The Light of the Gospel

2 Corinthians 3:16 &18 (NLT)
¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. …. ¹⁸So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. ….

John 8:12 (NLT)
Jesus, the Light of the World
¹²Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

We can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (NLT)
The Light of the Gospel
4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. ²We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
³If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
⁵You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (NLT)
The Light of the Gospel
¹Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us (Paul and his coworkers) this new way, we never give up.

Grace is a gift we don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve.

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

God’s role in this verse: God saved us by his grace.

- - God saved us by his grace.

Our role in this verse: Never give up.

- - Paul never gave up. We should never get tired of doing what is good.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

²We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods.

Matthew 24:24 (NLT)
²⁴For 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.

We are surrounded by false teachers.

We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

We (Paul and his coworkers) don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God.

Colossians 2:4 (NLT)
⁴I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

We should not be fooled by well-crafted arguments and we should not use well-crafted arguments to try to convince others of God’s truths.

We don’t argue. We share the truth.

We dare not water down scripture.

2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)
³For 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.

We dare not be influenced to teach just what people want to hear.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
An Approved Worker
¹⁵Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

³If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

We cannot persuade people to believe; only God can do that.

Some people won’t “get it”. That is not our responsibility.

⁴Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.

⁵You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves.

It’s not about us.

We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord,

We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord.

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

and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.

We are Christ’s servants.

⁶For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Physical
Genesis 1:3
³Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Spiritual
Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

Encounter the life-transforming glory of God.

Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)
⁸For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

Matthew 5:16 (NLT)
¹⁶In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Live as someone who has been transformed by the glory of God.
Live as people of light!

The Judah Interlude

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The Judah Interlude

The story of Joseph is interrupted by this chapter.

This chapter is here because it fits chronologically.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)
⁸“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.*
⁹For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Our small minds can’t understand why God does some of the things he does.
God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.

Genesis 38:1-30 (NLT)Judah and Tamar
38 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah. ²There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her, ³she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. ⁴Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. ⁵And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.
⁶In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. ⁷But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life. ⁸Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”
⁹But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. ¹⁰But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.
¹¹Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.
¹²Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. ¹³Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
¹⁴Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. ¹⁵Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. ¹⁶So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law.
“How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.
¹⁷“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised.
“But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.
¹⁸“What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied.
She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.” So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. ¹⁹Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.
²⁰Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her. ²¹So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?”
“We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.
²²So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”
²³“Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”
²⁴About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.”
“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.
²⁵But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”
²⁶Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again.
²⁷When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it w discovered that she was carrying twins. ²⁸While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” ²⁹But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez. ³⁰Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 38:1-30 (NLT)
Judah and Tamar
38 About this time,

Joseph’s slavery in Egypt.

Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah.

Northwest of Hebron
Southwest of Jerusalem

²There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her.

Israelites would later be instructed not to marry Canaanite women.

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 (NLT)
The Privilege of Holiness
7 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. ²When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. ³You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.

When he slept with her, ³she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. ⁴Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. ⁵And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah.

His Canaanite wife had three sons for his family line.

At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.

Southwest of Adullam

⁶In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. ⁷But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life.

Executed by the Lord for his wickedness.

⁸Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

Levirate marriage (duties of a brother in law)

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (NLT)
⁵“If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. ⁶The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
⁷“But if the man refuses to marry his brother’s widow, she must go to the town gate and say to the elders assembled there, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel—he refuses to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law by marrying me.’ ⁸The elders of the town will then summon him and talk with him. If he still refuses and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ ⁹the widow must walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she must declare, ‘This is what happens to a man who refuses to provide his brother with children.’ ¹⁰Ever afterward in Israel his family will be referred to as ‘the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off’!

⁹But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother.

The child would belong to his brother, Judah’s oldest son, giving him special inheritance rights.

This would reduce the importance of Onan’s family line and his share of Judah’s inheritance.

¹⁰But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.

The Lord executed Onan.

¹¹Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.

¹²Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah (hill country of Judah-west of Jerusalem) to supervise the shearing of his sheep. ¹³Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

¹⁴Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.

Hittite inheritance practices called the father-in-law into a levirate marriage in the absence of sons to do so.

¹⁵Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. ¹⁶So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law.

Judah is making some very poor choices.

“How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.¹⁷
“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised.
“But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.¹⁸“What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied.
She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.”

Three pieces of identification.

So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. ¹⁹Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.

²⁰Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her. ²¹So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?”

Shrine prostitution was an acceptable practice in the Canaanite culture.

“We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.
²²So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”
²³“Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”

It was not good for one’s reputation to keep asking for the whereabouts of a prostitute.

²⁴About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.
“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.

Double standard??

²⁵But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”
²⁶Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.”

Tamar’s inheritance rights.

The rights of the levirate custom.

Remember Ruth and Naomi
A women’s identity was established in relation to males.

And Judah never slept with Tamar again.

²⁷When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it w discovered that she was carrying twins. ²⁸While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” ²⁹But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez. ³⁰Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

Perez – his name means “breach” or “pushing through”

Judah:

Genesis 46:12 (NLT)
¹²The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (though Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

Matthew 1:3 (NLT) Genealogy
³Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.

Genesis 49:8-10 (NLT) Jacob’s blessing
⁸“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
¹⁰The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.

Revelation 5:5 (NLT)
⁵But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Removing the Veil

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Removing the Veil

The veil has been removed. Christians have been given a “confident hope”.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NLT)
¹²Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. ¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. ¹⁴But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. ¹⁵Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NLT)
¹²Since this new way gives us such confidence,

Another translation:
¹²Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, (NIV)

What is this new way? What is this hope? What is Paul talking about in this passage?

Acceptance by God.

Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Believing the promises in scripture that are given to Christians.

Romans 8:24 (NLT)
²⁴We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)
¹⁸I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

1 Peter 1:21 (NLT)
²¹Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

Christians have been given a “confident hope”. (Ephesians 1:18)

we can be very bold.

¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.

Moses may have felt that the people were unworthy of God’s glory.

The veil communicated obscurity.

Reminds me of:

Matthew 27:51 (NLT)
⁵¹At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

What does a veil do?

Separates

Obscures

¹⁴But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth.

There are many people who can not understand spiritual truths. (These people are without hope.)

And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

Without Christ, the deep spiritual truths of the Old Testament are veiled.

Romans 10:17 (NLT)
¹⁷So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

¹⁵Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

This principle does not just apply to the Old Testament.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)
¹⁴But people who aren’t spiritual (without the Holy Spirit) can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (NLT)
The Wisdom of God
¹⁸The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ¹⁹As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

A passage in our next lesson:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)
³If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Matthew 13:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
¹⁶“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Whenever someone turns to the Lord (believes in Christ), the veil is taken away.

¹⁷For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

¹⁸So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

Salvation removes the veil for “all of us”.

Again this reminds me of:

Matthew 27:51 (NLT)
⁵¹At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Bring changed – being transformed

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
²Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Avoid Spiritual Malnutrition. Spend time in the Word.

Joseph Sold By His Brothers

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Bullet Points from previous lessons:

God is sovereign.
God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.
Living outside of the will of God is sin.
Partial obedience is disobedience.
The human heart is deceitful.
Sin has consequences and sin is always destructive.
Parental favoritism hurts family relationships.
God will finish the work He has begun in us.
God uses flawed people.
God’s blessings are not a promise of an easy carefree life.
Sanctification is an ongoing process that will not be complete or reach perfection in this life.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

This lesson includes all of the bullet points listed above.

Genesis 37:12-36 (NLT)

¹²Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. ¹³When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.”
“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.
¹⁴“Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.
¹⁵When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
¹⁶“I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?”
¹⁷“Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
Joseph Sold into Slavery
¹⁸When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. ¹⁹“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. ²⁰“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
²¹But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. ²²“Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.
²³So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. ²⁴Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. ²⁵Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
²⁶Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. ²⁷Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. ²⁸So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.
²⁹Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. ³⁰Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”
³¹Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. ³²They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”
³³Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” ³⁴Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. ³⁵His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.
³⁶Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 37:12-36 (NLT)
¹²Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers

Review
Who were Joseph’s brothers?

Genesis 35:21-26 NLT
²¹…
These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
²³The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
²⁴The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
²⁵The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
²⁶The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.

Exodus 1:1-7 NLT
The Israelites in Egypt
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family: ²Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, ³Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, ⁴Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ⁵In all, Jacob had seventy descendants in Egypt, including Joseph, who was already there.
⁶In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. ⁷But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.

The 12 sons of Jacob became the heads of the twelve original tribes of Israel.

Revelation 7:1-8 (NLT)
God’s People Will Be Preserved
7 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. ²And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, ³“Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
⁴And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:

⁵*from Judah*	*12,000*
*from Reuben*	*12,000*
*from Gad*	*12,000*
⁶*from Asher*	*12,000*
*from Naphtali*	*12,000*
*from Manasseh*	*12,000*
⁷*from Simeon*	*12,000*
*from Levi*	*12,000*
*from Issachar*	*12,000*
⁸*from Zebulun*	*12,000*
*from Joseph*	*12,000*
*from Benjamin*	*12,000*

went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. ¹³When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.”

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.

Joseph obeyed his father, knowing that his brothers hated him.

¹⁴“Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.

50 miles north of Hebron

¹⁵When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
¹⁶“I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?”
¹⁷“Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.

An additional 15 miles

Dothan was along a main trade route to Egypt.

Out of obedience to his father, Joseph traveled a minimum of 65 miles before he met up with his brothers.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

¹⁸When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him.

Joseph’s brothers made plans to kill Joseph.

This is clearly premeditated murder.

What had the brothers previously done in Shechem?

Revenge against Shechem
^{Genesis 34:1} One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. ²But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.
⁸Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. ⁹In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. ¹⁰And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
¹¹Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. ¹²No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
¹³But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. ¹⁴They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! ¹⁵But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, ¹⁶then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. ¹⁷But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
¹⁸Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.
²¹“These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. ²²But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. ²³But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
²⁴So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. ²⁵But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, ²⁶including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
²⁷Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. ²⁸They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. ²⁹They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.

Joseph’s brothers had a history of violence. (Genesis 34)

¹⁹“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. ²⁰“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

Joseph’s brothers were ready to murder their brother and lie to their father.

²¹But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. ²²“Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

Joseph’s brothers behaved in various ways. Not all of the brothers wanted to kill Joseph.

²³So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. ²⁴Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. ²⁵Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.

The Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham by Hagar (16:15) and the Midianites (37:28) were descended from Abraham by his concubine Keturah (25:2). The term Ishmaelites became a general designation for desert tribes, so that Midianite traders were also known as Ishmaelites.

²⁶Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. ²⁷Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.

Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders.

Before the time of the “law”
Private and commercial slave trading was common.

Deuteronomy 24:7 (NLT)
⁷“If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.

Exodus 21:16 (NLT)
¹⁶“Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.

Kidnapping a fellow Israelite, was by the Law of Moses punishable by death. (The Law had not been given at this point in time, but this behavior is clearly unacceptable.)

²⁸So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

The current price of a slave.

Joseph was sold for the price of a slave.

²⁹Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. ³⁰Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”

³¹Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. ³²They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

More lies and deception.

³³Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” ³⁴Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. ³⁵His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave (Sheol) mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

Jacob was deceived by his sons. This deception impacted Jacob’s life for years.

Previous deception:

Genesis 27:18-29 (NLT)¹⁸So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.
“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”
¹⁹Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
²⁰Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.
²¹Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” ²²So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. ²³But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. ²⁴“But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.
²⁵Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. ²⁶Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”
²⁷So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!
²⁸“From the dew of heaven
and the richness of the earth,
may God always give you abundant harvests of grain
and bountiful new wine.
²⁹May many nations become your servants,
and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
and all who bless you will be blessed.”

Jacob had previously deceived his father Isaac.

³⁶Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.

Looking ahead

Genesis 50:20 (NLT)
²⁰You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Avoiding Spiritual Malnutrition

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Introduction:

What do you think would happen to you if you spent quality time every day reading and meditating on the book of Proverbs?

Scripture answers this question for us. Read chapter 1:2-5

Proverbs 1:1-5 (NLT)
The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
²Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
³Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
⁴These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
⁵Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance …

What do you think would happen to you if you spent quality time every day reading and meditating on the book of Psalms?

The book of Psalms promotes an attitude of Worship & Praise.

Psalms remind us of the Sovereignty of God.

Etc.

What do you think would happen to you if you spent quality time every day reading and meditating on the Gospels?

We gain a better understanding of all that Jesus did for us.

(and more)

On the New Testament?

On the Old Testament?

Lesson Title: Avoiding Spiritual Malnutrition

Study the Scriptures.

What happens to us when we spend time in the Word?

It changes us.
It changes the way we think.
It molds us.
It transforms us into new people.

2 Peter 1:1-4 (NLT)
Greetings from Peter
1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
²May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
Growing in Faith
³By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Examine the scripture:

Peter is writing to Christians who have received the gift of salvation.

³By his divine power, God has given us (God has made available to us) everything we need for living a godly life.

We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Know Him – An intimate “full knowledge” of Christ.

Everything we need for living a Godly life becomes ours by “coming to know Him”.

⁴And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

What are God’s promises?

We need to know God’s promises. These promises are not really ours if we don’t know them.

As we come to know God better and better, God is giving us everything we need for living a Godly life.
As we learn to know God’s promises, we are able to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

We become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We are being transformed.
Become more like Christ.
God gives us everything we need to live Godly lives.

What does God’s Word do?

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

¹²For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)
¹⁰“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
¹¹It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

God’s word produces fruit.
God’s word accomplishes all God wants it to.

Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)
⁹So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.

All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

You will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
God’s Word produces fruit. (repeated)

John 17:17 (NLT)
¹⁷Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

Psalm 119:11 (NLT)
¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

God’s Word makes us holy.

Romans 10:17 (NLT)
¹⁷So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Faith comes from hearing the Good News about Christ.

James 1:21 (NLT)
²¹So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

God’s word has the power to save your soul.

What should our response be to all of this?

Let God transform you.

Matthew 4:4 (NLT)⁴But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Don’t starve yourself.

Malnutrition or starvation is the result of an insufficient diet.

Teachers and parents need to be strong and healthy. (Spiritually)

We need to be studying the scriptures throughout the week. (Reflecting on it continually)

John 15:4-8 (NLT)
⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵“Yes, I 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. ⁶Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Apart from Christ and His words we can do nothing.

2 Peter 3:18 (NLT)
¹⁸Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:8-14 (NLT)
⁸So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.
⁹For 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. ¹⁰And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. ¹¹And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
¹²That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.
¹³Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

Carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

You can’t guard truth you don’t know.

Final comment:

1 Timothy 4:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

Don’t Badmouth the Old Testament

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Three themes in today’s lesson:

Don’t Badmouth the Old Testament.

The overwhelming glory of the New Covenant.

Coming in second to the New Testament may not be all that bad.

2 Corinthians 3:7-12 (NLT)
The Glory of the New Covenant
⁷The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. ⁸Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? ⁹If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! ¹⁰In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. ¹¹So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
¹²Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 3:7-12 (NLT)
The Glory of the New Covenant
⁷The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death,

The old way.
In the Old Testament, failure to obey the law, because of everyone’s sin nature, led to death.

Reality
We have a sin nature.

Paul says it this way in Romans 7:14 (NLT)
Struggling with Sin
¹⁴So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.

No one can satisfy the demands of the Law on their own and is therefore condemned to death.

though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.

The law of the Old Covenant was in no way bad or evil.

It began with glory. (current verse)

It was glorious. (v. 11)

Romans 7:12 (NLT)
¹²But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

1 Timothy 1:8 (NLT)
⁸We know that the law is good when used correctly.

The Law reflected God’s nature, will, and character.

The law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

The glory of the old way was destined to fade away.

2 Corinthians 3:13 (NLT) (From our next lesson)
¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.

Matthew 5:17 (NLT)
Teaching about the Law
¹⁷“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

The Old Testament is important in that it:

Points to Jesus.
Shows us our need for a Savior.
The law shows us our sin. (Romans 7:7)
Presents great truths about God and humanity.
Is fulfilled in the New Testament.
Helps us better understand key Biblical principles.

One web site gave “77 Reasons to Study the Old Testament”.

The Bible is incomplete without the Old Testament.

Paul goes on to say:

⁸Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?

2 Corinthians 3:8 (NIV)
⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

2 Corinthians 3:8 (ESV)
⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

What is different between the Old Testament Law and the New Testament Gospel?

Romans 8:2-4 (NLT)
²And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. ³The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

From our last lesson:

The lives of the Corinthian believers had been changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
¹⁷This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ezekiel 11:19 (NLT)
¹⁹And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, (a heart of flesh)

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

⁹If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious,

The old way was glorious.

how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!

Romans 3:21-22 (NLT)
Christ Took Our Punishment
²¹But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. ²²We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

¹⁰In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.

In comparison!

¹¹So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious,

The old way was glorious.

how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

The new covenant is a permanent, everlasting covenant.

2 Corinthians 3:11 (NLT) (current verse)
¹¹So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Paul now describes himself in a way that should also be a description of each of us.

¹²Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

As believers, our sins are forgiven.

As believers, we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
Life in the Spirit
¹So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ²And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

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

Ministers of the New Covenant

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Ministers of the New Covenant

The false teachers in Corinth constantly attacked Paul’s competency as a minister of the Gospel.

This passage is another response from Paul addressing this matter.

If we used this passage of scripture as a model, how would we respond when our competency as a teacher, an administrator, or a member of the staff is questioned?

2 Corinthians 2:17-3:6 (NLT)
¹⁷You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
3 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! ²The 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. ³Clearly, 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.
⁴We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NLT)

¹⁷You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit.

A loose definition of a huckster:

Someone who does whatever it takes to sell something at a profit.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)
³For 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. ⁴They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

Dumb-down the message of the scriptures to make it more palatable

Paul ministered in Corinth without charge.

2 Corinthians 11:7-9 (NLT)
⁷Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? ⁸I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. ⁹And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.

We preach the word of God with sincerity

Paul speaking in 2 Corinthians 1:12 (NLT)
¹²We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

and with Christ’s authority,

Paul again in Colossians 1: 28 (NLT)
²⁸So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.

knowing that God is watching us.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NLT)
¹⁰For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Paul was not like the many hucksters who preached for personal profit.

2 Corinthians 3:1-6 (NLT)
¹ Are we beginning to praise ourselves again?

The false teachers in Corinth constantly attacked Paul’s competency as a minister of the Gospel.

This passage is another response (another defense) from Paul addressing this matter.

Another translation says it this way:
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? (ESV and others)

Paul was not so much praising himself as he was explaining to the Corinthians that God had entrusted him to share the Gospel with others.

Paul was competent to be a minister of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:1-3 (NLT)
¹Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? ²Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
³This is my answer to those who question my authority. … (chapter 9)

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)
⁴For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

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!

A common practice in the 1^st century.

²The 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.

The changed lives of the Corinthians can be identified by their fruit

Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)
The Tree and Its Fruit
¹⁵“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

³Clearly, 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.

Heart vs. stone

Jeremiah 31:33 (NLT)
³³“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Paul’s ministry was validated by lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not by a letter of recommendation.

The lives of the Corinthian believers had been changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
¹⁷This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
²⁶And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. (A heart of flesh)

⁴We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.

⁵It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

Paul’s qualifications came from God.

⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant.

This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ vs. the Law.

Only the Spirit can change the heart.

The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
(More in the next lesson)

Applying the scriptures to our lives.

If we used this passage of scripture as a model, how would we respond when our competency as a teacher is questioned?

¹⁷You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

We are not like the many teachers who teach for personal profit.

We teach with sincerity.

We may not be the most eloquent, but we can be sincere.

What is our motivation?

1 Peter 5:2 (NLT)
Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

We, like Paul, are accountable to God

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NLT) (repeated)
¹⁰For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

We are not like the many teachers who teach for personal profit. We do not teach for personal profit, but we teach because we are eager to serve God.

3 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! ²The 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. ³Clearly, 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.

Our ministry is validated by lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not by a diploma hanging on our wall.

“Changed lives, changing lives.”

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

God has enabled us to be teachers of His truths.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT)
²⁰Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
²¹may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Acts 1:8 (NLT)
⁸But 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.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Our qualifications come from God.

God equips us with all we need for doing His will.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NLT)
Paul’s Message of Wisdom
2 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. ²For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. ³I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. ⁴And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. ⁵I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

We rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of our students (or our children)

Final thoughts

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
⁶And 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

Psalm 51:10 New Living Translation (NLT)
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Triumph in Christ

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Paul digresses, leaving the story of Titus, to discuss his ministry as an apostle proclaiming the Good News.

Optional titles for this lesson might include one or more of the following:

Ministers of the New Covenant

The Nature of the Ministry

Triumph in Christ

To Some, We Smell Good, To Others, We Stink

This lesson should help us develop a mental picture of who we are in the eyes of God.

This picture does not apply to many of the people who are in ministry today.

This is how Paul pictures his ministry.

There are certainly lessons for us to learn from Paul’s picture of ministry.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NLT)
Ministers of the New Covenant
Triumph in Christ
¹⁴But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. ¹⁵Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. ¹⁶To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
¹⁷You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NLT)
¹⁴But thank God!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Be thankful in all circumstances.

This phrase will become more meaningful as we move through this passage.

We need to be thankful in circumstances that are not of our own choosing.

He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.

Paul uses a picture of a Roman triumphal procession following a great victorious campaign by a conquering general or king.

This Roman ceremony was called “the triumph”.

After winning a battle, Roman generals marched through the streets of Rome to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill.

This triumphal procession was held to publicly celebrate, honor, and award the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory.

The general wore a crown of laurel and the all-purple, gold-embroidered triumphal toga, clothing that identified him as near-divine or near-kingly,

Some ancient and modern sources suggest a fairly standard processional order.

First came the captive leaders, allies, and soldiers (and sometimes their families) usually walking in chains; some were destined for execution or further display.

Next in line, all on foot, came Rome’s senators and magistrates, followed by the general’s lictors (bodyguards whose task was to protect the magistrates.) in their red war-robes, their fasces wreathed in laurel, then the general in his four-horse chariot. A companion, or a public slave, might share the chariot with him or, in some cases, his youngest children.

His officers and elder sons rode horseback nearby. His unarmed soldiers followed in togas and laurel crowns, chanting “io triumphe!” and singing ribald songs at their general’s expense.

Somewhere in the procession, two flawless white oxen were led for the sacrifice to Jupiter, garland-decked, and with gilded horns.

Somewhere in the procession, there were pagan priests burning incense to the gods.

At Jupiter’s temple on the Capitoline Hill, he offered sacrifice and the tokens of his victory to the god Jupiter. On some occasions, this included some of the captives who were also put to death as a sacrifice to the Roman gods.

All this was done to the accompaniment of music, clouds of incense, and the strewing of flowers.

Occasionally there was so much on display that the show lasted two or three days.

Verse 14 repeated:

¹⁴But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.

God made us His captives.

We are Christ’s captives.

Through Christ, God the Victor had vanquished His enemies.

We who have been taken captive by Christ, march in His parade.

We live to glorify him through our life and death.

1 Corinthians 4:9 (NLT)
Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike.

1 Corinthians 4:10-12 (NLT)
¹⁰Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. ¹¹Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. ¹²We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.

Ephesians 3:1 (NLT)
…, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus …

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.

Galatians 6:17 (NLT)
… For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.

Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.

In the Roman triumph processional incense was burned. Paul compared this to the knowledge of Christ, which like a fragrance was diffused everywhere throughout the world via the preaching of the gospel.

God uses His captives to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere.

this gives us a fuller meaning to Romans 12:1

A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

¹⁵Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.

¹⁶To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.

Repulsive

But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.

Attractive

Our lives are a life-giving perfume to those who are being saved or a dreadful smell of death and doom to those who are perishing.

Your walk with Christ will be encouraging and motivating to some, and at the same time your walk with Christ will be repulsive to others.

And who is adequate for such a task as this?

Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)
Unity in the Body
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NLT)
⁵It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. …

What a profound responsibility Paul placed on believers! We are an aroma to the world of life or death. How essential for us to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ in such a way as to bring life. We have God’s promise of victory—He leads us in His procession. We are utterly unequal to the task, but Christ gives us grace and power to evangelize with effect.

God continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.

¹⁷You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit.

Some of Paul’s opponents demanded payment for their ministries.

Many are in ministry just to earn money.

For the moment, however, he recalled the work of the false apostles. They thought themselves more than adequate but it was because their message and motivation differed so radically from Paul’s. To that point, he needed to respond.

We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

1 Timothy 1:17 (NLT)
All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

The Lord Opens and Closes Doors of Opportunity

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The Lord Opens and Closes Doors of Opportunity.

What is a door?

Door:

The opening for entering or leaving.

An opening to an opportunity.

Giving or denying access.

The Lord opens and closes doors of opportunity.

This is an undisputable Biblical truth.

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NLT)
¹²When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. ¹³But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NLT)

¹²When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ,

Paul is writing about some of his recent travels.

Paul came to Troas after leaving Ephesus for Macedonia.

2 Corinthians is Paul’s fourth letter to the Corinthians and was written in A.D. 55/56
(See lesson 119).
Paul was in Macedonia at that time.

Paul intended to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in Troas.

Paul was planning to meet up with Titus at Troas.

Who was Titus?

Titus

A co-worker of Paul

Loved by Paul
2 Corinthians 2:13 (today’s passage)
“My dear brother Titus”

Titus 1:4
“My true son in the faith that we share.”

Trusted

2 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT)
⁶So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.

Titus 1:5 (NLT)
⁵I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.

Paul had sent Titus to Corinth (late summer AD 54) to present the “tearful letter”
(vv. 3-4, Paul’s 3^rd letter, now lost)

Paul was planning to meet up with Titus, who was traveling from Corinth to Troas, in the city of Troas, to give Paul an update on the Corinthian Church.

Paul was traveling north and Titus was traveling up and around the Aegean Sea from Corinth. They were planning to meet in the middle.

Paul was anxious to know (had no peace of mind) how the Corinthians had responded to his “tearful letter”.

the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.

Paul in vv. 12 “came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ”.

God sovereignly provided a great evangelistic opportunity for Paul.

The Lord opens doors of opportunity for us.

Throughout his life, Paul had prayed for opportunities to share the gospel.

Colossians 4:3 (NLT)
Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.

Paul was aware of God opening doors of opportunity for him, in the past, to share the good news.

Acts 14:27 (NLT)
Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.

Paul knew from experience that God opening doors does not negate opposition.

1 Corinthians 16:9 (NLT) Paul at Ephesus
There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.

Paul knew that God had opened a door of opportunity for him.

I feel that it would be wrong to teach a lesson about God opening doors without mentioning the fact that God also closes doors of opportunities.

Acts 16:6-7 (NLT)
A Call from Macedonia
⁶ Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. ⁷Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.

Paul knew of times when God had closed doors of opportunities for him.

God closes doors of opportunities.

Open doors don’t always just happen.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)
Effective Prayer
⁷“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This is a process that can take time.

Asking

Seeking

Knocking

Open doors don’t “just happen”.

¹³But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you.

Paul had hoped to minister in Troas.

Despite a good response to the Gospel in Troas. Paul had “no peace of mind”. Paul was concerned about the welfare of Titus and the Church in Corinth.

Titus may have been carrying with him a portion of the proposed Corinthian collection may have been attacked and robbed.

2 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT)
So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.

So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.

Paul was unable to focus on ministry to Troas.

Titus, one of Paul’s closest associates in ministry.

Paul “had no peace of mind.”

2 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT)
When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.

A troubled heart and mind caused Paul to turn his back on the open door in Troas.

A troubled heart and mind prevented Paul from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.

On a return trip, Paul does return to Troas and has a chance to minister to the local believers. (Acts 20:5-11)

P.S. Paul does find Titus in Macedonia and Titus has a good report about the Corinthian church.

One final thought

Revelation 3:20(NLT)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Sometimes God provides an opportunity, but we have to open the door.

The Lord opens and closes doors of opportunity.
Paul intended to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in Troas.
Paul knew that God had opened a door of opportunity for him.
Paul knew of times when God had closed doors of opportunities for him.
A troubled heart and mind prevented Paul from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.

Application:

The Lord opens doors of opportunity for us.

Pray for open doors.

Know that opposition may accompany open doors.

God closes doors of opportunities.

Accept the fact that God also closes doors.

Open doors don’t “just happen”.

Ask – Seek – Knock

Sometimes God provides an opportunity, but we have to open the door.

A troubled heart and mind may prevent us from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.

A troubled heart and mind may prevent us from taking advantage of an open door for ministry at the present time, but be aware of the door remaining open for future opportunities.

The Door that God Opens Will Never Contradict His Word.

Forgiveness For The Sinner.

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Forgiveness for the sinner.

Greetings to all of you.

In seven verses (2 Corinthians 2:5-11) Paul reminds us how we should deal with sin in the lives of other Christians.

For most of you, this is nothing new.

Most of you already know this, you just need to remember to put all of this into practice.

All too often we choose to ignore sin in the Church.

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (NLT)

Forgiveness for the Sinner

⁵I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. ⁶Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. ⁷Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. ⁸So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.
⁹I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. ¹⁰When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, ¹¹so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (NLT)Forgiveness for the Sinner

⁵I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me.

Paul was hurt, and Paul states that the trouble hurt the Corinthians more than it hurt him.

The man who caused all the trouble hurt you, the church.

Scripture does not tell us who this man was or exactly what he did to cause trouble in the church.

The man had sinned and the hurt was real.

The hurt and destruction caused by sin is real and is often far-reaching.

Isaiah 24:5-6 (NLT)
⁵The earth suffers for the sins of its people,
for they have twisted God’s instructions,
violated his laws,
and broken his everlasting covenant.
⁶Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.
Its people must pay the price for their sin.
They are destroyed by fire,
and only a few are left alive.

⁶Most of you opposed him,

Sin should not go unaddressed.

Sin is serious.

Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death,

to their credit, it appears that many in the Corinthian Church did recognize the seriousness of sin.

To their credit, it also appears that the Corinthian church did address this man’s sin.

and that was punishment enough.

The Greek word for punishment as it is used here denotes “an official action by the church against this individual”.

1 Timothy 5:20 (NLT)
Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

Most likely exclusion from the fellowship.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 (NLT)
Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.

Paul credits the Corinthians for doing what they needed to do.

There are times when punishment is necessary.

You know this but:

Remember the reason for punishing sinful behaviors.

The goal is remorse (genuine sorrow), repentance, and restoration of relationships.

Galatians 6:1 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Punishment should be designed to help the person who sinned back onto the right path.
- remorse (genuine sorrow),
- repentance,
- reconciliation (restoration of relationships).

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NLT)
¹⁸… God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

⁷Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.

Apparently the man who had caused so much trouble in Corinth did express genuine sorrow and repentance.

Punishment for sin is necessary, but after repentance by the sinner, forgiveness and comfort are necessary.

Remember the goal:

Remorse (genuine sorrow), repentance, reconciliation, and restored fellowship.

Paul calls for two actions.

Forgive

Luke 17:3 (NLT)
³So watch yourselves!
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Comfort

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

People will sin. Your children will sin. Your students will sin. Your spouse will sin.

⁸So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

Reaffirm your love to the person who hurt you.

⁹I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions.

The Corinthian Church could demonstrate their commitment to Paul by their obedience to his directives.

¹⁰When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit,

Forgiving others is a Biblical mandate.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)
²¹Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
²²“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

¹¹so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Three things Satan did not want to see in the Corinthian church:

Three things Satan does not want to see in general:

Remorse (Genuine sorrow),

Repentance,

Reconciliation (Restored fellowship).

The hurt and destruction caused by sin is real and is often far-reaching.
Sin should not go unaddressed.
There are times when punishment is necessary.
Punishment should be designed to help the person who sinned back onto the right path.
- remorse (genuine sorrow),
- repentance,
- reconciliation (restoration of relationships).
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.
Reaffirm your love to the person who hurt you.

Seeking His Kingdom Ministries blog

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The Light of the Gospel

The Judah Interlude

Removing the Veil

Joseph Sold By His Brothers

Avoiding Spiritual Malnutrition

Don’t Badmouth the Old Testament

Ministers of the New Covenant

Triumph in Christ

The Lord Opens and Closes Doors of Opportunity

Forgiveness For The Sinner.