Lesson 19 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 9:12-15 & Chapter 10:1-7

“Living Under Christ’s Authority”

Through the Holy Spirit, God used Paul to teach the Corinthians what giving is all about, and in the process, we learn how to give by studying God’s Word.

We serve a God who is the ultimate giver; He gives so we can give. God proved His capacity to give by giving His only begotten Son for us. This was God’s plan from eternity past.

When you have some time, think about all that God has given you throughout your lifetime. Then think about all the times you’ve sinned against God.

Before your mother gave birth to you, God knew in advance every sin, every failure, and every time you would grieve Him, and yet He never withheld His blessings from you. God is amazing!

Last week we were reminded that God loves a “cheerful giver.” Being a cheerful giver can only take place when our giving comes from the heart. With that, there’s no reason to give if your heart isn’t in it.

We also were schooled in the subject of sowing… when we sow seed, it has an effect on the material and the spiritual world in which we live. Sowing and giving are intertwined, in that when we give with liberality, the ripple effect can be far reaching. To be sure, God will use our giving in ways we never imagined!

2 Co 9:12:
“For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,”

For the administration of this service… this is just another way to word the ministry of their giving, but if we check out the word “service” (lie-tour-gee-ah) it refers to kind of priestly service… so we could say that what the Corinthians were doing was a spiritual service unto God.

This giving that was done, the verse tells us… supplies the needs of the saints, which was practical, it was going to take care of the basic needs of the church in Jerusalem. As a result of this giving, God was going to get praised and worshipped… abounding through many thanksgivings to God.

To get a picture of giving, let’s look at the story of “The Last Bag of Rice.”

Pastor Jonah had served his small church in Manila for years, but nothing had prepared him for the lockdowns. Many of his church members lived day‑to‑day; if they didn’t work, they didn’t eat. Now, no one could work.

Every day someone knocked on the church door asking for food, and every day Jonah gave what he had, but now the pantry was empty. All that remained was one bag of rice, and it was barely enough for his own family. His wife, Lani, looked at him with tired eyes. “Maybe we should keep this one,” she said softly. “Just this once.” Jonah understood. Their two children were already thin, but he also knew the family waiting outside: a mother with three kids who hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

He closed his eyes. “Lord, what do I do?” The answer wasn’t a voice, just a quiet conviction. Give it. So, he did. He handed the last bag of rice to the mother, who cried as she hugged it to her chest. Jonah smiled, but inside he felt hollow. He had nothing left to give. Nothing left to feed his own family.

That night he knelt on the church floor. “Father, You called me to shepherd these people. I can’t do it without You. Please provide.” He prayed until he fell asleep. At sunrise, he was awakened by a loud rumbling outside. He rushed to the door.

An unmarked delivery truck, engine still running, was parked in front of the church. A man in a reflective vest waved him over. “Pastor Jonah?” “Yes?” “This is your delivery.” “I didn’t order anything.” The man shrugged. “Paid in full. Instructions say to unload everything into the church pantry.”

Jonah opened the truck. It was filled floor to ceiling with rice, canned goods, noodles, powdered milk, cooking oil, and fresh produce. Enough to feed the entire community for weeks. He felt his knees weaken. “Who sent this?” he asked. The driver checked his clipboard. “Doesn’t say. Just a note.” He handed Jonah a small card. On it were four handwritten words: “God sees your faith.”

Jonah pressed the card to his chest. Tears streamed down his face. “Thank You, Lord,” he whispered. “You always provide.”
Just like Jonah worshipped and praised God for the gift he just received, the believers in Jerusalem worshipped and praised God… through many thanksgivings to God.

2 Cor. 9:13:
“While, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,”

(NLT) “As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”

When we’re lined up with God, we’re “not” who we used to be.

Being “lined up” with God means our relationship with Him is alive and refreshed. It means we’re not drifting or disconnected, but we’re walking closely with Him, not as strangers, but as His children. If we sin, we’re quick to confess, keeping our communion with God intact.

When we find ourselves in this kind of relationship with God, our heart’s desire is to serve Him, and through serving Him, we want to give as well. I think that’s where the Corinthians were in their walk. When you step out in faith to serve and give, you’ll discover a joy that runs deeper than you expected.

There’s incredible fulfillment in wanting to be part of serving, because it’s never only about finances; it’s about being ready to offer your whole heart and your whole life.

2 Cor. 9:14:
“And by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.”

The believers in Jerusalem wouldn’t just be thanking God for how generous the Corinthians were, they would also be praying for them as well. I mean, think about it. When someone pours into your life, you can’t help but pray God’s blessing over them. If you want people praying for you, live generously. Generosity ignites prayer in others.

Who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you…

When Christians give without expecting anything back, it feels like grace in motion.

People instinctively lean toward those who live in a Christ-like manor… God’s grace looks good on people. Other believers would naturally want to pray for them, and honestly, they’d want to hang out with them too because you could clearly see God’s grace working in their lives in such a strong way.

2 Cor. 9:15:
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

This is a verse that ought to be on billboards across our nation, yet when the world reads it, they have no idea what it really means.

When believers read this verse, they are reminded of what God has done. The Father sent His Son to this sin-soaked world to purchase our freedom.

We’ve just come through Memorial Day, when we pause to remember the men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms we cherish, but as meaningful as their sacrifice is, it still pales in comparison to the sacrifice of Jesus.

John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Father giving His Son, so that we might live, is the most indescribable gift ever!

I think when Paul wrote this, he was reflecting back to where the Corinthians were and how they had repented and moved forward. Jesus’ indescribable gift, His sacrifice, resulted in God’s grace… which is poured out on all who would believe.

The Corinthians needed God’s grace, and they received God’s grace.

We’ve talked about sowing and reaping. Great sowing results in a great harvest. To sow a seed, it must be planted in the ground to die.

John 12:24:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

It’s like God sowed the life of Jesus the way you’d plant a seed, and from that single seed grew a vast harvest of souls brought back to God.

At the core of giving is grace, and God gives us His perfect grace. In a small way, when we give, we are imitating God.

Eph. 5:1-2:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

The Corinthians had gotten it together with Paul’s leading and pastoring, and now they had become a sweet-smelling aroma before God.

Can we say the same thing? When we give, are we a sweet-smelling aroma to God as well? If we’re not, we need to make a change, and that first change is to die to self we only need to look to Jesus to see how it is done.

Giving goes way beyond money. Giving needs to be a life-style, an attitude of the heart. Grace giving and grace living go together.

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT):
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

If you don’t have a “life verse,” these two verses from Romans would fit in nicely.

We’re closing our two chapters on giving, and I hope the Holy Spirit has used it to encourage us to take another look at the way we give. God has given us more than we deserve, so we need to be imitators of Jesus and give to those around us.

CHAPTER 10

We’re now getting into the last section of 2 Corinthians, where Paul basically has to stand up for himself as an apostle. These chapters are his response to all the rumors and accusations his critics in Corinth were spreading. As you read what he says, you can pretty much piece together what they’d been saying about him, things like, “He’s not a real apostle because he doesn’t have the right paperwork from Jerusalem,” or “He’s got shady motives,” or “He’s unimpressive in person, so why would anyone listen to him?” They even claimed that he talked big in his letters, but he wouldn’t dare say the same things face‑to‑face, and with that, you couldn’t count on him to keep his promises.

Let’s keep in mind, that Paul was not defending himself in these chapters; he was defending his apostolic office and the message he preached.

2 Cor. 10:1:
“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ… who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.”

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you…

Paul starts out with a strong declaration, simply by saying; I, Paul, myself! Right out of the gate, Paul is standing on the authority given to him by Jesus, meaning his apostleship.

Paul didn’t just wander around calling himself an apostle, he carried real authority that came straight from Jesus. He often reminded the churches that he wasn’t appointed by a committee, a council, or the Jerusalem leadership. His calling came directly from the risen Christ on the Damascus Road. That encounter is what gave him the right to speak and lead with confidence.

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ…

The world often says, “meek and mild, gentle Jesus” to depict Him as having a weak demeanor. Is this true? It’s really just a cultural exaggeration, and not the Jesus you actually meet in Scripture.

Paul knew this intimately, and that’s why he uses the word meekness.

Meekness… (prah-t’ace) it refers to a humble and gentle attitude. It also speaks of those who are free of anger, hatred, bitterness, and a desire for revenge.

What we really see in this meekness is power under control. Meekness can be used to describe a powerful stallion so well trained that it yields to the slightest nudge of its rider.

It was real meekness on display when that first strike of the whip tore open Jesus’ back… and again when they drove the nails through His hands and feet. The One who created the universe could have ended His executioners in an instant, but He chose not to. His strength showed up in His restraint.

John 10:17-18:
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Gentleness…

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus calls Himself “gentle and lowly in heart,” but this gentleness displayed is the same Jesus who commands storms and casts out demons.

Biblical meekness = power restrained for a greater purpose.

When the whip tore His back open… When the nails were driven through His hands… When the crowds mocked Him… He wasn’t powerless… Jesus was purposeful. The Creator of the universe held back all the power at His disposal because love, not force, was His plan.

It was Christ’s meekness and gentleness that served as a blueprint for Paul to follow.

Who in presence am lowly among you… but being absent am bold toward you.

(NLT) “though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.”

By Paul taking up his cross daily, adhering to a pattern of meekness and gentleness, his opponents misconstrued it as a sign of weakness and timidity according to their own standards.

2 Cor. 10:2:
“But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.”

I know in the past two chapters we talked about the Corinthians that had repented, and we even referred to them as having a “spark” within them, but that didn’t include everyone, there was a remnant among them who could be considered as rebels. This is who Paul is addressing here.

(NLT) “Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.”

Paul is begging these rebels so he doesn’t have to be bold against them. In today’s terminology, being bold doesn’t carry the same weight as it did in Paul’s day.

Bold… means to exercise courage. To drill down on this a little bit, this courage means acting without fear, regardless of the threats or consequences.

Paul’s life pretty much proves his courage. He went up against angry mobs, took beatings, spent time in jail, lived through riots and shipwrecks, and even had people plotting to kill him.

Again, Paul is handling this situation with meekness.

What was the real situation? The false teachers and the people buying into their lies were basically trash‑talking Paul. They were saying he was “living in the flesh,” essentially accusing him of being driven by selfishness, and having sinful motives. In their minds, Paul was only in it for himself, chasing money, personal gain, and all kinds of wrong desires. Ironically, the things they were accusing Paul of, they were probably guilty of… gee, this kind of sounds familiar.

2 Cor. 10:3:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.”

It’s similar to saying, “We live in this world, but we’re not of it.” Paul acknowledges that he walks in the flesh… of course he does, and so do we. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be human, but when it comes to confronting these Judaizers, Paul isn’t going to fight using human methods. Our warfare isn’t carried out in the flesh.

Eph. 6:12:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Quite frankly, a spiritual war cannot be successfully fought with “fleshly” weapons. Paul wasn’t relying on clever ideas, human strategies, or man‑made methods. His battle wasn’t a human one, so he didn’t fight it with human tools. A spiritual war calls for spiritual weapons… straight from God’s own arsenal.

2 Cor. 10:4:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”

Our country is currently engaged in a war right now. While much of it is kinetic (carnal), another part of it spiritual, which many do not see.

The question is, how do we fight against “the rulers of the darkness?” I think you already know the answer… by prayer, using the Word of God, love, and the power of the Spirit at work in our lives.

Zechariah 4:6:
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”

2 Cor. 10:5:
“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

Paul states he is “Casting down arguments” or “We are destroying speculations.”

Put simply, Paul was confronting and destroying antichrist mindsets… and that struggle continues in full force in our world right now.

This has to do with all human or demonic thoughts, opinions, philosophies, viewpoints, or religions. Let’s face it, anything that is contrary to God’s Word is the spirit of antichrist.

Everything that contradicts God’s Word ultimately pushes against the knowledge of God. It includes any belief system or idea that presents itself as “truth” but doesn’t match Scripture… anything that exalts itself above the true knowledge of God.

Spiritual warfare isn’t about chasing demons around as some may think. It’s really about the battle for a person’s mind. With that, many are stuck believing lies that go directly against what God’s Word teaches. That’s where the real fight is happening.

Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…

Paul is fighting a spiritual war for the minds of the Corinthians. False teaching leads to wrong thinking, which then leads to disobedience. Paul’s goal is to capture thoughts so that believers think rightly, and then obey Christ. The “strongholds” Paul talks about are false ideas, and the “captives” are the thoughts of people influenced by those false ideas.

In a practical application for the believer, we need to recognize the battles that take place in our mind. To paraphrase, Paul is saying: “Don’t let your thoughts run wild. Every temptation, fear, lie, and sinful desire starts as a thought… it’s what we do with those thoughts that matter.” Remember, it’s not a sin to be tempted, sin happens when we give in to temptation.

Also know that this isn’t a one‑time event for us… it’s a lifestyle. When we have a thought that we know is wrong, ask the Holy Spirit to come in and change that thought.

To the obedience of Christ…

Every day thoughts come continually… you evaluate them, you reject the lies, you embrace God’s truth, and you obey Christ. Over time, your mind is transformed. Peace comes with having the mind of Christ.

2 Cor. 10:6:
“And being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

This is about knowing who the enemy is. A disciplined soldier knows to wait when on the battlefield, holding the line until the true enemy can be identified.

Paul was waiting… we could say he was waiting for the dust to settle… waiting to see who accepted the truth and who was going to reject it.

We saw in verse 1 Paul used the word “bold” in the way he interacted with the Corinthians, whether he was away from them or with them. The true meaning of bold in this context means to exercise courage.

Now Paul is ready to display this bold courage on those who rejected the truth… it says, to punish all disobedience. Paul showed compassion to those who walked in obedience, but to the disobedient, he proved to be a courageous and highly capable adversary.

To punish… (ek-die-keh’-o) it means to avenge. This was a godly action that Paul needed to do.

Deut. 32:43:
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”

To say the least, the false teachers and those who sided with them were God’s adversaries… and Paul says, to punish all disobedience.

2 Cor. 10:7:
“Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.”

Paul is entering the defense of his apostleship. Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? Most translations do not present this as a question, but more as a statement of fact.

The false teachers are challenging Paul’s apostleship. Paul is telling the Corinthians to observe what should be painfully obvious to them by now… that Paul was a true apostle.

This had to be terribly frustrating for Paul, because deep down in his heart he just wanted to be about the Lord’s business, and not having to defend himself because of these “low-life” false teachers.

What’s the best way to avoid being taken in by false doctrines? Study God’s Word, it’s the genuine article. That way when the lies cross your path and challenge your beliefs, you will know the truth.

John 10:27:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

So, what exactly did Paul have to contend with, when it came to the claims of these false teachers?

These impostors dared to declare that they were Christ’s own representatives, insisting they were Christ’s chosen messengers… men personally sent by Him, enlightened beyond all others, and armed with a level of authority they claimed no one could challenge.

Just reading this makes my blood boil.

Acts 20:29-30:
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

Paul isn’t warning about outsiders only, he says some will rise from within the church, twisting truth and pulling in disciples after themselves. This is exactly what was taking place in the Corinthian church.

If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s…

When Paul says, “If anyone,” he’s basically calling out the “ringleader” of these false teachers and apostles. This was the guy that was probably making the loudest noise out of all of them.

(NLT) “Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.”

It’s interesting at this point that Paul isn’t denying their claims that they belong to Christ. To paraphrase, Paul is saying, “You can say whatever you want… that you belong to Christ. I am letting it be known that I belong to Christ.”

The truth is, it was merely a claim the false teachers were making, and Paul was just as qualified to make that claim himself. The difference was, Paul could back his statement with his own history, and the false teachers, not so much.

It’s kind of like the soldier who receives a “Bronze Star” metal from his heroic actions in battle. He can give you all the details of what happened to him while trying to save his friends.

Then you have a person who is imitating a hero (we call it stealing valor); they want all the glory and fanfare, but when it comes to revealing the facts of the battle, they lie or just come up empty.

Since the Damascus Road, Paul has a never-ending story. If we were giving out metals, we would have to give Paul the Medal of Honor. The plain truth was, these false apostles had nothing but words, there was no fruit to their labors.

We can see the defense strategy of Paul… it’s called speaking the truth. When people get caught up in lies, it’s easy to get tripped up, forgetting what you said. The truth is simple to remember.