2 Corinthians 6:3-10

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

While giving no obstacle in anything, in order that our service should not be found at fault, but rather while commending ourselves in every way as servants of God: in much patient endurance, in afflictions, in troubled times, in difficult circumstances, in beatings, in imprisonment, in actions of the mob, in distress, in sleepless anxiety, in considerable hunger, in a state without moral defect, in knowledge, in emotional calm, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in words of truth, in the power of God – through the weapons of righteousness for the right and left hands, through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise, as while being ignorant and while being brought to an understanding, as while dying and behold we live, as while being punished and while not being executed, as while being sorrowful and while rejoicing, as poor and while making many rich, as while having nothing and while possessing everything.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul gives us three sections of text.  In the first section, Paul gives us all the negative dimensions of obedience to God: affliction, persecution, distress, anxiety, beating, imprisonment, mob action, hunger, difficult circumstances.  He makes it all sound so pleasant and inviting, doesn’t he?  But the truth is that Paul knew all of those things personally in his life.  He isn’t speaking from some platitude as one who has “heard such things” exist but as one who has lived through them.  Paul is just being honest.  To follow Christ means to invite these things into ones’ life.  It doesn’t mean to simply be open to such things, it means to welcome them and know them – for they will come.  When we choose God over the world, we will know persecution, trouble, affliction, distress, etc.

Do you know these things spiritually?  Does your relationship with God put you at odds with the world very often?

Second Thought:

The second set of words that Paul gives to us is the positive list.  These are things like being without moral defect, having knowledge, being in emotional calm, living in kindness, knowing the Holy Spirit, knowing genuine love, speaking words of truth, acting under the power of God.  These are the benefits of knowing God.  These are the things that God imparts to us.  These are the things to which we can look forward in anticipation with God.  When we walk with God, we may be at odds with the world.  But when we walk with God, we can know these benefits from God as well.

Do you know these things from God?  Do you see the evidence of them in your life?

Third Thought:

Finally, Paul gives us a third list.  These are a list of paradoxical realities.  Let’s highlight a few of these.  Paul says we appear to be dying and behold we live.  We die to the world.  Our own passions are cut off while we embrace God’s agenda.  From an outside perspective we die, but internally we know life as we never could know before.  Paul says that we are sorrowful and yet rejoice.  When we look at the world, we cannot help but be sorrowful.  Yet when we look at God, we cannot help but rejoice.  When someone rejects God, we cannot help but be sorrowful.  But when someone turns to God and rejects the world, we can know joy for them!  Paul says we live as though having nothing and yet while possessing everything.  We who follow God know that life is not found in the material possessions of this world.  Yet at the same time we know that God has given all things to us for the completion of His will.  We want nothing of this world, but we have everything in Christ.  The life of a Christian is a paradox.

Where do you feel the paradoxical statements that Paul gives here?  How does living in paradox make you feel in a normal day?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 6:11-13