2 Corinthians 2:12–17

 2 Corinthians 2:12–17

This passage is one of the hidden gems in this book or even in the New Testament. For many of us, discouragement is a struggle. When we feel discouraged, we often feel guilty and/or isolated. When we look at the circumstances of our world and feel like we are going to lose hope, this passage speaks to us. Paul is so distressed, and his concerns for the Corinthians are so great that he has no rest in spirit. He is disappointed to the point of distraction. So much so that even with the open door for ministry at Troas, Paul didn’t stay and minister but set off to find Titus. This great saint has been bombarded with bad news and was so worried over the state of the church in Corinth that he seems to be unable to think of little else.

The good news from Titus caused Paul to explode with joy (verses 14–16). We have nothing in our culture or society that compares with a triumph. In terms of military honor, it was beyond a Congressional Medal of Honor. In terms of pomp and grandeur, it makes the Super Bowl look pale. In terms of spectacular events, it makes the Fourth of July appear as a flash in the pan. William Barclay describes it this way:

In his mind is the picture of a Roman triumph and of Christ as a universal conqueror. The highest honor that could be given to a victorious Roman general was a triumph. To attain it, he must satisfy certain conditions. He must have been the actual commander-in-chief in the field. The campaign must have been completely finished, the region pacified, and the victorious troops brought home. Five thousand of the enemy at least must have fallen in one engagement. A positive extension of territory must have been gained, and not merely a disaster retrieved or an attack repelled. And the victory must have been won over a foreign foe and not in a civil war.

Let’s focus on a few key points. In a triumph, the Romans expressed their conviction that they were undefeatable. They crushed any who opposed them and rolled over resistance to ultimate victory. So with the church, while appearing weak, the body of Christ on earth is moving toward victory. At the triumph, the general was universally praised. So also Christ will receive the adoration of all when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that He is Lord. In the triumph, the treasures of the defeated armies will be paraded before the victor. It was a way of saying the best the enemy had could not defeat us. Behind the victor was his army, sharing and basking in his glory. So too for us. The powers of evil can’t defeat us, and we delight in the glory of our King. In the middle of the triumph were the incense bearers. The sweet smell of incense meant two things. For the defeated, it meant that  soon they would be executed or placed in the arena. For the victorious troops, it meant celebration, being home, and sharing in the spoils of glory.

It is easy to feel like we are defeated but that is because we have not focused on the triumph of Christ.  This triumph is both now and not yet finalized.

“Lord, thank you for sharing Your victory with me. AMEN”

2 Corinthians 2:1-11

 2 Corinthians 2:1-11

While the gospel is good news to the lost, we often treat failing Christians in ways that are anything but good news. When a believer has backslidden into a pattern of sin, there are two dangerous responses, both of which are devastatingly bad. One response is to do nothing or even complement the evil. In regard to this, the Corinthians had this pattern among many of the believers. A man was in a sexual relationship with his stepmother, and some in the church actually supported this behavior. The second response to the sinner is to withhold personal forgiveness and to pile on needless shame and guilt. One response fails to take seriously the gravity of sin; the second fails to take seriously the power of the cross and forgiveness. Both failures grow out of a failed understanding and appreciation of love. We cannot say we love someone and see them diving headlong into sin and do nothing. We cannot love someone and refuse the good news of repentance and forgiveness.

Either of these responses is a means by which Satan takes advantage of us or outwits us. The word Paul uses here describes someone who, driven by greed, is a confidence man; a swindler. This describes a man who is a highly experienced con artist who takes a person not with a weapon but with deception. Libertarianism and self-righteous judgmentalism are both Satanic schemes. The word scheme means the mental process to come to the bottom line, especially concerning moral accountability. In other words, the plan of Satan is to have Christians either refuse to confront ongoing sin or refuse to share forgiveness and restoration. This is a long-thought-out process to lead us to moral guilt and ultimately ruined saints.

Church discipline and restoration is not just about having peace in the congregation. It is also about the moral failure that will result from either extreme. Paul says we are not ignorant of his schemes. Sadly, that is often not true in the modern church. The contemporary church is often so focused on other things that we fail to realize that we are being conned by an experienced con man that has a long-term plan in mind. We often have no thought beyond the next meeting or conversation. If we think short-term, we cannot help but lose the long-term struggle.

“Lord, give me the wisdom to call for repentance and to offer Your grace. AMEN”