Sermon Tone Analysis

*Who do you think you Are? or*

*Paul’s Perspective on the Missionary or*

*Understanding our Place within God’s Task.*

*2 Cor 2:12-17*

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*Context of 2 Corinthians*

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§         Second Missionary Journey

o       Acts 18-(After his southward swing through Macedonia when he was jailed in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica and Berea, and confronted with idolatry in Athens.)

He comes to Corinth

o       Paul works as a tent-maker with Aquilla and Priscilla

o       Preaches in synagogues every Sabbath

o       Crispus, the synagogue ruler is converted with his whole household.

o       Many other Corinthians believe and are baptized

o       *CHURCH PLANT*

o       Paul stays in Corinth for 1.5 years

o       Leaves Corinth, travels back to his sending church in Antioch via Ephesus, Caesarea, and Jerusalem.

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§         Third Missionary Journey

o       Eventually comes to Ephesus

§         (Coincidently, Apollos had just left Ephesus to go to Corinth)

o       Stays 2.5 years in Ephesus

o       Apparently received a delegation and~/or information from Corinth and in response writes an initial letter prohibiting association with those who profess to be believers, yet practice immorality.

(1 Cor 5:9-13)

o       Apparently, receives another report about factions in the church, further immorality, abuse of spiritual gifts, and doctrinal errors.

o       Writes 1 Corinthians (AD 55) and sends it to Corinth with Timothy (1 Cor 4:17).

§         He gives instruction and admonition in this letter, but also tells them that he is coming to see them (1 Cor 4:19).

o       Apparently, after the letter is received, the situation gets worse.

We know this because Paul…

o       …made the “painful visit” of which he refers in 2 Cor 2:1.

o       The church had been infiltrated with false apostles who had letters of recommendation (2 Cor 3:1-3, 2 Cor 11:13-15).

o       Goes back to Ephesus (maybe to let time heal all wounds) and writes the sever letter of 2 Cor 2:3,4

§         Wrote to test them to know if they were obedient (or a true church) and to condemn the wrongdoers (or the false apostles).

(2 Cor 2:9; 7:8-12).

o       This was sent with Titus.

(He was obviously waiting for Titus to return from Corinth with news of their response to the severe letter.

o       Titus gets things straightened out and stays for a while to organize the collection for the saints.

o       While he waits for the response, Paul has trouble in Ephesus

§         2 Cor 1:8-10* *Paul describes it as “affliction” and being “utterly burdened beyond their strength” that they “despaired of life itself”.

They had received the “sentence of death.”

§         Acts 19:21-41- The riot over Artemis of the Ephesian incited by Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen that made idols for the people’s worship.

o       He decides to go to Macedonia (which would necessitate departing from Troas [2 Cor 2:12]).

§         Planned to meet with Titus on his way back to tell Paul about the Corinthian’s response to the severe letter.

§         Does not meet Titus there in Troas

o       Goes to Macedonia, encounters persecution there as well

§         2 Cor 7:5- even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.

o       Titus meets up with Paul and gives him the comforting news of the Corinthian’s repentance.

This caused Paul much joy.

o       Paul writes and sends 2 Corinthians to let them know of his joy, to prepare them for a visit, to encourage them to give to the relief effort for the saints, and to once again set himself apart from the false apostles.

(Acts 20)

§         /So in 2 Cor 2:12 when Paul says, “I came to Troas for the gospel I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus,” he may be speaking of the persecution that he had left behind, but he was certainly referring to trouble he felt over the sin of the Corinthians and their yet to be known response to Paul’s severe letter.

He wanted to see his brother and receive word of the Corinthians response./

*Possible intro dealing with ways people deal with self-identity and the answers they formulate depending how the question is asked.*

Introspection

§         Get in touch with your feminine side- Feminists

§         Find your inner child- Irresponsible adults

§         Find the caveman within you- “Man Church” movement

 

Identification

* May I ask who’s calling

* “And you are”

* May I tell him who’s here to see him

 

Inflammatory

* How dare you

* You aren’t on a level to say that to me or act that way toward me

 

/Paul is takes a few chapters to once again offer validation of his ministry.

There had been the “Super-Apostles” in Corinth who came with letters of recommendation and charged Paul with being weak and a poor speaker.

While the Corinthians had responded well to Titus’ message, the false apostles were still there.

Paul uses this section to offer up his reasons for being a true apostle./

* What is this life we are living?

What have we gotten ourselves into and why do we stay in it?

“What are you doing over there?”

* Paul answers this question of himself, then turns it on us and then gives the right answer.

* In so doing, he reveals much of the state of his heart, his view of himself, and his perspective on the role and task of a missionary.

* Sets the Context

* Came to Troas

* Door open for ministry

* Had no relief

* Couldn’t find Titus

* Left for Macedonia

 

 

* *Who does Paul think he is here?*

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* He is a burdened man

* The fact that he was in Troas testifies to this.

His heart had been so burdened by the strain on his relationship with the Corinthians that he could not stand to stay in Ephesus any longer.

He began the search for Titus.

* “I found no rest in my Spirit”

* Word has the idea of someone going from one level of imprisonment to a lesser level of imprisonment

* Contrast Peter’s situation in Acts 12 to Paul’s Situation in Acts 28

* Acts 12:6 Peter was sleeping between two guards, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison

* Acts 28:16 And when we came to Rome Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier that guarded him.

* Paul was not saying that he couldn’t find complete relief, he was saying that he couldn’t even find the level of relief that would come from being on house arrest.

* This shows the depth of his burden and restlessness

 

* He was a conflicted man.

* Even thought there was a door opened in the Lord...I departed from them and went to Macedonia * Tough question…should he have left Troas and the opportunities for ministry there in order to go to Macedonia?

* I don’t think we can answer that.

* It seems that even Paul did not have a clear cut answer to this question.

* 2 Cor 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within

* While some of Paul’s afflictions pointed two the situation he found in Macedonia, it is not hard to imagine that he is referring, at least in part, to the conflict over leaving Troas for Macedonia

* /Personal Application//: It is easy to identify with this conflict.

We have opportunities for ministry everywhere we turn.

We make decisions every day about continuing certain ministry efforts and~/or ending others.

What about the stresses of life and the desire to walk away from it and the justification we might use on either side of the decision?

It is about as clear of an answer for us as it was for Paul.

Was it right for him…is it right for us?