A Godly Jealousy

2 Corinthians 10:1-11:30

Key Verse 11:2

This passage says that Paul has a godly jealousy with which he is earnestly praying for the flock of God at Corinth, so that they would: 

Be obedient to Christ (10:1-6); 

become Christians not just good in lip service (or in speech) but powerful “in actions” (7-11); 

“grow” mature even to the level of operating as partners of the gospel committed to serving the Lord’s world mission purpose (12-18); 

which comes from the union with the Christ the husband as pure virgins (11:1-6); 

preach the gospel “free of charge” [just like our laymen, self-supporting missionaries and shepherds do all over the world, not like many paid clergy men who impose themselves as “somebody”] (7-15); 

defending the gospel which is the only way to keep free from the power of sin and death (16-21a); and

Participate bravely in the sufferings for the name’s sake of Christ, enduring all kinds of hardships and crosses (such as the cross to watch over the flock of God, so they would not go astray in sin (21b-30). 

Read 10:1-6. In this passage the Apostle Paul uses the expressions, "wage war", "the weapons we fight with", or "demolish strongholds." What kind of war is he talking about? What are the weapons he fights with? What is the purpose of this war Paul is referring to? 

** It is the war between Jesus Christ and the devil. 

** Spiritual weapons geared to fight the spiritual battles. Paul lists the spiritual armory in Eph 6:10-19. 

** To help people repent, stop rebelling against God and be obedient to Him.

Read verses 7-11. What do some say about Paul? What does this show us about them? What is Paul's response to them?  

** They say that Paul is a weak person. 

** They saw only the surface of things as they looked at Paul. Being Greek they believed in speech, rather than actions. Hellenistic lifestyle is then shallow, not going to the deeper level of man’s existence; unlike Hellenism which focuses on the holiness of beauty, Hebraism focuses on the beauty of holiness which comes from God and is revealed inside of a man. 

** Paul says that he believes in actions, for actions are the final expression of a man. Notice the four levels of men’s existence: actions, speech, thought, and the world above thought (which is the world of God). So who God is must become manifest in Spirit, then in thought, then in words, and finally in actions. 

Read verses 12-18. What does Paul expect them [i.e., Corinthian brothers and sisters] to do (or be)? What does it mean to "boast in the Lord"? What is Paul's boasting in the Lord? 

** Paul wants them to grow in faith so they could work as fellow workers, to get the gospel beyond the immediate area so that the gospel would reach even to the ends of the earth, even to Spain. 

** First it means that not all boasting is bad; and second, if boasting is to be good, it must first be “in the Lord”, for it is when one is in the Lord all things including boasting become good (resulting in the building up others). 

** Paul is thankful and even proud of the call to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (including Greeks and Romans). 

Read 11:1-6. What is godly jealousy? Why is Paul jealous for them? 

** It is a God-centered jealousy. God is a jealous God. He wants all peoples on earth to love him and him alone. 

** Jealousy occurs when we fear or experience a loss to others. Paul is afraid of losing the Corinthians to the devil, for already some false apostles tried to preach a different Jesus and a different gospel than the Jesus and the gospel Paul preached. 

Read verses 7-15. Why does Paul choose to preach the gospel “free of charge”? 

** Read Matthew 10:8 (Read also 2 Kings 5:15-16)

Read verses 16-21a and think about the statement: “you put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face.” Paul says, “To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!” What does Paul mean by this admission? 

** Paul is saying this to make them ashamed of their foolishness, for in their foolishness (or ignorance) they were looking down on Paul who endeavored so hard to give them the gospel which sets them free, while they themselves freely and so gullibly go to the false apostles (most likely the Jews who tried to turn the Gentiles back to Judaism that enslaves man to slavery to the power of sin and Satan.)

Read verses 21b-30. What does this passage tell us about Paul as a shepherd for God’s flock? 

** He has the image of Jesus who is willing to suffer and endure anything only for the sake of true interest of God’s flock. 

The end

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