Reading for December 14th

 Read 2 Cor 12.1-13. In verses 1-10: Experiencing visions and revelations of the Lord. In verse 1: Paul now moves to a different order of boasting. In verse 2: The person in Christ is surely Paul himself . Fourteen years ago would put it shortly after his conversion, probably in the 30's In verse 3: The language suggests an ecstatic experience, in which he was taken out of the body. In verse 4: Paradise is where God dwells (Lk 23.43; Rev 2.7). Hearing unrepeatable things describes the revelations in greater detail (v.1). What he saw is emphasized less. In verse 5: Such an experience enabled Paul to distinguish his ordinary self from the one caught up into heaven. In verses 6-7: In talking about such experiences, less is better. In verse 7: What this thorn in the flesh was no one knows, though many guesses have been made. Messenger of Satan is literally "angel of Satan." In verse 8: The Lord can be either God (1 Cor 1.2) or Christ (13.14). In verse 9: Power of Christ: Christ transmits the power he experienced in the resurrection (4.11; 1 Cor 6.14). In verse 10: Weak ... strong expresses the paradox of the cross (1 Cor 1.25). In verses 11-13: Concluding the fool's speech. In verse 11: Super-apostles: 11.5. I am nothing: Again Paul speaks sarcastically. Mimicking the opponents (10.7).In verse 12: Paul occasionally refers to his wonder-working ability (Rom 15.19). It is developed more fully in Acts. In verse 13: Their argument could have run: You were much closer to Philippi; they supported you financially (Phil 4.15). Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 13th

 Read 2 Corinthians 11.16-33. In 11.16-33: A fool speaks! In verse 18:They boast in self achievements (10.2-4). In verse 19: This recalls Paul's description of the "spiritual people" in 1 Cor 4.10. In verse 20: They submit to false apostles' demand for money. In verse 22: These labels identify them as Jewish Christians. Unlike Paul's opponents in Galatia, they do not require circumcision and observance of the law (Gal 5.2-6).  In verse 23: Ministers of Christ: Their language is Christian (11.4). Madman: 5.13. In verses 23-27: This list of hardships is longer and more detailed than others (6.4-10). Acts 13-28 confirms many of these details. In verse 24: This indicates Paul was under synagogue jurisdiction. In verse 28: Anxiety: This was especially seen in the way he awaited Titus' report (2.12-13; 7.5, 13; 1 Thess 2). In verses 30-33: This episode caps the list of hardships. In verse 31: The use of the oath underscores that the claims that follow the claims will be hard to believe (Gal 1.20). In verses 32-33: This may be the escape referred to in Acts 9. 23-25. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 12th

 Read 2 Corinthians 11.1-15. In 11.1-15: Paul's love for the Corinthians. In verse 1: Foolishness: this anticipates the fool's speech that follows (11.16-29). In verse 2: The image is a father whose daughter has deeply disappointed him. In verse 3: Gen 3.3. Led astray suggest sexual seduction. In verse 4: The opponents are obviously Christian. Another Jesus probably means an understanding of Christ completely different from Paul's, perhaps one emphasizing Jesus' miracle-working power and resurrection to the neglect of his human limitations and crucifixion. Different spirit is possibly different understanding of the Holy Spirit. Their different gospel certainly placed them at odds with Paul (Gal.6-9). In verse 5: Super-apostles: This is doubtless Paul's label for his opponents (12.11). It need not refer to the twelve apostles, but could be a derisive way of referring to competing missionaries. In verse 6; He echoes their criticisms of him. In verses 7-9: In keeping with the policy outlined in 1 Cor 9, he preached without pay. Humbling myself refers to working to support himself. Other churches: He received financial support from the Philippians (Phil 4.15).In verse 11: His opponents might have argued: If he loved you, he would accept your money. In verse 12: Equals: They wanted to have equal claim on the church. In verse 13: The language is unusually harsh. Apostles probably means "missionaries," rather than some of the twelve apostles (8.23; 12.11-13). In verses 14-15: Calling them ministers of satan intensifies the criticism. Comments or Questions...

Reading for December 11th

 Read 2 Corinthians 10.1-18. In 10.1-13.10: Paul defends his ministry. In 10.1-11: Taking the offensive. In verse 1; The character of Christ figures prominently in chs. 10-13 (11.4; Mt 11.29). Humble ... bold: paul mimics his opponents' description of him (v. 10). In verses 2-4: Human translates "sarx," literally flesh. It denotes an outlook opposed to God and concerned primarily with oneself. In verses 4-6:  The military imagery serves to draw the battle lines between Paul and his opponents. He sees the controversy as more a battle or words; it is a conflict of a much higher order (Rom 13.12; Eph 6.10-17). In verse 7: Paul's fidelity to Christ was an issue. In verses 8-9: The source and nature of Paul's authority are concerns throughout this section (13.10). In verses 10: This identifies two important criticisms: inconsistent behavior (1.15-22) and poor speaking ability (4.2; 11.6). In verses 12-18: Limits of self-promotion. In verse 12: Commend themselves: Paul was probably accused of making himself the center of his preaching (3.1-3; 4.5; 5.12). Now he criticizes his opponents for promoting themselves as a way of gaining favor. in verses 13-16: Paul regarded Achaia as the region God assigned him. He thinks the "super-apostles" (12.111) have invaded his territory. He preferred to work where no one else had been (Rom 15.20). In verse 17: Jer 9.23-24: see 1 Cor 1.31. In verse 18: Paul consistently defers to God's judgment (1 Cor 4.3-4). Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 10th

 Read 2 Corinthians 9.1-15. In verses 1-5: Paul explains the purpose of the delegation. In verse 1: Ministry to the saints is another name for the collection (8.4, 20). In verse 2: Last year: 8.10. In verse 3: The brothers are those mentioned in 8.18, 22. In verse 5: Voluntary gift: It should be like Christ's gift. In verses 6-15: Reasons to give. In verse 6: The proverb expresses general experience (Job 4.8; Prov 11.24-25). In verse 7: The gift should be deliberate and voluntary (Philem 14). God loves a cheerful giver: This quotation is based upon the Septuagint version (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) of Prov 22.8a (see Sir 35.9). In verse 8: God's generosity toward human beings is a recurrent biblical theme (Deut 30.9-10; Lk 1.53). For Paul, it especially enables human generosity. In verse 9: Ps 112.9. In verse 10: Based on Isa 55.10. In verses 11-12: The more blessings, the more prayers of thanksgiving offered. In verse 13: Willingness to give is seen as an expression (and test) of one's faith. In verses 14-15: God's graciousness is the ultimate reason to give. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 9th

 Read 2 Corinthians 8.16-24. In 8.16-24: Plans for collecting and delivering the funds.  As Paul's partner and co-worker (v. 23), Titus played a key role in getting the collection started in Corinth (v. 6). In verses 18-19: The identity of this famous preacher is unknown. Because of his eloquence and close association with Corinth, Apollos is a possibility (Acts 18.24-19.1; 1 Cor 1-4). In verses 20-21: Whether the blame related to how the money was being collected and handled in transit, or how it was to be used, is not clear. As with many projects involving money, it was controversial (Rom 15.30-33). In verse 22: Our brother is possibly Timothy (see comment in 1.1). In verse 23: Messengers translates "apostoloi," literally "ones sent" for a particular purpose (Rom 16.7). In verse 24: The other churches in Macedonia and Achaia are in view. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 8th

 Read 2 Corinthians 8.1-15. In 8.1-9.15: The collection. In 8.1-7: Macedonian generosity. In verse 1: Churches of Macedonia probably means Philippi, Thessalonica, and Beroea (Acts 16-17). In verse 2: Severe ordeal: The founding of these churches had met stiff resistance (1 Thess 1.6; 3.1-5; Phil 1.29-30). In verses 5-6: Privilege translates: "charis," used several times in chs. 8-9, for collection itself (vv. 6-7 and v. 19). Since it designates both God's generosity (8.1; 9.14) and Christ's generous act (8.9), it properly describes the collection as a concrete expression of good will toward others. In verse 7: Earlier Paul commended their possession of these gifts (1 Cor 1.5-7). In verses 8-15: Christ's generosity. Genuineness of your love maybe their love for Christ (5.14; Rom 12.9). In verse 9: Christ is similarly portrayed in the early Christian hymn in Phil 2.5-11, where he also serves as an example for Christian behavior. In verses 10-11: Paul had given instructions about the collection in 1 Cor 16.1-4. In verses 12-14: The principle of fair balance can be expressed another way: Since the Jews have bestowed a spiritual blessing on gentiles, they are entitled to receive a physical blessing (financial support) from gentiles (Rom 15.27). In verse 15: Ex 16.18. Comments or Questions..