2 Corinthians 8: Humility in Ministry

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Sept 27: 2 Cor 8

In this chapter, Paul encourages the Corinthians to consider their practice of giving. He mentions “the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia” (v1). Despite their severe financial limitations, these brethren have given beyond their means to assist in the relief of the saints. Paul sees this as a direct implication of giving one’s whole self over to the Lord (v5). Titus has engaged in a ministry of encouragement, calling the Corinthians to excel in this area of their walk (v6-7).

For Paul, giving is considered “an act of grace.” Thus, he does not command the Corinthians in this matter (v8), but rather he appeals to the mercies they have experienced in Christ as the animating principle for their contribution. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich,” (v9). Paul writes to encourage the Corinthians to complete the good work of assistance they have already begun.

Paul commends Titus to this work, an earnest man who takes this ministry up of his own accord (v17). “With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel,” (v18). This mysterious preacher is unknown to us. In our age of celebrity-addiction, even our preachers and pastors often assume a “larger than life” role in our churches. Yet, this “famous” preacher is the temple for the truly humble minister — the man whose message endures much longer than his name and reputation. As a full-time minister, I find this to be an incredibly salient point. May the Lord forgive us when we seek the limelight for selfish gain. May we only seek to shine the eternal Light into dark places, that Jesus Christ alone might receive all praise, glory, and honor.

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2 Corinthians 7: Make Room In Your Hearts

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Sept 26: 2 Cor 7

Paul does some pastoral work here in this chapter. He references his previous letter and some of the harsh words he had for the Corinthians. But he’s happy to have the relationship with these brothers that can bear the weight of truth-telling. We could use some of this relational dexterity in our churches today. For it is only the voice of love that can grieve unto repentance (v9).

With his comments re: our identity as temples of God in view, Paul urges a commitment to holiness: “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God,” (v1). Moreover, this work is to be done together. “Make room in your hearts for us,” Paul says in v2, “for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together (v3).” This proverb, common in Paul’s day, captures the essence of Kingdom life. We share a common death in Christ, but how rich the life we also share along the Way. This grounds all that Paul knows of life in the church. It grounds his comments here, even the more rebuking tone of his previous letter. All is done in love, a communal love born from our common recognition of the lordship of Christ. This bond should be great enough to bear the freight of truth, even painful truth, as we repent together and love from the deep places of heart and soul.

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Matheny on Sportsmanship

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Jason

A friend sent this my way tonight and I wanted to share it here. I’m not sure where this article was originally posted, but the author is Mike Matheny, former major league catcher and current manager of the St. Louis Cardinals:

As the regular MLB baseball season is winding down, we’d like to highlight Mike Matheny, the St. Louis Cardinals manager, who wrote a very poignant letter on sportsmanship for kids to the parents of the Little League team he coached after he retired as a player:

“I always said that the only team that I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are. The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents. I think that it is best to nip this in the bud right off the bat. I think the concept that I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys. If there is anything about it that includes you, we need to make a change of plans. My main goals are as follows:

(1) to teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way.
(2) to be a positive impact on them as young men.
(3) do all of this with class.

We may not win every game, but we will be the classiest coaches, players, and parents in every game we play. The boys are going to play with a respect for their teammates, opposition, and the umpires no matter what…

Let the record stand right now that we will not have good umpiring. This is a fact, and the sooner we all understand that, the better off we will be. We will have balls that bounce in the dirt that will be called strikes, and we will have balls over our heads that will be called strikes. Likewise, the opposite will happen with the strike zone while we are pitching. The boys will not be allowed at any time to show any emotion against the umpire. They will not shake their head, or pout, or say anything to the umpire. This is my job, and I will do it well. I once got paid to handle those guys, and I will let them know when they need to hear something. I am really doing all of you parents a favor that you probably don’t realize at this point. I have taken out any work at all for you except to get them there on time, and enjoy. The thing that these boys need to hear is that you enjoyed watching them and you hope that they had fun.”

We need more coaches like Mike Matheny, don’t we?

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2 Corinthians 6

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Sept 25: 2 Cor 6

The ministry of reconciliation is a present-tense endeavor. We declare the timeless power of the Gospel to transform our hearts in the present moment. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation,” (v2). The Gospel is an ever-present reality, a message to be received today.

As proof of the Gospel’s power, Paul commends his way of life to the Corinthians: in great endurance, hardships, imprisonments, sleeplessness, hunger, purity, patience, both glory and dishonor (v4-8). What appears to be adversity is transformed into a demonstration of the Gospel’s redemptive scope. The Christian existence is one of simultaneous “glory and dishonor” (v8): “genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything,” (v8-10). We don’t cave to the appearance of things. The narrator of the story has already clued us in. We know the true state of affairs. And this knowledge animates us forward, grounding us to endure life’s adversity and challenges in view of heaven’s breaking dawn.

This clear distinction between the way things appear and their true reality leads Paul to his thought in v14: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” Paul cautions believers to maintain an awareness of their identity amid the world’s misperception of reality. “For we are the temple of the living God,” (v16). We are to be receptacles of God’s holiness and loving kindness in the world. To be unequally yoked is to court the world’s narrative rather than the truth of God.

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2 Corinthians 5: The Love of Christ Compels Me

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Monday, Sept 24: 2 Cor 5

This is absolutely my favorite chapter in the Bible. Which means I’ll have to work really hard to keep this from being a massively long post!

Paul’s comments about the ministry of reconciliation have been formative for my understanding of Christian identity. In verse 14, as he writes to explain to the Corinthians why he does the things he does, Paul says it succinctly: “For the love of Christ compels us…”. A few other translations say “the love of Christ controls us.” The word literally means that Christ’s love has claimed us, that we have become sacred space for Christ’s love to take root. I love how the Message translates verses 12-14:

“We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.”

What would my life look like if I took these words seriously? What if His love had the first and last word in everything I did? What if every word, every thought, every act was compelled by the love of Christ? I find that my actions are compelled by a variety of motives: fear, duty, pride, ignorance, apathy…I could go on. But what if the love of Christ was my primary motivation? What would my life look like?

I have no idea what the answer to that question would be, but I’m ready to try and find out.

This is the ministry of reconciliation: letting the love of Christ control me fully, animating me toward sharing that same love with others.

Posted in 2 Corinthians 5, Devotional, Gospel, Jesus, Love God, Love of Christ, Ministry, Scripture | Tagged | 1 Comment

2 Corinthians 4

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Sept 21: 2 Cor 4

To participate in the new covenant is to take up the charge to ministry (v1). Paul will have more to say about this ministry in the next chapter. But Paul makes us aware of the present forces of evil that seek to counter the work of the Spirit. Speaking of the perishing, Paul says that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,” (v4). But we preach Jesus (v5), not ourselves, knowing Christ is the only antidote to what ails the world.

In His great foresight, God has entrusted this message to us, jars of clay containing the great treasure of the Gospel (v7). Life in the flesh is difficult and Paul acknowledges such. But these difficulties do not have the last word. We are afflicted but not crushed; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed (v8-9). We move forward confident of a coming resurrection (v14). Therefore, we will never lose heart, though we outwardly waste away, our inner self experiences renewal on a daily basis (v16). “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal,” (v17-18).

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2 Corinthians 3

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Sept 20: 2 Cor 3

In this chapter, Paul seeks to remind the Corinthians of their identity. In addition to being the aroma of Christ (ch2), Paul draws upon another metaphor: “you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts,” (v3). The image is a beautiful one: God writing His story in us, through us, by the power of the Spirit. We are the living testimonies, the narrative breathed to life through which God demonstrates His power to save.

Paul moves on to contrast this new experience of the Spirit with what has come before in the old covenant. As “ministers of a new covenant” (v6), we bear witness to the surpassing glory of the “ministry of the Spirit” (v8). Recalling the way Moses’ face was illuminated upon receiving the first covenant, Paul argues in favor of a far greater glory now revealed in Christ. “When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit,” (v16-18).

The work of the Spirit is to liberate, to unveil our faces, in order that we might experience transformation. At the core, this is the heart of the Gospel, the power of transformation. And now, we share in this ministry, formerly reserved for one man (Moses). Such is the richness, beauty, and glory of the new covenant we enjoy.

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2 Corinthians 2

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Sept 19: 2 Cor 2

Paul urges the Corinthians to practice forgiveness (v7). Paul’s previous visit to these brothers was a painful one (v1), and his correspondence with them has been filled with anguish and tears (v4). Now Paul turns toward loving forgiveness, one of the hallmarks of the Christian community. He specifically identifies forgiveness as a counter to the attack of Satan (v11), “for we are not ignorant of his designs.”

As susceptible as we are to the enemy’s plans, God is more praiseworthy: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ…” (v14-15). Our lives reek of Jesus. Our fragrance is grace. Our aroma is love.

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MyPod: September 2012

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Jason

So it’s been a long time since I’ve written a music blog. Most of my writing these days is taken up with our yearlong Project 3:45. But there have been quite a few great albums released here lately, with a few more on the horizon this year. Here is a smattering of what I’ve been listening to lately:

  • The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers. Time was, the Avett Brothers were my little secret, a raucous bluegrass indie band with Beatles-esque harmonies. Now, they’re on Kimmel and selling out huge arenas. Their sound has really evolved over the years, as evidenced by the Rick Rubin-produced Carpenter LP, a contemplative, even plaintive rumination on life’s darkness. The songwriting is some of the bands’ best to date, but the hootenany-jams of previous albums are all but absent, replaced with a radio-ready seriousness. To that end, the album’s best songs are its ballads: A Father’s First Spring, Through My Prayers, the title track, and Winter In My Heart, a hauntingly beautiful ode to love grown cold. Personally, I wish there was a little more banjo here; other than Live and Die, the Avetts signature instrument gets very little play on Carpenter. But still, this entry will stand the test of time as the sound of a band in transition, a band moving toward something greater. Promises to be a great ride.
  • Not to be outdone, Mumford & Sons will release their new album, Babel, next week. Roots rock geeks, rejoice! The first single, I Will Wait, is the jolt of high octane banjo and harmony I was hoping to find with the Avett album. But all indications are that the Mumford boys are aiming to stick closely to the recipe that won them such acclaim on their debut LP, Sigh No More. If Babel contains a song even half as good as Timshel, it’ll be worth the price. “I will wait…” indeed. Next week can’t get here quickly enough.
  • I’ve been a Dwight Yoakam fan forever. As in, his Just Looking For a Hit greatest hits compilation was the first cassette tape I ever owned. I’ve been streaming his new album, 3 Pears, over at Spotify for the past few days and it’s awesome. If you like Yoakam’s signature sound, you’ll love this new record. It’s really a shame that Nashville continues to ignore this one of a kind artist. 3 Pears is Yoakam’s first album in 7 years and the layoff hasn’t harmed him one bit. Best cut: It’s Never Alright.

I’ll have much more to say about the year in music in my year end review posts in December. Until then, I’ll probably look to make a few more posts about what I’m listening to.

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2 Corinthians 1

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Sept 18: 2 Cor 1

I’ve used Paul’s description of God as “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (v3) many times over the years. Paul identifies God as the eternal source of encouragement and comfort, intervening into our trying circumstances to bring peace. And we receive a blessing as we, in turn, comfort others with the same kind of compassion that we’ve received from the Lord. “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ,” (v5).

Paul seems interested in helping the Corinthians understand that trials are a part of every Christian’s life. He shares his own difficulties in the province of Asia (v8), saying “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death,” (v8-9). Does that sound familiar? Can you relate to Paul’s words? Is life wearisome? Is your burden heavy? Take comfort; you’re definitely not alone. But listen to what Paul has to say next: “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead,” (v9).

Paul’s travel plans have been modified and he spends some time explaining this to his Corinthian brothers and sisters. But Paul also weaves theology in here. He does not fail to seize an opportunity to capitalize on God’s character in this conversation. “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us…was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ but in him it has always been ‘Yes’,” (v18-19). God’s ultimate demonstration of His character and love is found in Jesus. Human feelings will vacillate; we say one thing, and do another. Not God. His ultimate “Yes” toward us is Christ.

Does God really love us? In Christ, “Yes”.
Does God care about my life? In Christ, “Yes”.
Will God forgive me for what I’ve done? In Christ, “Yes”.
Is there a place in God’s Kingdom for a sinner like me? In Christ, “Yes”.

In all things, “Yes”.

For in him, it has always been “Yes”.

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