Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons

Summer 2006

by Jarl K. Waggoner

Lesson 1 - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Background - For background information on city of Corinth and the church there, see Boyer, For a World Like Ours (pp. 13-20); NIVBC (606-608); Unger, Archaeology and the NT (pp. 242-247).  The church in Corinth had been established on Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 18).  Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus in about A.D. 55 during his third missionary journey.

1:10 - "perfectly joined together" – The Greek expression means to perfect, make complete, or restore to former condition. It is used of mending nets (Matt. 4:21) and restoring those caught in fault (Gal. 6:1) (BAG, 418; Morris, 1 Corinthians, 39).  This is a call for unity of purpose and testimony, not uniformity in all matters (cf. 1 Cor. 12)

1:11 - "contentions" – The word means strife, quarreling, or bickering. The same word is translated "variance" in Galatians 5:20 (BAG, 508; Morris, 39).

1:12 - "I am of Paul . . . Apollos . . . Cephas . .. Christ" – Some commentators believe Paul arbitrarily substituted his and Apollos's names for the real church leaders here in order to avoid embarrassment (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6). This is possible, but most seem to prefer a literal understanding (cf. BKC, 508; Boyer, 29-30).  Apparently factions in the Corinthian church identified themselves with one church leader over against others.  Apollos followed Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:24-28).  There is no evidence that Cephas (Peter) was ever in Corinth.  He was probably idolized as the most prominent of the apostles.  “The Christ party may have been composed of those who recognized the errors of the other claims and assumed a superior title, claiming to repudiate all human leadership and to be followers of Christ himself.  The very way that it is listed here, as one with the others, would indicate that they were doing it in a divisive spirit; disclaiming all human leadership and assuming a place of superiority or exclusiveness, a holier-than-thou attitude.  In many respects this sectarian position is the most dangerous of all” (Boyer, 30).

1:13 - "Is Christ divided?" - This refers either to Christ's body, the church (BKC, 508) or to Christ Himself (Boyer, 31; Morris, 41). Probably the latter is preferred by most.  The point is that since Christ is undivided and all Christians are in him, there is no place for factions in the church. 

1:14  - “Crispus and Gaius” – “Crispus” is undoubtedly the synagogue ruler who was converted under Paul’s ministry (Acts 18:8).  “Gaius” is most likely the man who later gave Paul lodging in Corinth (Rom. 16:23).  Paul mentioned only these two and the “household of Stephanas” (v. 16; cf. 16:15) as those in Corinth whom he had baptized.  Others were probably baptized by Paul’s associates or leaders in the Corinthian church.  In retrospect, Paul was glad that he had baptized so few himself.  This “ruled out any attempt to bind converts to him personally” (Morris, 41).

1:17 – “not to baptize but to preach” – The primary ministry of Paul was preaching the gospel (cf. 2:2).  He was not disparaging baptism, but he was clear that the gospel of salvation—the thing to which baptism only attests—is far more important.

1:17 – “not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” – The Greeks valued “wisdom” (v. 22) and eloquence.  Paul said that the simple preaching of the gospel was his commission, not philosophical arguments that “would draw men to the preacher” and “nullify the cross of Christ” (Morris, 42).  The gospel, on the other hand, calls people to put no trust in man but in Christ alone.

Lesson 2 - 1 Corinthians 2:1, 6-16

2:1 – “not with excellency of speech or of wisdom” – Paul himself illustrated the superiority of God’s wisdom over human wisdom (1:21) when he first came to Corinth.  He had not come with impressive oratory or philosophy, but with the simple “testimony of God.”  “The success of the gospel in Corinth was not to be attributed to the persuasive methods Paul used . . . or  his high pressure salesmanship. . . . The brilliance of a great preacher is never an adequate foundation for faith” (Boyer, For a World Like Ours, 37-38).

2:6 - "perfect" – The word means “mature” (Vine's, 466 #1). The question is whether the mature here is a reference to any and all Christians (NIVBC, 613) or only to mature Christians (JFB, 6:287-288). The former sees the mature contrasted with the unsaved as suggested by verse 6; the latter see them contrasted with both the unsaved and the "babes" of 3:1. There is certainly no consensus among conservative commentators.  See comments on 3:1 below.

2:7 - "mystery" - "The word refers, not to something which is mysterious or hard to understand, but rather something which is known only by revelation" (Boyer, 39; cf. Morris, I Corinthians, 55; Robt., IV:82; EDT, 741-742).

2:9 - "As it is written" - The Old Testament source of this quotation is unclear. Similar expressions are found in Isaiah 64:4, 52:15, and 65:17. The quote may be a combination of these (Robt., IV:85).  NIVBC (614) suggests "it is written" "may mean here 'to use the language of Scripture' or 'to speak generally from Scripture.'"

2:9 - "eye hath not seen" - The idea seems to be that God's wisdom is not discernible by mere human perception (eye, ear, heart) but is revealed to believers by God's Spirit (vs. 10).

2:12 - "spirit of the world" - This is "probably a reference to the wisdom of this age in verse 6" (Robt. IV:87).

2:12 - "spirit which is of God" – This refers to the Holy Spirit. The point is that the person who possesses the Holy Spirit can receive revelation from God (Boyer, 39).

2:13 - "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" - Various translations are possible (cf. NASB; NJB; NRSV). Most translators and commentators seem to agree, however that "combining" is better than "comparing" (Morris, 59; Robt., IV:88; NASB). But what is being combined? See Morris (59) and BKC (510) for various suggestions. Most seem to opt for the idea being that of combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. The NIV presents this idea well with: "expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." Boyer (40) puts it this way: "using Spirit-taught words to express Spirit-given truth."

2:14 - "natural man" – This is an unregenerate man. The term itself means "pertaining to the soul." It describes "the unregenerate man at his very best, but a man who is limited to the realm of the soul. His spirit, that part of him which is capable of communion with God, is dead, unresponsive; it does not function" (Boyer, 41).

2:14 - "discerned" – The word means to examine, judge, scrutinize. It was "used in a legal sense of the preliminary examination prior to the main hearing" (Morris, 60; cf. Vine's, 336, B#2). The same word is translated "judgeth" and "judged" in verse 15.

2:15 – “he that is spiritual judgeth all things” – The spiritual person, who is described in verses 10-13, is here contrasted with the “natural man” of verse 14.  Thus the contrast is between the unregenerate person and the Christian, one who can receive and understand God’s revelation.  Unlike the natural man, the believer can judge all things.  “Judgeth” is the same word translated “discerned” in verse 14 (see comment there).  Final, ultimate judgment is with God, but the spiritual man is capable of examining matters and passing spiritual judgment “with regard to spiritual truth” (Boyer, 40).  In fact, he can judge “all things” in light of the revelation he has received.

2:16 – “we have the mind of Christ” – The “we” here undoubtedly refers to all Christians, not just Paul and the apostles.  By this expression Paul “does not mean that the Christian is able to understand all the thoughts of the Christ.  But he does mean that the indwelling Spirit reveals Christ.  The spiritual man accordingly does not see things from the viewpoint of the worldly.  He sees them from the viewpoint of Christ” (Morris, 62).

Lesson 3 - 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

3:1 – “spiritual . . . carnal . . . babes” – Some see at least two distinct divisions of Christians in these terms: spiritually mature believers and worldly or immature Christians (cf. BKC, 510; New Scofield Study Bible).  In this understanding “spiritual” takes on a different meaning here from its use in 2:15 (NIVBC, 615).  It is probably best not to view the “spiritual” and the “carnal” (fleshly) as distinct categories of Christians.  Rather, Paul was recognizing that while they were all “spiritual,” because of the sinful, divisive attitudes they held, he could not speak to them as if there were spiritual.  They were like babies who had not yet grown up. 

3:2 – “milk . . . meat” – The “milk” refers to “the elementary salvation truths of the Gospel.  [Paul] could not teach them deeper doctrines (‘solid food’ [NIV]) because they could not spiritually digest them.  And their immaturity is continuing” (NIVBC, 615).

3:3 – “ye are yet carnal” – Inasmuch as the Corinthians were displaying divisiveness, they were “displaying the character of one who lives after the old, sinful, fleshly ways” (Boyer, For a World Like Ours, 43).

3:4 – “are ye not carnal?” – Here Paul begins to illustrate the carnal nature of the Corinthians’ actions.  By setting one leader over against another, they are dividing the body.  This is the action of mere men (v. 3).  “Carnal” (v. 4) is not the reading in the better New Testament texts, which read “men” (cf. NASB).  The idea is that they are acting as mere men, not spiritual people.

3:5 – “but ministers” – “Ministers” is the Greek word diakonoi, from which comes the word deacon.  Originally it simply meant “servant.”  It “stresses the lowly character of the service rendered” (Morris, I Corinthians, 65).  There is thus no reason to accord any elevated status to preachers of the gospel.  They are simple servants of God.

3:6 – “God gave the increase” – Using an agricultural figure to picture the work of evangelism (planting) and edifying (watering), Paul pointed out that both he and Apollos had been involved in the work of God in Corinth.  The two had been united in their service.  In the end, though, it is God who accomplishes the work, using whomever he will in whatever way he desires.

3:7 – “neither is . . . . any thing” – The instruments God uses in his work are unimportant.  “The attention of the Corinthians should have been fastened on God, who alone effects all spiritual work” (Morris, 65).

3:8 – “he that planteth and he that watereth are one” – The point Paul makes here is that there is no division among God’s workers.  While carrying out different ministries, all are engaged in the same work.  “They are complementary, not competitive” (Boyer, 47).

3:8 – “his own reward according to his own labour” – Each worker has his own distinct responsibility and receives his own distinct reward.  One should not be judged in relation to another’s work.  Believers are called upon to be faithful in their responsibility, and only God can rightly judge this.

3:9 – “ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” – “Husbandry” means field (cf. NIV).  This looks back to the figure used in verses 6-8.  The building metaphor looks forward to verses 10-15.  The emphasis in both cases is that the human instruments matter little.  They work with God in God’s field or building (the church), but they also belong to God, and the work is his.

3:10 – “as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon” – “Masterbuilder” is architekton, or architect.  It was sometimes used in Greek literature for the chief engineer (Robt., IV:95).  As the one who had established the church in Corinth, Paul had laid the church’s foundation.  That foundation was Christ (v. 11), which Paul laid through his teaching.  Others, Apollos in particular, had built on that foundation.

3:10 – “let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” – This is a warning for any who built upon the foundation Paul laid.  Neither he nor Apollos were responsible for the current divisions in the Corinthian church.

3:12 – “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble” – These represent two different kinds of building materials.  The gold, silver, and precious stones speak of value and permanence, while the other materials are cheaper and temporary.  Since verses 9 and 16-17 indicate that the building is believers, the building materials may represent believers and unbelievers respectively, suggesting that both can be incorporated into the visible church (BKC, 512).  It may, however, also speak of the doctrines of church leaders, who are entrusted with the job of equipping believers, and thus to the “works” that will either endure or perish at the judgment seat of Christ (Boyer, 49-50; NIVBC, 616; Morris, 67-68).

3:13 – “Every man’s work” – In the context Paul was referring primarily to church leaders, who build upon the foundation.  “However, there are several indications that Paul here intends to expand the application.  Notice the indefinite and general terms he employs (v. 10, ‘another,’ ‘every man’; v. 11, ‘no man’; vv. 12, 14, 15, 17, ‘any man’).  While the responsibility for church building is especially upon those whom God puts in the places of leadership it is also true that every member of the body has a part to contribute to the edification or building of the church (Eph. 4:16)” (Boyer, 49).

3:14 – “he shall receive a reward” – In view here is the future judgment of Christians at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).  The nature of the judgment is not stated, but the basis of the judgment is the enduring quality of an individual’s works.

3:15 – “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved” – The Lord’s judgment is pictured as fire.  Those whose works do not endure the fire (wood, hay, stubble) will suffer loss of reward but shall be saved.  “He himself” is emphatic and “contrasts the person with his work and pointedly upholds the believer’s security” (WBC, 1235).

3:15 – “by fire” – This is better translated “through fire” (cf. NASB).

Lesson 4 – 1 Corinthians 4:1-13

4:1 - "ministers" – This word means “servants.”  Originally, it referred to subordinate rowers on a galley ship (Trench, Synonyms of the NT, 33-34; Boyer, For a World Like Ours, 53). It "stresses subordination and responsibility to a superior" (BKC, 512).

4:1 - "stewards of the mysteries of God" – A steward was the overseer of an estate; an administrator. "He was set over others . . . But he was also subject to a master, and must render account of himself" (Morris, 1  Corinthians, 74).  In particular, church leaders are stewards of “the mysteries of God.”  See 2:7.  This refers to the things revealed by God.

4:3 - "judged" - See on 2:14 above.

4:3 – “I judge not mine own self” – In essence Paul was saying that from a human viewpoint, no one, not even himself, was qualified to judge his motives (BKC, 512).

4:4 - "I know nothing of myself" - The meaning is better conveyed by NASB's "I am conscious of nothing against myself" and NIV's "My conscience is clear."

4:4 - "justified" – The word means acquitted of a charge, declared "not guilty" (Morris, 76). A clear conscience does not necessarily prove one's innocence, for self-examination can be flawed. Only God's judgment is fully trustworthy.

4:5 – “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who . . . will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” -  “Counsels of the hearts” refers to the inner desires and motives.  Only God can rightly judge a person’s motives and desires and only he knows the “hidden things of darkness,” and he will judge these things when the Lord returns.  In view of this, Paul said that we should “judge nothing” before that time.  Particularly, this refers to judging people with regard to their faithfulness, as the Corinthians were judging Paul.

4:6 - "transferred to myself and Apollos" - Some see this transfer or substitution as relating specifically to 1 Corinthians 1:12; others relate it to the more immediate context. BKC (512) gives a good statement of the basic idea: “Paul and Apollos would serve as curative examples of men under authority who did not go beyond what was written.  They obeyed the Word of God, not their own inclinations or worldly opinions.  From the example of their lives Paul hoped the Corinthians would learn the lesson of humility” (cf. Morris, 77).

4:6 - "for one against another" – This means to favor, or elevate one leader over against another. This was a reference to their party spirit (cf. Boyer, 55).

4:7 - "maketh thee to differ" – The phrase means to regard as superior (cf. NASB; Morris, 78; Robt., IV:105).

4:8 – “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us” – Here Paul was deriding the Corinthians’ “conceit by a series of dramatic boasts of theirs: they, so they think, have all they need; they are rich and are reigning like kings, even without any help from Paul. The Corinthians evidently thought they had reached full maturity and were ruling and reigning rather than walking humbly with God” (NIVBC, 619). 

4:9 - "appointed to death" – ‘Appointed to death” means “condemned” (cf. Morris, 80; WBC, 1236).  In contrast to the Corinthians’ boasts (v. 8), Paul and the apostles were not “reigning” as kings but were like condemned and persecuted men (vv. 11-13).  It is possible the figure is that of prisoners of war paraded  behind a victorious general and eventually taken to the arena to fight wild beasts (WBC, 1236).

4:12-13- NIV translation makes these verses much clearer.

4:13 - "filth . . . offscouring" - The words are synonyms. See Morris (82) and Vine's (237, 443).

 

Lesson 5 - 1 Corinthians 7:2-15

7:2 - "to avoid fornication" - See NIV and NASB translations. The idea is that in view of all the immorality in Corinth, marriage might be best (cf. NIVBC, 625).

7:3 - "render due benevolence" - Literally, this is “keep paying his debt.”  It is "a euphemistic expression for the obligation of carrying on the sexual responsibilities of the marriage relationship” (Boyer, 77).

7:4 – “hath not power of her (his) own body” – NIV translates, ‘The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband.”  The expression means  “to exercise a full authority” (Morris, I Corinthians, 106).  In marriage, the partners surrender full authority over their own bodies (cf. Eph. 5:21).

7:5 – “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent” – Literally, this is “Stop depriving one another” (NASB) in reference to sexual relations between marriage partners.  The only exception is if there is mutual consent to abstain in order to devote themselves to prayer.  This is to be for a limited period of time, however, so that they are not tempted because of their “lack of self-control” (NASB).  If the period of abstinence is extended, one or the other might be tempted to sexual immorality.

7:6 – “I speak this by permission, and not of commandment” - The commandment referred to here is either the “command” regarding marriage in verse 2 (NIVBC, 626) or the “command” regarding abstinence in verse 5 (BKC, 517).  In either case, the point is that this is not a command of God required of all believers.  If it is the latter case, the abstention was permitted if the stipulations were met, but it was not a command.  If Paul was referring to verse 2, as most commentators seem to believe, he was saying that “marriage is not a duty required of all.  What has been said has been by permission . . . and not of commandment.  Paul has laid down the duties of all who are married, but he does not lay it down as a duty that all should be married” (Morris, 107).

7:7 – “every man hath his proper gift of God” – Paul apparently was unmarried or widowed, and he was content with his condition.  He wished all could find such contentment in singleness for it meant undistracted devotion to Christ’s work (cf. v. 32).  However, he also recognized that both marriage and celibacy are gifts from God.

7:8 - "unmarried . . . widows" - The "unmarried" are probably both men and women. "Widows" refers only to women. They are probably singled out because of the church's special responsibility to them (cf. 1 Tim. 5:9-10; Morris, 108).

7:9 - "let them marry" – This instruction to those who cannot control their passions is an imperative (cf. Robt., IV:126).

7:10 - "command . . . the Lord" - This was a command given by the Lord during his earthly ministry (cf. Matt. 5:32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-9). "For a married couple to stay together is not just 'good'-it is commanded by the Lord" (NIVBC, 626).

7:10-11-"depart . . . put away" - These represent two different Greek words, both meaning divorce. The variation is probably stylistic (BKC, 518).

7:10-11- With regard to divorce and remarriage, there are those who see both as permissible under certain biblically defined conditions.  On the other hand, some scholars do not see divorce and remarriage as permitted at all by the Bible.  Discussions of the issues involved and the various positions can be found in EDT (323-326) and Geisler, Christian Ethics (277-292).

7:12 - "believeth not" - Paul had in mind a situation in which one of the marriage partners has become a Christian. He does not allow for believers marrying unbelievers (cf. I Cor. 7:39; II Cor. 6:14).  Having an unbelieving spouse is not an excuse or permission to divorce that spouse.

7:14 - "sanctified" - The basic meaning of the word is "to set apart." The basic thought, Morris says (110), is that of relation to God. As to the meaning of this verse, there are several different and, in some cases, overlapping, interpretations: (1) The meaning is that "the Christian spouse was a channel of God's grace in the marriage. Within the 'one flesh' relationship the blessing of God which came to the Christian affected the family as a whole. . . . It is in this sense that the unbelieving spouse was sanctified and the children were holy" (BKC, 518). (2) "The Christian partner should think of the truth that the Lord can use him or her as a godly, holy influence . . . and in helping that family to be consecrated to God. . . . The tense of the verb stresses that the unbeliever who is in a Christian family has already become and continues to be a part of a family unit upon which God has his claim and which he will use for his service. The same is true of children born in such a family. They are 'holy' and not 'unclean'-i.e., not spiritually separated from God, as is the case in unbelieving families" (NIVBC, 627). (3) Perhaps the most simple explanation is that Paul simply meant that "the union is lawful and confers privilege on the members . . . privileges such as the protection of God and the opportunity of being in close contact with one in God's family. This might ease the path to conversion for the unbelieving" (WBC, 1240; cf. Robt., IV:128; Boyer, 80).

7:15 - "under bondage" – To be “under bondage” is to be enslaved (Robt., IV:128). The question that is debated is to what is he or she no longer bound? There are at least three interpretations. (1) It means the deserted one is free from the obligation to preserve the marriage (Boyer, 80). (2) It means the deserted one is "not bound to renounce the faith for the sake of retaining her husband" (JFB, 6:301). (3) It means the deserted one is free to remarry (Morris, 111; BKC, 518). Number 2 does not seem to be widely held. Number 3 seems to read into Paul's words in this text.

7:15 - "God has called us to peace" - WBC (1240) summarizes the two common interpretations of this statement: "Some interpreters feel that Paul here encourages the believer to permit the separation in the interests of preserving peace, if the unbeliever desires to depart. There might be war otherwise! On the other hand, Paul's thought may be that separation should be prevented if at all possible, since that would disrupt the peace of the marriage union."

Lesson 6 - 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Background - The issue of eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols confronted the Corinthians at several points: (1) when eating in pagan temples, which were used as public, social gathering places; (2) when buying meat in the marketplace; and (3) when invited to meals by non-Christians. See Boyer, For a World Like Ours (85-87); NIVBC (630); BKC (521).

8:1 - "we all have knowledge" - Many believe Paul was quoting the Corinthians themselves. While this statement was true—all knew at least in theory “the real meaning about the meat sacrificed to idols” (NIVBC, 630)—it "required qualification" (BKC, 521), for they did not possess full knowledge (cf. vss. 2, 6-7).

 8:2 – “If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing” – Paul was warning against taking pride in knowledge since human knowledge is always partial and incomplete (Morris, First Corinthians, 125).

8:3 – “If any man love God, the same is known of him” – NIV translates, “the man who loves God is known by God.”  “With the essential ingredient of love, knowledge is tempered and made the right kind of discerning and compassionate knowledge . . . In loving God, a person shows that he is known by God” (NIVBC, 630).

8:4 – “an idol is nothing in the world” – Though there are many so-called gods in the world (v. 5), our knowledge tells us that there is “but one God” (v. 6).  Therefore, an idol is no god at all. 

8:6 - "we in him . . . we by him " – NASB renders the first phrase "we exist for him (the Father)." NIV has "for whom we live."  NASB renders the second phrase "we exist through him (Christ)," while NIV translates "through him we live."  These two phrases probably refer to the new creation—i.e., the goal of the new creation (the church) is to glorify God; the Agent responsible for the new creation is Christ (cf. II Cor. 5:17). The phrases are parallel to "of whom are all things" and "by whom are all things," which speak of the first creation. God is the source of the first creation; and Christ is Agent of that creation (cf. Col. 1:16; WBC, 1242; Morris, 126-127).

8:7 - "conscience of the idol" - Modern versions and commentators agree this is not the correct reading. Rather, it should read, "by reason of being long accustomed to idols" (cf. NASB; NIV) The meaning is: "from their pre-Christian days they were so accustomed to thinking of the idol as real that they could not completely shake off such thoughts" (Morris, 127).  Many of the believers still could not look upon such meat as simply a gift from God but still thought of it as sacrificed to idols.  Thus, their consciences were defiled by eating such meat.

8:8 – “meat commendeth us not to God” – The NIV gives a more accurate translation: “But food does not bring us near to God.”  Whether one abstains from meat or exercises his freedom to eat in itself is “really a very minor matter” (Morris, 128), for neither action brings one closer to God.  Boyer gives a very helpful reminder:  “There is a strange perversion of thought about freedom, even of Christian liberty:  If we are free to do a thing we feel that we must do it.  We become slaves to our own freedom (cf. 6:12c).  Paul reminds the Corinthians that exercising our freedom to eat meat does not approve us to God, not does it make us any better.  And the failure to exercise our freedom to eat does not hurt us any.  So why not exercise our Christian liberty not to eat meat that is offered to idols?” (89).

8:9 - "stumblingblock" – The word refers to that which trips a person and hinders his progress (Vine's, 441, proskomma).  Even exercising one’s “liberty” (lit., “authority”) can at times be a hindrance to fellow believers.

8:10 - "emboldened" - The Greek word literally means to build up, or edify, and is used in a positive sense in all other NT uses, including I Corinthians 8:1 (Boyer, 89; Morris, 129). Here it means to be encouraged to sin (cf. NJB; NRSV) and perhaps is used in an ironic way, since it should have been the goal of  the knowledgeable Christians to build up their brethren in a positive sense.

8:11- "perish" – The word means to ruin or destroy (BAG, 94). It can refer to physical death or eternal destruction. It has been interpreted in several ways. (1) It refers to some temporal spiritual harm: "weakening the faith and ruining the Christian life of a fellow believer" (NIVBC, 632; cf. Morris, 129). (2) It refers to physical death that can be brought on by violation of his conscience if he persists in it (WBC, 1242). This is usually combined with the idea in number 1 (BKC, 522). (3) Some Arminians undoubtedly believe it refers to loss of salvation. (4) Boyer (90) argues that the word is never used of temporary damage in this life. He suggests it refers to professing Christians in the church who were not saved. "By being emboldened to sin against their conscience, [they] are turned aside from that genuine surrender to Christ, and thus perish eternally."

8:12 – “ye sin against Christ” – Bringing harm to another Christian by one’s choices (v. 11) is to sin against Christ himself.  “To be arrogantly indifferent to the need of weaker Christians results in sin not only against them . . . but also against Christ of whose body they are members” (BKC, 522).

8:13 - "offend" – To “offend” is to ensnare or trap (Vine's, 442; Morris, 130).  It is worth the sacrifice of one’s liberty to assure that another believer is not ensnared in sin.

Lesson 7 – 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:13

Background – Here Paul is still dealing with Christian liberty and the necessity of choosing to limit one’s liberties for the spiritual good of fellow Christians.

9:24 – “run in a race . . . one receiveth the prize” – Paul here drew on athletic metaphors to teach the importance of self-control.  The Isthmian games were held every three years at Corinth and were second in importance only to the Olympic games.  Since a race has just one winner, every runner must put forth his maximum effort to win.  “In like manner the Christian must strain every nerve to produce his finest effort” (Morris, First Corinthians, 139).

9:25 – “temperate in all things” – “Temperate” means “self-controlled” (cf. NASB).

9:25 – “corruptible crown . . . incorruptible” – Paul was saying that the reward for a godly, self-disciplined life was not the temporary, corruptible crown of a pine wreath, which was awarded winning athletes, but an incorruptible crown.  The crown here may be viewed as “eternal life and fellowship with God” (NIVBC, 634), “the opportunity to glory before Christ in those he had been able to win (BKC, 525), or more generally, the full spiritual blessing God gives.

9:26 – “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly” – “Uncertainly” means “aimlessly.”   The Christian must run with a goal in view.

9:26 – “so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” – The metaphor changes to boxing here.  The point is that the Christian life must be purposeful.  He is not to be swinging wildly.

9:27 – “lest. . . . I myself should be a castaway” – NIV has “that . . . I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”  His disciplined efforts in serving Christ were designed to keep him from being disqualified from receiving the prize of God’s approval in the end.  “Castaway” is better translated “not approved” or “disqualified,” i.e. because of breaking the rules (Robt., 4:150).

10:1-4 – “all our fathers were under the cloud . . .” – Paul now looked back to Israel’s history in the Exodus to show examples of how those who enjoyed God’s special blessings were “disqualified” by their disobedience.  Among the blessings were God’s guidance through the “cloud,” unity under God’s leader, into whom they were “baptized” when they were delivered through the “sea,” provision of “spiritual meat” (manna), and “spiritual drink” from the rock in the wilderness.

10:4 – “that Rock was Christ” – Paul spoke figuratively of the rock from which water came in the wilderness (Exod. 17:1-7) as being Christ.  The idea is that the water ultimately was supplied by Christ.  “Since the people of Israel obtained this water in the opening years of their wilderness wanderings (Ex 17:1-9) and in the closing years (Num 20:1-13), it is only natural to infer that he, Christ, the Supplier of the water, was with them all along the way” (WBC, 1245).

10:6-10 – “these things were our examples . . .” – The disobedience of the Israelites is set forth as a warning to the Corinthians not to “lust after evil things,” probably the food of Egypt over the Lord’s provision (Num. 11:4-34); not to be “idolaters” (cf. Exod. 32:1-6); not to “commit fornication” (cf. Num. 25:1-9); not to tempt Christ (cf. Num. 21:1-9); and not to murmur (cf. Num. 14, 16).

10:8 – “fell in one day three and twenty thousand” – Numbers 25:9 says that 24,000 died in the plague.  However, Paul gives the figure as 23,000 in one day.  Moses’ figure of 24,000 no doubt included those “who were killed subsequently, among them being the leaders of the rebellion, whom God ordered Moses to hang (Nu 25:4)” (NIVBC, 635).

10:11 – “upon whom the ends of the world are come” – Better is the NIV’s “on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.”  This may refer to the “entire stretch of time between the coming of Jesus and the end of the world” (NIVBC, 635), meaning that the lessons from the past have relevance to this entire period; or it may refer to “the completion of the ages before the present one,” meaning that “believers in this age are to  reap the benefit of preceding ones” (WBC, 1246; cf. Morris, 144).  While the meaning of the term is interpreted slightly differently in these two cases, the application is essentially identical.

10:13 – “no temptation  . . . but such as is common to man . . . also make a way of escape” – “Temptation” can be more broadly understood as “trial,” though “temptation” probably fits the context better here.  Paul assured the Corinthians that their temptations were not unique and that God would be faithful to see them through any situation.  He will “provide a way out, not in order to avoid the temptation, but to meet it successfully and to stand firm under it” (NIVBC, 635).

Lesson 8 - 1 Corinthians 12:1-13

12:1 – “spiritual gifts” – “Gifts” is not in the original text.  The noun modified by the adjective is left to be supplied.  Theoretically, the noun could be “things,” “matters,” “men,” etc., but the context demands “gifts.”  Simply stated, a spiritual gift is “a God-given ability for service” (Ryrie, Basic Theology, 367).  In chapters 12 and 14 Paul was addressing problems that had arisen over the exercise of these gifts, particularly the gifts of tongues and prophecy.

12:2 – “carried away unto these dumb idols” – Paul pointed to the Corinthians’ pagan past in which they were “carried away.”  “This expression has the force of being controlled by an influence they could not resist” (KJV Par., 2317).  “The insinuation is that they are still being carried away.”  It is probable that ecstatic utterances were a part of their pagan worship. 

12:3 – “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” – The meaning here is clear.  “Confessing the Lordship of Christ is impossible without the Spirit and such a confession is evidence of the possession of the Spirit.  On the other hand, a denial of Christ can never come from one who possesses the Spirit.  It hardly needs to be said that these confessions spoken of in verse 3 involve more than pronouncing the words” (Boyer, For a World Like Ours, 112).  The reason for Paul’s stating this, however, is not entirely clear.  Some suggest that the words “Jesus is accursed” had actually been spoken in the church by someone professing to speak by the Spirit in tongues (cf. Boyer, 112).  If so, the Corinthians might have been deceived by the fact that the utterance seemed to be supernatural (Morris, First Corinthians, 168), and their former pagan worship gave them no guidance for determining the truth.  Others believe the test given here is simply to help them “ascertain the presence of false prophets” (BKC, 532) who would contradict Paul’s teaching.  Again, their pagan background gave them no help in this.   The test itself makes it clear that Paul recognized the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (NIVBC, 640).

12:4 -6– “diversities of gifts . . . same Spirit. . . . differences of administrations (service) . . . same Lord. . . . diversities of operations (working) . . . same God” – “Each person of the Triune God has His own function in relation to the grace-gifts.  There is a wide variety of them but the Same Spirit is the giver of them all.  There is a wide variety of ministries, or jobs . . . but the same Lord Jesus Christ is the ‘boss’ (Lord) who directs the work to be done.  Three is a wide variety of accomplishments, or activities performed, but it is the same God, the Father, who accomplishes them all (cf. 3:7)” (Boyer, 113).

12:7 – “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" – The “manifestation of the Spirit” refers to the spiritual gifts.  Each believer is given a spiritual gift to “profit withal,” or "for the common good" (NASB; NIV).

12:8 –  "word of wisdom . . . word of knowledge" – Note that NIV translates "message" rather than word. The "word of wisdom" is probably the ability to communicate spiritual wisdom, the "deep things of God" (EDT, 1045; KJV Par., 2317). "Word of knowledge" is probably the ability to communicate truth of a more practical nature (WBC, 1250; BKC, 533). The distinction is not altogether clear, though one writer says, "They are distinguished in that the former has in mind exposition of truths dealing with the being and nature of God and the latter, the experiential and personal knowledge of God. Where one promotes sound theology, the other promotes sound living" (KJV Par., 2317). WBC (1250) believes both gifts were temporary.

12:9 –  "faith" – This gift is distinct from the faith that characterizes all Christians. It is "probably an unusual measure of trust in God beyond that exercised by most Christians" (BKC, 533; NIVBC, 641).

12:9-10 – "healing . . . miracles . . ." – See Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (173-188) for the argument that the miraculous sign-gifts were temporary and ceased to exist with the passing of the apostles (cf. II Cor. 12:12).  This is a widely held position that stands in opposition to the Pentecostal/charismatic teaching that all the gifts remain in effect today.

12:10 –  "prophecy" – There is considerable controversy over the nature and limits of this gift. Ryrie (The Holy Spirit, 85-86) notes that there is both a general and a limited sense to the word. "In a general sense it means to preach; thus, generally speaking, preaching is prophecy, and the preacher is a prophet in that he speaks the message from God. But the gift of prophecy included receiving a message directly from God through special revelation . . . The content of the message may have included telling the future . . . but it also included revelation from God concerning the present." Ryrie and many others believe this gift was temporary (cf. WBC, 1250; KJV Par., 2318). Some limit prophecy to the idea of "forthtelling" as opposed to "foretelling." They, along with others, see the gift as continuing to the present.

12:10 –  "discerning of spirits" – This is the ability to "differentiate the Word of God proclaimed by a true prophet from that of a satanic deceiver" (BKC, 533; cf. EDT, 1044).

12:10 –  "tongues" – There is no consensus among commentators on the nature of tongues. Some believe they were ecstatic utterances, not human languages (Morris, 172-173). Many commentators believe they were known foreign languages that the speaker had not learned (cf. WBC, 1250; BKC, 533). Boyer (124-131) has a good discussion of the various questions surrounding the gift of tongues.

12:11 – “dividing severally as he will” – The Holy Spirit has distributed the gifts according to his will and purpose.  The choice of one’s gift does not belong to the person who receives it.

12:12 – “as the body is one, . . . so is Christ” – Paul here compares the human body, which has many parts but functions as one body, with “Christ,” that is, Christ’s body, the church.  It is made up of many diversely gifted members who function together as one body (cf. v. 13).

12:13 – "baptized" – "Baptism in the New Testament is an initiatory rite, a symbolic ritual which introduces us into a new relationship. By this baptism, we are introduced into and become a member of the body of Christ, the church. The Spirit is not the baptizer but the instrument or means of this baptism. When we receive the Spirit, 'made to drink (i.e., partake) of the Spirit,' we then possess the same life-giving Spirit that is in Christ. By receiving Him, we are identified with Christ and become part of His body" (Boyer, 115). The initial baptism of the Spirit occurred on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; cf. 2:1-6; 11:15-16).

Lesson 9 - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

13:1 – “speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity” – The tongues of men and angels simply refers to the gift of tongues, which was so valued (overvalued) by the Corinthians.  “Charity” is agape (love).  This chapter, which focuses on love, is Paul’s corrective to the Corinthians’ elevation of tongues and prophecy.

13:1 –  "brass . . . cymbal" –  “Brass” probably refers to a gong, which makes noise but not much else.  The “cymbal” produced a clashing, harsh sound (Morris, First Corinthians, 182).

13:2 – “I am nothing” – “The Corinthians clearly thought that the possessors of certain gifts were extremely important persons.  Paul stoutly maintains that if they have even the highest of gifts, and that in full amount, but lack love, not only are they unimportant, but they are actually nothing” (Morris, 183).

13:3 – “it profiteth me nothing” – Like spiritual gifts and knowledge (v. 2), self-sacrifice is also meaningless if it lacks love.

13:4 –  "suffereth long" – This means patient or slow to anger (Vine's, 377).

13:5 – "Doth not behave itself unseemly . . . not easily provoked" – “Unseemly" means “rude” (NIV). “Easily" is not in the Greek text. "Provoked" means roused to anger (Vine's, 496).

13:5 –  "thinketh no evil" – NIV: "keeps no record of wrongs"; NASB: "does not take into account a wrong suffered." "Thinketh" means to take account of (Robt., 4:178; Morris, 184).

13:7 –  "beareth" – The word means to protect by covering (Vine's, 53 #11; cf. Morris, 185). NIV translates "always protects."

13:7 –  "believeth all things" – In essence, this means ready to see the best in others (Morris, 185), not suspicious (WBC, 1252).

13:7 –  "endureth" – See TDNT (4:581-582, 586). It describes an active resistance to external forces.

13:8 –  "faileth . . . fail . . . cease . . . vanish away" – Note that "faileth" and "fail" represent two different Greek words. "Fail" and "vanish away" translate the same Greek word, which means to make inoperative and is in the passive voice. "Cease" is in the middle voice, indicating that tongues—unlike prophecy and knowledge—will make itself cease, or automatically cease of themselves (Robt., IV:179). See Ryrie (The Holy Spirit, 91-92) for argument that tongues will cease before prophecies and knowledge (cf. Smith, Tongues in Biblical Perspective, 72-92). As to when these gifts (at least prophecy and knowledge) cease, see on 13:10 below.  The point is that love, unlike these gifts, is permanent.

13:9 – “we know in part, and we prophesy in part” – Knowledge is “not exhaustive,” and prophecy is “of limited scope” (BKC, 536).  This reinforces the idea that these spiritual gifts are of lesser importance than love and of lesser importance than the Corinthians gave them.

13:10 –  "perfect" – The three interpretations of this are: (1) the completion of the canon of Scripture; (2) the Lord's second coming; (3) the eternal state. See BKC (536) for discussion. Most seem to prefer number 2 (cf. WBC, 1252; NIVBC, 644).

13:11 – “when I became a man, I put away childish things” – Using the image of a person maturing from childhood to adulthood, Paul was stressing that in the end, the gifts so cherished by the Corinthians were not the goal of the Christian’s life and not even a measure of one’s maturity.  Spiritual growth means putting away childish attitudes like those that surrounded the matter of gifts at Corinth.  The use of speech, understanding, and thought in Paul’s illustration may correspond to the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge respectively (KJV Par., 2321).

13:12 – “now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face” – NIV conveys the meaning better: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror.”  Mirrors of Paul’s day were made of polished bronze and gave a poor reflection.  Paul is contrasting the present limitations of knowledge and the spiritual gifts with the future time (“then”) when the “perfect” has come.  At that time, we will see not a distorted reflected image but “face to face.”  Presumably the reference is to seeing the Lord face to face.

13:13 –  "faith, hope, charity" – See BKC (536) for discussion of whether faith and hope are being set alongside of love as eternal. The point is to show the preeminence of love over the spiritual gifts.

Lesson 10 - 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 7:2-15

Background – For background and chronology, see Kent (A Heart Opened Wide, 16-18), NIVBC, 659, and BKC (551-552).  According to Kent, the contacts between Paul and the Corinthian church can be enumerated in order as follows: (1) The founding visit (Acts 18:1-18); (2) a lost letter dealing with disciplining a brother (1 Cor. 5:9); (3) the writing of 1 Corinthians; (4) a “painful visit” that was largely unsuccessful (2 Cor. 2:1); (5) a “severe letter” Paul wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:4, 9; 7:8-12), after which he received good news from Titus (2 Cor. 2:12-13; 7:5-16); (6) the writing of 2 Corinthians; (7) another visit to Corinth (Acts 20:1-4).

2:5 –  "any have caused you grief" – Those who identify the "severe letter" (vss. 3-4) with I Corinthians usually identify the offender mentioned here with the man described in I Corinthians 5. The more common view today is that it was "someone who resisted Paul's authority on his painful visit" (Kent, 46).

2:5 –  "that I may not overcharge you all" – See Tasker (Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, 52-53) for discussion of this difficult expression. "Overcharge" means to weigh down, burden (BAG, 290). Modern translations and commentators agree that "you all" goes with "grieved" rather than with "overcharge" (cf. NIV; NASB; NKJV; NRSV). The phrase thus can be understood to mean either (1) that Paul did not want to exaggerate, or overstate, the grief the Corinthians (or perhaps he himself) had experienced—it was only "in part"; or (2) that he did not want to overburden the offender with too much blame—after all, the grief was only in part (cf. Robt., IV:216; Kent, 47; WBC, 1266; JFB, 6:341).

2:7 –  "forgive" – The word used here means to act graciously toward (Vine's, 251 #2; Kent, 47).

2:9 –  "that I might know the proof of you" – By forgiving their disciplined member, the Corinthians "would afford Paul further evidence of the church's willingness to acknowledge his divinely given authority. By reproving the offender after hearing the 'severe letter,' they had already stood the test and proved their loyalty to the apostle in all respects . . . Now by ending the punishment, they would be doing the same" (NIVBC, 667).

2:11 – “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us” – “The reason why Paul wanted the offender restored, and had taken certain preliminary steps himself (such as granting his personal forgiveness), was to deny Satan the opportunity of outwitting the Corinthians and exploiting the situation” (Kent, 50).

2:10 –  "whom ye forgive . . . I forgive" – Paul aligned himself with the Corinthians in forgiveness, saying he would forgive anyone they forgave. He than stated that he had already forgiven the offender. He may have been ratifying their decision to forgive the man—a decision he trusted they would make or had already made (cf. NIVBC, 668; Kent, 49); or he may have simply been assuring them that he would sanction their act of forgiveness (JFB, 6:341); or he may have been implying that since they were one with Paul, they too should forgive the man (cf. BKC, 558).

2:10 –  "in the person of Christ" – This may mean "'as Christ's representative' or 'with Christ's authority.' But . . . it is more probable that the words mean 'in the presence of Christ'" (Tasker, 55; cf. NASB; NIV).

Background (7:2-15) – “Paul’s hopes for the church at Corinth had received a terrible blow when his recent ministrations to it had been rejected.  Yet a glimmer of hope still remained.  Consequently, he had dispatched Titus to the Corinthians with a letter to make one more desperate effort to bring them back to holiness of life and reconciliation with Paul” (Kent, 107).

7:2 – “Receive us” – At 2:14 Paul broke off his account of his search for Titus to begin a long digression on the apostolic ministry in general and a defense of his own ministry in relation to the Corinthians.  In concluding that digression, he appealed once again “for the Corinthians’ full affection.  He knows of nothing in his past conduct or instruction that can cause them to doubt his sincerity or lose confidence in him” (NIVBC, 682).  It was only reasonable for the Corinthians to be “opening their hearts to Paul and others like him” rather than “joining with unbelievers and developing pagan associations” (Kent, 108).

7:3 – “ye are in our hearts to die and live with you” – The idea here is that Paul would “never exclude them from his affections even if he was dying, much less when he was alive and well and their interests were his daily concern” (Tasker, 100).

7:4 – “great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, . . . joyful in all our tribulation” – Paul’s confidence, comfort, and joy, even in tribulation was the result of the news he had received from Titus, which he now recounts in the following verses.

7:5 – “when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest” – Paul now resumes the account of his search for Titus, which he had broken from after 2 Corinthians 2:13.

7:6 – “comforted us by the coming of Titus” – “Paul had mentioned in 2:12-13 that he had left Ephesus in hopes of finding Titus, who would report on recent happenings in the problem-ridden church at Corinth.   But while he waited at Troas, Titus did not appear” (Kent, 107).  Paul had left for Macedonia, hoping to find Titus.  He did find Titus, who brought comforting news from the Corinthians.

7:7 – “earnest desire, … mourning, … fervent mind” – Titus reported that he had been welcomed and comforted by the Corinthians.  He also reported their “earnest desire,” or “longing” (NASB).  This probably means their longing to see Paul after “their change of heart” (Kent, 111).  Their “mourning” was undoubtedly due to their past toleration of the sin in their midst.  Their “fervent mind,” or zeal, for Paul indicates their desire to correct the situation and fully support the apostle.

7:8 – “Though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent” – The “letter” is the “painful letter” mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:4. Though the letter had caused the Corinthians sorrow, Paul did not regret it. (“Repent” here is probably better translated “regret” as in NIV and NASB.  A different Greek word is translated “repentance” in verse 9.)  He admits that he did at one point have misgivings about sending it and had regretted it.  Now, however, he sees that it had accomplished its intent of bringing about godly sorrow.

7:10 – “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” – “Repentance” (metanoian, same word used in verse 9) means a change of mind accompanied by a change of action.  “Repented” (ametameeton) means regret.  Thus the NASB translates “produces a repentance without regret.”  Grammatically, “not to be repented of (regretted)” may go only with “salvation” rather than with “repentance.”  Paul is contrasting the two kinds of sorrow.  Godly sorrow leads to true repentance, which in the case of unbelievers results in salvation.

7:10 – “the sorrow of the world woketh death” – In contrast to true godly sorrow, “mere grief which is not brought about by godly conviction and therefore does not issue in true repentance and spiritual transformation brings only remorse, bitterness, and despair…it leaves the person unchanged in his relation to God and his situation only becomes worse.  It is a harbinger of that final disillusionment of the sinner, death itself” (Kent, 113).

7:11 – “what carefulness is wrought in you…” – The godly sorrow of the Corinthians had produced a number of results: “carefulness” (earnestness), “clearing of yourselves” (desire to clear themselves of guilt), “indignation” (over the sin among them), “fear” (of God), “vehement desire” (longing to see things made right), “zeal” (for settling the matter), and “revenge” (desire for justice).

7:12 – “I did it not for this cause” – Paul here used a Hebrew form of expression to stress the goal of his previous letter.  The apostle was “not saying that he did not have the offender in mind when he wrote.  His point was, however, that the real aim of his severe letter went far beyond a few individuals” (Kent, 115).  His desire was not just that the offender be punished and the offended one (probably himself) be vindicated, but that the Corinthians might accept his instruction and repent of their actions.

7:13-15 – “the joy of Titus…” – Titus had carried Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.  He had now returned to Paul, reporting that the Corinthians had accepted him with “fear and trembling” (v. 15) and had obeyed Paul’s instructions.  Paul was comforted by their reception of Titus, their obedience, and by the fact that his own boasting of the Corinthians had been vindicated (14).

Lesson 11 - 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Background – A famine in Judea had left the believers there in dire need (cf. Acts 11:27-30).  On his third missionary journey, Paul was engaged in collecting funds to deliver to the Judean Christians (cf. Gal. 2:10; 1 Cor. 16:1-4).

8:1 – “the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia” – Paul praised the churches of Macedonia for the liberality of their giving for the needs of the brethren in Judea.  As such, he presented them as an example and stimulus to the Corinthians to likewise give to their brethren.

8:2 – “great trial of affliction … deep poverty” – Because of God’s gracious work in their lives the Macedonian Christians were able to give generously to their Brethren in Judea in spite of their own hardships.  These included “affliction,” or persecution.   Paul himself had suffered persecution at Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and Thessalonica (Acts 17:4-10), and the Thessalonians, at least, continued to experience persecution (1 Thess. 1:4; 2:14).

8:3 – “beyond their power” – NIV translation is clearer: “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.”  NIV also puts “they were willing of themselves” (“Entirely on their own”) with verse 4.

8:4 – “gift” – The word here is charis, or “grace.”  It is the same word translated “grace” in verses 1 and 6.  A form of charis—charisma—is translated “gift” (i.e. grace gift) in the New Testament.  “Inasmuch as the word ‘grace’ (charis) was used a few lines earlier to refer to God’s bestowal of a generous spirit, it could easily be so understood here.  The sense then is that the Macedonians asked for the privilege to receive and display this gracious gift from God so they cold participate in giving to the saints in Jerusalem” (Kent, A Heart Opened Wide, 124).

8:5 – “first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us” – The idea seems to be that the Macedonians went beyond what was expected.  “They had dedicated themselves . . . to the Lord, for such was God’s will for them, and offered themselves to the apostle for any Christian service in which he might wish to use them” (Tasker, Second Corinthians, 112).  This was not two separate acts but “two aspects of the same thing. . . . They had put themselves at God’s disposal and had therefore submitted to His chosen leaders” (Kent, 124).

8:6 – “we desired Titus . . . so he would also finish in you the same grace” – Paul had sent Titus to Corinth to urge the Corinthians to gather their gift for the Judeans.  The gift is here viewed as an act of grace. 

8:7 – “in your love to us…abound in this grace also” – NASB correctly conveys the meaning with “in the love we inspired in you.”  On the basis of the virtues the Corinthians had already displayed, Paul urged them to exhibit the virtue of giving as well.

8:8 – “not by commandment . . . to prove the sincerity of your love” – Paul did not command the Corinthians to give, but he reminded them that genuine love would be expressed by their giving.  This very principle was perfectly exhibited in Christ (v. 9).

8:10 – “this is expedient for you, who have begun before” – While refraining from commanding the Corinthians in this matter, Paul does offer his advice, saying that it is “expedient,” or “best” for the Corinthians to complete their giving.  They had, in fact, “begun” this a year before.  Some versions (cf. NIV; NJB; NASB) seem to suggest that the Corinthian church was the first to give, but the verb simply indicates that they had begun sometime before Paul wrote (Kent, 128).

8:11 – “Now therefore perform the doing of it” – A year before (v. 10) the Corinthians had begun collecting money for the gift.  Paul now urged them to complete their gift so that he could take it on to Judea.

8:12 – “according to that a man hath” – The principle for giving is to give proportionately to one’s means.  All that is required is willingness.

8:13 – “I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened” – Paul’s purpose was not that the Corinthians’ giving to help others would bring financial burdens upon themselves. 

8:14 – “that there may be equality” – Paul was not asking the Corinthians to impoverish themselves.  Paul’s goal was not to create an imbalance in the process of aiding the needy Judean believers.  Rather, he wanted there to be “equality.”  That is, the Corinthians, who were enjoying some abundance at this time, should “supply for [the] want” of the Judean Christians, so that if the situation were reversed at some future time, the Judeans would “supply for [their] want.”  Paul, of course, was not legislating “communism,” for there will never be complete economic equity among all Christians.  He was simply calling on those who prospered to meet the need of suffering brethren.

8:15 – “He that had gathered much had nothing…” – Paul here is citing Exodus 16:18 to illustrate the principle he had just stated.  In the wilderness God gave Israel manna from heaven.  Those who gathered much of the manna used only what they needed, for any that was kept till the next day rotted (v. 20).  Those who gathered little had enough to meet their needs.  “Miraculously there was equal provision, with neither surplus nor deficiency” (NIVBC, 686).  The church should follow the divine pattern by seeing that all needs within the body are met.

Lesson 12 - 2 Corinthians 9:3-15

9:3 – "brethren" – This refers to Titus and two others who had been sent to Corinth to receive the collection for the Judean believers (8:16-24). Their job was to help the Corinthians in completing the collection so that there would be no embarrassment when Paul came, perhaps with some Macedonian Christians (9:4).

9:5 – "bounty" – Literally, this is “blessing” (Robt. IV:248). It is also translated "bountiful gift" (NASB) and "generous gift" (NIV). See NIVBC (688) for discussion of various ideas suggested by the word.

9:5 – "not as of covetousness" – That is, it should be a generous gift. It should not be given "grudgingly" (NIV) or against one's will, like that given by a covetous person whose main concern is how much he can keep for himself (Tasker, Second Corinthians, 125).

9:6 – “he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” – This is a familiar principle reflected elsewhere in the Bible (cf. Prov. 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:8-9; Luke 6:38; Gal. 6:7).  The harvest is directly related to the sowing.  In other words, the more generous one is in sowing, the greater the blessing that will result. 

9:7 – "not grudgingly" – Literally, this is "not out of sorrow" (Robt. IV:248; Vine's, 284). NIV, NJB, and NRSV translate "reluctantly." See also Kent (A Heart Opened Wide, 142) and Tasker (126).

9:7 – "of necessity" – The meaning is "under compulsion" (NIV, NASB).

9:7 – "cheerful" – Many commentators point out that the Greek word translated "cheerful" is the basis for our word "hilarious." To translate it this way, however, would be incorrect, for "hilarious" has connotations not present in the Greek word (Kent, 142).

9:8 – “God is able to make all grace abound toward you” – “Giving is one of God’s gifts of grace, and He can produce that gift in us, just as He produces all other graces” (Kent, 142).   “Where the generous spirit exists, God will provide the means by which it can be expressed” (Tasker, 126).

9:9 – “As it is written…” – This is a quote from Psalm 112:9. It serves to illustrate that the one who generously gives to others will be rewarded by God (NIVBC, 688; Kent, 142).

9:10 – “He that minister seed to the sower…multiply your seed” – "Continuing the figure of sowing, Paul wove together terminology from Isaiah 55:10 and Hosea 10:12 to remind his readers that God has supplied the generous giver with the resources out of which he gives" (Kent, 143).  NASB offers a clearer translation.

9:11 – “causeth through us thanksgiving to God” – As the Corinthians give more, they will be enriched more, making them able to give still more.  As a result there will be thanksgiving to God.  This will come because of “the response of the Corinthians to the call to contribute given them by the apostle (the meaning of through us)” (Tasker, 128).

9:12 – "supplieth" – This means to fill up by adding to (Robt., IV:249-250). "Not only does 'this service' of giving enrich the donor (vv. 6-11) and help supply the needs of the recipients (v. 12a), but above all, it promotes the glory of God by prompting 'many expressions of thanks' to him" (NIVBC, 689).

9:13 – “by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God” – NIV translates, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God” (cf. NASB).

9:13 – “your professed subjection unto the gospel” – NIV translates “the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel.”

9:14 – “their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you” – See NASB.  The idea is that the recipients of the Corinthians’ generosity will reciprocate with prayers for them.  They will also long to see the Corinthians as they recall God’s gracious work in their brethren.

9:15 – "unspeakable gift" – "Unspeakable" is translated "indescribable" by NIV and NASB (cf. Vine's, 654 #1). Some commentators have held that this refers to the grace of God that had been bestowed upon the Corinthians (cf. Tasker, 129). More common is the interpretation that this refers to the gift of God's Son. The connection would seem to be this: "The preceding verse traced the Corinthians' giving to God's grace as a cause for thanksgiving, hence it is not surprising to find Paul's thought leaping to God's supreme gift of Christ at Calvary, for it is His redeeming grace through Christ which is the basis for all the other graces which God produces in the believer's life" (Kent, 144).

Lesson 13 - 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

12:1 – “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory” – The NASB better conveys the essence:  “Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable.”   Paul’s apostleship had been questioned by some at Corinth (10:1ff).  Thus, although he disdained “boasting” and gained nothing from it personally, he found it necessary to speak of his own experiences, which confirmed his apostleship. 

12:2 – “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago” – “Knew” should more properly be translated “know.”  Clearly, the “man” is Paul.  He is recounting an experience that occurred fourteen years prior (“above” should be omitted since it lacks manuscript support).  This would have been about A. D. 41, since 2 Corinthians was written about 55. 

12:2 – “whether in the body, I cannot tell” – This event cannot be identified with any specific event mentioned in Acts.  It must have occurred during his time in Tarsus.  Paul was uncertain whether he had experienced this while “in the body” in some rapturous state or during a time he was actually dead and separated from his body (Kent, A Heart Opened Wide, 182). 

12:2 – “caught up to the third heaven” – The “third heaven” is equated with “paradise” in verse 4.  It refers to the dwelling place of God, where all the saints who have died await bodily resurrection.  It is uncertain “whether Paul had in mind a threefold division of atmospheric, stellar, and divine heavens, or whether he simply meant by “third” the highest heaven (Heb. 7:26)” (Kent, 182).

12:4 – “unspeakable words” – This revelation was given to Paul shortly before beginning his missionary work.  “It is clear that this . . . was for Paul alone, to strengthen his belief in the reality of heaven and to reassure him during his sufferings on earth of the glory that awaited him for remaining faithful to his Lord” (Tasker, Second Corinthians, 172).

12:5 – “of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities (weaknesses)” – Paul’s boast was not in regard to himself but “in regard to the experience the Lord afforded him” (KJV Par., 2364).  “Only experiences that showed his ‘weakness’ . . . he considered suitable material for any personal boasting” (NIVBC, 697).

12:6 – “though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth; but now I forbear” – See NIV, NASB, NJB.  The idea is that if Paul did choose to boast, he would not be doing so foolishly but speaking the truth.  However, he chose to “forbear,” not boasting of his experience as some of the Corinthians might have, so that he would not be unduly elevated. 

12:7 – “there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan” – The reason for the “thorn in the flesh” was to prevent Paul was being exalted by others or in his own mind.  There are many guesses as to what this “thorn” consisted of, but apparently it “was a chronic affliction that served as a reminder to Paul that he was still an ordinary mortal, dependent on God for the strength to fulfill his mission.. . . Whatever its precise nature, Paul regarded it as caused by Satan but allowed by God and used by Him to accomplish an important purpose” (Kent, 183-4). 

12:9 – “my strength is made perfect in weakness” – Although Paul asked the Lord three times to remove the “thorn in the flesh” (v. 8), it remained.  The Lord, in fact, explained why he did not remove the malady.  It was in Paul’s weakness that God’s grace was manifested.   “This grace of Christ (13:11) was adequate for him precisely because divine power finds its full scope and strength only in human weakness—the greater the Christian’s acknowledged weakness, the more evident Christ’s enabling strength” (NIVBC, 698).

12:10 – “I take pleasure in infirmities…for Christ’s sake” – The Greek word for “pleasure” (eudokia) is used in Luke 2:14, where the KJV translates it “good will.”  The idea is favor, or good pleasure (BAG, 319).  NASB translates 2 Corinthians 12:10 “I am well content.”  Paul could take pleasure even in hardships (cf. 11:23-27) because they were all “for Christ’s sake”  and through them Christ’s strength would be manifested in Paul.

 

Abbreviations

BAG - Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

Boyer - James Boyer, For a World Like Ours: Studies in I Corinthians

BKC - Walvoord & Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary

EDT – Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

GTJ - Grace Theological Journal

JFB - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary on the Whole Bible

Kent- Homer A. Kent, Jr., A Heart Opened Wide: Studies in II Corinthians

KJV Para.- Falwell, ed., KJV Parallel Bible Commentary (formerly Liberty Bible Commentary)

Morris- Leon Morris, First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

NASB - New American Standard Bible

NBD - Douglas, ed., New Bible Dictionary

NIV - New International Version

NIVBC - Barker & Kohlenberger, eds., NIV Bible Commentary (A 2-vol. abridgement of Expositor's Bible Commentary)

NJB - New Jerusalem Bible

NKJV - New King James Version

NRSV - New Revised Standard Version

Old ISBE - Orr, ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (not the newer revised edition)

Robt - A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament

Tasker- R. V. G. Tasker, Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

TDNT - Kittel, et al., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

Trench - Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament

Vine's - Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

WBC - Pfeiffer & Harrison, eds., Wycliffe Bible Commentary

 

 

 

Home | Bio | Articles | Sunday School | Reviews | Plays/Skits | Homeschool | Resources