1. Paul says, “We behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity.” [chapter 1, verse 12]. Ultimately, this makes me reflect on Jesus of Nazareth. Specifically, this idea of behaving with simplicity and godly sincerity makes me think of how Jesus of Nazareth responded to the uptight expectations of the religious community of His day. The simplicity and sincerity of Jesus makes me think of Edmond Dantès, Master Oogway, Mary Poppins, and/or Willy Wonka.
    • Paul says, “We are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity we speak in Christ.” [chapter 2, verse 17].
    • Paul says, “We renounce disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” [chapter 4, verse 2].
  2. Paul says, “I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” [chapter 2, verses 1-4]. Wowza! This hits close-to-home! This resonates with me in a profound way! This perfectly sums up how I feel about some of my relationships!
  3. Paul says, “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” [chapter 4, verse 18]. This reminds me of what the author of the missive to the Hebrews says, “Moses chose to be mistreated with the people of God rather than settling for a life of complacency in the palace of Egypt. And Moses made this choice because he was obsessed with the reproach (i.e. the disgrace; the scandal) of Christ; Moses actually considered the disgrace/scandal of the Christ to be of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. So Moses left Egypt, which royally irritated the royalty of Egypt – and triggered tremendous negative attention for Moses; BUT Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible (i.e. Moses looked not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen).”
    • I tend to look to the things that are seen. My attention naturally gravitates toward the things that are seen. Like YouTube, and Instagram. For example, later in 2 Corinthians Paul says, “People oftentimes waste their lives measuring themselves by one another, and comparing themselves with one another.” [chapter 10, verse 12]. We are constantly doing this. This is what the media bombards us with, this is what we opt for whenever we scroll on our phones, this is what fuels our voracious appetite for gossip, this is what prompts us to boast about outward appearances [see chapter 5, verse 12], this is what bolsters our incessant efforts to defend ourselves, this is what destroys our relationships and burgles our joy.
  4. Paul says, “While we are still in this tent we groan, being burdened. We long for the moment when what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” [chapter 5, verses 4-5].
  5. Paul says, “We are treated as impostors, and yet we are legit.” [chapter 6, verse 8].
    • This makes me think of David in 1 Samuel. This makes me think of Jeremiah. This makes me think of Elijah. This makes me think of John the Baptizer, and Jesus of Nazareth. This makes me think of Ruth of the Moabitess. This makes me think of Joseph, son of Jacob.
  6. Paul says, “We have spoken freely to you. Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. So I speak to you as petulant children… widen your hearts to us!” [chapter 6, verses 11-12].
    • In chapter 7, verses 2-4 Paul says, “Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” [this makes me think of the book The Great Divorce… where you have people with hellish mindsets interacting with people who have THE MIND AND JOY OF JESUS].
  7. Pauls says, “For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.” [chapter 7, verses 8-9].
  8. In chapter 7, verse 16 Paul says, “I have complete confidence in you.” Really?!?
  9. In chapter 8, verses 13-14 Paul says, “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.” Really!?
  10. In chapter 9, verses 1-5 Paul says, “Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.” REALLY!?!?!
  11. Paul talks about THE AREA OF INFLUENCE GOD HAS ASSIGNED TO US. [chapter 10, verses 13 & 15].
  12. Paul says, “I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.” [chapter 11, verses 1-6].
    • When Paul says, “You readily put up with people who preach different/Satanic gospels.” Which preachers (specifically)? How did the Corinthians feel about Paul saying this?
    • In chapter 11, verses 19-21 Paul says, “For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!” WOWZA! Really!?!?!
  13. Paul says, “I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented.” [chapter 12, verses 20-21]
  14. Paul essentially ends his letter saying, “We pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.” [chapter 13, verse 7].