Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a greatapp, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)
OUTLINE AND LINKS TO PERICOPES (considering ebible & Serendipity)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
2 Corinthians 9, penned by the Apostle Paul, instructs the Corinthians about the blessings that come from generous, cheerful giving. It encourages Christians to give what they have decided in their hearts to give, without reluctance or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This chapter is a powerful reminder of the divine promise that our generous giving on earth yields an eternal return in heaven.
Historical Context of the Collection for Jerusalem
• Famine and economic hardship in Judea (Acts 11:28–30) made the Jerusalem church dependent on aid.
• Paul coordinated a multi-church relief effort (1 Corinthians 16:1-4; Romans 15:25-27). Corinth, a prosperous port city, was crucial.
• Delegates (“the brothers,” v. 3) ensured transparency, protecting Paul and the gift from suspicion (2 Corinthians 8:18-21).
• Such inter-church sharing modeled the unity Jesus prayed for (John 17:20-23).
2 Corinthians Chapter 9 discusses the importance of generosity in supporting the Lord's people. The author expresses confidence in the eagerness of the recipients to give, having previously boasted about their readiness to help. To ensure they are prepared, the author sends brothers to finalize arrangements for their promised gift. Emphasizing that giving should be done willingly and cheerfully, the text highlights that generous sowing leads to generous reaping. The service provided not only meets needs but also generates gratitude towards God, showcasing obedience to the gospel and fostering connections through shared generosity. The passage concludes with thanks for God's indescribable gift.
OUTLINE
2 CORINTHIANS 9
Paul completes a subject he began in the previous chapter—namely, the grace of giving.
I. The Monetary Giftbythe Corinthians (9:1–14)
A. The review (9:1–5)
1. Paul’s confidence in the church at Corinth (9:1–2): He brags about their past enthusiasm to collect an offering for the saints at Jerusalem.
2. Paul’s charge to the church at Corinth (9:3–5): He urges them to complete this task, for he is sending some men to receive the offering.
B. The reminder (9:6–9)
1. The principle (9:6, 8–9)
a. To sow little is to reap little (9:6a).
b. To sow much is to reap much (9:6b, 8–9).
2. The participant (9:7): Each person should determine the amount of his or her gift freely, not in response to pressure.
C. The rewards (9:10–14)
1. The giver will be blessed by the Lord (9:10, 13).
2. The giver will be blessed by the recipient (9:11–12, 14).
II. The Magnificent Giftbythe Father (9:15): He gave us his own Son, Jesus Christ!
Your Chance to Change
the World — For the sake of argument, let me assume that you have a career.
There is something for which you see yourself best suited to make a living. You
expect that career to make it possible for you to pay your bills, take care of
your family responsibilities, and provide a certain standard of living. You
probably also expect it to provide certain less-tangible rewards as titles and
social standing. But do you also have a calling?
Consistent with the way most people hear that term, a calling involves a clear
sense of being commissioned by God for some task. It is your pursuit of the
sovereignty of God over who you are and what you are doing with your life. It
is the sense that God's hand is on you and that he has a sense of genuine
pleasure in what you are doing. The real secret to
fulfillment in one's life is to have career and calling merged into one.
Don't you suspect the apostle Paul viewed his as one and the same? But what
about you? I believe God has given you
an opportunity to make a difference in the world. I am convinced he wants
you to change the world. And I further believe that he wants you to see your
job, business, profession or retirement as an extension of the kingdom of
heaven. Here's what I mean by all this. The sense that one's career is
also a holy calling shouldn't startle us. If slaves-become-Christians were
counseled to "render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to
men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again
from the Lord" (Ephesians 6:7-8), then surely you are supposed to be
the best employee or employer the Acme Widget Company has ever seen. If not,
why not? Above paycheck or promotion, do
something that contributes to the good of your world. Let your routine tasks
reflect the character and excellence heaven is building into your life.
Understand that your work is inseparable from your spiritual life -- and
reflects its authenticity. When your faith cleanses and consecrates your
workplace to God, you have found a calling larger than your career. Solomon put it this way: "There
is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in
their work. This, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can
eat or who can have enjoyment?" (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). How will you change the world
today? God is ready to be your partner.
Opening
Questions — Get
Us Thinking:
· Which
of these TV families reflects your family: Cleavers? Flintstones? Bradys?
Huxtables? Waltons?
Instructions for Christian Households – Ephesians 5:21-6:9
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do
to the Lord. 23For the husband
is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which
he is the Savior. 24Now as the
church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in
everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with
water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church,
without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they
feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ
and the church. 33However, each
one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must
respect her husband.
Chapter 6
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is
right. 2“Honor your
father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy
long life on the earth.”
4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead,
bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear,
and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is
on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord,
not people, 8because you know
that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are
slave or free.
9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not
threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in
heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Will
1.God
is ... What do we learn about God?
2.We
are ... What do we learn about people?
3. How
do verses 18-21, on the indwelling, affect your attitude toward these verses on
submission?
4. Christ’s
love led him to die to us. What would it mean for a husband to live with his
wife with this type of love vv. 25-33? How did Christ act on his headship?
5. Paul
begins with the statement, “Husbands, love your wives.” It sounds like such a
simple statement, but what does he mean? What does it mean to love?
6. How
did your parents approach marriage? Two masters? Two Servants? What is the goal
of Christian marriage? v. 31?
7. It
is sometimes said that if the husband were the kind of spiritual leader he
should be, the submission of the wife would be easy. How “easy” is it for us to
follow Christ’s leadership? v. 33
8. What
does it mean to “honor your parents”? To bring up children in the Lord without
exasperating them?
9. How
many of us own slaves? Who among us is a slave?
10. If
you work for someone, how are you to look upon your job? If you are the boss,
how are you to look upon your employees? Can you hold to these principles today
in your business and still make it?
Reflective Questions — Live it today.
1. What
does a wife do when the husband does not take spiritual leadership?
2. Whom
do you look up to as a good role model for marriage?
3. What
is God saying to you about your spouse? Family?
4.I
will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How
will you apply it to your life this week?
5.You
can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?
6.How
does this equip us be a better disciple and help empower us to “make
disciples”?
The
Cherokee marriage-ceremony is very expressive. The man and woman join hands
over running water, to indicate that their lives are thenceforth to flow on in
one stream.
This week (Ephesians 5:14-29), we finish the section on renewing the personal life of a believer and then begin the section on personal relationships that are willing to defer.
A Wife’s 3 Greatest Needs Wives, just like husbands, have many needs, but what are three of the greatest needs that a wife has?
Your Love I believe that we all need love and to give love, but love might be the greatest need of all for her, next to her relationship with Christ. Telling your wife verbally that you love her is important, but showing it by your actions is more important. Love is not just in word but in deed, as the Apostle John wrote, “… let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Love is a verb more than a feeling. Love is proactive. Jesus didn’t depend on His feelings to make Him go to the cross. He did it because He knew it was our only way to be saved. Show your wife you love her by sending her a card in the mail, by bringing her flowers, taking her out to dinner, scheduling a “bed and breakfast” weekend, taking out the trash, or whatever else you see that you can do to help her and show your love for her. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25). Your Attention I am so guilty of this. My wife says something and my body language acknowledges it, but it doesn’t sink in. Shame on me. Instead of burying myself in thought, the paper, or even the Bible, I need to look my wife straight in the eyes and give her my full attention. She might not want me to solve whatever she is talking about, but she does want me to listen. It is so disrespectful when someone says something to you and you don’t even acknowledge what they said by words or by nodding your head. Men, are you really listening to your wife? Could you repeat the last sentence she said? Drop whatever it is you had going on, including the remote if necessary, and stop, look, and listen. She deserves your attention, don’t you think? Your Faithfulness Surely, we husbands need to remain faithful to our wives. That is clearly commanded in Scripture. By remaining faithful to her, I mean not only avoiding adultery and pornography but avoiding commenting about other husband’s wives or looking at other women with lust. Men can so easily commit adultery of the heart. It’s like we’re hardwired that way, but we are supposed to be new creations in Christ, as Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17). When we are born again, we are given a new nature, as Ezekiel wrote, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezek. 36:26a), and as such, we were “buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6:4). Conclusion Obviously, there are a lot more than three things a wife needs that are not listed here, but surely we recognize that we need to love our wives as Christ loved the church. That means a life-sacrificing life of serving her. We need to give her our full attention when she is talking, and we need to be ever faithful to our bride, for she is a gift of God. We should treat her as such. May God richly bless you, Pastor Jack Wellman
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4 Key Ways the Enemy Attacks Your Marriage The Enemy finds many ways to try and destroy marriages. What are four of the many ways that the Enemy uses to attack marriages? Lack of Trust Trust is part of the foundation structure of any marriage and when trust is lacking, there is doubt, fear, and uncertainty in all areas of the marriage. We should hold no secrets with our marriage partner and when we do, we either don’t trust them or we are hiding something from them. The Enemy would love nothing more than to create an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion between the marriage partners. I have known couples who check one another’s email, text messages, and voice mail without their knowing it. That is a deadly sign that trust is missing from their relationship, a relationship that should be the most trustworthy of all on earth. Pornography This scourge may be the single, greatest contributing factor in couples lacking sexual satisfaction. With each passing exposure to pornographic material, the person who is addicted increasingly becomes more dissatisfied with their partner’s sexually satisfying them. Their pornographic addiction becomes like a drug; it takes increasingly graphic doses (or exposure) to satisfy the person until it becomes next to impossible for their mate to ever fully satisfy them again. When the innocent spouse continues to be neglected, their risk for having an affair increases because they are not being sexually fulfilled at home either. Also, pornography devalues women and men too as the rates of pornographic addictions are also increasing among women. The Enemy must love this because it is an addiction that he tempts them with and then he just sits back and watches them self-destruct. Finances With the economic uncertainty of the times and the growing debt among families, the tensions created by living on the edge of financial ruin greatly stresses the family and that is why money is one of the greatest causes for separation and divorce. Recent indicators are that families once again are increasing their debt which can only put families at greater risk for divorce. The Enemy wants you to spend freely today and don’t worry about tomorrow’s consequences. Domestic Violence With all of the recent news about violence in the home, domestic violence in the form of spousal abuse and child abuse is ripping families apart at the seams. Sometimes the combination of a lack of trust, pornography, adultery, financial difficulties, problematic children, all can contribute, but not excuse, an increase in domestic violence. When couples fail to put on the full armor of God, they are vulnerable to spiritual attacks and fail to resist the enemy and can become more like him…who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Conclusion The Enemy would love nothing more than to destroy the institution of marriage because marriages are the foundation of any nation and when the foundations crumble, so too will the nation. God help us all to live the model that Christ revealed to us; to love one another and to live lives of self-sacrifice. As Paul wrote, we ought not to think more highly of ourselves than we should (Rom 12:3); maybe even not think about ourselves at all and to “love one another in brotherly (and sisterly) affection” (Rom 12:10) so my advice to you is as Paul’s is; “let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:33). May God richly bless you, Pastor Jack Wellman ================ WHAT GOOD ARE FATHERS? Dr. Joe Pettigrew “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3 Happy Late Father’s Day.
Whether you call him Dad, Papa, Pops, or Father, his role as head of the home demands selfless sacrifices with big responsibilities. God commissions a father to care for the children entrusted to him, to teach them God’s ways—leading by example.
Yesterday may have been challenging for you. Perhaps your father didn’t fulfill his responsibilities as he should have or was abusive. Maybe you grew up without a father, or he’s no longer living. You may feel fatherless. We’re all created by, and for God, so we’ve got to get the picture of who God is, right.It’s no secret that fathers are very powerful in shaping the identity of their children, and giving them confidence in life.
Numerous studies link fatherlessness to a variety of social issues, from depression to poor academic performance and experiences of abuse. The role of fatherhood is one God intended to be modeled from His own example, and that’s why it can be so rewarding when we do it well, but so damaging when something goes wrong.
All of us were wired for this relationship with God, so we have a special connection to our dads. That’s not to say mothers aren’t amazing, but when Dad gets home what do their kids say? “Daddy watch me!” They want to hear Dad say, “Way to go girl, or well done big guy.” We long for approval and blessing from our fathers from birth.
When talking to Louie Giglio about fatherhood a few years ago, he shared with me this story. His own father died prematurely. He had a conversation with his dad close to the end of his life that explained a lot about their relationship.
“My dad was amazing,” Louie said, “but he and I didn’t have common ground around our faith in Jesus which was awkward given I was called to preach.We had a lot of ups and downs in our relationship, but he was a great guy. At the end of his life, a few years before he died, we were talking in the hospital one day, and he told me that he’d never been loved and he’d never been wanted by his parents. He didn’t believe God loved him or wanted him either. I could hardly catch my breath, but for the first time I saw my dad not as a father, but as a son.”
We must be willing to forgive our dad, and move forward from the pain they may have caused us. For some, it’s hard to imagine wanting to “bless” your dad. Especially if you’re estranged and uncomfortable with the concept of a perfect, loving father in God.
People have told me flat out, I will never forgive my dad for what he did to me and my family. I get that, it’s real, and we can’t just sweep all that under the rug. God isn’t asking us to do that.
Whether your father is one of the best or fell short, there’s a perfect Dad waiting to embrace you as His own. His name is God the Father. He’s good and full of unconditional love. He wants to adopt you and make you a King’s kid.
Thought of the Day If you don’t know the Father, ask Jesus to introduce you to His. God promises this, “I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters.”
What was one of your most memorable failures in junior or senior high school?
DIG:
What rumors about Paul have been spread by his opposition (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6)? Does Paul sound reassuring to you? What concerns might linger?
From 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, what does ethical evangelism look like? What would its opposite look like? What do the images of being a mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7) and father (1 Thessalonians 2:11) add to this picture? What do these images say about caring for your own children or for "young" believers?
What difficulties were the Thessalonians facing (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)? How would Paul's example of perseverance in the face of persecution encourage them?
REFLECT:
List the characteristics of a faithful Christian worker given in this passage. Which do you possess? Which do you want to develop?
Who has been a positive influence on you for godly living? How so? How can you be a positive influence on someone this week?
What turns you off about the way some people present the Gospel? How are you attempting to avoid these mistakes, and yet maintain a strong witness?
What opposition to your faith are you facing? What encourages you to persevere?
SECTION OUTLINE TWO (1 THESSALONIANS 2)
Paul talks about the trip he took to visit Thessalonica and about his desire to go again.
I. Paul’s Past Trip to Thessalonica (2:1–16): The apostle overviews two factors concerning his visit to Thessalonica.
A. How the gospel was relayed to the believers there (2:1–12): The preacher in the pulpit.
1. Paul the persecuted (2:1–2): He speaks of his sufferings at Philippi just prior to coming to Thessalonica.
2. Paul the pattern (2:3–6, 9–10): The apostle served as a positive role model to the church.
a. Concerning his words (2:3–6, 10): Paul’s preaching was bold, truthful, straightforward, and sincere.
b. Concerning his works (2:9): Paul labored long, weary hours so that he would not be a burden to the church.
3. Paul the parent (2:7–8, 11–12)
a. He fed and cared for them as would a loving mother (2:7–8).
b. He encouraged and comforted them as would a loving father (2:11–12).
B. How the gospel was received by the believers there (2:13–16): The people in the pews.
1. The enthusiasm (2:13): They accepted Paul’s words as being from God.
2. The enemies (2:14–16): They persevered through suffering and persecution.
II. Paul’s Planned Tripto Thessalonica (2:17–20)
A. Why the apostle is anxious to revisit them (2:17, 19–20)
1. They are his reward and crown (2:17, 19b).
2. They are his pride and joy (2:19a, 20).
B. Why the apostle has been unable to revisit them (2:18): He has been hindered by Satan.
Learning from the least qualified
Everyone thought they would fail.
Within weeks of Paul and his team arriving in Thessalonica with the good news of Jesus, those who had come to faith were left without leaders, facing persecution and under intense pressure to recant their faith.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy had been forced to leave. Those opposed to this new Christian faith had persuaded some local troublemakers to stir up the assembled crowd with lies about the team. They had no choice but to go.
Paul was desperate to return. “When we were torn away from you for a short time… out of our intense longing, we made every effort to see you” (1 Thessalonians 2:17). However, for reasons unclear, they weren’t able to get back until Timothy finally made the journey on his own.
In an era without mobile phones or internet connections, the wait for news must have been excruciating. Had the church survived the persecution? Were they still meeting? With the longest-standing church members barely a few weeks old in the faith on the day Paul and the team left, did they have any leaders? Who was taking care of these baby Christians?
Eventually, Timothy returned with the welcome news that the church had indeed survived and their faith was still strong. The young Christians were standing firm despite the challenges around them, but that wasn’t all. To Paul’s joy and amazement, not only were the Thessalonian believers still meeting as a church, but they were reaching out to their local community, to the wider area, and even beyond. In fact, their passion for evangelism was the talk of the town for miles around.
What was their secret?
In the same first letter to the Thessalonians, we get some insights: The baby Christians knew they were chosen by God; the gospel had made a deep impact in their lives, and they had experienced God’s supernatural power. None of them had been mentored with leadership skills, none of them could boast any kind of spiritual heritage, but despite their lack of knowledge and training, God used them.
If we were to look for examples of spiritual maturity in the pages of the New Testament, we might point to well-known characters like Paul, Peter, or those trained under them; those who have been faithful in serving God over many years, in which case you can forget the Thessalonians. They don’t qualify.
And yet Paul tells us they had become a model church to all others within hundreds of miles.
Now, I don’t want to minimise the importance of education, training, and the maturity that comes with years of serving God, but maybe we can learn from young Christians too, especially those who have experienced God’s love and power and the deep impact of the Gospel. I, for one, would like some of the joy and zeal of these baby Christians to rub off on me.
