II Corinthians 2

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, it was necessary for him to reprimand a certain member of the congregation. By extension, he was asking the congregation to also reprimand this individual. But the story doesn't stop there. Along with reprimands and discipline, must come forgiveness. In this letter, Paul is asking for the congregation to extend forgiveness to the one that needed discipline.

Just like with our kids, we can't always be telling others about what they are doing wrong. And we certainly can't refuse to give them another chance when they have sought repentance and changed their ways. Of course, we continue to be vigilant against sin in the church, but the situation is rectified, we must forgive and love the believer.

Is there anyone in your life that you are holding a grudge against when you should be forgiving?

II Corinthians 1

God doesn't promise that the Christian life will be free from turmoil and strife. In fact, most times the Christian is full of turmoil and strife. We are going against the grain of the world. God did design the church in such a way that we don't have be alone as we go through the hard times.

As a support network of believers, we are able to share the peace and comfort of God when we have it and we are able to accept it from others when we don't. Amazingly, we aren't all sharing the same experiences at the same time, so there is almost always someone that is having a great day to your bad one. And as believers, we are called to share our good days with those that need them in the hope that someone else will share with us when we are in need.

When is the last time that you shared a good day with someone in need?

I Corinthians 16

We are all called to different tasks within the church, but we are all called to the same church. Paul's closing reminds us that although we meet with a relatively small group of people in our individual churches, we are not alone. There are other believers and other churches out there.

When a fellow believer visits our church or community from outside, we should welcome them and help them on their journey. We should not be standoffish or a clique. The work of the Gospel is not about our small circle of influence, it's about a world that doesn't know Christ. That world cannot be reached for Christ if we that are believers do not get along with one another.

I Corinthians 15

Christianity is not a cafeteria plan. We cannot pick and choose which things we will believe and which we will not. Either we believe completely or we do not believe at all. Just as it was impossible for the Corinthians to say that they believe in Christ but not in a resurrection, it is impossible for us to say that we are Christian and yet to do believe the fundamental truths of the faith.

Too many people in our modern world want to believe that Christianity is just about being moral or good and they refuse to believe in the divinity of Christ. Too many people want to believe that Christianity is just a set of rules to live by and they refuse to believe in the life changing power of the Holy Spirit. Too many people claim to be Christian and yet do not even know what that means.

We cannot have it both ways. We cannot be Christian and yet not believe.

I Corinthians 14

"Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." That's really the point of this passage. Much has been made over speaking in tongues and whether it's valid or not and what this passage is really referring to, and while I have my opinions, I'll not go into that here. The point is valid regardless of what you believe with regard to tongues. The point is that there is a time and place for everything and that the church must recognize this. If there is not order and no consistency then the body cannot be effective.

If we are only talking to God and to other Christians, then there will be no growth. If we are only focusing on the lost, then there will be no discipleship. We have to find the time for both and allow both in the body, and we must do it in an organized fashion. We can't expect new Christians to understand as much or be as mature as those that have been believers longer, so we need a system for discipleship. We can't expect the lost to suddenly darken the doors of the church either, so we need to find a way to relate to them on their level and in their language.

I Corinthians 13

Almost everything that we do can be done in one of two ways: selfishly or selflessly. The outcome depends heavily on which of those you choose. I could teach in front of a crowd of people because I selfishly wanted to hear their praise when I finished, or I could teach the same topic to the same group because I genuinely wanted them to learn. Which do you think would be more successful?

People can see right through your motivations in most cases. It takes a pretty talented liar to fool others into thinking that you are more interested in them than yourself, and it's even more difficult over time. Paul is simply saying here that if your focus is on loving one another and putting other's needs ahead of your own, then you won't have to be misleading and you'll have success.

I Corinthians 12

The beauty of God's creation lies in the diversity. If everyone were the same, this world would be quite a boring place where only a few things ever happened. If we were all poets, who would paint? If we were all writers, who would perform?

Everyone has a different purpose that when put together with others forms a strong team called the church. Some of us are there to invite non-believers, some of us are there to teach believers, some are there to hold us accountable, and some are there to help through hard times. We can't succeed without everyone working together and recognizing that they complement the others.

It's not a competition against each other to see who is the most important or most gifted; it's a team effort where I ask you to help in the areas where I'm not strong and I help you in the places where you are weak.