2 Corinthians 7 - Galatians 6
Despite their blind spots and failings, Paul loved the Corinthian church deeply. This is seen in the apostle’s expressions of joy and relief at their repentance after they received the letter carried by Titus:
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. — 2 Corinthians 7:9
Next, Paul takes the opportunity to exhort them to excel in giving, with details on when, how, and why Christians should give.
Paul’s desire in this was to motivate the believers to complete a collection for the needy believers in the Jerusalem church. In discussing the patterns of giving, Paul cited the generosity of the Macedonians, followed by the ultimate example of sacrifice, Jesus Christ. He assures them that
- the spiritual law of “sowing and reaping” furthers the Kingdom of God and that, when done in the right spirit, giving is the path to true prosperity and joy.
Following this, in 2 Corinthians 10–13, there is a shift in tone. Paul now directly takes on the false apostles who have remained in the church and their unrepentant followers. In light of the Corinthian church’s gullibility, Paul employs the forceful language of warfare to remind these Christians that the spiritual war they are in requires weapons from the heavenly arsenal. He also challenges the false apostles by reluctantly comparing himself to them.
Although Paul found defending himself to be distasteful, the issues facing the Corinthians were so critical that he could not permit these wolves in sheep’s clothing to undermine his teaching of the gospel. So he conducts a short course for the Corinthians in how to distinguish a true messenger of God from a false one. In the process, he reveals the heavenly vision he had received and his sufferings for the gospel — demonstrating that, unlike the false apostles, he possesses genuine qualifications.
Paul, to further differentiate himself, contrasts his correct view of ministry with the faulty view of these opponents. He tells the Corinthians they will be able to distinguish true men of God by qualities such as faithfulness, sacrifice, honesty, and a desire to build others up rather than tear them down. In closing, he lays out a pattern of what it means to mature in Christ. His words form a wonderful discussion of the essential elements of spiritual growth.
The inclusion of 2 Corinthians in the New Testament canon suggests the Corinthians responded favorably. This letter, in which Paul poured out his heart, achieved its goal of reconciling this church to him. Paul’s next letter, Galatians, was also written in response to an assault on the church by false apostles. These wolves were preying on the flock, so Paul also wrote to these churches he had helped establish in and around Galatia (modern-day Turkey) on his first missionary journey.
As recorded in the book of Acts, the early church began with converts from Jewish backgrounds steeped in Hebrew traditions and practices. However, large numbers of Gentiles also began embracing Jesus as the Messiah, most as a direct result of Paul’s missionary journeys. Sadly, these Gentile churches were often targeted by Jewish legalists (called Judaizers) who, in essence, urged believers to embrace the tenets of Judaism — especially the rite of circumcision and a fanatical devotion to keeping the law of Moses. They also savagely attacked Paul’s credibility as an apostle of Christ.
In the Galatian churches, the strategy seems to have worked. Many Galatian believers began to question Paul’s authority, legitimacy, and motives. They also began to doubt his message. The result was confusion among the congregations and, ultimately, an angry apostle who once again had to defend his apostleship. Paul’s consternation over their defection from the gospel of grace is evident from the sharpness of his words: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1).
Paul’s concern in this was not his own popularity but the integrity of the true gospel. So, he explains that he has been appointed by God and offers valuable information about his background — even recounting the details of his most significant trip to Jerusalem after his conversion. It was all to prove the message he proclaimed was identical to that of the other twelve apostles.
The eternal and theological implications of the Judaizers’ teachings were grave, so the apostle went even further, communicating the distinctions between law and grace. In the Mosaic rituals and standards, the Galatian believers were drifting toward an impotent substitute. They had not lost their salvation, but they had lost its joy in their return to the bondage of a self-imposed legalism. Paul, drawing on Abraham and assorted Old Testament passages, reminds the Galatians that
salvation has never come any other way than by grace through faith, wholly apart from human merit or work.
In the next portion, Paul does not so much preach to the Galatians as pour out his heart. Continuing to contrast grace and law, faith and works, he compares the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was the way of legalism, symbolizing those Jews who were only naturally birthed and trusted in their own works. Isaac was the way of grace, symbolizing anyone who had undergone spiritual birth by trusting in Jesus’ work. Paul points his readers to the freedom all believers enjoy, the sonship they have through spiritual adoption, and the inheritance that is theirs because of God’s sovereign grace.
The final section of Galatians is a portrait of the Spirit-filled life.
- Genuine faith is more than belief in divine truth; it is also the bearing of divine fruit under the direction and by the power of the Spirit.
So Paul tells the Galatian believers,
Walk in the Spirit... [be] led by the Spirit. — Galatians 5:16, 18
It is the Holy Spirit who makes the life of faith work.
Paul closes by comparing those who glory in the flesh with those who glory in the cross. His conclusion — a parting salvo against the Judaizers — condemns their religious pride and hypocrisy. Paul then celebrates the cross of Christ as the source of every believer’s righteousness and acceptance before God.
REFLECTIONS
We must identify false teachers. Three principles can be distilled from Paul’s contrast of himself with the false apostles. First, we must not be taken in by smooth, clever, seemingly spiritual oratory. Such speech may mask lies and deception. Second, we must go beyond teachers’ words and examine their lives. Those consumed with accumulating wealth and power are not true servants of Christ. Finally, we must not make tolerance a virtue. Tolerance is the supreme virtue only to those who lack strong convictions. To discern true from false spiritual leaders is vital to the health of the church. To fail to exercise discernment is to open wide the door to the sheepfold and allow Satan to ravage God’s flock.
Remember the true foundation. The “pillars” of the gospel are the grace of God and the death of Christ. Those are the pillars that, by its very nature, legalism destroys. Those who insist they can somehow earn salvation by their own efforts undermine the very foundation of Christianity and nullify the precious death of Christ on their behalf.
Motives matter to God. The validity of good works in God’s sight depends on whose power they are done in and for whose glory. When good works are done in the power of the Spirit and for His glory, they are accepted by our heavenly Father. But when they are done in the power of the flesh and for the sake of personal recognition or merit, they are
rejected by Him. Legalism is separated from true obedience by a person’s attitude and the condition of his or her heart. One is a rotten smell in God’s nostrils, whereas the other is a sweet savor.
You are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. — Galatians 4:7
STUDY QUESTIONS
- What surprises you about Paul’s description of the Macedonians’ generosity in 2 Corinthians 8:1–7? What phrases does he use? What was their situation?
- How does Paul describe his own demeanor, attitude, and tone where the Corinthians are concerned (see 2 Corinthians 10:1–16)?
- According to Paul, what is more important than feeling good about oneself or commending oneself (see 2 Corinthians 10:12–18)?
- Paul emphasized that he did not take money from the Corinthian believers (see 2 Corinthians 11:7–12). Why would he choose to make this point?
- Despite his obvious misgivings, Paul elected to tell the Corinthians about his vision of paradise (see 2 Corinthians 12:1–10). How did he describe his experience?
- What does Paul reveal as the driving force behind his actions in the past (see Galatians 1:10–24)? How does that compare with his current motivation?
- Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:19–26). Is he arguing that those who commit are not really Christians? Why or why not?
- How does Paul contrast the law and faith in Galatians 3:10–18? What does Paul say is the destiny of the person who fails to completely keep to the law?
Excerpted with permission from 52 Weeks Through the Bible by John MacArthur, copyright John MacArthur.
* * *
Your Turn
It is the Holy Spirit who makes the life of faith work! We don’t gain salvation by our works, but we are to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. That’s the joy of the believer! ~ Devotionals Daily