Dear Student of the Word,
Forgive me again for not sending a study last week. I was in the midst of a Leadership Summit last week that took up most of the days and some evenings. Then I packed for home and visited with friends in The Netherlands for a few days. But I'm back home and happy to send this new study from Second Corinthians for your use. We will finish up Corinthians in the next few weeks and then move on to another book.
In this week's study, we read Paul as he finished his instructions for the Judean offering. Then he moved on to what seems like another defense of his leadership and apostolic work. It is fascinating to see how much opposition Paul encountered. We know him as Saint Paul, but those working with him didn't quite see it that way!
At any rate, this week I wrote:
v. 7 -- There must have some who were questioning (again) Paul's credentials while confident in their own. They saw themselves in Christ, but perhaps weren't so sure about Paul. That seems to be part of human nature. I think I am right in the things of God and that makes everyone else wrong, or at least less spiritual than I. God is not like you and me, He is like Himself! When I think that I have figured God out, then I am guilty of arrogance and that attitude carries over to my relationships. This was true among Old Testament believers as well:
You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face (Psalm 50:20-21).
When God is silent, it isn't necessarily because He agrees with you or your thinking; it's because He is giving you room to repent!
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:4).
Are you mistaking God's kindness or silence for approval? Perhaps you need to reassess how you feel about other believers who don't think or believe all that you do.
Remember that the Bible study archives of 14 other New Testament studies can be found on my website along with The Faith Files, a study of every verse on faith in the New Testament. You can unsubscribe by clicking on the link below. You can give a gift subscription by going to the site where these studies are posted every week.
Feel free to add your comments or insights to this study at the end of this post on the site where it is located.
Download this week's study: Download 2_corinthians_study_7.doc
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