2 Corinthians, 1:12-24
Hal Molloy · Jul 11, 2004
2 Corinthians (2004-05), No. 02
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4826239467000

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Let's look at the very first outline that we were given last week to kind of get a picture of what we're going to be looking at this morning. The outline of 2 Corinthians was the first page that we were given last week. So this morning we're going to be looking at chapter 1 verses 12 through 14 and the theme is his life and ministry is out of God's grace and not human wisdom. Then we're also going to be looking at verses 15 through 24, and his life and ministry focuses on God's people and Christ. So, Lord willing, that is what we'll be able to get through this morning, is to give you an idea of the direction that we're heading. So let's just start out by reading those verses.

Verses 12, 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 12 down through verse 24. and I'll be reading out of the New American Standard Version, and it says this, For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially towards you. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end. just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours in the day of our Lord Jesus. In this confidence I intended at first to come to you so that you might twice receive a blessing, that is to pass your way into Macedonia and again from Macedonia to come to you and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea.

Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purposed, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yes and no, but is yes in him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes. Therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy, for in your faith you are standing firm." Alright, so let's go back up to verse 12 and we're going to kind of see how far we can get here this morning. So verse 12 said this, our proud confidence is this, that the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and God's sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world and especially towards you.

So he talks about this, having this proud confidence. That's an interesting thing that he would talk about having proud confidence. Now I see it this way, there's three positives and then there is a negative. First of all, there's a positive that the testimony of their conscience is a positive thing there, as he's talking about his proud confidence. And then that in holiness and godly sincerity is also a positive. Not in fleshly wisdom is a negative, but then in the grace of God there is a positive.

So, testimony is what is known to be true of somebody's life, if you think about that. What's a testimony? You know, many people say, well, you know, that person has a good testimony or that person, boy, they really don't have a very good testimony because, you know, one way or the other. So, testimony is what is known to be true about someone's life.

And here he says that his testimony is in holiness and is in godly Now, Vine mentions his conscience, the testimony of his conscience, and Vine says this about it, that it is the faculty by which we apprehend or understand the will of God as that which is designed to govern one's lives. So, with that definition, his conscience is said to be in holiness, or is said to be in godly sincerity, or is said to be pure.

Now the King James uses the word simplicity in place of the word holiness there. So we see sincerity and simplicity. Now Tasker makes this comment regarding the idea of sincerity. It's uncertain here which it refers to. There are two possible takes upon this word, but one may be referring to a cleansing process of rolling and shaking in a sieve, so that what is purged and widowed in this way may be regarded as unadulterated. We also may take on the meaning of this.

It may denote what is found to be unstained when examined in the sunlight, and this connotation here would convey the suggestion that this passage, that Paul's character, would stand the test of the searching gaze of God. that Paul's character would stand the test of the searching gaze of God.

So his proud confidence in his testimony are in holiness, simplicity, and in godly sincerity. And then it continues on, it says, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God. So his confidence is clearly not in his own abilities, clearly not in his own efforts, or his own talents, or whatever comes from himself, not from fleshly wisdom, but his confidence is seen to be in the grace of God. So he's putting the emphasis on God, putting the emphasis on the Lord, and not upon himself. And he says, this is how we've conducted ourselves in the world, and especially towards you.

So take that for just a moment, and where do we find our confidence? It's very easy for us to find our confidence in our own abilities, or in our own talents, or in our own achievements, whether it's during the day, or whether it's during the week, or whether it's during the month. Boy, I was able to get this done, and that done, and I did this, and I did that. Boy, because of that, now I feel confident about the day, or I feel confident that I had a good week, because of what I got done.

So easy for us to fall prey to the mindset of ourselves, of our fleshly wisdom, and of the world, and to find our confidence in ourselves. And Paul is saying, no, that's not the right place to find your confidence. You need to find your confidence in the grace of God. Let's look at, real quickly, 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Just go over one page there. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, look at verse 4 through 6. Let's see. I think I have the wrong I have the wrong thing up here. Was anybody going to tell me that? No? Okay. There we go.

Alright, 2 Corinthians chapter 3. We can see a little more clearly, understand Paul's heart here. and what it is that he's getting at when he's communicating there in chapter 1, verse 12. So, chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians, in verse 4, I'm going to read down through verse 6.

Such confidence we have through Christ towards God, not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

You kind of hear and understand Paul's heart there, the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. So where's the confidence coming from? Not from himself, but it's through Christ. Not that we're adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. Very clear there. And go over with me to Philippians as well. Let's look at chapter 3 and verse 3. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 3.

For we who are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God, in glory in Christ Jesus, put no confidence in the flesh." Just the last phrase there of that verse, he says, we put no confidence in the flesh. So he says in Corinthians that his confidence wasn't coming through fleshly wisdom, but through the grace of God. And here he's saying that we put no confidence in the flesh.

Really important, I think, for us to understand what it is that Paul is striving to communicate to us there. So let's go to verse 13. Back to chapter 1 of 2 Corinthians, and let's look at verse 13. He says, For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope that you will understand until the end. What here he's saying is, he's encouraged him not to read into the letter. He's encouraging them not to read into what it is that he's written to them.

Because what's happening, we're going to see this a little bit, they're reading into what he's written, trying to find a hidden answer. Is my yes, yes? Or my no, no? My yes, yes? They're reading into what it is that he's writing. And he says to them, we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand. Don't try to read in and find something in what I've written to you that really isn't there. And I hope that you will understand until the end. Verse 14, just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud, as you also are ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.

So he talks about them being proud of each other. Now that's an interesting thought, that they would be proud of each other. So we have to ask the question, why is it that they would be proud of the other person? Why would Paul be proud of the Corinthians? And then why would the Corinthians be proud of Paul? What are you all's thoughts there? I don't know. I didn't look that up. Okay. Okay. So, read yours there through the whole verse. Okay. Okay.

So the idea there of rejoicing. Yeah. I don't know, I guess the word proud could be a negative thing. I mean, it's not, you know, whereas rejoicing, on the other hand, could be, they're rejoicing in who he is in Christ. Right. I guess the word proud there could be the same. Right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Boast? Okay. So we have boast or rejoice or to be proud. Okay. Do you know what the Greek word is there, Hal? Boast or rejoice. Okay. That's right. Exactly right. That's right. So, the reason, I think, that Paul is able to boast or to rejoice or to be proud in the people there in Corinth is because of Christ in them, who is the hope of glory.

You know, Colossians talks about that. Christ in you, who is the hope of glory. And the reason that Paul makes mention that the people of Corinth would be able to to boast or rejoice or to be proud in Him is because of God's gracious work in their lives.

That is where, that's the only place that we would be able to rejoice or to boast or to be proud. And so, you know, we can rejoice about other people's lives here, but what is the source of our rejoicing for each other? It's God's gracious work in our lives. Not because of our fleshly wisdom, as he talked about two verses prior, but because of God's gracious and patient work in our lives. That is the source for where this pride comes from, or this boasting, or this rejoicing.

So let's continue in verse 15. I have a question. This day of the Lord Jesus, is that the second coming? That's the judgment seat of Christ. That's exactly right. That's the way I understand it, the judgment seat of Christ. The day of our Lord Jesus.

Verse 15, In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing, that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. I don't have much experience with these overheads. There we go. So, he starts off the verse, he says, in this confidence, so he's building upon the previous verses, in this confidence, the confidence that only comes from God, The confidence that comes from the grace of God, not through frustrated wisdom or man's achievements.

So he's putting the focus on God. And this confidence that comes from God, then he continues on, I intended first to come to you. So Paul, Paul intended to come and to visit these guys. He told them that he was going to come and visit. And let's look at that real quick.

Back in chapter one, or chapter 16 of 1 Corinthians. Chapter 16, verse five. Just kind of get an idea of what we're talking about. Chapter 16, verse 5, he says this, But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia. So he told them that he was going to come and visit them on his trips through Macedonia. So that's what he's referring to here in verse 15 of chapter 1, what he said as he closed out his letter in 1 Corinthians. That's what he's making reference to.

That I intended at first to come to you so that you might receive twice a blessing." Now, it's interesting that the word blessing here is the word cherish. I might probably have mispronounced that there, but it's the same Greek word that is oftentimes translated grace. When we think about Ephesians 2a, for by grace you have been saved through faith. It's the same Greek word there, and oftentimes it is translated grace. My version uses the word blessing.

He intended at first to come to them so that they might receive twice a grace, so that the people would be graced again by Paul's physical visit to them and through his physical presence there. I think that King James uses the word benefit, that they would benefit, that they would twice benefit from his visit, benefit again from him coming.

So he wanted to To bless them and to benefit them and to grace them the second time with his presence, but it did not happen Verse 16 says this that is to pass your way into Macedonia and Again for Macedonia to come to you and by you to be helped on my journey Now what happened is that he intended to go and see them, but he actually he didn't make it so this was raising a lot of a lot of problems for the people in Corinth. Is Paul double-minded here? Is he telling us something that he really didn't mean? What's the deal here? Why is it that he said that he was going to come and see us at the end of 1 Corinthians, but then he doesn't come and see us?

One reason that the people may have been responding to him so critically and there was so much criticism was that Stoicism was very prevalent in that area during that time. So you have a lot of Stoic people kind of criticizing him and critiquing him because he's not doing what it is that he said.

I'm just going to read a quote here kind of talking about the nature of the Stoics and it says this, nor do the Stoics assume that a man with good sense changes his mind. For changing one's mind belongs to false assent on the grounds of erring through haste. Nor does he change his mind in any way, nor alter his opinion, nor is he confused. For all these things are marks of those who waver in their beliefs, which is alien to the person of good sense."

So if you can take the mindset there of the people of Corinth who were very stoic, many of them were very stoic, and that's their mindset towards people who waver in their decisions. And here Paul says, I'm going to come, but then he ends up not coming. Naturally, they're going to attack him. They're going to be very critical, especially when they're trying to find fault with him. So that's kind of the mindset of the people there.

So the question is this, let's read verse 17. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what purpose? Do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there is yes, yes and no, no at the same time? So the question is, was he in the flesh and he couldn't make up his mind about what he wanted to do? That's the question. Was Paul in the flesh and he couldn't make up his mind? What do you guys think? No. No, he wasn't. So we say, boy, no, Paul wasn't in the flesh, and he couldn't make up his mind. Well, what in the world was going on then? Because he said that he was going to come, but he ends up not coming.

Let's look over at James, just for a minute. James chapter 1. James chapter 1. I want to just read verses 5 through 8 here. But if any of you lacks wisdom, Let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

But he must ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways." So I think what we see here is that the person who does not walk by faith is going to be tossed about, double-minded, unstable in all of his ways.

You know what, Paul, that was not Paul. Paul was not walking in the flesh. He was not walking in his own wisdom. He wasn't double-minded. He wasn't unstable in all of his ways, as James describes that man there who was not walking by faith. But Paul was walking by faith. And Paul here is not being double-minded. He's not being unstable in all of its ways.

So what's the deal then? What's the issue here? So let's continue on, verse 18. But as God is faithful, a word to you is not yes and no, The Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, that is, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. And so what he does here, Paul responds in verse 18 by saying, God is faithful. And because God is faithful, their word was not yes and no. So what he does there, he does not try to defend himself. Notice that. He goes to the faithfulness of God. He goes to God's Word in the clarity and the certainty of God's Word, and he doesn't try to defend himself. And he says God's Word isn't yes and no, no and yes. God's Word isn't double-minded. God's Word isn't that. And because God's Word isn't that, my Word isn't that.

He builds upon the authority of God. He doesn't try to defend himself, but he elevates God's Word, and then he sees himself in light of God's authority. not his own authority. And Harold mentioned that last week as he kind of painted the whole big picture of Second Corinthians. It's not about Paul defending himself. These guys are attacking him, they're upset, they're mad at him, and it's not about him defending himself. It's about elevating God and God's word and God's authority. So I think that we see that here very clearly.

But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. And then, for the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, notice the end of verse 19 there, was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. See, God's Word is yes. And because God's Word was true, Paul's Word was also true. So the faithfulness of Paul's Word was built upon the faithfulness of God's Word. He was walking by faith. Paul was walking by faith in a very faithful God.

It reminds me of two verses. Let's look over at Hebrews chapter 6. Let's look over at Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 3. Hebrews 6 and verse 3. Just a real short verse here, it says, "...and this we will do if God permits." See? Paul had told them something. He said that he's going to come and he's going to see them another time, but he also was walking by faith in a very faithful God whose word was true and whose word stood. And so, if it wasn't God's plan for Paul to go and see them the way that he had told him he would, that's fine. He's not being double-minded. He's walking by faith in a faithful God. Let's go over to John chapter 22 and verse 42. John chapter 22 and verse... No chapter 22. Ok, let me see. where Christ was in the garden and he said, Father, remove this cup from me but not my will but yours be done. That's what I'm looking for. I don't think it's John. Yeah, there we go. Thank you. Thanks. Luke Alright. Yeah, Luke 22, 42.

Christ says to your father, if you are willing to remove this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done. See, there is a picture of Christ's dependency upon the Father. He says, not my will, but yours be done. And I think that's the mindset of Paul. I think that's the faith of Paul, and a very faithful God.

He had told them that he was going to go and see them again, but he didn't make it. So, there's kind of Paul's will to go and see them again, yet not my will, but your will be done, God. So, he didn't make it. So, was he being double-minded? No. He's walking by faith in a very faithful Heavenly Father. So, let's go back to 2 Corinthians.

And this idea here is seen very clearly in the next several verses here of 19 through 22 of just God being the emphasis and of God's sufficiency and of God's authority of which Paul was walking by faith in. Let's just read through this 19 and through 22 again.

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes. Therefore, through Him is our amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

So, look at where Paul focuses on here for these next several verses. In 19, he says, it wasn't yes and no, but it's yes and him. See where the emphasis is? It's yes and God. And then in verse 20, in him they are yes. Therefore, also by him is our amen. Verse 21, he who establishes us, and Christ, and anointed us as God, who sealed us, who gave us the Spirit in our hearts.

This is just full, these verses here are just full of things that God was doing and had done for them. So clearly where Paul is going with this is elevating God's work for the Corinthians there. And Paul was walking by faith in a very a very faithful God. I want to go down to verse 21 here.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God who sealed us and gave us a spirit in our hearts as a pledge. Now what we see here is a bunch of positional truth. Incredible. He comes off of 19, 20, and then he comes down into 21 and builds on this, he builds up some great positional truths here. Establishes us.

And as a result of their being established, three things came because of that. They were anointed, they were sealed, and they were given the pledge. Because of their being established in Christ, they were anointed, they were sealed, and they were given the pledge. Now, He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God. Notice who establishes and notice who is the one that does the anointing. God is the one.

How often do we try to establish ourselves? I think quite often. We try to somehow, you know, work our life and our circumstances in life in such a way that we are establishing ourselves. We're making things solid around us. And that's not what God intends for us. He doesn't intend for us to try to establish ourselves. He says, I have already established you. So let's look at that. He who establishes us.

This is a present active participle. Let me change here. My Greek word pronunciation is very poor, so I'm not going to make an attempt at this point. How would you pronounce that? How? Yeah. OK. So I can put it in Greek next time. Alright, so we have here the present active participle, which means it's a continuing repeated action. And I think that King James uses the word confirm. And it means to, the idea here is to establish or to confirm as to warrant security and to inspire competence. So we are established, we are confirmed as to bring about security.

Boys, so many times I think we feel insecure. I think insecurity in the lives of believers is a huge thing. I know it was for me when I was growing up as a child and a teenager, I felt insecure and I wasn't confident. Well, I was trying to find it in the wrong place. For one thing, I was trying to find my confidence in myself and my security in myself.

And I think it's very easy for us to do that as adults as well. Exactly right. Exactly, Jack. That's right on. What a thought! It's a continual thing that God does for us. He continually confirms us and establishes us so that we will see our confidence in Him and not in ourselves. It's a continual action. How reassuring that is to know that tomorrow when I wake up, God's going to still be doing that.

And Tuesday when I wake up, and Wednesday when I wake up, and Thursday when I wake up. We might have a harder day one day than the other day. That doesn't matter. God, His establishing and confirming us isn't in proportion to what kind of a day He knows we're going to have. It's always the same. And it's always overabounding in grace.

I think it's important that we look at that we are established in Christ. I think that's very important. That we're not established in a thing or in a place, but we're established in a person. See, it's personal and it's in Christ. We're all familiar with how often times the Bible speaks about us being placed in Christ, our position in Christ. It's very key that we understand that we are established in Christ, in the person, not in a thing or in a place. And our minds, I think, sometimes tend to go to, well, if I have this, then I'll be established. Or if I'm in this location, I'll be established. You know, Rachel and I are no more established now that we live in Denver than we were when we were in Virginia. Our establishment in Christ and confirmation in Christ hasn't changed. It's still the same. Why? Because we're established in the person. Christ, not in a place or in a thing.

I think that's huge. I already mentioned that God is the one who establishes us and God is the one who anoints us. We do not and cannot establish or anoint ourselves. That's something that God does for us. So let's continue on. Let's look at the next word there. He establishes us with you in Christ the person and anointed us. Let's look at this word.

It's an aorist participle active, meaning that this is a one-time event with continual results, and it's an action. And the idea here is to anoint with sacred or with religious meaning. This idea here of being anointed, the work that God has done for us.

So here, Paul draws from a Greek Old Testament word, where the word actually refers to consecration to a sacred office. That's kind of the idea here that Paul is drawing from. So kings and priests and prophets and other leaders were commissioned to service in the Old Testament through a ceremony involving anointing with oil. So this anointing set them apart from their peers and authorized them to carry out their divinely ordained task that they were being set apart for.

So this anointing here was to all believers. That's a change and a distinction from the Old Testament use to the New Testament use. It was only for those who were going to be put into certain religious duties in the Old Testament. But here this idea of anointing is for all believers. It's not just for a select few. It's for all believers.

So the believers were set apart, they were anointed from the rest of society for their divinely appointed tasks. So we've been anointed by God. All believers, not just some or a select few, but all believers have been anointed by God. We've been set apart for a divinely appointed task, which God has for us.

So that's the idea there of being anointed. And it's a past tense, something that God has already done, just as He's already established us, yet it has continually, daily continuation. This anointing is also in the past tense. Verse 22, "...who also sealed us and gave us a spirit in our hearts as a pledge."

So this idea here, let me change this here. Alright, the idea here of being sealed is to stamp with a signet or a private mark for security or preservation by implication to attest, and the heiress' middle voice stresses the sealer and his act of sealing. See? Again, where's the emphasis? It's on God. You have a thought? No problem.

It's certainly different than anointed, sealed, and gave. And that's probably relevant in that the anointing, the sealing, and the giving of the Spirit is a one-time event. This idea of the ongoing establishment is really like, I've been saved, I'm being saved, and I will be saved. Kind of the idea that there's an act of ongoing in our life, moment to moment. But these other things are really part of it. That's part of the deal of coming to be saved.

We're anointed in Christ, we're sealed in Him, and the Spirit's given once only. That's right. The Spirit's continually being given. That's right. The Spirit is in the believer once and for all. That's right. The idea of establishing us is this, when we get distracted by the things of the world or the flesh, I mean, He's constantly, you know, reaffirming our salvation by this constant establishment. I mean, I don't know, maybe I'm reading No, that's a good thought, Bob. Yeah. Did we catch that? Great. Good.

So, God has sealed us and he gave us, it's also the aorist participle active, which is the same as anoint, he gave us, Nothing that we have earned or that we deserve, but He simply gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. So, He gave us His Holy Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Sometimes the word deposit is used and the idea here is of an initial down payment and promise for full payment at the later time. The later time is when we are together with the Lord. So, He has given us the Holy Spirit as his initial down payment. Go to chapter 5 in verse 5 and he conveys the same idea here. Now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God who gave to us a spirit as a pledge.

The same idea here as he is communicating in chapter 1 verse 22. Verse 23, But I call God as my witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy, for in your faith you are standing strong. So he uses some very strong language here in verse 23.

He's carrying the idea here that I summon God as a witness against me. How many of us would want to have God as a witness against us? We might, we might not, but that's what Paul is saying here. Bring God to be my witness. Pull God right alongside of me and let him be my witness whether or not I'm communicating the truth to you. And remember he kind of, earlier on, the proud conscience of his testimony He started off in verse 12 as his testimony. So, bring God alongside me and let him determine and tell you whether or not my testimony is true. Isn't that strong? Strong language there that Paul is communing.

I call God as a witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. So, there in that verse, the end of verse 23, he kind of shares a little bit of the idea of why he didn't go. That to spare you, I did not come again to Corinth. And down in chapter 2 verse 1, look at that. He says, "...but I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again."

And Bob, you mentioned last week that the Corinthians were... I think we talked about the idea that in their flesh, in the sin nature, they were angry at what it was that Paul was bringing up. And so there was definitely some tension there between Paul and some of the people there at Corinth. So maybe some time was beneficial before he went back and saw them. Some time for maybe some healing to take place in the relationship there. So, in verse 23, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. It seems beneficial that Paul waited for a little while before he went back to see them again. That I would not come to you in sorrow again. In chapter 2 there, in verse 1. Jeff, could you read the New American Standard 23 for me? But I call God as witness to my soul. To my soul, then. To my soul.

Here in your hand, you've got against. So, I mean, the idea, we're thinking of a permanent witness, right? So, I'm just wondering whether against is something that's important on the text, or whether against... Right. I mean, it's neat to think of God as a witness in our defense, right? Yeah, yeah. Rather than a witness kind of like against. I just wanted to put... Right. Right, yeah, I see what you're saying. To my soul, that's right. That's right, good point there. Okay, let's look at verse 24.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy. For in your faith you are standing firm. So the idea here is not that we're lording it over, or that we are controlling, or that we are having dominion over your faith, but we are workers, we're co-workers with you, with you for your joy. The word here, lord, is a verb to be lord or to exercise lordship over, or to control, or to have dominion over.

And Paul says, that's not what we're here to do. We're not here to control you guys. We're not here to control your faith, or to have dominion over you. We're here as helpers. And the idea here is of co-laboring together. We're not here to lord it over you.

Let's look at 1 Peter chapter 5 real quick. 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 3. It kind of shares a little bit more insight into this. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 3. Now, he's given some exhortations to the elders. Let me just start in verse 1. 1 Peter 5. It says, Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the suffering of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God, not for sordid gain, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock." See, there's again the use of the word lording. And he's saying, don't be lording it over. like controlling, or having dominion, or ruling with the iron rod, the heavy hand. That's not the idea here. Now, the word in 1 Peter is the same family of words, but it's a little stronger than it is back in 2 Corinthians.

Again, let's go back to 2 Corinthians 1.24. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy.

The idea here of co-laboring together with each other. And Hal mentioned that Sue and Hal were co-laboring together to get this class going with the work that was needed and the idea there. Look at Romans chapter 16 and verse 21. Romans chapter 16 and verse 21. It says here, Timothy my fellow worker greets you and so do Lucius and Jason my kinsman." So he says here the idea of the fellow worker, of the co-worker, working and laboring together. And over in Colossians chapter 4, and let's look at verse 10 and 11.

Erebus Tarkas, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, and also Barnabas, cousin Mark, about whom you received instruction, if he comes to you, welcome him. and also Jesus who is called Justice. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision and they have proved to be an encouragement to me." Fellow workers who proved to be an encouragement to them, to Paul.

See? That's the idea here that we're seeing in 2 Corinthians. Not that we lord it over you with the heavy hand or control or have dominion but we are workers with you for your joy or for your encouragement. Hopefully what would be ideal would be because they're co-laboring, Paul is encouraged by the Corinthians, the Corinthians are encouraged by Paul, there's that mutual working together.

For in your faith you are standing firm. They did not need any human Lord because they're walking by faith. They're solid in their faith in the one true Lord Jesus Christ who Paul had got done here just expounding all these things that are true the yes is in him it's through him they're established it's a continual thing there there's the anointing there's a sealing and there's giving of the pledge and Paul says man you guys we're not worrying over you because you guys are walking by faith and the things that are true hopefully that is a bit of a help to understand those verses and we'll continue on in Chapter 2 next week.

So let's pray. Fathers, thank you for these words that you've given to us. We thank you for the time. We pray that your Holy Spirit would bring these things to our remembrance later today, tomorrow, the rest of this week and even next month. We don't want them just to be things we hear today and we forget about later on today. but we want them to be things that are real in our lives and that your Holy Spirit is applying to us. So we're trusting you to do that in our lives. In your name we pray. Amen.