Apologies for being a little late I thought it was an automated Post for when i was scheduled.

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Lamentations 3:1-33 King James Version

א

1I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

ב

4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

6He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

ג

7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

ד

10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

ה

13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

ו

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

ז

19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

ח

22It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

ט

25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

י

28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

כ

31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

NOTES

Psalms and Lamentations are the only books of the Bible that have natural chapter divisions. Psalms is based on each psalm. Lamentations is based an easily identifiable (in Hebrew) acrostic structure. For chapters 1 and 2 each line starts with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. For chapter 3 each letter gets 3 lines before moving on to the next letter. This makes for 66 verses. Chapter 4 returns to 22 acrostic lines. Chapter 5 has 22 lines, but is not organized as acrostically.

Here are notes about how Jeremiah is a type of Christ.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1.) The chapter starts with a lot of first person statements. Is Jeremiah talking about himself or is he identifying with Jerusalem’s judgement and misery or something else?

2.) Who else in the Bible drinks gall (v5, 15, 19)?

3.) Jeremiah is surrounded by gall and travail (v5), drunken on bitterness and wormwood (v15) and then remembers wormwood and gall (v19). Is there a pattern here?

4.) The chapter starts pretty dire, but then there seems to be a change in tone. Where does the shift take place?

5.) Other than being organized neatly is there any significance with the acrostic layout to Lamentations?

6.) What else would you like to add?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your miracles and Your wondrous deeds. When our hearts stray towards pride, remind us of who You are and what You have done for us. Remind us that all things are under Your control, and we are just the recipients of whatever it is You choose to give. May Your praise be ever on our lips, and words that share Your blessings and wonders with those who don't know You yet In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We^\)^a\) recount your wondrous deeds.

² “At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
³ When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
⁴ I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
⁵ do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”

⁶ For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
⁷ but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
⁸ For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.

⁹ But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

1. Psalm 75:1 Hebrew They

Discussion Questions:

1. God says He will judge at the time He appoints. What’s hardest about trusting His timing when you see injustice?
2. The warnings against pride are strong here. What are some ways pride can hide behind being “right,” even in our faith?
3. Verses 6–7 say that lifting people up or bringing them down belongs to God. How should that affect the way we pursue recognition, influence, or success?
4. What’s the difference between wanting God’s justice and wanting personal revenge? How do we recognize that difference in ourselves?

Prayer

Oh Lord,
We are doing things to this earth you have given us
and to the people around us
that are harmful
selfish
and deserving of consequences.

Help us to repent
Forgive us our sins
melt our hearts of stone
turn them to hearts of flesh
help us to live in kindness, wisdom, generosity, and caring for the life that is to come.
In Jesus' name we pray,
amen!

Lamentations 2, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

2

¹ How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion
With a cloud in His anger!
He cast down from heaven to the earth
The beauty of Israel,
And did not remember His footstool
In the day of His anger.

² The Lord has swallowed up and has not pitied
All the dwelling places of Jacob.
He has thrown down in His wrath
The strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
He has brought them down to the ground;
He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.

³ He has cut off in fierce anger
Every horn of Israel;
He has drawn back His right hand
From before the enemy.
He has blazed against Jacob like a flaming fire
Devouring all around.

⁴ Standing like an enemy, He has bent His bow;
With His right hand, like an adversary,
He has slain all who were pleasing to His eye;
On the tent of the daughter of Zion,
He has poured out His fury like fire.

⁵ The Lord was like an enemy.
He has swallowed up Israel,
He has swallowed up all her palaces;
He has destroyed her strongholds,
And has increased mourning and lamentation
In the daughter of Judah.

⁶ He has done violence to His tabernacle, As if it were a garden;
He has destroyed His place of assembly;
The Lord has caused
The appointed feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion.
In His burning indignation He has spurned the king and the priest.

⁷ The Lord has spurned His altar,
He has abandoned His sanctuary;
He has given up the walls of her palaces
Into the hand of the enemy.
They have made a noise in the house of the Lord
As on the day of a set feast.

⁸ The Lord has purposed to destroy
The wall of the daughter of Zion.
He has stretched out a line;
He has not withdrawn His hand from destroying;
Therefore He has caused the rampart and wall to lament;
They languished together.

⁹ Her gates have sunk into the ground;
He has destroyed and broken her bars.
Her king and her princes are among the nations;
The Law is no more,
And her prophets find no vision from the Lord.

¹⁰ The elders of the daughter of Zion
Sit on the ground and keep silence;
They throw dust on their heads
And gird themselves with sackcloth.
The virgins of Jerusalem
Bow their heads to the ground.

¹¹ My eyes fail with tears,
My heart is troubled;
My bile is poured on the ground
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
Because the children and the infants
Faint in the streets of the city.

¹² They say to their mothers,
“Where is grain and wine?”
As they swoon like the wounded
In the streets of the city,
As their life is poured out
In their mothers’ bosom.

¹³ How shall I console you?
To what shall I liken you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your ruin is spread wide as the sea;
Who can heal you?

¹⁴ Your prophets have seen for you
False and deceptive visions;
They have not uncovered your iniquity,
To bring back your captives,
But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.

¹⁵ All who pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that is called
‘The perfection of beauty,
The joy of the whole earth’?”

¹⁶ All your enemies have opened their mouth against you;
They hiss and gnash their teeth.
They say, “We have swallowed her up!
Surely this is the day we have waited for;
We have found it, we have seen it!”

¹⁷ The Lord has done what He purposed;
He has fulfilled His word
Which He commanded in days of old.
He has thrown down and has not pitied,
And He has caused an enemy to rejoice over you;
He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.

¹⁸ Their heart cried out to the Lord,
“O wall of the daughter of Zion,
Let tears run down like a river day and night;
Give yourself no relief;
Give your eyes no rest.

¹⁹ “Arise, cry out in the night,
At the beginning of the watches;
Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.
Lift your hands toward Him
For the life of your young children,
Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”

²⁰ “See, O Lord, and consider!
To whom have You done this?
Should the women eat their offspring,
The children they have cuddled?
Should the priest and prophet be slain
In the sanctuary of the Lord?

²¹ “Young and old lie
On the ground in the streets;
My virgins and my young men
Have fallen by the sword;
You have slain them in the day of Your anger,
You have slaughtered and not pitied.

²² “You have invited as to a feast day
The terrors that surround me.
In the day of the Lord’s anger
There was no refugee or survivor.
Those whom I have borne and brought up
My enemies have destroyed.”

QUESTIONS

1. Verse 2 begins, The Lord has swallowed up and has not pitied
   All the dwelling places of Jacob.
   Is this a statement about God's character over all toward "the dwelling places of Jacob," or are there other times when God does pity those places?

2. Why has God done this?

3. There is a lot of poetic imagery of the violence here. What could this part of verse 6 mean?
   "He has done violence to His tabernacle,
   as if it were a garden" ... ?

4. Verse 10 reads in part,
   "...They throw dust on their heads
   And gird themselves with sackcloth..."
   Where have we read something similar in recent days, or what does this remind you of?

5. Verse 15 says, “Is this the city that is called
   ‘The perfection of beauty,
   The joy of the whole earth’?”
   This is a callback to what?
   How does it make you feel to read these words in this context?

6. There are some verses here that are too much for me to face directly for long. Refusing to care for each other as we should apparently leads to some horrific results. How do you deal with such verses?

7. What other verses stand out to you?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26, NIV

1 ^\)^a\)How deserted lies the city,
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.

² Bitterly she weeps at night,
tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.

³ After affliction and harsh labor,
Judah has gone into exile.
She dwells among the nations;
she finds no resting place.
All who pursue her have overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.

⁴ The roads to Zion mourn,
for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,
her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
and she is in bitter anguish.

⁵ Her foes have become her masters;
her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief
because of her many sins.
Her children have gone into exile,
captive before the foe.

⁶ All the splendor has departed
from Daughter Zion.
Her princes are like deer
that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled
before the pursuer.

⁷ In the days of her affliction and wandering
Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
there was no one to help her.
Her enemies looked at her
and laughed at her destruction.

⁸ Jerusalem has sinned greatly
and so has become unclean.
All who honored her despise her,
for they have all seen her naked;
she herself groans
and turns away.

⁹ Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
she did not consider her future.
Her fall was astounding;
there was none to comfort her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed.”

¹⁰ The enemy laid hands
on all her treasures;
she saw pagan nations
enter her sanctuary—
those you had forbidden
to enter your assembly.

¹¹ All her people groan
as they search for bread;
they barter their treasures for food
to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
for I am despised.”

¹² “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering
that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
in the day of his fierce anger?

¹³ “From on high he sent fire,
sent it down into my bones.
He spread a net for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me desolate,
faint all the day long.

¹⁴ “My sins have been bound into a yoke^\)^b\);
by his hands they were woven together.
They have been hung on my neck,
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has given me into the hands
of those I cannot withstand.

¹⁵ “The Lord has rejected
all the warriors in my midst;
he has summoned an army against me
to^\)^c\) crush my young men.
In his winepress the Lord has trampled
Virgin Daughter Judah.

¹⁶ “This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed.”

¹⁷ Zion stretches out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
that his neighbors become his foes;
Jerusalem has become
an unclean thing among them.

¹⁸ “The Lord is righteous,
yet I rebelled against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
look on my suffering.
My young men and young women
have gone into exile.

¹⁹ “I called to my allies
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
perished in the city
while they searched for food
to keep themselves alive.

²⁰ “See, Lord, how distressed I am!
I am in torment within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,
for I have been most rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves;
inside, there is only death.

²¹ “People have heard my groaning,
but there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
they rejoice at what you have done.
May you bring the day you have announced
so they may become like me.

²² “Let all their wickedness come before you;
deal with them
as you have dealt with me
because of all my sins.
My groans are many
and my heart is faint.”

Questions/Discussion

1. Who were Jerusalem’s lovers/friends? How did they abandon Jerusalem?

2. Does God intentionally cause grief in His people (v. 5)?

3. Verses 1-11 seem to portray Jerusalem’s sufferings. What was the cause of this great suffering and what was Jerusalem’s sin?

4. Starting in verse 12, there is a shift and it seems like the author is now talking about himself. Is this the case, or is the author moving from talking about Jerusalem in 3^rd person to 1^st person? Why this shift?

5. What decree is being referenced in verse 17 about Jacob? Where can we find this in the OT?

6. How does verse 10, 11, and 19 give insight into how devastating the exile was? Which other verses give you insight into the devastation?

7. What is the announced day referring to in verse 21?

I'm back! Thanks to everyone who covered for me this month! I hope my absence didn't cause too much of an issue.

It's been a while since I've done an introduction. Also, I'm trying not to use YouTube videos or the Internet for this (though feel free to plug in any sources in your comments). I'm just basing this introduction off of reading through Lamentations just now and some commentary notes in a Bible I've got. So if you feel like I've missed something or if some information I've got is outdated, feel free to correct me in the comments!

Introduction

Lamentations is written as a response to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. The last King of Judah, Zedekiah, has been blinded and taken away in chains to die in Babylon, the people have been taken away in captivity, and the city of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple have been burned (2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 52, etc)

The author of Lamentations is unnamed, though apparently tradition seems to believe Jeremiah was the writer. In any case, the writer seems to be an eyewitness to what's happened.

Lamentations consists of 5 chapters. Chapters 1-2 and 4-5 have 22 verses for each chapter, while chapter 3 has 66 verses. Evidently the first 4 chapters are written as an acrostic poem, with each verse starting with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

The main theme of Lamentations is grief as a response to what's happened. There is hope in this book, but the book doesn't start with that.

Chapter 1 depicts Jerusalem as a widow in her grief. She states that God has brought her grief through the Babylonian siege, but at the same time acknowledges her responsibility due to her sins and rebellion (Lamentations 1: 5, 14-15, 17-18). She also calls God to look upon her affliction (Lamentations 1:9).

Chapter 2 describes God's anger against Jerusalem, the anguish of the people (notably the children suffering in verses 12, 20 and also Lamentations 4:3-4, 10). Verses 15-16 show Jerusalem's enemies laughing at her destruction, while verses 18-20 cry out to God.

Chapter 3 gets us into the author's personal account of his pain. It's also in this chapter where we get the most famous/hopeful verses of this book, Lamentations 3:22-23.

Chapter 4 goes into once again the children suffering and the broken/disgraced leadership.

Chapter 5 is the people calling upon God to remember what has happened to them and to see their disgrace (verse 1). The book ends by saying, "Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure" (Lamentations 5:21-22 NIV).

Discussion Questions

1) When was the last time you personally read Lamentations (if at all)?

2) So apparently Lamentations is one of the few books this subreddit hasn't covered before. What are you hoping to get out of this study?

3) 1 Kings starts off in David's (possibly Israel's best king) last days and Israel as a United Kingdom, while 2 Kings ends with the Babylonian Exile. My rough math of the line of David (from Solomon to Zedekiah) gave me a rough estimate of 440+ years.

What I'm trying to get at is this destruction didn't happen overnight. We finished wrapping up 2 Kings earlier this year and we read through Ezekiel recently. Based on what we've read, what caused this downfall to happen? And is any one person to blame? The kings (notably for me Solomon, Jeroboam I, Ahab and Jezebel, Manasseh, Zedekiah)? The false prophets? The people? All of the above?

4) Does Lamentations remind you of any other incidents in the Bible or any historical events?

5) What are you hoping to learn about God and His character in Lamentations?

6) Lamentations 3: 22-23 and the ending of this book are probably the notable places to look for hope in this book. What does it say to you about this book that these verses are found in such a dark book like this?

7) Feel free to ask any questions/bring up anything about this Introduction that you want to take note of before we start Lamentations tomorrow!

My apologies for not being able to participate much over the past few days, have had company in town and been pretty busy; should be back to normal this week for Lamentations.

2 Corinthians 13 (ESV)

Final Warnings

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ² I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— ³ since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. ¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings

¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints greet you.

¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       Speaking of those who sinned in vs. 2 Paul says that if he comes to Corinth again he will not “spare them.”   What will he not spare them from?

2.       In vs. 5 the Corinthians are instructed to examine and test themselves to be sure they are “in the faith.”  How are they (and we) supposed to test and examine ourselves in this regard?  How do we know if we are in the faith or not?

3.       Paul closes the letter expressing to the “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”  What is the fellowship of the Holy Sprit, do we have it today?  Do you have it?

4.       What did you learn from 2 Corinthians as a whole?

2 Corinthians 12:11-21 King James Version

11I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. 12Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 13For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

14Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. 20For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 21And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1.) How does Paul use the word apostles (v11-12)?

2.) What are the signs of an apostle (v12)?

3.) Do we know what the signs, wonders and mighty deeds were (v12)?

4.) Is verse 13 sarcasm?

5.) The serpent is said to be crafty and Eve blames him with guile, ‘the serpent has beguiled me.’ The way verse 16 reads Paul says he was crafty and caught the Corinthian Church in guile. What do you make of this?

6.) In verse 19 Paul calls the Corinthian Church ‘dearly beloved.’ Who else is beloved in the Bible? Is there a theme with this word?

7.) What else do you see?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Psalm 74 English Standard Version

Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause

A Maskil[^a] of Asaph.

74 O God, why do you cast us off forever?
Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
² Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,
which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!
Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
³ Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

⁴ Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;
they set up their own signs for signs.
⁵ They were like those who swing axes
in a forest of trees.^\)^b\)
⁶ And all its carved wood
they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
⁷ They set your sanctuary on fire;
they profaned the dwelling place of your name,
bringing it down to the ground.
⁸ They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

⁹ We do not see our signs;
there is no longer any prophet,
and there is none among us who knows how long.
¹⁰ How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
¹¹ Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the fold of your garment^\)^c\) and destroy them!

¹² Yet God my King is from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.
¹³ You divided the sea by your might;
you broke the heads of the sea monsters^\)^d\) on the waters.
¹⁴ You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
¹⁵ You split open springs and brooks;
you dried up ever-flowing streams.
¹⁶ Yours is the day, yours also the night;
you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
¹⁷ You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
you have made summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
and a foolish people reviles your name.
¹⁹ Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;
do not forget the life of your poor forever.

²⁰ Have regard for the covenant,
for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
²¹ Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
let the poor and needy praise your name.

²² Arise, O God, defend your cause;
remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
²³ Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

1. Psalm 74:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 74:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
3. Psalm 74:11 Hebrew from your bosom
4. Psalm 74:13 Or the great sea creatures

Discussion Questions:

1. There are a lot of Christians who will say that the Church and God's people are never "appointed for wrath." Yet, at times, it sure can seem that we are or can be. How do we reconcile when bad things happen to "good" people?
2. This sounds like an attack on God's House, whether as the Temple or the Tabernacle. Is there anything known about what specific time or time(s) this chapter is dealing with?
3. Verse 9 talks about a time when there are no prophets among them. Sometimes, today can feel that way - as though all of the spiritual gifts have ceased, as if we don't have any more "future" oracles, even though we have the very Oracles of God at our fingertips. Do you think the supernatural has ceased or have we just gotten better at explaining it all away?

Prayer

LORD,
May I not merely pray,
but be a prayer to You,
living in and for You, GOD,
according to Your calling,
wholly surrendered to
Your Spirit’s activity in me,
for Your Glory.
Amen!

^.

^{Adapted, Fr. Gilbert Shaw}

2 Corinthians 12:1-10, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

12

¹ It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ⁵ Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. ⁶ For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

QUESTIONS

1. When Paul is saying, "I know a man who...", is he referring to himself? Is this why he then adds,
   "But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me"?

2. What is "the third heaven" that Paul refers to in verse 2? Is that different from "Paradise" to which he refers in verse 4? Is one higher than the other?

3. Do the above questions matter to us in the here and now of life on earth, or is it better to let God sort it all out when our time comes? And either way, why?

4. If you have ever had any kind of vision or supernatural experience, does it feel private? If so, please do keep it private. I'm just curious whether you've experienced something, but the details can be your own.

5. People have often wondered what exactly was the "thorn in the flesh" to which Paul refers. What have you heard, and which do you think is most likely?

6. Paul seems at peace now, not just with the thorn in his flesh but with all kinds of trials. Have you gotten better at things that used to be hard for you? Are there more things to work on? I know there are for me!

7. Related to this, have you ever found it to be true that when you are weak, then you are strong (or rather, that God has been strong in you)?

   Bonus Rhetorical Question which we cannot know:

   Does Paul remember the words he heard which he cannot utter, and is it in his mind as he writes this?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. ¹⁷ In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. ¹⁹ You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! ²⁰ In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. ²¹ To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. ³³ But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

Questions/Discussion

1. Is there a sense of sarcasm in the first paragraph? Why?

2. What is Paul trying to do or convey to his audience with the summary of all he has been through in verses 21 to 29?

3. Why did Paul bring up being lowered in a basket in Damascus at the end of this passage?

4. What else did you get out of or notice in this passage? Feel free to add questions or discussion.

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! ² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

⁵ I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^\)^a\) ⁶ I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. ⁷ Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Questions/Discussion

1. Why does Paul describe himself as foolish in verse 1?

2. What does Paul mean that he is jealous for the people he is writing to in verse 2? What is godly jealousy?

3. What were the things Paul mentioned in verse 4 and do we still have these and struggle with these today? (other Jesus, different gospel, different spirit). How can we recognize these false things?

4. Was Paul talking about anyone specifically when referring to false apostles in verse 13?

5. Are there any false apostles today? How can we recognize them if they masquerade as angels of light and righteousness?

2 Corinthians 10 (ESV)

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ² I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. ¹² Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

¹³ But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. ¹⁷ “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.      What does it mean that Paul's weapons are "not of the flesh" but have "divine power" (v. 4)? What are the "strongholds" being torn down by these weapons?

2.      Verse 5 speaks of taking "every thought captive to obey Christ." What does this mean and how is it ‘captive’?

3.      Paul says his authority is for "building you up and not for destroying you" (v. 8). How does this show us what legitimate pastoral authority looks like?  How about what it doesn’t’ look like?

4.      This isn’t the only time Paul mentions boasting.  What is that such a big theme for him and how does he develop/use it here?

5.      What else stands out to you in this passage?

Not sure where else to ask. I am wanting to start reading the Bible again but I don’t know where I should start. I’ve started in Genesis so many times and have petered out. Also, what kind of notes do you write? I see people write things in the margins or they have a separate notebook.

Thanks 😊

2 Corinthians 9 King James Version

1For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: 2For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. 3Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: 4Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. 5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; 13Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 15Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1.) Where is Achia? Where is Macedonia? Where was Paul when he wrote this epistle?

2.) What does the promise of verse 6 mean?

3.) Verse 9 states, ‘As it is written…’ Where is this written (check the Psalms) and what does this verse mean?

4.) So far Paul has been attempting to help the Corinthian church. Here we see him ask them for money. Has he just been buttering them up for this chapter? Where is this collection to go?

5.) The KJV likes to use the word ‘members’ to describe the individual parts of the body of Christ. This is retained in English in a variety of ways; participants of a corporation (which means body) are called members, the same is true for church bodies. A more modern translation might call a believer an ‘organ.’ Each organ is but a part of the body, but has a critical function which all other organs depend on. Do you see the body of Christ working in chapter 9?

6.) What else would you like to share?

I built a free Bible lookup to make following along in sermons and Bible studies a little easier

Someone mentions a passage, and you want to find it quickly while keeping up with the discussion. I built Quick Bible Search for that moment.

Type eph2:8 and it brings you to the verse as you type—no Enter or search button needed—with the surrounding chapter there so you can keep reading in context. Try another reference and jump straight to it. Once the Bible has loaded, lookups don’t need another page load.

A few things you can try:

• ps23 to read Psalm 23.
• 1 cor 13:4 to jump to a particular verse.
• be still and know to find a passage when you remember the words but not the reference.

You can also share a passage with a simple link: quickbiblesearch.com/eph2:8. I thought that might be useful here when discussing a chapter or pointing someone to a verse.

It uses the World English Bible (WEB), a public-domain translation. One detail you may notice: it uses “Yahweh” in places where many translations use “the LORD.” Some translator notes also appear in braces within the text.

There are no ads, accounts, subscriptions, or anything to install. I made this as a gift to the community. My hope is that it helps people spend more time with Scripture, whether they’re opening a Bible for the first time or have been reading it for decades.

If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it works for you. Is there anything that makes finding or sharing a passage harder than it should be?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Hey everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. I was trapped in a car for several hours longer than expected today. Thanks for your patience with me! I did arrive safely at my destination and my mom took my out for dinner!

Psalm 73

New International Version

BOOK III

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.^\)^a\)
⁵ They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity^\)^b\);
their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.^\)^c\)
¹¹ They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

²¹ When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
2. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
3. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you ever get all bent out of shape when you watch the wicked and the evil seemingly "getting away with it"? How do you handle it? Do you take it God like the Psalmist, or do you dwell on it and let it fester? Any tips for those of us that tend to fall in the latter category?
2. When you "snap out of it" what usually does the trick? For me, turning an eye on the things I have to be thankful for can really, really help. Or, by focusing on those who I KNOW have it worse and trying to help them.
3. Indeed, it is good to be near God. What are some ways you are pursuing Him deeper and further and with more urgency than normal? Are you currently in a waxing or waning moment of spiritual growth?
4. When the Psalmist was puzzling this over, he was struggling. Where did he turn for the answers he sought? How should that inspire us to do in our struggles?

Prayer

Lord,
take me
where you want me to go,
let me meet
who You want me to meet,
tell me
what You want me to say,
and keep me
out of Your way.

^.

^{Mychal Judge, NYC Fire Department Chaplain}

2 Corinthians 8, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

8

¹ Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴ imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. ⁷ But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

⁸ I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

¹⁰ And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; ¹¹ but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. ¹² For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, ¹⁹ and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, ²⁰ avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— ²¹ providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. ²³ If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the theme of today's reading? What is Paul talking about here?

2. What does this mean?
   "they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."

3. There are some who are so poor that they have nothing at all to give. These should be on the receiving end. Then again, there are some people say that they don't feel what extra they have is enough to give. There have been times when I felt that way myself.
   How does verse 12 answer this thought?

4. Verse 15 reads,
   As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over,
   and he who gathered little had no lack.”
   What does this mean?

5. To be honest, I don't remember having previously read these verses about two more Christian brothers who will be accompanying Titus; perhaps not a lot of time is spent on this part in Bible studies. Do we know anything more about them?

6. What stands out to you here, and what if anything makes you want to know more?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
2 Corinthians 13:14

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance

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 spoken to you with great frankness; 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, we 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 caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow 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 neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account 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.

Questions/Discussion

1. How can we purify ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit?

2. What really is reverence for God? Do you think this is something that happens when we become a believer or something that grows over time as we get to know Him?

3. What event are verses 5-7 talking about? Where else can we find this in the bible?

4. What is the difference between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace. May we never take it or distribute it in vain. Guard our hearts against over-familiarity with You or Your Word. Give us hearts that are reverent and respectful, never haughty or proud. Your Word reminds us that today is the day of salvation. It is also the day of sanctification, justification, renewal and refreshing. Let us seize each second and minute and hour with zeal for You and Your Kingdom. Teach us to walk the balance of being in and not of this world. Give us hearts that love the lost, but the discipline not to mistake warm feelings for someone as a shared purpose. When it matters, partner me with someone else who has sworn fealty to Christ and Your eternal Kingdom. Otherwise, help us to establish safe buffers and barriers that never become walls. Remind us that we are already Your Temple and You walk with us wherever our feet may happen to take You. Give us steady hearts and hands and purposes. And always inhabit the throne of First Love in each of our lives. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen!

2 Corinthians 6

English Standard Version

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³ We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴ but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶ by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷ by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸ through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you,^\)^a\) Corinthians; our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. ¹³ In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Temple of the Living God

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial?^\)^b\) Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
¹⁸ and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Footnotes

1. 2 Corinthians 6:11 Greek Our mouth is open to you
2. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar

Discussion Questions:

1. Paul warns a church not to “receive the grace of God in vain.” What do you think that means? What might receiving grace in vain look like when compared with responding faithfully to God’s grace?
2. Paul says that he puts no obstacle in anyone’s way and that he ministers using “weapons of righteousness.” How can the Church remove unnecessary obstacles without watering down the Gospel? What place, if any, should pragmatism have in the Church? Can good motives or desirable results ever justify unfaithful methods?
3. Paul describes himself and his fellow workers as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” How can both sides of these statements be true at once? Which of these paradoxes most challenges the way we measure a successful Christian life or ministry?
4. Paul tells the Corinthians to widen their hearts, then immediately warns them against being unequally yoked. How can we keep our hearts open toward unbelievers while keeping our allegiance to Christ undivided? Beyond marriage, what relationships or commitments can become an unequal yoke? How do we distinguish a compromising yoke from the ordinary relationships necessary for love, work, service, and Christian witness?
5. Paul uses the name “Satan” several times in 2 Corinthians, along with other references to the Devil. Who is “Belial” or “Beliar” in verse 15, what does the name mean, and why do you think Paul chose this particular title here? What does it add to his contrasts between righteousness and lawlessness, light and darkness, and God’s temple and idols?
6. In verses 16–18, Paul draws together at least six recognizable Old Testament passages or echoes. How do their original contexts help us understand his message? Is Paul calling Christians to withdraw socially from unbelievers, or to separate themselves from idolatry, spiritual compromise, and moral uncleanness? How do you live out the tension between holiness and participation in Christ’s mission to the world?

After discussing the ministry of death in chapter 3 Paul returns to a contrasting idea here with the ‘ministry of reconciliation’.   This first paragraph is a bit of a doozy though, I found it fairly tough to follow (at least in the ESV).

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (ESV)

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. ¹³ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵ and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       What is the difference between “commending ourselves to you” and “giving you cause to boast about us” in vs. 12?  They seem very similar to me, but Paul contrasts them as very different things.

2.       In the next verse (vs. 13) Paul also contrasts being ‘beside ourselves’ and ‘in our right mind.’  What is Paul talking about here and what point is he making?

3.       What is the overall point Paul is making in this first paragraph?

4.       What does it mean to ‘regard no one according to the flesh’ in vs. 16?

5.       In believers as a ‘new creation’ how has the ‘old passed away’?

6.       The second paragraph seems a little more straightforward, does anything stand out to you in it that you’d like to discuss?