Category: 2 Corinthians

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 4:1-7 before reading the devotional below.

Any time a new section of the Bible starts with “therefore,” it’s a good idea to back up and figure out what the author is referencing. In this case, Paul has just finished talking about the new way that God made himself available to us through the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This new opportunity to encounter God gives us new hope. There’s no need to trick anybody into becoming a follower of Jesus — the truth is amazing enough! What Paul was preaching was not about him, and anyone truly preaching the Gospel won’t make it about themselves. The power of God is a treasure, and we are mere vessels.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You are a bright light.

When you have the Holy Spirit, you are like a jar that holds a candle and shoots light out in all directions. You are fragile, not suited to display all of God’s glory by yourself. But you can shine the piece he puts in you — a little tealight that can add to other tealights to make a much larger light. Some might not understand the good news of Jesus, and some might try to snuff out your light. In this passage, Satan is called “the god of this world.” He is working to maintain control and keep the darkness dark. If you think of yourself as a fragile vessel, what does that mean for how you engage with the Holy Spirit?

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 before reading the devotional below.

If you haven’t read the story of Exodus, particularly chapter 34, you should take a minute to read it so that today’s passage makes more sense. Paul is referring to the moment when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the top of Mount Sinai. This was actually the second set of stone tablets — the first set was smashed on the ground after Moses came down the mountain to find the people worshiping a golden calf. It was a rough day.

Those commandments were known as a “covenant” because they were not a bunch of rules. They were a supernatural contract. God promised that he would bless the people if they kept his commands. This is not a manipulation on God’s part. Living in these ways truly protect you from the harm of sin. However, keeping all the rules can’t eternally save you, and that’s Paul’s reminder today.

Here’s your freedom for today:

The Spirit gives you freedom.

There it is, my favorite word! Freedom. Right there in verse 17. It’s what comes with a direct encounter with the Spirit of God. Moses got to see it at the top of the mountain, but he had to be shielded a bit. But we live in a new era, a time when we can directly receive the Spirit because Jesus tore down the separation (check out Matthew 27:45-56). Jewish religious people had focused on the rules, so they missed the point of what God had been teaching them. God’s promises were never about the rules themselves. They were about freedom. Here’s how to live, it will make you free. Here’s my Spirit, he will set you free. If you are living a life that’s anything less than free, ask for more! Seek the Spirit, ask to see more of the glory of God.

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 before reading the devotional below.

We aren’t entirely sure, but Paul seems to be making reference to some false preachers that had made their way to the Corinthian church. Paul is setting himself and his assistants apart from these false teachers, who were preaching something other than the good news of Jesus.

Paul’s use of metaphor in this passage is rich and full of meaning, so let’s not gloss over it. He says that the proof that God is working through Paul is written on their hearts, not on tablets of stone. When you imagine stone tablets, does anything come to mind? If you’ve read the book of Exodus (or seen the movie Prince of Egypt), you might think of the Ten Commandments. Paul is setting up a contrast here between things that we know deep down in our spirits versus things that have to be written down in an earthly way. He’s beginning an argument that will help the Corinthians understand the depth of the Gospel.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s promises are life-giving.

Paul wants us to be comparing old and new, stone and spirit, death and life. His comparison points to at least some of what the false preachers might have been saying — they were probably trying to say that Jewish religious rules were still necessary to follow even though Jesus came and offered salvation. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that this was the old way of thinking. They used to have commandments on tablets of stone, but now they have something far greater written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit himself. We’ll dive deeper into this tomorrow as we read on. Keep this old and new contrast in mind.

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 before reading the devotional below.

Paul’s life is complicated and messy, and he holds it up as a prime example of what it means to follow Jesus. He’s travelling around preaching the good news of Jesus (in an age with no electricity, fast transportation, or internet…), and he’s doing a lot of things all at the same time. He’s listening to the Holy Spirit on where he should go next, he’s eagerly awaiting word about the well-being of the Corinthian church (and other churches as well). He’s writing letters and managing a far-reaching movement.

In this passage we see the contrast of how people felt about Paul (and all Christians). He’s loved by some and hated by others. It turns out, when we follow Jesus we will smell different. To some we smell like a sweet perfume, to others a rotten stench. The only thing that really matters is how we smell to God.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God recognizes your sincerity.

Some who call themselves “Christians” smell awful… and everyone can tell. Even God thinks they stink. They are so far from acting like Jesus that it’s horrible to have his name come out of their mouths. These are the “hucksters” who preach for their own personal gain. All they really want is power or wealth. They might have even convinced themselves that they want power or wealth to do good for God’s kingdom. But it’s really all about themselves. Others are sincere, loving, wanting to genuinely help others find Jesus. Give yourself a little sniff today — how do you smell?

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 2:1-11 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever been just close enough to a conflict to know something is going on but not fully understand what? That’s the feeling I get reading today’s passage. Paul is alluding to a conflict, and a specific individual, that hurt the Corinthian church and to some degree hurt Paul as well. The church is hurting, and it sounds as though a visit from Paul at the wrong time might have just made it all worse.

We don’t have the details on what happened or who this person was. But we know that Paul encourages the church to forgive him. Not only that, but he writes that they should “forgive and comfort him” and “reaffirm love for him.” He says that not doing so would cause the man to be overcome by discouragement.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Healing is possible with love.

It might sound awful to think that the hurting Corinthians who had clearly been wronged were now expected to not only forgive but love and comfort this harmful person. What is that person doing to restore trust? How can that guy bring comfort back to them? I find a clue at least in this situation in the word “discouragement.” Sometimes someone can hurt you in ways that don’t reflect their character but instead reflect the messiness of a situation. Recall that in 1 Corinthians Paul had no trouble telling them to kick out a man who was bragging about his sin. Sometimes hurt happens when well-meaning people try their best. And the mess that happened is not what defines that person who harmed you. Forgiveness and restoration creates pathways for healing on both sides. It’s not always possible, but here we see a situation in which maybe the person was so discouraged by what happened that they might start seeing themselves by their worst mistake. Being a part of God’s family means that we don’t define each other by our worst mistake. We give each other second chances. Who can you give a second chance today?