Sunday 15th June
Read Psalm 113
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
Psalms 113-118 are known as the Hallel Psalms (Hallel meaning ‘praise’ and Hallelujah meaning “praise God (Jah, short for Jehovah). They are also known as the Egyptian Hallel because they became associated with the deliverance from Egypt and were sung during Passover. Praise was not only a personal expression of faith but also a communal activity seen often in music, singing and dancing.
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday 2 Corinthians 8:16-24
Paul mentions Titus coming to the Corinthians again along with un unnamed “brother who is praised by all the Churches”. Many have wondered and made suggestions about who this might be but there is no definite conclusion at any rate he is accompanying them not just as a fellow worker in the gospel but as an assurance of the financial integrity of the work.
It is always a good thing to show openness and clarity wherever financial dealings are involved and the Church none the less. In the Church of Scotland the minister is able to perform many roles – Session Clerk, Property convenor, organist, Sunday School supervisor etc – but what he is forbidden to be is the treasurer, and that for good reason.
Another unnamed brother is also mentioned as accompanying them (v22) along with Titus whom he praises as being his partner and co-worker. He encourages them to show this delegation their love and support.
Having asked them to show support to those coming to them he says he is so confident in their service that he hardly needs to say this. He says that he has boasted about their service to others and wants them to conclude the arrangements for their promised generous gift as soon as possible.
He then embarks on a little teaching on the blessedness of giving by saying that those who sow sparingly will also read sparingly and vice versa. Giving shouldn’t be reluctant or under compulsion but willingly and cheerfully (v7). I should remember that because under the statue of my School’s founder, George Heriot (jeweller to King James Vl &l), is the Schools motto “I distribute cheerfullie” (sic). The school was set up initially for “faitherless bairns” in Edinburgh. He then quotes from Psalm 112:9 about freely giving to the poor (v9).
He says that if they give God will increase the supply so that they won’t be left short. God is no man’s debtor.
Wednesday 2 Corinthians 10:1-11
When we read Chapter 10 we feel that Paul is going backwards in his subject matter and attitude to the Corinthians because it doesn’t seem to fit with what Chapters 8 & 9 were about (the collection for the saints). In fact, there could be times when you may have felt that 2 Corinthians was a bit of a jumble and if that it so it won’t surprise you to know that Bible scholars have felt the same too. The thought is that what we know as 2 Corinthians may be a collection of scraps put together by compilers slightly later. In Paul’s day his letters would be composed fairly quickly without copies being filed away as we might do today. Later, members of the Corinthian Church or others, might have retained parts of his letters because apostolic teachings were regarded as important and as a later compiler or editor, not wanting to miss anything of the apostles’ words, just gathered everything together not trying to make a coherent whole. Some Biblical scholars have tried to sort out what they think are the coherent parts of his Corinthian letters.
If you are interested you can follow some of their attempts online but, at any rate, all the words are important and by the Holy Spirit for our learning.
In Chapter 10 Paul is dealing with critics of his ministry – people who “think that we live by the standards of this world” – and he discounts this. When he comes to visit he hopes not to have to come with serious rebuke though he says that he will if need be and talks of his words not being earthly but spiritual and that the arguments they use are strong to deal with falsehood.
Thursday 2 Corinthians 10:12-18
Paul says that he and his fellow workers are not trying to classify themselves in some kind of league table with others for there are some, obviously, who seek pre-eminence boasting of themselves before others. What he does want to say is that if he claims any medals it is they who are now believers through his earlier evangelism amongst them. He wants to see them grow in faith and be able to help him expand his work in further territories but he does not want to stand on anyone’s toes by claiming their work as his.
I always felt that such things as showed good in my church were always built upon the good work of my predecessor. It was he who laid such good foundations that I saw the benefits of and I would testify to that now. If boast were to be made though both he and I would join with Paul in saying that it is in Christ that we must boast – “let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (v17). We ought never to be commenders of ourselves but leave that to the Lord.
Friday 2 Corinthians 11:1-15
Because it is obvious that there have been some intruders to the Church in Corinth whose teaching has been mischievous to say the least Paul does want to stand up for the truth of his message, his gospel, that he must continue with what he calls a little foolishness. He re-asserts in a metaphorical way that his jealousy to protect them from the false teachers because they were given to Christ by him like a father presenting his virgin daughter to her husband. He doesn’t want them to be deceived now by some others whose message was different from the one he preached.
He speaks of these others in an ironic way as “super-apostles” but wants to hold on to the truth of his work. Those others were making financial gain from their teaching whereas Paul didn’t claim anything because he was being supported by other churches in his evangelistic work. Did that make him a lesser apostle than these new money-makers? It was support from the Macedonian churches in North Greece that gave him the backing he needed (v9) and he will continue to go about his work in this way to undermine those so called super-apostles whom he characterises as false, deceitful workers masquerading as apostles of Christ. He speaks of Satan masquerading as an angel of light and so it is not surprising that he servants would too.
People in Christian communities must always be aware that not all that glistens is gold, that not all teaching which appears so bright is necessarily of God. The people of Berea in Acts 17:11 ought always to remain as an example for, when they heard Paul and his companions speak, it says that they went away and “searched the scriptures” to see if what they were saying was true. I remember a neighbouring minister say to me once that he could preach anything in Church and still people would shake his hand going out the door saying, “good sermon Mr So-and-so”. His desire was that they really test what he was saying and not accept it hook, line and sinker. This is why Paul wants to keep his Corinthian believers on the right track.
Saturday 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10
Here Paul continues in his defence of himself although saying that to do this he is really speaking as a fool nevertheless he lists his ‘qualifications’ against those of his opponents. To begin with he cites his Jewish background and expertise, then he cites the hardships he has been through in the service of the gospel, but he is unhappy about stating all these things because he doesn’t want to appear to be boasting.
He goes on in Chapter 12 to tell of more about his experiences though he admits there is nothing to be gained, it is only because his opposers seem to relish their own background and experiences. He speaks of an experience of his own although in a rather round about way. He says I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord and then says “I know of a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven” (12:2). That he was referring to himself seems evident from v7 where he says that to keep him from becoming conceited he was given a thorn in the flesh. All that he says – and it is the only place in the New Testament that he ever mentions this – is that he was caught up and heard inexpressible things no one is permitted to tell. These were the visions and revelations God had granted him but added his thorn in the flesh to restrain him from boasting. It is sometimes thought it was an eyesight affliction which is why his letters were always written by an amuensis but whatever it was he accepted God’s word that his grace was sufficient for him in his affliction.
Perhaps that needs to be remembered by us when we suffer afflictions or privations that God’s grace is sufficient for us and, like Paul, know that when we are weak then we are strong in Christ.
