It is obvious from Pauls 2 letter to the Corinthians that false teachers had sprung up in the church that had once again began to focus on man-made tradition vs. Gods Word alone. The people heard Gods message, but did not let it affect how they were behaving. Paul was telling the people in Corinth that if they were calling themselves believers, then they had a great responsibility in the way they were living their lives. He said that if you are a believer, you are a minister for God. In the course of each day, unbelievers observe you. Therefore, you shouldnt allow your careless or undisciplined actions be some person’s excuse for rejecting Christ..... We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 2 Corinthians 6:3 He gave them the example of being in jail, and instead of being bitter or giving up, using the opportunity to spread the Good News of Jesus. Many of us have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged—times of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, church conflict, or the loss of our jobs. We should always try to look for ways to demonstrate our faith even in bad situations. By doing this, our faith will grow even stronger. Then, Quoting from the prophet Isaiah, Paul asserted that the church is the temple of the living God. Corinth had an abundance of temples of pagan deities, so the recipients of his letter were able to visualize the contrast the apostle intended. Those who follow Christ are not known by a building; they are known as those in whom the Spirit of God lives. The church is not where believers go, it is who they are. God is not waiting for his people in some stained-glass setting. He is always with them. That is a sobering and yet a comforting thought..... And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.*And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 Next, Paul addressed the topic of giving within the Corinthian Church. The Christians in the Corinthian church had money, and apparently they had planned to collect money for the Jerusalem church a year previously. Paul challenges them to act on their plans. Four principles of giving emerge here: 1. Your willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount you give; 2. You should strive to fulfill your financial commitments; 3. If you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need; 4. You should give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. How you give reflects your devotion to Jesus. That being said we should tread carefully when it comes to the topic of giving. There are many churches out there (mainly Prosperity Gospel Churches), that fleece the flock so to speak. They tell their congregations that if they dont give generously, they will not be blessed. They also tell them that the blessings in their lives are a direct reflection of their obedience in giving. They do this of course to fund their ostentatious church buildings, and over inflated pastors salaries. Likewise, looking back in time before the Reformation, the Roman Church raised money for their grand cathedrals by selling indulgences. Indulgences were a fee that would be paid to get a deceased loved one out of Purgatory, a place that was fabricated for this very purpose. The congregants were told that their loved ones were in this place called Purgatory; suffering (not quite as much as in Hell, but never the less suffering). They were told that they could pay for prayers that would shorten their loved ones sentence and free them from their pain. Many people sold all they had to buy these prayers, and as a result the Christian world was plunged into poverty and despair. As a note, this fictitious place is not found anywhere in the Bible. These practices that churches have adopted are no better than the system the religious leaders in Jesus time were corrupting. Paul gives us a clearer picture of what Christian giving should look like, and says that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. Paul wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met. Give until it hurts, but don’t give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your financial support... Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. 2 Corinthians 8:12-15 Jesus Himself wanted us to know that when we do give, we should not do so to gain accolades from men, but out of love... But when you give to someone in need, dont let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Matthew 6:3 We finish todays reading in Chapter 10, with Paul criticizing the false teachers who were trying to prove their goodness by comparing themselves with others rather than with God’s standards. When we compare ourselves with others, we may feel proud because we think we’re better. But when we measure ourselves against God’s standards, it becomes obvious that we have no basis for pride. Don’t worry about other people’s accomplishments. Instead, ask yourself: How does my life measure up to what God wants? How does my life compare to that of Jesus Christ.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 04:19:17 +0000
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