2nd Corinthians – Godly Social Order

Paul, an Apostle, I

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Godly Social Order

Lesson: 1-25

Genre: Talk

Track: 1

Dictation Name: RR4161A

Location/Venue:

Year: 1998-2000

[Mark Rushdoony] I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Let us pray.

Our most good and gracious God and heavenly Father, we come before Thee now as thy children. We pray that thou wouldst teach us to be more obedient to you each day. We pray that you would teach us to do Thy will, in every aspect of our lives. We thank you for the opportunity we have to gather together because of your so great salvation. We pray that you would encourage us in your work and in your service. We pray that you would make glad our hearts in our service to you. We pray for thy church everywhere that seeks to maintain faithfulness to you, especially those who are persecuted for your sake. Bless those who are in the field even now, seeking to alleviate their distress, and encourage them in their work. We ask that you would bless this time we have together in your word, we ask this in our savior Christ’s name, amen.

[R.J. Rushdoony] Our scripture lesson this morning is 2nd Corinthians, the 1st chapter, verses 1-11. Our subject; Paul an Apostle. With this passage we begin our study of 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians1:1-11

“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.”

There are some important things to bear in mind as we begin the study of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. As soon as I was able to read, I began to read the Bible from cover to cover, over and over again, year in and year out. Many speak of the Bible as an inspiring book, but while we must say that it is an inspired book, it is hardly inspiring. There are grim, sad stretches of sad reading, like Jeremiah and Lamentations.

As I began to grow into a measure of maturity, the most painful reading became 2nd Corinthians. That the great apostle should be treated so shabbily by the church was hardly promising to us lesser men. Much of the letter was painful for Paul to write, and it is also painful for us to read. This is not to say that there are not marvelous and joyful passages in 2nd Corinthians, but all the same there are some very painful ones too.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a happy and cordial one, and he began that letter: “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ”. But he begins 1st Corinthians: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ” And 2nd Corinthians, “Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ”. This is very interesting. In his letter to a fine group of Christians who were living happily in the faith he speaks of himself as a servant. But here he invokes his authority as a special emissary of the great king of kings and Lord of lords. The letter goes out under Timothy’s name also, so even though it is written by Paul himself, he invokes a double authority. The letter is about two things basically, and a great deal more, but one of these is the glory of God, and the other is the reputation of Paul. And he feels very definitely that the two are tied together. He has been the faithful servant of Jesus Christ, and to impugn him is to impugn Him that sent him.

In verse 2, Paul’s greeting speaks of the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord, kyrios, in the Greek text. Now, that is a very, very important term to apply to Jesus. In the Septuagint, that is, the Greek version of the Old Testament, the translation from Hebrew into Greek, the word kyrios, KYRIOS, is used to translate Jehovah, or Yahweh. So that Jesus is clearly, plainly represented as God incarnate. Thus Paul’s greetings not only invoke the name of God, but they identify him with Jesus Christ.

Moreover, Paul is the chosen emissary or apostle of this almighty God. Paul’s authority is not self-chosen, but confirmed. Conferred by God the father. Thus to disagree with or to reject Paul is to reject God. Now it is that clear-cut. So that people who have over the centuries because they do not like Paul’s plain speaking, tried to separate Paul from Christ and from God the Father, are not Christian. Very plainly Paul is identified with Christ and with God.

For anyone to know or attempt to know God apart from God and the Bible is folly. Because He cannot be so known. God fully identifies Himself with His word as given through Paul. Paul is the bearer of the word, of the authentic gospel. For this Paul suffers at Corinth and elsewhere. An ordinary pastor or missionary can suffer for his failures and shortcomings, but God had so identified Himself with His apostle, that we have here the authentic word of God, given by inspiration. Therefore as the sufferings of Christ abound with us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.

All Christians, to some degree, suffer in Christ. Hatred for Him, for Christ, falls on His people. they are resented because they represent another law standard and another kingdom. Paul however suffered not only for Christ’s sake, but also for the Corinthians, he tells us in verse 6. To bring them a faith which separates them from the world, and incurs the enmity of the world as it transfers the Corinthians allegiance from Rome to Christ; from Caesar to Christ.

All allegiance then, was a radical concept. Today when we speak of allegiance it does not mean too much to us except to say; “Well, I am in favor of this or that.” But in New Testament times, it meant being the property of the state and its ruler. If your allegiance was to Rome, you were Rome’s property.

In verse 7 we see the difference in meaning, between being a member of Rome and a member of the kingdom of God. In Christ we are made partakers of the kingdom, both in suffering and in comfort. Being partakers in this sense, was alien to the pagan state. In Christ it is a personal relationship to Him, the great king over all kings.

In verse 8, Paul goes on to speak of his affliction in Asia, at the hands of both believers and unbelievers. Now that is the sad part of Paul’s life. To suffer affliction at the hands of believers as well as unbelievers. It went so far that Paul despaired of life, so oppressed was his every hour.

In verses 9-10 he tells us that we had a sentence of death within ourselves. Now, the precise meaning of ‘sentence of death’ is not given. It could mean a legal death sentence, or an inward anticipation of being slain for the sake of the gospel. This sentence had as its goal to lead Paul to trust not in ourselves but in God who raiseth the dead. God is the raiser of the dead, and He must be our mainstay, hope, and trust. Throughout both Corinthian letters, the resurrection stands as a constant reminder that our faith culminates in this remarkable and radical victory over sin and death. The resurrection is more than a future event, it is a present reality because of Christ our lord, and a governing fact in all our lives as our certain future.

We are the people of the resurrection, and our future governs all of creation, which is destined to be recreated to conform to the resurrection kingdom.

In verse 11, supplication for one another is presented as a duty and an expression of faith. We have a requirement to pray one for another, as not only our duty but as a mark of faith. Supplication for others is a duty, and as Philip (Edcom?) Hughes remarked, the duty of prayer is not a modification of Gods power, but a glorification of it.

Thus Paul begins his second letter, and the theological level is awe inspiring. But no doubt some cynical Corinthians derided it, and called for the simple gospel, meaning a minimum of belief. Paul tells us how far reaching the gospel is in all its implications. We cannot reduce the gospel to our level, without falsification. But this is what men to often demand, routinely, of Christ’s ministries. They insist on the ‘simple gospel’.

Well, centuries ago, Saint Augustine had the answer to that when he said of the gospel and of all scripture: “It is simple enough for a child to wade across, and deep enough to drown an elephant.”

Too often when men go beyond the ‘simple gospel’ it is in their thinking in terms of Platonism, Aristotelianism, or contemporary philosophies, rather than in terms of Saint Paul’s radical faithfulness to the resurrected Christ. So, what Paul has to offer to the Corinthians is not a simplified, childish gospel, but it is the whole counsel of God. And he presents it to them without compromise. He knows the contempt they will pour out on him, but he also knows the duty is his to present the gospel without compromise.

Let us pray. Our Lord and our God, we give thanks unto Thee for this Thy word. We thank Thee that, Thou hast given to us through Paul, thy word, Thy truth, Thy so great salvation. Give us grace to hear with hearing ears, and to rejoice in the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.

Are there any questions now about our lesson? Yes.

[Audience Member] Why did Paul have to write two letters to the Corinthians?

[Rushdoony] What?

[Audience Member] Why did Paul have to write two letters to the Corinthians?

[Rushdoony] Well, he wrote two letters, first of all, to sum up what he had to say when he went there, when by way of rebuke he had to deal with their waywardness. Then he left, making it clear that he was going to come again, but found he could not come immediately. And so, before his coming he wanted them to be reminded of what he said, and to rebuke them for their waywardness.

Are there any other questions and comments?

Well, if not, let us bow our heads in prayer. Oh Lord our God, we give thanks unto Thee that Thy word has been given to us, Thy truth made known to us; Thy so great salvation set forth in the life of our savior, Jesus Christ Thy son. Make us ever joyful in Thee, and mindful that whatever the grief’s and burdens that come our way, so too will the everlasting joy and victory in Jesus Christ our Lord. Strengthen us therefore in Thy service, and make us triumphant in Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.