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In this issue, you'll read:
THE BOOK OF 2nd CORINTHIANS - PART SEVEN

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR - FORTY SIXTH EDITION

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Freedom Covenant Global Ministries
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THE BOOK OF 2nd CORINTHIANS - PART SEVEN

I. Devotional Reading

Each morning, select a passage in God's Word. Talk with the Lord as you read the passage, then go back and find one or two verses which the Lord has impressed on your heart and meditate on them.

II. Bible Study

In this edition, we begin looking at the third and last major section of 2 Corinthians - chapters 10-13. This major section can be divided into three minor sections:

1. First minor section: 10:1-11:15 - Paul's defense of his ministry
2. Second minor section: 11:16-12:10 - Paul's basis for boasting
3. Third minor section: 12:11-13:14 - Paul's concern for the Corinthians

In this last major section of his letter, Paul goes to the heart of his reason for writing to the Corinthians. In this section, he is stressing the certainty of his up and coming visit to them, and establishing his apostolic authority to exercise discipline, if necessary.

As you read through this section, note how Paul re-establishes his credentials. In 3:1-5, he wrote that the Corinthians themselves were Paul's "letter of recommendation," but in this last section, he regards his credentials as being his total identification with the sufferings of Christ (note 1:5-11) and total dependence upon God's grace (12:9). He purposely makes a "fool" of himself by matching the self-centered boasting of the false apostles with his own boasting about his sufferings.

"I have made a fool of myself," he says in 12:11, "but you drove me to it."

Some scholars have contended that these last four chapters of 2 Corinthians are out of harmony with the rest of the letter, and therefore may in fact come from a previous letter to the Corinthians, appended at the end of this one. If this is the case, then these chapters may make up part of the letter Paul refers to in 2:3-4.

From the earliest Greek manuscripts, however, the last four chapters are included in this letter, and the second century Church knew the letter only in its present form. It seems likely, therefore, that 2 Corinthians forms one coherent whole.

So pull up a comfortable chair and read chapters 10-13 and see if you can feel Paul's heartbeat for the Corinthian Christians.

III. Memory Verse

2 Corinthians 10:17-18; ¹⁷But "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'' ¹⁸For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Here are a few suggestions that may help you to memorize your memory verses:

1. Ask the Lord to help you remember his Word (see John 14:26).

2. Use the version of the Bible you are most familiar with. What you normally read in your Bible is what you need to be memorizing.

3. Don't just memorize the contents of the verse; memorize its "address" (the verse reference) as well. You can do this by following this pattern: Step 1: reference; Step 2: verse content; Step 3: reference. Then repeat steps 1-3. Note that you are quoting the reference twice as many times as you quote the actual verse content. This gives the verse a clear "reference tag."

4. After you have read your memory verse out aloud several times, try going through your memory verse without reading your computer screen.

5. Look up your memory verse in your Bible. Look at its immediate context and read the verses that come before and after your memory verse.

6. Print out your memory verse or jot it down on a piece of paper. Take this paper with you when you go to work or do other daily activities. Meditate on the meaning of the verse throughout the day.

7. During your noon appointment with the Lord, take out your memory verse and go over it again. Talk to the Lord about what this verse means to you personally.

8. In the evening (at either your evening study or your evening devotions), see if you can quote your memory verse from memory. Then, without looking at the memory verse itself, see if you can find it in your Bible.

9. The next day, before you begin committing a new verse to memory, rehearse your previous day's memory verse and see if you can remember it (without cheating!).

10. Finally, at the end of the week (possibly on Sunday), collect all your week's memory verses, rehearse them and see if you can recall them without reading them. Spend a little extra time on any verses you have difficulty recalling.

11. Remember: Don't just memorize a verse. Put it into practice (James 1:22). It is not being able to quote a verse from memory that counts. It is His Word abiding in your heart that counts (John 15:7). When you actually apply a verse consistently to your daily life; that is when you truly know that verse!

This article is Copyright © 1999, The Online Bible College. It is used by permission and formatted for presentation in this newsletter.

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This newsletter Copyright © 2005, 2006 Freedom Covenant Global Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Individual articles displaying copyrights from other ministries are used by permission, have been formatted for use in this publication, and remain the property of respective ministry. Permission is granted to copy, print, and distribute this newsletter for ministry purposes, whether whole or in part, so long as ALL copyrights remain in place and no copies are printed or distributed for sale or commercial purposes.

Unless otherwise noted: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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