So You're a Priest: Holding on Loosely

This is part 18 of a sermon series through 2 Corinthians. After defending his ministry and then encouraging the Corinthians to holy living, Paul now turns to a matter of practical spirituality: stewardship! I struggle with Paul’s tone in these next two chapters—the comparisons to other churches (8:1-5), the exhortation to prove their love (8:8), the warning to be prepared (9:2-5)—and I wonder: Am I resistant to generosity, am I resistant to give God my checkbook, am I defensive about comparisons to others, or am I misreading the passage entirely?

Of one thing I am certain: no lasting change of heart will come solely out of a sense of duty and obligation. If our hearts are to change, we need to hear these words in a fresh way. We need to hear these words with ears tuned to grace

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Commentary

This passage is characterized by a set of word groups that occur more frequently in this letter than any other book of the Bible. The words are repeated throughout the passage:

affliction/distress: Variously translated as trial (v2) and hard pressed (v13). Throughout the NT, affliction is the lot of Christ and all who would follow him. The word has the force of pressure or constriction, and it is through this force that, somehow, the kingdom of God is ushered in. See also 2 Cor. 1:4,8; 2:4; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2,13 (and Romans 2:9; 5:3; 8:35; 12:12).

overflow/abound: The sense of the word is “over-rich”; it is richness that exceeds a certain measure, the cup that runs over. See also 2 Cor. 1:5; 3:9; 4:15; 8:2,7,14; 9:8,12; 10:15 (and look at Mark 8:8—the miraculous overflow when Jesus feeds the 4,000).

proof/test: A test of authenticity or character. The test of a Christian is how one stands up during affliction. “I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus says (Matt. 5:44). See also 2 Cor. 2:9; 8:2,8,22; 9:13; 13:3,5.

eagerness: Frequently, these verses are over-spiritualized—we say we are called to have a willingness to give, irrespective of how much we actually give—however the word describes a heart attitude that translates into action. See also; 2 Cor. 8:11,12,19; 9:2 (and Acts 17:11).

Note: In v15, Paul quotes Exodus 16:18, which describes God’s provision of manna during the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness.

Application

We believe that we are willing to give out of our excess.

We fail to see the layers of lies contained within that statement:

Given the nature of affliction, there will rarely, if ever, be times when we perceive excess. There will always be an emergency, a bill, a pressing need. The proof of one’s spiritual mettle is found during times of need, not during times of plenty.

Excess implies waste. We believe that spending on our own needs is purposeful, but charity is somehow less purposeful. We cannot control how charity is played out—we cannot ensure that the money we give away is used for the purposes we intended. (“How do I know that homeless guy isn’t just going to spend the money I give him on booze and drugs?”) We do not see the waste in what we call our essentials and the essential nature of the charities that we would support with our excess.

Eagerness to give, like all spiritual virtues, is a muscle that must be exercised, lest it atrophy and die.

I ask you to seek God in your afflictions, realizing that how you turn to God during trial is not just evidence of where you are in your faith, it is also the place where God is growing you.

Next week, after the Super Bowl is over, the victors will be in the locker room showering each other with champagne. They will shake up the bottles and spray it on each other, apparently spraying more than they drink. I ask you to see in this a metaphor for your stewardship:

The pressure is our lives is God-ordained. In fact, God is not above shaking us up, adding to our pressure.

That very pressure, if released in the way God desires, will result in a shower of blessings on others.

To the uninitiated, it will appear that we have lost, squandered, most of what we had, but that perception misses the joy of the giver and the extent to which the giver is, in turn, showered by blessing from others.

For God promises to supply all of our needs.

Points to Ponder

Where do you worry about not having enough? Is your need too difficult for God to meet?

Does God’s miraculous provision tend to come out of the blue from strangers, or from friends who know your needs?

If you give as God calls you to give, do you really think God is going to waste an opportunity like that to work in your life?

A Parable of Charity

2 Cor. 8:14 says, “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality ...” I offer you the following parable as a illustration of this verse:

Time before time, when the world was young, two brothers shared a field and a mill. Each night they divided evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. Now as it happened, one of the brothers lived alone; the other had a wife and a large family. One day, the single brother thought to himself: "It isn't really fair that we divide the grain evenly. I have only myself to care for, but my brother has children to feed." So each night he secretly took some of his grain to his brother's granary to see that he was never without.

But the married brother said to himself one day, "It isn't really fair that we divide the grain evenly, because I have children to provide for me in my old age, but my brother has no one. What will he do when he is old?" So every night, he secretly took some of his grain to his brother's granary. As a result, both of them always found their supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning.

Then one night the brothers met each other halfway between their two houses, suddenly realized what had been happening, and embraced each other in love. The story is that God witnessed their meeting and proclaimed, "This is a holy place--a place of love--and here it is that my temple shall be built." And so it was. The holy place, where God is really known, is the place where human beings discover each other in love.

The Spirituality of Imperfection, pp9-10

So You're a Priest: Godly Grief

This is part 17 of a sermon series through 2 Corinthians. Since 2 Cor 2:12, Paul has given a long defense of his ministry. However, before that he was talking about his plans to revisit the church in Corinth, the reason for his change of itinerary, and his desire for a change of heart within the church in Corinth. Long ago, on October 5th ("Good Grief!") I said that grief—as Paul speaks of it—is the friction caused by the desires of this world rubbing up against the call of God’s kingdom. After his long defense of his own ministry, Paul now returns to the subject of grief.

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.

4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

8 Even if I grieved you by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter grieved you, but only for a little while—

9 yet now I am happy, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repentance. For you were grieved as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by
us.

10 Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly grief much more produces death.

11 See what this godly grief has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.

13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.

15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.

16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

Commentary

As I did on the sermon on 2 Cor 1:23-2:4, I rewrote portions of the text to communicate certain ideas better than the NIV: the concept of grief in v8-11 (translated in the NIV as sorrow); and the action of production in v10.

v8-11 grief. See in these verses the range of responses in grief. When we know the good that we should do and don’t do it, does it led to despair, apathy, and death? Or does it led to a change of heart and a resolve to do better?

v10 produces ... much more produces. The NIV simply says "brings", but the Greek is more forceful than that. A looser translation might be: If godly grief works to produce healing and wholeness that we never regret, how much more will ungodly grief work to cripple us with deadly despair and regret? (See also the translation in The Message.)

v11 See what this godly grief has produced in you... While ungodly grief focuses on the individual ("Poor, poor, pitiful me!") godly grief is focused on God and the offering of our heart in response to our shortcomings. The seven items mentioned here are a description of the repentance mentioned in v10.

v12-16 Usually we sin in our attempts to produce godly grief in others. We try to do the work of the Spirit to bring others to repentance. That is not the role Paul describes in v12. Rather, this whole passage describes Paul’s ongoing efforts to encourage the church—even as it is disappointing him!

Points to Ponder

When you feel the friction between the life you want to life and the life you are living, do you feel sorry for yourself? Who do you talk to in your pain: that voice in your head that says you’re no good, or God?

Would others describe you as a source of encouragement in their trials, or source of a discouragement?

So You’re a Priest: Being Clean in a Dirty World

This is part 16 of a sermon series through 2 Corinthians. With this section, Paul closes a long defense of his ministry that began with 2 Cor. 2:14ff—Christians are the aroma of Christ to those being saved, and the stench of death to those who are perishing. Throughout these chapters Paul has spoken about the tension between the two kingdoms—the godless kingdom that looks real but is fading away, and the kingdom of God that looks like an illusion but is becoming more real all the time.

Paul described his ministry (our ministry) as being ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:16-21). Last week he spoke removing all stumbling blocks in his life (our life) in order that, although non-believers might reject the content of the message, they might not reject the agent through which the message comes.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Commentary

This passage has five parts: (a) a command, v14a; (b) five antithetical rhetorical questions, v14b-16a; (c) a declaration, v16b; (d) a second command supported by two promises, v17-18; and (e) an exhortation towards holiness, 7:1.

the command, v14a: do not be yoked together with unbelievers. In many conservative churches, this command is cited as an injunction against marrying non-Christians. However, this is a very narrow interpretation which is at odds with Paul’s teachings elsewhere (e.g. 1 Cor 7:12-24, where marriage with a non-Christian at least is tolerated, and at best is a venue where the sovereignty of God is trusted). In the Bible, the yoke is a symbol of burdens, bondage, and slavery; the rhetorical questions that follow expound on Paul’s vision of the unequal yoke.

five questions, v14b-16a: Each of the five questions is of the form, "What relationship is there between godliness and ungodliness?" The relationship, the venue where a yoke is manifest, includes commonality, fellowship, harmony, and agreement. Two particular items of note:

fellowship: In 1 Cor 10:14-21, Paul admonished the Corinthians not to participate (i.e. fellowship) in eating meat sacrificed to idols. The problem is not the relationship with the non-Christian, but rather the context of the relationship.

Belial: Although Jewish & Christian folklore refer to Belial as a demon prince of Hell, within the Bible, the word never refers unambiguously to a demon, but rather a wicked, or worthless, person (Deut 13:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Sam 2:12; 25:17; 2 Sam 20:1). It can also be a Hebrew pun, meaning "yokeless" (which certainly seems appropriate here).

the declaration: A casual Christian interpretation of "living God" might assume that Paul is referring to the risen Christ, but by quoting Lev 26:11-12 Paul is saying much more; to wit: God’s plan is to live in and among you, to be domiciled with you, and you therefore are to be his holy place.

a second command, v17-18: "Come out ...," links the Corinthian church to the Jews returning from Babylon in Isaiah 52:11. The Jews were returning to Jerusalem as ones bearing the sacred vessels of the Lord; in doing so they were not to touch anything that would make them unclean. Specifically, they are not to be like other nations and cults (Ezek 20:32-44).

an exhortation, 7:1: purify ... perfecting. Cleansing & maturing is probably a better choice of words. In either case, The standard is high; settling for the status quo, the ways of the world, is not an option.

Application

You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. (Ezekiel 20:32)

Thus spoke God through Ezekiel in one of the passages quoted by Paul. Ezekiel was speaking to Jews returning from Babylon to the Promised Land after 70 years of captivity. He warned them not to bring idols and idolatrous practices from Babylon with them, reminding them of the earlier captivity in Egypt and the warning God gave through Moses to leave the idols and idolatrous practices of the Egyptians behind. Ezekiel reminded them of the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert—God’s way of purifying them when they refused to follow his ways.

The Corinthians (and we) are no different. We claim that we have this great faith, and yet we want to have it both ways. We want to claim the blessings that come from following God, but at the same time we want to claim the ostensible blessings that the prince of this world offers if we will just follow him. The problem is this: in order to claim the blessings of either kingdom, we must take on the yoke, the burden, of that kingdom—we must be willing to be loyal subjects to that king.

Jesus told the disciples, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matt. 6:24). If money is not your thing, insert your favorite idol in its place. Sometimes idols come in easy-to-recognize packages: sex, money, work, fame, power, victory. Sometimes idols come in more deceptive packages: family, Christmas, happiness, security. Either way, when we exalt that thing which is not God and make it the focus of our time and energy and the source of our happiness and security, we have taken on the burden of serving that other god. We have said, "We want to be like everyone else, chasing after those things which promise to satisfy our cravings now."

Fortunately for us, God says, "What you have in mind will never happen." On one hand, it will not happen, because those other gods will eventually fail to deliver. On the other hand, it will not happen, because God will not permit those who have called to him for help to be lost forever. "Afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols" (Ezekiel 20:39). We have been called to lay down our burdens and take on only the yoke of Christ—this is our act of cleansing, our maturing in holiness—and Christ’s promise is:

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)

Points to Ponder

How did Christmas become an idol for you this year? Where did you try to celebrate Christmas as the world celebrates? Did you lose the Spirit of Christ somewhere along the way?

The paradox of burdens: where does the way of the world look easy & fun, and yet somehow become hard; and where does the way of Christ look hard & oppressing, and yet somehow become rewarding?