By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" toward you when away! – 2 Corinthians 10:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 26, 2021): 2 Corinthians 10

In 1892, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his book, "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes." The book contained twelve short stories, including "The Adventure of Silver Blaze." In the story, a racehorse named Silver blaze is stolen, and the great detective is tasked with finding out who stole the horse. The plot turns on a dog who doesn't bark. Holmes realizes that on the night in question, no witnesses mentioned the barking of the guard dog. Yet, the dog must have barked; he was trained to do precisely that. So, why had no one had mentioned it?

The most obvious answer is that no one mentioned the dog's barking because the dog had not barked. But why. The only possible explanation was that the dog knew the thief. Whoever it was that stole Silver Blaze was not a stranger. Therefore, everyone who was a stranger could be eliminated from the list of suspects.

One of the complaints that the Corinthians had about Paul was that he was "timid" when they met face to face but "bold" when he was far away. Apparently, Paul's letters were more strongly worded than the words he chose to use when he was in their presence. It wasn't the case of the dog who didn't bark, but rather the dog who barked only at a distance.

There is a definite change in tone at this point in Paul's letter. Some have argued that maybe this was a different letter or a postscript added to Paul's letter. Neither of those options is likely, but the change in tone is genuine. Nineteenth-century theologian, Adam Clarke, describes it this way

Having now finished his directions and advices relative to the collection for the poor, he resumes his argument relative to the false apostle, who had gained considerable influence by representing St. Paul as despicable in his person, his ministry, and his influence … He seems to quote these as the words of his calumniator, as if he had said; "This apostle of yours is a mere braggadocio; when he is among you, you know how base and contemptible he is; when absent, see how he brags and boasts" (Adam Clarke).

There is no doubt that Paul is about to get rough with the Corinthians, although he stresses that he makes his appeal with the humility and gentleness of Christ. So, Paul produces his warning; the dog is about to bark.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 11

There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord's people. – 2 Corinthians 9:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 25, 2021): 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

Eighteenth-century English poet, Alexander Pope, mused that "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." Pope is right, but that might also be the problem. Without expectations, we might not encounter disappointment, but expectations are also essential to provide the impetus to go beyond the mundane activities of daily life. Students in the classroom are, sometimes, a disappointment to their teachers because they don't live up to expectations. But if there were no expectations, they would never push themselves beyond what is convenient and comfortable. Without expectations, we would never reach for the stars.

We are not sure precisely what is happening here. It would seem, with what has been said already in Paul's letter to the Corinthian church, that the Corinthians might not have been eager to help those for whom Paul was receiving an offering. Some church members have been even wondered if Paul was lining his own pockets, even though Paul assured them that they knew that was not the truth. Still, Paul had expectations that the Corinthians would fully participate in the offering to support the poor of Judea.

So, he writes that there is no need to mention the Corinthian's support to the community of disciples in Judea. Sarcasm? Maybe. The essence of what he is saying is, "Hey, I don't even have to talk to you about this offering because, of course, you are already excited about the possibility of giving toward those in need." But were they, or was this an example of Paul revealing his expectations for the Corinthians? Whether they lived up to that expectation would be up to the Corinthians. But Paul could make clear what the expectations were.

What is clear is that Paul is finished trying to persuade the Corinthians. He has already raised the example of the Macedonians.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people (2 Corinthians 8:1-4).

The only question for Paul was whether the Corinthians would follow in the example of the Macedonians. Now was time for the Corinthians to stand up in support of the poor.     

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 10

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. – 2 Corinthians 7:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 24, 2021): 2 Corinthians 7

Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pen name of George Eliot, writes in "Middlemarch" that "people are almost always better than their neighbors think they are." The problem is that when we judge or slander someone else, what we are saying is often more about us than it is about the other person. And whoever it is that chronically complains about someone else is likely to be soon complaining about you to anyone who will listen.

Paul has been the victim of slanderous gossip, spoken against him by his enemies to influence the Corinthians. And, at least to a point, the Corinthians had believed the accusations. But Paul reminds them that they know him; they know his actions. If they were honest with themselves, they would recognize that what others said about Paul was filled with lies and misstatements. The stories they were telling revealed more about the character of Paul's critics than it revealed about Paul.

Paul argues that he has wronged no one. Where Paul's critics were wronging Paul with their slander, Paul had only defended himself. He had presented Jesus to the Corinthians, never trying to complain and bring down what others might have described as his competition. Paul believed that the Christian community was one body, and there was no room or excuse for any division.

Paul had not corrupted anyone. He had not acted dishonestly in any way. Paul had not tried to bribe any leaders, and he had not acted, in any way, against the teaching that he had presented. He had not accepted money in return for power or taken advantage of anyone in Corinth. His critics' accusations had missed the mark, and the Corinthians should have understood that reality.

Paul had not exploited anyone. He was not trying to get rich by tricking the Corinthians to give him money. Unlike other itinerant religious teachers, Paul had not charged the Corinthians for his words, preferring to work as a tentmaker to support his needs. He had collected money from the Corinthians, but all of the money that had been donated was going to the poor Christians who were in need of significant help in Judea and not to exploit the Corinthians.

And so, he asks the Corinthians to make room in their hearts for him. His critics wanted to exclude him, but the Corinthians knew, in their heart where it was the most important, that Paul had done nothing wrong. They could trust Paul, and that trust would be essential if Paul were going to continue to have an influence on the continuing development of the Corinthian Church.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. – 2 Corinthians 6:3

Today's Scripture Reading (March 23, 2021): 2 Corinthians 6

Leadership expert Patrick Lencioni argued that “if everything is important, then nothing is.” It is hard advice for most of us. Our list of what is important is long and sometimes unending. But the reality is that we can’t focus on everything, and if everything is important, or even if a long list of things are important, then, in reality, we will focus on nothing, and nothing will be important. Somehow, we have to narrow down our list of what is important so that we can focus on what is critical to the faith.

And that is the purpose of priorities. Priorities are important. Ideally, they set us up to achieve what is essential. We need to understand our priorities if we want to know where our lives are going and what it is that we are trying to accomplish.

Maybe that is what disturbs me about the direction of the Christian Church. What is important, or essential, for Christians? And often, the answer to that question is found in the things that Christians oppose. Our opposition to abortion, or same-sex marriage, or maybe even our opposition to women in leadership or Sunday Shopping, these are things that often define Christianity.

But should it? Are these the things by which the Christian Church should be known? Are these the central hills on which we want to die? I would argue no. I don’t want to be defined by hot topic items. I want to be defined by something else; or, instead, someone else. It is the presence and character of Jesus that should define Christianity. And I can’t imagine Jesus petitioning an abortion clinic or holding a sign that proclaims hate for those who love differently. Is either of these things sin? Sure, we can make that argument. But as hard as it is for us to imagine, it just might not be the most important thing. I am convinced that what is essential to Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ and sharing the love he has for us with a world that feels desperately unloved. Everything else, well, we can figure out. But Jesus and sharing his love has to come first.

And I am sure that this was what Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians. Paul admits that he has tried to do nothing that would cause him to be discredited in front of his main audience. But his primary audience wasn’t the church; it was the Greek and Roman culture. Paul wanted to persuade the larger culture to accept Christ. Our messages, even ones presented in blogs like this one, are often directed at Christians. It is a phenomenon that I am not sure that Paul would have understood.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul phrased his thoughts this way;

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

There will be time to win people to the minutia of the Gospel. But first, we have to proclaim Jesus in such a way that our culture can understand him and what he represents. There is no doubt that the Gospel of Jesus is offensive, but it is offensive because it declares the primacy of love and acceptance in a world that would prefer to pursue hate and retaliation. We don’t need it to become more offensive to satisfy our own pet peeves. Our priority can only be Jesus and love, and when we perfect that, then there will be time for all the rest of the things that we may think are important.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 7

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. – 2 Corinthians 5:10

Today's Scripture Reading (March 22, 2021): 2 Corinthians 5

American comedian, Daniel Tosh, says that "Cheaters never prosper, unless they get away with it." It is like someone who argues that they always tell the truth, except for those instances where they get caught in a lie. Expediency argues that every action in life is good, right, and proper, as long as we can get away with it. Rules don't really exist; unless you get caught. It is part of the double standard that seems to exist in our society because the rich and white offenders often simply get away with the illegality of their actions. Meanwhile, those who are poor or from a visible minority often get caught.

A common understanding of karma is that a bill will come due and must be paid for every action we undertake. Some of the consequences of our efforts must be paid in this lifetime. A criminal pays his "debt to society" by submitting to imprisonment or hefty fines. Gossipers often eventually become the subjects of others' discussions in the same arena where they formally served up the juicy tidbits to those willing to listen. But, of course, the payment is only due if we get caught in the midst of our crime. And not everybody seems to receive their bill in this life. And, maybe, one of the most frustrating things in this life is watching those who do evil and seemingly get away with their actions.

Paul reminds the Corinthians church that there is a judgment that all of us will have to confront. But for those of us who have accepted Christ, it is not that we don't have to face judgment; it is that we don't have to fear judgment. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes the process this way.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

When we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, then what we do will pass through the fire of judgment. If it is good, it will survive; if it is bad, it will be consumed. But because we were building on Christ's foundation, we will survive even though we suffer loss.

But the nightmare scenario might be those who thought that they did great deeds in the service of God, only to find that it was all destroyed by the fire of judgment. Because when we stand in front of God's judgment seat, only that which was genuinely done in response for him will survive the test.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 21, 2021): 2 Corinthians 4

At heart, I am a scientist. I believe in the scientific method, and I like learning through observation. I am not suspicious of science. And I recognize that there are many things that, not long ago, were unexplainable, that now science can explain. There is an argument that states that the things that are unexplainable to us now are just things for which we haven’t yet discovered a scientific explanation. But that, someday, even these mysteries will also disappear under the intense gaze of science.

The speed of scientific advancement during my lifetime has been incredible. As a consumer of science fiction, it is sometimes humorous to read old science fiction novels and recognize that the guesses found within their pages often have either been realized and surpassed or were so far outside of reality that they have been effectively disproved and discarded. As I write this, the Mars Rover, “Perseverance,” explores Mars searching for life on the red planet. But the life that it is searching for are not the inhabitants of Barsoom (Mars) that Edgar Rice Burroughs imagined in his “John Carter” novels. Microscopic life is the only life that has ever graced the fourth planet of our social system, and even that is an open question. Yet, we hope to find life that did not originate on our blue marble.

Yet, despite all of this, I recognize that science cannot, and will not, be able to explain everything. Our lives need to make room for the mysteries that life brings and recognize the unseen and unexplainable things that shape our lives. Life is filled with things that cannot be seen, like friendships and respect, and yet are essential to life.

And God who remains unseen.

From the point of view of what could be seen, Paul’s life was an incredible failure. It had begun with so much promise. When he was young, everyone recognized that Paul was headed for great things. He had the education and the political connections to become a shaper in Israel. The fact that he had inherited Roman citizenship from his father meant that doors would be open to him that would remain closed for many of his contemporaries.

But Paul had thrown all of that away, exchanging the heights of Jewish society for a life of hardship and suffering. And Paul recognized the way that his colleagues were judging him. Almost every single one of them would look at Paul and shake their heads, muttering about what might have been. This is what could be seen.

Instead, Paul had his vision fixed on a different reality, what was unseen. In response to all of the head shakes, Paul argues that what his critics think that he should have achieved was only temporary. And Paul wasn’t interested in the temporary. What he wanted was what was eternal. He had set his sight and was chasing after the unseen things of God.

And his encouragement was that the Corinthians, and his letters subsequent readers, would dare to do the same thing; exchanging the seen for the unseen and the temporary for the eternal.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5

 

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. – 2 Corinthians 3:2

 Today's Scripture Reading (March 20, 2021): 2 Corinthians 2 & 3

Billy Graham argued that "we are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding." A lot of people might carry a Bible, but most won't bother to read it. But every day, they will read the message that we are living with our lives. Many people will never understand the value that God places on their lives, but moment by moment, they will know the value that we place on their lives. This world may never feel the reality of "For God so loved the world," but they know whether or not we love the world, or even if we love them.

We are the Bible the world is reading. We might be the only Bible that the world is reading. So, what is the message that they are taking away from our lives? Would the message that they are reading make Jesus proud of his body, his church? Sometimes, but most of the time, I think those who interact with us are reading the wrong message. What we often portray to the world is not the radical acceptance and unconditional love that God has shown to us; it something different and less than. I know that is true of my life.

Paul spent eighteen months ministering in Corinth. During his time there, he supported himself by working as a tentmaker. And after he left Corinth, he wrote at least three letters to the church, two we have in our Christian Testament, but at least one letter has been lost in time. And with every sermon and every letter, Paul tried to teach the Corinthians the truth of God. He wrote about the importance of community and love. Paul taught them about how they should be celebrating the Lord's Supper. He wrote about their interaction with the predominant culture that surrounded them. He taught about the second coming of Christ and many other things as he answered the questions and concerns that the Corinthians had posed to him.

But that wasn't the end of the communication that Paul had for the Corinthians. The message that he had given to them had been built on by God and Holy Spirit. Now they were the medium for the message. If the Gospel were worth anything, then it would be able to be read in the actions of their lives and the desires of their heart. Paul was still writing to the Corinthians, but now the message was written in the flesh and blood lives of the Corinthians. So, what was the message that those who interacted with them were getting from the life of the Corinthian followers of Jesus?

You are the Bible that your friends are reading. You are the Bible that your enemies are reading. You are the Bible that the world is reading. So, what is the message that they are gathering from your life?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4