GRACE, GRACE, GRACE As we open 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul is going to address a touchy subject: a financial gift that the Corinthians had agreed to take up, but hadn't gotten around to. And yet, as in much of Scripture, these difficult moments become teaching tools from Paul for the Corinthians and (thru that) from the Spirit of God for us. And since generosity should be a characteristic in those who've known God's generous nature, let's read 2 Cor 8:1-11 together ... 2 COR 8:1-

THE GOD WHO COMFORTS In chapter 6, Paul shared some hard things with the Corinthians as part of his appeal to them. Now in chapter 7, Paul's interest is on the relationship, so he begins, "Make room in your hearts for us." There's much to learn, so let's read 2 Cor 7:2-16 together ... 2 COR 7:2-4 2 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you

TRUTH IN LOVE Up through 2 Cor 5, Paul's tone has varied - sometimes warm, sometimes bold. And as we enter chapter 6 (which we'll tackle in one fell swoop this week), Paul leans on the relational capital he's developed with the Corinthians and begins to challenge them significantly. We might need to hear some similar rebukes today, so let's read 2 Cor 6:1 - 7:1 together ... 2 COR 6:1-2 - the context 1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Most of the time so far, Paul's been pretty straightforward. Aside from that "beside myself" stuff in 5:13, we've handled "jars of clay" and "ministries of death" and "earthly tents" pretty well. But now it gets tough ... or at least a bit more complex. We've gotta tackle "flesh" and "new creation" and "reconciliation" and "righteousness" all at once. So, buckle in, and let's read 2 Cor 5 together ... 2 COR 5:16-21 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no