In The Word
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17
23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. 24 Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.
Reaffirm Your Love
2 But I decided this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, who then will be the one making me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? 3 This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy was the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.
5 But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not for me, but in some degree—not to say too much—for all of you. 6 Sufficient for such a person is this punishment which was imposed by the majority, 7 so that on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but saying goodbye to them, I went on to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The apostle Paul is talking about how he does everything with the church in his mind. He doesn’t want believers to be endangered because of him. He would rather not do what he loves doing in order to protect the church. The spirit of comfort is all he is asking for the church. It is our responsibility as a church to comfort the grieving. Every single day God gives us an opportunity to serve and comfort someone that is hurting. Paul’s heart is troubled by the body of believers who are being tossed around by the enemy.
According to Paul, we must also be able to forgive sinners as the body of Christ and always look out for satan’s schemes against God’s people. God wants to use us believers to spread the good news of Christ everywhere. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, it says, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” We have not been called only for those who are saved. Luke 5:31 says, “Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick.’” Many times we want to stay in our circle of friends without being interrupted by non-believers.
We have been called to reach out to the perishing; it’s time we step out of our comfy boats and reach out to the multitudes of people bound by the chains of the evil one.
You have a task to fulfill today: who are you going to comfort?