Week 45   Day 1

Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church

            was a tough one

                        in which he tried to get them

                        to see the error of their ways

                        and change their behavior for the better 

His concern was that the Corinthian believers

            would reject him

            would reject his authority as their spiritual guide

and no longer want anything to do with him

            or worse yet

            with the gospel he preached

In this second letter we learn more about Paul

            than in any other letter he wrote  

we glimpse his anxiety

            about the first letter

and hear Paul express his own need

            for forgiveness

            and reconciliation with them

Paul delayed his trip to see them 

            because there needed to be more time

            to process that first letter 

                        to act upon it

                        to heal from the wounds 

                        to recover from the lightening bolt 

Would they ever receive him

            with open arms

            and love him again?

                         DEATHS AND RESURRECTIONS

From the depths we rise--strong in Christ, forgiven, reconciled.

                                      II Corinthians 1 & 2

    1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and

Timothy our brother.  To the church at Corinth, with all the

saints who are in all Achaia;  2Grace to you and peace from

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    3Blessed be the God of mercies and God of all comfort,

4who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able

to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort

with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  5For the

sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also

abounds through Christ.

    8We do not want you to be ignorant of our trouble in Asia;

that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so

that we despaired even of life.  9The sentence of death was on

us, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises

the dead 10and delivered us.  We trust that He will still deliver

us, 11you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks

may be given by many persons on our behalf.

    15 I intended to come to you 16again from Macedonia,

and be helped by you on my way to Judea.  23But in order

to spare you I came no more to Corinth.  24Not that we have

dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy;

for by faith you stand.  1 I determined that I would not come

again to you in sorrow.  2 If I make you sorrowful, then who

makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

    3 I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should

have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having

confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.  4Out of

much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many

tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know

the love which I have so abundantly for you.

    5But if anyone has caused grief, be not too severe.  6The

punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient.   7 On the

contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest 

he be swallowed up with too much sorrow.  8Therefore, I urge

you to reaffirm your love to him.  9For I put you to the test,

whether you are obedient in all things.  10Whom you forgive

anything, I also forgive.  Indeed  I have forgiven that one for

your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11lest Satan should take

advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

    14Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
          _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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