Bible In A Year: The Book of 2nd Corinthians

The book of 2 Corinthians records Paul’s defense of his apostolic ministry and encourages believers to remain faithful to Christ. Paul teaches that God comforts His people in suffering, that His power is made perfect in weakness, and that the gospel is carried in “jars of clay” so that the glory belongs to God. The letter calls believers to faithful service, generous giving, holy living, and confidence in God’s grace, showing that true ministry is marked by faithfulness to Christ rather than outward appearance.

Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast. Our mission is to help the people of God understand the Word of God. Join us each Monday and Thursday for new episode releases. Listen to our full library of content at teachme the Bible.com or by downloading the Teach Me the Bible app from any app store. You're listening to Teach Me the Bible Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Welcome back to Teach Me the Bible Podcast. My name is Alex Wolfe. I'm here with Dr. David Klingler, and we are going through the story of the Bible in a year. Um if you were joined us last week, we uh introduced Paul's interaction with the Corinthians and we and we uh walked our way through First Corinthians. And so today we pick up with Second Corinthians. And so we learned last week that uh the Paul Paul's disciplining the Corinthian church, they're divided, um, and he's he's disciplining them so that they have uh they value the apostleship, that they have the mind of Christ through the words of the apostles. And so um there was all kinds of great stuff we talked about last week, and so uh all that stuff you kind of got to know coming into coming into this second letter. Uh so we'll encourage you to go back and listen to First Corinthians if you haven't already. But uh today we're gonna pick up in 2nd Corinthians if you want to jump into it.

Why Pronouns Matter In Letters

Dr. David Klingler 1:22

Yeah, absolutely. One of the uh things that this is just something you need to be aware of whenever you're you're reading the Bible, is that uh that pronouns matter.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 1:33

And good. Uh and um and so whenever Paul in the letters to uh to the Corinthians or Ephesians or Philippians or any of any of the, you know, any of the letters he writes, when he says y'all or you, he's not talking about himself. Now that sounds ridiculous, right? You think, well, of course that's true. Um but we need to pay attention to it. Because all the way through these letters, there are two clearly defined groups, we and y'all. Now, in uh in 2 Corinthians, it's the same thing. He's you know, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God who is at Corinth, right? Grace to Y'all, and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Uh we kind of blowbast that all the time, but Paul always introduces that that the Gentiles have believed in the God of Israel. This

Comfort Through Affliction And Suffering

Dr. David Klingler 2:27

is our God, right? Uh blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, uh, and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our affliction. Now, uh, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, he's he's gone through it. He's he's suffering for the gospel. And and there apparently are people who've come into the midst and sa in the in the Corinthian church, and they're claiming to be um speaking on behalf of God. They claim to be uh saying the right things, and Paul's has to confront uh confront them. And part of the theology of this these false teachers that have come in in Corinth is that uh if you truly follow God, you don't suffer. Uh and so this is one of the things that Paul's always addressing, and he's addressing it here. And so he comforts us in all of our affliction. He's gone through the ringer, uh, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, and he's going to explain later in this letter of all of the suffering that he's going through, um, so also our comfort is abundant in Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for y'all's comfort and for y'all's salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the impatient uh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Our hope for y'all is firmly grounded, knowing that y'all are sharers in our suffering, so also y'all are sharers in our comfort. In other words, everything he's doing, all the suffering is for them.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 4:14

And the comfort that's coming to him is for them, so that the word would be built up. He says, For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction that came to us, the affliction that came to us uh in Asia, and we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so that we even despaired of life. We were uh our we we had the the even the sentence of life. We were we were we were under the sentence of death that uh within ourselves, in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God that raises from the dead, who delivers us, who delivered us, past tense, delivered us from the sentence of death, and will deliver us, future tense, um uh, on whom we have set our hope, and he will yet deliver us. Y'all also joining in helping us through y'all's prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on behalf uh uh on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many.

Why Paul Delays A Painful Visit

Dr. David Klingler 5:11

Uh, and so uh he um uh he is explaining, he's beginning to explain why he doesn't come to them. In the first letter, uh he's going to explain this, and now he's saying, uh, I didn't want to come to you. Um if I came to you after that last letter where I had to discipline you, I wouldn't be coming to build up the body of Christ, but to discipline and to tear down. And so I thought better to write so that you could respond appropriately, and you have, at least to some extent, uh you have. And so um um so uh he says uh chapter two, he says, um actually beginning in the chapter one, this is in one uh twenty-three, but I call God as my witness to my soul that to spare you I would come no more to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy in faith for you standing for him. For I determined this for my own sake, that I will not come to you again in sorrow. For if I cause you sorrow, in other words, if I come to you and I cause you sorrow, uh who is there to to you know to make uh you know to make me glad? Um so um lest I would come to you, uh I should have sorrow um from those who ought to make me rejoice. So in other words, I didn't want to come to make you sorrowful, I wanted to come to make you rejoice. So if I came and caused sorrow, that wouldn't that wouldn't go well. I I want to be able to come to you and rejoice because you're doing the right things. And and so uh in verse 4, chapter 2, verse 4, he says, uh, for out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. But if if I did cause you sorrow, um you know, if anyone has caused sorrow, he he hasn't caused sorrow to me, but to some degree, in order not to say too much to all of you. Sufficient, uh so in other words, he's he's going to this one that he's disciplined over there in chapter five, back in the previous uh letter. Uh and he says, you know, uh you couldn't you couldn't even judge your own situation. Uh and so uh I wrote to to confront you, I I wrote to admonish you, uh, so that you would correct the situation that is in your own midst, uh, and uh thus you have,

Rejecting Gospel Peddlers And Boasting

Dr. David Klingler 7:35

right? Uh in the end of chapter two, he introduces this new group, uh, for we are not like many, peddling the word of God. But from sincerity of heart, uh uh as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need as some letters of commendation to you or from you? Y'all are our letter. So uh apparently there's this group uh that is uh you know peddling the word of God uh and uh and he's explaining to them that he's not like them, right? Um and it but he doesn't want to start boasting. You know, he he he he's admonished them in the last letter don't become boastful, don't become arrogant, but still they're still valuing some of the same things of the world, and that's what has enticed them to listen to these false teachers. And so these false teachers are coming in, they're peddling the word of God, they're boasting, they're saying Paul is suffering, he must, you know, he's wrong, we're right. And uh and uh and so Paul's going to again use this sarcasm uh and mockery to play out the logical consequences of what they're of what they're saying. Um uh and so he says uh we are not adequate in ourselves to consider as anything as coming from ourselves. That's what those other guys are doing, but we we wouldn't uh do that. But our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants of a new covenant. Um therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech. And and and they're gonna say, well, he's he's really bold when he's not here. He's a big, he's a big talker when he's not here, but when he's here, he's kind of meek and mild, right? What what what's the what's the deal? Um uh and so uh chapter four, he says, Therefore we have this ministry, we have this apostleship, and we are uh we're adequate as servants of the new covenant.

Treasure In Jars Of Clay

Dr. David Klingler 9:34

So we have this ministry, we have received mercy, therefore we don't lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of the shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, uh, but by the manifestation of truth, committing ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Verse 5. For we do not preach ourselves, that's what these peddlers are doing, these false teachers are doing, um, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as y'all's bondservants for Christ's sake. And that ought to make perfect sense if you've understand, understood first Corinthians. That we are God's workers, you are God's field, I'm the master builder, built on the foundation, the foundation is Christ, you're the temple. All of this ought to make sense. And so we preach uh not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, ourselves as y'all's uh bondservants. Um uh this is a verse that uh chapter uh four, verse seven, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power of God may not be from ourselves. Uh he's not talking about the Corinthians, he's talking about himself, and he's explaining why he's suffering. For we are afflicted in every way, uh, but not crushed, we're perplexed, but not despairing, we're persecuted, but we're not forsaken, we're struck down, but we're not destroyed, always carrying about in the body uh the dying of Christ, that the life of Jesus may be made clear, may be revealed in our body. So we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Christ's sake, uh, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortar flesh. So death works in us, but life in y'all. And having the same spirit of faith, in accordance with what is written, I believe, therefore I spoke, so also we believe, therefore we speak. He's he's quoting Psalm 116, uh, one sixteen, uh, knowing that he who raised Jesus will also raise us with you for all things or for y'all's sake. And so uh and so he's explaining his ministry, he's explaining their their persecution, their suffering. Therefore, uh he's going to explain that that that all are going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Uh, and so knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God. And I hope that we're made manifest to your consciences as well. Are we beginning to commend ourselves to you again? Is that what we're doing? No. He's just explaining what why he is, um, who he is in Christ and what his role is. He's

Ambassadors For Christ And Reconciliation

Dr. David Klingler 12:23

uh he's gonna say it well in chapter five, verse uh verse 20. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God were entreating through us, we beg y'all, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For he made him who knew no sin to be sent on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him, and working together with him, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. Now, this is important uh because we often blow right past this. Uh, we will quote 2 Corinthians 5 21, he made him who knew no sin to be sent on our behalf. But but keep track of your pronouns here. Um uh we say, well, this is substitutionary atonement. Well, it is, but but then Paul quotes Isaiah 49. In Isaiah 49, uh the suffering servant Christ comes to deliver the servant Israel to lay down his life for the servant Israel, so the servant Israel would serve him in taking the gospel to the Gentiles. And that's what Paul is doing.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 13:26

Uh, and so he is working with Christ to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He is an ambassador for Christ. We are ambassadors uh for Christ, as though God were entreating through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For he uh made him, God the Father, made him Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, the servant Israel, so that we might be the righteous of God in him, and working together with him, we the believing remnant of Israel, the righteous through faith, are working together with Christ. We urge y'all to not receive the grace of God in vain. And then he quotes um uh you know Isaiah chapter 49. So our mouths have speaking freely to you, O Corinthians. Our whole heart is open to you. You're not restrained by us. See, they think that they're restrained by you're not restrained by us.

Unbelievers Judaizers And False Blessing Claims

Dr. David Klingler 14:23

Don't be bound together with unbelievers. What partnership does righteousness with lawlessness or fellowship with darkness, or harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer uh common with unbeliever? Now, what now so you're starting to learn about the the identity of these false teachers and what they're teaching? See, they're teaching, you know, they're Jews, uh, they're teaching law, they're unbelievers. Um, but uh so so this is the same group that Paul, everywhere he goes, he's fighting the same ones. It's the Judaizers who are teaching, uh, they're coming behind Paul and they're saying, no, no, it's not about Christ, reject Christ, keep the law. Uh you know, God blesses those who serve him. Look at Paul, he's suffering. And so Paul's having to explain his whole uh ministry again, uh and uh and exhort them. So Paul is in, he's always in this debate, it seems, as he is teaching the Gentiles. The Gentiles have adopted their, they have really assimilated their Gentile theology, which says, if you serve God X, God X will bless you now. Right? Uh Baal, uh Shemish, you know, whatever. Whatever God you fill in the blank, uh that the Gentiles follow, uh, if you serve that God now, he will bless you now. Okay. Uh, and and this is what the Jews have adopted. Um the the the Jews who are kicked out of the land and under judgment and under the covenant uh curses, uh, they've adopted the Gentile theology. They just applied it to the Bible to say, if you serve God, he'll bless you now. Look at Paul, he must not be serving God because he's being persecuted. And this this is Paul's concern in Philippians and and in Timothy and all the way through. Everywhere that Paul goes, the these Judaizers come right behind him and they say, No, Paul's wrong. Serve God and he'll bless you now. Uh and so you Gentiles need to become Jews, uh, be circumcised, keep the law. Uh and the proof of this is because Paul is suffering.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Which would explain why it seems foolish that Christ was crucified. Yes. Because that didn't fit their Gentile theology, right? Absolutely. Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 16:42

Yeah. Yeah. Christ himself suffered. And Paul is joining into that uh suffering for the sake of Israel to save Israel, to save the Gentiles. And uh and so he's he's exhorting them to listen to him, continue to listen to him. And

The Jerusalem Offering And Shared Responsibility

Dr. David Klingler 16:56

oh, by the way, I'm coming to you. Remember, you promised uh to to make a contribution to the poor in Jerusalem, and I'm coming to you, and and and folks are coming with me from Macedonia, yeah. Uh and and they don't have the ability to do this. I mean, they they they're they're they're poor, poor, but they have given. And I want to make sure that when we come to you, you do what you said to do. So set apart the gift that you promised, because, you know, and he's gonna explain this, Paul's gonna explain this not only in Corinthians, but also in Romans, that if the Gentiles have shared with the Jews in spiritual things in the gospel, they they have a responsibility then to share with them in physical things. So the the Jews in Jerusalem who are believers in Christ are being persecuted, and Paul is exhorting the Gentile believers who are benefiting from the gospel of Israel to help the Jews uh in Israel who are who are in need. And so that's uh uh that's chapters uh uh uh eight and uh eight and nine. And and then in chapter 11, he turns back to this uh persecution that he has suffered.

Paul’s Sarcasm And The Suffering Resume

Dr. David Klingler 18:06

Uh and and he's going to uh explain to them, you know, this is why I'm persecuted. And they're over there boasting because they're saying, Well, you know, look at us, look at what big shoes he says, all right, well, let's play their game. If we if boasting is necessary, uh it's not profitable, it doesn't build up the body, it only elevates the individual. But if we want to play the game of boasting, let's talk about it for a second. You know, so here's his sarcasm that we talked about. It's it's showing right back up here, right? Uh he's yeah actually picks it up in chapter uh uh you know, if you're so wise, you know, this is chapter 11. Uh since many boast according to the flesh, I'll also boast. Right? This is in chapter 11, verse 18. For you being so wise, you can just you know this, you know, a bunch of morons, he says under his breath, uh, bear with uh the the you know, if you're so wise, uh and you bear with the moron so gladly, uh for you bear with anyone who enslaves you, who devours you, who takes advantage of you, who exalts himself, who hits you in the face. To my shame, I must say, I I was weak by comparison. I'll I'll confess to you, I never punched you in the mouth, right? I never hit you in the face. Um are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? What are you crazy? What are you insane? I'm more so in uh in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten without number, uh often in danger. Five times I've received from the Jews 39 lessons, three times I was beaten with rods, I was stoned, I was uh three times shipwrecked, day and night I spent in the deep, frequent journeys, dangers from rivers, dangers from Rogers, dangers from countrymen, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among the false brethren. And I I've been in labor, in hardship through many sleepless nights, through hunger, through thirst, often without food, with uh freezing, cold, exposure. Uh apart from such things, uh, the external things, the physical things, there's also the concern, the daily pressure, the concern for the churches. Who's weak without me being weak? Who is uh led into sin without my intense concern? Uh if I have to boast, I will boast of what uh pertains to my weakness, my my suffering, my sorrows, my uh carrying this burden for you. Uh God and Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus, uh I I was uh I was seized. You know, they were trying to seize me, and I was let down in a basket,

Visions Paradise And The Thorn

Dr. David Klingler 20:42

I escaped. So if we're if we're gonna go to the play the boasting game, if boasting is necessary, chapter 12, uh though it's not profitable, I can continue. I talk about visions, revelations from the Lord. I know a man who was 14 years ago, whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know. I know this. Um, he was caught up to the third heaven. I I was caught up to the very presence of the Lord. Have they been caught up to the presence of the Lord? I mean, if we're boasting, uh and I know such a man, whether whether uh in the body, in other words, live or dead, in the body or apart from the body, I do not know. God knows. I was caught up into paradise, and I heard inexpressible words, words that a man ought not to be perse uh is not permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on uh my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weakness. For I do not wish to boast. Um uh I'm sorry, uh for if I do wish to boast, I shall not be foolish, uh, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than what he sees or hears from me. Right? I'm not gonna boast in my credentials. Uh I'm gonna You're gonna have to see it. You're gonna have to experience it. And because of the support. Passing greatness of the revelations for this reason to keep me from exalting myself. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, to uh to beat me, uh, to keep me from exalting myself. Now, um, there's been a lot of water under this bridge trying to figure out what the thorn in the flesh is. Um and concerning this, uh, I entreated the Lord three times uh that uh it might or he might depart from me. You know, that's a it could be it or he. Why do I mention this? Well, um, if if what he's saying isn't mentioned in this book, I don't know what he's talking about. And no one does. However, in the previous chapter, so this is chapter uh third uh chapter 12, verse 7, uh, he's already used much of this language previously in the book, right? Three times I was beaten, uh a messenger of Satan to beat me, right? To keep me from exalting myself, to humble me, right? How is Paul being humbled? How is he um in his weakness, he is strong? Well, what's the example of his weakness and all of his beatings and all of his suffering and all of this uh uh this stuff? And so uh also notice that uh that this is a uh an angel of Satan, a messenger of Satan, right? Um could be a person just as easily as uh anything else. Uh and uh concerning this, I entreated the Lord three times uh that it or he might depart from me. And so three times I was beaten with rods, and three times he asked, and so there may be some connection there. Uh but my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. See, and so it's got to connect back to this weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me. In other words, he's not relying upon his achievements or his position, but on his suffering.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 24:08

Therefore, I am well content in weaknesses, in insults, in distress, in persecutions, in difficulties for Christ's sake, for the body of Christ's sake, for the building up of the body of Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. And this goes right back to his whole weak, strong, wise, poor, honor, dishonor, all the way from the the first uh the first uh letter. I have become a moron, I have become foolish. You yourselves compelled me. Now, what does he mean by that? Um, why has he become a fool? Why has he become weak? Why has he become without honor? It is for the sake of Christ, it's for the sake of the building up of the body of Christ. Uh in fact, the the the Corinthian church and all the other churches have compelled him through his desire to build up the church, he has become foolish, weak, and dishonorable. Right. And so that makes perfect sense. Actually, I I should uh have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I'm a nobody. For the signs of true apostleship were formed performed among you uh with all endurance or perseverance by signs and wonders and miracles. For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches? Except that I did not become a burden to you. Uh I didn't take a salary from you, I didn't take money from you. Forgive me for this wrong, right? Uh this is the third time I'm ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden to you, and I don't seek what is yours. But you uh, you know, for for the children aren't responsible to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. He said in the first letter that he's a father to them. Um I will gladly uh spend and be expended for your souls. I love you the more uh uh and I am to be loved the less. If I love you the more, I'm sorry, if I love you the more, am I to be loved the less. In other words, he's giving himself up for them, and that's what uh he's supposed to do. Uh and so, you know, uh they they're thinking that that he's defending himself. He's actually defending them. He's actually uh he's actually um building up the body uh of Christ. And so he's

A Final Warning To Self Examine

Dr. David Klingler 26:27

gonna finish with this. This is the third time I'm coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by two or three witnesses. I previously said while uh when present a second time, and though now absent, I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and the rest of you as well, that if I come to you, I won't spare any of you. Whoa, oh since you're seeking the proof of Christ, which uh speaks in me, who is not weak toward you but mighty in you. In other words, you want to see how you want to see the strength of Christ? That's why I didn't come before to tear down, uh to judge, to bring the rod. I I wanted to bring love, not the rod. But uh, you want me to bring the rod? I can bring it, right? Uh for indeed he was crucified because of weakness, yet he lives because of the power of God. Uh for we also are weak in him, yet we shall live with him because of the power of God towards y'all. Test yourself to see if you're in the faith. Test yourself to see if you're living according to the faith. Examine yourselves, or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Christ Jesus is in you uh unless indeed you fail the test? Right. Uh, and so uh Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian church in dealing with Paul's teachers, in dealing with divisions, in dealing with all of the stuff, um, you can really hear his um frustration with them.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Yeah, for sure.

Dr. David Klingler 27:52

And and his exhortation and his sarcasm, even borderline mocking them. You're you're you know, we are weak, but you were strong. We are without honor, but you're honorable. I wish that we I wish you were as much of a big shooter as you are, then we can maybe we could reign with you. For I think God has appointed us apostles, last of all, men condemned to death, chapter four of the first letter. And here he is in the second letter saying, Look, I had enough of this. If I come, look out. Yeah, because I won't spare any of you. Uh and so it's time to get this thing. Uh and so one of the things that we that we see in in 1 Corinthians, and then again here in 2 Corinthians, is this church discipline. Yeah. Uh that Paul uh he disciplines them because he loves them. That is clear throughout the letter. This is why he does what he does. Uh, and so he is coming to them to discipline them for their good and for their for their future. Uh and uh and and so boy, there's there's so many things that we can learn from this

Why Corinthians Sounds Like Today

Dr. David Klingler 28:53

letter. Oh, absolutely. Uh and uh and so we see Paul and his dealing with the Corinthians. And so as we said when we started First Corinthians, uh if there's a letter uh that really teaches the church who they are to be in Christ, it's Ephesians. Um if there's a letter or a couple letters we need to hear in the church today, it's the letters of church discipline. Yeah. Um correcting the disunity in the body of Christ, the false theology in the body of Christ, the false motives, the evil motives in the body of Christ, uh the need for discipline in the body of Christ. It's first and second Corinthians.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 29:30

Uh and so these are powerful, powerful letters.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

I was gonna say, you know, it's you know, the first few times you read it this way, it's kind of like it's it's sort of fun to watch because like Paul's level on them. You know, yeah. And then you realize, oh wait, it's it's very similar to what we're going through, and then it's not so fun anymore, you know. But but you can learn a lot, you know.

Dr. David Klingler 29:50

And so it it would be um uh it would be funny if it wasn't so so um powerful. Yeah. Um that's right. Uh you know, he says, uh you're over there rejoicing and you should have been mourning instead. Yeah. You're thinking, oh, yeah, we're over here rejoicing in the church. And because of what's going on in the church, because the church has quit being the church. And by that we mean um there's divisions among us, there's factions among us, there's false teachers all throughout the church. They're not teaching the once for all faith delivered to the saint. The church doesn't even know what what the once for all faith delivered to the saint is.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

We have or how to discern the false theology that's the same that's been for thousands of years, you know.

Dr. David Klingler 30:35

Paganism, yes, uh, pagan theology, uh American dream with Bible verses. It it's all throughout the church. And and we boast in it and we're rejoicing in it like we're doing something good, and uh, and we sound like the Corinthians. Paul says, boasting, you should be mourning.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

Wow.

Dr. David Klingler 30:56

The correct response to sin in the body, sin in the church is mourning and repentance, not boasting and arrogance. And that's what y'all are doing. And uh, and boy, there's we really need uh a time of uh re-evaluation and self-examination in the church to say, what are we doing? How did we get here? Yeah, and how do we return to the once for all faith delivered to the saints?

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Yeah, my fear is that not much would be changed if he were to write that it'd say a lot of the same stuff. Oh, like like you're saying.

Dr. David Klingler 31:33

Yeah, he would say, uh, read first and second place. I've already written this letter. I've addressed this issue uh uh extensively. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And uh and so no, that's exactly right. So very relevant uh for where we are in the church today.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

Very good.

Resources Partnering And Closing

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Well, thank you again for tuning in with us and and for uh just engaging with the word of God. We we hope that it's encouraging to you. We hope that you're learning and that it's inspiring you to continue to learn uh the word of God so that we'll not be tossed around by every strange wind of doctrine, but that we'll be steadfast and stand firm. Um and so we want to encourage you to hop on over to our website or our app, teachmetheBible.com. There's all kinds of other resources for you to be able to engage um and to learn the word of God. Uh, this is our uh Bible in a year series, but we have book studies, we have blog posts to help you continue to evaluate and to uh to learn the word of God. And so um again, we thank you for joining us and we'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

For more resources, visit teachmethebible.com or download our app from any app store. You can partner with Teach Me the Bible in helping the people of God understand the Word of God by subscribing and sharing with others. Thank you for listening to Teach Me the Bible Podcast.