Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

1 Corinthians 8  And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian  churches.   2  In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.   3  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,   4  they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing  in this service  to the Lord’s people.   5  And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.   6  So we urged  Titus,  just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion  this act of grace on your part.   7  But since you excel in everything —in faith, in speech, in knowledge,  in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you [ a ] —see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Out of all the books in the New Testament, 2 Corinthians gives us the most idea

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 8  Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,  I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9  yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.   10  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation  and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. So often we can "I'm sorry", but sometimes it is not really sincere.  We just want to avoid a conflict or confrontation.  Some people say sorry for everything as if everything is their fault. It is a deep seated insecurity that when something goes wrong, they think they are to blame.   Sometimes sorry is a deep regret that we didn't do something we should have. As we look back at the consequences for our inaction, we feel a deep sense of loss at what could have been.   But today Paul talks about a

2 Corinthians 6  As God’s co-workers  we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2  For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you,      and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Grace is one of the most important words in a Christian's vocabulary.  It means God's "unmerited favor" in light of his mercy.  It is very similar to mercy which is, "not getting what we deserve." Mercy is God's character by which he offers the free gift of grace.  Once we receive God's grace in Christ and believe in His name, we become a believer.  We are "born again." But Paul's purpose in writing to the church of Corinth is to make sure that they don't return to their former ways and their practice of idolatry.  On top of that some were questioning whether Paul was a true apostle.  In the verses following, Paul shows all the adversity and hardships he went t

5  For we know that if the earthly  tent  we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.   2  Meanwhile we groan,  longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,   3  because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.   4  For while we are in this tent, we groan  and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,  so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.   5  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to com e. I am not much for camping, therefore Paul's tent analogy doesn't work very well for me. In 2 Corinthians 5, he uses the metaphor of a tent for the human body.  Paul acknowledges that this earthly tent, our body, will be destroyed.  But we have a "house" in heaven. Notice, a tent is temporary, and the house of God is eternal.  Where

2 Corinthians 4:2-6  Therefore, since through God’s mercy  we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.   2  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.  On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience  in the sight of God.   3  And even if our gospel  is veiled,  it is veiled to those who are perishing.   4  The god  of this age  has blinded  the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,  who is the image of God.   5  For what we preach is not ourselves,  but Jesus Christ as Lord,  and ourselves as your servants  for Jesus’ sake.   6  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts  to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. The Corinthians were facing challenges from without and within. Paul starts by saying, "Since

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 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 reflect the Lord’s glory,  are being transformed into his image  with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Paul compares the Old Covenant between God and Israel, with the New Covenant between God and all people.  The Old Covenant was mediated by Moses. When God visited the Israelites and gave Moses the Ten Commandments, his face radiated with God's glory.  But where the Old Covenant brought death, the New Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ brought life and freedom.  Paul reasons if the Old Covenant brought glory, how much more glory will the New Covenant reflect God's glory through Jesus Christ.   Moses wore a veil when he came from God's presence. The people could not look at Moses' face because God's glory was hidden from them. But now Paul says we will all reflect God's glor

2 Corinthians 2:6-11 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. Paul is writing to the church regarding the church discipline for a man in the congregation. Some think this was the man who was having incest with his father's wife. Others think this was someone who was leading a schism in the church, or undermining the apostle's authority.  Regardless, Paul had admonished the church to discipline this person, and now he is following up with furt

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 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 begins his second letter to the church at Corinth to let them know how much he appreciates them and their prayers for him.  Paul himself has suffered, but he has seen how God's comfort helps him to be a comfort to others.  Paul shares about his troubles in Asia, where he and the others despaire

1 Corinthians 16 16  Now about the collection  for the Lord’s people:  Do what I told the Galatian  churches to do.   2  On the first day of every week,  each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3  Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve  and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.   4  If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. Paul finishes his letter to the Corinthian church with some final greetings and an appeal to financially support the "mother church" in Jerusalem.  The church there had material needs beyond what they could handle. In Jerusalem, there was a citywide famine, overpopulation, and double taxation.  Not only could Paul show the wider church's care for their need, but also show the interdependency of the body of Christ.   There is a common misperception that the church is "a

"1 Corinthians 15" "12  But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,  how can some of you say that there is no resurrection  of the dead?   13  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14  And if Christ has not been raised,  our preaching is useless and so is your faith.   15  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.  But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.   18  Then those also who have fallen asleep  in Christ are lost. 19  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." As Paul closes his letter to the church at Corinth, he reminds them of what is of utmost importance, Christ being rai

1 Corinthians 14:1-5  "Follow the way of love  and eagerly desire  gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.   2  For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;  they utter mysteries  by the Spirit.   3  But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,  encouraging  and comfort.   4  Anyone who speaks in a tongue  edifies  themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.   5  I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.  The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified." Paul closes his teaching on spiritual gifts, by dealing with the more supernatural gifts, like speaking in tongues and prophesying.  Some in the Corinthian church had the gift of speaking in tongues, speaking in unknown  languages, but since there was no one there to interpret what they were sayi