Bible Reading Plan

Category: 2 Corinthians

  • 2 Corinthians 3

    2 Corinthians 3

    Read 2 Corinthians 3

    1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

    4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

    The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

    7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

    12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

    Go Deeper
    Paul appears to be calling out his opponents that had come to Corinth with letters of recommendation and demanded that Paul produce similar letters to prove that he was a true apostle. He responds by saying the church in Corinth is his letter. He says that the letter was not written on stone but written on their hearts. Paul knew that it is nothing but the blood of Christ that grants us justification and upon receiving the Spirit upon believing we are more than qualified to spread this good news.
     
    Paul compares and contrasts the two covenants: the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant. Though both are important for believers to understand, the new is superior. The old covenant was fading and was meant to point to the need of a new covenant. The Covenant that Jesus’s blood represents as Jesus told us in Luke 22:20, transforms the believer. We are no longer slaves to the law of sin, but are free in Christ. The Spirit transforms the believer into the image of our savior Jesus. 
     
    God told us through the prophets His plan to write His law on the human heart. In Jeremiah 31:33, we read:
     
    “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
        after that time,” declares the Lord.
    “I will put my law in their minds
        and write it on their hearts.
    I will be their God,
        and they will be my people.
     
    Unlike the glory that was experienced by Moses which was fading, the glory that we have been given is only getting brighter. We are made new in Christ and Paul tells us that because of the Spirit we’ve been given, we are capable of sharing the gospel with those around us! 
    Questions
    1. Are you depending on your own abilities or the competency coming from God to minister to those around you? 
    2. Are you working for your salvation or working out of your salvation? 
    3. What does this chapter teach you about God? What does it teach you about man? 
    Did You Know?
    Paul was not wholeheartedly against letters of recommendation in themselves. He even wrote one for Onesimus to Philemon. Paul was against letters that commended ourselves (v. 1), and thought them to be unnecessary as the pagans that Paul met on his missionary journey to Corinth were now following Jesus. That was the only testimony Paul needed.
    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 2 Corinthians 2

    2 Corinthians 2

    Read 2 Corinthians 2

    1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

    Forgiveness for the Offender

    5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

    Ministers of the New Covenant

    12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

    14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

    Go Deeper

    In the beginning of this chapter, we are introduced to what presents itself as agony from Paul. He mentions a previous “painful visit” and even lets the readers in on the many tears and distraught heart he has in writing to the Corinthians. We don’t know all of the details, but it is likely that there are letters and visits to the Church of Corinth not documented between 1st and 2nd Corinthians, which may cause confusion in this first section of the chapter. One thing we are reminded of very quickly is Paul’s motive in writing to the church and that it is out of his “depth of love for them” (v. 4).  

    Paul goes on to talk about proper forgiveness for a fellow brother in Christ who has sinned. After likely not accepting the man back after receiving his punishment, Paul tells the Corinthians to reaffirm their love for him and forgive. Here is where we need to lean in. Paul says, “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (v. 11).  Here Paul gives a big, loud warning for the slippery slope that unforgiveness breeds both for the offender and for the offended. 

    So many times we let resentment, bitterness, hatred, or hurt get in the way of forgiveness towards one another. We let our feelings rule and these inconsistent feelings become a breeding ground for Satan to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Pastor David Guzik of the Enduring Word commentary believes that Satan’s strategy against the sinning man first started as lust and, because of unforgiveness, turned to hopelessness and despair. Satan’s strategy against the church was first the toleration of evil, then using undue severity in punishment. 

    As we see Paul wrestle with accusations and comparisons from the Corinthians church, Satan’s strategy against Paul was to simply make him stressed and upset over the Corinthian Christians that he lost peace and was ultimately less effective in ministry. Unforgiveness gives ground to the enemy of our lives both for the accused and for the accuser. We all could listen to Paul’s advice today that forgiveness is for our benefit so that we might not be taken advantage of by Satan.

    Questions
    1. Are you allowing the Spirit to make you aware of Satan’s schemes against your life?
    2. Is there forgiveness you need to offer to someone in your life? 
    3. Do you need to extend grace to yourself in place of shame from something in the past?
    Did You Know?

    Many commentaries believe the man referenced in verses 5-11 is the same man Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 5. In 1 Corinthians, Paul had to call out the church for being too lenient with his sin. Apparently, they listened to Paul and disciplined him, but now they’re refusing to reinstate him back into the community. Now, Paul has to call out their harshness and lack of forgiveness. Yes, we are called to discipline, but all discipline should lead to full repentance and restoration.

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 2 Corinthians Introduction + 1

    2 Corinthians Introduction + 1

    Read 2 Corinthians Preview

    To understand the context for 2 Corinthians, let’s remember what we know about 1 Corinthians. In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul is giving correction to the church in Corinth. The church in Corinth was plagued with divisions in the church coming from faith in the wisdom of men that resulted in immaturity and judgment. The church was also divided because of selfishness and the need for distinction. Paul was giving the Corinthians a harsh rebuke and calling them to complete devotion to Christ.

    While 1 Corinthians resolved a few of the issues in the church, some of the Corinthians did not respond well to Paul’s rebuke and it sparked some resentment towards him. They started to question his authority as an apostle. As a result of this, 2 Corinthians is essentially Paul’s defense of his apostleship and why he was a trustworthy source. Why should they listen to him?

    In this book, Paul addresses the critics questioning his apostleship (Ch. 1-7), he appeals to complete the collection for believers in Jerusalem (Ch. 8-9), and recaps his credentials as an apostle (Ch. 10-13). It is important to note the requirements to be an apostle of Christ. They had to have seen Jesus in resurrected form (1 Corinthians 9:1), been specifically chosen by Christ (Acts 9:15), and had the ability to perform signs and wonders (2 Corinthians 12:12).

    There is so much to unpack in 2 Corinthians along with eternal truths for us to apply today. We learn more about the apostle Paul and the character of his ministry in the book of 2 Corinthians than we do in any other New Testament book. Richard C. H. Lenski, a biblical scholar, puts it like this, “In Second Corinthians, Paul bares his heart and his life as he does in none of his other letters. This lends a special value to the letter.” Like Paul, let us be ambassadors of Christ and ministers of reconciliation to the people and places that God has entrusted to us. 

    Read 2 Corinthians 1

    1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

    To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:

    2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Praise to the God of All Comfort

    3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

    8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

    Paul’s Change of Plans

    12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

    15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

    18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

    23 I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

    Go Deeper

    Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians giving thanks to God for comfort in affliction. He says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (v. 3-4). The key idea is that the comfort that God gives us allows us to comfort others. Many of us have had times in our lives where someone we know is walking through something difficult that we haven’t personally experienced. Sometimes we can feel lost in how to care for them in that affliction. This opening passage addresses that and tells us that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort that we receive from God. As followers of Jesus, we are agents in extending God’s comfort to others. 

    Every one of us have either experienced a trial or are currently in one, and the good news is that God will provide adequate strength and encouragement in that trial as we seek Him. We can receive comfort from God that will last. The comfort the world gives is fleeting, but the comfort that God gives is lasting. Harry A. Ironside, a theologian and pastor, puts it like this, “There are two things of which God is said to have the monopoly: He is ‘the God of all grace’ and He is ‘the God of all comfort.’ All grace comes from Him, all lasting comfort comes from Him.” 

    Although worldly comfort isn’t always lasting, there are practical ways we can help those around us who are facing affliction. Three principles in caring for those in a hard time are: 1) show up 2) resist the urge to say something profound and 3) identify a need and meet it. The reality of our broken world is that suffering is guaranteed. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us “In this world you will have trouble.” However, we were not meant to go through these troubles alone. We were made to comfort one another in community. 

    The apostle Paul faced suffering for the sake of the gospel and had experienced the God of comfort firsthand. In fact, 2 Corinthians 11 details Paul’s sufferings for Christ, and what He went through to get the good news of Jesus to people who had never heard it. These sufferings allowed him to better comfort the church in Corinth, so that they too could endure trials for Christ’s sake. There is a promise here that, “just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (v. 5). God’s comfort will always outweigh the sufferings He allows us to experience. We can praise God today that He is our comforter and deliverer, an ever-present help in times of trouble. 

    Questions
    1. What characteristics of God do you see displayed in this passage? 
    2. How have you experienced God’s comfort in your own life? 
    3. Who is someone in your life going through a trial? What would it look like to be an agent of comfort to them? 
    Watch This

    Check out this helpful video overview of 2 Corinthians from The Bible Project!

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

    Memorization Tip

    Write this verse at the top of a blank sheet of paper. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Meditate on this scripture and spend those 15 minutes writing down every single insight you can gain from the text. Absorbing the message of the verse will help you memorize it quicker.

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19

    Memory Verse

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19

    Memorization Tip

    Speak the verse out loud 5 times. Then, listen to it on the Bible app 5 times. Finally, write it down 5 times. Repeat this practice daily. 

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.