What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Today's Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 7-9 - Heartfelt Repentance, Radical Generosity, and Holiness in Action
What if the key to spiritual revival lies in heartfelt repentance and radical generosity? Join us in today’s episode of "What Do I Know?" as Isaac Carroll delves into the Apostle Paul's profound messages in 2 Corinthians 7 and 8. We will uncover Paul's intense call for believers to cleanse themselves from all defilement and bring holiness to completion. Isaac passionately explains how Paul's heartfelt words provide both comfort and challenge, urging the early Christians to embrace sincerity and boldness in their faith.
Isaac also illuminates the remarkable generosity of the Macedonian churches, who, despite severe afflictions and extreme poverty, exemplified an overwhelming spirit of giving. Learn about the importance of contributing according to one's means and the call to complete acts of grace with genuine love and readiness. This episode is not just a historical analysis but an inspiring call to action, encouraging you to incorporate these timeless principles into your own spiritual journey. Tune in for a transformative exploration that promises to deepen your understanding and commitment to living a life of faith and generosity.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible reading we're going to be picking back up in 2 Corinthians 7. If you're ready, let us begin. Since we have these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one and we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness towards you because I have great pride in you. I am filled with comfort In all my afflictions. I have great pride in you. I am filled with comfort In all my afflictions. I am overflowing with joy, for even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, for we were afflicted at every turn, fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort by which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing and your mourning. You were zealed for me. So I rejoice still more, for even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it, for I see that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting, for you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us, For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment. At every point, you have proved yourself innocent in this matter. So, although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. Therefore, we are comforted, and besides our own comfort, we rejoice still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all, for whatever boast I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus was proved true, and his affection for you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him, with fear and trembling. I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you. 2 Corinthians 8.
Speaker 1:We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part, for they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints, and this is not as we expected. But they gave themselves first to the Lord and then, by the call of God, to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that, as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness and in our love, for you See that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command but to prove, by the earnestness of others, that your love also is genuine, for you know that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you, by his poverty, might become rich. And in this matter I give you my judgment. This benefits you who, a year ago, started not only to do this work but also desire to do it.
Speaker 1:So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness and desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have. For I do not mean for others to be eased and you burdened, but that, as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.
Speaker 1:But thanks be to God, who put into the hearts of Titus the same earnest care I have for you, for he not only accepted our appeal but, being himself very earnest, he is going to you of his own accord. With him, he was sending the brothers, who are famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. And not only that, but he has been appointed to the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being ministered by us, for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of man, and with them we are sending our brothers, whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of the great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. So give proof to the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.
Speaker 1:2 Corinthians 9. Now it is superfluous for me to write you about this ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia had been ready since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready. As I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians comes with me and finds that you are not ready, we would be humiliated, to say nothing of you, for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for this gift you had promised, so it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
Speaker 1:Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves that. You are a forgiver and God is able to make all grace abound to you so that, having all sufficiency in all things, at all times, you may abound in every good work, as it is written. He has has distributed freely, he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Speaker 1:You will be enriched in every way. To be generous in every way which, through us, will produce thanksgiving to god, for the ministry of the service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will be glorifying God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for this inexpressible gift. All right, we're going to end this one here. Tomorrow we'll pick back up in 2 Corinthians 10. Until then, you guys have a great day. Goodbye.