world, but whether they are effective in helping others follow Jesus more closely. Don’t be taken in by the world’s fascination with “great men.” Choose instead the “timid,” unimpressive man or woman who sees authority as the privilege of building others up. “When they . . . compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” 2 Cor. 10:12–18. Paul was picturing the yearly denominational get-together. One pastor in Chattanooga is on five radio stations. His friend in Nashville is on six. One candidate for the “fastest growing church” has increased in membership 89 percent. Another candidate claims 89.5 percent. There’s a hot debate over baptisms. Seven churches have baptized 38 folks since the last annual meeting. But three of them counted people who were rebaptized, and some of the brethren think this shouldn’t count. Paul looked at this kind of thing and simply said, “They are not wise.” Numbers do count. But comparing numbers—measuring ourselves by ourselves—isn’t wise. Paul didn’t say exactly why, but I suspect there are several reasons. It makes us unduly proud. It makes us self-satisfied. It shifts our focus from Christ to ourselves. It shifts our focus from the people leaders are called to serve to the leaders themselves. It makes us look to others for approval rather than to Jesus. Paul avoided all these traps, and simply said he wanted to reach out as far as he could with the Gospel of Christ. And that his hope was the Corinthian’s faith would continue to grow. I suspect if our whole motivation is to share Christ and see Christians grow, the numbers will take care of themselves. And our commendation will come from the Lord rather than from ourselves. “Sincere and pure devotion to Christ” 2 Cor. 11:1–6. Paul’s great frustration was to see the Corinthians showing devotion to human leaders—some even to him!—rather than to Christ. How baffling when modern “super apostles” appear, and our friends seem more committed to them than to Jesus. “Preaching the Gospel of God to you free of charge” 2 Cor. 11:7–12. We recently had a TV “expose” of a tent evangelist in St. Petersburg. They took him to task for the usual things—an emphasis on money, a lavish lifestyle, a million-dollar home. We’re so used to such things that it’s almost stunning to realize that Paul was being criticized in Corinth for not taking money! There is one thing anyone in ministry can count on. Whatever you do, someone will be there to criticize you. Paul was not one of those hard shell types, able to shrug off criticism. It hurt Paul. Just as it hurts most of us. When we do something out of love for others, to have that act twisted and used as a club against us is painful indeed. In this case, Paul reacted strongly. He explained why he acted as he did, expressed the love that motivated his action, and said he would “keep on doing what I am doing.” There are times it may be best to suffer in silence. But there are times when we need to confront criticism, and make our motives clear. “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” 2 Cor. 11:13–15. Don’t expect the spiritual fraud or pseudo-apostle to appear wicked. In fact, such people “masquerade as servants of righteousness.” Paul’s point was that we must be rigorous in testing those who announce themselves as heaven’s great gift to the church! If we stick to the context of these two chapters, we have several tests we can apply. Are our leaders concerned with building us up—or themselves? Do they rely on worldly leadership practices, or the spiritual armory of Paul? Are they eager for personal wealth, or indifferent to it? If we move to other passages on false teachers we find more specific tests. Is their teaching true to the Word? And do they live what they teach? Let’s not be fooled by the masks people wear, or their pious talk. It doesn’t take too much wisdom to distinguish those who want to exploit you from those who wish to serve.

DEVOTIONAL

Hire This Man!(2 Cor. 11:16–32)

The ad said “Résumés Professionally Prepared.” It went on to say how important it is to make a good first impression. And how the professional resume service would help emphasize strengths, and even shape the presentation to the specific job you were looking for. What would happen if the Apostle Paul walked hesitantly into such an office, and diffidently held out the handwritten list of accomplishments that are found in 2 Corinthians 11:16–33? Well, let’s listen to the resume writer. “A Jew? That’s one strike against you, Paul, if you really want to work in Gentile society. “Ummm. Let’s see. In prison. Flogged. Beaten five times by the Jews, three times with rods by the Gentiles. Stoned by a mob. It seems, Paul, you have a hard time getting along with people. “And this. In danger a lot. From bandits? At sea? In the city? The country? I guess your judgment isn’t too good, eh? Always getting yourself in these difficult situations. “Worked hard, gone without sleep. Often gone without food? I’m afraid your only experience is in the unskilled, low-pay labor market, Paul. You can’t expect to get an important job with this your only experience. “This mention of ‘pressure’ and ‘feeling weak’ has got to go. Makes you sound emotionally unstable, you know. “Oh, no. Fled arrest in Damascus? “Paul, there’s nothing we can do for you. Your resume reveals far too many weaknesses for you to succeed at anything. “Oh? The job you’re applying for requires weaknesses? What in the world could that job be? Oh, the ministry. “I see. It’s so whatever you accomplish will clearly be through Christ’s power, not your own? And so you won’t rely on your own strengths or talents? “Let me make a phone call. ‘God, I’ve got an . . . What? Oh, sure.’ “Paul. You’re hired.”

Personal Application

God still looks for weak people in whom to display His strength. Want the job?

Quotable

“When God delivered Israel out of Egypt, He didn’t send an army. We would have sent an army or an orator. But God sent a man who had been in the desert for 40 years, and had an impediment in his speech. It is weakness that God wants! Nothing is small when God handles it.”—D.L. Moody

OCTOBER 27

Reading 300

NEW COVENANT GIVING 2 Corinthians 8–9

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).God wants the giver, then the gift.

Overview

Paul reminded the Corinthians of the Macedonians’ generosity (8:1–7), and urged them to give (vv. 8–13). Giving is sharing (vv. 14–15): a proof of love (vv. 16–24), and a service to the saints (9:1–5). God will supply those who give (vv. 6–11), for giving stimulates praise and thanksgiving to the Lord (vv. 12–15).

Understanding the Text

“Their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” 2 Cor. 8:1–5. The poor still tend to be more generous than the rich. Perhaps it is just that those who are needy can better identify with others in need. Or perhaps it’s that those with little have learned to trust the Lord so much that they do not fear giving. When I was in seminary my Uncle Al sent us $20 a month. I was very concerned, because I knew something of the financial burden my uncle labored under. I even (foolishly and most ungraciously) wrote and said that if it was a burden for them, we could get along. They were hurt, but like the Macedonians in Paul’s time, “they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” I was relieved, because that $20 was often all we had for food the last week of the month! And I hope I learned then that giving is a joy of which no one should be deprived. “I am not commanding you” 2 Cor. 8:6–9. Paul brought up the subject of giving because he had sent Titus to Corinth, and one of his tasks was to receive the funds that had been collected there for the needy. Yet Paul maintained a delicate balance in dealing with the topic, and was very careful not to “command” giving. The Old Testament did command giving. The Law required that a tenth of the produce of the land be contributed for the support of the Levites and priests who led the community in worship. An additional tenth was gathered every third year and placed in local storehouses, for distribution to the poor and needy. Later in Israel’s history additional amounts were collected as taxes by Jewish kings, and then by the Gentile emperors who dominated Syria-Palestine. Each of these contributions was required: one had to pay. Now Paul introduced another principle. No one has to give. And no fixed percentage of income was set as the “right” amount! Moreover, while some giving did go to the support of missionaries (cf. Phil. 4:14–19), most collections mentioned in the New Testment were in the nature of disaster relief, and sent to saints in parts of the world stricken by drought or devastated by war. No one was commanded to give to meet such needs. But, as Paul reminds us, giving is (1) a grace to be developed (2 Cor. 8:7), (2) an evidence of sincere love (v. 9), and (3) an appropriate response to Jesus, who “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (v. 9). “If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable” 2 Cor. 8:10–12. It’s easy to daydream about how generous we’d be if we suddenly inherited millions of dollars. But giving is a matter of “what one has, not . . . what he does not have.” God isn’t as interested in the amount as He is in our willingness. Ten dollars from a poor widow may mean more than $10,000 from a wealthy man—and that $10 may have a greater spiritual impact on others. “That there might be equality” 2 Cor. 8:13–15. The giving we see in the New Testament is sharing, not giving. In fact, the word “share” (koinonia) is used more often by Paul in these chapters than the word “give” (doron). What Paul pictured for us is Christ’s living body, extended over the entire earth. Money in this analogy is the sustenance carried by the blood supply. It needs to reach every cell, so that each will be able to carry out its function. Paul did not want one part of the body bloated and fat, while another is starved to helplessness. Instead the part of the body that has shares with that which lacks, aware that one day positions may be reversed. If such sharing does take place, the whole body of Christ on earth will be strong, able to carry out God’s will for humankind. We moderns have a tendency to lose sight of Paul’s worldwide vision. We give to pad our own pews, or enlarge our church buildings. Such giving may be valid. But it is not that sharing that Paul or the New Testament envisions in 2 Corinthians 8–9 and similar passages. “We are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” 2 Cor. 8:16–24. What a principle for modern media ministries to remember. And for the local church as well. We’re all vulnerable to money; if not to cash itself, to the power money represents. This is one reason why every Christian ministry must be protected by establishing financial controls, and establishing a policy of absolute openness concerning its books. Don’t be insulted if someone asks to check on your receipts and expenditures. Thank him. He’s doing you the service of holding you accountable to man as well as God. “Then it will be ready as a generous gift” 2 Cor. 9:1–5. I know some folks think that church budgets are at best unspiritual, and a pledge drive is close to satanic. These can be, if they’re manipulative. Any approach to raising money for Christian work is wrong if it operates by producing guilt or twisting arms. But Paul reminds us that it’s not wrong for giving to be organized and systematic. If you pledge, and set apart a certain amount each week, you’re more likely to be able to give what you intend to than if you wait till the last moment, and find you’re short on cash. Lack of planning and organization can transform what was intended to be spontaneous and joyful into grudged giving.

DEVOTIONAL

Joyful Giving(2 Cor. 9:6–14)

Emphasize the benefits! According to my friends in marketing, this is the key to good advertising. Make sure folks see the benefits that accrue if they buy your product. I imagine that makes it tough for an ad agency trying to sell cigarettes. And for a preacher trying to sell giving! Paul, however, was a master salesman. He stuck strictly to the truth. He didn’t push. And yet he made it clear that joyful giving has tremendous spiritual benefits. No one has to give. In fact, Paul didn’t want any reluctant givers. A person who feels he has to give, or gives grudgingly, shouldn’t drop a single coin in the collection plate. God doesn’t need the money. And that kind of giving won’t bring the giver any blessings at all! But if we want to give—ah, then we reap tremendous blessings. So Paul reminded the Corinthians and us of the blessings that make Christian giving such a joy. First, giving benefits you materially and spiritually. You see, it’s impossible for us to outgive God (vv. 6–11). God is able to pour so much grace into our lives, that having been “made rich in every way” we “can be generous on every occasion.” This isn’t a “send in 10 dollars and God will send you 100” kind of promise. It is simply a reminder that God is the source of bread as well as the inner joy we experience in Christ. We give only money. God meets our material needs, and gives us spiritual riches as well. Second, giving permits us to bless others. What you give supplies “the needs of God’s people.” Even more, our giving deepens the relationship of others with the Lord. As they realize God prompted us to give, they “will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel.” Third, giving stimulates others to pray for us. As others identify us as the means God used to meet their needs, they will respond with gratitude and appreciation. And each of us needs all the prayers we can get! God doesn’t really care about our money. After all, His resources are infinite. But He does care about the spiritual benefits that generosity brings the giver and the recipient of this unusual grace.

Personal Application

Give joyfully, for you will be blessed.

Quotable

“The New Testament does not teach us simply to give away possessions for the sake of giving them away or appearing virtuous. Nor does it encourage us to adopt a ‘simple lifestyle’ because simplicity has merit in itself. Rather, all of these commands are put in the context of glorifying God and furthering the work of His kingdom, and of laying up treasures in heaven and increasing our heavenly reward.”—Wayne Gruden