The Call to Complete the Collection
8:1 to 9:15

Having spoken of his great joy and relief at the news Titus brought of the Corinthians’ response to his severe letter, Paul proceeded to take up with them the matter of the collection which was being made among the Gentile churches to assist the poor Jewish believers of Jerusalem. Those Jewish believers had been hit hard by the outbreaks of famine during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-45 AD) and the largely Gentile church in Syrian Antioch had responded quickly by sending relief by the hand of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:27-30). In Galatians 2:10 Paul told how the leaders of the Messianic community in Jerusalem, having recognized that he was the apostle to the Gentiles, urged him to continue remembering their poor, which Paul said he was eager to do. By the time First Corinthians was written (55 AD), the apostle had already begun seeking aid from the churches in Galatia, and the Corinthians had heard about it and asked to be allowed to share in his ministry (see the commentary on First Corinthians, to see link click Dz – Giving to God’s Work). By the time Second Corinthians was written (56 AD), Paul had contacted the Macedonian churches and they begged and pleaded with Paul for the privilege of sharing in this service for God’s people (8:4). Now he was using the example of their generosity to stimulate the Corinthians to complete the collection which they had previously shown themselves ready to do.¹⁸¹ Paul based his appeal on a fairly straightforward line of reasoning: The Gentiles, who have been blessed spiritually by the Jews, should help them and bless them financially.

The Effects of the Severe Letter
7: 5-16

The effects of the severe letter DIG: Paul picks up the account of his travels which he left off in 2:12-13. How does his account in 7:5-7 illustrate why he began this letter with thanks to God for his comfort (1:3-7)? What was the result of Paul’s previous letter to them? What intentions does Paul clarify here? What tone of voice do you hear in verse 16? In light of the previous severe letter, why did Paul emphasize his present joy and confidence?

REFLECT: Have you ever been confronted about a wrong by someone who loves you? How did you feel toward that person at the time? How are godly sorrow and worldly sorrow different? What determines which type of sorrow a person has? When is it more loving to confront someone with their sin than to ignore it? What attitudes are needed to keep loving confrontation from becoming judgmental? How do you see those attitudes in Paul?

Confrontation of sin leads to pain and sorrow, which leads to repentance, which leads to salvation.

There are few things in life more painful than broken relationships. This is especially true in ministry. Difficult relationship between the sheep and the shepherds. As he wrote Second Corinthians, Paul nursed a broken heart over the church he founded, loved, and served. The church in which he had invested nearly two years of his life had repaid him with disloyalty. They had allowed false apostles (to see link click Af – The Problem of the False apostles) to come into their assembly and attack Paul’s character and ministry. One of them had apparently verbally assaulted Paul (2:5-10) during the apostle’s painful visit to Corinth (see Ao – Paul’s Painful Visit). That the majority of the church had not defended him from those attacked wounded him greatly. The visit was so discouraging that he didn’t want to return to Corinth and expose himself to more pain (2:1). As a result of the visit, he had written a sternly worded letter, rebuking the Corinthians for their disloyalty and lack of love toward him. Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Titus, who was to bring the Corinthians response back to him. At that point the narrative broke off, and Paul entered into a prolonged digression about his ministry (see Ar – Paul Reflects on His Ministry). Here, in 7:5, the apostle returned to the effects of that severe letter.

When Paul came into Macedonia from Troas in search of Titus, his body had no rest. Nothing had changed, he had no relief from his concern over the situation in Corinth. On the contrary, he had new concerns. What if the severe letter had made things worse? Was the breach with the Corinthians now irreparable? How would they treat Titus? Instead of hope, Paul found himself faced with all kinds of troubles – altercations without, apprehensions within. But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us with the arrival of Titus, which brought joy to Paul’s heart (7:5-6)! The report was good. There were still some unresolved problems (which Paul addressed in Chapters 10-13), but the majority of Corinthian believers had repented and reaffirmed their loyalty to the apostle and the truth he taught, which brought him immense relief.

This very personal section offers profound insights into restoring broken relationships. It lists seven signs of a genuine desire for real restoration. And though the context is the relationship between a pastor and his congregation, these principles are vital for restoring any broken relationship.¹⁷⁷

1. Loyalty (7:7): As noted above, Titus’ return encouraged Paul. However, the apostle was not only comforted by his arrival, but also how encouraged he was by the Corinthians. Titus shared Paul’s concern over the Corinthians’ rebellion and no doubt viewed his mission to Corinth with some anxiety, not knowing what to expect. But the Corinthians brought him comfort and joy by their repentant attitude. They had responded properly to the severe letter. Specifically, Titus told Paul how the Corinthians longed to see him, how distressed they were over his situation, and how zealous they were for his defense. Taken all together, this points to their loyalty to Paul. Their attitude was not one of grudging acceptance of Paul’s apostolic authority. They longed to see him. Realizing that their sin had caused him pain, they were distressed over the breach in their relationship. They also expressed zeal, both to restore their relationship with Paul and to defend him against any further attacks. Their loyalty encouraged Paul so much that the news made him even happier than Titus’ return!

2. Repentance (7:8-10): The Corinthians not only responded correctly to Paul but also to God. They reaffirmed their loyalty to the apostle and acknowledged their disloyalty to him as a sin against God. That recognition is essential to restoring broken relationships. Paul knew that he had caused the Corinthians pain by the severe letter that he had sent them. And, as his parenthetical statement: I do not regret it. Even if I did regret it before reveals, he did experience temporary remorse over writing that letter. While he anxiously waited for Titus to return with the Corinthians’ response, the apostle worried that the letter might have made things worse. That letter did in fact cause them distress, though only for a short time (7:8).

Sometimes confronting sin requires going beyond what love and compassion might be comfortable with. But it is necessary to do so, because sin is a deadly killer. Paul was not an abusive, harsh disciplinarian, but a reluctant one, and he took no joy in causing temporary pain to the Corinthians. He was like a father with mixed feelings about disciplining a beloved child. But what motivated him to write the severe letter was his love for them, the truth, and his fear of the consequences of their sin. Despite his temporary regret, Paul knew that discipling the Corinthians’ sin had to be done.

There are times in the ministry when strong confrontational words are necessary. Sin crouches at the door; false apostles are everywhere, Satan constantly seeks to destroy the work of God. The faithful shepherd must not shrink from calling his sheep to obedience to Scripture. Therefore, Paul could rejoice, not that the Corinthians were pained, but because the pain led them to turn back to God. His regret vanished when he saw the fruit of their pain. For you handled the pain in God’s way, so that you were not harmed by us at all. Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that (7:9-10a)! The progression is obvious: confrontation of sin leads to pain and sorrow, which lead to repentance, which leads to salvation.¹⁷⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being such a wise Father! Thank you for Your perfect love and holiness. You are never cruel in correcting, but You always discipline lovingly. You seek to bring me to joy, when I walk in obedience and fellowship with You. “My child, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every child He accepts.” (Hebrews 12:5-6). You have the perfect balance of punishment for sin in Your correction and loving forgiveness upon repentance. May You guide me to follow Your example of not avoiding discipline when it is needed, but in doing it with love and kindness. In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death (7:10b). There are two ways of handling pain. Ungodly, worldly sorrow, merely being sad or experiencing pain, has no virtue in it. It is concerned with self, not ADONAI or others who have been harmed; and it leads to self-hatred, self-pity, depression, despair and death. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, leads to repentance (Hebrew: t’shuvah), turning from sin to God, making restitution for wrongs, and resolving to act righteously. Ha’Shem is not interested in one’s merely feeling sorry for having sinned, but in one’s resolute, turning from sin and not doing it again when tempted with a similar situation in the future.¹⁷⁹

3. Purity (7:11): To Paul’s greal relief, the Corinthians proved themselves blameless (Greek: hagnos, meaning innocent or free from sin) in the matter. They demonstrated the genuineness of their repentance by their purity. This verse lists seven characteristics of purity that true repentance produces, and it provides the clearest definition of repentance found anywhere in the Bible. Paul introduced those characteristics with the emphatic phrase for just look, which indicated his overwhelming joy. The apostle was excited by Titus’ report of the improved situation at Corinth. The repeated use of the comparative word what in the Greek before each characteristic underscored the intense emotion felt by Paul.

First, what handling the pain God’s way produced in you! What earnest diligence. Their godly sorrow produced an eagerness for righteousness on their part. It ended the indifference toward Paul and their complacency about their sin. They were eager to make things right, and to restore their broken relationship with the apostle.

Second, what eagerness to clear your name (Greek: apologia, meaning vindication or a speech in defense of). It describes Paul’s vindicating himself before the mob at Jerusalem (Acts 22:1 and 25:16), his defense of his rights as an apostle (First Corinthians 9:3), his defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7 and 16), and his defense before the Roman authorities (Second Timothy 4:16). The Corinthians had a strong desire to clear their name, remove the stigma of their sin, rid themselves of their guilt, and prove themselves trustworthy. Therefore, they made sure that all who had known of their sin then knew about their repentance.

Third, what indignation. The Corinthians were outraged over their sin; they were angry that they had brought shame on themselves, offended Paul, and sinned against God. Now they hated the sin that they had previously cherished (Romans 6:21).

Fourth, what fear. The Corinthians’ fear proved the genuineness of their repentance. They had humble fear and awe of ADONAI as the One who disciplines (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Their brash, bold sinning had turned into a respectful concern that they no longer disobey and dishonor Him.

Fifth, what longing. The Corinthians’ repentance resulted in a longing or yearning to see their relationship with Paul and the Lord restored.

Sixth, what zeal. The Corinthians experienced a renewed zeal for holiness. Zeal is a combination of love and hate. It produces a strong love that hates anything that would harm the object of love. Yeshua Messiah expressed both aspects of zeal when He cleansed the Temple (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Iv – Jesus Entered the Temple Area and Drove Out All Who Were Buying and Selling). It was His passionate love for His Father’s House that caused Him to hate the terrible sin that defiled it.

Seventh, what readiness to make things right! This was the evidence of their repentance. Truly repentant people have a strong desire to see justice done and to make restitution for the wrongs they have committed (2:6-7). Instead of making excuses, the Corinthians accepted the full responsibility of their sins. Therefore, repentance had brought purity to the sinning believers in the Corinthian church, and every aspect of their lives reflected it.

4. Devotion (7:12): Because of the Corinthians’ immaturity and sinfulness, they were worldly and living by merely human standards (First Corinthians 3:3). As a result, they had lost touch with how they truly felt about Paul. So one of the apostles’ goals was to strip away their sinful, wordly attitudes and reveal to the Corinthians their real attitude toward him. Paul led up to his point by first eliminating other potential reasons for writing. This roundabout approach served to heighten the dramatic effect of his words. When he wrote the severe letter, it was not for the sake of either the one who did the wrong. He did not write primarily to condemn the man who had caused him so much grief during his painful visit. Nor was his main concern for himself as the one wronged. In other words, he was not seeking personal revenge. The most important reason Paul wrote the severe letter was so that before God you could see for yourselves how deep is your devotion to us. His letter peeled back the layers of deceit that had encrusted their hearts and let them see Paul as the trusted servant of God they had always known him to be.

5. Unity (7:13): The Corinthians repentance, purity, and renewed loyalty to Paul were reason enough for him to be encouraged. But besides his own encouragement, Paul received even greater joy of seeing how happy Titus was over the Corinthians’ repentance and obedience. Because of their repentance, his mind had been set at rest Greek: anapauo, meaning temporary relief as opposed to a permanent peace). Though he was overjoyed at the good news from Corinth, he was wise enough to realize that pockets of dissent still existed. Their many factions (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ak – Splits and Division in the Church at Corinth) had resulted in the most chaotic church in the B’rit Chadashah. But now they had come together, seeking to restore their relationship to Paul and his teaching.

6. Obedience (7:14-15): As a result of their repentance, many of the Corinthians who had rebelled against Paul now submitted to him (Hebrews 13:7). He had been confident that they were genuine believers and would repent when confronted with their sin. Therefore, he had boasted somewhat to Titus before sending him to Corinth that the Corinthians would respond obediently. Paul, in a sense, staked his reputation on the outcome, and now, after hearing the positive report from Titus, was relieved that he had not been made to look foolish. On the contrary, just as everything Paul had said to them was true (2:17, 4:2, 6:7), so too our boasting in front of Titus has proved true (7:14). His truthfulness and discernment were vindicated by the Corithians’ obedient response. It meant that his integrity, and thus his usefulness to them as a servant of God remained intact.

The Corinthians’ received Paul’s representative, Titus, with reverence and respect (First Corinthians 2:3; Ephesians 6:5; Philippians 2:12). This had calmed Titus’ fears and caused his affection for them to be all the greater as he remembers how ready you were to obey (7:15). Their willing obedience to the Word of God proved the genuineness of the Corinthians’ repentance. When people are truly repentant, they submit to the commands of Scripture without hesitation. To have a congregation of such obedient people brought joy to the hearts of Titus and Paul.

7. Trust (7:16): I am glad that I can have such complete confidence (Greek: tharreo, means to be courageous or to dare) in you. Paul’s reaffirmation of his trust in the Corinthians brought closure to the issue. Paul had the courage to entrust himself to the Corinthians once again and dare to believe that they would not fail him. This is a fitting climax to the second section of the book, Chapters 1-7 (see Ak – Paul Defends His Ministry). The Corinthians’ repentance encouraged Paul to share with them a project that was dear to his heart, the collection for the needy Jewish believers in Jerusalem (see Bm – The Call to Complete the Collection). It also gave him the boldness to confront the last remaining pocket of resistance to his apostolic authority (see Br – Paul Defends His Apostolic Authority).¹⁸⁰

Titus Brings Good News from Corinth
7:5 to 9:15

The location of this section in the structure of the letter should be noted. These verses pick up the personal defense of his ministry broken off at Troas (2:12-13) to develop Paul’s lengthy digression of his B’rit Chadashah ministry (to see link click Ar – Paul Reflects on His Ministry). It is likely that Paul delayed the expression of confidence in his “severe letter” (see Bl – The Effects of the Severe Letter) until he had completed the defense of his ministry in the extended digression. This section resumes that personal defense from Macedonia (see Aq – Paul’s Anxiety in Troas). It is not merely a review, but serves to lead the reader through the remainder of the letter. In Chapters 9 through 13, Paul repeatedly speaks of his intention to come to Corinth (9:4, 10:2 and 6, 12:14 and 20-21, 13:1-2 and 10, 11:9). The joyous confidence expressed in the positive response to Paul and to Titus as a result of the “severe letter” laid the pastoral foundation from which to address matters that the Corinthians needed to rectify.¹⁷⁵

The first of which was the collection. This was not the first time the Corinthians had heard of the collection for the poor Jews in Jerusalem (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dz – Giving to God’s Work). Paul gave them certain information and directions about the project they had probably requested in their earlier letter. First Corinthians 16:1 points to a topic discussed in the Corinthians’ letter to Paul. Therefore, when the apostle sent Titus to deliver and reinforce the effects of the “severe letter,” Paul probably requested that he attempt to revive the languishing collection if the Corinthian church responded favorably to the letter (8:6a). No significant progress seemed to have been made, although there had been some giving (8:10). Now, with the firm evidence from Titus of the Corinthians’ loyalty to him, Paul could discuss the project again and press for its early completion.¹⁷⁶

Can Believers be Demon-Possessed?

God’s Word is our only reliable source of truth about Satan and demons. 

Princeton theologian and scholar Dr. Charles Hodge rightly warned, “No amount of learning, no superiority of talent, nor even the pretension to inspiration, can justify a departure from the truths taught by men to whose inspiration God has borne witness. All teachers must be brought to this standard; and even if an angel from heaven should teach anything contrary to the Scriptures, he should be regarded as anathema (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Aj – No Other Gospel). It is a matter of constant gratitude that we have such a standard whereby we test the spirits (First John 4:1-6) to see whether they are from God.

What does God’s Word, the benchmark of truth, say? Can demons inhabit a true believer? Can demons walk through an open door and become a squatter? Proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement say yes, but they base their answer on subjective experience, not on God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that such a claim has no justifiable basis.

There is no clear example in the Bible where a demon ever inhabited or invaded a genuine believer. Never in the books of the B’rit Chadashah are believers warned about the possibility of being inhabited by demons. Neither do we see anyone rebuking, binding, or casting demons out of a true believer. The epistles never instruct believers to cast out demons, whether from a believer or unbeliever. Messiah and the apostles were the only ones who cast out demons, and in every instance the demon-possessed people were unbelievers.

The collective teaching of Scripture is that demons can never literally indwell a true believer. A clear implication of Second Corinthians 6 (see Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers), for example, is that the indwelling Ruach Ha’Kodesh could never cohabit with demons, “What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (6:15–16). Yeshua said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12) and His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5). In other words, the light drives out the darkness. At the moment you are saved, the Lord (along with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh and God the Father) takes up residence in you. You are the temple of the living God (First Corinthians 6:19). And since that light lives in you, and drives out the darkness, no believer can be “demon possessed.”

In Colossians 1:13, Paul says God “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”  Salvation brings true deliverance and protection from Satan. In Romans 8:37, Paul says we overwhelmingly conquer through Messiah. In First Corinthians 15:57, he says God gives us victory. In Second Corinthians 2:14 he says God always leads us in triumph. In First John 2:13, John says we have overcome the Evil One. And, in First John 4:4, he says the indwelling Ruach Ha’Kodesh is greater than the Devil, Ruler of this world. How could anyone affirm those glorious truths, yet believe demons can indwell genuine believers?

Demon possession and true conversion: Many of the leading voices in today’s spiritual warfare movement are too quick to hail every profession of faith in Messiah as proof of salvation. That reflects the easy-believism that has swept this generation.

A thorough biblical understanding of the doctrine of conversion makes it clear that demons could never indwell or possess a believer. Jonathan Edwards (1703 to 1758), one of the chief fathers of the Great Awakening, wrote about genuine conversion, “Scripture describes conversion in terms which imply or signify a change of nature: being born again, becoming new creatures, rising from the dead, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, dying to sin and living to righteousness, putting off the old man and putting on the new, becoming partakers of the divine nature, and so on.”

“It follows that if there is no real and lasting change in people who think they are converted, their religion is worthless, whatever their experiences may be. Conversion is the turning of the whole man from sin to God. God can restrain unconverted people from sin, of course, but in conversion he turns the very heart and nature from sin to holiness. The converted person becomes the enemy of sin.”

“What, then, shall we make of a person who says he has experienced conversion, but whose religious emotions soon die away, leaving him much the same person as he was before? He seems as selfish, worldly, foolish, perverse and unbelieving as ever. This speaks against him louder than any religious experiences can speak for him.”

Speaking of those who had made a profession of faith only to end up back in the world, John writes: They went out from us, but they didn’t really belong with us (believers). For if they had belonged with us, they would have remained with us; but their going back into the world showed that none of them belonged with us (First John 2:19 NIV).

In Yeshua Messiah, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither a dramatic experience nor a quiet one, neither a wonderful testimony nor a dull one, counts for anything. The only thing that counts is being a new creation (see Bb – A New Creation).

In Matthew 12, Messiah rebuked those who were following Him just for the sake of witnessing great signs and wonders: When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came”; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation (Matthew 12:43–45).

Instead of responding with spectacular signs and wonders, Messiah addressed their need for salvation. Many people appear to have their lives in order. But in reality, they have not trusted Messiah as Savior and Lord. Their souls are “unoccupied” — that is, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh does not indwell them. Thus, they are open to demonic invasion. That cannot be true of those whose bodies are temples of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Second Corinthians 6:16).

According to First Peter 1:5 when Messiah reigns in a person’s life, that person is shielded by God’s power. As a result, the Evil One does not touch him (First John 5:18). When the Ruach Ha’Kodesh inhabits a person, no demon can set up a house as a squatter. Indwelling by demons is only evidence of a lack of genuine salvation.¹⁷⁴

Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers
6:14 to 7:1

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers DIG: What arguments did Paul present to convince the Corinthians not to have close partnerships with unbelievers? How are believers to rightfully relate to the unbelieving world? What do dating and marriage have to do with this principle? How can we “strive to be completely holy, out of reverence for God?”

REFLECT: Of the different relationships Paul has in view here, which one(s) apply to you? What does it mean that you are the temple of the living God? What unclean things might affect your body? Your spirit? Is there something contaminating you right now from which you should separate? How can you communicate to others the seriousness of this principle?

Believers and unbelievers live in two opposing worlds.

The principle: Do not be unequally yoked (Greek: heterozugeo) together with unbelievers (6:14a NIV). Actually, the command is even more pointed: Stop yoking yourselfs to unbelievers. Paul was not merely warning the Corinthians about a potential danger, but instructing them to stop an action already in progress. The command appears to come out of the blue. Has Paul not been lobbying strenuously for the Corinthians’ affection? Had he not just asked them, as his children, to open wide their hearts to him (to see link click Bh – The Characteristics of Love)? Moreover, he resumes his lobbying efforts in 7:2: “Make room for us in your hearts,’ he repeats. Then what are we to make of 6:14 to 7:1?¹⁶⁰ It seems that Paul is talking about being yoked together in a permanent arrangement like marriage, a business partnership, and the like. Paul is content to state a general principle that needs specific application under the guidance of the Ruach.

Believers and unbelievers live in two opposing worlds. In Messiah’s Kingdom, believers are characterized by righteousness, light, and eternal life. In Satan’s kingdom, unbelievers are characterized by lawlessness, darkness, and spiritual death. The saved and the unsaved have different affections, beliefs, principles, motives, goals, attitudes, and hopes. In short, they view life from totally opposing perspectives.

Consequently, relationships between believers and unbelievers are at best temporary and external. We must keep a light touch on this world. We may enjoy family ties, work at the same job, share in business relationships, live in the same community, experience the same hobbies and pastimes, and even agree on certain political and social issues. But on a spiritual level, believers and unbelievers are in two completely different worlds. Dating and marriage between a believer and unbeliever would certainly be a legitimate application of this principle.

It should be obvious that believers cannot live in both worlds. The apostle John clearly indicated that when he wrote: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of the natural man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world (1 Jn 2:15-16). James expressed that same reality in the forceful words: You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). And Paul urged believers not be conformed to the standards of this world (Rom 12:2).

Dear Heavenly Father, Your awesome love is wonderful! Your love is not a privilege to bask in, but a joyful opportunity to show You how much You are loved. How important it is to realize that Your gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17) cannot be taken for granted. Your offer of love requires a loving response back to You, as You demonstrate by Your words: I never knew you, depart from Me (Matthew 7:23). You speak those words to those who look good outwardly, but their heart does not follow the greatest commandment – love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Matthew 22:37-38).

Receiving the righteousness of God (5:21) is so very wonderful! It is a relationship gift; receiving the Ruach as a life partner who lovingly guides and teaches us. Receiving this gift requires a break from old relationships and habits that are displeasing to the new Lord of one’s life. Though it is a great joy to have the Lord constantly by one’s side (Hebrews 13:5), effort is needed to rearrange one’s life to accommodate the new loving Partner.

The Corinthians had struggled greatly to make a clean break from the idolatrous and immoral lifestyle of their past. Despite having professed faith in Messiah and becoming part of the church, some in the congregation were still clinging to elements of their pagan religion. And though, like the Thessalonians, they had turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God (First Thessalonians 1:9), they still failed to make a clean break from their previous lifestyle. The lure of their former paganism, which permeated every aspect of their lives in Corinth, had proven too hard to shake, as First Corinthians makes clear.

Making matters even worse, the false apostles who claimed apostolic authority (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles), brought with them a quasi-believing syncretism of gospel truth (see the commentary on Romans As – Paul’s Gospel), Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism. They were eager to stay connected to the Corinthians’ former behavior, to make themselves more popular, thereby, more prosperous.

So, Paul gave this mandate to separate.

However, as he did earlier in his discussion about eating a meal at an idol temple, Paul assumed that believers would socialize with their pagan friends and families. Clearly this is not a ban against all association with unbelievers. He encouraged the believing spouse to stay with the unbelieving spouse as long as possible (First Corinthians 7:12-13). He assumed believers would shop in the market (First Corinthians 10:25), and encouraged them to eat at a pagan’s home if they were invited and wanted to go (10:27). But he did want the Corinthians to be able to distinguish themselves from the pagan society around them and live accordingly.

Paul drew his analogy from Deuteronomy 22:10, where the Torah commanded the Israelites, “You are not to plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together” (22:10). One is stronger than the other, and one will work harder and tire very fast. The ox was clean, and the donkey unclean. It would be impossible for such a mismatched pair to plow together effectively. Paul uses this passage in a figurative way: the believer has been cleansed, while the unbeliever refused to be cleansed. What business did they have under the same yoke? You guessed it. None! It will always be the unbeliever’s yoke, namely the yoke of unbelief. Contrary to that, Yeshua said: My yoke of faith is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The unbeliever would laugh at the suggestion of his taking on faith’s yoke; yet, strange to say, instead of equally refusing the unbeliever’s yoke, many a believer accepts it upon his neck and even imagines that he can still retain his yoke of faith.

Foolishness.

Paul uses few words to paint this picture; but they speak volumes. They strike at the heart of the whole danger that threatens believers. They drive home a timeless principle. What a picture: a believer with his neck under the unbeliever’s yoke! Why pull the plow of the unbeliever’s lack of faith? That yoke breaks the necks of those who bear it. Yeshua Messiah delivered us from it. How could we possibly think of going back to that dreadful yoke?¹⁶²

The principle of, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (6:14a NIV) is then backed up by five rhetorical questions which underline its importance, each of which assumes a negative answer: “None whatsoever!” They serve to stress the radical incompatibility of intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers (First Corinthians 10:21).

Question one: For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common (6:14b NIV)? In this first question the inner quality of believers and unbelievers is placed side by side. It is righteousness that determines its opposite, lawlessness, and not the reverse. Paul’s progression is orderly: first faith and unbelief, and now righteousness and its opposite. The righteousness of the believer is that which he has by faith, the imputed righteousness of Messiah (see Bf – Fifteen Words of Hope). Due to Ha’Shem’s verdict of acquittal, this inner quality belongs to the believer. But the unbeliever has no such acquittal, his inner quality is entirely lawless. God hates all who do evil (Psalm 5:5). All the unbeliever’s righteousness are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, it is impossible that they have anything in common.

Question two: What fellowship can light have with darkness (6:14c NIV)? From the attributes of righteousness and lawlessness we are taken back to the powers which produce them. Just as lawlessness is the absence of righteousness, darkness is the absence of light. Like their attributes, they exclude each other by their very nature; where one is, it drives out the other. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all (First John 1:5). This light has entered the believer and makes him a child of light (Matthew 5:14; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8), and so the believer walks in the light (John 12:35-36; First John 1:7). Its opposite is darkness which is the fruit of the Adversary, his demons and the world. In the beginning YHVH separated light from darkness (Genesis 1:4), and this separation can also be seen in the spiritual sense. For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light (Ephesians 5:8). Out of this spiritual darkness, God has called believers into His wonderful light (First Peter 2:9). Light brings life, darkness is death.

Question three: What harmony can there be between the Messiah and Belial (6:15a)? This question advances to the contrasting personal rulers that are behind the qualities and powers. The question is: do these ever agree? No! Messiah has transferred all of His righteousness to our spiritual bank account at the moment of faith (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well (First Corinthians 1:30b). As the Messiah, He is our Prophet, High Priest, and King (see the commentary on Hebrews Ai – The Superiority of Messiah to the Prophets). The term Belial is actually a Hebrew word that has been transliterated into Greek and means worthless. In the TaNaKh this term is like son or daughter. In later Jewish writings, the term was used as a proper name for Satan (see the book of Jubilees i.20). Paul used this term in this way.¹⁶³ Messiah came to destroy the works of the Devil; that is His agreement with him.

Question four: What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever (6:15b)? This advances us to the personal subjects involved. The believer is the one who is justified by faith (Romans 3:28), at peace with God (Romans 5:1), and assured of eternal salvation (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The light of the Sh’khinah glory of God in the face of Messiah has shined in his heart (4:6); he no longer lives as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking (Ephesians 4:17), but keeps pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s high calling in Yeshua Messiah (Philippians 3:14). The unbeliever has the very opposite of this. He has already been judged (John 3:18) and will not see life but remains subject to God’s wrath (John 3:26). He is not included among Messiah’s sheep (John 10:26b), he will not enter God’s rest (Hebrews 3:18-19); indeed, he will be condemned (Mark 16:16) and hurled into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). As subjects of their respective lords, what do they have in common? Nothing! These two differ at every point. What one has, the other has not.¹⁶⁴

Question five: We reach the climax in this final question. What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols (6:16a)? All false religion is, in the final analysis, deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (First Timothy 4:1; Deuteronomy 32:17; Revelation 9:20), and hostile to ADONAI and His Word. There can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols. The TaNaKh graphically depicts the disastrous consequence of attempting to mingle idolatry with the worship of the One true God.

First Kings 12:25-33 illustrates the folly of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. He thought to himself, “If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the Temple of ADONAI in Jerusalem, they will give their allegiance to their LORD. After the place of worship from Jerusalem to Dan and Bethel; changed the priests of worship from the Levites to all sorts of people; changed the date of worship of Sukkot from the seventh to the eighth month. This eventually resulted in the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC.

Second Kings 21:1-9 describes the reign of Manasseh, the most wicked of all the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. He did evil in the sight of ADONAI by bringing idolatry back into Judah. Specifically, he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he erected altars for Ba’al and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of the northern kingdom of Isra’el had done. He worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served them by building altars in the house of ADONAI. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he put an idol in the Temple itself. That horrible insult to YHVH provoked His devastating judgment on the nation (Second Kings 21:10-15).

First Samuel 4 and 5 record another incident that illustrates the incompatibility of the true God and idols. Isra’el was at war with the Philistines had lost four thousand men in one skirmish. Dismayed at ADONAI’s failure to help them in battle (which was due to their sin and apostasy), the Israelites brought the ark from Shiloh. Thinking themselves invincible, they fought the Philistines again and lost 30,000 men and the ark. The triumphant Philistines brought the ark to the temple of their god Dagon. The next morning, much to their surprise, they discovered that the idol of Dagon had prostrated itself before the ark. They put the idol back in its place, only to have the same thing happen the next day – but this time Dagon’s head and hands were cut off. The message was clear, the true God has no rivals.

Ezekiel 8 further demonstrates that reality. ADONAI took Ezeki’el (who was exiled in Babylon) by means of a vision to Jerusalem to witness idolatry in the Temple. Shockingly, the apostate Israelites had carved idolatrous graffiti on the walls of the Temple. Not only that, but women were worshiping the god of fertility Tammuz, and about twenty-five men were worshiping the sun with their backs to the Most Holy Place. God’s reaction was to promise judgment: Therefore, I will deal with them in My anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they cry in My ears, I will not listen to them (Eze 8:18). Rather than share His own Temple with pagan idols, ADONAI chose to abandon it (Eze 10:18). The result was the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). Paul’s fifth rhetorical question provided a transition to his citing several verses from the TaNaKh.

The reason: Paul repeatedly symbolizes both the individual believer (First Cor 6:19) and the Congregation of believers (First Cor 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:22) as the temple of God with the Ruach dwelling within (6:16b). Peter also uses the “living temple” analogy (First Peter 2:5). As we begin to understand the Tabernacle and Temple as the dwelling place of YHVH, we can see how apt this metaphor was to describe the believers. Just as the Ruach dwelt in the Tabernacle and Temple, so too His Spirit had come to dwell in believers.

Understanding this, we can better appreciate the significance of the First Century Shavu’ot. On the anniversary of the day on which ADONAI had entered into a covenant with Isra’el at Sinai, the believers gathered together in the Temple, the Dwelling Place of God. There, in the Temple courts, the Spirit of God descended just as at Sinai and came upon individuals. The believers became dwelling places, little tabernacles inside of the Temple itself. This is a good picture of the People of God. We are temples within the Temple, members of His Body.¹⁶⁵

Having reminded the Corinthians that they were temples of the living God, Paul introduces an extended quotation from Scripture to substantiate what he has said. Although the quotation consists of several texts from the TaNaKh, Paul introduces it as if it were a single quotation, without identifying the specific verses in which it was found.¹⁶⁶ These passages bear every sign of having been chosen to address specific dangers of idolatry that lie at the heart of Paul’s distress with the Corinthians and the cause of much of their conflict.¹⁶⁷ As God said: I will house Myself in them, . . . and I will walk among you. I will be their God, and they will be My people (Second Corinthians 6:16c; Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 6:7; Jeremiah 31:33, 32:38; Ezeki’el 37:27). As the temple of God, the people of His B’rit Chadashah, His precious possession, and His dwelling place, believers cannot join forces with false religion. To be so unequally yoked for the purpose of serving God has always been unacceptable and blasphemous.¹⁶⁸

The result: On the foundation thus laid, Paul makes his appeal. But in a most striking manner he clothes it in words from the TaNaKh as though God Himself is addressing His readers.¹⁶⁹ Therefore, ADONAI says: Go out from their midst; separate yourselves. Just as it was inconceivable that idols would be brought into the Temple of God (see Question five above), so it is impossible for the temples of God, members of the holy congregation (First Corinthians 1:2) to go to, or share in the cultic worship of idols in Corinth (First Corinthians 10:14-22 and 8:10-13), idolatry (First Corinthians 5:10-11, 6:9, 12:2; Galatians 4:8, 5:20; Colossians 3:5; First Thessalonians 1:9), or the fornication – either casual or cultic – with which it was often associated (First Corinthians 10:7-8, 6:15 and 18), were utterly abhorrent to both God and Paul; believers were to have no direct association with them.¹⁷⁰

The thought of this verse points back to Isaiah 52:11, where God commanded His people, “Don’t even touch (Greek: hapto, referring to a harmful touch) what is unclean” (6:17a). Believers, like the time of Isra’el’s national salvation (see the commentary on Isaiah Ix – ADONAI Will Lay Bare His Holy Arm), must make a clean break with all false religion to avoid its contaminating influence (Second Timothy 2:16-17). The children of light must not have anything to do with the deeds produced by darkness. They must be concerned with pleasing the Lord, not sinful mankind (Ephesians 5:5-11). The Church’s goal is not to make unbelievers feel comfortable and non threatened. On the contrary, it is to make them feel uncomfortable with their sins and threatened by God’s judgment and the terrors of hell that they face.¹⁷¹ Yeshua Himself said: Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in Gei-Hinnom (Matthew 10:28).

Then I Myself will receive you, which is based on God’s Word given to the people in exile through another prophet in exile, Ezeki’el (Ezeki’el 20:34 and 41). Through Ezeki’el, ADONAI promised to welcome home and receive His people from the Gentile nations in which they were dispersed. Through the words of the apostle Paul – who is citing Ezeki’el – ADONAI is calling His people out of the cultic uncleanness of the Gentiles. He promises to receive them as they come out.¹⁷² Not only that, God declares: I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says ADONAI-Tzva’ot” (Second Corinthians 6:17b-18; Second Samuel 7:14, Isaiah 43:6). As believers, we are adopted into the family of God (Galatians 4:1-7 and 6:10; Ephesians 1:5; First Peter 1:23 and 4:17; First John 3:9).

Paul now concludes the appeal he began in 6:14. Therefore, my dear friends, since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves. The promises refer to God’s assurances of His presence (6:16) and fellowship (6:17b-18) to those who obey Him. This obedience requires purification, which here implies separation from everything that can defile either body or spirit, and from every person who pollutes the truth (2:17 and 4:2). Paul encouraged the Corinthians to strive to be completely holy, out of reverence for God.¹⁷³ In the whole letter we find what 7:1 again reveals. Paul joins the Corinthians to himself, “Let us purify ourselves.” He does not pose as a saint who rebukes them because they are unclean. But like all great leaders, he won them over by doing himself what he asks them to do. Leading, as it were, by example. The hearts of the Corinthians must have been stirred when they read those words.

The Characteristics of Love
6:11-13 and 7:2-4

Characteristics of love DIG: Why did Paul mention some of the sacrifices he had made? What is Paul asking the Corinthians (and us) to do? Why did some of the Corinthians question Paul’s love for them?

REFLECT: For whom in your life have you failed to show appreciation? How can you show it now? What do you want to incorporate into the way you live from Paul’s perspective? Which of these ten characteristics of love are you best at? Which one(s) do you need to work on?

These characteristics of genuine love are reflections of God’s love for believers.

The most difficult, painful experience for a faithful shepherd is to be misrepresented, to be falsely accused, and to have one’s integrity unfairly attacked. Such assaults have the potential, by destroying people’s trust and confidence in him, of devastating his ministry. Such slanderous attacks are hard to retrieve and correct because those making the claims are not interested in the truth. Nor are they motivated by virtue, love or righteousness; rather, by hatred, revenge, bitterness, jealousy and self-promotion. Gossip mongers of such lies do not seek the unity and blessing of the congregation, the glory of God, or the good of those they attack irregardless of the false claims of piety they profess.

No one endured a more vicious, relentless, and unjust attack than Paul. The Adversary constantly assaulted him. At Corinth, false apostles (to see link click Af – The Problem of the False Apostles) slandered him by spreading lies about him. They sought power, money, prominence, and the opportunity to supplant the truth with their demon doctrines. To accomplish those goals, they had to destroy Paul’s character and teachings by falsely accusing him of being a lying, self-serving hypocrite. The confidence of many of the Corinthians in Paul was affected.

Profoundly concerned, Paul vigorously defended his integrity, not for his own sake, but for the Corinthians’ sake. He was ADONAI’s personally chosen channel through which divine truth flowed to them. To allow the false apostles’ lies to go unchallenged would allow that flow of divine truth to be stopped. Worse, it would allow it to be replaced with false doctrine. Again, here, he reminded them of the integrity he had shown during his long stay with them (Acts 18:11); thus, defending his love for them.

Heading the list of false accusations against Paul was the charge that he had no real affection for the Corinthians. The apostle, according to the false apostles, was abusive, manipulative, and dictatorial; he was merely using the Corinthians to further his own personal agenda. Therefore, Paul repeatedly affirmed his love for the church (2:4, 7:1, 12:15 and 19), and defined the character of his love for them by his actions toward them. In doing so, he provided a clear-cut description of love in action (First Corinthians 13:4-8). As Paul described the essence of what real love is like, he expressed ten characteristics of love.¹⁵⁷

1. Honesty (6:11): O Corinthians, we have spoken frankly to you, we have opened our hearts wide. Paul had spoken frankly (candidly or honestly) to the Corinthians because love holds back nothing from the one it loves (Acts:20 and 27; Mt 12:34). First, Paul spoke honestly about God’s Word and God’s standards. Earlier in his letter he defended his truthfulness, reminding the Corinthians, “For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (1:13 and 4:2). In 4:13 he noted that he spoke the truth because he believed the truth, while in 13:8 he declared: For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

Secondly, Paul spoke honestly about sin. Some argue that it is unloving to comfort people about their sin, but Scripture affirms that truth and love are inseparably linked (Ephesians 4:15). Paul lovingly and truthfully presented the gospel to the Corinthians, fully expounding the realities of sin and righteousness. He preached Messiah crucified and all that that implied. He also confronted sin and called for their repentance, and in this letter warned them that he would not spare disciplining them (12:18-13:3). He even challenged them to test the genuineness of their faith (13:5). In 2:9 he explained his motive in writing the painful letter (2:4) that he sent them between First and Second Corinthians, “For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things” (7:8-10 NASB).

Finally, Paul spoke honestly about his affections toward the Corinthians. He loved them intensely, as the eloquent expression O Corinthians indicates. Paul’s heart was open wide (Greek: peplatuntai, meaning to make broad) to them (6:11); he had been open, candid and vulnerable (4:2). The expression also means that there was plenty of room in his heart for them; in 7:3 he told them, “You are in our hearts.” That Paul could have them in his heart after all the sorrow they had caused him proved his love was genuine (12:14-15).

2. Affection (6:12): Any restraint you feel has not been imposed by us, but by your own inner selves. Paul had not done anything to cause any estrangement or hinder the relationship between them. On the contrary, they had restrained their affections towards him. A number of them had shut the apostle out of their lives and closed their hearts to him. They had believed the lies about Paul and turned away from him to follow the false apostles. Consequently, they had left their affection for him.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love that is always so very deep and caring for me. How wonderful that Your love opens the doors of heaven to all who choose to love You as Lord and Savior, for there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female, for in union with Messiah Yeshua, you are all one (Galatians 3:28). Even the angels in heaven rejoice when they see how great Your love is to forgive repentant sinners. In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). Thank You, for the demonstration of great love that the father shows to his prodigal son when the son returns home in repentance. And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him (Luke 15:21).

How hard it must be for You dear Father, when people choose to love things more than You. You have such a gracious and generous heart and so want to reward your children. It is so important to spend time worshiping and praising You. It must hurt you when those who call themselves your children spend so little time talking to You and so much time busying themselves with other things. I choose to show You my love by praising You often and using my time, money and thoughts to honor You. In the holy name of Your Son, Yeshua and the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Corinthians’ rejection hurt Paul deeply. Yet, despite that, he never lost his affection for them because true love covers all things (see the commentary on First Corinthians Df – Love Covers All Things) and endures all things (see the commentary on First Corinthians Di – Love Endures All Things). That does not mean, of course, that Paul tolerated their sin and error. He disciplined and corrected them when necessary, but that reflected his true love for them. Love and discipline are inseparable even with ADONAI (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children).

3. Fellowship (6:13 and 7:2a): In like exchange, (I speak to you as children) open wide your hearts too . . . make room for us in your hearts. Few things in life are more painful than unanswered love, because love longs for a response. Paul’s words here express the penetrating sadness he felt over the Corinthians’ failure to return his love. Though they broke his heart, Paul’s love for the Corinthians would not allow him to abandon them. Instead, he pleaded with them, using the phrase in like exchange (Greek autos, literally in an exchange that is exact). Paul begged them to love him as he loved them – sacrificially, consistently, and permanently. He could speak to them as children because they were spiritual children (First Cor 4:14-15). Here is a tender, almost melancholy scene. The noble apostle did not hesitate to plead for the love of the most troubled of his churches. He was not too proud to open up his heart and let them see that he was hurting.

Then he reached out to them again, pleading: Make room for us in your hearts (7:2a). Having reminded them that his heart was wide open to them, Paul begged the Corinthians to make room in their hearts for him. The apostle knew that as long as they clung to their sinful associations with his enemies, their love relationship with him could not be restored. That made it all the more urgent for them to follow his instructions and sever all ties with the false apostles (see Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers).

4. Purity (7:2b): We haven’t wronged anyone, we haven’t corrupted anyone. Paul’s claim is especially appropriate in light of his call to separate from unbelievers. Despite the false charges leveled against him (4:2), Paul had wronged no one. Those who made that charge may have had in mind Paul’s turning the incestuous man over to Satan (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ba – Failure to Discipline an Immoral Brother). But the apostle didn’t mistreat him, but rather properly dealt with his sin. Actually, it was the Corinthians who had wronged Paul; he had neither wronged nor corrupted any of them. Again, it was not Paul, but his opponents who were guilty of ruining the Corinthians’ morals (11:3). Paul’s love for the Corinthians expressed itself both in his own purity and his concern for theirs.

5. Humility (7:2c): We haven’t exploited anyone (Greek: pleonekteo). Love necessarily involves humility, for only humble people can love unselfishly. Proud people who love themselves cannot love others. Pleonekteo refers to defrauding others by selfishly using them for gain. Specifically, it conveys the idea of manipulating people for financial gain as its use in 12:17-18 indicated. Neither Paul nor anyone associated with him took advantage of the Corinthians financially, despite the repeated accusations by the false apostles.

In fact, the opposite was true. Rather than using the Corinthians for personal gain, Paul sacrificially endured suffering and hardship for them, “For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. Thus death is at work in us but life in you” (4:11-12). Paul’s love for the Corinthian believers was so great that he was willing to risk his own life for them (John 15:13). His humble, self-sacrificing love was not selfish (see the commentary on First Corinthians Db – Love is not Selfish). He did not merely look out for his own personal interests, but for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).¹⁵⁸

6. Forgiveness (7:3a): I am not saying this to condemn (Greek: katharsis) you. Paul didn’t want the Corinthians to interpret his strong defense of his integrity as an attack on them. Catharsis refers to passing final judgment. Paul was not passing a final verdict on them; he was not giving up on them. He did not want to sever his relationship with them, but restore it. So he rebuked their sin and rebellion and called for them to repent and reaffirm their loyalty to him, and thus to the Lord. Paul knew the truth that Solomon expressed: Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6). Paul was an example of genuine biblical love, which keeps no records of wrongs (First Cor 13:5d), because love covers a multitude of sins (First Peter 4:8).

7. Loyalty (7:3b): For I have already said that you have a place in our hearts, whether we live together or die together. Paul’s declaration: you have a place in our hearts repeats his thought from 6:11. The phrase whether we live together or die together reflects Paul’s undying loyalty to the Corinthians. The idea is that their friendship would last throughout this life and keep them together even through death because their relationship would transcend death and last forever in the glory of heaven. Paul’s love was loyal to the death, like that of Ruth, who said to Naomi, “Don’t press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die; and there I will be buried. May ADONAI bring terrible curses on me, and worse ones as well, if anything but death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).

8. Trust (7:4a): I am very confident in you. At first glance, this is an astonishing, even shocking statement. The Corinthian church was a mess. More than any other church in the B’rit Chadashah. Certainly, then, Paul’s great trust and confidence in the Corinthians was not based on their track record. In fact, their actions called for cautious scrutiny, not open confidence. But true love covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things (1 Cor 13:7). That does not, of course, reflect the modern myth that positive thought makes good things happen. Paul’s hope was not that a positive attitude would change the Corinthians. True biblical love does not make good things happen, but it believes and hopes for them. Therefore, despite their unfaithfulness, disloyalty and sin. Paul maintained his confidence in the Corinthians – not because of them, but because he knew that ADONAI would complete the saving work He had begun in them (Phil 1:6).

9. Praise (7:4b): Great is my boasting (Greek: kauchesis) on your behalf. That Paul would engage in boasting on behalf of a church filled with immaturity, disloyalty, doubt, and disaffection is amazing. Nevertheless, he praised them. Though kauchesis can have the negative connotation of pride (Romans 3:27; James 4:16), it more often has the positive connotation of praise, as it does here (Second Corinthians 7;14; 8:24, 11:10; Romans 15:17; First Corinthaisn 1:31). Proper boasting is that which is done in the Lord (Second Corinthians 10:17; First Corinthians 1;31), and Paul’s praise was of what the Lord was doing in the Corinthian church. He boasted about the Corinthians to other churches (8:24). Paul was eager to praise the Lord for them in spite of their shortcomings. That’s true love.

10. Joy (7:4c): You have filled me with encouragement; and that in spite of all our troubles, I am overflowing with joy. Even more surprising that Paul’s trust and praise for the Corinthians was that they brought him joy. Despite all the problems they caused him, Paul used the perfect tense of a verb (meaning an action in the past with continuing results) to say that he had been, and still was, filled with encouragement. No amount of troubles could stem the overflowing joy he felt.

These ten characteristics of genuine love are reflections of God’s love for you. He loves you enough to be honest and has a deep affection for you so that He is grieved when sin disrupts our fellowship with Him. His love for you also causes Him to desire your purity (Titus 2:14). Because of that, the Lord Yeshua Messiah humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), so you could be forgiven. His love also ensures God’s eternal loyalty to you (Hebrews 13:5), and causes Him to trust you with the Good News (1 Thessalonians 2:4). And ADONAI loves you, takes pride in you, and takes joy in you (Psalm 149:4; Zeph 3:17). And taking Paul as our model, you are to love others the way God loves you.¹⁵⁹

Living as a Servant
6: 1-10

Living as a servant DIG: How does Paul defend the authenticity of his ministry here? How does this differ from the ways the false apostles asserted their authority (3:1, 4:2, 5:12, 11:23-29)? By appealing to his servanthood rather than his supernatural conversion or to the miracles that he performed, what is Paul saying about the true test of faith? What does it mean to receive God’s grace in vain? How does Paul’s willingness to endure suffering for the sake of Messiah prove that he tried not to put obstacles in anyone’s path? What are some of the ways that Paul and his fellow ministers of the gospel commend themselves to the people they served? Paul notes that the role of a servant of God is to preserve and endure even in the midst of struggles. But what internal qualities does a servant also need to possess? How does living a blameless life before God give a believer freedom?

REFLECT: What are some of the reasons people may give for waiting to accept the gospel? What can you do to emphasize to others the urgency for accepting Messiah? Why do you think many believers are reluctant to roll up their sleeves and minister to others? What ironies and paradoxes does Paul cite as he describes his complicated, roller-coaster life as a committed servant of God? Some people protest that Paul’s words only apply to “full-time Messianic rabbis and ministers” and that the average believer can’t be expected to live like that. How do you respond to this claim? Paul was devoted to living in such a way that his life did not contradict the gospel. What attitudes, values, actions, or habits can tarnish the reputation of Messiah or His Church? What link did Paul see between undergoing affliction and developing into a productive servant of God? What did Paul learn through his trials? Why does being a servant of God matter so much?

Shepherds don’t produce sheep; sheep produce sheep.

Earlier, Paul began a defense of his ministry (to see link click Bd – A New Creation), which, in turn, led to an explanation of his message. Now he returned to the topic of his ministry and its difficulties, mirroring that of his Lord. During His earthly ministry, Yeshua faced the extremes of being adored and despised. While some acclaimed Him as the Lord of heaven, others despised Him as a demon-possessed counterfeit Messiah. Since Yeshua was treated in such completely opposite ways, His followers can expect no less (John 15:18-20).

As ambassadors (see Be – The Ministry of Reconciliation), believers bring the message of reconciliation to an alienated world. Those who hear the message embrace the truth of it and cherish the messengers or reject both the message and those who proclaim it. Thus, Messiah’s messengers are the aroma of the Messiah, both among those being saved and among those being lost; to the latter, we are the smell of death leading only to more death; but to the former, we are the sweet smell of life leading to more life (2:15-16a). Those who proclaim the true gospel from the pulpit or the pew with power and conviction cannot expect to be popular with everyone. To be honored and dishonored, respected and reviled, is their lot; to experience the most profound blessing and at the same time suffer the most severe disappointment usually comes to the most faithful and zealous believers.

None is a better example of this than Paul, who was caught up in those conflicting realities when he wrote Second Corinthians. Despite their shortcomings, the Corinthians were still a blessing to him. Earlier in his letter he wrote of the love which he had especially for them (2:4); later he added: I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together (7:3). His heart was filled with joy because many of them had believed the gospel. Yet, the Corinthians had also caused Paul much pain. He had been savagely attacked by false apostles who had infiltrated their church (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles). And a trip to Corinth had not gone well for Paul, turning into a painful, sorrowful visit (see Ao – Paul’s Painful Visit). He experienced the full range of emotions, from the heights of joy to the depths of sorrow in his dealing with them.¹⁴⁸

Paul the evangelist (6:1-2): It was Paul who had gone to Corinth with the good news of the gospel; and through his ministry, the church had been founded. Many of the believers in Corinth were new creations in Messiah all right, but they were not living like it. This sad reality really saddened Paul more than we could ever know. Just as he did throughout First Corinthians, Paul now urged his readers to live up to the grace they had received.

As God’s fellow-workers [with Him] we also urge you not to receive His grace and then do nothing with it, literally receive His grace in vain, that is, then not to live for Him (6:1). There is a line that needs to be rubbed out, and that is the line between the pulpit and the pew. There are certain believers who have been given certain spiritual gifts (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ch – Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts). So there shouldn’t be the distinction between the pulpit and the pew that is so prevalent today. We are all fellow-workers [with Him]. If you are one who sits in the pew, may I say that you are as responsible to give out and live out the Word of God as those in the pulpit. You may be a bank president or the president of a large corporation, a truck driver, or a mother and housewife (the toughest job description of all), but you are responsible today to get out the Word of God. Remember: Shepherds don’t produce sheep; sheep produce sheep. You may not have the gift of evangelism, but you need to evangelize.

I want to raise the issue again, and I know I am being very personal about it. What are you doing today to get the Word of God out to others? You can do something that your Messianic rabbi or your pastor cannot do. There are people that only you can reach. They trust you. They have confidence in you. They will listen to you. Therefore, as God’s fellow-workers [with Him], do not wait. Get started today.¹⁴⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, You are a wise and wonderful Heavenly Father! Praise You for making an eternal home of peace and joy for Your children. You are a loving and patient God. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). My heart is heavy for family and friends who know about You, but do not yet have a relationship of love with You. They are nice people, but being nice cannot get anyone into heaven. You opened the door to heaven by giving Your righteousness to all who love and follow you as their Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:9-11).

Please give me the words, opportunity, and heart of compassion to share the old, old story with them about You and what You have already done for them. Help me to tear down the lies and unbelief that have held them captive for too long. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (Second Corinthians 10:4-5a).  Thank You for helping me. I look forward to praising Your name forever in heaven! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

To underline the gravity and urgency of his appeal, Paul introduces, with the words: For He says, “At the acceptable time I heard you; in the day of salvation I helped you” (6:2). Isra’el’s release from exile in Babylon was the original context of these words; however, Paul made his own application. If the time of the exiles’ return was a day of salvation, then the time when ADONAI has acted in Messiah to reconcile the world to Himself is an even greater day of salvation!¹⁵⁰ Thus, the apostolic herald of a new era (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace) that stood before the Corinthians. As ADONAI had raised up Isaiah as a prophet to speak through Him to comfort, comfort God’s people (Isaiah 41:1), so within this new Dispensation, God had called Paul to be His coworker and instrument to reconcile the world to Ha’Shem. This statement, therefore, must take its place with others (1:1, 3:12, 4:1, 2 and 6) through which Paul makes the highest claims for his apostleship. He was claiming an authority similar to that of the prophets of the TaNaKh who spoke for God. The LORD made one appeal through His prophet Isaiah (see Ac – Second Corinthians from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: The Background of Isaiah 40-55); now He was making another appeal through the apostle Paul (5:20).¹⁵¹

Paul the example (6:3-10): We try not to put obstacles in anyone’s path, so that no one can find fault with the work we do (6:3). One of the greatest obstacles to the progress of the gospel is the bad example of people who profess to be believers. Unsaved people like to use the inconsistencies of believers – especially Messianic rabbis and pastors – as an excuse for rejecting Yeshua Messiah. Paul was careful not to do anything that would put a stumbling block in the way of either sinners or the righteous (Titus 2:1-10). He didn’t want his ministry to be discredited in any way because of his life.¹⁵²

Paul reminded his readers of the trials he had endured for them. On the contrary, we try to commend ourselves in every way as servants of God by continually enduring troubles, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, overwork, lack of sleep and food (6:4-5). When Paul says that he and his fellow-workers were commending themselves, he picks up a vitally important thread that had been woven throughout the letter (3:1, 4:2, 5:12, 7:11, 10:12 and 18, 12:11), one that lies at the heart of the apostle’s intentions for writing Second Corinthians in the first place. It played an important part in commending Paul’s mission to them, arguing for their full affirmation of the apostle, his ministry, and his gospel (see the commentary on Romans As – Paul’s Gospel).¹⁵³ He had been a man of endurance and had not quit when things got tough. Paul’s remarkable endurance manifested itself in nine positive qualities he had used in his ministry. We commend ourselves by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh; by genuineness of love and truthfulness of speech; and by God’s power (6:6-7a). Paul depended on the power of the Spirit of God so that he might manifest the fruit of the Spirit, such as kindness and love.

Finally, he reminded the Corinthians of the testimony he bore, listing the paradoxical character of the ministry in a series of contrasts. We commend ourselves through our use of righteous weapons, whether for pressing our cause or defending it. Faithful ambassadors of the LORD can expect to be honored and dishonored, praised and blamed, considered deceptive and sincere, unknown and famous (6:7b-9a). Paul’s enemies gave an evil report of him as a man who was a dishonorable deceiver; but God gave him a good report of Paul as a man who was honorable and true. He was famous, and yet at the same time, unknown.

What a price Paul paid to be faithful in his ministry! And yet, the Corinthians really didn’t fully appreciate all he did for them.¹⁵⁴ And we commend ourselves as God’s workers headed for death, yet look! we’re alive! as punished, yet not killed (6:9b). They brought sorrow to his heart; still, even though he had a reason to be sad, he was always filled with joy in Yeshua Messiah. Paul had a deep, unfailing joy because of God’s grace, power, and goodness. Therefore, he could write: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4), and frequently ended his letters with doxologies of praise. Life for Paul was a seeming paradox of unending sorrow mingled with continual joy.

Paul was undeniably poor in terms of his worldly possessions. Some have speculated that his family disinherited him after he became a believer in Yeshua. Certainly, he had no large bank account to fall back on, but had to rely on financial support from churches (Philippians 4:16) and his own hard work (First Thessalonians 2:9) to support himself. Yet, he made those people who believed his message eternally rich with an eternal inheritance (Second Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 1:11 and 3:8; Colossians 1:12; First Peter 1:4). But making himself poor and others rich didn’t bother Paul in the least. Though it appeared that he had nothing, in reality he possessed everything that really mattered (6:10)!¹⁵⁵

The more Adam and Eve pondered the lies of the Evil One, the more they doubted the goodness of ADONAI. Finally, declaring their independence, they struck out on their own to try to find “life” – to make it work on their own terms without God. They would do this by trying to control things. Aren’t we chips off the old block? Don’t we approach life the same way? Enter Yeshua, who says: Whoever wants to save their own life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake will find it (Matthew 16:25). In other words, the path to joy and fulfillment isn’t found in control . . . but in surrender. Those who choose to be servants of God, giving up control and yielding fully to His will and His work, are those who find true life – now and forever.¹⁵⁶

Fifteen Words of Hope
5: 21

Fifteen words of hope DIG: How can an absolutely and infinitely holy God be reconciled to sinners? Who is the only One who could make the first move in the process of reconciliation? On what basis is Yeshua guilty? Who benefits from this process? What is the benefit?

REFLECT: When you think of your life before being saved, what are you most grateful for now that you are a new creature in Messiah? How are you growing in your relationship with the Lord? Healthy things multiply. Who are you discipling? What gives you hope?

Yeshua gave up everything so you could have everything.

There have been many plagues in human history, but there is one plague that is more widespread and deadly than all the others combined. It is, as the Puritan writer Ralph Venning called it, “the plague of plagues.” It affects every person who ever lived – and is one-hundred percent fatal. Unlike other plagues, which cause only physical death, this plague causes spiritual and eternal death as well. It is the plague of sin.

But the Good News is that there is a cure for the sinner infected by the deadly sin epidemic. ADONAI, in His mercy and love, provided a remedy for sin – the sacrifice of His Son. And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God” (5:18-21)! But this reconciliation raises some profound questions. How can an absolutely and infinitely holy God be reconciled to sinners? How can His just and holy character, which demands the condemnation and punishment of all who violate it, be satisfied? How can those who deserve no mercy receive it? How can God uphold true righteousness and at the same time give grace? How can the demands of both justice and love be met? How can God be righteous Himself and also the One who makes sinners righteous (Romans 3:26)?

As hard as those questions seem, one brief verse answers them all and resolves the seeming paradox of redemption. With a consciousness that is reflective of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, this one brief sentence, fifteen Greek words, carefully balanced, almost chiastic, resolves the dilemma of reconciliation. It reveals the essence of the atonement, expresses the heart of the gospel, and articulates the most glorious truth in Scripture – how fallen mankind’s sin-surrendered relationship to ADONAI can be restored. Like a cache of rare jewels, each word deserving careful examination under the magnifying glass of Scripture, it yields truths about the benefactor, the substitute, the beneficiaries, and the benefit.

The benefactor: He made (5:21a). The end of 5:20 reveals the antecedent of “He” to be God the Father. Reconciliation is His plan, and it could not occur unless He initiated and sustained it. Sinners cannot devise their own religious approach to God, because they are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The damning lie of all false religions is that mankind can reconcile themselves to God by their own efforts. All attempts to do so are futile. The righteous deeds of sinners are like a filthy garment; and all of them wither like a leaf, and their iniquities like the wind, take them away (Isaiah 64:6). As a result, there is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

The only way reconciliation can take place is if ADONAI reaches out to sinners, as He did by the sacrifice of His Son. It flows out of God’s love; it was because He so loved the world that He gave His only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life (John 3:16). God demonstrates His own love for us, wrote Paul, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8); though we were His enemies we were reconciled with God through the death of His Son (Romans 5:10). Because God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, He brought us to life along with the Messiah (Ephesians 2:4-5). It is this emphasis on a loving God reaching out to lost sinners that sets those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob apart from all the false religions in the world.

Yeshua did not go to the cross because fickle people turned on Him, though they did. He did not go to the cross because demon-deceived false religious leaders plotted His death, though they did. Messiah did not go to the cross because Judas betrayed Him, though he did. He did not die because an angry, intimidated a Roman governor into sentencing Him to crucifixion, though they did. The Son of God went to the cross as the outworking of God’s plan to reconcile sinners to Himself. In Peter’s first sermon, he declared to the nation of Isra’el that Yeshua was delivered over [to death] by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23, 3:18, 13:27; Matthew 26:24; Luke 22:22; John 18:11; Hebrews 10: 5-7). Only God could author and execute the plan of redemption and reconcile sinners to Himself. That plan is so utterly beyond the comprehension of the lost that it seems like foolishness to them (see the commentary on First Corinthians to see link click An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). No religion of human design has seen anything like it.

The substitute: This sinless man be a sin offering (5:21b). This description points unmistakably to the only possible sacrifice for sin. It eliminates every human who ever lived for there is no man who does not sin (First Kings 8:46), since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only one who was sinless could qualify to bear the full wrath of God for the sins of others. The perfect sacrifice for sin would have to be a human being, for only a man could die for other men and women. Yet, He would also have to be God, for only God is sinless. That narrows the field to one, the God-man, Yeshua Messiah.

After presenting Yeshua as the absolutely holy substitute for sinners, Paul, prompted by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, makes the remarkable statement that God made Him a sin offering. That is an important phrase and requires a careful understanding. It does not mean that Yeshua became a sinner. As God in human flesh, He could not possibly have committed any sin or in any way violated the Torah of ADONAI. It is equally unthinkable that YHVH, whose eyes are too pure to approve of evil (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13), would make anyone a sinner, let alone His own holy Son. He was the unblemished Lamb while on the cross, personally guilty of no evil. Isaiah 53:4-6 describes the only sense in which Yeshua could have been made sin: In fact, it was our diseases He bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded Him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on Him the guilt of all of us.

Messiah was not made a sinner, nor was He punished for any sin of His own. Instead, the Father treated Him as if He were a sinner by charging to His account the sins of everyone who would ever believe. All those sins were charged against Him as if He had personally committed them. It was at that moment when Yeshua cried out in a loud voice, saying: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me (Matthew 27:46)? It is crucial, therefore, to understand that this was the only sense in which Yeshua was made sin. He was personally pure, yet officially guilty; personally holy, yet criminally responsible. But by dying on the cross, Messiah did not become evil like we are, nor do redeemed sinners become inherently as holy as He is. ADONAI credits believer’s sins to Messiah’s account, and His righteousness to our spiritual bank account. Were it not for this fact, no one could be reconciled to God.

The beneficiaries: on our behalf (5:21c). The word our refers back to the phrase ambassadors for Messiah in 5:20; to those to whom the message of reconciliation was given (5:19), who have been reconciled to God (5:18), and are new creations (5:17). Although Messiah died for the whole world, His substitutionary death was only effective (resulting in eternal life), for those who would believe in Him (Jn 1:12, 3:16-18; Rom 10:9-10), all those whom the Father gives Him and draws to Him (John 6:37 and 65). The fact that ADONAI raised Yeshua from the dead is proof that God accepted His sacrifice in order to make us righteous (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bf – The Means of Justification).

The benefit: So that in union with Messiah we might fully share in His righteousness (5:21d). When we believe that Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the TaNaKh says, and that He was buried, and He was raised on the third day (First Corinthians 15:3b-4a), then all the righteousness of Messiah is transferred to our spiritual bank account. At that moment we are just as righteous as Messiah, minus His deity. The very righteousness that God requires before He can accept us, is the very righteousness that Messiah provides.

Because Yeshua paid the full penalty for the sin of the world on the cross, the wrath of God was fully satisfied so that He was free to act positively on behalf of sinners. The psalmist declared: O LORD, if you kept a record of sins, who, ADONAI, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness so that You will be feared (Psalm 130:3-4). In metaphorical pictures of forgiveness, God is said to have removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); threw all our sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17); promised never to remember them (Isaiah 43:25); hidden them from His sight behind a thick cloud (Isaiah 44:22); and threw them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

On the cross Ha’Shem treated Yeshua as if He had lived our lives with all our sin, so that God could then treat us as if we lived Messiah’s life of pure holiness. Our sinful life was legally charged to Him on the cross, as if He had lived it, so that His righteous life could be credited to us, as if we lived it. This is the doctrine of imputation, where Messiah imputed, or transferred, His righteousness to us at the moment of faith (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God does for Us at the Moment of Faith). That truth, expressed so concisely and powerfully in these fifteen words of hope, is the only cure for the plague of sin.¹⁴⁶

Remember what God has already done for you. If ADONAI never did anything else for you, He would still deserve your continual praise for the rest of your life because of what Yeshua did for you on the cross. God’s Son died for you! This is the greatest reason for worship. Unfortunately, we forget the cruel details of the agonizing sacrifice God made on our behalf. Familiarity breeds complacency. Even before His crucifixion, the Son of God was stripped naked, mocked, crowned with thorns, and spit on contemptuously. Abused and ridiculed by heartless men, He was treated worse than an animal.

Then, nearly unconscious from blood loss, He was forced to drag a heavy and cumbersome crossbeam, weighing from 75 to 125 pounds, up a hill to the waiting vertical post. It was placed across the nape of Messiah’s neck and balanced along the shoulders. Its splinters quickly found their way to open wounds on His shoulders. Then He was nailed to it and was left to die a slow, agonizing death. While His lifeblood drained out of Him, hecklers stood by and shouted insults, making fun of His pain and challenging His claim to be God.

Next, as the Lamb of God took all of mankind’s sin and guilt on Himself, God the Father looked away from that ugly sight, and Yeshua cried out: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Messiah could have saved Himself – but then He couldn’t have saved you.

Words cannot describe the darkness of that moment. Why did God allow and endure such ghastly, evil treatment? Why? So you could be spared an eternity in hell, and so you could share in His glory forever. Forever is a long time. The Bible says: Messiah was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we might share the righteousness of God (5:21 TEV). Yeshua gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise. Never again should you wonder what you have to be thankful for.¹⁴⁷

Dear Heavenly Father and Savior, Praise Your great love that offered the wonderful gift of Yeshua’s righteousness to all who love and follow Yeshua as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). Some are laughed at, mocked or beaten, but soon they will be with you in your eternal home of joy and peace. Life’s trials will be over – replaced by an eternal life in heaven filled with great joy and perfect contentment.  For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18).

It will be worth it all, when we see Yeshua! Life’s trials are gone forever – instead life will be so wonderful, far exceeding anything we have ever known! He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Rev 21:4). I worship You now and love to put You first in my life in everything I do, say and think. I love You dear Father and I look forward to worshiping and praising You thru all eternity! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen.

The Ministry of Reconciliation
5: 18-20

The ministry of reconciliation DIG: What does reconciliation mean? Who has to take the first step in the process of reconciliation? Why? What story from your life might illustrate this? What does God do through Messiah (verse 18)? Through us (verse 20)? For us? What is propitiation? What is the relationship between propitiation and reconciliation?

REFLECT: Knowing what it is like to be alienated and reconciled in other relationships, how is it going with God at this point in your life: still a family feud, a truce, or have you made up? If you embraced your role as an ambassador for Messiah, how might it change your life? Who can you tell about the reconciliation of their life to Yeshua this week?

All who are in Messiah become ambassadors of Messiah.

Today’s Church is confronted by a seemingly endless variety of ministry methods, strategies, and styles. But there is no confusion in Scripture about what the Church’s mission is to be, and that is evangelism. This passage clearly presents the heart and soul of the Church’s responsibility as it represents Yeshua in the world. ADONAI has called all believers, especially Messianic rabbis and pastors, to proclaim the message of reconciliation.

The glorious good news of the gospel is that the sin-devastated relationship between lost sinners and the holy God of the universe can be restored. At first glance that seems impossible. Ha’Shem’s perfect, infinite, righteous justice demands the punishment for sin. And standing before the bar of His justice we are helpless, guilty sinners, unable to either satisfy Him, or to change our condition. But through YHVH’s plan of reconciliation, all the hostility, animosity, and alienation separating the Holy One and sinners vanishes, and those who were once His enemies (James 4:4) become His friends (John 15:15). The high calling and noble privilege of preaching this message of reconciliation is the most important duty in the world, since it deals with eternal destinations.¹⁴³

Reconciliation is by the will of God (5:18): Like the first Creation of the universe (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ag – In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth), the new creation (see Bd – A New Creation) is initiated by God. And all these things are from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us the message of that reconciliation (5:18). Both the verb katallasso (reconciled) and the noun katallage (reconciliation) appear in the B’rit Chadashah only in Paul’s writings (Romans 5:11; Ephesians 2:13-16; Colossians 1:20-22). Sinners cannot be reconciled to God on their own terms. Unregenerate people have no ability to appease the anger of Ha’Shem against sin, satisfy His holy justice, or conform to His standard of righteousness. They are guilty of violating God’s Word and face eternal banishment from His presence. The deadly deceptive premise of all false religions is that sinners, based on their own moral and religious efforts and achievements, can reconcile themselves to God. But God alone designed the way of reconciliation and only He can take the first step in drawing sinners close to Him. The fact that God has reconciled us to Himself is precisely the good news of the gospel (John 3:16).

Thus, reconciliation is not something mankind does but what they receive; it is not what people accomplish but what they embrace. Reconciliation does not happen when we decide to stop rejecting God, but when God decides to stop rejecting us. It is a divine provision by which Ha’Shem’s holy wrath against alienated sinners is appeased by the death of Messiah, satisfying every claim His holiness and justice so that He is free to act on behalf of sinners (propitiation). Reconciliation occurs because ADONAI was graciously willing to design a way to have all the sins of those who are His removed from them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), throw all their sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19b), and threw all their sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17b).

Reconciliation is by the act of forgiveness (5:19): Which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation (5:19). The phrase reconciling mankind must not be understood as teaching universalism, the false doctrine that all people will be saved. If God reconciled the world, Universalists simplistically argue, then the barrier between God and mankind has been removed for all, and everyone will be saved. Wrong! Scripture does teach that there is a sense in which Messiah died for the whole world (John 1:29, 4:42, 6:51; 1 Tim 2:6; Hebrews 2:9). Everyone reaching the age of accountability has an opportunity for salvation and eternal life in heaven. But because of our free-will in Messiah, we can say no to God and make it stick. Those who choose to believe in Yeshua take advantage of His gracious offer, while those who reject Him do not (see the commentary on Romans Al – The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile). But to all those whom He has reconciled, ADONAI has given us the message of reconciliation. All who are in Messiah become ambassadors of Messiah.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for so graciously making reconciliation possible by the suffering of Your Son as the sacrificial lamb of God (John 1:29). You are so overly generous in giving Yeshua’s righteousness to all who love and trust Him as their Savior (Second Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:9-10). When I focus on the joy of eternity with You in heaven forever, I have overflowing joy and contentment! When I realize that some of my family and friends have not made the personal decision to follow You – I am so heart broken and anxious for their salvation. Heaven is real and so is Hell. My family and friends know about You and think Your love is wonderful, but they have not made the important personal decision to follow you as their Lord and their Savior.

Please work in their hearts to want to seek you. May you show them that while you are so very loving, you are also holy and can tolerate no sin in your holy heaven. It is their pride that is keeping them from bowing before You. Please allow situations, friends or whatever it takes to get them to want to be part of Your family by loving you as their Lord, Master and Father. May they use their free will to turn away from earthly short-lived happiness and to run hard after the eternal joy of loving and serving you forever! In Your holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Reconciliation is by the obedience of faith (5:20): Therefore, Paul now summarizes his message, we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making His appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God” (Second Corinthians 5:20)! This is equal to the Great Commission (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mo – The Great Commission). Because believers are His ambassadors, it is though God the Father makes His appeal to the lost on behalf of the Son, Yeshua Messiah, to be reconciled to the Triune God.¹⁴⁴ This appeal for people to be reconciled makes it clear that the sinner is never delivered from wrath and judgment to blessing and reward without a personal response to the truth of the gospel through the means He provided: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone (see the commentary on Galatians Bc – We are Not Justified by Deeds of the Torah). When our sins are forgiven, we get a new purpose driven life, and we are promised an eternal home in heaven.

You were made for a mission. God is at work in the world and He wants you to join Him. This assignment is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Messiah and a mission to the world. Your ministry is to believers, and your mission is to unbelievers. This is God’s purpose for your life. The English word mission comes from the Latin word for sending. Being a believer includes being sent into the world as an ambassador, a representative, of Yeshua Messiah. The mission Yeshua had while on the earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Messiah. What He did in His physical body, we are to continue as His spiritual body, the Church. What is that mission? Introducing people to the Lord! The Bible says God is making His appeal through us.

ADONAI wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself (at His expense) so we can fulfill the purposes He created us for: to love Him, to be a part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. Once we are His, God wants us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. We are ambassadors of the Messiah. We are the messengers of God’s love to the world.¹⁴⁵

A New Creation
5: 11-17

A new creation DIG: What does the fear of the Lord mean to you? If you defend yourself against lies, does that mean you lack faith? Why? Why not? What does integrity look like? What story in your life might illustrate your integrity? What are you most grateful to the Lord for? What examples can you give that you are a new creation after you were saved?

REFLECT: How have you changed since being saved? How did your family, friends, and co-workers take the change? What has been the cost of your faith? If you were arrested and tried for being a believer would there be enough evidence to find you guilty? How so? Why not? When have you had to defend your integrity? How is your walk with the Lord going?

If anyone is in Messiah, they are a new creation,
the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new!

Although there is a variety of leadership styles, several common qualities are indispensable, especially for effective leaders (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah, to see link click Bt – The Third Return: Nehemiah – A Manual for Leaders). But the basic common characteristic is integrity. Without it, all of the supposed leadership qualities add up to nothing more than hot air. Integrity solidifies and unites all the other qualities; it is the glue that holds all attitudes and actions together.

True spiritual leadership belongs to those whose lives are pure, blameless, and above reproach (First Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6-7; Psalm 101:6). But leaders must also protect their integrity against false accusations that could destroy it. This is what prompted Paul to write. He knew the importance of not only guarding his life against sin, but also guarding his reputation against lies. Actually, the central theme of Second Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his integrity. The apostle’s integrity was under attack from the false apostles who had infiltrated the church at Corinth (see Af – The Problem of False Apostles). Before they could get people to listen to them, they first had to tear down Paul’s credibility. Although their accusations were false, they were nonetheless dangerous; if the Corinthians believed their lies, confidence in the Word of God through Paul would be destroyed.

But Paul was on the horns of a dilemma. If he didn’t defend himself, the Corinthians might abandon him in favor of the false apostles. Yet, if he did defend himself, he left himself open to the charge that he was pridefully puffing himself up. To refute the false accusation that he was guilty of being prideful and conceited, Paul was forced to defend himself.

The key to understanding this passage rests in the meaning of the word persuade (Greek: peitho). It does not refer to persuading people of the truth of the gospel as it does in Acts 17:4, 18:4, 19:8, 26:28 and 28:23-24. The gospel is not the issue in Second Corinthians, it is not an evangelistic letter. Paul was not trying to persuade the Corinthian believers of the truth of the gospel, but rather of the truth of his integrity. Therefore, peitho could better be interpreted to seek the favor of. Paul sought a favorable judgment from the Corinthians in the matter of his integrity. Therefore, as he defended his integrity against the vicious liars who were attacking him, Paul gave six motives for his defense.

Reverence for the Lord (5:11a): Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord (5:11a). To fear ADONAI is to have reverence, awe, and respect for Him resulting in worship, adoration, and service (Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9, 22:23, 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 8:13, 9:10). Acts 9:31 states that the Messianic community throughout Judea and Galilee and Sumaria enjoyed peace and was built up. They lived in the fear of the Lord, with the comfort of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, and their numbers kept multiplying. Thus, the fear of the Lord does not refer to dread or terror, since that type of fear would not result in peace and comfort.

Paul was deeply disturbed that anyone would think that he misrepresented the Lord whom he loved and served with reverence. He was appalled to be viewed by some as dishonoring the name of Yeshua Messiah. It was unacceptable that people would think he was living a lie, opposite of his real reason for living – to glorify God (First Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1). Nor could Paul remain silent while he was falsely accused of dishonoring the Lord, for such slander would result in his ministry being useless and unfruitful. As a result, he was obligated to defend his own integrity, though he did so with humble reluctance (10:12-18).

Concern for the Church (5:12): Paul not only defended himself for God’s sake, but also for his concern for the Church. The assaults on Paul’s integrity threatened not only to split the church in Corinth, but also to stunt its spiritual growth. Thus Paul declared: We are not recommending (Greek: kauchaomai, meaning to take pride in ) ourselves. Paul had stated previously how he and his co-laborers didn’t need to recommend themselves, as the changed lives of the Corinthians was the evidence that their ministry was genuine (3:1). Actually, Paul was the last person to boast about himself (First Corinthians 4:4). The only boasting he did was about his weakness (see Ca – Foolish Boasting).

Further clarifying his motives, Paul said that the reason he wrote this defense of his integrity was to give the Corinthians a reason for them to be proud of him in the right sense. Proud can refer to sinful boasting, but here it refers to their confidence in his spiritual integrity (Galatians 6:4; Hebrews 3:6). Rather than respond to their accusations himself, Paul wisely chose to arm his friends to defend him. He knew that replying directly to his enemies was pointless because they would merely twist his words to fit their own evil purposes (Proverbs 26:4, 29:9). Therefore, it was more effective for him to equip his supporters in Corinth so that they would be able to answer his detractors (Proverbs 27:2).

Turning the tables on his accusers, Paul denounced them as those who boast about a person’s appearance rather than his inner qualities (5:12). Because their outward religious appearance didn’t match the corruption that was in their hearts, they, and not Paul, were the hypocrites lacking integrity. They were like those Yeshua denounced as whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness . . . who outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt 23:27-28). With Paul, however, there was no difference between what he appeared to be on the outside and what he really was on the inside. That truth was evident not only to God, but also to the Corinthians’ consciences as they responded to what they knew to be true of Paul.¹⁴¹

Devotion to the truth (5:13): One of the false apostles’ slanderous charges against Paul was that he was a fool who had lost his mind (Greek: existemi, meaning to stand outside oneself). Existemi is the root verb translated lost his mind is used in Mark 3:21 to describe Yeshua’s relatives’ mistaken belief that He was out of His mind. Paul was so devoted to the truth that his enemies thought that he was fanatical to the point of being crazy. Incredibly, instead of being immediately rejected, those false and outrageous allegations generated a debate in the Corinthian church with those who insisted that he was merely zealous. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted zealous, I did it for you (5:13 The Message).

The world often looks unfavorably on people who are dogmatic and zealous about the truth, like John the Baptist, who denounced the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders in no uncertain terms. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had been sent by

the Great Sanhedrin to observe John, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Mark 3:7 NASB)? As a result, in predictable fashion, they ridiculed him, claiming: He has a demon (Matthew 11:18)!

And as far as Paul was concerned, this wasn’t the only time that his commitment to the truth had caused someone to question his sanity. After he gave a dramatic testimony of his conversion and a powerful, straightforward presentation of the Good News before King Agrippa, that the Roman governor Festus shouted at the top of his voice, “Paul, you’re out of your mind! So much learning is driving you crazy! But Paul was not insane, as his calm, dignified reply demonstrated: No, I am not crazy, Festus, your Excellency; on the contrary, I am speaking words of truth and sanity (Acts 26:24-25).

If Paul acted zealous, he did it for the Corinthians. They were his sheep and he was their shepherd (see Au – A Competent Shepherd). If other people thought he was acting far too zealous, it was of no consequence to him (see Ax – Light out of Darkness). The issue for Paul was that ADONAI be honored by him proclaiming the truth. So that’s what he did. Faithfully. For the sake of the Corinthians, however, he was at the same time, gentle, humble, and patient (Second Corinthians 10:1 and Second Timothy 4:2).

Gratitude to the Savior (5:14): For the Messiah’s love controls us, because we are convinced that one man died on behalf of all mankind (see the commentary on Romans Ae – My Position on T.U.L.I.P. or Calvinism: Limited Atonement). While Paul’s love for his Lord certainly compelled him, the phrase Messiah’s love is best seen in this context as Messiah’s love for Paul – a love most certainly seen in His sacrificial death, which is the subsequent theme. Paul never lost his sense of the wonder of Messiah’s love (see the commentary on Romans Cm – The Certainty of Redemption). Messiah’s incomprehensible, unbreakable, unconditional love overwhelmed him. But more than that, it controlled (Greek: sunecho, meaning a pressure that produces action) him. The magnitude of Messiah’s love for believer’s like Paul compelled him to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, as an act of grateful worship. If he were discredited and his ministry lost, he would lose the opportunity to express his gratitude to Messiah through his ministry. That threat was a key factor that compelled Paul to defend his integrity.

Desire for righteousness (5:15): This point is inextricably linked to the previous one. The reason that Messiah died on behalf of all mankind was so that those who live should not live any longer for themselves but for the One who on their behalf died and was raised (5:15). The marvelous miracle of salvation includes not only believers’ union with Messiah in His death, but also in His resurrection (see the commentary on Romans Bp – The Messianic Mikvah). Therefore, in Messiah, believers experience not only death to sin, but also resurrection in righteousness. As a result, we are no longer to live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; First Peter 2:24).

To be viewed as one who dishonored Messiah would have devastated Paul, for the most important thing in his life was to live for Him. Paul also defended his integrity so that he could continue to be a role model for what it meant to live for Messiah. In his previous letter, Paul urged the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I am of Messiah” (First Corinthians 4:1 and First Thessalonians 1:6). If he allowed his integrity to be destroyed by lies, the Corinthians would not follow him, but the false apostles instead. Such a situation was intolerable to Paul and prompted his vigorous defense of his integrity.

Burden for the lost (5:16-17): The overarching reason Paul defended his integrity, the one that incorporated all the rest, was so that he could continue to reach the lost. He was passionate to see people come to saving faith in Yeshua. In fact, as he wrote in his first letter: Woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News (First Corinthians 9:16). But perhaps the most emotional glimpse of Paul’s burden for the lost come in a shocking statement in his letter to the Romans: I am speaking the truth – even as the apostle to the Gentiles, as one who belongs to the Messiah, I do not lie; and also bearing witness is my conscience, governed by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Since Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles, perhaps some thought he would no longer be interested in the Jews. In this verse he affirms the sincerity of his grief over Isra’el’s failure, as a people, to honor their Messiah. My grief is so great, the pain in my heart so constant, always in the back of my mind, that I could wish myself, if it were possible, to actually be under God’s curse (Greek: anathema) and separated from Messiah, if it would help my brothers who have rejected Him, my own flesh and blood (Romans 9:1-3), the people of Isra’el! The Greek word anathema corresponds to the Hebrew word cherem, meaning, set apart for destruction. Paul’s burden for the lost moved him to defend his integrity, lest he lose his credibility and with it his ability to effectively preach the gospel.

These next two verses define when Paul’s burden for the lost began. The conjunction therefore, points back to verses 14 and 15. Therefore, from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint as the false apostles did. After his conversion, the way Paul viewed people changed radically. Not only did Paul’s view of people change, but also his view of Messiah. The apostle stated: I once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint (5:16a). He had made a human assessment of Him, concluding that He was merely a man. Worse, he had decided that Yeshua was a false messiah; a heretic and an enemy of Judaism, one worthy of death. As a result, Paul dedicated his life to persecuting His followers (Acts 26:9-11).

Yet after Paul’s conversion he no longer viewed Yeshua as an itinerant Galilean rabbi and self-appointed messianic imposter who was the enemy of Judaism (5:16b). Instead, he saw Him for who He really is, God incarnate, the Savior, the Lord of heaven, the true Messiah who alone fulfills all the promises of the TaNaKh, and provides forgiveness for sin. The transformation in Paul’s view took place in one blinding moment when he met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus (see the commentary on Acts Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah). And when his assessment of Yeshua changed, so did his assessment of everyone else. He knew that the same profound change that took place in his life also took place in the lives of all those who put their trust in Messiah.

Therefore, in a conclusion also deriving from verse 15. Like the radical transformation of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, Paul wrote about this metamorphosis, saying: If anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation (5:17a). God’s grace and mercy are wide enough to encompass anyone, even the most vile, wicked sinner – even the foremost of sinners, as Paul described himself (First Timothy 1:15-16). But ADONAI is the One who makes people righteous on the basis of Yeshua’s faithfulness (Rom 3:26; Galatians 3:26). His substitutionary death becomes their death, and His resurrection life their life.

Paul’s familiar expression united with the Messiah (CJB), or in Messiah (NIV) succinctly and profoundly summarizes all the rich blessings of salvation (Romans 8:1, 16:3, 7:1; First Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1, 4:21; Colossians 1:2 and 28; Philemon 23). The word new (Greek: kainos) means new in quality, not just in sequence. The believers’ old self was crucified with Him (Romans 6:6 NIV), and thus have laid aside the old self and put on the new self (Eph 4:22 and 24; Colossians 3:9-10 NASB).

The transformation brought about by this new birth is not only an instantaneous miracle (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith), but is also a lifelong process of sanctification. For those so transformed, everything changes . . . the old has passed away. Old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs will vanish. Fresh and new values, ideas, plans, loves, desires and beliefs have come (5:17)! The perfect tense of the verb have come (Greek: ginomai) indicates a past act with continuing results in the present. ADONAI plants new desires, loves and truths in us so that we can live in the midst of the old creation with a new creation perspective (Galatians 6:14). It is true, of course, that for the time being our old sin nature still persists and the new has not fully come (Romans 8:18-25; Galatians 5:15-26). That perspective takes a lifetime, but as it is nourished and developed, it helps us gain victory in the battle against sin and conforms us into the likeness of Messiah (Romans 8:29a).

So Paul defended his integrity in order to preach with boldness, knowing that he was a new creation. In addition, his reverence and gratitude to the Savior who had done so much for him, his deep concern for the church, passionate devotion to the truth, desire for righteousness, and longing to see the lost come to the Savior compelled him to maintain his integrity. Because he did so, he could confidently challenge the Corinthians, “So don’t pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; He will expose the motives of people’s hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves” (First Corinthians 4:5).¹⁴²

Let’s be very practical about this. You may ask, “I know that this is a wonderful verse, but how do I know absolutely that I am a new creation in Messiah? Listen to what the Lord Yeshua says about this: Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer); that is, he or she will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life (John 5:24)! Have you believed in the Lord Yeshua Messiah? Do you believe that He died for your sins and He was buried; and He was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the TaNaKh says (First Corinthians 15:3-4)? If you do, He assures you that you have eternal life and will not come into judgment; you have passed from death to life.

This makes you a new creation.