Sometimes real love has to take significant risks to redeem a loved one from a bad situation. Today we might call this tough love. This was what Paul was willing to do with the Corinthians when he sent a painful letter to them through the hand of Titus. From what we read in this passage, he agonized over the letter, then agonized waiting to hear from Titus about how it (and Titus) had been received. Fortunately when he finally reconnected with Titus he learned that the Corinthians had responded well. They affirmed their love and commitment to Paul and dealt with the situation that Paul was concerned about. Paul was comforted and filled with joy. Risking a relationship to redeem another person is a hard decision to make. It takes the sort of God-given courage and love that Paul had for the Corinthians.

Paul concludes his letter to the Corinthians reminding them that he hopes not to have to use his apostolic authority to correct the remaining problems in the church when he comes. He then asks the Corinthians to test themselves and examine themselves to see if they really are true believers. We’ll see why he felt he had to challenge them on this, and learn how a person can know if he or she is a true born-again believer in Christ today.

Paul turns the tables on the false teachers in Corinth by boasting in weakness rather than strength. In doing so he shows that God is strong in us only when we are weak, so that being weak is better than being strong since it lets God’s power be seen in us and our ministry. We can therefore be glad for weakness and troubles since when we are weak in ourselves, then we are truly strong.

Paul engages in some tit-for-tat with the false teachers in Corinth, using the foolish ways they used to promote themselves. By doing so he demonstrated that he deserved the same respect and honor these men had received from the Corinthians if their earthly criteria were the true measure of value in ministry.

We can be grateful that Paul engaged in this little bit of foolishness, for in doing so he reveals the high cost he paid to exercise genuine ministry. There are significant lessons for all Christians today, but especially for leaders, in Paul’s example.

The Corinthians in their great tolerance allowed false teachers to bring their teaching into the church. Paul uses his humble, unselfish ministry as a contrast to these self-seeking teachers, and identifies them for who they really are. Tolerance is a Christian virtue unless we allow Satan to use it to distort truth and gloss over sin that we stand against.

Paul returns to the theme he opened 2 Corinthians with – getting ministry right. In chapter 10 he responds to criticisms from some in the church who he knew were looking at ministry and ministers in the wrong way. He appeals to the Corinthians not to misjudge him and leave him with an option he doesn’t want to use – that of using his divinely given power in a way that would tear down rather than build up. He exposes four problems in the way the Corinthians evaluated ministers and ministry, and points out the right way to do this. So that we don’t evaluate ministers and ministry incorrectly, Paul’s words are also for each of us.

When believers give abundantly to God’s work, God provides abundant blessings in return. This was the principle that Paul wanted to get across to the Corinthian church as he urged them to get serious about fulfilling their promise to give to the needs of the impoverished believers in Judea. Believers today need to understand how giving to God works and what they can expect as a result of giving with the right spirit. This passage, more than any other in the New Testament, explains these truths.

Lots of folks have trouble procrastinating. So can organizations. That seems to have been the case with the Corinthian church. So, after challenging the Corinthians with the example of the Macedonian churches’ giving, Paul turns to urge the Corinthians to get down to the task they made a promise about a year earlier. In this passage Paul first urges them to keep their promise, and then gives them assurance about the integrity of the offering they are participating in. He closes by reminding them what their offering really demonstrates.

Poor old Corinth! While they were patting themselves on the back and boasting about what they were going to do for the offering for the destitute believers in Judea, the poor, little, destitute churches in Macedonia had already gathered their gift, and measured by the standards Paul used to evaluate it, it was a huge gift. These Macedonian believers, poor as they were, set the pace in giving for their fellow churches, and Paul used their example to show what real giving was. There are great lessons on giving for 21st Century Christians in the 2,000 year old example set by these poor Macedonian believers.

Perhaps you count yourself among those who are skeptics when it comes to reports of the resurrection of Jesus. You have good company. In this message we meet a skeptic and we’ll see that skepticism can turn to certainty and belief, and we’ll see how that can occur. So, welcome, skeptics.