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2 Corinthians 10 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams — Transcript

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0:00Second Corinthians chapter 10, Paul has
0:03just spoken in chapter 9 about the need
0:06to [music] not sow sparingly because God
0:09gives the most, but he will cause a
0:12harvest if you plant liberally in his
0:15field.
0:17And chapter 10 is Paul is going to
0:19describe himself. [music]
0:22Now, I Paul myself urge you
0:26>> [music]
0:26>> by the meekness and gentleness of
0:28Christ.
0:30I who am meek when face-to-face [music]
0:32with you, but bold toward you when
0:34absent.
0:36I ask that when I am present, I [music]
0:38need not be bold with the confidence
0:41with which I propose to be courageous
0:44against some
0:45who regard us as if we walked according
0:48to the flesh.
0:51So, he says, [music]
0:52I Paul myself urge you by the meekness
0:55of Christ
0:57that you not force me
1:00to be
1:00>> [music]
1:00>> as bold as I'm inclined to be
1:03toward those who are going to be
1:05challenging us and have been challenging
1:07us
1:08who regard us as if we walk according to
1:11the flesh.
1:14For though we walk in the flesh, we do
1:16not war according to the flesh.
1:20Now, he's saying, I'm going to come to
1:22you Corinthians and I'm wanting you not
1:25to have me in the state of mind that
1:27your rebellion is
1:29likely to require.
1:32And then he starts talking about warring
1:33and he's not talking about just general
1:36warring [music] out there in the ether.
1:38He's talking about warring with the bad
1:40attitudes in the Corinthian church.
1:44For though we walk in the flesh, we do
1:46not war according to the flesh.
1:48For the weapons of our warfare
1:51are not of the flesh,
1:53but divinely powerful for the
1:55destruction of fortresses.
2:00Fortresses.
2:02What are those fortresses?
2:04What are those bunkers? In modern
2:07language, fortresses would be bunkers.
2:11We are destroying speculations
2:16and every lofty thing
2:19raised up against the knowledge of God,
2:23and we are taking every thought captive
2:25to the obedience of Christ.
2:28So, this is what the bunkers are. We are
2:30destroying speculations.
2:34So, there is a way of knowing an issue
2:37or a person
2:38that is just utterly [music] carnal.
2:40It's not an insight of God, of grace, of
2:43wisdom.
2:45It's just a speculation.
2:47It's an arrogant conclusion.
2:51We are destroying speculations. I think
2:54Paul is just trying to That's a
2:57speculation. I wonder if he stole the
3:00money from
3:02Doesn't it strike you as a little odd
3:04that Paul would
3:06All of that is speculations.
3:09It's people speaking not on first-hand
3:11experience and certainly not on the
3:13inspiration of the Lord,
3:15but just speculating in a way that is
3:18hurting
3:19the church.
3:21And Paul sees this as a fortress,
3:24and he sees himself as a fortress
3:26[snorts]
3:27demolisher.
3:29And he's going to come take down those
3:31speculations.
3:33We are destroying speculations
3:36and every lofty thing raised up against
3:39the knowledge of God.
3:41So, the opposite of speculations
3:44is knowing the Lord.
3:47It's a discernment that is rooted in a
3:49relationship with God. It's
3:52being sensitive to the spirit and
3:54sensing what the spirit is saying about
3:56Paul. What the spirit is saying through
3:58Paul.
3:59So, the knowledge of God is the opposite
4:02of the speculations.
4:04Have you ever sat in church and sensed
4:07that
4:08the grace of the spirit was teaching you
4:10something?
4:11Well, that's the knowledge of God
4:13teaching you something. That's the
4:14awareness of the Holy Spirit confirming
4:17to you something from scripture.
4:20Have you ever seen people sit there and
4:22speculate about
4:24who these people are and what this is
4:26about?
4:27Well, that's what prevents the knowledge
4:30of God. The knowledge of
4:32The knowledge of God cannot take root in
4:35the bunkers of human pride and human
4:38speculation.
4:40Of course, you're going to have
4:41questions. Of course, you're going to
4:43have doubts. Of course, you're going to
4:45need some answers. That's okay. Just
4:47don't put them above your ability to
4:49sense the Holy Spirit.
4:53And we are taking every thought captive
4:56to the obedience of Christ.
4:59Every thought captive to the obedience
5:02of Christ. And this is how we do war.
5:05When you're worried about something,
5:07fearful about something, in a conflict
5:10with someone,
5:12there are two categories that Paul is
5:14focused on that could defeat God's
5:17purpose. Your speculations and your
5:20runaway thoughts.
5:23And if you can take the thoughts captive
5:25and just tear down the speculations, you
5:28might get back to the knowledge of God.
5:31The enemy that you're fighting
5:34is your own runaway thoughts.
5:36A certain kind of
5:39crazy thoughts and doubtful thoughts and
5:41fearful thoughts and competitive
5:43thoughts and jealous jealous thoughts
5:45and comparative thoughts and
5:48And so, in order to do spiritual battle,
5:52we have to know how to put those
5:55thoughts
5:56in fetters of obedience to Christ.
6:01Amen. Every thought that is not
6:03advancing your obedience to Christ
6:06is a thought that needs to be brought
6:08captive.
6:12And we are ready to punish all
6:15disobedience whenever your obedience is
6:18complete.
6:20So, Paul is telling them
6:22that we don't want to come and be really
6:25tough on you guys, but that's up to you.
6:29Because we are going to do war against
6:31the flesh.
6:33And our weapons, Paul's saying in the
6:34church in in the Corinthian meetings,
6:37it's not going to be carnal, but it is
6:38going to be mighty through God.
6:40And we're going to come and totally
6:42ransack the bunkers of your
6:44speculations. We're going to show you
6:47you do not know what you're talking
6:48about.
6:49And we're going to try to take every
6:52thought captive,
6:53including Paul's thoughts.
6:55We're going to try to bring everything
6:57into
6:58captivity to the obedience of Christ.
7:00There are some thoughts that are
7:02inspired by God, but there are a lot of
7:04thoughts that just need to be prisoners
7:06to God.
7:07Just shut up and obey Jesus sort of
7:10thoughts.
7:12And we are ready to punish all
7:13disobedience when your obedience is
7:16complete.
7:17So, let's link this to the idea of
7:19taking your thoughts captive.
7:22Paul Paul is going to come and he's
7:24going to settle disputes. And the
7:26Corinthians are not just against Paul,
7:28they're against each other. Remember he
7:30says, "I hear that there are divisions
7:32among you?"
7:34Right? And he says that my letter wasn't
7:37really for those who are troubling you,
7:40nor for the ones hurt, but it was for
7:42those who would listen.
7:44Well,
7:45so there are people in the Corinthian
7:47church who think that there are other
7:49people who really need to be punished.
7:52And Paul says, "I'm ready to bring
7:54discipline when you stop your motor
7:57mouth, when you stop your runaway
7:59thoughts. If you guys will agree to make
8:03your obedience complete through bringing
8:06your thoughts captive to the obedience
8:08of Christ, I'm going to be able to deal
8:10with the problem. But if I get there and
8:13I clear my throat to share something
8:15from the knowledge of God, and somebody
8:17starts
8:19blabbing off about some insider thought
8:21that is not of the spirit, I can't
8:23really deal with the matter because you
8:25have an atmosphere of disorder. So, he's
8:28saying, "When your obedience is
8:30complete, when the righteous
8:33confine themselves to complete obedience
8:36to the spirit, God's going to be able to
8:38resolve the problems.
8:40But if if you don't, even your thoughts
8:43about the problems are part of the
8:45problem.
8:46And I'm not going to even engage in
8:48fixing the disobedience
8:50until your obedience is complete. We are
8:53ready. We are ready to punish all
8:55disobedience whenever your obedience is
8:58complete. You are looking at things
9:01as they are outwardly.
9:05If anyone is confident in himself that
9:08he is Christ,
9:11let him consider this again within
9:13himself,
9:14that just as he is Christ, so also are
9:19we.
9:20He's dialing in on what the thoughts are
9:22that need to get
9:24that need to be made captive. He says,
9:27"You are looking at things outwardly.
9:30So, there are things that look a certain
9:33way, and you're like, "Well, that's what
9:34happened."
9:36But it's not discernment that sees
9:38people's hearts.
9:40It's just obvious awareness of what's
9:43happening externally.
9:47If anyone is confident in himself that
9:49he is Christ's,
9:51so when they are making these judgments,
9:53they know that they are Christ's.
9:57I am positive that I am right.
10:00He says, "Well, if you're confident of
10:01that,
10:03then you should be equally confident
10:04that we belong to Christ, also."
10:09For even if I boast somewhat further
10:11about our authority,
10:14which the Lord gave for building you up
10:16and not for destroying you,
10:19I will not be put to shame.
10:21For I do not wish to seem as if I would
10:24terrify you by my letters.
10:27For they say,
10:29"His letters are weighty and strong, but
10:33his personal presence is unimpressive
10:35and his speech contemptible."
10:38He quotes them.
10:40This is what they say about Paul.
10:43Well, the word Paul means small, so when
10:46Paul showed up, he apparently didn't
10:49have a very commanding presence.
10:52And so they were mocking him, saying,
10:54"Oh, his letters are just to to kill,
10:57but his presence is
10:59who cares?
11:01Let such a person consider this, that
11:04what we are in word by letters when
11:06absent, such persons,
11:08we are also indeed when present.
11:13For we are not bold to class or compare
11:16ourselves with some of those who commend
11:19themselves.
11:21But when they measure themselves by
11:23themselves and compare themselves with
11:26themselves,
11:27they are without understanding.
11:30But we will not boast beyond our
11:32measure,
11:33but within the measure of the sphere
11:35which God apportioned to us as a measure
11:39to reach even as far as you.
11:43For we are not overextending ourselves
11:46as if we did not reach to you,
11:48for we were the first to come even as
11:51far as you in the gospel of Christ.
11:54Not boasting beyond our measure, that is
11:57in another man's labor,
11:58but with the hope that as your faith
12:01grows, we will be within our sphere
12:04enlarged even more by you.
12:08So as to preach the gospel even to the
12:10regions beyond you and not to boast in
12:13what has been accomplished in the sphere
12:15of another, but he who boasts is to
12:18boast in the Lord.
12:20For it is not he who commends himself
12:22that is approved,
12:24but he whom the Lord commends.
12:26Okay, so
12:28what is he saying here?
12:31He's telling them that when I come, I'm
12:34going to be just as direct and forceful
12:36in person as I have been in my letters.
12:40And then he says,
12:42the people you're listening to
12:44are foolish
12:46because they compare themself to
12:50themself.
12:51Now this is often mistranslated in my
12:54opinion
12:55and we mistranslate it to say, "Oh, she
12:59is comparing herself to her." And that
13:02is not wise. And that's not what he's
13:05saying.
13:06Instead, he's saying that the people
13:09opposing Paul
13:11have no measure besides themself.
13:17That they are measuring themself
13:20by themself, by their own measure. And
13:23what would be much wiser is actually to
13:25compare themself to the work Paul had
13:27done and to realize they hadn't done
13:29that much after all.
13:31Do you understand?
13:32So, that's the lack of wisdom. But then
13:35Paul says, Paul acknowledges that we
13:39will not boast beyond our measure.
13:44But within the measure of the sphere
13:47which God apportioned to us and in this
13:50Paul is acknowledging
13:52that every authority in God has limits.
13:56That
13:57a mom cannot go treat someone else's
14:00children like they are her children.
14:02That is boasting beyond the sphere
14:05apportioned to her, which is the sphere
14:08of her own kids.
14:10And a pastor cannot boast beyond the
14:12sphere that God has apportioned to him.
14:14He cannot go treat the people in another
14:16congregation as if they are
14:19the people he is shepherding. And an
14:21apostle cannot treat churches that he
14:24has not shepherded or brought forth as
14:27if he has shepherded them or brought
14:29them forth.
14:30Do you understand? And so he says, "I'm
14:32not going to go beyond the sphere
14:34apportioned to me by God." But he says,
14:36"That
14:38that circle of of influence, that circle
14:41of of ministry, it definitely includes
14:44you."
14:46And he says, "More than that, because we
14:49gave you birth, our sphere was intended
14:52to grow through you. That as the
14:55churches that were born through you,
14:57they would be under our sphere also
15:00so that the gospel would continue to
15:02expand."
15:04He says, "For we are not overextending
15:06ourselves as if we did not reach to you.
15:10For we were the first to come even as
15:12far as you in the gospel of Christ, not
15:14boasting beyond our measure, that is in
15:16another man's labor, but with the hope
15:20that as your faith grows, we will be
15:26within our sphere enlarged even more by
15:29you.
15:31So, if we gave you birth in Christ, if
15:33we brought you into your faith, if we
15:35brought you into your ministry, then as
15:38you grew, we should have been growing
15:40with you. But, you were trying to grow
15:42apart from us. You were trying to use
15:44your growth as a way to distance [music]
15:46from us.
15:48So, as to preach the gospel even to the
15:51regions beyond you and not to boast in
15:54what has been accomplished in another
15:56sphere. [music]
15:57So,
15:58he's saying that as you your faith grew
16:01and spread to others, that would
16:03actually be Paul preaching the gospel
16:05through you [music] because that's the
16:06message and pattern and grace that the
16:09Corinthians would have been extending or
16:11should have been.
16:13But, he who boasts is to boast in the
16:14Lord.
16:15So,
16:16the sum of this part of the chapter is
16:19simply to say
16:20that Paul acknowledges limits,
16:23Paul acknowledges spheres of authority,
16:27and he's saying that the Corinthians are
16:29included in his sphere.
16:31And even that which the Corinthians
16:34continue or advance,
16:37still should be connected to Paul
16:39because of his role in their life and in
16:42the establishment of their church.
16:44Do you understand? But, it's it's
16:46powerful to think that he's
16:48acknowledging limits to authority,
16:50spheres of influence, spheres of of
16:52authority, and [music] that he's
16:54acknowledging, I don't want to go beyond
16:57and boast in what another man has done.
16:59That's not my point. Ultimately,
17:01our [music] boast needs to be in the
17:03Lord.
17:04For it is not he who commends himself
17:06that is [music] approved, but whom the
17:08Lord commends. The person who comes
17:10along and says, I am this, I think I
17:12have this gift, I think I'm a I'm a this
17:14and I'm a that, that doesn't do
17:16anything.
17:17>> [music]
17:17>> But if God has actually born witness
17:21through the establishment of churches,
17:23the ordering of churches, then let that
17:26be the evidence. The creation of
17:28ministries, the fruitful
17:31evidences that Paul is looking at. That
17:33would be the
17:34the Lord commending a person.
17:38>> [music]
17:45[music]

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