Category: 2 Corinthians
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Two Aromas
2 Corinthians 2:14 – 17 “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the…
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Satan’s Schemes
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 “Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” In the statement above, Paul gives us insight into one…
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Ready to Forgive
2 Corinthians 2:5-7 “Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” How ready are you to…
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Consenting Adults
2 Corinthians 2:5 “Now if anyone has caused pain . . .” Have you ever heard someone criticize others who would have the audacity to voice concerns about certain actions between “two consenting adults”? This attitude is rooted in an idea that was articulated by the British philosopher John Stuart Mill in the 1800’s called “Mill’s…
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The Believer’s Humility
2 Corinthians 1:24 “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.” One of the distinguishing marks of the Christian faith is the characteristic of humility. The true believer in Jesus Christ is not impressed with his or her own goodness…
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The Spiritual Seal
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “And it is God who . . . who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” Are you sure you are a Christian? Indeed, can you be sure? On what basis? The Bible says things like “I write these things to…
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The Anointing
2 Corinthians 1:21 “God . . . has anointed us. . .” Throughout the Bible we read about the rite of anointing. Priests were anointed for service. They were set apart and designated before all the people by this holy ceremony. Kings were anointed as well. For example, the prophet Samuel, after being directed by…
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Amen!
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.” Have you ever been in a church service somewhere where you heard someone shout out a hearty “Amen” to something the preacher had just said? This…
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Immutable!
2 Corinthians 1:21 “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ . . .” It seems almost everything in life, including our life, is so ephemeral. As we look around us, we are witnesses to the physical law of entropy which is acting on all physical things. This means everything tends to…
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Our Plans
2 Corinthians 1:17 “Do I make my plans according to the flesh . . .? How important is planning to you? Some people are plan driven. From the time they wake up in the morning they have a list. They know where they want to go and how they want to get there. They have…
To Encourage You 