2 Corinthians – Just Keith Harris

“Light Momentary Afflictions, Eternal Weight of Glory” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

Greetings Sojourners!

It has been a while since I’ve gotten to write, and it’s long overdue. A friend asked me a few weeks back if he’d been removed from my list to send out Bible studies. I assured him that I hadn’t and that I had been working on so many different avenues. His response hit me pretty hard after I listed out the litany of said avenues; he said, “You’ve got to make time for things that are important to you.” Well, this ministry is important to me – not for the opportunity to write and publish but to share God’s Word and help people make sense of it and apply it in their lives. That has to begin with me, though.

It seems like this past year has been such a weight. Not to rehash or bore you with repetition, but the ordeal of losing the ability to walk, spending a month in the hospital, and working to be able to, well, be able to do everything again has been taxing – more taxing than either I’m willing to admit or than I even fully realize. I sat in counseling earlier today in the office of a friend who is trying to help me process the past year and its toll, reminding me that it’s not fragile or weak to struggle through things that are immensely difficult and that what I perceive as failure is sometimes just life. At the end of the session, I said, “This too shall pass”, and he said, “That sounds good to say, but it’s harder than that.” I knew as soon as I said it that I didn’t believe it. I understand it intellectually. I believe it fundamentally. But practically? No, that’s not how I am living.

I find myself living in the tension of the last line of one of my favorite novels, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:

The tension is that I have to row against the currents bearing me pastward while lifting my eyes “to the hills”, to where my help comes from – “from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). The same Lord who held me through the past year – through the past forty years – is still my “keeper” (Psalm 121:5) and can surely “keep [me] from all evil”, “keep [my] going out and [my] coming in”, as He has kept my life (Psalm 121:7-8). The One who holds all of my tomorrows can hold me from being carried by the currents of life because He is the God who calms storms, both literal and figurative.

The reality is that difficulties happen. Ordeals overwhelm. Bodies fail. Plans fall apart. A year goes by, and it brings mixed emotions of pride at making it through and the recognition that there are some things one cannot make it through unscathed. So, here I sit in my office, hoping that these thoughts I have been struggling to put down will be helpful to you.

So, dear Sojourner, let’s walk through this bit together.

—

Do you ever feel that there just isn’t enough time in a day? Or a week, month, or year? Just me?

Of course, I’m not the only one to feel this pressure or tension, trying to fit all the things that must be done alongside the things that need to be done – and even fit a few select items on my to-do list that I merely want to do. I’m a husband, father, brother, son, uncle, teacher, pastor (and try to fit as much friendship/fellowship and writing as I can).

I try to be a good steward of my time and to use it as best I can to live the life I am called to live. This isn’t merely careful scheduling but growing to understand that I only have so much bandwidth to be the man I was born again to be. I am reminded constantly that I can only do what I can do, and I find I identify more with Paul in Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” – in context, of course. What I mean is that I am learning more and more that I “know how to be brought low” and “how to abound”, understanding that “plenty, hunger, abundance, and need” are just a part of life. So, in saying I can only do what I can do, I realize with each new limitation placed on my life that I can only do what the Spirit of Christ enables me to do – or moves things around to let me do.

Now, when I talk about limitations, let it be known that I am not a fan. However, limitations are the norm. We are limited by our humanity – our fallen-world flesh. Just as the fall of man into sin brought death into the world, we have been, in a sense, dying since we began living. That probably sounds morbid to you; rest assured, it does to me, too. But, then again, I am 40 years old in a body that is aging more rapidly than I would like, learning realities like arthritis and mysteriously crippling autoimmune responses. But as the song based on Job 1:20-22, “Blessed Be Your Name”, says, God is still good and life is still a blessing whether the “land is plentiful” and “the sun’s shining down on me” or if “I’m found in the desert place” or “the road marked with suffering; in all of life, any strength I have comes from the Lord – “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” – because the strength I have within myself is surely not enough.

Maybe you feel that you are not enough. Or you may feel that when everything you want to do and everything that is required is set before you, you just don’t stack up – you don’t measure up to the task(s) at hand. Just me?

Just like I’m not the only one to feel the pressure or tension of not being able to get all the things that need to be done or that I want to be done completed, I’m also not the only one who feels like he doesn’t measure up – that the task(s) at hand are too much for me. No matter how much my ability or knowledge grows, my mind and body age daily. Things that should be simple sometimes become hard. Sometimes, my get-up-and-go has simply gone-off-and-went, and I find myself identifying with the Preacher of Ecclesiastes:

Well, maybe I don’t quite identify fully with the Preacher there, because, Lord willing, I’m not headed out to pasture or returning to dust and crossing over into glory just yet.

I realize that, as I said earlier, this likely sounds morbid – and probably depressing, but this ain’t that kind of Bible study.

The longer I live and the further I get into middle age, the more I see the beauty in life despite its troubles and the amazing grace found in the reality that this world is not all that there is. The farther we get from the Fall and the effects of sin and death reigning on the earth, things break down more and more, and it becomes especially important for us to remember that this world is not our home, we’re just passing through. We need to remember that our hope, if it’s founded only in this world, has an expiration date. Hope in Jesus has no expiration date because it’s fixed on Him and grows out of His grace to us – grace that carries us fully through suffering in such a way that endures, produces character, and builds that hope into our lives (Romans 5:2-5).

So, let’s look at a few passages in the New Testament that help fix our eyes on Jesus and the eternal hope that can be found only in Him.

There is a Race Set Before You (Hebrews 12:1-2)

At Christ Community and The Foundry, we’re currently walking through Hebrews 11 on Sunday mornings and looking at those men and women “who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:39), the “people of old” whose faith in God saw “commendation” from God for being assured of “things hoped for”, being convicted “of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1-2). We have looked at the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses – with more in the coming weeks. Hebrews 12, obviously, comes out of that context as it talks about being “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1).

Similarly to how I said earlier that the God who had faithfully carried me through my life thus far could surely carry me for the rest of my life, we are called to look at the faith this “cloud of witnesses” put in Jesus – how even though they were living in the Old Testament, they trusted God and held to His promises, knowing that “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23) without needing to see the fulfillment of the promise. We look to these witnesses, not to see how we stack up against these mighty heroes of old but to see that the same God who worked through Moses is the same God who works in His people today – realizing that Moses did not serve God because he was great but that the great God worked mightily in Moses (a testimony I am sure Moses would wholeheartedly agree with). Looking at the testimonies of faith in the lives of these men and women frees us to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Let’s unpack that.

Our sin weighs on us and holds us back, that much is clear. What is less clear is how we fail, time and again, to realize that the sin we cherish is seeking to kill us. In church life, too often we act like we do not enjoy the sin that we constantly return to, and I believe that is our undoing. It would do us well to look to the wisdom of the Proverbs when we draw our sin up to us closely as if it were a blanket offering warmth, not realizing we are being burned:

The sin that clings to us needs to be cast aside before we get burned. We need to fix our eyes on Christ and look to Him for comfort, peace, and rest, understanding that He knows best and has a plan for our lives that does not include the damage from sin that we refuse to see.

Now, I realize that even before last summer my athleticism was nothing to brag about, but if I were to have to run a race, even I know that I don’t need to do it with my backpack and heavy work boots on. I would need to cast all of that off. Believe it or not, I’ve actually run a race (and didn’t come in last place). I ran in the 5K portion of the races benefiting St. Jude a few years back. Those races take place in December, and it was cold. I tried running in a coat while practicing, and it was more than a little aggravating swish, swish, swishing along and eventually having to take it off and carry it before the end. I tried running in the old-fashioned long johns that I had grown up with, but the fabric was too thick and made it hard for my legs to move and bend as they should while literally chafing against me in the second and third miles. I had to cast those things aside and gird myself for the race at hand. So it is in “the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Saying God has a plan for your life is not something to take lightly. He has prepared a course for all those He has saved (Ephesians 2:10). It is for us to recognize what needs to be taken off so as not to be held back as we run to Him.

Too often, we are mournful about what has to be taken off, and that is because we are suffering from having our eyes on the wrong things. While the men and women of Hebrews 11 are truly a “great…cloud of witnesses”, looking to Jesus is the key for understanding this. Hebrews 12:2 says we are to look to Jesus “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” – don’t miss this: “for the joy that was set before Him”. We get caught up on the excruciating nature of the cross and the sin and shame He bore and hypothesize how He must have felt; this is because we are worldly and pain and suffering distract us from the joy set before us. The sin that we allow to cling to us pales in comparison to the joy set before us in Christ. He is to be our joy more than heaven is to be our finish line.

When I was in the rehab for physical and occupational therapy, no one could have prepared me for how hard it would be. But on day one, I asked them what I would have to do in order to be released and go home to Candice, Keri, and Xander; I had to be able to pass a test to get in and out of a car unassisted, be able to walk a certain distance, and be able to climb more steps than are at the entrance of my house. I had to be able to endure at least an hour and a half of physical therapy and then turn around and do at least another hour and a half of occupational therapy. It was grueling. I sweated. I cried. I had to endure the humiliation of being lapped by a 90-year-old man with a hip replacement and having to be watched in the shower to ensure I could care for myself. I had joy set before me, though. I wanted to go home; no, more than that, I wanted to walk up to Candice and the kiddos and wrap my arms around them while standing in our house. I ran the race that was set before me.

Now, I realize that was only one leg of the race God has set before me. I constantly have sin trying to cling to me and weigh me down, and I have to consistently look to Jesus as the joy set before me and tear the sin away and cast it aside. How about you? What sin is clinging to you and weighing you down? Where are you on the course God has set before you? Rest assured, dear Sojourner, and look to Jesus. He’s worth it all.

We are Clay in the Hands of the Potter (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)

All my life I have sought to be independent and resilient. I wanted to be a strong man who could carry the load of others. I wanted no one to have to help me or carry my burdens. Part of that is noble, but that last part was pure foolishness. That’s not how life works. Most importantly, that’s not how God intended for life to work for His people. He didn’t tell us only to bear the burdens of the weak but reminds us that we are all in need of burden-bearing when He said,

I had deceived myself. Thankfully, God in His divine providence put me in a position to see just how foolish I was (and still reminds me on an as-needed basis when my view of burden-bearing gets out of whack).

We’ve already talked about how we get weighed down with sin when we take an earthly perspective instead of an eternal perspective, so we won’t rehash that here. The crux of 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 is that “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” – the treasure being “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” from 2 Corinthians 4:6. I’ll make this simple. I don’t want to be a jar of clay. I want to be something sturdier. I want to be, as I said, resilient. But remember, I also said I can be a fool.

There are many verses in the Bible that use the imagery of God being the potter and His people being His clay (Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:1-6, Romans 9:20-21, 2 Timothy 2:20-21 and so on). The Bible also shows us the foolishness of the clay talking back to God in Romans 9:20b-21a: “Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay…?’” Suffice to say, I have talked back to the Potter more than I should and made my case for being more than a jar of clay, but in His grace and wisdom, His answer through His Word has been clear and reminds me that it is best to “be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). It is better to be clay in the hands of the Potter than any other substance for any other purpose. In the same way the Lord has set a race before me, He has molded me for the purpose He has for my life – and the same with you.

The earthly perspective sees clay as weak and breakable. The eternal perspective reminds us that we jars of clay are “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” and that “death is at work” but “life” through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 12). The value of the jar of clay is not in its resilience or strength but in the Potter. Think of the McCarty and Peter’s pottery in Mississippi. To some it looks like brown containers, but to those who know the skill and talent of McCarty or Peter it has value beyond its use.

Over the past year, I have lamented the way that my body has seemingly betrayed me. I have lamented with other brothers and sisters whose mitosis went haywire in their bodies to create cancer cells instead of normal healthy cells. I have lamented with brothers and sisters whose brains and memories are degrading leaving seemingly less than they thought they were. Ultimately, that’s what I lament in my own life: being less than I thought I was. That’s an earthly perspective. The eternal perspective is that I was “bought with a price” and am not my own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) – that I have been ransomed from sin and death and the “futile ways inherited from [my] forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The eternal perspective tears down the foolishly short-sighted earthly one in that I cannot see what His plans are fully at this time but I know that “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23) – I “know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Timothy 1:12) – and I know that it is useless to try and worry too much over this jar of clay when “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

This is the beauty of this passage. Look at the clarity of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, as God’s Word says it more clearly than I could hope to expound it:

This world is not all that there is. This body is not all that there is. The troubles we experience are not all that there is. No, all of the trials and sufferings this life can throw at us are light momentary afflictions that will be forgotten as easily as a mother forgets labor once her baby is laid in her arms. When I fall on my face at the feet of Jesus once this life is over, I won’t remember I was a jar of clay because I won’t shatter when I fall in front of Him. I won’t shatter because the nail-scarred hand that wipes the last tear from my eyes will lift me up because He cares for me (Revelation 21:4, 1 Peter 5:6-7). And here’s the beauty, dear Sojourner, it is that same strong hand that keeps us from shattering in our jars of clay in the present. How about you? Do you long to be more or are you satisfied with being His? Do you take an eternal perspective with your eyes lifted to the hills, looking for help and fixed on Jesus, or are you letting every weight of sin drag you down as if this world were all there was?

May we fix our eyes on Christ!

Wrapping Up

I don’t know if all this makes sense or if it’s just cathartic rambling on my part. That’s not for me to know. I reckon that’s above my pay grade.

My mind has been so frazzled and I’ve struggled to get my thoughts down for so long that this may not make a lick of sense. But praise God, His Word doesn’t return void. I hope some of this helps you. More than that, I hope something in here points you to the hope found in Jesus and lifts Him up as worthy of worship and worth living for.

All I know is that I am thankful that He has provided me brothers and sisters to help bear my burdens (and that they’re persistent even and especially when I’m too hardheaded or willfully ignorant to see that I need the help). I’m thankful that despite my failings and flaws He has set a race before me. And I’m thankful for this jar of clay because, without it, I may think that I could do this on my own, unable to realize that “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

I think that’s my prayer for you, too, dear Sojourner – not that you’ll suffer or struggle but that you would set Jesus as joy before you so that whatever the world is throwing at you, it pales in comparison to the glory and worth of Jesus – that whatever light momentary affliction you face would be seen as such, and, as the hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, says “the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”. Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Heb. 12:1-2, Phil. 4:10-13, 2 Cor, 4:7–18.

2 Corinthians 13 on 12/19 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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As Paul closes this letter, he reminds the Corinthians that he is coming to them for a third time, and this visit will not be casual (v. 1). Like a careful judge, he says that every matter will be established by “two or three witnesses,” and warns that if those who continue in sin do not repent, he “will not spare” them when he comes (v. 2). Some have questioned whether Christ is really speaking through Paul, but Paul turns this around: if Christ truly lives in them, they should be able to see His power at work through Paul too (vv. 3–4). The same Jesus who was crucified in weakness but now lives by the power of God is the One working in and through Paul—even when he looks weak on the outside (v. 4).

Paul then gives one of the most searching commands in the New Testament: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (v. 5). Instead of spending their energy judging Paul, they need to look honestly at their own hearts and lives. Are they walking in obedience to Christ, or clinging to sin (vv. 5–7)? Paul’s great desire is not to “win” against them but to see them restored—to see them strong in the truth, even if he looks weak or unimpressive in the process (vv. 7–9). His authority from the Lord is given not to tear them down but to build them up (v. 10).

He closes with a warm, pastoral call: rejoice, aim for restoration, listen to his appeal, agree with one another, and live in peace so that “the God of love and peace” will be with them (vv. 11). He reminds them that they are part of one family in Christ, greeting one another with a holy kiss and sharing in the unity of all the saints (vv. 12–13). Finally, Paul ends with a beautiful Trinitarian blessing: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all (v. 14). This is the life he wants for them—a church humbled, examined, restored, and living together in the love and presence of the triune God.

🌀 Reflection:
It is easy to evaluate everyone else—leaders, churches, friends, even culture—but Paul calls us to turn the mirror on ourselves. Are there places where you resist correction, cling to hidden sin, or excuse patterns Jesus is calling you to lay down (13:5–7, 20–21)? Ask the Lord to help you see yourself truthfully—and to lead you toward real repentance, restoration, and peace.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Invite a trusted, mature believer to gently “help you examine yourself” this week—ask them where they see Christ at work in you and where they think He may be calling you to grow.

2 Corinthians 12 on 12/18 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul continues his “foolish” boasting by describing an astonishing experience from fourteen years earlier, when a “man in Christ” was caught up to the third heaven—Paradise—and heard things too wonderful to repeat (vv. 1–4). He is clearly talking about himself, but he only tells the story to show that even such great revelations are not the real foundation of his ministry. Instead, he points to a “thorn in the flesh,” a painful, ongoing weakness allowed by God to keep him from becoming conceited (v. 7). Paul begged the Lord three times to take it away, but Jesus answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (vv. 8–9). Because of this, Paul chooses to boast in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on him, learning to be content even in insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties—for when he is weak, then he is truly strong in Christ (vv. 9–10).

Paul reminds the Corinthians that they have already seen the marks of a true apostle in his ministry among them: steadfast endurance, and “signs and wonders and mighty works” done in their midst (vv. 11–12). The only way they were “treated worse” than other churches was that Paul refused to be a financial burden, like a spiritual father who gladly spends and is spent for his children (vv. 13–15). He firmly denies any accusation that he or his coworkers used the collection or their visits to take advantage of the Corinthians, pointing instead to their shared integrity (vv. 16–18). As he prepares for a third visit, Paul is concerned he may find ongoing sins—quarreling, jealousy, anger, gossip, and sexual immorality—that would require painful confrontation rather than joyful encouragement (vv. 20–21). Even here, his desire is not to win an argument but to see them strengthened in genuine faith.

🌀 Reflection:
Most of us want God to remove our “thorns”—the weaknesses, limits, or ongoing struggles we feel. Paul reminds us that sometimes God’s answer is not to take them away but to meet us in them with sufficient grace (vv. 7–9). Where do you feel weak today? How might that very place become a platform for Christ’s strength to shine through you?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Share 2 Corinthians 12:9 with someone who is struggling, and send a short note or message reminding them that Jesus’s grace is enough—even when the thorn stays.

2 Corinthians 11 on 12/17 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul opens this chapter with a “godly jealousy” for the Corinthians, like a father who has promised his daughter in marriage and longs to present her as a pure bride to Christ (v. 2). He fears that, just as the serpent deceived Eve, their minds may be led astray from simple, pure devotion to Jesus by teachers who preach “another Jesus,” bring a “different spirit,” and offer “a different gospel” (vv. 3–4). Out of love, Paul reminds them that he is not inferior to these so-called “super-apostles,” even if he is not a polished speaker, because he has true knowledge of the gospel (vv. 5–6). He also defends his choice to preach the gospel “free of charge,” supported by other churches, so that the Corinthians would see the difference between his sincere ministry and the greed of the false apostles (vv. 7–12). These men are not true servants of Christ but “false apostles,” disguising themselves as messengers of light just as Satan does (vv. 13–15).

Because the Corinthians have tolerated these deceivers, Paul reluctantly engages in “foolish” boasting to show the contrast between himself and his opponents (vv. 16–21). He matches their claims of heritage—Hebrews, Israelites, offspring of Abraham—and then goes far beyond them in the things that truly mark a servant of Christ (vv. 22–23). Instead of boasting in power and comfort, Paul lists his many sufferings: floggings, beatings, shipwrecks, dangers on the road, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, exposure, and continual anxiety for all the churches (vv. 24–28). On top of these, he recalls his humiliating escape from Damascus in a basket as one more example of his weakness (vv. 32–33). Paul concludes that if he must boast, he will boast “of the things that show my weakness,” because it is in that weakness that God’s strength and grace shine most clearly (v. 30).

🌀 Reflection:
Paul’s love for the churches shows up not in comfort or applause but in costly concern, daily prayer, and a willingness to suffer for their good (vv. 23–29). Where might God be calling you to a deeper, more sacrificial love for His people—even when it is unseen, misunderstood, or hard?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray by name today for at least three fellow believers (or church leaders) who are struggling, and send one of them a short message or note of encouragement that points them back to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10 on 12/16 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul shifts his focus to the rebellious minority in Corinth, appealing to them “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” even as he prepares to confront ongoing disobedience (vv. 1–2). Some accuse him of being weak in person but strong only in his letters, yet Paul explains that his ministry is a spiritual battle, not fought with worldly tactics but with God’s powerful weapons that tear down strongholds, demolish arguments, and take thoughts captive to obey Christ (vv. 3–6). His authority, though often questioned, was given by the Lord to build up the church, not to tear it down (vv. 8–11).

Paul then exposes the folly of his opponents who commend themselves and measure their success by comparing themselves with one another (v. 12). In contrast, Paul refuses to boast beyond the limits of the ministry God assigned him, reminding the Corinthians that they themselves are proof that he truly was sent by God to them in the first place (vv. 13–14). His desire is to see their faith grow so that his mission can extend to “regions beyond” where Christ has not yet been named, and he closes by insisting that true boasting is only in the Lord and that real commendation comes from God, not from self-promotion (vv. 15–18).

🌀 Reflection:
Paul reminds us that real spiritual warfare is fought with truth, prayer, and obedience, not with image management or human cleverness (vv. 3–5). Where are you believing “lofty opinions” that oppose God’s Word, and what would it look like to bring those thoughts under Christ’s authority today?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Identify one lie or false narrative you’ve been believing, write down a specific Scripture that counters it, and pray that God would help you take that thought captive to obey Christ this week.

2 Corinthians 9 on 12/15 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul continues talking about the collection for the believers in Jerusalem and explains why he sent brothers ahead of him. He doesn’t want his earlier boasting about the Corinthians’ eagerness to give to prove empty, so he wants their gift to be ready as a willing offering, not something squeezed out of them at the last minute (vv. 1–5). Their readiness matters, because their generosity is both a proof of God’s grace at work in them and a public witness to others (vv. 3–5).

Then Paul gives a powerful picture: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (v. 6). Each believer should give as they have decided in their heart—not reluctantly or under pressure—for God loves a cheerful giver (v. 7). God is able to make all grace abound so that they will have what they need and can abound in every good work (v. 8). Using the image of seed and harvest, Paul says that God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, and He will also supply and multiply their resources and increase the harvest of their righteousness (v. 10). As they are enriched in every way, they can be generous in every way, and this generosity will produce thanksgiving to God (v. 11). The result of this gift is twofold: it meets real needs among the saints and overflows in many thanksgivings to God, as believers praise Him for the obedience and generosity of the Corinthian church (vv. 12–13). Those who receive the gift will glorify God and pray for them, seeing the “surpassing grace of God” in their lives, and Paul ends with a doxology: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (vv. 14–15).

🌀 Reflection:
Paul reminds us that giving is an act of trust—one that shows whether we believe God will supply what we need (vv. 8–10). When we give cheerfully, we not only meet needs but also cause others to thank and glorify God (vv. 11–12). Ask yourself: Does my generosity reflect confidence in God’s grace?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Prayerfully choose one specific way to give generously this week—whether to a person in need, your church, or a gospel ministry—and do it deliberately, cheerfully, and in faith that God will use it to stir up thanksgiving and glory to Him (vv. 7–12).

2 Corinthians 8 on 12/14 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul turns to the collection for the struggling believers in Jerusalem and calls the Corinthians to finish what they started (vv. 1–6; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1–4). He first points to the churches in Macedonia as an example: even in “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty,” they overflowed in rich generosity because God’s grace was at work in them (vv. 1–2). They gave “according to their means” and even “beyond their means,” entirely of their own accord, begging for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints (vv. 3–4). Before they gave their money, they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to Paul and his team, showing that generous giving flows out of a heart fully surrendered to God (v. 5).

Paul urges the Corinthians—who already excel in faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love—to also excel in this grace of giving (v. 7). He doesn’t command them but tests the sincerity of their love, grounding everything in the grace of Jesus: though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich in salvation and every spiritual blessing (vv. 8–9). Since they were eager to begin this collection a year ago, Paul now urges them to finish it, giving willingly according to what they have, not what they do not have (vv. 10–12). His goal is not to burden them, but that there would be a fair sharing—those who have more now can supply the needs of others, just as God supplied manna so that no one had too much and no one too little (vv. 13–15; cf. Exodus 16:18). Finally, Paul commends Titus and the other trusted brothers who will help carry the gift; everything is arranged in a way that honors the Lord and avoids any hint of mishandling, because they “aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man” (vv. 16–23, 21).

🌀 Reflection:
When you think about generosity, do you mainly think in terms of extra money—or in terms of grace? Paul shows that real giving starts when we “first” give ourselves to the Lord (v. 5). The Macedonians gave joyfully in hard times because they were captured by Christ’s grace, and Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to see that our giving is one way we reflect the self-giving heart of Jesus (vv. 2–4, 9). Ask the Lord to show you where your heart might be holding back—whether in money, time, or attention—and to make your generosity an overflow of joy in what Christ has already given you.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Identify one concrete way this week to share your resources with a believer in need or with gospel ministry—then do it intentionally, “according to what you have,” and as an act of worship, not pressure (vv. 11–12).

2 Corinthians 7 on 12/13 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul begins by calling believers to respond to God’s promises with holiness: since God has said He will dwell with His people and be their Father, they must cleanse themselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (v. 1; cf. 6:16–18). He then urges the Corinthians again to “make room” in their hearts for him, reminding them that he has not wronged, corrupted, or taken advantage of anyone (vv. 2–3). Even in all his troubles and fears, Paul says he has great boldness and overflowing joy because of what God is doing in them (vv. 4–5).

Paul describes how deeply discouraged he was when he came to Macedonia—“fighting without and fear within”—until God comforted him through the arrival of Titus and the good report Titus brought (vv. 5–6). Paul had sent a severe letter that grieved them, and for a while he wondered if he had been too harsh (v. 8). But Titus reported that their sorrow led to real repentance, a change that showed they truly belonged to the Lord and still loved Paul (vv. 7–9). Paul explains the difference between godly grief, which produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, and worldly grief, which leads to death (v. 10). Their godly grief showed up in eagerness, indignation over sin, fear of God, longing, zeal, and a desire for justice (vv. 11–12). Because of this, Paul is deeply comforted and rejoices; he is glad he boasted to Titus about them, and now he can say with confidence, “I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you” (vv. 13–16).

🌀 Reflection:
Think about how you respond when God confronts your sin—through Scripture, a sermon, or even a hard conversation with a friend. Do you tend to feel embarrassed because you got caught (worldly grief), or broken over how your sin grieves God and harms others (godly grief) (vv. 9–10)? Ask the Lord to use sorrow over sin to draw you nearer to Him, producing eagerness, reverence, and renewed obedience rather than shame and retreat (v. 11).

💬 Mission Challenge:
If someone in your life has spoken hard truth to you for your spiritual good, reach out to them this week. Thank them for caring enough to confront you, and encourage them with how God has used that “godly grief” to grow repentance and holiness in your life (vv. 8–9, 13).

2 Corinthians 6 on 12/12 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul pleads with the Corinthians not to receive God’s grace “in vain,” reminding them that now is the favorable time and now is the day of salvation (vv. 1–2). As a minister of reconciliation, he works hard to give no obstacle to the gospel, commending himself not by comfort or success but by patient endurance through afflictions, hardships, beatings, imprisonments, and sleepless nights (vv. 3–5). At the same time, his life is marked by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, sincere love, truthful speech, and the power of God (vv. 6–7). He holds together sorrow and joy, poverty and spiritual riches, being treated as nothing and yet known and loved by God (vv. 8–10). All of this is Paul saying, “You can trust my heart and my message—I am suffering for your good.”

Because of this, Paul tells them that his heart is wide open toward them and urges them to “widen” their hearts in return (vv. 11–13). Then he calls them to holy separation: they must not be unequally yoked with unbelievers in ways that compromise their loyalty to Christ, because righteousness and lawlessness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, God’s temple and idols simply do not belong together (vv. 14–16). Paul reminds them that they are the temple of the living God, and God Himself has promised to dwell among them, walk with them, receive them, and be a Father to them, making them His sons and daughters (vv. 16–18). The grace that saves also calls God’s people to live distinctly for Him in the middle of a watching world.

🌀 Reflection:
Are there places in your life where you might be “receiving the grace of God in vain” (v. 1)—enjoying gospel words but resisting gospel change? Ask the Lord to show you where your heart needs to “widen” toward Him and His people (vv. 11–13), and where you may need to come out from unhealthy, spiritually shaping influences so you can live more clearly as His beloved son or daughter (vv. 16–18).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Examine one close relationship, habit, or partnership this week and honestly ask: “Is this helping me follow Jesus, or pulling me away?” If it’s pulling you away, take one concrete step—have a hard conversation, set a boundary, or make a change—so that your life more clearly reflects that you are God’s temple.

2 Corinthians 5 on 12/11 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul looks honestly at life, death, and eternity. Our bodies are like fragile “tents” that will one day be taken down, but believers have the sure promise of a permanent, resurrection “building from God” that is eternal and secure (vv. 1–4). Because God has given us the Spirit as a guarantee, we can be confident—even as we groan in weakness now—that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (vv. 5–8). This future hope shapes our present purpose: whether we are here or with Him, our aim is to please Christ, knowing that we will all appear before His judgment seat to receive what is due for what we have done, whether good or evil (vv. 9–10).

This leads straight into Paul’s description of the gospel and our mission. The “fear of the Lord” and the love of Christ together drive him to serve and persuade others (vv. 11, 14). Because Christ died and was raised, those who belong to Him no longer live for themselves but for Him (vv. 14–15). In Christ, we are a new creation—the old has passed away and the new has come (v. 17). God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and entrusted to us the ministry and message of reconciliation, so that we now serve as ambassadors for Christ, pleading with the world: “Be reconciled to God” (vv. 18–20). At the heart of this message is the staggering truth that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (v. 21).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you feel the “groaning” of life in your earthly tent right now (vv. 2–4)? Bring that place honestly to Jesus, and ask Him to help you live today with two things in view: the aim of pleasing Him (v. 9) and the privilege of representing Him as His reconciled, new-creation ambassador (vv. 17–20).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Initiate one gospel-shaped conversation this week—share with someone (briefly and in your own words) what it means that God is reconciling sinners to Himself through Christ, and use 2 Corinthians 5:21 as the verse that anchors what you say.