2 Corinthians 10:14

2 Corinthians 10:14 says, For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:  In verse thirteen Paul had said that he did not boast of himself, but of the work that God was doing through Him.  In this verse, he says that they didn't stretch themselves beyond measure.  Paul had a commission from God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.  He had been doing this in Corinth when those who were the church there had come to salvation through faith in Christ.  Paul was being attacked by many because of his preaching, but he said that the Corinthians should know that he was faithful to his ministry for Christ because he had come to them with the gospel.  We should be able to point to the things that God accomplishes through us as proof of our faithfulness and of the power of God.  Verse fifteen adds, Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,  Paul said that he did not build on another person's work in order to glorify himself.  Paul said that he hoped when the Corinthians grew in faith that they would recognize what Paul had done in bringing the gospel to them.  I don't believe that he said this so he would be glorified, but so that his work for Christ would be acknowledged so that Christ might be glorified.  Though it might be nice to have what we do for spreading the gospel of Christ acknowledged, it should only be so if it points to the power and glory of Christ.  Verse sixteen continues, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.  Paul said that he went to preach the gospel where it had not been proclaimed before.  He did not want to just build on another person's work.  Since the gospel was still new, it was easy and important to go to those who had not heard it.  We today might find it more difficult to find a place where the gospel has not been proclaimed at some point, but there are still many people today who have not heard the gospel and it is our responsibility as followers of Christ to present it to them.  Verse seventeen stats, But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.  Just as Paul said in this verse, if we are to glory, it should only be in Christ.  We should never attempt to bring glory to ourselves as we do what God has called us to do.  Verse eighteen Paul adds, For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.  Paul said that we cannot be approved by pointing out what we have done, but can only be approved by the Lord, or Christ, commending us.  We are to work for the glory of God and not for self-glory.

2 Corinthians 10:7

2 Corinthians 10:7 says, Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.  Paul asked those Christians at Corinth a question then gave a response of his own.  The question was did they just look at the outward appearance to determine one's faith in God.  There have been many people through the years that have outwardly appeared to be great men of God who really were only putting on a show.  Paul then said that even if those who outwardly showed themselves to be Christians could not judge others by the same outward actions.  Paul said that even if they didn't look nor act the same way that those with him and he himself did that they still belonged to Christ if they were sincere in their faith.  We cannot judge other Christians by their outward way of worshipping, and neither should they judge us.  Verse eight adds, For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:  Paul said that the Lord had given him authority for their edification and not for their destruction.  We are not called to destroy those Christians that do not worship as we do, but to edify them instead.  Likewise, they are called to edify us.  We cannot judge other Christians based on outward signs but must judge them based on their relationship to Christ.  Verse nine continues, That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.  Paul said that even though he had been given authority by Christ to edify and correct those that had come to follow Christ that he did not want them terrified of him.  He only wrote to make them aware of problems that needed correcting and to edify them.  Verse ten states, For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.  Paul said people thought more of his letters than they did of his physical appearance and speech.  People thought his letters were full of good advice and powerful, but that his actual speaking ability was not good at all.  Sometimes we just have to do what God empowers us to do best.  Verse eleven Paul adds, Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.  Paul said that what he wrote when he was absent from the Corinthians was exactly what he would say if he were present with them.  We need to make sure that our actions are consistent with our words of witness about God, whether written or spoken.  Verse twelve continues, For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  Paul said that he did not measure himself by others.  He measured himself by his faith in God.  Our standard will never be how we compare to anyone else but will always be how we compare to Christ through faith.  Paul said that to compare ourselves to others as a standard of faith was not wise.  Verse thirteen concludes, But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even also in deed when we are present.  Paul said that he would not boast of the things he had done, but only of what God had done through Him.  There is nothing that we can do through our own power to spread the gospel, but all must be done through relying on God through faith.  Then, the Holy Spirit will enable us, not that we may be glorified, but that God will.

2 Corinthians 10:1

2 Corinthians 10:1 says, Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:  Paul was now speaking only for himself and not for those with him.  We may identify with a particular congregation, but ultimately, we can only speak for ourselves in matters of faith.  Matthew Henry points out that Paul likely met more opposition at Corinth than he did anywhere else.  Since he was being attacked personally about his faith, Paul wanted to speak personally about his relationship to Christ.  He did not do so with boasting, but with meekness.  We don't need to brag about our faith, but we need to meekly live it for others to see.  Verse two adds, But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.  Paul said that even though he was meek in speaking about himself, that he hoped he could be bold in proclaiming the gospel when he was with them.  He particularly wanted to be bold in defending himself against those who accused him of preaching the gospel for his own benefit.  There were those who claimed that Paul really just walked according to the flesh, or the desires of the world.  There are those today who make the same claim about all preachers or even Christians, but we should live our lives so that we can boldly deny this claim.  Verse three continues, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  Paul said that there was no way in this world to not walk in the flesh.  When we become followers of Christ, we still have the same human body as before, but our spirit has been changed.  We now live for Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in us.  Paul said that they did not war after the flesh.  The war that Paul was fighting was spiritual.  Verse four declares, (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  Paul said that his weapons were not carnal, or man-made things of the flesh, but were spirit powered through his faith in and obedience to God.  We might live totally at ease in the world today, but if we are not living for the glory of God, we are failing as His followers.  Verse five adds, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  Paul tells us that we are not to live by the things that we might imagine are true, nor by those things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.  There are many people today who exalt certain theories, such as the Big Bang theory, more than the creation of the world by God.  Paul warned early in the life of the church to not allow any belief to come between God and us.  Paul said that we are to bring every thought into obedience to Christ.  This implies a deliberate action.  We are not to just let our thoughts occasionally drift to Christ, but we are to keep Him foremost in our thoughts.  Verse six continues, And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.  I don't believe that Paul was telling us that we are to be out to punish those who are disobedient, but that we must correct them if they are not presenting the gospel accurately.  We cannot allow anyone to pervert the gospel, especially those who call themselves followers of Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:6

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Paul was making the comparison of giving to God to a farmer sowing seed.  If the farmer doesn't sow many seed, he is not going to reap a large crop.  If we don't give a lot to God in faith we cannot expect to reap a large crop for Him.  If a farmer hoards his seed, they do him no good.  It is only when he sows them that they are useful.  The same is true with the things God blesses us with.  If we hoard it all for ourselves, it is useless to God.  We must use, or sow, what God gives us for His glory.  Verse seven adds, Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  Paul did not say that everyone was to give a specified amount, but that they were to give what they knew in their heart was right for them to give.  Paul also said that they were not to give grudgingly or out of necessity.  If we give to the church, or even to a fellow Christian, feeling that we must but don't want to, then we cannot expect our gift to be honored by God.  As Paul then concluded, God loves a cheerful giver.  For example, if we are writing out a tithe check and mentally complaining with every stroke of the pen, I don't believe that we are pleasing God.  Verse eight continues, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:  Paul said that when we give willingly and cheerfully that God will provide us with a sufficiency in all things.  We do not need to read this to mean that God will give us everything we want, but that He will sufficiently supply all our needs.   Verse nine states, (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.  The verse ten adds, Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)  Since Paul did not divide the verses, then these two verses in parentheses should be considered together.  Paul said that just as God had dispersed the gospel abroad to the poor, He would likewise provide for the needs of those who gave to His work.  We don't work for a reward from God, but we work or give with faith that He will meet our every need.  Verse eleven continues, Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.  Paul stated this in conjunction with giving by faith to help others.  I do not believe that this means that when we give to others that we will become materially rich, but that God will always be bountiful in meeting our needs.  Then, because God does meet our every need, we should always give thanks to Him.  Verse twelve declares, For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;  Paul said that giving to others not only helped them, but it resulted in many thanksgivings to God.  This is only possible when those giving do so with a cheerful heart.  If we give, but hate doing so, there can be no thanksgiving to God on our part.  Verse thirteen adds, Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;  Paul said that the giving to others for the spreading of the gospel proved to others that they were subjected to the gospel themselves.  The way that we use what God has blessed us with shows how much we are subjected to the gospel.  Verse fourteen continues, And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.  Paul said that those who were being helped prayed for the grace of God to be exceedingly great with the church at Corinth.  We should always be in prayer for other believers, but especially for those who are giving freely to those less fortunate so that the gospel might be preached to all.  Verse fifteen concludes, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.  This should always be our declaration, whether we are the giver or the receiver of help.  Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift, which is not material things, but salvation through Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:1

2 Corinthians 9:1 says, For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:  Paul said that the work of the church at Corinth in ministering to the saints, the believers in Christ, spoke for itself.  He said it would be superfluous for him to write about it.  Our work in ministering to the needs of our fellow believers should be the same.  It should be unnecessary for anyone to write about it because the whole world should be able to see our faith in action.  Verse two adds, For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.  Paul said that they had started a good work and that they needed to continue to follow through with it.  I don't believe that Paul was commanding them to continue but was simply stating that what they had done in the past, or started doing in the past, did not mean that they now did not need to continue.  The same is true for us today.  Paul had boasted to other churches about the Corinthians, and he did not want them to disappoint those who looked to them as faithful followers.  I believe that by boasting Paul meant he spoke highly of them and held them up as an example for other churches.  I don't believe that he was boasting to make other churches feel less important.  Verse three continues, Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:  Paul said he sent the brethren to tell them that someone would be coming to collect the donation they were collecting to help other churches.  He did this so they would be ready and not let down his faith in them.  We today need to be prepared to deliver on our promises to God.  Verse four states, Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.  Paul said that if the representatives from Macedonia came with him and the church at Corinth was unprepared that the church at Corinth should be ashamed that Paul had boasted of their faith.  Again, if we make promises to God, we should be ready to follow through on them.  If we don't, others may be disappointed in us, but the shame will be ours.  Verse five adds, Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.  Paul said he wanted them to be ready to give freely without coveting what was given.  I don't believe that Paul demanded that they give and was sending someone to see if they were doing so.  I believe that they had freely promised to give, and Paul just wanted to see if they were following through.  We cannot demand that others give, but we can pray that if they do that they do so with a willing heart, as we must do likewise.

2 Corinthians 8:16

2 Corinthians 8:16 says, But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.  Paul thanked God for Titus, who had an earnest caring for the Corinthians as did Paul.  We should always thank God that we are not alone in our working for Him.  Verse seventeen adds, For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.  Titus was not sent by anyone else but went to the Corinthians because he felt called to do so.  We today do not have to wait for some person or group to send us to minister to others but should do so as God directs us.  Verse eighteen continues, And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;  Paul said that even though Titus began on his own that now Paul was sending him with a brother to spread the gospel.  Even if we begin a work on our own under God's leadership, we still should be open to others helping us and even working through us to accomplish God's will.  Verse nineteen states, And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:  Here, Paul said that Titus was chosen by the churches to travel with them by God's grace.  Paul and Titus were working for the glory of the same Lord.  We should work together with all other followers of Christ for the glory of God.  Verse twenty adds, Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:  I don't believe that Paul was saying that Titus and he and those with him had an abundance of material things themselves.  They did have an abundance of faith, and any material abundance they had was passed on to the less fortunate believers.  Verse twenty-one continues, Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.  Paul said the church at Corinth, which is a group of people and not a building, were honest, not only with God, but with those they had dealings with.  We cannot claim to be honest with God and cheat anyone.  Verse twenty-two says, And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.  Paul was possibly referring to Apollos, though he doesn't identify him by name.  Whoever he was, he was a fellow worker for Christ.  Even if we are not named, we need to be known as faithful workers for Christ by our fellow believers.  Verse twenty-three adds, Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.  Paul was basically vouching for Titus and those that were at work for Christ with him.  Paul did not place himself above these others, because the were all messengers of the churches for the glory of God.  No one Christian today is above any other if we are living up to our particular calling.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.  Paul asked the Corinthian church to show to those being sent to them the proof of their love that Paul had boasted about.  We need to be the type congregation today that other Christians can boast about, or hold up as, a great example of a faithful church.

2 Corinthians 8:7

2 Corinthians 8:7 says, Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.  Paul now begins to speak of the abundance of the church at Corinth.  He said they abounded in everything.  Paul was speaking of spiritual things, faith, utterance, knowledge, diligence, and love for Paul and those with him.  He said that since they abounded in these things, he hoped that they would abound in grace as well.  I believe that Paul was asking that they would show their love for God by helping those that were less fortunate.  Verse eight adds, I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.  Paul said he could not command the church at Corinth to give to help others, but that he could ask based on the example of others and so that they might prove their faith.  When we allow conditions to determine our giving to God, in time or resources, we are failing to act in faith.  Though no one person, nor one church, can command that another person or church give to the ministry of any other person or church, we can ask that they give by faith.  To state it more simply, we cannot command anyone else to give, but their faith should lead them to give.  Verse nine continues, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.  Paul then cites the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.  If He is not our Lord Jesus Christ, then what Paul is saying has no meaning to us.  Christ gave up the riches of heaven to become a poor human being so that through His poverty we might become rich in our spiritual relationship with God.  Christ did not come to make us rich materially.  Verse ten states, And herein I give advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.  Paul said that he could not command them, but he could advise them.  Paul also said that beginning a good work was not enough, but we must follow through as well.  Verse eleven adds, Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.  Paul instructed the Corinthians to carry through with their promises, especially to God.  This still applies today.  Paul said they were to do this out of what they had.  When we are blessed materially, we need to use all that we have for the glory of God.  Verse twelve continues, For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  I believe that Paul was saying that the things we propose to do should be consistent with what we have.  We cannot give more than we have, nor should we allow what we don't have to keep us from doing anything.  We are to work with what God has blessed us with.  Verse thirteen says, For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:  Paul also tells us that we are not to sacrifice so that others may live at ease.  We are to help others as much as we are able, but we are not to do so in order for them to simply live without attempting to provide for themselves, or that they might become rich at our expense.  Verse fourteen adds, But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:  Paul said that our giving should be a equitable thing.  When we can we are to help others in need.  When we are in need, they should help us.  Verse fifteen concludes, As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.  Paul said that God's plan had never been for one to be rich and another destitute, but that all should have their needs met.  God will supply, but He expects His followers to be obedient in using what He blesses them with for the good of all His children.