Date: February 1, 1994

Time: Tue 1:16pm b

Location: TBC WE

A lot of 2Co has to do with authority. Who are you going to listen to. There are many voices clamoring to be heard. It seems that the moment you get saved--every religious organization in the world finds your address. Who are you going to listen to?

The people at Corinth had the same problem. For Paul, it seemed that wherever he went, it did not take long before every odd and weird kind of doctrinal bird found the new churches Paul was planting and tried to lodge in its branches.

As we approach this Book, it will help us to watch Paul's mind and his methods. He is dealing with a sensitive issue here.

People who are ungrateful and unthankful. People who have permitted others to spread false reports about Paul--after all they have done to help them.

How do we know that a person is "of God?"

Lessons About God's Call and Will

An apostle by the will of God

Man can make you many things--through training, through education, through apprenticeship.

I am confident that given enough time and training most of use could learn to do many jobs in the world.

Man cannot make you some things

a musician, a singer, an eloquent speaker, a scholar, mechanic, a barber, a carpenter, computer programmer, a salesman, a teacher, a businessman.

Only God can give spiritual abilities.

An apostle, an evangelist, a pastor, a teacher, an encourager

God's gifts define God's Call

God gave Paul the gifts of an apostle--therefore the calling followed.

Same with Pastor's, teachers, evangelists

Our Spiritual Weaknesses Limit Our Usefulness

Some people have tremendous spiritual gifts but lack the spirituality necessary to help people.

One might be a great preacher but so self-centered that very few can stand to listen to him.

Another might be a tremendous organizer and administrator but be so exacting and demanding in their dealing with people that they find themselves directing and administrating themselves.

A Gift of God to Have Spiritual Gifted People

vs 1 An apostle by the will of God.

A person with a spiritual gift who thinks of others before self--is a tremendous blessing. Paul was one.

Jesus said, Mt 20:28 For the Son of man...

2Co 4:5 For we preach not...

God's call often involves suffering.

vs 4,5 How do you know that someone is genuine?

ILL Angelo--who can you trust in this world

ILL My Aunt

Suffering has a way of sifting out the wheat from the chaff.

 

TRANS: How do you start such a letter under these circumstances?

First--establish your calling. God called me. ILL Amos 7:15ff

Second,

Lessons About God's Character and Suffering v3ff

When we suffer the natural question is

why? What have I done?

The next , Does God Care?

Does God know?

Father of mercies

Mercy as a feeling--God feels our infirmities

Because He is able to be touched with the feelings of our hurts--

Source of all Comfort

(paraklasis) the noun and verb are used 30 times in 2Co. (para--beside; kaleo--to call) a calling to one's side. The corresponding word --(paraklatos) used of the Holy Spirit originally "one called in" to support. An advocate, pleader, "a friend of the accused person", called to speak to his character, or otherwise enlist the sympathy of the judges"

A beautiful picture of the work of the Holy Spirit--our advocate against the accuser, the one who comes alongside of to help us.

God the Father and the Holy Spirit have exactly the same character and nature. God is the author of comfort. He designed our relationship with the Holy Spirit because He knew our need

God designed the Local Church to be a place of encouragement, comfort, advocacy, help.

1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 ¶ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 ¶ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 12 ¶ For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

He 10:25

God gives True doctrine as a comfort to us 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another...

God gives ministers (deacons) to comfort us Ep 6:22

During the tribulation Paul found encouragement, and once he got through the tribulation he was stronger.