Become Complete and Grow Up - Study 6/14/12
Become Complete and Grow Up
How do you really say good bye to the ones you love dearly? And what do you say at the end after you have said so much? We can all remember famous last words of people past gone. Last words are very important.
Apostle Paul says good bye to the Corinthians in His Letter until he sees them in person. He is planning a third visit to the Corinthians. In the first visit he spent 18 months with them when the Church was established. Subsequently he made a short visit after writing the First Corinthians Letter. Paul has also sent ministers like Titus to the Corinthians to encourage them. We can see that he loves these people and has vested interest in their welfare as much as God does for His children.
Like a good parent, Paul wants to see growth and progress from his spiritual children. Imagine the initial joy of a parent when a child is born. Then imagine the heart and anguish of that parent when the baby has remained the same baby-size and still in diapers after five to ten years or even more. Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority from Jesus Christ is saying to the Corinthians, Grow up; and keep growing up and become mature. “Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
I believe God is saying the same to all of us today having studied this long Letter, Grow up and become mature. Hear Paul in his first Letter and compare it to the conclusion of this Second Letter. “Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people.[b] I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.[c] 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3). This is not condemnation but love in action. God loves us too much to leave us just the way we are.
We must be complete in our understanding of who we are in Christ. We are now controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by our sinful nature because Christ now lives in us. That is why Paul challenged the Corinthians and us, “5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified”. Does Christ live in you and me? Then let’s grow up and stop acting like infants. We must grow up in hearing the voice of God and obeying out of love and reverence for the one who loved us so much and died for us.
Do you and I have some areas to grow up? Let’s be at peace, for God did not live us alone to just do it by our will-power. “20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21). God is helping us with the will and the ability to do His will. Let’s cooperate with our Father and grow up and mature.
2 Corinthians 13: 11-14
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, 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 communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have.
1. Apostle Paul loved this Corinthian Church. Hear him, “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!” (2 Cor. 11:9-10). Paul’s love has been demonstrated through the many things he has suffered for the gospel and he was willing to die for these people.
2. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they started in the Spirit and they should continue in the Spirit and that on their own they are not sufficient to live the life of Christ. “5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” 2 Cor.3:5-6). We depend on God for this new life in Christ.
3. Apostle Paul also reminded the Corinthians the life to live as a result of who lives in them and us, “14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” 2 Cor. 5:14-15). We must now live for the one who died for us. In the same vein, Paul reminded the Corinthians and us that whatever we are going through now is momentary and a light affliction compared to the glory that is to come. We can therefore endure hardship as good soldiers of Christ.
4. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give first of themselves to God and then to abound in generosity in meeting the needs of the saints and the suffering. We are to give motivated by the love of God and the grace He has poured out on us. Giving should be done willingly and not out of compulsion (see chapters 8 and 9). Paul also reminded us of spiritual warfare that we fight with the word of God to demolish strongholds and imaginations. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (i.e. humans), as such we fight with spiritual weapons and armor (Ephesians 6).
5. We cannot forget the numerous warnings against the false “super” apostles who take advantage of God’s people. “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Let’s be discerning and ask God for wisdom because the false teachers are in our midst. We must resist and expose them with the truth of the Word of God.
6. When we fully comprehend this gospel of Christ, we excel in living for God. We were once enemies of God and now reconciled with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are now born again into God’s family all by God’s grace. So it is the work of the Spirit. Christ has fulfilled all requirements for sin in our lives now and forever. We are no longer ruled or controlled by the sinful nature or lawlessness. Sin is no longer master over us but grace of God is. As such we are Ambassadors for Christ making a pleading on His behalf to others to be reconciled to God. Let’s fulfill our ambassador duties proclaiming the King’s message and not our message. Let’s keep to the simplicity of the gospel.
7. May we never forget Paul’s only boasting “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” 2 Cor.12:9-10.
8. Though some translations say “be perfect” 2 Cor. 13:11; It is really not perfection in the sense of having no sin. Jesus Christ who lives in us is the Perfect one. We are been asked to align our thinking and actions with the Christ that lives in us. God is doing the perfecting work in us. “20 May the God of peace, ..21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him” (Hebrews 13:20). God is doing the willing and enabling at the same time for us to please Him. God is already pleased in us by our Faith in Christ. Now God is causing us to do what He has created us to do that are pleasing and also bring glory to His name. He is enabling us to grow in obedience through His grace.
9. Where does this leave us? We are only left with running to God in prayer at every moment for His grace and mercy. We must constantly cry out for God’s enabling power and favor of God. We run to His word to hear God’s heart and pray that His heart be worked out in our lives. This is what living the Christian life is all about. May we never complicate it with religious activities. Paul ends with a benediction. “14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” vs. 14. We see the whole weight of the heavenly throne with us and backing us. By the way, did you see the Trinity on display here – The Father, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Son) and the Holy Spirit? The word “Trinity” is not there but the concept of One God in three persons is. Don’t let the Jehovah Witness or any others convince you otherwise. If Jesus is not God, then he really cannot save us because only God is sinless and pure. He is not a created being like an angel but rather He created all things (see John 1).
Are you and I going to grow up and be mature? God is doing all the heavy lifting for our growth; therefore we do not have any more excuse. Do not try living this Christian live on your own; otherwise, you will be crushed by the load and guilt of sin. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[d] 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” Romans 8:1-4.
We are pleasing to God when we love one another which is a sign of spiritual growth. We can therefore “be of one mind” (the mind of Christ), and live in peace” with one another. Christ said they will know us by our love for one another. Are we living with one mind and living in peace in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, workplaces and etc?
“Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ..14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen”.
Lord, may your grace be sufficient for us and may the power of Christ rest upon us to live in obedience in response to your love. Amen.
Thank you for studying the Letters of Paul to the Corinthians. I have been encouraged and challenged/stretched and I hope you were too. I look forward to our next study. Enjoy your summer and pray for us. May God bless you! Amen.
How do you really say good bye to the ones you love dearly? And what do you say at the end after you have said so much? We can all remember famous last words of people past gone. Last words are very important.
Apostle Paul says good bye to the Corinthians in His Letter until he sees them in person. He is planning a third visit to the Corinthians. In the first visit he spent 18 months with them when the Church was established. Subsequently he made a short visit after writing the First Corinthians Letter. Paul has also sent ministers like Titus to the Corinthians to encourage them. We can see that he loves these people and has vested interest in their welfare as much as God does for His children.
Like a good parent, Paul wants to see growth and progress from his spiritual children. Imagine the initial joy of a parent when a child is born. Then imagine the heart and anguish of that parent when the baby has remained the same baby-size and still in diapers after five to ten years or even more. Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority from Jesus Christ is saying to the Corinthians, Grow up; and keep growing up and become mature. “Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
I believe God is saying the same to all of us today having studied this long Letter, Grow up and become mature. Hear Paul in his first Letter and compare it to the conclusion of this Second Letter. “Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people.[b] I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.[c] 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3). This is not condemnation but love in action. God loves us too much to leave us just the way we are.
We must be complete in our understanding of who we are in Christ. We are now controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by our sinful nature because Christ now lives in us. That is why Paul challenged the Corinthians and us, “5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified”. Does Christ live in you and me? Then let’s grow up and stop acting like infants. We must grow up in hearing the voice of God and obeying out of love and reverence for the one who loved us so much and died for us.
Do you and I have some areas to grow up? Let’s be at peace, for God did not live us alone to just do it by our will-power. “20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21). God is helping us with the will and the ability to do His will. Let’s cooperate with our Father and grow up and mature.
2 Corinthians 13: 11-14
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, 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 communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have.
1. Apostle Paul loved this Corinthian Church. Hear him, “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!” (2 Cor. 11:9-10). Paul’s love has been demonstrated through the many things he has suffered for the gospel and he was willing to die for these people.
2. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they started in the Spirit and they should continue in the Spirit and that on their own they are not sufficient to live the life of Christ. “5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” 2 Cor.3:5-6). We depend on God for this new life in Christ.
3. Apostle Paul also reminded the Corinthians the life to live as a result of who lives in them and us, “14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” 2 Cor. 5:14-15). We must now live for the one who died for us. In the same vein, Paul reminded the Corinthians and us that whatever we are going through now is momentary and a light affliction compared to the glory that is to come. We can therefore endure hardship as good soldiers of Christ.
4. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give first of themselves to God and then to abound in generosity in meeting the needs of the saints and the suffering. We are to give motivated by the love of God and the grace He has poured out on us. Giving should be done willingly and not out of compulsion (see chapters 8 and 9). Paul also reminded us of spiritual warfare that we fight with the word of God to demolish strongholds and imaginations. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (i.e. humans), as such we fight with spiritual weapons and armor (Ephesians 6).
5. We cannot forget the numerous warnings against the false “super” apostles who take advantage of God’s people. “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Let’s be discerning and ask God for wisdom because the false teachers are in our midst. We must resist and expose them with the truth of the Word of God.
6. When we fully comprehend this gospel of Christ, we excel in living for God. We were once enemies of God and now reconciled with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are now born again into God’s family all by God’s grace. So it is the work of the Spirit. Christ has fulfilled all requirements for sin in our lives now and forever. We are no longer ruled or controlled by the sinful nature or lawlessness. Sin is no longer master over us but grace of God is. As such we are Ambassadors for Christ making a pleading on His behalf to others to be reconciled to God. Let’s fulfill our ambassador duties proclaiming the King’s message and not our message. Let’s keep to the simplicity of the gospel.
7. May we never forget Paul’s only boasting “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” 2 Cor.12:9-10.
8. Though some translations say “be perfect” 2 Cor. 13:11; It is really not perfection in the sense of having no sin. Jesus Christ who lives in us is the Perfect one. We are been asked to align our thinking and actions with the Christ that lives in us. God is doing the perfecting work in us. “20 May the God of peace, ..21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him” (Hebrews 13:20). God is doing the willing and enabling at the same time for us to please Him. God is already pleased in us by our Faith in Christ. Now God is causing us to do what He has created us to do that are pleasing and also bring glory to His name. He is enabling us to grow in obedience through His grace.
9. Where does this leave us? We are only left with running to God in prayer at every moment for His grace and mercy. We must constantly cry out for God’s enabling power and favor of God. We run to His word to hear God’s heart and pray that His heart be worked out in our lives. This is what living the Christian life is all about. May we never complicate it with religious activities. Paul ends with a benediction. “14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” vs. 14. We see the whole weight of the heavenly throne with us and backing us. By the way, did you see the Trinity on display here – The Father, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Son) and the Holy Spirit? The word “Trinity” is not there but the concept of One God in three persons is. Don’t let the Jehovah Witness or any others convince you otherwise. If Jesus is not God, then he really cannot save us because only God is sinless and pure. He is not a created being like an angel but rather He created all things (see John 1).
Are you and I going to grow up and be mature? God is doing all the heavy lifting for our growth; therefore we do not have any more excuse. Do not try living this Christian live on your own; otherwise, you will be crushed by the load and guilt of sin. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[d] 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” Romans 8:1-4.
We are pleasing to God when we love one another which is a sign of spiritual growth. We can therefore “be of one mind” (the mind of Christ), and live in peace” with one another. Christ said they will know us by our love for one another. Are we living with one mind and living in peace in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, workplaces and etc?
“Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ..14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen”.
Lord, may your grace be sufficient for us and may the power of Christ rest upon us to live in obedience in response to your love. Amen.
Thank you for studying the Letters of Paul to the Corinthians. I have been encouraged and challenged/stretched and I hope you were too. I look forward to our next study. Enjoy your summer and pray for us. May God bless you! Amen.
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