Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 1:1–2 

Introduction (Part One)

Pastoral Transition

What a privilege it was last week to hear Pastor John’s final message as a pastor here at Bethlehem. I was deeply moved. I am glad he taught us about how we can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10). What other category could we use for these days? We are sorrowful because Pastor John’s ministry has changed our lives. As he was preaching, I just kept saying to myself, “All I want is for him to keep going so I can keep listening.” This morning you need to hear me say that I am mourning the end of an era. It is ok to be sorrowful.

But it is a sorrow charged with rejoicing, is it not? Pastor John himself movingly reminded us that our Great Shepherd is risen and therefore he lives forevermore to lead his church. As Pastor John said, we pastors are so limited. We can come and visit you in times of sorrow, but at some point we have to turn and walk away—Ah, but not the man of sorrows—he never leaves—he always stays and omnipresently sticks closer than a brother or pastor! And a pastor may be able to take your hand as you prepare for the grave, but only Jesus can take your hand after the grave because he has conquered death. C.H. Spurgeon said of Christ, “In this life he is our best friend, but at the hour of death, he is our only friend.” Thank God that we cannot say farewell to Christ. He does not transition away from us. Under-shepherds will come and go, but the Great Shepherd is with us always, even to the end of the age.

Therefore, I said it at the Desiring God Pastor’s Conference and I say it here today as well. Transitions exist to make much of the Lord of the church. They exist to keep us from fixing our eyes for too long upon any one man so that we become near sighted. They are an opportunity to test our belief in God’s supremacy and his sovereignty. 

The supremacy of God shines when we trust the sovereignty of God in transitions. I regard this transition as a way of spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things (including pastoral transitions) for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Therefore, you can attend the thanksgiving service for Pastor John on April 14 and thank God for the gift of John Piper without being an idolator. 

There is no false dichotomy here between Giver and the gift. Pastor John has been one of the greatest gifts we have ever received. And we love God even more when we see how great his gifts are. If these are the scattered streams, then how much more vast is the ocean? If these are the scattered beams, then how much greater is the sun? I expect that God will meet with us mightily at that service according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Make plans to be there.

Introduction (Part Two)

A Clarification on the Past and a Rationale for the Future

So in light of our Great Shepherd’s always with us, never forsaking leading of us, let me make two points (one looking back and one looking forward). First, looking back, I believe that an important clarification is in order from the Palm Sunday sermon. The church in certain times and places has had a sad history of anti-Semitism (discriminating attitudes and actions against the Jewish people). This series was entitled Life Together. 

I would remind you that you don’t have to look any farther for anti-semitism than what Dietrich Bonhoeffer was opposing in his day. I make that point because Palm Sunday’s point was that Jesus put a curse on the temple. He did so because he was going to replace it with the temple of his body. I want to make clear that he put a curse on the Jewish temple, not the Jewish people. C.S. Lewis once said that we have to communicate in such a way that we say what we want to say in a way that can’t be taken another way. That means we have to shut some gates so that the sheep do not wander through gates of misunderstanding that we should have closed. 

I want to close the gate of anti-semitism very hard and very loudly. The Bible says with crystal clarity that the gospel is good news for the Jew first and also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16). I agree with Pastor John’s reading of Romans 11:26 that there is a glorious future for ethnic Israel.

Second, looking forward, I believe that the Lord of the church is leading us to do an expository series through the book of 2 Corinthians. Someone once asked me what book I would start preaching on at Bethlehem. I said “2 Corinthians.” In response, the person said, “Why? Are you mad at us already?” That response made me smile. I was quick to say that it is quite the opposite. I love this people even more now than when I first started. But that response to 2 Corinthians does have an element of truth to it.

Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church was somewhat strained by the time he wrote this letter and thus 2 Corinthians bears some of the marks of this strained relationship. So if I am NOT preaching on 2 Corinthians because I am frustrated with you, why am I preaching on 2 Corinthians?

There are many reasons!

Seven Reasons to Preach on 2 Corinthians

1. Because it is Scripture. Much more on this point later.
2. Because I love the entire ethos of 2 Corinthians. The whole letter has the profound ethos of “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). This ethos fits so well with where we are in our life together as a church.
3. Because 2 Corinthians makes so much of the gospel of the glory of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4 actually puts “gospel” and “glory” together—”the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Nothing says Bethlehem more than these two words and I aim to keep them together here for as long as the Lord gives me breath. Paul’s passion for the Corinthians is my passion for Bethlehem: keep you as a pure virgin to Christ so that you will not be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2–3). The next verse says that some can preach “another Jesus” or a “different spirit” or a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4). There is much that is false today. Fake Jesus’, counterfeit spirits, and twisted gospels. We must have the real Jesus, the real Holy Spirit, and the true gospel to keep a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4. Because Paul teaches that God’s glory and the gospel are not minimized, but actually enhanced by our weaknesses! We have the treasure of the gospel in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not us (2 Corinthians 4:7). This is good news for nobodies like us. This in fact is a life message for me. I am not insulted when I hear about my weaknesses. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am stirred to hear Paul say, in effect, “Hey, look, by myself, I am nothing—but by the grace of God, I am God’s man for this task. This is not self-confidence—it is calling-confidence. It is the same kind of confidence we hear in 2 Corinthians 3:4–6 ...
   
   Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
   
   That kind of new covenant confidence provides a good segue into my fifth point.
5. Because (perhaps) no other book in the Bible offers a more sustained and elevated theology of new covenant ministry than 2 Corinthians. I want to grow in my understanding of ministry. I want us to grow into this together. We need to really get what the difference is between gospel and law or a new covenant ministry from an old covenant ministry.
6. Because one of my passions is helping people understand the whole counsel of God. I want the whole counsel of God to expand in your heart and mind so that the Bible will shrink in the sense that the Old Testament does not feel so distant from the New Testament. Paul brings in so much of the Old Testament in this letter and he teaches us how to read it.
7. Second Corinthians will arm us to suffer well. Second Corinthians is Paul’s most eloquent and elaborate exposition of suffering. As Pastor John reminded us in our life together at the end of the age, we must be prepared to stand strong against whatever challenges lie ahead.

Our Supernatural Life Together

It was a common practice in the ancient world to begin a letter with three things: (1) author, (2) recipient, (3) greetings and a wish for health. Paul follows this convention, but transforms it in notable ways. First, he says that he is not an ordinary writer, but someone speaking for God. Second, they are not some ordinary readers, they are the chosen and consecrated people of God. Third, he does not give an ordinary greeting and a health wish, he highlights that their special relationship with God means that God will shower them with grace and peace.

I hope you can see right from the start of this exposition that there is nothing ordinary about our life together. The ordinary realities that Paul transformed apply to us today.

Commonality With Corinth

Now someone might wonder what a church in the Mid-1st century has in common with a church in the twenty-first century. First, we are under the same apostolic authority—our apostolic authority is now found in the Scriptures—including this same letter. Second, both Bethlehem and Corinth have the same identity as a “church of God.” Third, both have God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, as the same fountain of grace and peace. Let us expound these one at a time.

The Same Authority (v. 1a)

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.”

Dearly beloved, this is no ordinary authority that rules over us. This is a complete claim of astounding authority. Paul says two things that spell out his apostleship: (1) he is a representative of Christ Jesus, and (2) this happened by God’s choice. 

First, the phrase “apostle of Christ Jesus” carries an astonishing note of authority. Claiming to be Christ’s representative means that he has Christ’s seal of authenticity and authority. He belongs to Christ and speaks for Christ.

Second, Paul says that he never nominated himself to be an apostle. God chose him for this role. “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15–16). In fact, Paul’s claim goes so far as to say this sovereign choice was made before he was born. Galatians 1:15–16 says that “God set me apart before I was born” and “called me by his grace.” This is astonishing when you think about everything that happened from his mother’s womb until his call in Acts 9. There is so much rebellion against Christ in those years! Yet look at the powerful grace of God. He can decisively end rebellions by transforming people into representatives of Christ.

Application of the Authority and Calling
I will make two points of application. First, what does apostolic authority mean for us today? We are a people under apostolic authority, because God has spoken in the apostolic writings. How do you view biblical authority? There is a spectrum of responses. Some gladly surrender to it and embrace it as a comfort, others bring themselves to submit to it (despite the fact that it is an inward struggle), some take a pick and choose approach that accepts it at certain times, while others dismiss it altogether as largely irrelevant. Where do you fit within this spectrum? I hope by the end of this series, you will find yourself among the glad-hearted submitters!

Second, I wonder how many mourning parents we have here this morning. Some of your hearts are broken by the rebellion of your children. I call you this morning to look away from the rebellion and fix your gaze on what the sovereign grace of God can do. Maybe it is time for a revitalizing power in your prayer life for your children. Do not let present circumstances crush your heart. Look to God! “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with his love he befriend thee.”

Let us look secondly at the unique identity we share in common with the Corinthians.

The Same Identity (v. 1b)

“To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.”

Notice the phrase “church of God,” which is localized in two places—Corinth and Achaia. Notice three things about this verse. First, the phrase “church of God” occurs ten times in the New Testament (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4). It is striking that six of the 10 are in the Corinthian letters. These people needed to be reminded that they were the people of God. Their very identity had implications that needed to be unpacked. It is also interesting that the phrase can be singular or plural. It is plural in two places in the letters to the Thessalonians. 

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews.—1 Thessalonians 2:14

Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.—2 Thessalonians 1:4

In those two texts, it appears that Paul wants to encourage a persecuted church with the knowledge of the unity of the church of God—they belong to something much bigger. In the case of the Corinthians, it appears that Paul wants to humble an arrogant church with the knowledge of the unity of the church of God—they belong to something much bigger.

The Corinthians probably thought they had a reason to be proud. Corinth was the capital of Achaia. There was a vast difference between them. Listen to one scholar’s assessment of the differences (Hans Dieter Betz, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, p. 53.): 

While Achaia as a whole suffered poverty and neglect, Corinth enjoyed prosperity; while Achaia led a quiet life remote from the noise and the press of the city and its politics, Corinth teemed with commerce and intrigue. While the Greeks tried as best they could to preserve their traditional culture, the Corinthians indulged new attitudes and ways of life fueled by the new wealth and unbridled by ancestral tradition. Thus, the province and its capital were in many respects worlds apart. 

Second, Paul uses the term “saint” to designate both the Corinthians and the churches in Achaia. Some segments of the church want to reserve the term “saint” for the super-spiritual, not the rank and file Christian. That is not what Scripture says about saints. In fact, he calls the Corinthian church “saints.” The Corinthian church had its fair share of struggles with sin. The qualifying phrase is important: saints “in Christ Jesus.”

One of my favorite “saint” stories comes from the life of the great preacher Harry Ironside. He was riding on a train and a group of nuns happened to be in his cab. They saw him studying his Bible and so he asked if they could read the Bible together. They came to the verse in Philippians that says, “To all the saints, in Philippi”. Harry said to the nuns, “Would you like to meet a saint?” They said, “Oh yes, we’ve never met one before.” Now, in the Roman Catholic church, the word “saint” does not apply to everyone. Only a select few Christians get to don the mantle of sainthood. So they were surprised to say the least when he held out his hand and said, “Hi, I’m St. Harry, I’m a Christian.”

Application of Our Shared Identity As the Church of God
Let me make two points of application. First, let me say something about the doctrine of proximity. We are part of something bigger—the church of God. We are part of the universal church. God has sovereignly made us a local expression here in Minneapolis of the one, great, sweeping church that encompasses all Christians in all ages. What does it mean to be a church in three locations? We believe in the link between proximity and responsibility. For example, one of the reasons we have a Campus Outreach ministry is that we have more college students per capita here than anywhere except Boston. We believe that the needs of our community highlight a commissioning from God to reach lost people with the gospel.

Second, I wonder where you get your identity? Are you tempted to compare yourself with others? Do you grasp the fact that you belong to a community? Do you feel the strength that comes from being part of something much bigger than you can imagine?

I was watching footage once of the National Geographic on the Nile Crocodile. They showed the great wildebeest migration. I had seen footage before of unfortunate wildebeests that crossed the rivers and get taken down by the crocs. But this time I heard something I had never heard before. The commentator said that time is not on the side of the crocodile. If they don’t get the first wave of wildebeest that go off on their own, they have a hard time getting any once the whole swarm of wildebeests come. Many will not risk getting stampeded by the whole swarm of wildebeests.

Some of you have seen the video of a young water buffalo that was attacked and captured by lions. They fell into the water and a croc grabbed on to the buffalo, but it managed to struggle free. Suddenly, the whole herd of buffalo came charging back to re-claim the calf. One buffalo charged a lion and knocked her sky high. Strength in numbers really means something when you know that our adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Peter says that we should resist him being strong in our faith—and then he reminds us that the same suffering happening to them is happening to their brothers around the world (1 Peter 5:9–10).

The Same Fountain (v. 2)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:2).

Let me make two points on this text: (1) the substance (grace and peace), and (2) the source (God the Father, and Jesus the Lord). God’s powerful grace is what gave life to the Corinthians and peace with God is the effect. Ephesians 2:3–4 highlights that grace is the giving of life, not the offer of life because it makes spiritually dead people alive. Romans 5:1 shows that peace with God flows from our justification by grace—our right standing with God.

Second, look again at the source of grace and peace. Did you notice that I called this point “the same fountain” (singular) and not fountains? There is a very profound reason for that grammatical decision. There is only one preposition for both the Father and the Lord Jesus. They are not seen as the same person, because they are distinguished, but they are not seen as different sources because there is one preposition. In other words, Paul does not make the mistake of saying that God the Father and God the Son are the same person, but he also does not make the mistake of seeing them as different sources of grace and peace—they are unified as the singular source. The benediction of 2 Corinthians adds the work of the Holy Spirit, showing Paul’s belief in the Trinity.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.—2 Corinthians 13:14

Application of One Fountain of Grace and Peace
I want to close with one point of application. I fear that sometimes we fail to really understand what a grace salutation is or even what the nature of grace is. Next week, I am going to contrast cheap grace and costly grace. This week I want to contrast weak grace (good intentioned, but impotent) with omnipotent grace. Weak grace smuggles the idea of leniency into the concept of grace. God just gives us nice stuff because he is nice. He is a grandfatherly-hearted being (popular culture pictures him with a great big long white beard). Let me make one point clear here—God is not a celestial Gandalf. 

My kids all know this from one of their first catechism questions: “What is God?” Answer: God is a spirit and does not have a body like men. He cannot be domesticated. Think about another catechism question: Can God do all things? Yes, he can do all things that please him. How did God make the world: “By speaking powerful words!” Think that kind of grace. A great, bigger than any body-builder, kind of grace. A great big, omnipotently bulging biceps kind of grace.

Another way to summarize this discussion would be to say that verse 2 is not a mere “grace and peace wish.” It is what we call performative. The words are not packed with wishful intentions—they are packed with a sovereign wallop. It is a “speech-act.” The words speak the reality spoken into existence. This is similar to when Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take up your bed and walk” or when God said “Let there be light.” The dead legs of the paralytic obeyed and light was created because these words have the power of the Creator. Paul knows that God’s grace will create things as it flows through the reading of this letter.

There is a text that summarizes almost all that we have seen in these three points.

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.—1 Corinthians 15:9–11

The reason this fills me with so much awe is that every night I kneel down in front of my two little girls and two little boys, and I give them each a blessing on their head beginning with the oldest: “Gracie, may the Lord bless you and keep you, and cause his face to shine on you, the Lord lift up his countenance on you, be gracious to you, and give you peace.” And they just tuck their little head under my hand, and if I forget, they will scream to high heaven. And sometimes they seem to be more interested in playing games than receiving a blessing. “Oh, you can’t get my head, I’m over here—no, I'm over here now on the side of the bed.” This playful pretending would last until I would pretend to not give her a blessing. Then she would scream to high heaven. She would immediately tuck her head under my hand.

The Christian life is all about the blessing of the gospel. God our Father has his hand of blessing out, and we’re so distracted by the other games we are playing! We’re like my kids, playing a game, looking over here, looking over there and God has his hand of blessing out as if saying, “Will you just let me bless you? Will you just receive me as Father and know that I am loving you today and always? Will you just remind yourself that you’re My child and that I will not leave you as an orphan, but I will use my omnipotent, almighty power in your behalf?” Will you receive His blessing now? Will you tuck your head under His hand and say, “I will rest my head here now and always.”

Three minutes of silence.