I love the canon of Scripture; it is the Living Word of God; the canon of Scripture today is exactly what God wanted it to be, and it will stay that way until Christ returns! God’s Word is authoritative; it tells us what to do and how to live our lives. Sadly, too many people reject it and call it irrelevant for today’s culture and the times in which we live; people choose to pick what they want from the scriptures and throw out what they do not want to believe or what doesn’t fit with their lifestyle.
I love Paul’s courageous faith and boldness, and his love for the Lord is compelling. He is a hero of the faith, and I can learn from him and his ministry because Paul followed the Lord wholeheartedly. His Zeal for the Lord was astounding; he prayed fervently and passionately. Paul preached the pure Gospel; he honored God’s message and ministry, and his ministry was of purity and God’s power. Paul answered the call. He knew what it meant when Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Every ministry should abide in Christ and in the doctrine of Christ. Sharing the Gospel and making disciples by sharing the Word of Truth; the Word of God; the scriptures, and testifying who Jesus is, God in the flesh, His death, burial, and resurrection. Fully God and fully human.
The Christian life is truly suffering for Christ’s sake. Remember, 2 Timothy 3:12 tells us, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” I love how Paul always calls out false teachers and those with faulty doctrine. Paul addressed some leaders who were peddling and occupying themselves with erroneous lies, and it was a message of pain avoidance and glorification of human prosperity.
There is no other way to follow Christ than to bear up with faith under the difficulties God’s call brings into believers’ lives. This epistle strongly affirms it is often in situations of human inadequacy that divine favor is most powerful: “For the sake of Christ, then, l am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10) In such times believers experience the mystery and beauty of God’s promise: “My grace is sufficient for you” (II Corinthians 12:9).
Another theme is the sanctity of the apostolic ministry. Watered-down and distorted versions of the Christian message circulated at Corinth, as Paul speaks of “false apostles” in their midst (II Corinthians 11:13). Satan’s servants can sometimes be found in the church, and they “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:15).
God’s Word is a treasure chest of truth. May we align our lives to every Word that God speaks through the scriptures.
