The Apostle's Court
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsThe way of Christ is be in community with one another through cultivation, celebration and correction.
Notes
Transcript
ME
Believe it or not, we have two more messages to go with 2 Corinthians. And we are winding down this message, so a few things ought to happen. We should be aware of some of the contexts in these letters, such as Paul’s authority as an apostle was questioned because among other things he didn’t accept monetary support from the Corinthians (often translated as a burden) in a patron-client relation. He wanted them to honour their commitment to give to the poorer Jerusalem church and so he sent Titus and others. Opponents from outside and from within the church challenged his legitimacy as an apostle because of his pitiful record of suffering under persecution whereas an apostle or leader ought to be someone who’s famous, successful and powerful.
It’s hard to find a fresh word every week in a letter, especially when a letter is about to conclude. You would expect the sender would repeat some major themes they’ve explored before. Fortunately, we’ve been told it takes someone to hear the same thing five or more times before it sinks in. So here’s the challenge:
WE
If what you hear from this message sounds new, it’s either you are here for the first time or didn’t hear the same themes quite five times yet.
If what you hear from this message sounds vaguely familiar, you probably have heard it some five times or more, that’s good. You are well-versed for your own future study of 2 Corinthians.
If you hear this message and you say, “wow, is there anything new?” This is actually best, because now your challenge is to apply it in your own life with other fellow brothers and sisters, in your small group. You don’t have a small group? Well then that’s your first step to obey the message, since this whole series was about Paul and the church community in Corinth. You can’t apply this message on your own.
GOD
So with that, let’s take a look at this familiar but also maybe not so familiar passage as we wind down 2 Corinthians in two sessions, back to back, this and next week.
Here’s the theme if you want to anchor today’s message on something:
BIG IDEA: The way of Christ is be in community with one another through cultivation, celebration and correction.
So turn with me to 2 Corinthians 12:14-13:4. I chose this awkward in between two chapters because of the folio (bookends) of Paul talking about his plan for the third visit. Everything revolved around the second brief and failed visit so this visit in which Paul sent emissaries ahead of him such as Titus and two brothers with great reputation, though not named, sets the Corinthians up as to what they can expect from Paul’s personal visit. Let’s take a look at the first part:
14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
There’s the word again, burden. A more modern English term for burden is freeloading. Paul is saying he is not there to be a freeloader, lazily accepting food and lodging because of his apostle’s rights! Paul reminds once more while his opponents will be willing to accept anything, Paul will not even spend a dime of “what is yours,” their money. Paul uses the metaphor of a child with a parent (not a client-patron). It’s interesting the expectation for a parent is to be obligated to save up for their children , which is quite different from Eastern understanding.
Have your parents ever said something to the effects of, well I am going to provide for you until you are 18 years old, then you are on your own. That’s at least what I hear from parents with a Western mindset. The Eastern understanding though goes something like this: I am going to spend on you so that (explicitly or implicitly) you will one day repay me by making sure I am well taken care of in my old age. Now of course no cultural rules are hard and fast, but Paul didn’t want to be indebted to them, because he knows the consequence of that is it complicates their relationship in which they can curry favour because money is involved, as is common in the culture. But what Roman culture does require is love and honour to be given to your parents. Unfortunately, the Corinthians gave him grief and dishonour instead!
That’s why Paul says:
15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
The first part of verse 15 though is striking. The English words don’t do full justice even though it’s a clever play on words. The first spend is monetary, which we covered. But those who are keen may already get the context of “be spent” is not monetary but exert energy, which means Paul is going to do the same thing as he did when they met the first time, exhaust himself when his tent-making is done for the day to continue to teach the gospel, correct the sinners, encourage the faithful so that they would be right with God. Then from v. 15 all the way to v. 18, Paul once again shows his pastoral concern that while he is bearing his heart and soul, he wonders will he receive the same dedication and vulnerability, love and honour from them, his children? Then he launches into the accusations of his opponents, vile accusers from outside and within the church who used a word such as crafty and deceitful to describe him, terms everywhere else used in the New Testament to refer to the devil himself!
Paul’s counterargument is our the first point:
I. Cultivate a Discipling Community of Sameness
I. Cultivate a Discipling Community of Sameness
There’s an interesting pattern of rhetorical questions, the first two in verse 17 and 18a are Nos. No, I did not take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent you. And no, Titus didn’t take advantage of you either. Whereas the two remaining questions in 18b and c are Yeses. Yes, we (Titus and I) act in guidance by the same Holy Spirit. And Yes, we have the same steps, literally, bear the same footprint, same purpose, direction and way of living. With these four volleys of questions, Paul expels the groundless accusation of the opponents, perhaps they were trying in their desperate attempt to split the actions of Paul from Titus, who if you recall was well received when he went on Paul’s behalf.
Nice try, but Titus is the protege, a disciple of Paul through Christ. To slander Paul who sent Titus and trained Titus is not going to work. Titus who was with them, followed the example of Paul. It’s been several messages since we visited this question. Who is our Titus?
This has been on my mind again lately, both because COVID-19 and all the social distancing and the difficulty of meeting face-to-face, is actually a prime opportunity to purge the church from busyness for busyness’ sake to focus on what is essential. To make Disciples! Sundays are important, but they are one-directional, even more so when everything is online. Small groups are important, but sometimes there’s just too many people attending so you can go wide in each other’s life but can’t go deep. The only way we can cultivate a Paul-Titus relationship is through discipleship, walking in step and in Spirit together for an extended period of time regularly.
With that in mind, I would like to encourage brothers and sisters to begin praying and thinking about who might be a Paul (or a Titus) in your life that you want to grow closer to and begin a disciples relationship. I am convinced this is the only way while we are continuing online churches, we are also intentionally living out the theme of multiplying disciple-makers of the gospel. If you are interested in forming a triad of same spirit, same footstep, same gender disciple circles, please email or write on the chat box and we will follow-up with you to get things started!
II. Celebrate a Growing Community with Jesus Stories
II. Celebrate a Growing Community with Jesus Stories
Paul actually had five questions and the fifth one is verse 19 and there’s no specific answer unlike the first four.
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
“And all for your upbuilding, beloved!” I love those words. That’s the point of what the apostle does. His focus is on building up the people from the ground up. From a mere few brothers and sisters who was captured by the grace of Christ and the vision of the Kingdom, they share with others and begin forming a community, with people quickened by the same Holy Spirit and walking the same steps.
Paul then again launches into his pastoral concern about two fears he has in verse 20 and 21. He fears he would return to a church not unlike 1 Corinthians, as he has used similar words in that letter. Recall the quarreling, jealousy and anger in 1 Co 3 about who follows Apollos? Who follows Cephas? Or Paul? Or the current hostility, slander, and gossip, and disorder so vividly expressed in 2 Corinthians which warranted the writing of this letter.
His second fear is even more glaring, alluding to 1 Co 5 regarding sexual immorality in an incestuous relationship which nearly split the church. That there would actually be people who sided with the incestuous couple and not rebuke them. The greatest fear for a pastor, a small group leader, a deacon, or just really anyone who loves the church is to be away only to return and NOT seeing any growth but seeing a church stunted, or morally going backwards!
When COVID-19 is over and we return to some semblance of normalcy (though I doubt we would ever go back to the way it was), when we see one another face-to-face again, will we be found wanting, or will we have stories of faith,love and hope to share with one another? Lean into Jesus and pray we will have much stories of victory in the midst of struggles, hope in the midst of despair, and faith in the midst of doubt to tell one another. Here I like to draw you to our new website. Did you know in our new website, main.mcbc.com we have a prayer wall. What a great place to commit your needs and concerns in prayer so our whole community can lift your requests in prayer. And what an amazing testimony it would be when God brought you through to then also write a praise report and give thanks to God by the grace of our Lord Jesus!
Finally the first four verses of chapter 13 says:
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
Therefore, we are to:
III. Correct a Maturing Community from Unresolved Sins
III. Correct a Maturing Community from Unresolved Sins
Do you pick up a certain theme going on here? Let me try to help with highlighting a few key words: charge, evidence (though in the original language it’s literally the word “mouth,” so it’s better translated as testimony or verbal testimony), witnesses, and proof. These are all legal terms. The first verse is interesting and clearly alludes to Deuteronomy 17:6 regarding a charge can only be brought forward by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Of course it reminds us of the mockery of Jesus’ trial where no two credible witness said the same thing and yet our Lord was still crucified, clearly violating this Mosaic law. Here, Paul is saying this time I will bring the charge against the false or super-apostles, or the individual or factions within the Corinthian church who is living an unholy and sinful life with Titus, the two brothers, even God as his witness. Then Paul draws his ultimatum, that this time when he comes, he, while weak because of the physical suffering, humility and participating in Christ's death, he will draw strength from the power of God who resurrects His son as an apostle to judge whatever sin remains within the community. Those who accuse he is not eloquent, does not matter, because he will speak not his own words but Christ’s. Again, this is the paradox. Weakness and power is fully displayed in how Paul on the one hand is the persecuted and suffering servant, much like our Lord, but also vindicated to be worthy to judge the affairs of the Corinthian church as its founder and father.
Some of you may remember in one the messages in this series, we talked about the use of a blunt instrument. I believe this is Paul reminding us that there are times where love requires us to deal with sin firmly and truthfully. While our overall posture is that of a humble servant, but when it comes to issues of right and wrong, repeated, or even blatant and unrepentant sin, we cannot avoid a confrontation. Paul knew this came with the responsibility of being an apostle, a representative of Jesus, and in some ways all these warning BEFORE he arrive in Corinth is to set the expectation for his third visit he will hold Corinth to account in his apostle’s court.
I have over the years been brought to attention of congregant’s choices and lifestyles which are contrary to the gospel, attitudes of unforgiveness and pride which threatens the love and peace of the MCBC community. My default is to flee and not confront, to let time hopefully heal and people can work things out themselves. Unfortunately it rarely does. And I have seen firsthand how strife between brothers or sisters left unconfronted creates factions and blows up with more people dragged into the conflict. Sometimes to the point where you unravel what you thought was the issue, only to find out you haven’t got the root cause and things have been festering way longer. It is a tricky place to be in and I am still learning what it means to be a holy community of faithful followers. All to say that I can’t do this alone, so we need to work together to look out for one another, address the issue head on after much prayer and discernment.
WE
So this is what Christ through Paul encourages us to be as the church called MCBC: Cultivate a Discipling Community of same steps by the power of the same Spirit; celebrate a Growing Community which shares stories of Jesus intersecting in our lives through earnest prayer, and be a Correcting Community of unresolved sins between one another. When we do that, the world will know we are disciples of Christ and want to follow and glorify Him.