Paul the apostle did
not, “speak” “to condemn” the
church members in Corinth because he “said
before, that you are in our hearts to die and live with you.”
In chapter
seven and verse four of Second Corinthians, Paul shares with the
church members about, “boldness, glorying,
comfort and exceeding joy”
where we read:
Great is
my boldness of speech toward you, great is
my glorying of you:
I am
filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
The verse begins, “Great
is my
boldness of speech toward you, great is
my glorying of you:” Paul
began with the word, “Great”
which
means “large and plenteous” “is
my boldness of speech”
which means “Paul's freedom and unreservedness in speaking frankly
and without concealment” “toward
you” which
means to the church members, “great”
or “large and plenteous” “is my
glorying”
which means “boasting and rejoicing” “of
you” which
refers to the church members. Paul felt
freely open not only to “speak” to the Corinthians, but also to
“boast”
concerning them.
The verse goes on to say,
“ I am filled with comfort, I am
exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.”
Paul added the words, “I am filled”
which means “Paul was made full, abounded, was complete and
furnished and supplied liberally” “with
comfort”
or “importation, supplication, entreaty, solace and that which
affords refreshment”, “I am
exceeding”
which means “Paul abounded beyond measure, overflowed and was
abundantly” “joyful” or
“glad, calm and filled greatly with delight” “in
all” which
means “within each, every, the whole and everyone of”
“our tribulation”
which refers to “Paul and his companions' oppression, afflictions,
distresses and straits”. Paul and his
companions were full of “solace and refreshment” and “abundantly
delighted” in every “affliction and distress” they faced.
When we think through
these words of Paul, we may marvel that he could write this about the
church members while enduring “tribulation”.
However, Paul considered the church members in Corinth worth every
trial he and his companions faced. Though he suffered affliction,
Paul remained “comforted”
and with “exceeding joy”
because of the Christians in Corinth. Jesus Christ desires for his
ministers to have this same resolve. Though they suffer affliction on
behalf of other Christians, they are “filled”
because others know and follow Jesus. The apostle Paul is a great
example of the way we should be toward other Christians, and should
we face great “distresses” because we share the gospel, may our
hearts and minds be “filled with great boldness,
glorying, comfort and joy”
over those with whom we share.
Next
time Paul tells the church members what happened to he and his
companions, “when”
they
“came
into Macedonia”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then,
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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