Relationships: The Improvement Factor - 2 Corinthians 10:1 - 13:3

The author of this lesson as published in LifeWay literature mentioned that he and his wife enjoy the home improvement programs that that frequently shows an older run-down home being completely renovated from foundation to the roof. Changes are likely to take place at any place and old walls removed or new ones added change the space; while new and different flooring materials, colors, cabinets, decorations or even furniture change the looks. He said the results are usually but not always great. And then he wondered why churches do not practice the same kind of improvement programs. To my knowledge, we do not have writers today that have designer abilities in their vocabulary but the weakest of us can look back to the apostle Paul and get some good ideas about how to go about the job ahead.

When we say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever it should ring a bell of consistency in our minds regarding what the church should be. Two thousand years have rolled by, and there have been changes in communication, transportation, and conveniences that should make the job easier for us than it was for Paul. But some things haven’t changed such as sin still exists; and people are still plagued by their sinful nature. The Word of God has not changed; it is just more available in both written and electronic forms, and almost every body has one of these forms available. Generally speaking, the New Testament churches in Paul’s day had the same problems that we encounter today in the twenty-first century churches. Just think about it—there are no problems in the church, family, community, state, nation or the world that are not people related. In other words, a church, state or country does not have problems, only the people in them do—and people haven’t changed that much even since Paul’s day.

If there is one thing that threatens the peace of every church at one time or another, it is the struggle over authority. All good strong churches have strong leaders, someone has to take the lead and the question is always who that will be. There had been a power struggle in Corinth that caused Paul much grief. The extreme of the problem came when some of the members declared themselves to be teachers and apostles equal to Paul and insisted that the church come under their authority rather than the teachings of Christ which Paul had used in its foundation. Our church today faces two problems that are very similar to and maybe even more extreme than Paul and the Corinthians had. One is the struggle over power or leadership that arises between the pastor and the congregation and sometimes between factions in the congregation. This conflict is more visible and explosive and will either divide or skill the church and its witness.

A second kind of problem has grown into magnitude proportions during the last few decades. We are suffering in the United States because of the power exerted by officials that have embraced liberalism to such extreme that it approaches socialism and communism. There are extremes in immorality that have become the way of the people in the screen and television business. These new sanctions that are embraced by the liberals have encroached upon the sacred pews of the church. It requires both a fundamentalist pastor and a Bible centered congregation to successfully battle the sinful encroachment of liberalism into our worship services.

False apostles had opposed Paul in Corinth and he was hoping that his letters against these false teachers might prevent a major church disruption when he finally got back to see them. These false apostles were seemingly accusing him of begin two-faced. They said that he was timid when in their presence, but when away, his writings were bold and strong. There are several times in this chapter where Paul responded by boasting of his past accomplishments and the price he had paid just to survive. No other apostle could use this tactic in a more deserving way. Always desiring to protect the church from error, Paul continued to resist those leaders in Corinth who opposed his authority. If I were a minister of the gospel, I would want my name to be Paul, however, it would be most important that my leadership be as strong as his was.

Paul was planning to return to Corinth for his third visit. He had already been delayed until some were unhappy with him, and he was trying to do what he could to heal the hurts before he arrived in person. It is hard to discipline children when you are with them, even harder to discipline adults by mail. Paul tried. John Calvin once said “Discipline is like a bridle to restrain and tame those who rage against the doctrine of Christ; or like a spur to arouse those of little inclination; and also sometime like a father’s rod to chastise mildly and with gentleness of Christ’s Spirit those who have more seriously lapsed.” Paul knew that his opposition was strong enough to cause difficulty at the time of his return and he wanted to calm things so that his revisit would not be in vein.

Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to prepare for his next visit. He especially wanted them to have a receptive attitude so that his time for Christ would no be wasted through conflict. He really did not know how the visit would go. It could be a time of rebuke and argumentation or a time of rebuilding strength in the Lord and he knew that it was really up to the Corinthians to decide.

Paul had never lived at the expense of the Corinthians, but had paid his own way; but for some reason his enemies argued that his return would be very costly for the church. He assured the church that this was not true and that he would not accept money from them for his own personal use. It has been made well known that Paul was a tent maker by trade and that he had worked his way through his missionary journeys. It is amazing how the opposition will use untruths that are very obvious to all concerned and how these untruths will still be successful in blocking good things that should have happened without opposition.

I truly believe that the greatest threat to our church today is the gradual acceptance of liberalism both in our every day lives and our spiritual lives. I only hope that God will find a way during these last two years and the next two to come—to affect our improvement factor in America. Lord, allow our churches and our country to grow stronger side by side, and without any further church and state conflict.

Relationships: The Long-Distance Factor - 2 Corinthians 7:5 - 9:15

Do you ever look back over your life [especially if you are middle age or more] and remember old friends that were at one time close, caring, and concerned; but have become cold and distant. You may not have had a letter, a call or even a Christmas card in years and you may not have sent one. One or the other moved to another location and the long-distance between is a part of the problem. One or both married and became interested in their new family and made new friends and there is nothing wrong with this. It should be that way, but at the same time, old friends that are good friends are sometimes irreplaceable and are worthy of the effort it takes to renew long-distance communication. Just remember that it is never too late to renew old friendships.

We have utilized a considerable amount of our lesson time lately discussing our personal relationships. We have looked at family relationships as well as church related and then just friendly relationships as relating to problems that arise in each category. Beginning with the fourteenth verse of chapter six, Paul introduces a specific problem that is to be avoided whether you are choosing a mate, joining a church, or cultivating a friend. What ever you are doing, there is no exception to this rule that Paul has given us.

Paul speaks plainly and makes it easy to understand when he simply says; “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” Since we are discussing and comparing the church family and the personal family and how certain rules apply to both, it is imperative that we consider this statement fully, because it clearly does belong to both situations. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ you must understand that no matter how much you would like to get married—you should never (not ever) marry an unbeliever. Young people find it very easy to become infatuated with the opposite sex and either think they are in love or maybe actually fall in love with anyone they are dating frequently. Therefore, the only way to avoid an unscriptural marriage is to select Christian friends of like belief. Do not date an unbeliever because it is too dangerous.

This rule applies to any believer that is seeking membership in a church. No Christian should join any church that does not teach and preach the bible as they believe it should be. There is only one way for you to be sure that you are making the right choice. First, you must know what you believe to be the essentials—that is, the basic teachings of the Holy Bible, and then you must know that these basics are being taught in the church of your choice. You should seek help from a pastor or Christian counselor in whom you have a strong faith. However, the only way you can be absolutely sure that you know the basic teachings of the Bible is for you to read and study the Book and pray for guidance in your understanding. Right now, immediately, you should turn to… and read… and study the last verses in chapter six where Paul will give you good reasons why you should not be un-equally yoked together.

Allow me to give you a few examples that are so very simple and even crude that I hate to take the time and space necessary—but theses are realistic examples of troublemakers. You are the believer and you want to go to church Sunday morning, your unbelieving spouse wants to spend the day on the golf course or lake. You want to spend money available to buy needed furniture; your spouse wants a new boat or golf clubs. You want to spend a quiet night at home, the spouse wants to go to a strip joint. You want to save a few dollars; the spouse wants to play the lottery. The children need clothing and food, the spouse buys alcohol or drugs. You want to save and he/she wants to spend.

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, and know that you were saved by grace through faith and there is no other way—you will surely become unhappy when the teacher or preacher starts talking about salvation by works. When the church condones false teachers, or tends to be no more than a liberal social organization you will not be happy in this setting. If you believe in water baptism by immersion you probably will not be happy with sprinkling.

Paul’s reason for bringing this subject up is that he was having all kinds of problems with the members of the church at Corinth. He had been there with them, witnessed to them regarding the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and His will for the church. Then Paul left these good friends in the early days of their Christian life and continued on his missionary journeys. He had planned to get back to see them, to worship with them and teach them more of the truths about Christ’s teachings, but the stumbling blocks of life prevented his return. Their friendship grew cold. They lost their love and trust in and for him and began to marry nonbelievers, and allow their church to be influenced by non-believing leaders that claimed to be Christians. They were definitely all mixed up regarding the teachings about the resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ.

Given the problems they had with communication and travel in those days, the best he could do was write them four different letters while they were apart, and try to make sure that one of his helpers got back to the Corinthian Church to help them with their problems. One and possibly two of these letters were lost, and so they actually only received two that we know to be the first and second Corinthians. [We believe that at least a part of one of the lost letters is included in 2 Corinthians.]

If you and I have old friends that have drifted away or from which we have drifted away, our means of communication are much better today, and we literally have no excuse not to reaffirm our love and concern for our old friends or to make new ones. You know what I mean, but to insure that you recognize the simplicity of this task I remind you that you have inexpensive phones of all colors and kind, slow mail that is sure, fast e-mail that is free, a good car that makes it no more than a three day drive anywhere in the country. A plane reduces the trip to only a few hours. We really have no excuse and should maintain important friendships. Somewhere, someone needs an encouraging word from you today.

Paul is my hero. He worked hard and long under some dire circumstances, and I believe he tried as best he could to be a continuing friend to all that he won to Christ. However, he amassed quiet a number that criticized him for not keeping up with his long-distance friends, those he made and then left behind as he started another missionary journey. You and I might be surprised to know the number of old friends we have that would receive a real lift in life if we would let them know anew that we still care and that Jesus our Lord will never stop caring for them.

Relationships: The Reconciliation Factor - 2 Corinthians 5:11 – 7:2-4

The study of relationships in this lesson refers to the condition that exists between two or more people. Generally it refers to the conditions that are present within a family between parents and children or within a church between the church and pastor or among the members of the church. Some individuals are difficult to know and love and then there are issues that arise, moral or otherwise, that causes conflict among those involved in the situation. The end result is always destructive unless there is room for the reconciliation factor to operate. Hearts are broken and friends are lost when the individuals are unwilling or unable to reconcile their differences.

The satanic powers that operate on earth search for and find the differences that can be stirred between two or more people and use them to drive wedges of division between friends, family members and among the members of the church. These problems have always existed. The problems that arose in the Corinthian Church are the examples used by Paul, but they are the same kinds of problems that arise within families that drive them apart. Anyone that chooses to be a peacemaker in these situations must have a heart capable of reconciliation and cannot be prideful or selfish, but must always be willing to give as well as take.

Have you ever really centered you mind and soul on what Paul meant when he said that “if you are in Christ” meaning, if you are saved, “you are a new creature?” Your original sinful nature is changed, and you now have a new bodily nature. This change comes directly from God who reconciled you [and me] to himself [God] through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Your ability to be reconciled to others is a ministry; it is your ministry to others. The bible teaches us that our ability to say that we forgive our enemy will heap coals of fire on their heads but when we are able to demonstrate by our actions that we truly forgive them it speaks an even stronger message. It is better to give than to receive; however it is even better to forgive our adversaries than to be forgiven by them.

Only Christ and Jesus only can truly forgive; man alone cannot. Therefore when you are able to forgive and demonstrate that you have, it is not you alone but Christ makes it happen. That means that your ability to forgive others indicates that Christ is in you and you are in him. In times past Christ died to prove he had forgiven us and in our lives our act of forgiveness proves that he is now living in us and furnishes us with the power of forgiveness. The story of the Prodigal Son is a human example of how the Holy Father is able to forgive, welcome the son home, and restore him. The other son [the brother] is a human example of how forgiveness is impossible without the love of Christ in you.

You and your family may have experienced a difference of opinion and you are separated. Someone has sinned against you—and now through your ability to reconcile—you are able to no longer count their sins against you. You do not have to ‘agree’ but you must forgive their sin.

In Verse fourteen Paul reminds us that Christ’s love compels us. He loved us so much that he died for us. Included in this thought we must realize that one died [Jesus on the cross] to save [all] of us from the penalty of sin—therefore all of us died. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. He paid our penalty. When we believe; accept his death as the price for our sin, through our belief we die to our self and sin and live for Him.

It is sad to think about; but the other side of this truth is that if we refuse to accept his death and believe in him—his death seems to point to our physical and spiritual deaths which will result in eternal separation from Him. Dear friends, apart from the Cross of Christ, life is but a few days and full of trouble. Apart from the Cross of Christ, nothing else matters.

I am concerned about our ability to reconcile our differences with other Christians that we deal with today. The bible is clear regarding the matter. It teaches us that if we have differences that are straining our relationships, with a Christian attitude, we are to go to the one who has offended us and through reconciliation, we are to seek restoration. If you go to an offender and they refuse to discuss the matter or refuse to reach a solution, then you are to take a brother or sister of the church with you and talk to them. In eighty seven years, I have heard of very few instances where two or more have tried to settle their differences in the biblical way.

In cases where a family is divided because on has chosen to sin against the family or another member of the family one must be very careful how they approach the problem. An outright demand that the person ‘change or else’ is a sure way to close the bargaining door. There is a good example in the scripture. Several Christians found a woman who had committed adultery and ask Christ if she should no be stoned to death as the law commanded. Christ agreed and suggested that the one among them who had no sin in their own life should cast the first stone. According to the scripture—one by one they all bowed their heads and walked away from the scene. When they were gone, Christ asked her, “Where are your accusers”? Then he said, “Neither do I condemn you, go your way and sin no more.” I believe that the strong message here is simply that we should make sure our life is ‘right with God’ before we condemn others for their sins. If our love ones are willing to ‘go their way and sin no more’ we should be willing to forgive them just as Christ forgave the lady that had been accused.

In the beginning, when man sinned against God, it required one who was perfect [Jesus Christ] to reconcile sinful man to God. Today, when a person sins against you it requires a person who is “Christ Like” to bring about Christian reconciliation. Therefore we must know that we are worthy of reconciliation before we ask our brother to be reconciled.

The scriptures say that one man owed his lord a huge debt that he could not pay, and ask that the debt be forgiven. His lord forgave him. Soon the man demanded that a small amount of money that he had loaned to a friend be repaid, and when the friend could not pay the loan on time, he was punished. His lord heard about the injustice, and brought charges against him. The moral is that we should do unto others as we would that they do to us—and that we must practice what we preach before we preach.

If you are dealing with a problem where some other person has hurt you be sure that you pray to God that you will approach it in a Christian manner and never ask more than you would be willing to give. Look at your face in a mirror and make very sure you do not see a “better than thou attitude”.

Especially in my later years, I worry that I will slip along life’s way and ask you to do for Christ something that I am failing to do. I pray that God will not permit me to make this mistake.

Relationships: The Faithfulness Factor - 2 Corinthians 3: 1 - 5: 10

I want you to know that I realize that I am using me, my and I far more than a writer maybe should, but it is for a cause that seems to be legitimate. Juanita and I are 85 and 86 and have been happily married for 66 years. There must be very few couples living that have spent more time in hospitals than we have, and very few have had more “tight-money days” than we have experienced, and we have moved into six new communities that required the forfeit of old close friends and re-adjusted living habits and conditions. All of these are conditions that often cause strained relationships between husbands and wives. We learned last week that strong marriages require integrity and now we add faithfulness as a factor that must be present on both sides. Evidently our integrity and faithfulness factors have been high enough to make our life together worth holding up as an example for weaker bodies to follow.

Paul is holding his life and his work up as an example for the Corinthians to use in their everyday lives. Some of his critics and false leaders had started carrying forged letters of recommendations to introduce their work, but Paul let the people know that his long life of service was all they needed. They had his life as proof of his worth, and he had the lives of the strong Christians in the church as the proof he needed to proclaim his job well done…first verses of chapter 3. No family is strong, and no witness is competent on their own but competency comes from the spirit of Christ.

There is a great truth here; it is both an inspiration and a warning—and that is that every man is an open letter for Jesus Christ. Every man, every woman, and every family whether you want to be or not, are an advertisement for Christ. You can believe that someone is reading your sign. Is it one that proclaims faithfulness to God and your fellow man?

Paul refers to Moses meeting God and receiving the writings in stone on Mt. Sinai, that was the law that even at that time was fading away and being replaced with the coming of Christ and the new covenant. Paul gave God the credit for all his accomplishments while the false teachers were boasting of their power and prestige. Without the Holy Spirit, our talent and abilities can carry us only so far—as Christ’s witnesses we need the character and special strengths that we can find only by trusting in God.

In 3:6, Paul explains we can not be successful by trying to keep the old laws but that we must depend on the new spirit of Christ for salvation. The law had its purpose; it was needed, and is needed today for it helps us know right from wrong. It makes us realize our sins. Now that all are sinners, they are made whole through the spirit, under the new covenant. Paul contrasts the glory of the Ten Commandments with the glory of the life giving spirit. The law led to death, so now the new spirit leads to life. The old covenant had its glory…so now think how much more beautiful is the new covenant that leads to life. To help his readers understand, he referred to Moses who had to hide his face when he had been in the presence of God. It was so bright that they could not look him in the face and he wore a vial. Paul also indicates that the vial was used to keep the people from seeing the glow as it faded away which may have caused unbelief.

Paul refers to the fact that the Ten Commandments were written on Stone, but that the new covenant is written only on willing and receptive hearts. He is emphasizing that these hearts must remain faithful. Every man is an open letter for Jesus Christ. We judge an artist by their paintings; a shoe cobbler by the quality of foot wear he makes; and a church by the quality of Christians produced; therefore men judge Christ by his followers. For these reasons I believe the greatest problem we have in our churches is caused by unfaithful members. Men who claim to be Christians who are living unsatisfactory lives are writing the wrong kinds of records in our churches.

Paul goes on to say something about four different kinds or sets of people. At first he talks about himself. He never looses heart and stays with the task he has been given. Two things keep him going and they are his consciousness of a great task and his vivid memory of all the mercy he has received. Secondly, Paul wrote something about his enemies, his slanderers. Paul continues talking about those that refuse to accept the gospel. He says that the God of this world [the devil] has blinded their minds so that they cannot believe. This is a very scary thought. If you have some doubts about the word of God being total truth, could it be that the devil has blinded your mind to the truth?

One thing is very important to those of us that have chosen the gospel way and that is that we must live a life of Christian endurance. In the last part of the lesson today, Paul deals with the secret of endurance in our lives. Here again we fine that the secret of endurance does not abide within our strengths but is afforded us because of our faith.

Excuse me again…but at my age I can tell you that all through life it must happen that a man’s bodily strength fades away but all through life it is the right thing that a man’s soul strength keeps growing. I would be a man most miserable if I could not tell you that my faith is growing faster in the last few years than in all the years before. I really believe that suffering that leaves a person weak in the body really strengthens the sinews of the soul.

Paul was convinced and he told us that anything he had to suffer in this world would be as nothing compared with the glory he would enjoy in the next world. If you can have the kind of faith that helps you believe this, then there is nothing ahead that can cause you serious problems—they will be only bumps in the road. I must not leave you thinking that the best is yet to come and that it requires no more of you and me. As the lesson heading indicates, there is always THE FAITHFULNESS FACTOR.

I have told my Sunday school class a thousand times that the most important work of a Christian is to keep His [God’s] commandments. Can you pass the Peter test? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Peter answered yes. How do you answer? How do you know you love him? Christ told you how you could know. “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” That is keeping the faithfulness factor!

Relationships: The Integrity Factor - 2 Corinthians 1 - 2

The bible teaches and I believe that the family unit is the most important brick in our wall of success as an American nation. God created man and woman and directed that they become one in marriage and bear children—and He did not give us any alternate or different instructions [same sex instructions, how to pre-marital instructions or instructions on how to commit adultery successfully]. He did give additional instructions to the family. To the man and woman first: He called for fidelity from both [each faithful to the other] and then from their children he demanded that they honor their mother and father. Any member of a family without integrity can be compared to a rotten apple in the barrel.

I lived in a Godly home with my parents from 1924 until I graduated from high school in 1943 and I do not remember of any close friends that lived in broken homes. I am sure there were a few but they were the exception rather than the rule. The local school officials tell me that more than fifty percent of the school children today are from broken homes. Because of pre-marital sex, adultery and abandonment, some of these children do not know who their mothers and fathers are. This is a sad day in the American home and it is here because of intolerable personal relationships caused by lack of integrity. The sad side of this problem is that there are so many citizens of America, even our friends and neighbors who are unconcerned about the trend.

I have no way of knowing how many of—or what percentage of our population has espoused the concept that fidelity in marriage is not important especially if it gets in the way of selfish desires. I do know that my knowledge is limited and I still know of several cases—and some are as close as within my own family. The truth is that these persons either do not know what the bible teaches or they know and are willingly rejecting its teaching.

It is a sad day when a parent can not talk to their own son or daughter, when grandparents can not discuss the sin of adultery and premarital sex with their grand children because they are already involved in the sinful practice. There is no circumstance that places more strain on family relationships. Look at the other side of the same problem and try to realize the situation that children are facing when their parents divorce. The problem for children grows harder to bear when their divorced or widowed parent takes up a life of illicit sex, or becomes involved in a live-in situation. How can a child council their own parents about their sinning ways without developing a strain in relationships, or vice versa?

I wish that could give you a sure plan to follow that would bring the wayward to their senses, help them redirect their lives, mend broken hearts, and restore the strained relationships—but I am afraid that a sure plan does not exist. I do know that harsh and/or forceful condemnation and rejection will only drive families further apart. No matter how distressed or hurt you are, you must continue to express your love for the wayward without ever agreeing with their lifestyle. Above everything else you must demonstrate that you have integrity and will not forfeit your position.

If you can relate to the setting I have presented for this lesson, and especially if you are experiencing such a condition at this time, I urge you to read slowly and comprehensively and study hard the ways that Paul chose to relate to the Corinthians in the church at Corinth after they had bitterly disappointed him. Paul is relating the strained relationships that had occurred in his ‘church family’ and I am comparing this to the problems today that are present in so many of our personal families. There is a parallel that I hope you can see and relate to.

There were many strained relationships between Paul and the Corinthians. He wrote four letters to this church, one was lost: and it maybe that only a part of the fourth letter is contained in 2 Corinthians. Paul got word that many of his converts had become disgruntled with his leadership; and Paul was surely disappointed in the fidelity of general church membership. I can not be their judge but maybe they had a right to fuss about him promising to visit them and then changing his mind. And in the same way, he had a right to be disappointed in their failure to follow the teachings of Christ that he had laid down for them to follow, and their willingness to dabble again in the carnal sins of the age.

Paul lived a troubled life so he understands how to deal with a church family who are in trouble. Their life style was the cause for the pressure bearing down upon them. He used the Greek word thlipsis for pressure. One example of the meaning of thlipsis is that it was one of the ways used to execute a person by placing a heavy weight on the body and crushing the person to death. According to this language the church was in the process of being crushed to death by some who had turned against Paul and were causing the problems in the new church. Lack of integrity in any church will lead to its destruction. It has always been and still is always a costly thing to be a true Christian—just remember that there can be no Christianity without its cross.

In the early verses of this book, Paul praises God for being the farther of compassion for him [Paul] and His people, the Corinthians, and he reaffirms that he is the God of all comfort. Paul explains that his call as an apostle gave him the same ability to extend compassion and comfort to the people.

Beginning in verse eight, Paul tells us of his great hardships that even threatened is life. This is where he first talks about being under great pressure [thlipsis] which was far beyond his ability to endure. He was actually afraid for his own life. Paul had promised to visit the church at Corinth on two occasions and had failed to make it and some of the members had not forgiven him, and accused him of not keeping his word. One or more of the members had gone too far and even been punished by his supporters in the church. Paul felt that there should be no more punishment handed out, and that the better way was through love and compassion and Christian forgiveness. Paul teaches us that the use of rebuke in correcting someone doing wrong may not be the way to go, and if used too harshly it will drive offenders further away.

Now to bring this lesson to a successful close I think that we must reemphasize that your love one gone astray must first believe in the bible and be willing to pattern his/her life by its teachings. Once that is confirmed, the use of God’s word can be quoted when the opportunity occurs to use it in giving guidance and leadership. It is very important that the life of the counselor must be beyond reproach, that is, not guilty of the same kind of sin or something even worse. Do not rush for or even expect an instant answer, sometimes it just takes time for a person to realize their folly; and do not use rebuke, or cut off all communication. You must remain on a friendly basis in order to reach anyone in a positive way.

Lastly, always remember that God is a forgiving master and he will continue forgiving the sinful not just seven times but seven times seventy.

[Prayer request: My wife, Juanita fell and broke a hip on July 22, successful operation was next day, please pray for quick recovery. Thanks. John Vandiver]