Thoughts from 2 Corinthians

In my continued reading of Paul's epistles (I am almost finished with the project), here are some of my favorite verses and thoughts from reading 2 Corinthians. I have a lot of verses that I wrote down but didn't add notes to, which, if I'm being honest, most likely means my toddler woke up before I was done and I had to hurry to finish. But the verses are the important part anyway.

2 Cor 1:21-22 "Now it is God Who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 

Only in God do we have true strength. We try to stand up on our own, to do the right thing in our own strength. And we crumble. It is God's Spirit that gives us strength to withstand trials. What a gift the Holy Spirit is in our lives - comforting, strengthening, warning, and correcting. I think it's such neat imagery, too, to think of the Spirit as a seal and deposit.

2 Cor 2:15-16 "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life."

The study note on this explains that Roman victory parades, which is where Paul's metaphor comes from, included a cloud of incense. And verse 14 talks about being captives in a triumphal procession. I believe there is another passage, too, that talks about being the aroma of Christ, but I can't seem to find it, so maybe I'm just imagining it. The whole point, though, is that our lives should be evidence of God's Presence. We should be different, and that difference should be clear. But it won't be pleasant to everyone. To those seeking truth and hope, we are a light. To those pursuing darkness, we are hideous and unwelcome. And we can't change that. All we can do is let the light of Christ shine through us.

2 Cor 3:17-18 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit."

2 Cor 4:

v. 1 "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart."

God has placed us where we are for a reason; He has a purpose for us in whatever situation we're in. And sometimes that purpose is just waiting, but that doesn't mean it's not His purpose. Let us remember that and not lose heart. 

v. 6 "For God, Who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."

I love this connection, and it builds on the veiled faces discussion Paul had earlier in the letter. In Christ, the veil over our faces is removed and we can reflect the light and glory of God to others!

v. 7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

The study note from my Bible: "... though we may think we are at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope." Also, this takes me straight back to my childhood and music I listened to as a kid.

v. 16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

It's all about perspective. And reading back over this, it comes as a really good reminder.

2 Cor 7:5-6 "For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn - conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, Who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus."

Paul did not have an easy life as an apostle and missionary. He was always on the move. He was taunted, attacked, shipwrecked, and imprisoned. He wrote often about finding joy in his troubles, but clearly there were times when he felt afraid and alone. God saw his struggle and sent him Titus as an encouragement. There are many times we feel cast down by life. But we are not alone. God sees our struggle, and He does not leave us alone. And, often, he uses us to remind others that they are not alone. Thus, it's even more important to listen the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We may be the voice of encouragement to someone else right when they are most cast down.

2 Cor 7:10 "Godly sorry brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

Courtesy of Pixabay

2 Cor 8:7 "But since you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you - see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

2 Cor 9:6-8 "Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

2 Cor 10:3-5 "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 against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Human weapons and strategies are nothing against the power of God. That power, which lives within us as a gift, allows us to take down falsehoods, both without and within our own minds. It also gives us the power to confront falsehoods afflicting others, when we are so prompted by the Holy Spirit. 

2 Cor 10:18 "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."

2 Cor 11:14-15 "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." 

I found this passage really interesting. And a little chilling, honestly.

2 Cor 12:9-10 "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 weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It's really hard for me to say this same thing. Although I do believe that God's grace is sufficient for me, I struggle to rejoice in trial and weakness. All I can see sometimes is the frustration and failure. Yet God is with me always, even in my failure. When I realize that I am not strong enough, then His strength can take over. When I admit that I can never be good enough, then His grace can shine through me.

 

Have you read 2 Corinthians lately? What do these verses say to you? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!