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Read for This Week’s Study

2 Corinthians 8:9; Romans 16:20; 1 John 4:8-11; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 2:1-2; Galatians 4:4-6.

Memory Text:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV).

Paul closes 2 Corinthians by re-emphasizing essential elements addressed in his letters. He does this through five imperatives (2 Corinthians 13:11).

The first imperative, “Rejoice” (ESV), recalls earlier texts in the letters.

The second imperative, “Strive for full restoration” (NIV), translates a single word in Greek (katartizō), which appears here and in 1 Corinthians 1:10.

The third, “Encourage one another” (NIV), resumes 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. Paul begins and closes his second letter with encouragement. We receive God’s encouragement in order to encourage others (2 Corinthians 1:4,6).

The fourth and fifth imperatives, “Be of one mind, live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11, NKJV), are a call to unity. This atmosphere of joy, restoration, encouragement, unity, and peace is the condition for the presence of God, “the God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11, ESV). It results from our triune God’s work in the human heart (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Grace, love, and fellowship result from the work of the triune God for us. These three Christian features promote an atmosphere characterized by God’s presence.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 26.

Sunday–>

By Office of Adventist Mission

Rob and Bethany are church planters in Copenhagen, Denmark. But before this, they learned principles of relationship-based ministry while they started a church in Squamish, British Columbia.

There, they made a friend who had grown up in an Adventist home but whose experiences had left him skeptical and jaded. The Christian path he had been shown was unbalanced, with prophecy studies intermingled with conspiracy theories and anxiety replacing the peace of salvation. As an adult, he distanced himself entirely.

But over time, something about Rob and Bethany’s way of living began to break down his defenses. They invited him into their lives—meals, conversations, shared routines.

He watched them. He listened. “He could sense that what we were doing was real,” Rob said. “We weren’t just going through motions. We were trying to live like Jesus. We really cared about him and wanted to be his friend.”

When a personal crisis hit, the man reached out—not to a church, but to the family he’d grown to trust. He began to ask questions. And eventually, he chose to believe again—but this time, in a Jesus he’d never known before.

Now he’s a passionate Christian, committed and transformed.

And it started with simple things: listening, serving, and living the gospel through daily life.

“There’s nothing more exciting than being part of someone’s spiritual journey,” Rob reflected. “Start with the basics—begin with prayer, listen, eat, serve, and when the time comes, share. That’s how Jesus did it. And that’s how hearts are still changed today.”

Now in Copenhagen, Rob and Bethany meet new friends in their neighborhood and through local events. Their home is open for fellowship and shared meals on a regular basis. They are always on the lookout for who they can invest in—listening, serving, supporting, sharing. From their past experience, they know that this is the most effective way to love people today. And they pray daily that God will bless them with real friendships along this church-planting journey.

Please pray for our missionaries who serve in the Post-Christian Window, one of the greatest mission challenges our church faces today. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/refocus.

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Read Elllen G. White, “The Laodicean Church,” p. 125, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 30, 1873.

“The Lord is guarding his people against a repetition of the errors and mistakes of the past. There have always abounded false teachers who, advocating erroneous doctrines and unholy practices, and working upon false principles in a most specious, covered, deceptive manner, have endeavored to deceive, if possible, the very elect.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 7, 1904.

“The Lord designs that our opinions shall be put to the test, that we may see the necessity of closely examining the living oracles to see whether or not we are in the faith. Many who claim to believe the truth have settled down at their ease, saying, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 36.

“Men entertain errors, when the truth is clearly marked out; and if they would but bring their doctrines to the word of God, and not read the word of God in the light of their doctrines, to prove their ideas right, they would not walk in darkness and blindness, or cherish error. Many give the words of Scripture a meaning that suits their own opinions, and they mislead themselves and deceive others by their misinterpretations of God’s word. As we take up the study of God’s word, we should do so with humble hearts. All selfishness, all love of originality, should be laid aside. Long-cherished opinions must not be regarded as ­infallible.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors, Pages 36, 37.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

In 2 Corinthians 12:14-21; 2 Corinthians 13:1-10, Paul informs the church about his third visit (2 Corinthians 12:14, 2 Corinthians 13:1). He had shown that he is not ­inferior to any of the false apostles and is now confident to come to Corinth once again and try to restore unrepentant members. In fact, this was one of the primary purposes of this visit. All Paul did and spoke was meant for the edification of the church (2 Corinthians 12:19).

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The list of sins in 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 is similar to others found elsewhere in Paul’s letters (Romans 1:29-31, Galatians 5:19-21). The first two items appear in 1 Corinthians 3:3, where Paul refers to jealousy and strife among the members in Corinth. Paul fears that things would not be too different by the time of his third visit. He says, “I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish.” Conversely, he says, “You may find me not as you wish” (2 Corinthians 12:20, ESV). This means that rather than dealing with them “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1, ESV), he would now be “ready to punish every disobedience” (2 Corinthians 10:6, ESV).

His main concern is that those members who had been involved with “impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality” may not have repented (2 Corinthians 12:21, ESV). And it is sins such as these that cause divisions in the church.

Next, Paul focuses on the role of church discipline to restore those in sin (2 Corinthians 13:1-4). Weakness is not an excuse for a sinful way of life. There is power available for those who want to live a victorious life (2 Corinthians 13:4). The fact that some in Corinth practiced sexual sin is evidence that God’s power was not a reality in their lives. Paul wanted them to repent and experience the power that leads to obedience. Disciplining them was the last thing he wanted to do. He says, “We pray to God that you may not do wrong . . . , but that you may do what is right. . . . Your restoration is what we pray for” (2 Corinthians 13:7-9, ESV). What a beautiful prayer! He asks them to examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

After exposing the false teachers as agents of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:1-15), Paul now “plays” their game by boasting a little as a fool might (2 Corinthians 11:16-21) so that the Corinthians could see how senseless it was to give ears to the false teachers’ speech. If the Corinthians held them in high regard, Paul deserved higher consideration. His sufferings for the gospel show that he was a faithful servant of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:22-23).

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While Paul’s Jewish credentials are identical to those of the false teachers (2 Corinthians 11:22), his service to Christ surpasses theirs (2 Corinthians 11:23). “Are they ministers of Christ?” he asks. The answer is “I am more.” His labors were more abundant; his imprisonments, more frequent; his beatings, more severe.

But this is not all. His list of sufferings also includes five instances of thirty-nine strokes (2 Corinthians 11:24), beatings with rods, stoning, shipwrecks, danger in deep waters (2 Corinthians 11:25), danger at journeys, danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from countrymen, danger from Gentiles, danger in crowded cities, danger in desolate country, danger at sea, danger from false believers (2 Corinthians 11:26), strenuous labors, exhausting toils, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, food shortage, cold, and nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:27). As if that weren’t enough, he still had to deal with mental anguish because of his deep anxiety for the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28).

Only a true servant of Christ would be willing to suffer like this for the gospel. If Paul were really to boast about his sufferings, he had much to say. However, the next section of the letter shows that the reason for his boast was based not on what he did for Christ but on what Christ had done for him. Paul knew that God’s power is more visibly displayed in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). By giving him a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), God protected Paul from boasting about his accomplishments. This kept him humble, aware of his weakness, dependent on divine power, and in the condition of receiving more of God’s grace and mercy.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

The New Testament contains several warnings against false teachers in Christian communities. Jesus Himself warned the disciples about this same thing (Matthew 7:15-20). The apostles also called attention to it (Galatians 1:6-9, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Peter 2:1-3).

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Paul unmasks the work of false teachers. At the same time, he indicates that his ministry is Christ-centered. He compares the church in Corinth to a bride and identifies himself as her father, with the responsibility to present her to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). He does so because he loves the church (2 Corinthians 11:11). So, he was even willing not to be a financial burden to it, even though he had the right to be supported by it (2 Corinthians 11:7-12).

On the other hand, the “most eminent apostles” (ironically, this likely refers to the false teachers) are compared to the serpent that deceived Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3). Like Satan in the Garden of Eden, the false teachers in Corinth are characterized by deceit and corruption (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, NKJV). Paul’s main concern was that they could lead the Corinthians astray from their sincere devotion and allegiance to Christ.

The intruders preached a different message than Paul preached—a different Jesus and a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4). This shows that not everyone who preaches Jesus is a God-commissioned instrument. In that regard, Jesus Himself said, “ ‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven’ ” (Matthew 7:21, NKJV). In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul says that whoever preaches a different gospel brings a curse upon himself, but some in Corinth tolerated this kind of error.

Paul exposes the false apostles by saying that they are “deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13, NKJV). They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, just as “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” and “his [Satan’s] servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, ESV). What a tragic situation: professing servants of Christ working as agents of Satan. Paul concludes his thought by saying that their “end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:15, NKJV).

Look at how strongly he is reacting to error in the church! What should that say to us, as well?

<–Monday Wednesday–>