The Old Covenant given to Israel at Mount Sinai, as recorded in the first five books of the Bible, is also referred to as the Mosaic Law. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls it the letter that kills (6), the ministry that brought death (7), and the ministry that condemns (9). Those who insist […]
Category: 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 3:4-6. Competent Ministers -today’s BDBD.
The Lord Jesus forgave Paul and called him to minister to the Gentiles and Israel. Jesus, as Lord and God, equipped Paul to accomplish the ministry he had given him. Paul had confidence that God was and would continue to work within the congregation at Corinth through his ministry. Paul had confidence in God, not […]
2 Corinthians 3:1-3. Authentic or Cult Teacher? Today’s BDBD.
How can it be determined if a person is an authentic instructor or a cult authoritarian with a desire to control people and take their earnings? The Jewish religious leaders insisted that Jesus was a charlatan because he was not “one of us”. Pseudo-apostles insisted that Apostle Paul was a pretender because he was not […]
2 Corinthians Chapter 3 Overview -today’s BDBD.
Paul presents the Corinthian congregation as a living witness to his credentials as a minister of the New Covenant (1-6). Then, he compares the Old Covenant to the New Covenant (7-18). The Lord God presented the Old Covenant to Israel at Mount Sinai, in the desert (modern-day western Saudi Arabia), through Moses on two stone […]
2 Corinthians 2:17. Preaching for Profit -today’s BDBD.
When I was young, I would come home from school to see a short commercial called “Bowling for Dollars”. Men and women would roll their bowling balls down the alley once or twice to get up to a hundred dollars, according to how many bowling pins they knocked down. I never considered whether the owners […]
2 Corinthians 2:14-16. Fragrance of Life or Smell of Death -today’s BDBD.
Paul breaks off the narrative of his itinerary and characteristically allows his spontaneour spirit to carry him into a lengthy digression (the narrative is not resumed until 7:5). The digression, however, is quite relevant to the main tenor of this letter, for it is an immensely rich outpouring of triumphant faith in praise of the […]
2 Corinthians 2:12-13. Endless Tiresome Travels -today’s BDBD.
A year ago, for a work-related change, my wife and I moved from the East Coast to the center of the country. The trip involved stops at a relative’s house, Nashville, and Memphis until we finally arrived at the city where we now live. Normally, a three-night trip to such locations would be very enjoyable. […]
2 Corinthians 2:5-11. Grief That Leads to Sorrow and Forgiveness -today’s BDBD.
Grief, distress, and anguish, especially grief, are repeated ten times in the first ten verses, all deriving from the Greek noun “lype” (a transliteration), referring to deep emotional pain. Contrasting “lype” are forgiveness, joy, comfort, and love; together they are stated twelve times. One man’s sin in the Corinthian congregation led to grief, distress, and […]
2 Corinthians Chapter 2 Overview -today’s BDBD.
Paul gave instructions in his first letter to the Corinthian congregation in chapter 5 concerning a man engaging in a grievous sexual immorality. He said that they should cast him out of their congregation. Now, Paul reveals two motives behind that directive. (Some point out that he may be referring to another person’s sin and/or […]
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4. Do Not Lord Over as Nonbelievers Do -today’s BDBD.
Apostle Paul stopped short of explaining his reasons for the change in travel plans at the end of verse 16. He momentarily diverted to a side point. Now he continues his explanation. Paul said he wanted to give them more time to think about what he had written in the first letter, hoping and praying […]
2 Corinthians 1:21-22. Seal of Ownership -today’s BDBD.
“Stand firm in Christ!” The first place in Israel’s history the command to “stand firm” is given is the Lord’s answer through Moses to Israel concerning the approaching Egyptian army led by Pharaoh, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see […]
2 Corinthians 1:15-20. The “Yes” to the Gospel -today’s BDBD.
Paul’s detractors intended to diminish the gospel Paul preached and replace it with their pseudo-gospel. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 31, 2:4, 3:18-23, 4:18-21, 9:1, 15) They claimed that Paul was lying about his intent to visit them, and so, his gospel was just as false. They said, “Do not listen to the liar Paul. Listen to […]
2 Corinthians 1:14b. The Day of the Lord Jesus -today’s BDBD.
“The day of the Lord Jesus”, referring to Jesus’ coming to assess the saints’ actions while in the flesh, as Paul is using it here, is one day only. It can be understood as one twenty-four (24) hour day that starts at sunset, goes through dawn, the light period, and ends at sunset. It can […]
2 Corinthians 1:12-14. Life of Holiness and Sincerity -today’s BDBD.
Some who falsely portrayed themselves as super apostles were attacking Paul’s character. They claimed that the collection was not for the poor in Jerusalem as Paul claimed, but that Paul secretly planned to keep it for himself. They also claimed that Paul’s writing was unintelligible (13-14). The super apostles said these are the reasons why […]
2 Corinthians 1:8-11. God Delivered, Answering Prayers -Today’s BDBD.
Apostle Paul, God’s chosen instrument to carry Jesus’ name before the Gentiles and before the people of Israel (Acts 9:15), did not live a life that some Christians today would define as “the blessed life” and “the abundant life”. While in the Roman province of Asia, which included the cities of Ephesus, Philadelphia, Colosse, Troas, […]
2 Corinthians 1:5-7. My Cup Overflows. Today’s BDBD.
“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done,” so Jesus prayed on the eve of his suffering and death. (Matthew 26:42) Later that night, he took the cup and said during the Last Supper, “This cup is the new covenant […]
2 Corinthians 1:3-4. God of All Comfort. Today’s BDBD.
Today may contain a moment when the soul lies still, curled up in the smallest possible ball, seeking the serenity of the womb that the subconscious remembers. If not today, nature’s future holds a grave lament. Life in the world makes this promise to all. No one is spared the pang of these scorpions. Those […]
2 Corinthians 1:2. God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s BDBD.
Greeks’ traditional pagan religion did not see its gods as their fathers. When a Greek became a Christian, they accepted that the One and Only Supreme God was their Father. The pronoun “from” which is applied to “God our Father” is also implied to be with “our Lord Jesus Christ”, so that it would also […]
2 Corinthians Chapter 1 Overview. Today’s BDBD.
Paul wrote this letter to the young congregation at Corinth shortly after the previous one. He wrote it as he neared the end of his third missionary journey in the very late 55 AD while residing in the Roman province of Macedonia. Paul wanted to visit Corinth to the south again, but had not done […]
