| INTERNET BIBLE STUDIES | II Corinthians Lesson 10 | |||
| Contact:
David Parham 940-322-4343
Website: Internet Bible Studies
|
II
Cor. Chapter 10:1-18
Memory
verses for this week: 2
Pet 1:16 For we have
not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. Introduction: Last week in Chapter 9, we saw the Corinthians
gather their gift to send to Jerusalem for the poor saints.
We were taught that if we want to reap bountifully, we must
sow bountifully. This
is true in our giving, and also in our witnessing for the Lord. This week, in Chapter 10, we see Paul explain about his
apostleship, and warn us of some of the things we will face in our
Christian walk. I.
The
Vindication of Paul’s Apostleship 2 Corinthians
10:1 Now I Paul myself
beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in
presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present
with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some,
which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. Paul
issues some rather sharp rebukes in this chapter, but he begins by
beseeching those there in Corinth to remember the meekness and
gentleness of Jesus Christ.
Christ’s example is what Paul tried to follow, and it is
the ultimate example for all of us.
While the world has jumped on the WWJD (what would Jesus do)
bandwagon, for the true Christian, this is something that we ought
to ask ourselves each day. Would
Jesus go to the places we go, would he read the books we read, would
he speak the things we speak? If
not, we should repent and come back to God’s way.
I heard a preacher say this week that your life may be the
only bible some of your friends ever read.
And the closer our lives align with scripture and the example
of Jesus Christ, the more we will draw others to the Lord.
In verse 2, it appears that someone at Corinth had made some
strong accusations towards Paul.
He was accused of walking after the flesh.
Paul was a man that lived a life that was pleasing in Gods
sight. This is proven
by the way God blessed this man and the work that was accomplished
in Paul winning souls and establishing churches.
Be sure if you are trying to seriously do something for the
Lord, someone will be against you. Satan will provide that person or circumstance to try and
defeat you. But, like
Paul, we need to be able to defend our position and never give up. Romans 8:8 So
then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Phil 3:12 Not as though
I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow
after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended
of Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, Phil
3:14 I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 3
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; Sometimes
we view these men and women of the bible as some great saint that
was transformed to a great person of service to the Lord and were
almost angelic in their existence.
This is totally false. Paul
was just as much flesh and blood as you and I, and faced those daily
trials. We are in a
war, and one of our natures, either the spiritual man or the
physical man, wins the battle.
Being weak, we must seek God’s help in this battle.
Paul said his weapons were not fleshly (carnal as he called
them), but were rather spiritual weapons.
Without God’s help, we will not win this battle.
And Satan knows our every weakness and can destroy us if we
just give him a small foothold in our life. Ephesians
6:10 Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. 13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; God’s
weapons are able and powerful… they can pull down strongholds of
falsehood. When
you hear a false prophet speaking, they can not trick us when we
know God’s true word. When
listening to preachers and teachers, I always listen to which
scriptures they quote and whether they take things out of context.
Also, which bible do they use.
While many preachers have been effective using watered down
versions of the bible, I still believe we have the complete and
inerrant version of God’s Word in the King James Version of the
Bible. I was
saved from hearing it preached, and do not believe it is hard nor
difficult for someone who is truly saved to understand.
The key point is that a person must know Jesus Christ as Lord
and Savior to ever understand and comprehend it. 1 Cor 2:14 But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:15 But he that
is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. Psa 119:89 LAMED. For
ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psa 119:90 Thy
faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the
earth, and it abideth. Psa 119:91 They continue
this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Psa 119:92 Unless thy
law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine
affliction. Psa 119:93 I will never
forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. Psa 119:94 I am thine,
save me; for I have sought thy precepts. We
need to always remember that the truth of God is able to overthrow
all the proud systems of human philosophy.
At the close of Paul’s life, he was able to look back and
remember the battle he had fought, and knew it had been a good
fight. How about you
and I. Can we honestly
say we have fought a good fight, or have we even been in the battle. 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearing. This
week my brother in law sent me a little document about us being in
the army of the Lord. I
sent it out to some of you who have email capability.
We won’t take time to read it all, but I do want to cover
the four categories of those in the army of the Lord at the bottom. I am a soldier in God's Army
Question
is, which part of the service are you in: 1. Active
Duty: Serving the Lord faithfully, daily, and on duty 24-7? 2. Reserve
status: Serving only when called upon or twice a year, Christmas and
Easter? 3. Guard
status: Backing up the Active Duty group? or 4.
AWOL! Absent without the Lord? J.
Vernon McGee in his commentary had some excellent points about what
our spiritual weapons are:
three in particular are the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and
Prayer. We
are told that we have some weapons and they are mighty. They are
effective. Are you able to identify those spiritual weapons which we
need today? Our first weapon is the Word of God. We need to have confidence in the Word of God. It is
the sword of the Spirit. Paul could come to Corinth, that citadel of
philosophy and religion, with the weapon of the Word of God. That is
exactly the weapon that he used. Paul writes in Ephesians, “And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). Paul drew his trusty sword, and he
depended upon the naked blade of it. He wrote, “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). We, too, need to have confidence in the Word of God.
We need to have a firm confidence in the verbal inspiration of the
Scriptures. This must be more than just a creed. I listened to a
preacher who said he believed in the verbal inspiration of the
Bible. He quoted poetry and some cute clichés and some pert
epigrams. He had every form of philosophical argument but no
exposition of the Word of God. May I say to you, that is not confidence in the Word of God, nor is it using the Word
as a weapon. I am conservative in my theology. I believe in the
inspiration of the Word of God, which includes the Book of Genesis
and especially the account of creation. I believe in hell. In fact,
I believe the Bible from the beginning to the end. It is the sword
of the Spirit, my friend. It is one of our weapons. The second weapon is the presence of the Holy
Spirit. Paul recognized his own human weakness. He knew that he
was sealed by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Another weapon of our warfare is prayer.
Now it is true that there is very little about prayer in either of
the Corinthian epistles. However, Paul certainly believed in prayer.
In the Book of Ephesians he lists this as one of the offensive
weapons. “… and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints” (Eph. 6:17–18). 6 And having
in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is
fulfilled. 7 Do ye look on things after the outward
appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let
him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so
are we Christ’s. Paul tells
those in the Corinthian church that he is ready to bring to justice
any who are disobedient to God’s Word.
If we are truly walking by the leadership of the Holy Spirit,
no one will ever have to come and bring us back into line.
We won’t be outside of that circle where God would have us
to be, but we’ll be right in the center of God’s will. 1 Cor 11:31
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1 Cor 11:32
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we
should not be condemned with the world. Paul warns
them to not look on the outward appearance.
God judges by the heart.
Anyone can dress up and look like a good Christian, but it
takes a real man, woman, boy, or
girl to walk the way that God would desire his children to walk.
So we that are Christ’s need to control our flesh, and
glorify God by walking a pure and perfect walk before others.
If you remember, the Pharisees appeared very righteous, but
yet they were full of hypocrisy. Matthew
23:28 Even
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are
full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Sometimes
they would make their appearance disguised to appear that they were
fasting, but it was all show. God
knew who was and was not truly fasting. Matthew
6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear
unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward. Matthew
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not
be as the hypocrites are:
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward. 1 Samuel 16:1-7 And the
LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I
have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with
oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have
provided me a king among his sons. 2 And Samuel said, How can I go?
if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer
with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what
thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto
thee. 4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to
Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and
said, Comest thou peaceably? 5
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD:
sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he
sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab,
and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the
LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
God
told Samuel that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks
on the heart. 8
For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the
Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I
should not be ashamed: 9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify
you by letters. 10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and
powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech
contemptible. Paul tells
the people that if someone claims to have a special relation to
Christ that gives them extra authority, they needed to think again
and reason our whether or not Paul was a true servant of the Lord.
Paul says that if he had boasted more of his authority than
he had already, that he would not have been ashamed.
God gave him this authority not to destroy the church, but
rather to edify and build them up.
True teachers and preachers build up Christians, while the
false teachers seek to tear down and destroy that which is
accomplished. Some
claimed Paul wrote mighty letters, but in person he was weak in
presence and his speech was contemptible.
All that really says is that Paul was accomplishing things BY
GOD rather than by Paul. Not
many mighty are called into God’s service. 1 Cor 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew
not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them
that believe. 1 Cor 1:22
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom: 1 Cor 1:23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 1 Cor 1:24
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 1 Cor 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Cor 1:26
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1 Cor 1:27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are mighty; 1 Cor 1:28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised,
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought
things that are: 1 Cor 1:29
That no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 For
our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in
the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake. 11
Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters
when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are
present. Paul’s
critics claimed that he was meek and lowly while he was with them,
but was bold and condemning towards them when he was out of their
presence. This charge was totally false.
Paul was a man of consistency, ever striving to serve God. II.
The Governing Rule of Paul’s Apostleship
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the
number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but
they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves
among themselves, are not wise.
This
is a dangerous practice. Comparing
ourselves with others to get a measurement of their spirituality.
Paul had no desire to be measured in this manner.
When we set a yard stick to where we ought to be, we need to
measure ourselves against Jesus Christ.
If you measure up to Christ, you have some true Christianity
about you. We
need to be realistic and know we can not be perfect as He, but we
should so strive as Paul said to be perfect like our Lord was.
Believers need to never glory in other human beings, because
all of us are weak creatures, and we can sure be let down when we
put our eyes on men and women.
Some will build up little cliques where they establish their
own standards of success, and praise one another for meeting their
standards. It is easy
to meet man made goals and feel very self satisfied.
But we need to not worry about pleasing man, but look to
please the Heavenly Father. 13
But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according
to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a
measure to reach even unto you.
14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though
we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in
preaching the gospel of Christ: 15 Not boasting of things without
our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope,
when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you
according to our rule abundantly, Paul is not
stretching himself beyond his measure by preaching the Gospel to
them. He was doing
exactly what God had called him to do.
Paul explains that he had no desire to extend himself beyond
where God had placed him and try to build on some other man’s work
in the regions beyond. He
says that if their faith had been increased, Paul was pleased.
We need to realize that we can only do what God would have us
to do and be in His Will.
No one can know that will but each person has to look into
their own heart for guidance. But
if we are going to build, it must be on the solid foundation of
Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:12
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 1 Cor 3:13
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall
declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man's work of what sort it is. 1 Cor 3:14
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward. 1 Cor 3:15
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16
To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in
another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For
not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord
commendeth. A person
that glories should glory in the Lord.
When we see ourselves as the branch out of the true vine, we
get the proper perspective as to what it takes to accomplish
something to the honor and glory of God.
God forbid that Paul should glory except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14 But
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world. The man or woman that is
commended of the Lord is one that God has approved of their work and
efforts. Internet
Bible Studies are prepared and distributed free of charge.
The lessons may not be sold without consent. If you have questions or wish to discuss the lessons,
or possibly need help in finding Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord
and Savior, contact David Parham at 940-322-4343. Prov 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day. e-mail at:
davidparham@cst.net Website:
http://www.internetbible.net Practice
Random Acts of Kindness. Each
act spreads, and many will be blessed.
|
