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Preface |
3 |
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Table of Contents |
5 |
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Reprint Guidelines |
11 |
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References and Abbreviations |
12 |
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Introduction to 2 Corinthians |
14 |
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The City of Corinth |
14 |
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Tentative Chronology of Paul and the Corinthians (50-56 AD) |
15 |
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Literary Problems |
17 |
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Paul's Opponents in Corinth |
17 |
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Situation |
18 |
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1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) |
19 |
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Salutation (1:1-2) |
20 |
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The God of All Comfort (1:3-4) |
20 |
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Comfort as We Share Christ's Sufferings (1:5-7) |
21 |
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A Crushing, Hopeless Burden (1:8-10) |
23 |
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Relying on God's Deliverance (1:9-10) |
24 |
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Intercessory Prayer (1:10b-11) |
25 |
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2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) |
28 |
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A Legacy of Godliness and Sincerity (1:12-14) |
28 |
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Paul's Planned Visit to Corinth (1:15-18) |
29 |
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The Firm Promises of God (1:18-20) |
30 |
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Anointing, Seal, and Spirit (1:21b-22) |
30 |
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Sparing Them Another Painful Visit (1:23-2:2) |
32 |
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Paul Wrote the ‘Severe' Letter Rather than Visiting (2:3-4) |
33 |
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Restoring the Disciplined Brother (2:5-9) |
33 |
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Obedience to Apostolic Authority (2:9) |
34 |
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Forgive So that Satan Doesn't Take Advantage of You (2:10-11) |
36 |
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3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) |
38 |
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An Open Door and Peace in One's Spirit (2:12-13) |
38 |
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Marching in the Triumphal Procession (2:14) |
39 |
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The Fragrance of Knowing God (2:14-16) |
39 |
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Who Is Sufficient for This Ministry (2:16b) |
41 |
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Peddlers or Sincere Advocates (2:17) |
41 |
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Letters Written on the Heart (3:1-3) |
42 |
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Living Letters |
43 |
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Competent Servants of a New Covenant (3:4-6) |
43 |
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How Seminaries and Ordination Relate to Competency |
44 |
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The Vital Role of the Holy Spirit (3:6) |
46 |
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Ministers of a New Covenant (3:6a) |
46 |
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4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) |
49 |
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The Greater Glory of the Spirit (3:7-11) |
50 |
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The Glory of God on Moses' Face (Exodus 34) |
50 |
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Boldness in Our Hope of Glory (3:12) |
51 |
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The Veil of the Old Covenant (3:13-15) |
51 |
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Spiritual Freedom from the Holy Spirit (3:16-17) |
52 |
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Beholding the Glory of God (3:18) |
53 |
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Being Changed into Christ's Likeness (3:18) |
55 |
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5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) |
58 |
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Ministry by God's Mercy (4:1) |
58 |
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A Plain and Open Ministry (4:2) |
58 |
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Satan Has Blinded Unbelievers (4:3-4) |
60 |
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Christ, the Glory of God (4:5-6) |
63 |
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Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7) |
63 |
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Pressures on Every Side (4:8-9) |
64 |
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Death in Us, Life in You (4:10-12) |
67 |
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Faith in the Resurrection (4:13-14) |
68 |
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Outer Deterioration, Inner Renewal (4:15-16) |
68 |
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Focusing on Eternal Glory (4:17-18) |
69 |
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Fix Your Eyes on the Eternal (4:18) |
70 |
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6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) |
72 |
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Earthly Tent vs. Heavenly House (5:1) |
72 |
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Groaning and Longing (5:2-4) |
74 |
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Swallowed Up by Life (5:4b) |
75 |
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Made for Life, Guaranteed by the Spirit (5:5) |
75 |
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Longing for Home (5:6-8) |
76 |
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The Problem with the Doctrine of ‘Soul Sleep' |
77 |
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Walk by Faith, Not by Sight (5:7) |
78 |
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Aiming to Please the Lord (5:9) |
79 |
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The Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10) |
80 |
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Persuading Men (5:11a) |
81 |
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Open before You and God (5:11b-12) |
82 |
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Out of Our Mind? (5:13) |
82 |
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Christ's Love Compels Us (5:13-15) |
82 |
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7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) |
85 |
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A New Creation in Christ (5:16-17) |
85 |
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Reconciliation (5:18-19) |
87 |
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Ambassadors of Reconciliation (5:18-20) |
88 |
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Substitutionary Atonement (5:21) |
90 |
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Today Is the Day of Salvation (6:1-2) |
91 |
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8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) |
94 |
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A No-Stumbling-Blocks Policy (6:3) |
94 |
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Commended by Hardships (6:4-5) |
95 |
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Commended by a Godly Character and Spiritual Ministry (6:6-7) |
96 |
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Commended through Paradoxical Ministry (6:8-10) |
97 |
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Open Wide Your Hearts (6:11-13) |
99 |
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Don't Yoke Yourselves to Unbelievers (6:14-16) |
99 |
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You Are the Temple of God (6:16a) |
101 |
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Old Testament Promises (6:16b-18) |
101 |
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Let Us Purify Ourselves (7:1a) |
102 |
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Perfecting Holiness (7:1b) |
102 |
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What Kind of Separation Is Required? |
103 |
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A Plea for Open Hearts (7:2) |
105 |
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Paul Is Encouraged by the Corinthians (7:3-4) |
106 |
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Fightings Without and Fears Within (7:5) |
106 |
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The Comfort of Titus' Coming (7:6-7) |
107 |
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Sorrow that Leads to Repentance (7:8-10) |
107 |
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Eagerness to Clear their Name (7:11-13a) |
108 |
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Titus' Good Report (7:13b-16) |
108 |
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9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) |
111 |
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The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches (8:1-5) |
112 |
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The Grace of Giving |
114 |
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Match the Macedonians' Generosity (8:6-8) |
115 |
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Christ's Generosity in Poverty Made Us Rich (8:9) |
116 |
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Jesus Was Poor Here on Earth |
116 |
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Christ Humbled Himself |
117 |
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Complete the Giving You Began (8:10-11) |
118 |
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Give According to Your Blessing (8:12-15) |
118 |
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Does the Bible Advocate Socialism or Communism? |
119 |
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Gathering Just the Amount Needed (8:14-15) |
119 |
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Representatives Who Will Carry the Offering to Jerusalem (8:16-19) |
120 |
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We Are Transparent in Financial Matters (8:20-21) |
120 |
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Show Honor to Representatives from the Churches (8:22-24) |
121 |
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Boasting to the Macedonians (9:1-4) |
122 |
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Time to Complete Your Generous Gift (9:5) |
122 |
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10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) |
125 |
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The Law of Sowing and Reaping (9:6) |
125 |
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A Proverb of Generosity (Proverbs 11:24-25) |
126 |
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Principles of Blessing and Tithing (Malachi 3:10-12) |
126 |
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The Result of Failing to Put God First in Giving (Haggai 1:2-11) |
127 |
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Jesus' Teaching on Giving and Blessing (Luke 6:37-38) |
128 |
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Freedom and Joy in Giving (9:7) |
128 |
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God Can Cause You to Abound (9:8) |
130 |
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The Righteous Man |
131 |
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God's Supply, Increase, and Enlargement (9:10-11) |
132 |
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Your Giving Will Prompt Praise (9:12-15) |
133 |
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11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) |
136 |
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A Change in Tone |
136 |
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Paul's Boldness (10:1-2) |
136 |
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Spiritual Warfare (10:3-6) |
137 |
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Paul's Apostolic Authority (10:7-8) |
140 |
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Forceful by Letter and in Person (10:9-12) |
140 |
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Paul's Field of Ministry (10:13-15a) |
140 |
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Led Astray from Pure Devotion to Christ (11:1-3) |
141 |
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Gullible and Easily Deceived (11:4-5) |
142 |
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Was Paul an Untrained Speaker? (11:6) |
143 |
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Paul's Refusal to Ask for Support (11:7-9) |
144 |
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Full-time Christian Ministry vs. Bi-Vocational Ministry |
145 |
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Undermining the Claims of False Apostles (11:10-14) |
146 |
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Foolish Boasting (11:16-21) |
147 |
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Paul's Jewish Heritage (11:22) |
148 |
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Paul's Sufferings (11:23-25) |
148 |
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Dangers from Travel (11:26) |
149 |
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Depravation and Stress (11:27-28) |
149 |
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Boasting in Weakness (11:29-30) |
150 |
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Paul's Escape from Damascus (11:31-33) |
151 |
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12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) |
152 |
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Visions and Revelations in the New Testament (12:1) |
152 |
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Boasting of Visions and Revelations (12:2-4) |
153 |
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Boasting of the Truth (12:5-6) |
154 |
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Paul's Thorn in the Flesh (12:7) |
154 |
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Was the Thorn a Sickness? |
155 |
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Is Sickness from Satan? |
156 |
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My Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:8-9a) |
157 |
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God's Power in Us |
158 |
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When I Weak, then I Am Strong (12:9b-10) |
159 |
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The Signs of an Apostle (12:11-12) |
160 |
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Expending His Resources for the Corinthians (12:13-15) |
162 |
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Concern for the Corinthians' Sin and Disorder (12:20-21) |
162 |
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The Pain of Correction (12:21a) |
165 |
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Paul's Promise to Set Things in Order (13:1-3a) |
165 |
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Weakness and Strength (13:3b-14) |
166 |
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See If You Will Stand the Test (13:5-8) |
167 |
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Authority for Building You Up (13:9-10) |
167 |
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Concluding Words (13:11-13) |
168 |
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Trinitarian Benediction (13:14) |
169 |
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Appendix 1: Handouts for Group Participants |
172 |
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Introduction to 2 Corinthians |
173 |
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1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) |
175 |
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2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) |
176 |
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3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) |
178 |
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4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) |
180 |
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5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) |
181 |
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6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) |
183 |
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7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) |
184 |
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8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) |
186 |
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9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) |
188 |
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10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) |
189 |
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11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) |
191 |
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12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) |
192 |
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Appendix 2. A Brief Critique of the Prosperity Message |
194 |
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