John MacArthur stated that forgiveness frees people from the past. It is liberating, exhilarating, and healthy. Forgiveness relieves tension, brings peace and joy, and restores relationships. In addition to its personal and societal benefits, there are at least ten biblical reasons for forgiving others. 

1. Believers are never more like God than when they forgive
   
2. The sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13), does not just forbid murder but also anger, malice, lack of forgiveness, and desire for revenge
3. Whoever offends another person offends God more, because all sin is ultimately against Him
4. Those who have been forgiven of great sin against God must forgive the lesser sin of others against them
   God freely forgives believers’ massive debt to His holiness—a debt they could never repay even if they spent eternity in hell. Therefore they must readily forgive the sins by which others offend them. To refuse to do so is reprehensible, insensitive ingratitude that makes a mockery of God’s forgiveness of them
5. Believers who refuse to forgive forfeit the blessing of fellowship with other Christians
6. Failing to forgive results in divine chastening
7. God will not forgive believers who refuse to forgive others
   The Lord was not, of course, referring to the eternal forgiveness of justification (Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:23–24; Col. 1:14; 2:13; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Titus 2:14; Heb. 7:25; 1 Peter 2:24) but to the temporal forgiveness of sanctification
8. Failing to forgive others renders believers unfit to worship
9. To refuse to forgive is to usurp God’s authority
10. Offenses against believers must be recognized and embraced as the trials that mature them

Source:  2 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003), Page 50. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God!"  (II Corinthians 1:3-4)
 
Wow!  What a wonderful verse to begin our lesson last night on II Corinthians 1:3-11!  
 
As we noted last week, the apostle Paul led off his second letter to the church of Corinth with a declaration that his mission as an apostle of Jesus Christ was not a self-appointed one but one of divine appointment, and that the words that he wrote to them didn't reflect his own message and thinking but revealed the very words of God!  In that connection, MacArthur noted that no other book of the Bible better fulfills the claims and promises of II Timothy 3:16-17, that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching doctrinal truth, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, and adequately equipped for every good work!"  And that's why, as men of the Bible (MOBsters!), we're committed, so enthusiastically, to studying it, and sharing what we're learning with each other!
 
Paul describes God not only as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ but, drawing from the liturgical language of the Old Testament, as "the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort"!  David wrote in Psalm 86:15: "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth!"  Paul, in Ephesians 2:4, added: "But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus!"  And borrowed from the synagogue prayer of Isaiah 40:1 which reads: "Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God..." and of Isaiah 51:3, where it says, "Indeed, God will comfort Zion"!  
 
And so, even today, our God, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, comforts us in our afflictions "so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God!  Wow!  Giving us a whole new understanding of why God allows trials and afflictions to sometimes come into our lives!
 
Paul, speaking for himself, writes, in verses 6-7, "But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort"!  And so we develop an empathy for others who are suffering, and they for us, and when we share our experiences together, it brings the comfort of God for us all, Paul is saying!  Comfort "in abundance"!
 
No preacher in the history of the church has probably faced as much persecution and affliction as the apostle Paul!  He says, in verses 8-10: "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us!  He on whom we have set our hope!  And He will yet deliver us!"  Wow!  Paul doesn't describe here what those afflictions were that he experienced in Asia, but the Corinthians apparently where aware of them!  And it may relate to what he writes in 4:8-11, where he says, "We were afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh!"  But despite it all, he continues, in verses 16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day!  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not for the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal!  Wow!
 
Paul says, "we don't lose heart"!  He was confident that God is faithful, always ready to comfort, and that He would deliver him!  If not in this life, in the life to come!  Reminds us of the words of Jeremiah, in Lamentations 3:22-23, "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease.  For His compassions never fail!  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!"
 
MacArthur notes that the constancy of God's comfort led Paul to describe Him as "He on whom we have set our hope"!  In Romans 5:3-5, he wrote, "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us!"  (MacArthur notes that "the more believers suffer and experience God's comfort, the stronger their hope in Him grows!)
 
Near the end of his life Paul wrote, in II Timothy 4:16-18, "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me, but it is not be counted against them.  But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation (of the Gospel!) might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.  The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever!  Amen!"
 
What a great example we have in the apostle Paul!  And what a great God we have!  God, "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort"!
 
Have you experienced the comfort of God?  Nearly 2 years ago I suffered a stroke and as I went into surgery and later was recovering in the hospital and at home, I felt the Lord's comfort, as perhaps never before, as I meditated on some key "tough time" verses of Scripture, and another set of verses dealing with "anxieties," as well as the words of some great old (and new) Christians hymns and songs, some of which I passed on to you at the time!  They continue to bring great comfort to me in times of trials and anxieties!   You may want to check them out as you seek relief from "troubles" you may face!  I won't attempt to quote this exhaustive list here, but here are some of the references: Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 11:28-30; Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 46:10-11; Psalm 55:22; Psalm 27:13-14; Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 40:1-3; Jeremiah 33:3; John 14:27; Isaiah 27:3; II Corinthians 12:9-10; Romans 8:28; Psalm 118:24; Jude 24-25; Isaiah 43:1-3; II Corinthians 4:16-18!  Of course, there's many more in God's Word!
 
And here are some of the words to some great songs (to sing!):

• "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...I am the Lord your God; do not fear...!"
• "Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art; I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart...!"
• "All your anxieties, all your cares; bring to the Mercy Seat, leave them their...!"
• "He giveth more grace when the burdens are greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase...!"
• "Like the woman at the well, I was seeking, for things that could not satisfy...Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord, come and quench this thirsting of my soul...!"
• "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrow like sea billows roll, whatever my lot; it is well, it is well, with my soul...!"
• "Wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer and friend; who would have thought that a lamb could rescue the souls of me..!"
• "Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief and pain...!"
• "In the morning when I rise...give me Jesus...You can have all this world, but give me Jesus....!"
• "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus..!"
• "He hath made me glad...I will sing, for He has made me glad...!"

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions...!"
 
Go with God and be a blessing!
 
Lowell  

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!"  (II Corinthians 1:1-2)

The apostle Paul makes it clear right up-front that his mission was not a self-appointed one, or based on his own achievements, but one of divine appointment!  And that his letter reflected not his own message but the very words of God!  No other book of the Bible reflects better the claims and promises of II Timothy 3:16-17--that "all Scripture is breathed out (and given) by inspiration of God and profitable for teaching (doctrine!), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work!"  And that's why we as "men of the Bible" (or MOBsters) are enthusiastically into studying it and sharing what we're learning with each together!

In his salutation Paul makes mention of his cherished son in the faith, Timothy, who was with him during the founding of the church of Corinth, and extends grace (God's unmerited favor) and peace (one of its benefits), which were the normal salutations in all of Paul's letters to the churches!

This is Paul's second letter to the church of Corinth!  First Corinthians, with all its great content, apparently "did not get rid of all the problems in this troubled church," writes Constable.  And so the apostle Paul wrote this letter "with the immediate purpose of combating the influence of Judaizers who promoted legalistic teaching"!  These teachers were evidently Jews, mainly from Judea, who claimed to be Christians but may have been unbelievers or misguided believers!  But God's larger purpose, again according to Constable, was to "make the gospel crystal clear"!

MacArthur writes that II Corinthians is the "most personally revealing of all Paul's epistles"!  (But) "at the same time it is perhaps the least familiar of all his inspired writings, often overlooked by individual believers and preachers alike...an immense loss to the church"!  (John Neal referred to it as "Paul's autobiography," and that in it, Paul "pours out his soul for the Corinthian church"!  Paul's "godly character clearly shows through as he interacts with the most troubled of his congregations...out of humility"!  "If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness," he writes in II Corinthians 11:30; and he says in 3:5-6, "Not that are adequate in ourselves...but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants of a new covenant..."!  His passionate concern for the flock is shown in 4:5 where he declares, "For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus sake"!

MacArthur notes that "no preacher in the history of the church has faced such intense persecution as did Paul, and in this letter he models how to handle suffering in the ministry!  For example, in 4:7-12, Paul writes, "For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves, even as we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are constantly delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death works in us, but life in you!"  And so much more!

But though it is an intensive look at Paul, nonetheless, MacArthur writes, II Corinthians "contains rich theological truth!  Here the new covenant receives its most complete exposition outside of Hebrews!  In II Corinthians 5:1-11, Paul presents important teaching (especially for us old guys) on what happens to believers when they die!  And what comforting words he gives!  Here's a preview: "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.  For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.  Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.  Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord!  Therefore, we also have as our ambition whether at home or absent, to be pleasing with Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad!"  Whew!

Here's something else to look forward to!  That same chapter 5 discusses the doctrine of reconciliation, "culminating in the fifteen Greek words of 5:21...providing the most concise yet profound summary of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere in Scripture!"  Wow!  Can't wait to try to figure out those 15 Greek words!

Then, MacArthur notes, "a brief Christological gem of immense valve" in 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich!"

And lots of practical aspects of living the Christian life, including the principle of separating ourselves from unbelievers; teachings on giving; and distinguishing true servants of God from false teachers, and instructions of how God uses suffering in the lives of His children!

And, last but not least, II Corinthians closes with this great exhortation (and promise) "Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you!"  Followed by the "Trinitarian benediction": "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all!"  And I just want to add, "Amen!"

I hope this overview whets your appetite as we get into--in more detail--the apostle Paul's wonderful, and often neglected, epistle of II Corinthians!  Welcome to MOB!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Lowell