As we head into week ten of the Summer Bible Reading Challenge, we will be reading through 2 Corinthians and the epistle to the Ephesians. Particularly with 2 Corinthians it is important to keep something vital in mind, these letters are written in the thick of profoundly difficult situations. Paul isn’t writing a letter to perfect saints, in perfect churches, in perfect cities, from the comfort of his armchair, pipe in hand, Bach playing in the background… although Paul strikes me as a classic rock kind of guy, but that’s beside the point…
It is apparent that the rebuke of the incestuous man of 1 Corinthians 5 produced quite the kerfuffle. It produced, on the whole, godly repentance and sorrow (2 Cor. 7:8). However, after Paul’s visit (after the writing of 1 Corinthians) the offender plainly was continuing to gripe and wrangle causing Paul to write again (2 Cor. 2:3-4). Put yourself in Paul’s shoes; this was not a pleasant situation. It was tense, difficult, and likely painful for Paul, the congregation, the man being rebuked, and the larger body of believers who were acquainted with the situation. Remember that as you read. These truths about our reconciliation with God through Christ (2 Cor. 5), the ministry of reconciliation we’ve been given (2 Cor. 5-6), the precious promises we’ve received (2 Cor. 7:1), the nature of true repentance (2 Cor. 7), grace in sufferings (2 Cor. 12), are all rising in the midst of a profoundly difficult controversy. To top it off, after this letter, once Paul returned again to Corinth to continue to sort out this and the other issues facing that church, he wrote the book of Romans. The deep truths presented in that epistle are in the context of practical Christian living, in the midst of the rough and tumble of pastoral ministry.
Similarly, we see in the book of Ephesians the presentation of the rock solid foundations of the Christian faith (chapters 1-3) leading to the practical execution of those truths in the Christian’s daily life (chapters 4-6). We must never think that our doctrines and ethics sit on opposite ends of the cafeteria. They ought to be best friends. This is all a simple reminder that in reading Scripture we not only learn about who God is, but we are exhorted to put what we learn about God into action by imitating Him!
