Day 61 - 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

3 Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! 2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Tori's Comments:

This reminds me of an article I read a few years back that heavily impacted how I view Christianity and witnessing. I didn't realize how rooted it was in scripture until I read this. 

Basically, it said that yes, the bible is like a love letter to humanity, but the author wanted to take it a step further. That CHRISTIANS are God's love letter to the world. This completely changed my mindset, and it's so cool to actually see a similar message in scripture itself!

Terrie's Comments:
I hope that I am leaving a clear letter of recommendation behind me in my path of life.  Where those that my life touches are changed for Jesus Christ and are living for him so that their lives can testify to my life which is changed. 

I know that I am not qualified to do anything on my own.  Anything that is worth while flows from God.  I am glad that under the new covenant that the Spirit gives life.  Living by His Holy Spirit is so much simpler than trying to follow all of the law in my human attempt to be made right with God.   

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 60 - 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.

14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

Terrie's Comments:
Let me start with "hucksters"???  that is a new word that has never popped off the page before.  According tho verse 17 a huckster is someone who preaches for personal profit.  Remind me never to aspire to be a huckster.  

It is interesting to me that our lives should be like a Christ like fragrance rising up to God, a sweet perfume, spreading the knowledge of Jesus everywhere.  For those that are being saved it will be received and perceived as a life-giving perfume.  BUT to those who are perishing it will seem like the smell of death and doom.  (probably because it is... if they reject the truth of the gospel message they are spiritually dead)

This is a good reason to live to please God and not to please Men.  Live led by the Holy Spirit so that you may make the most of every opportunity that comes across your path.  God knows those who are ready to receive him and which ones will only think it stinks.

Tori's Comments:

Okay, I am loving the metaphors that keep popping us in this book. Comparing Christians to a sweet perfume? LOVE IT.

And we are ALL this perfume. And stubborn nonbelievers will not like how we smell. We will be called out or persecuted for it.

But we won't care. Because the rich, invigorating scent is too beautiful to ignore, to not follow. 

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 59 - 2 Corinthians 2:1-11

2 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Tori's Comments:

That even when confrontation with a brother or sister is necessary, forgiveness and the love felt by the wrongdoer is still emphasized is amazing. "reaffirm your love for him".

"we are familiar with his evil schemes" as in that he comes to kill, steal, and destroy?

Terrie's Comments:

This man that is being referred to was the same man talked about in 1 Corinthians who was involved sexually with his mother in law openly.  Paul had told them how to deal with him in his first letter and now that he had been dealt with Paul shows how to reconcile him to the church.  God's heart is always for relationships.  Jesus died to have an open relationship with us without barriers.  Reconciliation is important once sin is dealt with and people turn away from their sin it is important to move on to forgive and comfort that person and welcome them full-heartedly back into the body so they don't become discouraged.  We also do this so Satan has no room to work in the body of Christ!  The last sentence is interesting... For we are familiar with his evil schemes... If we know the word of God and are led by the Holy Spirit who is in our hearts we should be.  He is not that smart.  

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 58 - 2 Corinthians 1:18-24

18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

23 Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

Terrie's Comments:

Through Jesus Christ all of God's promised are YES!  That means that anything God has promised to do is a yes!  We don't have to guess what his answer will be.  The Holy Spirit is placed in our hearts as our guarantee of these promises.  We can be full of Joy when we understand the good news fully.  We stand firm by our own faith in Jesus Christ.  We cannot borrow someone elses faith.  We have to stand on our own to be saved.

Tori's Comments:

I've never thought of the Holy Spirit as a sort of down payment. It's a pretty cool way to think.

Being "full of joy" is something I need to work on.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 57 - 2 Corinthians 1:8-17

8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. 13 Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, 14 even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

15 Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice— 16 first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia. Then you could send me on my way to Judea.

17 You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”?

Tori's Comments:

It's really hard when God strips things we think we need from us, every pang of the chisel He uses causing another wince. The things we craved because we were told we needed them, told we had to have them, slowly fade out of view as we dig deeper into God and His word. Food, clothes, and pleasing others suddenly seem unreliable and all we see is Jesus Himself.

I hope to one day reach a place where all I rely upon is God. Of course, that is a scary thing to wish, because that means removing the things I've relied on my entire life.

Terrie's Comments:

I am so glad that prayer works.  When our prayers are answered God is glorified.  I noticed also that in the second part of today's passage that they have a God given holiness and they are depending on God's grace instead of human wisdom.  All the letters Paul wrote were straight forward so everyone could understand them.  They were not mysterious.  You don't have to read between the lines.  It is not like reading the parables of Jesus.  

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 56 - 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Tori's Comments:
I actually didn't realize that our comfort from God was to be spread. I just assumed they could just go to the source Himself, but I guess when loved ones are dealing with pain, I need to be there.


Terrie's Comments:

Is anybody else getting uncomfortable with the reference that we suffer so we can be comforted and comfort others with the same comfort that we receive through Jesus?  Anyone?  I am glad to know God who is the source of all comfort and to be connected to Him through the Holy Spirit.  So if we suffer as we do God's will Paul is confident that we will also be comforted.  If anyone should know this truth first hand it would be Paul.  I can't think of a time that I have not been comforted by the Holy Spirit through times of trouble so I guess it has also been proven in my own life.  Now how can I pass on that comfort to other believers?



Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 55 - 1 Corinthians 16:19-24

19 The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. 20 All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss.

21 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.

22 If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!

23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.

Tori's Comments:

We have come to an end!

The amount of love Paul displays to those he sends letters to is so cool to see. He is very clear and blunt about it, and writes with affection, even when he may not know some of his audience. This is the fellowship of Christ!

Terrie's Comments:

I love meeting with other believers in our homes.  It is personal and I feel we build each other up in love and bear each others burdens when we meet in smaller groups.  

Love the Lord and teach others to do the same so that if we can at all help it no one is cursed.

THE END OF 1 CORINTHIANS!!

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!