Forge Church

Paul begins this section with a reference to the fear of the LORD. Looking back, that ties in with the Judgment Seat of Christ, but there will be awe, reverence, wonder, and fear....not terror. Then he shifts to speak concerning those who oppose him, and their focus on "face."The New Covenant Ministry focuses on the heart. There were those who opposed Paul who thought he was crazy. Paul locks in his high doctrine of Christ with the statement "One died for all, therefore all died." And beyond that, old things have been dropped and left, and we are new creations in Christ.

Paul wrote of the day when our earthly dwelling, which he describes as a tent, will be struck down, and we will receive from God a building from God....a supernatural body. At that point in time and eternity, we will be complete in our Salvation. We long for heaven, and the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a pledge that God will keep his promises. We all will be summoned to the judgement seat of Jesus as he tests the works that we did with our faith. Those that were built on the foundation of His righteousness, not ours, will stand the test. That that were done in the flesh will be removed. All of that is to glorify the Father.

Paul wrote of the promise of the resurrection, for the Corinthian believers, and for all those through the ages who have trusted in Christ. And that resurrection is for a purpose....to lift praise to the Father. Paul continued with the phrase with which he began chapter 4...."we do not lose heart." He is looking back at the treasure in earthen vessels and the push-back by Holy Spirit when we are under great pressures.

Paul announces that we possess a treasure within our bodies, our earthen vessels. That treasure is the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. When our earthen vessels are struck, rejected, squeezed...cracks form, and it is through those cracks that light streams forth. We will be squeezed, but not squashed. We will be bewildered, but not befuddled. We will be hunted down, but not abandoned. We will be knocked down, but we will not be knocked out. All those pressures on us are to make the death and the life of Jesus visible within us, and through our words, our emotions, our thoughts, our attitudes....so that we are like Him.

Paul looks back a chapter and half to review all that makes up the New Covenant Ministry so far, then he continues by saying because of that hope, we do not lose heart. Then Paul turns to those who cannot see or hear what is presented about Christ. They have been blinded in their minds by the god of this age, and have set their course for death unto death. He further states that he and the apostolic team are bond-servants of the Corinthian believers.

Paul illuminates the New Covenant Ministry with 4 characteristics: great boldness of speech, unveiled faces and hearts, freedom, and ongoing transformation of our lives.

Paul questions his readers to determine if they are calling for letters of recommendation. His response is to point out that they have hearts of flesh, engraved on the surface by God, and those same engravings are also on Paul's heart. Paul answers his question from above in Chapter 2 with his amazing statement that God has made us adequate for all things! Then Paul turns to focus on the inner heart, not the external practices, for that lines up with the New Covenant that Ezekiel introduced and Jesus Modeled.

The passages immediately prior to Chapters 2:14-7:2 in 2 Corinthians are concerned with tears, church problems, Paul's anguish for the believers he led to the LORD. The New Covenant Ministry Passages, in contrast, are sweet, powerful, filled with grace and promises. We are being led in the triumph of Christ, and we shed abroad the fragrance of Christ whatever we are doing.For some it is life to life sweet perfume, for other, it is the very reek of death as they reject Christ.

In this introduction to Paul's passionate expression of his ministry, we look at the context of the Corinthian churches, and the letters already sent from Paul to them. The passage of 2nd Cor. 2:14-7:2 are wrapped around with tears, struggle, and suffering. Suddenly, Paul breaks out in a cry of thanksgiving , that even when his heart is wrenched, he is able to zoom out and engage with the LORD over being in the train of the triiump of Christ.

In poetic form, the prophecy of Joel proceeds back and forth with both his words by Holy Spirit, and the words of Yahweh, the LORD. The surrounding nations are called to war, called rush to a battle in the "valley of verdict" that they cannot win. The list of surrounding nations to be judged is expanded to include Edom and Egypt for their shedding of innocent blood. They will be reduced a desert wasteland. The LORD will exact vengeance for the shedding of innocent blood, then settle to reign in Jerusalem, on Zion.