TERM2 2019 - MINCHINBURY ANGLICAN CHURCH

Term 2 | 2019

STRENGTH in Weakness | 2 Corinthians

                              Table of Contents

Series Overview…………………………………………………………………………..3

Helpful Resources……………………………………………………………………… 6

STUDY 1 | The God Who Brings Comfort………………………………….. 7

STUDY 2 | Always Yes in Christ………………………………………………… 9

STUDY 3 | Able to Minister…………………………………………………………11

STUDY 4 | Treasure in Jars, Dwellings in Heaven……………………14

STUDY 5 | Reconciling Ambassadors of Christ……………………….17

STUDY 6 | Sorrow, Joy and Complicated Relationships…………20

STUDY 7 | Generosity in Gospel Ministry………………………………….23

STUDY 8 | Super Apostles vs Not-So-Super Apostles…………… 26

STUDY 9 | The True Strength of Gospel Ministry…………………… 29

These studies are adapted from 2 Corinthians: Finding Strength in Weakness by Paul
Stevens (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990).

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Series Overview
Authorship
The letter we know as 2 Corinthians was written by the great
missionary apostle Paul. Paul’s first trip to Corinth occurred
somewhere around A.D. 50 (see Acts 18:12-17 and the
timeframe established by Luke). It was during that first visit that
the church in Corinth was established.

Corinth was a lively church composed of first-generation
Christians, but affected significantly by the culture of its city.
Corinth was the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire. Some new
believers polluted the church with their secular attitudes in
business and sexuality. Others became superspiritual and
boasted about their experiences (visions, prophecies and
tongue-speaking, among others). In the course of time they
wrote to Paul for advice. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in about A.D.
55 to address these questions and various problems.

Then, it seems, the Corinthians turned against the founding
apostle. This is a crucial fact to know in order to understand 2
Corinthians; this letter was born in hurt. After having paid a
second “painful visit” (2 Cor 2:1) and writing a “sorrowful” letter,
now lost (2:4), Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians was at
breaking point. Deciding not to visit the church again because of
the strife attached to his person, Paul apparently sent his
associate, Titus (7:6-16, 8:16-24).

2 Corinthians appears to have been written in response to the
Corinthians’ positive reception of Titus. It was sent at a moment
in which there had been healing in the fragile relationship
between the apostle and the church.

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Purpose and Themes
Paul’s purposes in writing this letter appear to have been
fourfold. First, he was seeking to continue the relationship
rebuilding that Titus had successfully begun. It grieved Paul to
be out of fellowship with any church, let alone one he had
founded.

Second, Paul was concerned about newly arrived ministers in
Corinth who preached a different gospel. Seizing on the
Corinthians’ immature embrace of all things impressive, these
“super apostles” were greatly influential in preaching what Paul
refers to as “a different gospel”. Whatever their message might
have been, Paul regards the real danger that they present as
lying in the implicit theology that measures God’s saving work in
Christ by outward marks of success.

Third, due in part to these new ministers, Paul needed to re-
establish his rightful position as an apostle authorised by Christ.
Much of 2 Corinthians concerns the legitimation of an apostle. In
the opening and body (2 Cor 1:1 – 2:17; 3:1 – 7:16), but also in
the ‘collection’ chapters (8:1 – 9:15) and in Paul’s closing
defence of his ministry in Corinth (10:1 – 13:14), this is the theme
of the letter. The question is whether Paul, who lives in
weakness, bears the power and authority of Christ as the apostle
to the Corinthians.

Fourth, and less centrally, Paul was writing to remind the
Corinthians of their promise to contribute to the collection for the
impoverished Jewish Christians (chs.8-9). This, too, had been
complicated by Paul’s changed travel plans and the relationship
breakdown between the church and him.

In terms of an ultimate purpose and unifying theme, the relational
conflict of 2 Corinthians is perhaps the best medium for revealing
the distinctive message of this letter. Paul’s fundamental

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purpose for writing is to remind the Corinthians that Christ meets
us at our point of desperate weakness, not only before we’re
saved, but after. Against the false triumphalism of his opponents,
Paul proclaims a gospel in which God’s power is demonstrated
best in human weakness.

The cross, of course, stands as the ultimate expression of this
truth, and it is a gospel truth we need to hear as much now as
our Corinthian brothers and sisters needed to hear then.

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STRENGTH in Weakness | 2 Corinthians

                             Helpful Resources

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STRENGTH in Weakness | 2 Corinthians

STUDY 1
1:1-11 | The God Who Brings Comfort

1. Recall a time in your life when friends comforted you while you
were hard-pressed and despairing. What qualities in their
friendship with you enabled them really to comfort you?

Read | 1:1-7

2. After his customary greeting, Paul breaks into “praise”. What
brings about this apparently spontaneous worship?

3. What is the connection between the sufferings of Christ and
the comfort of Christ?

    • In what ways have you experienced God’s comfort in a
      difficult situation?

4. Why do you think our experience of God’s comfort enables us
to comfort others who are suffering?

Read | 1:8-11

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5. How would you describe Paul’s hardships “in the province of
Asia”? (Big/small? slight/severe?) What did Paul discover about
the meaning of such hardships in the Christian life?

6. Having gone through such hardships, why do you think Paul
loves rather than hates God?

7. Why might Paul have shared so openly with the Corinthians
the realities of his Christian experience? How might it have
benefitted the Corinthians (and his relationship with them)?

Final Thoughts and Application

8. Based on Paul’s experience and teaching in these opening 11
verses:

    • How can hardships draw us closer to God instead of away
      from God?

    • What do we learn about suffering and comfort within the
      Christian community?

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STUDY 2
1:12 – 2:11 | Always Yes in Christ

1. In your experience, what are some of the things that contribute
to, and what are some of the effects of, relationship breakdown?

Read | 1:12-22

2. For Paul, what ought to define human conduct in relationships,
and what ought not to?

3. What had Paul originally intended to do, travel-wise, and why?

4. Why do you think Paul moves from talking about the ‘yes’ and
‘no’ of his travel plans to the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ of the gospel
message? What is the link?

    • Consider v.20. Can you think of a time when the truth of this
      verse has been an encouragement to you?

Read | 1:23 – 2:11

5. What is Paul’s explanation for having changed his travel plans
and broken his promise to come and visit the Corinthian church?

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6. What do we learn about the nature of Paul’s relationship with
the Corinthian church?

7. In vv.5-11, Paul refers to a particular individual and incident
within the Corinthian church. Presumably the man in question
has been excluded from the fellowship as a judgment on sinful
behaviour.

What is Paul’s advice? And what is the basis for it?

Final Thoughts and Application

8. While there are factors unique to this situation (the state of the
early church; Paul’s apostolic responsibility to the Corinthian
fellowship):

    • What are some of the ways we might find ourselves in a
      similar situation as Paul and the Corinthians did?

    • How might Paul’s experience, and the fundamentally
      positive truths of the gospel, help us to resolve the various
      relational breakdowns we encounter?

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STUDY 3
2:12 – 4:6 | Able to Minister

1. How do you feel about being told that becoming a Christian
means becoming a ‘minister’?

Read | 2:12 – 3:6

2. Paul confesses that, ministry-wise, “the Lord had opened a
door” for him in Troas, but he didn’t take it. Yet in v.14 he uses
the image of a Roman post-battle victory march to speak of being
led in “triumphal procession”.

How is Paul able to speak of his triumph “in Christ” in the same
breath as confessing his weakness?

    • When has Christ enabled you to “triumph” in the midst of a
      personal struggle?

3. What do you think Paul means in vv.15-16 when he says we
are “the smell of death” to some and “the fragrance of life” to
others?

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4. In contrast to those who boasted about their “letters of
recommendation”, Paul says the Corinthians are his letter. What
does he mean by this?

5. In 2:16 Paul had asked, “Who is equal to such a task?” What
answer does he give in 3:4-6?

    • How does Paul’s answer encourage you? How could it
      encourage even the newest and humblest Christian
      believer?

Read | 3:7-18

6. According to Paul, how does our ministry under the New
Covenant contrast with ministry under the Old (see also vv.3-6;
also Jeremiah 31:31-34)? Why is it “more glorious”?

    • What does v.18 reveal about the process and goal of our
      lives as Christians under the New Covenant?

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Read | 4:1-6

7. How does Paul’s ministry contrast with the practices of the
those who in v.2 discredit the gospel?

8. What forces does Paul see at work behind those who reject
and those accept his gospel?

Final Thoughts and Application

9. How does 2:12 – 4:6 challenge the way you view and do
gospel ministry?

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STUDY 4
4:7 – 5:10 | Treasure in Jars, Dwellings in Heaven

1. Why do you think we find it easiest to talk about our strengths
and hardest to talk about our weaknesses?

Read | 4:7-18

2. What are some of the ways Paul contrasts the glory of the
gospel with the weakness of those who preach it?

3. We often assume that our weakness will hinder the gospel and
detract from it. On the contrary, how does our weakness reveal
God’s power?

    • When have you experienced God working through your
      weakness?

4. When Paul refers to “carrying around” in his body “the death
of Jesus”, and “being given over to death for Jesus’ sake”, what
might he be speaking of? In what way does this ‘reveal’ Jesus’
life?

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5. In 4:16 Paul says we do not lose heart (also 4:1). On what
basis can we be confident that our lives and ministry will not be
pointless or fruitless?

Read | 5:1-10

6. What are some of the words and images Paul uses to contrast
our “earthly tent” with our “heavenly dwelling”?

    • In what ways does this encourage you?

7. According to Paul, what should we be “always confident”
about?

    • In what ways does this challenge you?

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STRENGTH in Weakness | 2 Corinthians

8. Taking the entire passage into consideration, what do you
understand Paul to be saying when he declares in 5:7 “We live
by faith, not by sight”?

Final Thoughts and Application

9. How does the reality of v.10 help us in our gospel witness,
even when we’re “hard-pressed on every side”?

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STUDY 5
5:11 – 6:13 | Reconciling Ambassadors of Christ

1. What is the role of an ambassador? What would you say are
some basic requirements to fulfilling that role properly?

Read | 5:11-15

2. What motivates Paul in ministry (see 5:10-11)? For example,
what do you think is behind his exhortation that the Corinthians
“take pride” in his ministry (5:12, 14)?

3. In v.13 Paul speaks of being “out of our mind […] for the sake
of God” and “in our right mind […] for you”. He seems to be
comparing the tendency of the new ‘apostles’ to speak in
ecstatic, ‘spiritual’ gibberish, with his own experiences of
‘speaking in tongues’.

Why? What point is he making?

    • In what ways do we “commend ourselves” to others, rather
      than to God, in our spiritual/ministry lives?

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4. Paul says that Christ “died for all”. What does this suggest to
us about the gospel message and how we go about proclaiming
it?

Read | 5:16 – 6:2

5. What do you think Paul means when he says he/we once
regarded Christ “from a worldly point of view”? Why does he “no
longer do so”?

6. In describing his message, Paul uses the words reconciliation
and reconciled five times (vv.18-20). What does it mean to be
“reconciled to God” (how might it differ from forgiveness, or
friendship)? What has Christ done to make reconciliation
possible?

7. Why do you think Paul would tell the Corinthians, who are
already Christians, “Be reconciled to God” (v.20)?

    • In what ways has the truth of reconciliation with God
      through Christ helped you in your various relationships?

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Read | 6:3-13

8. Consider the list of further ‘credentials’ Paul puts forth here.
Why would such a list remove rather than place “stumbling
blocks” before people trying to find their way to God?

Final Thoughts and Application

9. How does Paul’s example help us be more effective
ambassadors for Christ, especially to people who are ‘turned off’
by Christianity?

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STUDY 6
6:14 – 7:16 | Sorrow, Joy, and Complicated Relationships

1. Recall an experience of deep sorrow (possibly a significant
loss, hurt or disappointment). What were some of the things that
helped you move through that sorrow? What were some of the
good things, if any, that came after the sorrow had passed?

Read | 6:14 – 7:1

2. Using strong, contrasting imagery, and drawing on Scripture,
Paul makes a rather forthright statement about not being “yoked
together with unbelievers”. Marriage seems to be in view, but
perhaps not exclusively. What other types of relationships might
Paul have in mind?

3. What reasons does he give for avoiding such unions (vv.14-
16)? Why might this have been particularly relevant for the
Corinthian church (cf. 1 Corinthians 5-10)?

4. Is this at odds with the otherwise inclusive message of the
gospel? Why/why not?

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Read | 7:2-13

5. There is a great deal of history and depth of feeling behind
Paul’s words here. Despite the relational baggage, he speaks
very positively about the Corinthians. What makes Paul so
“confident”, “proud” and “encouraged” (v.4) about them?

6. Referring to their response to his ‘sorrowful letter’ (v.8), Paul
compares “worldly sorrow” with “godly sorrow”.

What is so destructive about “worldly sorrow”?

What are the positive indications and constructive results of
godly sorrow? How has Paul seen this at work in the
Corinthians?

Read | 7:14-16

7. Why might Paul have “boasted” of the Corinthians, and in what
way have they “proved [his boasting] to be true”?

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Final Thoughts and Application

8. If “godly sorrow” is so beneficial, why do you think so many
Christians shrink from the relational work, discipline and tough
love required to bring it about in others?

9. In what areas of your life might you be most in need of “godly
sorrow”?

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STUDY 7
8:1 – 9:15 | Generosity and Gospel Ministry

1. What positive and negative feelings do you have about people
raising money for a Christian cause?

Read | 8:1-15

2. In what ways are the Macedonians excellent examples of
generosity?

3. Why is Jesus the supreme example of sacrificial giving?

4. In both chapters Paul refrains from using the word money.
Instead he speaks of sharing, service, offering, grace and gift.
What insights do these words give us into the nature of giving?

5. What is the primary goal that governs Paul’s appeal for gifts
(vv.10-15)?

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    • What should the principle of equality mean to us as we
      consider our bond with believers throughout the world?

Read | 8:16 – 9:5

6. What care does Paul take to avoid any suspicion of dishonesty
or self-interest as he handles this large gift?

    • What sort of equivalent practices do/should we have in
      place in our lives/ministry?

Read | 9:6-15

7. Some people teach that giving money to the Lord’s work
results in your getting more money for yourself. What does Paul
say about the personal benefits of giving?

8. What benefits does our giving produce in others, both
materially and otherwise (v.12-14)?

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Final Thoughts and Application

9. What difference does Paul’s teaching in these two chapters
make to:

    • The stewardship of your resources?

    • Your attitude toward giving? (N.B. Paul’s emphasis in v.7
      on cheerful giving)

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STUDY 8
10:1 – 11:15 | Super Apostles vs Not-So-Super Apostles

1. Who are the sorts of people our society/world generally
considers to be impressive, successful and worthy of respect
and admiration?

Read | 10:1-6

2. What exactly is Paul appealing to the Corinthians for? What is
his main criticism of them?

3. What are some of the contrasts Paul describes between “the
weapons we fight with” and “the weapons of the world”?

    • What do you think it looks like for us to “take captive every
      thought and make it obedient to Christ”?

Read | 10:7-18

4. To his critics, what was “unimpressive” about Paul and his
ministry?

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5. Referring obliquely to someone at Corinth who appears to
have been a leading critic of his ministry (v.7b), what does Paul
point to as evidence of his true, Christ-appointed apostolic
credentials?

6. What do you think it means to be someone who “commends
themselves”? Why does Paul think this is “not wise”?

7. Paul doesn’t seem to dismiss “boasting” out of hand. However,
he does say that he “will not boast beyond proper limits” (v.13).
What sort of boasting does Paul have in mind here? How does it
differ from that of his opponents (see Jeremiah 9:23-24)?

Read | 11:1-15

8. Paul’s main criticism of the Corinthians is that they “look only
on the surface of things” (v.7a). In light of this, what is Paul’s
great fear for them?

9. Looking at this whole section (10:1 – 11:15), what marks of
the “super apostles” justify Paul’s description of them as “false”,
“deceitful” and “masquerading”?

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    • What kind of Christian leadership today might fall under the
      Paul’s judgement?

Final Thoughts and Application

10. In your Christian life and ministry:

    • In what ways are you liable to “commend yourself”?

    • Conversely, in what ways can you rightly “boast in the
      Lord”?

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STUDY 9
11:16 – 12:10 | The True Strength of Gospel Ministry

1. Can you think of a time when the boasting of someone else
made you want to/caused you to engage in one-upmanship and
‘boast back’? What do you think is behind that impulse?

Read | 11:16-29

2. How would you describe Paul’s tone here as he declares his
intentions to boast?

3. Paul consistently links “self-confident boasting” with
foolishness. Why? What’s foolish about it?

4. In parodying the super apostles’ boasting, Paul begins with his
impeccable Hebrew heritage (v.22). However, he then
transitions to a very different set of ‘credentials’.

How does Paul’s history of hardship and suffering in vv.23-29
bolster his claim to be “more” of “a servant of Christ” than the
super apostles are (N.B. The slight change in emphasis in vv.28-
29)?

    • Do you ever feel you suffer hardship for the sake of the
      gospel? Is it something you welcome, to some degree, or
      something you avoid at all costs?

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    • Would you say you have a similar concern for the spiritual
      health of your Minchinbury church family as Paul has for
      the churches he’s connected with?

5. How does Paul’s experience in escaping Damascus support
his claim that “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show
my weakness”?

Read | 11:30 – 12:10

6. In belated response to the apparently ecstatic boastings of the
super apostles, Paul describes his own spectacular spiritual
experience. Yet he won’t even name himself, instead referring in
the third-person to “a man in Christ” who was caught up to
paradise (v.2).

Why do you think he refrains from boasting about such an
exalted experience? On what basis does Paul believe he should
be evaluated by the Corinthians (vv.5-6)?

7. While no conclusive answer can be given concerning the
details of Paul’s “thorn in my flesh” (v.7), what do we know about
this bitter reality he faced (and how he viewed it)?

8. What was accomplished by Paul’s repeated prayer for the
removal of his thorn?

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    • What do we learn from this about the value of persistent
      prayer in relation to our handicaps, weaknesses and
      problems?

9. In contrast to Paul’s ecstatic experiences, the simple answer
to his prayer (v.9) is considered to be the summit from which we
gain the most complete view of Paul’s apostleship. What effect
did this answer have on Paul himself?

    • What help do the Lord’s words give us in responding to the
      ‘health, wealth and success’ gospel that continues to be
      widely promoted today?

Final Thoughts and Application

10. In what ways can you envision God taking something evil or
destructive in your life and making it serve a good purpose?

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