2 Corinthians_2

Scripture 

2 Corinthians 2: 5-11

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Observation-What does it say? 

In this section of the letter from Paul to the Corinthian church, he is talking about “restoring a repentant offender.” (Reference: Matthew Henry’s Bible commentary (concise) on christianity.com)

Also, disclaimer, when I speak about the Church in this post, I’m speaking about the people, not the meeting place.

Understanding-What does it mean? 

Repent and Forgive!

Every sin has a consequence. God gives us consequences so that we would learn and grow from our mistakes, not repeat them. He loves us that much! The Church has consequences too to preserve the purity and integrity of what we believe in and stand for in Christ. As a parent, I love my children, so they get consequences and disciplined for behavior that Moses and I do not approve of too, because they are holding the Gaddi name.  

What I love about Paul’s letter, is that he highlights repentance as well, someone who is filled with Godly sorrow over worldly sorrow. Godly sorrow makes us take a 180 degree turn, like what Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to do after He forgave her. With repentant believers, we are called to forgive them of their actions and not continue punishing (or disciplining) them for their mistakes. A true repentant believer will already be beating themselves up over their bad decision, so we don’t need to add to that pain and drive them to “excessive sorrow” as Paul says. Instead, we must love, forgive, and comfort them.

Life Application 

What repentant sin offender do we need to forgive? Or if we are the offender, have we repented?

As a person who grew up in the church and started attending since the womb, I will be the first to tell you that NO church is perfect. None. And if you feel that you can find a perfect church, you will just be bouncing around in that pursuit because the church is filled with fallen/imperfect people like ourselves.

This is why forgiveness is so important. We will be offended, we will be hurt and grieved by people’s sins, especially if they are against us, and we may even be blindsided by unexpected decisions; however, if our brother or sister is repentant, we must love them and forgive them as Christ loves and forgives us of our sins. 

Enforcing extra punishment to repentant sinners is a scheme of Satan and is not the heart of Christ. Let us not fall for his schemes, but rather forgive others as many times as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).

-Michelle Gaddi

2 Corinthians__1

Scripture

2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NLT

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

 

Observation-What does it say?

 

Paul is writing to the people throughout all of Greece, but particularly to the church in Corinth. Paul is reminding them that God is the true source of comfort. That God comforts them during time of pain and crisis, and in return they need to show others that same comfort God shows them when they are in need of it.

 

Understanding-What does it mean?

 

There is a reason we sometimes have to go through the things we do.

 

You ever wonder why we go through some tough spots in life? I know I have. Whether it’s going through sickness or disease, or a loss of a loved one, God has a reason behind it. And sometimes that reason could be so that once we experience it, we can help, encourage, and walk others experiencing it, through that difficult time in life. You see, as Christ Followers we have a hope and a peace that others who don’t know Jesus have. We are supposed to be the salt and light of the earth. The light He shines in us (with hope and comfort), should be shared with others going through dark times. Who better can comfort someone dealing with the loss of a loved one or going through cancer? Obviously a person whose already been through it. The experience of not only going through such a difficult time, but the experience of how God delivered us through that time can be a spark of light or a beam of hope that someone really needs at that moment. Remember also, the world looks at Christians with a microscope. They dissect our behavior and every action. They want to see how we react when dark times hit us, and how we treat others. Let’s be the example that the world needs right now!

 

“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Matthew‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭

 

Life Application

 

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.

 

You all remember that song we learned in Sunday School growing up right? Well it’s time to put that song and those words into action! Time to go out into the world and shine God’s light, (that He instills in us), so the whole world can see. God has given us each our own individual paths and struggles that He got us through. Just know there is someone in this world going through a trouble that you may already have been through. Go and bring comfort to them. Encourage them. Share your story on how God helped you through it. Allow God’s light to brighten up their day!

 

-Moses Gaddi

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Genesis 7

Scripture 

Genesis 7:11-12  In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.  The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Observation-What does it say?  The book of Genesis describes the beginning of the world, as well as the beginning of the story of God’s nation.  The stories in Genesis were carried on orally for several generations, and some scholars believe they were not written down until the time of David.  The first eleven chapters of Genesis move quickly from a time when the only thing in existence was God, to the process of the creation of the earth, through the fall of man and the transformation of the world to what we know today. When Noah entered the story, the world had completely rejected God and Noah was chosen to carry on the line of humans.  Noah took the better part of his life to build the Ark.  God caused the animals to enter the Ark and then He caused water to come out from everywhere, from the sky and from the ground, covering up to the highest peaks of the mountains.  In this moment, God displayed the greatness and completeness of His power, proving that He has both the power to create and destroy. Understanding-What does it mean?  As a young boy, I had the opportunity to go see the Grand Canyon twice.  Both times were brief, but they left an indelible mark in my mind.  The grandeur of the place (pun intended) was almost breathtaking.  On one of these trips, my family took a hike along the rim in a place where there was no guardrail.  As I creeped toward the edge to try and see how deep it really was, I was distracted, and my mom quickly grabbed my arms and gave a tiny little push forward, letting out a startling “Yaahhh!!!”  My heart jumped into my throat, as I felt as though I was being pushed to my death.  When I watched the home video later, I found that I wasn’t that close to the edge and my mom had a solid hold on my arms.  There was no chance of my death on that day.  Anytime I think about the Grand Canyon now, I think of this verse in Genesis.  While the scientific community would have us believe that it took billions of years to form the Grand Canyon, this verse gives a different idea of the timeline of the creation of the canyon.  When the “fountains of the great deep” opened up,  there was likely a dramatic increase in erosion, much like when you point a hose at one place in the dirt for a period of time.  In fact, this verse affects the way I look at how many of the natural wonders were formed, such as the glaciers, or places like Yosemite valley, which is believed to have been formed by water and glaciers.  Scientists also believe much of the United States was once covered in water, in a region they call the Western Interior Seaway.  How was it that the United States was covered in water unless there was a flood?  In a few weeks, we are taking our boys to the Grand Canyon.  I look forward to seeing the look on their face as they gaze over the grandeur of it all.  I look forward to the opportunity to share the story of the great flood and Noah’s faithfulness.  And, I look forward to scaring the daylights out of one of my kids.
Life Application 

God thank you for the reminders that You have given us of Your great power and authority.  Thank you for the reminders that you will never fail us.  Help me to recall these places when I come to worship you, so I can have a right perspective of my need for you. 

 

-Tyler Galloway