Seven accessible and flexible Bible studies in 2 Corinthians by Gary Millar.
Welcome to messy church. Really messy church. Corinth was the ancient world's equivalent of a modern, thriving, multicultural city. And when Paul preached the gospel, and a church was born, it very quicky got complicated. Open immorality, false teaching and a sense of pride and arrogance were just the start. And in the middle of it all, Paul strives to teach, love, rebuke and restore this troubling and troubled congregation to the true path of humble gospel-hearted faith and service.
Like us, the Corinthian Christians struggled to struggle and preferred to prosper. Ungrateful and arrogant, they needed to hear some hard truths that Paul sets out in this deeply personal letter. But Paul also reveals here his heart for Christ's people--a heart filled with the true love of Jesus for his headstrong, wayward "children".
For Paul, gospel ministry is what we all do. It is walking with, speaking for, and serving Jesus in all of life--and so this letter is written for all of us. 2 Corinthians takes us through how to live by faith as broken people in our broken world. It provides the key to embracing our weakness and living in the strength which God himself supplies.
