Introduction:

Paul defending his apostleship

Galatians 1:11-16a NLT
Paul’s Message Comes from Christ (Paul is defending his apostleship.)
¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. ¹² I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
¹³ You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 1:11-16a NLT
Paul’s Message Comes from Christ
¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach

• Paul’s message was that People are made right with God by Grace through faith, not by obeying the law.

A brief summary of Paul’s message.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

is not based on mere human reasoning. 

• The Gospel did not originate with man. 

This reminder should be reassuring, encouraging, and motivating to us. 

¹² I received my message from no human source,

• Paul did not receive the Gospel from any human source.

Unlike the experience many of us had.

• Most of us did hear the Gospel message from a human source, which is also part of God’s plan for many people.

The Galatians heard the Gospel from a human source, Paul.

Hearing the Gospel from a human source is Biblical.

Romans 10:13-15 NLT
¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
¹⁴ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? ¹⁵ And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” 

Psalm 78:4 NLT
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders. 

Acts 1:8 NLT
⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Mark 16:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 

and no one taught me. 

Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

Paul, writing to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:3 NLT
³ As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.

• Paul received his message by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 

¹³ You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion

the traditions of my ancestors (v.14)

Meticulous rules and regulations governing the daily life of the people made by Jewish rabbis.

Most of these traditions were not Biblical. 

—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it.  

¹⁴ I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

Philippians 3:5-6 NLT
⁵ I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶ I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 

• Before he was converted, Paul zealously and fanatically persecuted the Christian church.

 ¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.

Romans 1:1 NLT
This letter is from Paul,

a slave of Christ Jesus,

 chosen by God to be an apostle

and sent out to preach his Good News.

• Paul was chosen by God to be an apostle.

This calling was not unique to Paul.

Isaiah 49:1 NLT
The Lord’s Servant Commissioned
^49:1 Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.

Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
⁵ “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

A similar calling for John the Baptist found in Luke 1.

We too are called by God’s marvelous grace.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me 

“pleased Him to reveal…”

Damascus Road experience

Total and complete transformation

Paul’s life was turned around

Going in a different direction

• Paul experienced a complete and total transformation. He went from being a persecutor of Christians to a preacher of the Gospel.

so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. 

The Gentiles were the non-Jewish world.

• Paul became known as an apostle to the Gentiles.

We now move from Paul’s greeting to the content of his letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 1:6-10 NLT
There Is Only One Good News
⁶ I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News ⁷ but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
⁸ Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. ⁹ I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.
¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Examine the scriptures
Galatians 1:6-10 NLT
There Is Only One Good News 

⁶ I am shocked 

Other translations replace shocked with: marvel – astounded – surprised – amazed

Some might say, “I am appalled”.

How is this for a greeting?

Paul is probably feeling astonishment, frustration, and anger.

The Galatian churches that started out believing the truth of the Gospel were now turning away from the true Gospel.

Apparently Paul had visited each of the churches (except Derbe) twice. Once going and once returning.

that you are turning away (deserting) so soon from God, 

Paul had just returned from his missionary journey.

• The Galatian churches were turning away from the true Gospel “quickly and easily”.

• The Galatian believers were voluntarily deserting grace to pursue legalism taught by the false teachers.

(God) who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. 

• God had called the Galatians to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 NLT
Believers Should Stand Firm
¹³ As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵ With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
⁹ For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 

You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News ⁷ but is not the Good News at all.

If your teaching adds anything to “The good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone”, your teaching “is not the Good News at all.

• If your teaching compromises the Gospel in any way, your teaching “is not the Good News at all.

You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. 

• The Galatians were being fooled by teachers who deliberately twisted the truth concerning Christ.

Application for us today.

Matthew 7:15 NLT
¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 

Colossians 2:8 NLT
⁸ Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3 NLT
³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 

Matthew 13:20-21 NLT
²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
Warnings against False Teachers
^4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

Matthew 24: 10-12
¹⁰ And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. ¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. ¹² Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:24 NLT
²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 

• False prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

Practice discernment. (Teach discernment)

1 John 4:1 NLT
Discerning False Prophets
^4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹ And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 

Paul’s counsel to Timothy 

2 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT
^4:1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: ² Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
⁵ But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

• Examine the scriptures to determine truth and error. 

⁸ Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.  

⁹ I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

Harsh consequences.

Matthew 18:6 NLT
⁶ But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
The Danger of False Teachers
^2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.

• There are severe consequences for those who teach a false gospel.

¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 

• If pleasing people is our goal, we would not be Christ’s servants.

 

 

 

Greetings from Paul (Part 2)

Review:
Note the difference between Scripture and commentary.

Scripture is God’s Word.  Commentary is man’s word.

Upon arriving back in Antioch from his first missionary journey after eighteen months on the road, Paul received a report that the churches he had started in Galatia had been led away from the truth of the Gospel by a group of Judaizers.  Judaizers taught that all Christians were required to live under the Mosaic Law.

Themes in the book of Galatians:

Salvation was available to the Gentiles.

Gentiles did not have to become Jews in order to become full members of God’s family.  They only had to put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Galatians 1:1-5 NLT
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.
³ May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. ⁴ Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. ⁵ All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

 What’s missing in this greeting to the Galatians?

• The usual expression of thanksgiving and praise for believers is totally absent.

Examine the scriptures:

1 This letter is from Paul, 

• The book of Galatians was written by Paul

 an apostle.

An Apostle is “one who is sent”.

We typically think of the twelve men Jesus choose to accompany Him.

Paul immediately defends his apostolic credentials.

When the Galatians fell away so quickly from the gospel of grace Paul had preached to them, they also made clear their disloyalty to Paul’s authority as an apostle.

• The Galatians were being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. (Galatians 1:7)

Paul was accused of changing the Gospel message.

The Judaizers stated that his version of the Gospel had never received the apostles’ sanction.

The Judaizers also stated that Paul’s presentation of the Gospel was incomplete.

Paul begins the letter to the Galatians by spending two chapters defending that very issue. 

Paul’s apostolic credentials were being challenged.

Though not one of the original Twelve, Paul claimed equality with them as an apostle. Paul claimed the right to speak for God as His representative or delegate.

Ambassador

Messenger

• Paul felt a strong need to defend his authority as an apostle. 

I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. 

But by Jesus Christ. That is, directly by Christ. He had been called by him, and commissioned by him, and sent by him, to engage in the work of the gospel.

Paul made the bold claim that his call was of heavenly origin, from God the Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s apostleship was not from men, that is, he was not appointed an apostle by any official body such as the leaders in Jerusalem or Antioch.

• Paul’s apostleship was not from men but from Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. 

² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

Paul did not stand alone.  Paul was supported by others in the “church”.  Paul probably wrote this letter from Antioch of Syria.

The letter was most likely sent to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia

Acts 13: 13-14 & Acts 14:1, 7

• The recipients of the letter were the churches in Galatia.
• All the brothers and sisters in Antioch of Syria joined Paul in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. (commentary)

³ May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 

• The Judaizers clearly did not understand “grace” and would never experience God’s “peace”. Paul was asking God to give the Judaizers something they really needed.

Philippians 4:7 NLT
⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁴ Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.

• Paul summarized the Gospel in one sentence. The Judaizers would not “be rescued from this evil world” by keeping the law.

⁵ All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

 

 

Greetings from Paul

Themes in the book of Galatians:

Salvation was available to the Gentiles.

Gentiles did not have to become Jews in order to become full members of God’s family.  They only had to put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Pass out maps of Paul’s 1^st missionary journey.

Locate Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia on a map.

Refer to Acts 13: 13-14 & Acts 14:1, 7

Upon arriving back in Antioch from his first missionary journey after eighteen months on the road, Paul received a report that the churches he had started in Galatia had been led away from the truth of the Gospel by a group of Judaizers.  Judaizers taught that all Christians were required to live under the Mosaic Law.

Galatians 1:1-2 NLT
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

Read Paul’s greeting to the churches in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossi, and Thessalonica.

Romans 1:6-9 NLT
⁶ And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. ⁷ I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
⁸ Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. ⁹ God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

1 Corinthians 1:1-4 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.
² I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
⁴ I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:1-2 & 15-16 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
¹⁵ Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Philippians 1:1-6 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.
² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
³ Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ⁴ Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, ⁵ for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. ⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Colossians 1:1-4 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
² We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.
May God our Father give you grace and peace.
³ We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 

Thessalonians 1:1-4 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May God give you grace and peace.
² We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. ³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁴ We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 

Read Paul’s greeting to the churches in Galatia.

Galatians 1:1-5 NLT
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.
³ May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. ⁴ Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. ⁵ All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

What’s missing in this greeting to the Galatians?

• The usual expression of thanksgiving and praise for believers is totally absent.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 1:1-2 NLT
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

1 This letter is from Paul, 

• The book of Galatians was written by Paul

 an apostle.

Paul immediately defends his apostolic credentials.

When the Galatians fell away so quickly from the gospel of grace Paul had preached to them, they also made clear their disloyalty to Paul’s authority as an apostle.

• The Galatians were being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. (Galatians 1:7)

Paul was accused of changing the Gospel message.

The Judaizers stated that his version of the Gospel had never received the apostles’ sanction.

The Judaizers also stated that Paul’s presentation of the Gospel was incomplete.

Paul begins the letter to the Galatians by spending two chapters defending that very issue. 

Paul’s apostolic credentials were being challenged.

Though not one of the original Twelve, Paul claimed equality with them as an apostle. Paul claimed the right to speak for God as His representative or delegate.

Ambassador

Messenger

• Paul felt a strong need to defend his authority as an apostle. 

I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. 

But by Jesus Christ. That is, directly by Christ. He had been called by him, and commissioned by him, and sent by him, to engage in the work of the gospel.

Paul made the bold claim that his call was of heavenly origin, from God the Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s apostleship was not from men, that is, he was not appointed an apostle by any official body such as the leaders in Jerusalem or Antioch.

• Paul’s apostleship was not from men but from Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. 

² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

Paul did not stand alone.  Paul was supported by others in the “church”.

The letter was sent to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia

Acts 13: 13-14 & Acts 14:1, 7

• The recipients of the letter were the churches in Galatia.
• All the brothers and sisters in Antioch of Syria joined Paul in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. (commentary)

 

Disclaimer
Note the difference between Scripture and commentary.
Scripture is God’s Word.  Commentary is man’s word.
Most of the content in this lesson is from the Scripture.  Some of the content is from commentaries.

Remember Your Mission.

Current events

When we examine current events: (Just to name a few.)

Coronavirus
Left wing policies – government spending – government defying the constitution.
Events in Afghanistan.
Support of Pro-abortion views.
An atheist is now Harvard’s head chaplain.
The modern revolt against marriage.
The breakdown of the Biblical “male” and “female” marriage.
Wide spread acceptance of alternate life styles.

We see the demise of America as we once knew it.

           We are surrounded by moral decay.

It’s easy to become discouraged.

It’s easy to lose focus.

We read about the rise and fall of nations (God’s people) in the Old Testament.

The outcome for America is predictable.

Don’t lose your focus.

Remember Your Mission.

Where do we start?

Philippians 4:6-9 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

You all know a lot of scripture.  Focus on what you know.  Do the things you know you should be doing, and don’t be sidetracked by the things you don’t understand.

Actions:

Don’t worry about anything.

Pray about everything. – Tell God what you need.

Thank God for all He has done.

Fix your thoughts on Scripture.

Put into practice all you learned from scripture.

• Keep putting into practice all you learned.

Results:

You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

• You know a lot of scripture. Focus on what you know.

What are some things that you know?

• God is Sovereign

God is the supreme authority.

God is sovereign over history and time.

Ephesians 1:11 NLT
¹¹ Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

1 Timothy 6:15 NLT
¹⁵ For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Psalm 47:7-9 NLT
⁷ For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.
⁸ God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
⁹ The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.

• Some things never change.

• God never changes.

Malachi 3:6 (NLT)
⁶“I am the Lord, and I do not change. …

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)
⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

 Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

•  God’s Word never changes.

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
⁸The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”

Psalm 119:89 (NLT)
⁸⁹Your eternal word, O Lord,
stands firm in heaven.

Luke 21:33 (NLT)
³³Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

John 10:34-35 (NLT)
³⁴Jesus replied … ³⁵And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. 

Matthew 5:18 (NLT)
¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.

• Remember Your Mission.

Don’t forget!  Busy schedules!

What is something that God has called you to do?

Our mission. (from the scriptures)

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10 English Standard Version
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

 

Remember Your Mission. (Part 2)

Psalm 78 (NLT)
¹O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
²for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
³stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
⁴We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
⁶so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

Actions

¹O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying, (be receptive)

 YOU:

Listen – hear  (God speaks to us!)

Bible study is all important!

I will teach you …

I will speak to you …

• Listen to God’s instructions. Open your ears to what God is saying to you. (be receptive)

Tell

⁴We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the LORD,
about his power and his mighty wonders.

Desired outcome

⁶so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

• Help others (your students)

You want your students to:

Know God’s Story – Biblical truths

Trust in God.

Remember Biblical truths.

Obey Biblical truths.

• Repetition is good.

How

• Remember Your Mission.

Deuteronomy 6 (NLT)
⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Repeat again and again.

• Start with yourself.

YOU:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 

⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 

• Repeat them (Biblical principles) again and again to your children.

Readily available resource.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Remember Your Mission.

• Building on a Solid Foundation

Luke 6:46-49 NLT
Building on a Solid Foundation
⁴⁶“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Matthew 7:24-29 NLT
Building on a Solid Foundation
²⁴“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Foundation

Costly

Things people do not see

Hear and do

Rain came

Proverbs 22:6 NLT
⁶Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Psalm 127:1 (NLT)
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

This lesson:

2 Corinthians 12:20-13:10      Paul’s Warning

2 Corinthians 13:11-14           Paul’s benediction

Paul’s letter is coming to an end.

Paul is hoping to see two responses from his letter.

• Repentance (involving obedience to God) for wrong. (Getting right with God.)
• An affirmation of loyalty to himself and his associates as authentic servants of Christ. (Getting right with Paul.)

This letter is not ending on a high note.

There are still issues in the church that need to be dealt with.

The letter (not including the benediction) ends with a warning from Paul.

 

2 Corinthians 12:20-13:14 NLT
Paul’s Warning
²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. ²¹ Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

Paul’s Final Advice
13 This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”). ² I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.
³ I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. ⁴ Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.
⁵ Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. ⁶ As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.
⁷ We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. ⁸ For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. ⁹ We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.
¹⁰ I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.

Paul’s Final Greetings
¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
¹² Greet each other with a sacred kiss. ¹³ All of God’s people here send you their greetings.
¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 12:20-13:14 NLT
²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. 

A description of division in the church.

²¹ Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. 

And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

A description of the lax morality in the church.

• Paul feared encountering renewed rebellion and resistance during his upcoming visit, with the Corinthians relapsed into their old ways.

• To find the Corinthians still living in unrepentant sin would both humiliate and sadden Paul.

Paul’s Final Advice
^13:1 This is the third time I am coming to visit you 

(and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”).  Deuteronomy 19:15 

Matthew 18:16 NLT (Jesus speaking)
¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

• Paul will practice Biblical principles when dealing with the Corinthians.

Paul wants to handle the situation correctly. 

² I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them. 

• Paul promised discipline for the unrepentant.

³ I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. ⁴ Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power. 

• Paul relied on God’s strength, not his own, to deal with the Corinthians. 

Hebrews 12:5-11 NLT
⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 

⁵ Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.

Turn your focus away from me and examine yourselves.

• Examine yourself.

Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

• If Jesus Christ is not living in you, you are not saved.

 ⁶ As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. 

⁷ We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come

• Do the right thing by accepting correction.

—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.  

⁸ For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.  

⁹ We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong.

• Paul is concerned with the Corinthians standing with God, not his reputation.

We pray that you will become mature. 

¹⁰ I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.

Paul’s purpose in writing this letter.

• Paul’s hope is that the Corinthians church repents of their sins before he arrives in Corinth.

Paul’s Final Greetings

A call for unity:

¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words:

Be joyful.

Grow to maturity.

Encourage each other.

Live in harmony and peace.

Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 

¹² Greet each other with a sacred kiss. 

An expression of unity.

• Paul’s final greeting is a call for unity.

¹³ All of God’s people here 

• Paul is in Macedonia, about to travel to Corinth for a third visit. Paul is preparing the Corinthian Church for his visit. 

Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are in Macedonia. 

 send you their greetings. 

¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

Did the Corinthians respond positively to Paul’s warning?

2 Corinthians 10:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. ¹⁶ Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. 

4^th letter (2^nd Corinthians) From Macedonia A.D. 55/56 

3^rd visit  A.D. 56 -57

Acts 20:2-3 (NLT)
² While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, ³ where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. 

                      While there Paul wrote to the Romans.

 Romans 15:23 NLT
Paul’s Travel Plans
²³ But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.

 

Ministry Can Be Very Difficult

Paul’s letter was coming to an end.

Paul was hoping to see two responses from his letter.

• • • Repentance (involving obedience to God) for wrong. (Getting right with God.)
    • An affirmation of loyalty to himself and his associates as authentic servants of Christ. (Getting right with Paul.)

This letter is not ending on a high note.

There are still issues in the church that need to be dealt with.

Paul is not the “bad guy”.

Paul is not the problem.

Paul’s intentions are right.

The letter (not including the benediction) ends with a warning from Paul.

2 Corinthians 12:11-20 NLT
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
Ministry Can Be Very Difficult
¹¹ You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these “super apostles,” even though I am nothing at all. ¹² When I was with you, I certainly gave you proof that I am an apostle. For I patiently did many signs and wonders and miracles among you. ¹³ The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!
¹⁴ Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have—I want you. After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children. ¹⁵ I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.
¹⁶ Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery. ¹⁷ But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you? ¹⁸ When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.
¹⁹ Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. ²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 12:11-20 NLT
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
Ministry Can Be Very Difficult

¹¹ You have made me act like a fool.

… listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. ¹⁷ Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. ¹⁸ And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.  (2 Corinthians 11:16-18 NLT)

¹¹ You (the Corinthian church) have made me act like a fool.

You ought to be writing commendations for me,

• The Corinthian church had not come to Paul’s defense against the innuendos (a remark that suggests something but does not refer to it directly) of the false apostles.

for I am not at all inferior to these “super apostles,” 

• Paul knows that he is not inferior to the “super apostles”. 

even though I am nothing at all. 

1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT
¹⁰ But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NLT
⁴ We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. 

• Paul always credits God for his accomplishments. 

¹² When I was with you, I certainly gave you proof that I am an apostle.

• Paul was able to give proof of his apostleship.

First and foremost:

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT
¹ Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! ² The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. ³ Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

• The conversion and gifting of the Corinthians are proof of Paul’s apostleship.

Secondly: 

For I patiently did

• Paul was able to deal patiently with difficult people.

many signs and wonders and miracles among you. 

All these are the evidence that mark an apostle.

Acts 2:22 NLT
²² “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.

Acts 14:3
³ But the apostles stayed there (Iconium) a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.

Romans 15:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. ¹⁹ They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

 Hebrews 2:4 NLT
⁴ And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. 

• The many signs and wonders and miracles Paul did among the Corinthians are proof of Paul’s apostleship.

 ¹³ The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!

Tongue in cheek – a touch of irony

¹⁴ Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. 

Paul is planning a third visit with the Corinthian Church. 

I don’t want what you have—I want you.

• Paul’s concern was for the Corinthian people, not their money.

After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children.  

¹⁵ I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you,

• Paul was willing to sacrificially serve the church.

even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me. 

¹⁶ Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. 

But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery. 

Paul’s opponents circulated a vicious rumor that he was using craftiness and cunning to deceive the Corinthian church.

• Apparently the false apostles were suggesting that Paul was planning to take from the funds the Corinthian Church had collected for the church in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you?  

¹⁸ When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No!

2 Corinthians 8:16-22 NLT
Titus and His Companions
¹⁶ But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. ¹⁷ Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. ¹⁸ We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. ¹⁹ He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.
²⁰ We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. ²¹ We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.
²² We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you.

• Paul rejects the idea that he used the collection to take money from the Corinthians.

For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way. 

• The credentials of all of Paul’s coworkers were good. 

¹⁹ Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. 

No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness.

• Paul understood that he was accountable to God, not to the Corinthian church.

Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. 

• Paul’s goal was to strengthen the Corinthian church, not exonerate himself.

• Paul loved the Corinthians and was looking out for the well-being of the church.

²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. 

• Ministry Can Be Difficult

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

A short, but powerful passage of scripture.

You may want to be asking yourself how this lesson applies to you personally.

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 NLT
⁷ …. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Examine the scriptures:

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 NLT
⁷ …. So to keep me from becoming proud,

• It’s not good to be proud. (This is not a given in today’s secular society.)

Pride: a preoccupation with self and one’s own importance, achievements, status, or possessions.

Note how many of today’s current commercials focus on one’s own importance, achievements, status, or possessions.

Proverbs 16:5 NLT
⁵ The Lord detests the proud;
they will surely be punished.

Proverbs 16:18 NLT
¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.

Pride leads to one’s downfall.

1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT
⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud …

Romans 12:3 NLT
³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 

• The Lord detests the proud.

• God did what He had to do to keep pride from hindering Paul’s ministry. 

I was given a thorn in my flesh,

We do not know what the thorn was, but we do know that it was to keep Paul from becoming proud.

A thorn in the flesh suggests some sort of physical condition.

Some even think this thorn was a (demon-possessed) person.

A constant reminder. 

• Paul was given a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud.
  

a messenger from Satan

God permitted Satan to do this. (However, Satan’s plan backfired and Satan was defeated.)

Romans 8:28 NLT
²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

 to torment me

Thorns are certainly a deterrent.

Numbers 33:55 NLT
⁵⁵ But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.

Ezekiel 28:24 NLT
²⁴ No longer will Israel’s scornful neighbors
prick and tear at her like briers and thorns.
For then they will know
that I am the Sovereign Lord.

Hosea 2:6 NLT
⁶ “For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.
I will block her path with a wall
to make her lose her way. 

• Thorns are certainly a deterrent. 

 and keep me from becoming proud. (repeated)

We do not know what the thorn was, we know it was to keep Paul from becoming proud. 

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 

Paul prayed three times for its removal and each time He said “no”. 

⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

James 4:6 NLT
⁶ And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.” 

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Colossians 1:29 NLT
²⁹ That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. 

• God’s grace is all we need.

• Grace rules out all human merit.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

My power works best in weakness.” 

1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

Paul’s human weakness was an opportunity for the power of Christ to work through him.

John 3:30 NLT
³⁰ He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. 

Isaiah 55:8 NLT
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

• God’s power works best in weakness.

• God’s ways are far beyond anything we can imagine.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 

• Paul’s affliction brought glory to God and allowed Paul to experience the mighty power of God in his life.

Christ’s strength showed itself through Paul’s weakness.

“It must be God at work in my life because I know it sure isn’t me.” (My quote)

¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. 

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

• When I am weak, the stage is set for God to display his power (through me). 

• A proud person is not a good ambassador for Christ. 

 

 

 

 

Introduction:

 Paul is back to the “foolish boasting” the Corinthian church forced him into.

… listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. ¹⁷ Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. ¹⁸ And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.  (2 Corinthians 11:16-18 NLT)

The Necessity for Paul’s Boasting

Paul’s Boasting (continued)

Paul’s Vision

2 Corinthians 12:1-7a NLT
¹ This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. ³ Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know ⁴ that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
⁵ That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. ⁶ If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, ⁷ even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 12:1-7a NLT

Paul’s Boasting (continued)

Paul’s Vision
¹ This boasting will do no good,

• Paul is back to the “foolish boasting” the Corinthian church forced him into.

… listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. ¹⁷ Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. ¹⁸ And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.  (2 Corinthians 11:16-18 NLT)

• This boasting will not build up the church. 

but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord.  

Six of Paul’s visions are recorded in Acts:

Acts 9:12, 16:9-10, 18:9, 22:17-18, 23:11, 27:23-24.  (Due to the timing and content of these visions, these visions can’t be the visions Paul is referring to in these verses.)

Paul also talks about visions in Galatians 1:12, 2:2, and Ephesians 3:3. (The content in these verses is very “general”.

As a boast, it was crucial that the Corinthians know that he was outmatched by no one in revelations and visions.

He did it to silence his critics and enable him to minister freely.

… listen to me, (2 Corinthians 11:16 NLT)

2 Corinthians 12:11 NLT (next lesson)
¹¹ You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing at all.

• Paul boasted to silence his critics and enable him to minister freely. 

² I was caught up to the third heaven

A Jewish expression for the immediate presence of God.

When Paul says that he went to the third heaven, he means that he went to the place where God dwells.

fourteen years ago.

AD 43 (After his conversion and prior to his 1^st missionary journey.)

Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 

• Paul wasn’t sure whether he was in a trance or actually taken to heaven, but he did know that he was in the presence of God.

³ Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know ⁴ that I was caught up to paradise (into the presence of Jesus) and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

• Paul experienced something we will not experience until Christ returns and takes us home to be with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT
¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

This experience may have been similar to what John experienced in Revelation 1.

Revelation 1:12-19 NLT
¹² When I (John) turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
¹⁹ “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.

⁵ That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. 

• Paul’s experience was certainly something many of us would be tempted to boast about.

In addition to the boasting Paul did about

his physical struggles,

his long and hard work,

and his spiritual struggles (discussed in the previous lesson)

Paul states that he could boast about his experience of being caught up to paradise and hearing things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words. 

• Paul did not share the details of his experience. 

• Paul believed that this boasting would not build up the church. 

I will boast only about my weaknesses. 

2 Corinthians 11:30
³⁰ If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 

• Paul wanted to point away from himself and toward God.

John 15:5 NLT
⁵ “Yes, I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

⁶ If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth.

But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message,

• Paul doesn’t want anyone to give him credit beyond what they could see in his life or hear in his message, (certainly not some mystical experience). 

 ⁷ even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. 

Redeemer Day School verses are Psalm 78:4-7, “We will… tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord… so that they should set their hope in God.” The entire fourth verse reads, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has done.” Verses 6 and 7 go on to say, “that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God.” Our prayer is that all of our students “set their hope” in Christ. This hope is what we are all about. What a privilege we have in our obedience to the Lord to plant seeds in the hearts of these little ones! We pray that the Lord would cause those seeds to grow!

What do these verses NOT include?

Boasting about the achievements of individuals in the school.