2 Corinthians 6-9

Questions

2009

 

Chapter 6 – Paul’s Hardships

 

Paul concluded chapter 5 with an impassioned plea for unbelievers to be reconciled to God through Christ.  He explained that Christ, who knew no sin, was the offering for our sin, so that we would be made right with God through Christ: this is the gospel of grace that Paul continually taught.  Now he asks them not to reject this message from God.

 

1. He quotes from Isaiah 49:8 where God is in controversy with His people because of their rejection of the Messiah.  In v. 7, the people rejected the Messiah and we know it lead to His death.  In v.8 of Isaiah, the Messiah asks God for the _____ of God to be given to sinners.  Now in Corinthians, Paul says that it is God’s tome to save.  The Isaiah passage prophesied that God would _________ Israel at the ___ ________, the end time, but it applies to today also.  There is a time in God’s plan when He ________ to sinners and _______ to those who repent, and it was and __ that time.  However, there will also be an ____ to that time and that is why Paul is so passionate. 
2. VV.3-10 tell of Paul’s behavior and problems in the ministry.  He suffered incredible trials through the __________ endured on the missionary journeys, the ______ suffering he endured at the hands of unbelievers, and the emotional _____ suffered because of his great love for the people.  It is not just about Paul though.  The ministry belongs to _____________ of Christ, to any believer who engages in a faithful ministry of __________________ who should expect to be rejected and accepted, to be hated and loved, to encounter joy and hardship.  Our ministry in Christ does nothing to __________ his/her ministry, but everything he/she can to protect its __________, the gospel’s integrity, and God’s integrity.
3. The ________ of our Christian life is what we make it.  Some choose to sit, listen, and do nothing.  Others learn, absorb, apply and further the cause of Christ as He _____ them in ministry.  Either way, how do you gauge ______?  Why?  How do they compare with verses 4-10?  What, from Paul’ example, do you want to apply to your own walk with Christ?
4. Paul addresses a problem that is at first often overlooked by many believers, that is, being teamed up (being unequally yoked) with unbelievers.  The OT gives the illustration of two different types of animals (oxen and donkeys) being yoked together and forbids the practice.  The Lord did this to _________ the food of His people because the two different animals could never do the _____ work required to prepare and harvest a field.  By putting these same restrictions on His Own, the Lord is protecting His children from __________ harm.  Light cannot exist with darkness and it is impossible with unequally yoked partners to things being done for God’s _________.

q      It refers to ___________________ – A Christian should not marry an _________ person.  However, in cases where a believer is already married to an unbeliever, this passage does not teach separation or divorce.  God’s will in this case is that the marriage should be __________ with a view to the _________ salvation of the unsaved member.

q      It refers to __________ – A Christian should not go into partnership with one who does not know the Lord.  The priorities should and will be different for both and ___________ is always the solution used, usually at the __________ of the Lord.

q      It refers to ___________ – A Christian should have contact with the unsaved in an effort to _________ to Christ, but should never engage in the sinful ________ that lead others to think that he/she is _______________than they are.

q      In _________________ – A Christian should never hold membership in a church where unbelievers were __________ admitted as members.

5. These was evidenced in the OT as the Israelites refused to obey God and continually mingled with the pagans of the land and inevitably fell in idol worship and ________ of their Lord God.  The Father _______ wonderful things when we do separate ourselves from these things – “And I will welcome you.  And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord (v.18).”

 

Chapter 7 – Joy at the Church’s Repentance

 

Sometimes we read our Bibles as if we were reading the newspaper or some cheap novel.  I sincerely pray that you did not read the last paragraphs of chapter 6 that way.  In them, God says that we are His temple and that He would live in us and walk among us.  It says that He would be our God and we would be His people.  He asks us to come away from and not be bound to unbelievers and all the forms of their disbelief – it says to “be separate.”  We are not to even touch the filthiness they embrace and if we obey, God will welcome us and be our Father, Abba –the ultimate and Holy One, and we will be His sons and daughters.  So many people are looking for an identity today – but looking in all the wrong places.  God wants to be our identity, our everything.  We’ll never be alone, never be without a purpose if we allow Him to be what He asks.

 

Chapter 7 prods us into action based on these promises.

 

1.   It tells us to “cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile (corrupt) our body and spirit.”  Defilement of the body includes all forms of _______________, and defiling our spirit covers one’s __________ life, motives, and thoughts.

2.  It tells us to “work for complete purity because we fear God (v.1).”  There is a positive side to what God wants from us.  We are not only to put aside that which corrupts us, but we are to become ___________________ to the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily lives.  This is called “________ sanctification,” that process that goes on through our lifetime in which we grow in the _______ of our Lord Jesus Christ until that day when we see Him face to face, and then we shall be _____ Him throughout eternity.

3. What a great model for the church Paul lays out in vv. 2-4; 7-13.  In 6: 11-13, Paul lays out his love for the Corinthians and asks for their love _________.  Paul was greatly troubled over their welfare until he personally heard from Titus.  The news Titus brought him was a great __________ to the stress he was undergoing.  What was the news?  That in spite of the false teachers trying to alienate them from Paul, the Corinthians longed to see him.  More importantly, they evidenced ______________ over what had taken place (v.7).  Titus told Paul that they had a genuine regard for him and an earnest desire to please him.
4. Paul’s letter of rebuke had the intended results – not that they had pain because of their sorrow over hurting him, but that their sorrow lead to their ______________.  Repentance is not only a change of __________, but it includes a change of ________, which leads to a _____________ from sin toward God (v.9).
5. VV.9 10 talk about two kinds of sorrow.  How does godly sorrow differ from worldly sorrow?  Godly sorrow means ____ that has come into a persons life after he has committed a sin and which leads to his ____________.  V. 10 says that this type of sorrow can be used by God to help us ___ from sin and seek salvation.  Is he talking about the salvation of the soul here?  That could be true for some, but the Corinthians were already believers, so it is probably used here to describe _________________ from any type of sin, bondage, or problem in a person’s life.  Believers ___________ to repent after their salvation, not to continually receive it (Christ died once for all sin and we are forgiven once!), but in order to keep the ________ and __________ of their _____________ with God (1 John 1: 7-9).
6. These truly were a passionate people.  In today’s church, such a letter would often have either been shrugged off or treated with disdain.  Many would simply have left and gone to another church.  This seems to be the answer to today’s problems.  Don’t deal with it – how dare they tell us what to do!- we’ll just find ourselves a “better church”  when the church isn’t the problem at all.  We would be better off to echo JFK’s famous words, “Ask not what your country (we would say church) can do for you, but ask, what can I do for my country (church)?”  The Corinthians responded to Paul’s letter with an _______________ to repent and to eagerly and aggressively pursue _______________.  This attitude ends indifference to sin and ________________ about evil and dishonesty.  They did everything they could do to punish the wrong doer and did everything to ___________ once again.  This is an aggressive pursuit of holiness, which is the essence of repentance and a ______ to live in purity.

 

Chapter 8 – A Call To Generous Giving

 

While Titus was in Corinth to deliver the “severe letter,” he also encouraged the Corinthians to partake in a special offering for the poor in Jerusalem.  Paul now encourages them to complete this sacrificial offering and give as the Macedonians were giving.  In spite of their deep poverty and afflictions they suffered, these wonderful believers gave with great _____ and _________ to their God and to other believers.  They gave not what they could afford, but far more – all with _________.  MacArthur sums up the concept of freewill giving this way: 1) “according to their abilities” – giving is _____________.  God sets no fixed amount or percentage and expects His people to give based on _______________ (Luke 6:38); 2) “beyond their ability” – Giving is sacrificial.  God’s people are to give according to what they have, yet it must be in ___________ that are sacrificial (Matt.6:25-34); and 3) “freely willing” – Giving is _______- God’s people are not to give out of compulsion, manipulation, or intimidation.  Freewill giving has always been God’s plan and is not to be confused with tithing, which related to the national taxation system of Israel and is paralleled in the NT and the present by paying Taxes.

 

1. Vs. 4 gives us insight into the level of faith and love of the  Macedonian’s  and their freewill giving saying, “Begging us again and again of sharing in the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”  See the emphasis here?  They went far beyond passing the plate – they ________Paul for the special ______ of being able to have fellowship and be _________ in supporting the poor saints in Jerusalem.  To them it was a ____________, not an obligation.  If we all gave accordingly, the church would never be in financial distress and no brother or sister would be in need!
2. What was the key to the Macedonians great faith?  (A) V.5- “their first action was to _________ themselves to the ____ and to us (Paul and his fellow ministers) for whatever _________ God might give them.
3. What does he mean in v. 9, “Though He (Jesus) was very rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that by His poverty He could make you rich?”  (A) This speaks of the ____________ and ___________ of Christ.  He is as rich as God the Father is rich.  He owns ________, and possess all power, authority, sovereignty, glory, honor, and majesty.  He became poor - He laid aside all of His Godly privileges, left His place with God, took on human form and died on the cross as a common criminal.  He could make you rich – Believers become __________ rich through the ___________ and impoverishment of Christ.  They become rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, honor, and majesty.  They become _____ _______ with Christ!  Notice there is not one word about monetary wealth.  What nonsense we hear today about “naming and claiming” all the wealth and riches that are out there for our own.  Christ and His followers never had a penny, but they were rich beyond measure – as are we!
4. V. 12 is a lesson on how we should give and the quantity we should give.  (A) “If you are really eager to give” – speaks of a ________ and ________ to give.  God is most concerned with the _______ attitude of the giver, not the amount he gives (Mark 12: 41-44).  “Give what you have” –Whatever one has is the ________ out of which he should give.  There are no set amounts or percentages in the NT, so the implication is that if one has _______, he should give much; if he has ______, he can give only little.  God never asks believers to go into debt to lower themselves to a poverty level.
5. Paul sent Titus back to Corinth to finish the job he began for the collection for Jerusalem.  Along with him, Paul sent two other apostles to keep any and all chance or accusation of impropriety from occurring.  These men Paul calls ____________ of the churches.  “They are splendid examples of those who bring ___________ to Christ ((v.23)!”  What a commendation.  This is exactly what the Christian life is all about!  It is never about me, but it is always to bring glory to Christ, no matter what I do!

 

 

Chapter 9 – The Collection for the Judean Saints

 

Paul begins the chapter by saying that there really was no need to write to the Corinthians about the gift for the believers in Jerusalem…but, while he knew how eager they were to help, they had started the project a year ago and that is as far as it went.  Isn’t just like most of us- good will and great intentions, but always getting sidetracked and never delivering?  This is why Paul is sending Titus and the two brothers in Christ – to make sure that what they planned really gets done.  He does it for two reasons – when Paul came to Corinth from Macedonia, it was likely that one of the Macedonians was going to travel with him; the other reason is that the gift was ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

In vv. 6-15, Paul lists some of the rewards and benefits of Christian giving.

 

1.   He reminds them of the law of the harvest – the __________ ________ _____  ______________ is     necessary if there is to be a__________ ____________.  The Christian principle is when a generous believer gives by faith and trust in God, with a desire to produce the_________ ___________ ______________, that person will receive that kind of harvest of blessing.  God gives a return on the amount one invests with Him.  Invest a little; receive a little in return, and vice versa.

2.       “Make up your mind as to how much you should give (v.7).”  Figure out what______ ________, and then________ ___________, think about the _______ _____ ______________________.  Above all, be the ___________ ___________ God loves.  Does He really need our money?  No, it is all His.  But our hearts attitude is what is important to Him.  He loves to see a Christian who is so filled with the joy of the Lord that he wants to _________ what he has with others.  A Christian commentator named Jowett says it this way:  “Cheerful giving is born of love, and therefore it is a lover loving a lover and rejoicing in the communion.  Giving is the language of loving; indeed, it has no other speech.  “God so loved that He gave!”  Love finds its very life in giving itself away.  Its only pride in possession is the joy of surrender.  If love has all things, it yet possess nothing.”

3.     We think we are the ones giving, but v. eight tells us differently.  When one is a cheerful giver, “God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  In other words, if a person really wants to be generous, God will see that he is given the opportunity.  Other versions that “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency, in all things, may have an ______________ for good works.”  Grace is the word used here for resources.  God is able to supply us with all the ______________ resources so that we will not only have a sufficiency ourselves, but so that we will be able to ____________ what we have with others and thus have an abundance for _______ ___________ _____________.

4.     God will make sure that those who show kindness to others will reap certain rewards.  1) He will __________ ____ ________ you have sown.  That is, He will give you __________ ______________ and results that are more abundant from showing kindness to His people.  2) – He will increase the fruits of your________________ .  The Corinthians are an example of this.  They gave liberally of themselves to others in Jerusalem and as a result, they would receive fruit by way of _________ reward.  As God increased their _____________ to give, and they increased in____________, the ___________ would increase accordingly.

5.     The results of their giving?  Vv. 11-14 show the reality of the providence of blessings God provides when we give.  They would be enriched in _______________ so that they can give even____ ____________, the ________ of the saints would be met and God would be___________ .  What a marvelous opportunity for worship –v.13, “You will be ______________ God through your generous gifts” Why?  Because their generosity would prove that they are _______________ to the Good News of Christ.  Other blessings are that because of these gifts, strong ties of ______________ would be built and _____________ for them would be continued.