2 Corinthians 6:1-13

We are returning to our 2 Corinthians study this morning. Specifically, we’ll be considering chapter 6 verses 1-13.

Since it’s been three weeks, let me take a couple of minutes and give some reminders:

First, the apostle Paul’s purpose in writing was to draw the Corinthian church back to himself and to the Gospel. He is an apostle sent by God. He’s been making that case that he and Timothy and Titus are faithful and true ministers of Christ.

Second, the reason Paul needs to make that clear is because of the so-called “super apostles.” They were in Corinth and were undermining Paul and were teaching a false Gospel. And some of the Corinthians were falling for it. These false teachers were basically saying that Paul was no longer relevant. After all, as they pointed out, Paul suffered much, he changed his travel plans, and his message wasn’t the latest and greatest. Therefore, according to them, Paul’s time had come and gone. They offered something better. Sadly, they “tampered with” the Gospel (to use Paul’s words) and they were “underhanded” which Paul called “disgraceful.”

So Paul was saying (1) that he and his fellow workers were true and faithful ministers of Christ, and (2) that the Corinthians should reject these false teachers and their message.

Third. The apostle Paul has been explaining exactly what the true Gospel is. 2 Corinthians has offered us rich and life-giving truth! That is my favorite thing about the book. It has taught us, for example, about God’s purposes in our suffering. When we suffer, we share in Christ’s sufferings but we also share in his comfort… and remember… the light, momentary afflictions in this life are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. That is one theme throughout the book.

We also learned that Christ has fulfilled the old Covenant promises through his life and death and resurrection. All those promises of old reflect the light of Christ who has come, just like the moon reflects the sun.

And when we got to chapter 5 last month, we got to the very heart of God’s ministry to us in Christ. God, who created all things, has shone his truth in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He’s awakened us to see and believe in him. We are new creations.

And finally, chapter 5 ended with what I believe is the clearest explanation of the Gospel in a single verse. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.” God took on our sin on the cross and in exchange gave us his righteousness. We receive that amazing gift through faith and repentance.

I hope that summary helps. True apostles, false apostles, and the true Gospel.

That now brings us to chapter 6. Paul now urgently pleads with them to return to Christ. Paul and the others have removed all the obstacles that they can. There’s only one more obstacle that remains. As I read, listen for that obstacle.

Please stand.

Reading of 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

A few years ago, we as a family had the opportunity to visit Berlin. And while there, we stopped by Diederich Bonhoeffer’s home church. Bonhoeffer had served there before being arrested by the Nazis in 1943.

Bonhoeffer was outspoken against the godlessness of communism and outspoken against the racism and persecution inflicted upon the Jewish people. He was a great man of faith. He stood firm and he sought to end the travesties of his time.

But sadly, Bonhoeffer was in the minority. You see, many Christians in Nazi Germany sided with Hitler. Or maybe I should say, “so called” Christians. They had been duped – that included pastors… Some sided with the Nazi’s out of fear. Others for social reasons or for the power that it afforded them.

But Bonhoeffer stood firm for truth. He pleaded for the church to not be silent in the face of evil. He helped to start the confessing church movement which was faithful to the Gospel. He also helped some Jews escape Germany. Bonhoeffer risked his life to stand for these things. Ultimately, he was killed for opposing Hitler.

His situation was similar to what was happening in Corinth. The apostle Paul risked his life to stand for God’s truth and grace. He opposed those who claimed to be apostles, but who undermined true faith. And he called on the Corinthians to repent and return to Christ. Ultimately, Paul would also give his life. Now, that would be years down the road, but in the meantime, he poured out his life as an ambassador for Christ.

And here in chapter 6, as an ambassador, he urgently implores them to listen and to respond.

You can see on the sermon notes page, 3 main points.

1. Listen to the message (6:1-2)

2. See the sacrifice (6:3-11)

3. Open your heart (6:12-13)

That pretty much follows the order of the text.

1. Listen to the message (6:1-2)

Number 1, again, Listen to the message.

Given everything that he has said up to this point, Paul now says in verse 1, “we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”

In other words, God’s grace has been presented and offered to you. You’ve heard it. You’ve seen it. Do not let it pass you by. Do not let it go in one ear and out the other.

And to emphasize his point, Paul quotes from Isaiah chapter 49 verse 8. We read a larger portion of Isaiah 49 earlier in the service. It is a clear (what we call) Messianic prophecy. That means Isaiah 49 was pointing to a coming messiah - a coming savior who would fulfill God’s promises and who would bring, as Isaiah prophesied there, “a day of salvation.”

And so, Paul quotes this well known prophecy. And then look what he says right after he quotes it. The end of verse 2. He writes, “Behold, now is the favorable time;” and he repeats himself, “behold, now is the day of salvation.”

That word “behold” means, “look, listen” it means “pay attention.” It’s a positive word but it’s also a very strong word. He wants to get their attention. The Corinthians need to respond.

Let me put it this way. This is the strongest plea that the apostle Paul has made up to this point in his whole letter. It’s like he was saying, “I’ve made my case about who are true apostles and who are not… and I’ve made my case for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now it’s time to respond. “Behold, now is the day of salvation.” To not receive it is vanity – it’s ignoring the life saving message.

I believe there are two kinds of people to whom he is writing.

First, there were those in Corinth who were true believers, but who had been going down the wrong path. Paul wanted to redirect them to the salvation that they have in Christ. He wanted them to turn away from wandering from the truth and to come back to Christ. He also wanted them to be able to discern truth from error, and right from wrong. This first group had bought in to some of the worldly philosophy of the false teachers. They had set aside their first love – they were sidetracked from the foundation of their faith – you know, the salvation that Jesus Christ had accomplished as God in the flesh. Paul was pleading with them to return. To return both to himself and Christ. Notice that verse 1 begins, “Working together with him.” Working together with Christ. This is the ambassador idea. Paul’s message is Christ’s message. The needed to embrace what they know deep down. So that is one group.

Second, there were those in Corinth, in the church, who had not yet submitted themselves to Jesus for salvation. Remember, at the end of chapter 5, one paragraph earlier, Paul had just explained the heart of the Gospel. And he says in chapter 5:20 “we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” This group had yet to be reconciled to God. They needed to be. That reconciliation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

For both groups, Paul says, “now is the time.” “Now is the day of salvation”

He means, first of all, that Christ has come. Jesus has fulfilled Isaiah 49 – “now is the day of salvation.” But it’s also a plea to respond now. He wants the Corinthians to believe. May today be, for you, the day of salvation.

Are you perhaps in one of those two groups? Have you either been wandering? or have you yet to believe? Is there something that has caused you to be distant or distracted from God’s grace? Or have you yet to respond to the salvation that God offers you in Christ?

Think about those question. We’ll come back to them when we get to point 3. But in the meantime, the appeal is to “behold.” It’s to consider again the message of salvation that God has offered… and to turn or return to him. Again, we’re going to come back to this when we consider the final obstacle – our own hearts.

2. See the sacrifice (6:3-11)

Ok, let’s move on to verses 3-11. This is point #2. I’m calling it “see the sacrifice.”

In these verses, the apostle Paul now explains that he and the others have sacrificed greatly. They’ve removed many obstacles to belief. Paul lists out all the ways that he and the others have sacrificed for the Corinthians.

To be sure, Paul is not emotionally manipulating them, but is pointing to his love and devotion to them. He wants them to know just how much he has endured because of his love for them. I think, if there’s a word that describes the apostle Paul’s heart it is the word loving.

The care and compassion he conveys in all of his letters is overwhelming. Everywhere he has gone his heart is knit together with those to whom and alongside whom he ministers. He sheds tears when he departs. When he writes, he sends heart-felt greetings, naming specific people and families. And he loves the Corinthian church. He has gone out of his way to express that love. Paul would die for them. That’s very clear here.

That is why he points to all the sacrifices that he and the others have endured for them. Look at the way he describes it in verse 3. “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way.” And then he lists out a snapshot of all that they endured so that the Gospel would go forth to the world, which includes, of course, them.

By the way, when we get to chapter 11, we’re going to see a longer, more specific list, but here, he gives them categories. There are 3 general categories here.

Number one, verses 4-5. They’ve suffered. Paul had scars on his body because of his suffering. He mentions “afflictions, hardships… beatings, imprisonments, sleepless nights, [and] hunger” He had been stoned and left for dead. He had received lashes on his back and he’s been imprisoned in chains. There were times that they didn’t have food or shelter. But they pressed on because people needed to know the grace of God in Christ. They suffered much.

Category 2. Their lives testified to their faith and ministry. Verses 6 and 7. They pursued purity – purity of heart and word and action. They pursued righteousness in all areas of their lives. To everyone they came in contact with, they displayed the fruit of the Spirit – you know, like patience, kindness, goodness, and love. You can see those in the list. They were honest and truthful. They prayed for the Holy Spirit’s work as they faithfully taught the promises of God. In summary – their lives modelled the truth of God in Christ. Let me put that in the negative. They were not hypocrites. Their lives were not a stumbling block to faith. Rather their lives testified to faith in Christ.

And category 3 - verses 8-10. A list of paradoxes – these are the seeming self-contradictory truths that reveal the profound reality of God and the Gospel. Let me read them again to you because they are so beautifully put… “through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” Each one of these displays God’s wisdom and our lives in Christ contrasted with the near-sighted, shallow, and self-serving wisdom of the world.

So, the sacrifices, the testimony of their lives, and the paradoxes

All three categories testify to their faithful ministry in Christ. In other words, the Corinthians could not accuse the apostles of (1) pursuing personal gain, or (2) being hypocritical, or (3) being self-centered. None of those. There were no obstacles (on the apostles side) which hindered the message. As Paul put it in verse 11, their “hearts were wide open” to the Corinthians.

Going back to Diedrich Bonhoeffer, his most well-known quote is from his book, the Cost of Discipleship. He writes, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” We are called to sacrifice. In the same paragraph where he wrote that, Bonhoeffer explains that he means dying to ourselves and to our attachment to the world, and surrendering to Christ. He says, “the cross is laid on every Christian.”

Are not verses 4-11 the way of the cross? Yes, Paul is referring to his ministry. But his ministry, as an ambassador, is patterned after Christ’s ministry. So, Paul’s sacrifice (including his fellow ambassadors) points directly to the sacrifice of Christ. In other words, Jesus removed every obstacle to faith for us. The whole list from verses 4 through verse 10 can be applied to Jesus’ life and ministry and death. You see, just as Paul can say to the Corinthians, “our heart is wide open” so Jesus says to us, “my heart is wide open.” Jesus wants us to respond. He shed tears over Jerusalem because of their unbelief.

There is only one remaining obstacle to receiving the grace of God. And that is… our hearts.

3. Open your heart (6:12-13)

Point #3. Open your heart.

Again, the final hurdle to turn or return to Christ is your own heart. Paul put it this way in verse 12, “You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections” Our affections are our deep desires and compassion for something or someone. The Corinthians had lost their affections for Paul and Christ. They had closed their hearts and would not listen.

Let me illustrate this.

In mid-March, 1980, several earthquakes began to rumble under Mt. Saint Helen’s in the state of Washington. By the end of March, a couple of explosions tore open a 250-foot-wide crater near its summit. In the weeks following, volcanic activity escalated as the dome of this great mountain swelled as the magma pushed closer and closer to the surface. The bulge on its north face grew by 5 feet per day.

And of course, calls went forth to evacuate. Residents in different zones fled the impending erruption. However, Harry R Truman would not leave. (by the way, not Harry S Truman, former US President, but Harry R. Truman).

Truman refused to leave. He ran a lodge on Spirit Lake at the base of the mountain. The Forrest service officials tried numerous times to persuade him. His family, neighbors, and local sheriffs sought to convince him of the impending danger. Even some in the media pleaded with him to evacuate. All to no avail. Some have called Truman the Patron Saint of Stubbornness. The only obstacle was his own heart.

On May 18, 1980, a 5.1 Magnitude earthquake triggered the massive eruption of Mt. St Helens. Volcanic ash spewed 80,000 feet into the air. The north face of the mountain collapsed. And the eruption caused the largest recorded landslide in human history, even to this day. The landslide travelled at speeds over 100 miles per hour and was at points one mile wide. It destroyed everything in its path, including Sprit Lake, and of course, Truman’s Lodge and sadly Truman himself. It buried it all in 200 feet of debris – rocks and dirt and trees. Were it not for Truman’s stubborn heart, he would have been saved.

Paul has been urgently pleading in this entire text that we open our hearts. For the Corinthians, he wanted them to open their hearts to him just like he has to them. That’s what he means there in verse 13, “In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.” When he says, “I speak as to children” he’s saying he’s using simple language. I love you. Will you love me back?

The reason he asks them to open wide their hearts to him… was so that they would open wide their hearts to Christ.

Why? Because now is the day of salvation.

Conclusion

Let’s go back to the two categories of people in Corinth.

The one group were the ones who did believe in Christ for their salvation, but who had wandered away from the path. Paul was redirecting them back to the Gospel. The other group had yet to turn from their sin and unbelief to Christ. They had followed their own path or had followed the super apostles and their message. Paul called on them to believe.

Again, do either of these groups represent your heart?

Have you wandered from the truth of God in Christ? Perhaps there’s an unrepentant sin in your life and you have been unwilling to turn away from it and to submit yourself again to God in Christ. Or maybe you have been in a long period of wandering. There are a lot of reasons we wander. Pain, failure, shame, hurt, disappointment or deep discouragement. Would you listen again to the promises of God in Christ and return to him? Jesus arms are wide open. He wants your heart. He wants you to turn again to him.

Or, let me ask, are you in the second group? Maybe you have Christian friends or family and that is why you are here. Maybe you’ve heard what Jesus offers, but you have yet to believe in him and confess him as Savior. Maybe it’s because you haven’t wanted to submit to Jesus as Lord of your life and all that that entails. But let me tell you, the joys of knowing God in Christ and pursuing him and his righteousness far outweigh the fleeting pleasures of this world and our flesh. If you are in this second group, open your heart and may today be the day of your salvation. Submit to the Lord of all creation who offers you life, and grace, and forgiveness, and reconciliation. Open your heart to him.

After the service or sometime this week, reach out to me or Coleman or one of our members and we will come alongside of you in your journey of faith.

May we all receive the grace of God… not in vain, as it says, but with sincere affection deep within our hearts. Amen