September 10, 2025

Next month I have been asked to preach a sermon from 2 Corinthians at an event and to do a breakout session on Leading through Change and Conflict at a local pastor’s conference. 2 Corinthians is a great text for that topic as well, so I’ve been reading and listening to this book for a few weeks now.

2 Corinthians begins like 1 Corinthians does in this sense: Paul is relentlessly hopeful about the long-term growth of these believers and says so. You would never know from the introductions how much tension there is between Paul and these believers, many of whom he pointed to Christ. Here are the two examples I’m referring to.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you – so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:4-8)

“Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort…. 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.” (2 Corinthians 1:7, 11)

How can Paul be so hopeful, encouraging, and even dependent upon some of the people whom he has to confront in these letters? When you read through 1 and 2 Corinthians, the issues are pretty tough; and, I would think would cause Paul to want to give up on them or give in to pity for himself, but here he is expressing hope and asking them (of all people) to pray for him!

Even though Romans comes before 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans was written shortly after 2 Corinthians and in fact, was written from Corinth. I think that most of you are familiar with Paul’s honest reflections on the conflict and inconsistency of his own inner being in Romans 7 (see verses 15-24). Have you ever thought or admitted, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (v.15)

Back in 2008 the Food and Drug Administration issued a ruling that all fast-food restaurants had to post the calories of their items. The thought was that when people actually realized how many calories they are consuming, they will make better choices. It made no difference, in fact, some research indicated that people actually ordered more.

I visited a person in the hospital once who suffered from severe emphysema and was on a high level of oxygen. When I inquired as to how she was doing, all she could tell me was how frustrated she was that they wouldn’t let her go outside so she could smoke, even though her doctor literally told her that this was going to kill her.

If you feel (and admit) the illogical craving of a mega-calorie burger or nicotine or sports betting or ______________ (fill in the blank), then you are not so judgy of others who feel the same. You know, like Paul, that there are times when we do not understand our own actions. But there is more.

Christ is going to finish the job he started. Christ is not going to leave us like this. He has guaranteed that one day, when we finish our race, that our profession will perfectly match our practice, and there will be no internal conflict of soul nor conflict with another. I think that is why Paul can be so hopeful with the Corinthian believers. No matter what they are working on and attempt to work through, the day will come when it will be resolved – forever. In view of that day, we can live with great hope and even patience today.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s text: Luke 14:1-6