Gary Gleans

                                                                                            2 Corinthians 4:7-12 But we have this treasure in   jars of clay,   to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.    We are   afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;   persecuted, but   not forsaken;   struck down, but not destroyed;   always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,   so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.    For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So   death is at work in us, but life in you.   The transformational ministry of the Gospel of Christ is accomplished by the power of God through the weakness of men.  It is an honor to be used of God in such an amazing way, but we must never be confused about what is really happening.  The moment we begin to think that we are the ones accomplishing t

                                                                                       2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Therefore, having   this ministry   by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.    But we have renounced   disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or   to tamper with God's word, but   by the open statement of the truth   we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.    And even   if our gospel is veiled,   it is veiled to   those who are perishing.    In their case   the god of this world   has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing   the light of   the gospel of the glory of Christ,   who is the image of God.    For what   we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with   ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.    For God, who said,   “Let light shine out of darkness,”   has shone in our hearts to give   the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  

                                                                             2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Since we have such a hope,   we are very bold,   not like Moses,   who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.    But   their minds were   hardened. For to this day,   when they read   the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.    Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.    But when   one turns to the Lord,   the veil is removed.    Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where   the Spirit of the Lord is, there is   freedom.    And we all, with unveiled face,   beholding   the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image   from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.   The Gospel has an impact on people.  When the Gospel is heard and understood, it brings about changes in the w

                                                                                  2 Corinthians 3:7-11 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. The Law that was given to Moses had a purpose in the will and work of God.  It was a glorious purpose and was delivered as a revelation that caused the face of Moses to glow when he received it.  However, as important and glorious as the Law of Moses was, it cannot compare with what Christ did on the cross and i

                                                                                            2 Corinthians 3:1-6 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need,   as some do,   letters of recommendation to you, or from you?    You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.    And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of   the living God, not on   tablets of stone but on   tablets of   human hearts.  Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.    Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but   our sufficiency is from God,   who has made us sufficient to be   ministers of   a new covenant, not of   the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but   the Spirit gives life. Anything of high value is in danger of being imitated and falsified.  The ministry of the Gospel is of extremely high value.  Those w

                                                                                       2 Corinthians 2:12-17 When   I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though   a door was opened for me in the Lord,   my spirit   was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there.  So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.    But   thanks be to God, who in Christ always   leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads   the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.    For we are the aroma of Christ to God among   those who are being saved and among   those who are perishing,   to one a fragrance from death to death,   to the other a fragrance from life to life.   Who is sufficient for these things?    For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are called to preach the Gospel.  The message that saved us is to be procl

                                                                                       2 Corinthians 2:1-11 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.  For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?  And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.  For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.  Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.  For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.  For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether

                                                                   2 Corinthians 1:15-24 Because I was sure of this,   I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have   a second   experience of grace.    I wanted to visit you   on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.    Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans   according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?    As surely as   God is faithful,   our word to you has not been Yes and No.    For   the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you,   Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but   in him it is always Yes.    For   all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our   Amen to God for his glory.    And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and   has anointed us,   and who has also   put his seal on us and   given us his Spirit in our he

                                                                   2 Corinthians 1:12-14 For our boast is this,   the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and   godly sincerity,   not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.    For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— just as you did   partially understand us—that   on the day of our Lord Jesus   you will boast of us as   we will boast of you.   While we are alive, we strive to live according to the Word of God as we follow the example of Christ.  There are times when we grow towards godliness and there are times when we fail.  However, as believers, we live with a great hope that we will experience eternal perfection.  God is at work in and through us.   WE LIVE BY THE GRACE OF GOD: It is only by God’s grace that we are able to live with sincerity and simplicity.  Paul and his ministry team wa

                                                                             2 Corinthians 1:8-11 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of   the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.    Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us   rely not on ourselves   but on God   who raises the dead.    He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.   On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.    You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf   for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.   Suffering is part of living in a sin cursed world.  The idea that Christians should not suffer is foreign to biblical teaching.  We are called to a life of suffering, and it seems that the close we walk with the Lord and His mission on earth, the more suffering we will face.  It would be hard to find a go

                                                                             2 Corinthians 1:1-7 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will

                                                                                       1 Corinthians 16:19-24 The churches of Asia send you greetings.   Aquila and Prisca, together with   the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.    All the brothers send you greetings.   Greet one another with a holy kiss.    I, Paul, write   this greeting with my own hand.    If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be   accursed. Our Lord, come!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.    My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. Love is the hallmark of Christ in the lives of believers.  We are called to love one another and to love God.  This love is to be expressed and demonstrated in every aspect of our lives.  Paul has said some difficult things in this book.  He has called the church to repent of sin, but these messages all come from a deep and abiding love that Paul has for this church and the believers in the church.  We would do well to emulate this example.  

  1 Corinthians 16:12-18 Now concerning   our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.    Be watchful,   stand firm in the faith,   act like men,   be strong.    Let all that you do be done in love.    Now I urge you, brothers—you know that   the household of Stephanas were   the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves   to the service of the saints— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.    I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for   your absence,   for they   refreshed my spirit as well as yours.   Give recognition to such people. We often forget that these books of the Bible are letters from Paul to a church.  There are personal comments that appear in these letters that provided information.  There are also key exhortations that help us understand the relations