2 Corinthians 4: Never, Never, Never Give Up

Introduction

Sometimes many of us forget. We forget about some important aspects of following Jesus. Discovering and following the truth is not just a matter of “better” life or being good to someone else. Many of us, including myself, often forget that we were drawn into a different realm once we accepted Christ in our life: the realm where the devil wages an incredible war against the follower of Christ.

Moses said in his last sermon: the Word of God is your life (Deut. 30:20). The function of the Word of God is not just giving life. The Word Itself is Life. Without the Word is death. Apostle Paul wholeheartedly knew this with all his entirety that the Word was his life as well as life for all followers of Christ. Because he has experienced the Word of God as his life, he poured out his heart for the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians 4.

Any ministry can pose a tremendous challenge – even for apostle Paul. One of the most challenging ministries took place in Corinth for Paul – also the sheer length of the letters to the Corinthians partly reflects the difficulty associated with the ministry in Corinth. Paul wanted to lead them to Christ, yet, many factors were hindering the goal, one of which was the continual presence of the false teachers and false teachings.

This chapter came to me as a declaration of war. War against who? Against any person, being, or realm that opposes the truth, the truth of Christ. However the difficult ministry had been for Paul, he was pouring out his heart to tell that he and his fellow ministers to “not lose heart.” In the New Living Translation, the same phrase is stated in a more proactive stance, “we do not give up.” Yes, Paul and his companions did not give up because they knew the monumental consequence for the Corinthians if they retreated.

Three Statements

The entire chapter can be summarized into three sentences.

We (Paul and his fellow companions) are fragile human beings.
We do not give up no matter how hard this ministry becomes.
We will continue to preach Christ.

The next three subsections summarize the chapter, not necessarily in the order.

First: Weak, Fragile Vessels

Paul knew how weak and how fragile he can be. He knew that he was of an earthen vessel, afflicted in every way, perplexed, persecuted and struck down (2 Corinth 4:7-10). Also, he was carrying about in the body the dying Jesus (v11). He admitted that death was working in him.

In other words, Paul and his companions were severely buffeted by the outside trials to render them weak both physically and mentally. Paul never denied his weaknesses. Paul fully accepted the weakness and limitation of his ability. This was the point where Christ began to shine – inside out.

Second: Strong Inside and Heart

However weak Paul may be, he knew his identity and what he had in him. In Verse 1, he knew that he received mercy. In verse 7, in contrast to his weak physical body, it was stated that he knew that he had “this treasure.” He knew that he and his companions were bond-servants for Jesus’s sake.

Because of this strong awareness of his identity in Christ, he made a courageous confession that although he was struck down, he was not in despair, nor forsaken, nor destroyed. Although carrying about the death of dying Jesus, the life of Jesus was manifested in his body.

The inner strength empowered Paul to maintain this proactive mindset: “We do not lose heart.” In other words, “we do not give up,” repeated twice in verse 2 and verse 16. “We do not lose heart.” Paul’s action did not just stop at the heart level.

Third: Fight and Preach!

The ministry did not just stay at the heart level. Paul and his companions mustered the last ounce of their strength to engage in active offensive tactics.

The first action that they took was to reject any message that does not align with God (verse 2). An emphatic rejection of those craftiness that adulterates the Word of God. This was accompanied by defensive tactics by manifesting the truth.

The second action was to continue to preach Christ (verse 5). This was the very act by Paul to continue to engage offensively to enlarge the Kingdom of God.

Conclusion

Therefore, admit that you may be weak, but continue to cling firm to your true identity in Christ, and translate that into action of rejecting falsehood and continuing to preach Christ.

May God bless you.

Introduction to 2 Corinthians

Here’s a continuation of the introduction to the 2 Corinthians.

Author

In order to understand the letter, we must first start with some understanding of the author(s). Apostle Paul was the main author of the letters to the Corinthians, along with Timonty. Given that this letter was written around AD 55, Paul was thought to be in his late 40s or early 50s. Simple fact may this be, it is important for the readers to know the approximate age of the author.

Paul’s first direct encounter with Jesus occurred when he was on his way to Damascus to further persecute Christians (Acts 9). He was in his early 30s when his supernatural encounter with Jesus took place. Before this, Paul was discipled by Gamaliel the Elder, who was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the early first century. He was trained in the word of God (the Old Testament) by the best teacher at that time. After his encounter with Jesus, Paul spent another 14 years in Arabia and Judea, although it is not exactly known what he did during those 14 years, I think Paul started to re-interpret and renewed his understanding of the word of God in reflection of Jesus Christ. After having gone through this rigorous 14 years, he partook in a few missionary journeys. Some of the key concepts in his letters to the Corinthians were a result of both his rigorous reflection of the Old Testament and his numerous missionary trips. Therefore, understanding the full depth of some of the concepts laid out in Paul’s letter is not easy.

If you as a reader, had a difficult time understanding the full depths and knowledge of Paul’s message, it is OK. It is natural. Don’t be frustrated but keep moving on with the guide of the Holy Spirit. If you think you understood Paul’s letter fully, then you may have dwells on the surface only.

The City of Corinth

The city of Corinth was located in the Achaia region, not too far from Athens. As a major trading hub, the city was the center of commerce, attracting people from many other parts of the world. Perhaps, because of the confluence of many cultures, practices, traditions and values from a wide variety of nations and ethic groups, Corinth was a city where a fusion of religious thoughts and practices resided. In some way, the city could be compared to the current Las Vegas in the United States.

Intro to the Corinthians

The Start of Fall 2019

The first and second Corinthians and Joshua make up the main curriculum of the Korean Bible Study group for the year 2019-2020. What stands out is a unique order proposed by The Korean Bible Study Committee: 2 Corinthians, Joshua, then 1 Corinthians. The obvious question is why 2 Corinthians is placed before 1 Corinthians. Furthermore, what is the relation between the book of Joshua and the letters to the Corinthians? I believe that some part of the fun associated with this year’s bible study would be a slow unfolding of the reason for this “eccentric” study curriculum order.

The Overall Impression of the first and second Corinthians

Long. Compared to the other letters written by the apostle Paul, two letters to the Corinthians are significantly longer. In reference, most other letters have fewer than six chapters and the second lengthiest letter, the book of Romans, has sixteen chapters. The total chapters written for the Corinthians, including both the first and second letters, amount to twenty nine. Besides, some scholars believe that there could be up to two additional letters written by Paul to the Corinthians. If two addition letters are included, the total length of the Corinthians could have been close to fifty chapters. Compared to this volume, many other letters (Galatians, Philippians, Colossians and others) are significantly shorter, usually fewer than six chapters.

Why such a long letter?

My hypothesis is that the length of the letter is positively correlated to the degree of trouble that the recipients of the letter caused. The book of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel contain long prophetic message most of which were warning, to the people in northern Israel and southern Judah. In His love, God continued to reach out to His people with many, lengthy words because His people were not listening and causing many troubles.

What God was to the Israelites in the Old Testament, Paul to the Corinthians in the New Testament. Paul’s long letter reflects both his love and heartbreak toward the Corinthians. As God continued to pursue His people, Paul continued to reach out to the Corinthians. Church in Corinth suffered from an internal division, sexual immorality, deception from false teachers, rebellious attitude toward Paul, and false idea of Jesus Christ. Because of Paul’s relentless love toward the Corinthians, Paul’s letters had become lengthy, consisting of exhortation, firm rebuke, and warning.

Never, Never, Never Give up

Some chapters in the second Corinthians clearly demonstrate Paul’s resolute determination not to lose the Corinthians to the false teachings of the false teachers. Paul deployed all of his arsenals to protect his people – rebuke, his credentials as an apostle, his extraordinary visions and revelations – from false teachings. He was fully engaged in this war for the sake of the Church of Corinth. In fact, I found many references to spiritual warfare in the second Corinthians.

Instead of looking all chapters of the second Corinthians, I plan to share my thoughts on the first, second, fourth and twelfth chapters of the second letter to the Corinthians.

Deuteronomy 30: Commandments are not difficult to keep?

Friday: Night of Inductive Bible Study on April, 12, 2019

It was a beautiful weather in Maryland with a mild temperature between 60 and 65 although slightly wet due to early afternoon rain. Around 8 p.m., five of us gathered in one of the buildings at the University of Maryland College Park campus to collectively meditate on and discuss the word of God – from the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 30 of the book records the final portion of Moses’ sermon to the Israelites in the wilderness.

Decipher the Author’s heart and mind

The last public message by Moses, which began in chapter 28, took place in the land of Moab where the second-generation Israelites gathered. Although he was 120 years old, he was full of vigor with clear eyesight. Chapter 30 is the last portion of his exhortation to God’s people to obey the LORD. Given that Mose knew that his physical death was imminent, chapter 30 is almost equivalent to Moses’ will. He was pouring out his heart to his spiritual sons and daughters, God’s people, with all his heart, mind, strength, and soul. He might have been dripping blood like sweat knowing that Israelites, despite the warnings and pleadings, would eventually disobey and, subsequently, face curses that the LORD warned (Deut 28) – perhaps, similar to that of Jesus when He prayed for all the believers (John 16 and 17) before His crucifixion, know that He would be temporarily separated from the Father. temporary separation from the Father. Moses’ message might have been similar to Paul’s last letter to his beloved son, Timothy (2 Timothy). At first glance, Deuteronomy may be seen as a dry book of repetition of laws and warnings. However, I beg to differ. This was the painful pouring out of heart of Moses to God’s people because of deep love. Let’s read the following chapters as if we were Moses. Then, each word and phrase becomes dynamic.

Reasons for us to pay attention to the last message of Moses

One tip on meditation is to be one of the actual persons in the passage. Try to be Moses. Try to be one of the Israelites as if you were hearing his last sermon at this moment. Try to imagine even yourself as God when Moses was preaching. What was going through Moses’ mind as he was uttering these words of God? How high or low was his tone of speech? Where was his standing, and was he able to see all the audience of 600,000 Israelites? What was the weather like, the season of the year and time of the day? And so forth.

Here’s the reason for us, the readers in the 20th century, to pay attention to Moses’ last sermon. Imagine a guy, who was 120 years old, full of energy and vigor, yet knowing imminent death, this person surely wanted to impart the most important message. Before the death bed, no one will waste his/her last strengths with something meaningless. This reason alone is sufficient for us to heed the message.

Content

Here’s the content of Chapter 30. In the first part of the chapter, verse 1 to 10, Moses reiterated God’s faithfulness and eventual Israelites’ disobedience and banishment to all nations because of their persistently rebellious disobedience to God. Despite knowing the rebellious heart and deliberate disobedience of the future Israelite, the LORD their God still promised the blessings to His people if they would return to the LORD their God and obey Him with all their heart and souls according to all the commandments.

The second part of the passage, from verse 11 to 14, Moses injected an important attribute of God and His words. He encouraged the Israelites that they could keep those commandments because they are near and within the reach and not too difficult.

This may strike some of us strange given that we were taught that it is impossible to keep all the commandments written in the book of Moses. However, Moses in Deuteronomy argued that “this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you (Deut 30:11).” How can keeping the commandment not too difficult? The key to understanding this verse is to obtain a correct understanding of “keeping the commandments.” Let’s come back to this point.

The third part, from verse 15 to the end of the chapter, Moses provided a few direct commands to the Israelites: Love the LORD your God (v16); and choose life by living the LORD your God (v19).

In summary, Moses pleaded with the Israelites to obey and love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind and strength – because that is the only way to the true life.

Insightful questions

The biggest benefit of having a bible study with a dedicated and curious group of people is the variety of questions that arise from different perspective, thinking style, and life background. During the Bible study, we threw out many questions. Here are two insightful questions which underpinned the flow of the discussion and sharing on this session.

[Q1] Moses stated that keeping the commandments would not be too difficult for the Israelites (Deut 39:11). This statement is strange especially given some of the references provided in the letters written by apostle Paul. Paul in numerous times told that it was impossible to keep the commandments of the Law and the purpose was to illuminate that we were sinners. How can we better understand the exact meaning of keeping the commandments being to too difficult?

This is a great question. One of the complacency that creeps onto the followers of Christ surrounded by church setting is simply accepting the words at their face value. Faith in God and Jesus does not mean to throw away curiosity and critical thinking. Critical thinking and questioning actually enhance our understanding of God, thus solidifying our faith in Christ.

Then, what does the “keeping the commandment is not too difficult” mean to you? Do you agree? Can you (imagine yourself as one of the Israelites listening to the last sermon by Moses around 2,000 B.C.) possibly keep all the commandments, 600 plus requirements? Probably, not. Then, why did Moses say that keeping the commandment is not too difficult?

Then, that leads to the other more fundamental question. Perhaps, there is a fundamental difference between Moses’ meaning of keeping the commandments and our understanding of “keeping the commandments.” The next question that came up during our bible study again enlighten us more.

[Q2] This verse (Deut 30:11) prompted me (the questioner) to compare and contrast the commandments uttered by Moses and commandments kept by Pharisees. I understand that the time gap between the two is about 2,000 years. However, What is the core difference in the meaning of the “obeying the commandments” by Moses and the Pharisees?

Again, great question. On the surface, Moses message in Deuteronomy for the Israelites to keep the commandments (otherwise a set of terrible consequences will ensue) and the Pharisees’ conduct of obeying the commandments of the Law during the time of Jesus may not seem to be very different. Yet, there are a key fundamental differences between Moses’ understanding of keeping the commandments of God and that of the Pharisees.

First, the purpose. Moses urged the Israelites to keep the commandments to live and honor God whereas the Pharisees used the commandments to show off their difference from the rest of the people by explicitly display their acts of righteousness. Moses taught the commandments to give life whereas Pharisees used the commandments outshine themselves and produce guilt trip to others.

Second, more importantly relation. Moses knew God face to face whereas the Pharisees knew the facts about God but did not know Him. One of the key indicators that show the difference is that Moses interceded for the Israelites three times when God was about to destroy them. Moses’ intercession was incredibly notable given that the Israelites in a few occasions wanted to stone Moses to go back to Egypt. Moses understood the heart of God – God’s deep love for the Israelites – and made an appeal to God to relent. In contrast, Pharisees were busy impressing their fellow Israelites and urged them to tithe, let alone intercede for them.

Moses understood the commandments from God by projecting the heart of God, but the Pharisees literally depended on their cognitive understanding of the letter of the words of commandments on the surface. In fact, Moses was already obeying the greatest commandments and the one like it – to Love the LORD and to love your neighbor as yourself.

The Pharisees’ way of keeping the commandment of the Law was different. They focused literally on the words of the LORD. They think that the Scripture itself could lead them to eternal life. They thought they knew God by literally living the written words of the commandments, yet, their actions gave impression to others that “religious” actions were of primacy

Connection with the New Testament: Love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

When Moses urged the Israelites to keep the commandment, the core meaning was to establish relation and love the LORD. Loving the LORD is keeping the commandment, not one of the commandments. The Pharisees’ understanding of the commandment was the literal obedience to all the letters. If that is the case, even Jesus violated the commandment by taking the grain from the field in the Sabbath (Matt 5). Sabbath was made for men to rest and know God.

Then, why did Moses say that keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult? First, it is not the literal deeds that follow all the details of the commands, but loving and depending on the LORD was core crux of the commandment. It was to be viewed as relational. Therefore, it was told that keeping the command was not too difficult. Second, verse 6, it was the LORD moreover who would circumcise the heart of the Israelites. In other words, the LORD enables them to undergo transformation of heart so that they can love the LORD. In the New Testament term, we can interpret as keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult because the followers of Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Table 1: Comparison between Moses and Pharisees

	Moses	Pharisees
Relation with God	He had a face-to-face personal relationship with God.	They knew about God, but no personal relationship with God.
Posture	Although he knew that he was special (having one-on-one) conversation, he was humble.	Although they possessed tremendous knowledge about God, that led to pride and hubris.
Message	He gave life-giving messages (The LORD is your life).	Their examples were bounded by life-draining regulations.

Moses knew God as he experienced God. Deuteronomy 30, the message, by Moses was life-giving just as Jesus’ message and all his deeds were life-giving.

Pharisees did not know God. Their special status stemming from their ancestor Abraham made them arrogant. Their message to people were life-draining duties and religious acts.

Application

Moses concluded the last part of the sermon by giving a choice to the Israelites. As Moses provided choices to the Israelites, so did God. God never forces His will upon us. However, because He loves us, He urges us to choose life.

In Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve sinned and sin entered and we fell under the dominance of sin, whose wage is death. We live under the force of death. Without God (30:19), our choices are limited to only death and curse. Yet, God intervened in this world to provide us with life and blessings – the only way for us to choose life is loving the LORD our God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him. “Choose life” is still the message for us in 2019.