ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH – DUBAI

BIBLE FAITH SHARING

CONDUCTED BY: BR. CLIVE GONSALVES

HELD ON: 6th February 2006

2nd Corinthians

Chapter 6 (1-18)

SCRIPTURE QUOTE:

2 TIM 1:11-12 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until the day what I have entrusted to him.

The preacher briefly discussed on a few points of Chapters 4 and 5

2 COR 4:13

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture – “I believed, and so I spoke” – we also believe, and so we speak.

It is written ‘I believe therefore I have spoken’. You will speak the gospel, you will speak the good news effectively only if you have truly believed. Amen.

A salesman has to sell, you should have the gift of the gab and you talk but you see the difference between a good salesman and a salesman and even sometimes a bad salesman. Two important things are:

1) Knowledge of the product

2) Belief that the product will do what it says it can do because if he does not really believe that, the way that he sells, will reflect in the way that he talks.

If you enter a shopping mall you will find different brands selling the same product. You will see the difference between the salesmen. There will be one who will try to convince you that his product, even though it is more expensive, is better than the other one. What will give you that confidence is his ability to explain the features, for you to buy that product.

How does that relate to the gospel? Like many of us, the preacher knew the Bible fairly well because of years of going to mass regularly and hearing the readings and he could quote the Bible, not the verses, but what makes the difference is only when you come to the true realization; and you are able to make that true profession that Jesus is Lord does that word become alive, the word that God will then give life. Because you have believed, the gospel becomes effective.

Many baptized Christian will go through their entire live without coming to that stage to make a true profession that Jesus is Lord. It is sad because they have not experienced Jesus in a personal and true manner. They have received the grace of God through baptism but the next step is to really profess that Jesus is Lord. It is not only the profession but only when you can make that true profession, will we then be able to follow Jesus the way He wants us to follow him.

Making a profession is easy but the quality of your profession is seen on how you follow and act on that profession. When you say I believe therefore I have spoken, your preaching and your talking to people will be able to convince them of the good news only if you have the belief, if you are a true disciple, only then will you be able to give. What you do not have, you cannot give.

2 COR - Chapter 5

Basically St. Paul was trying to put the Christian’s life into perspective. We should look at it as a temporary situation since what we should be looking for is a permanent position in heaven.

If someone offered you a job and offered two options, the jobs are the same but for one job you will be paid Dhs 15,000 for three years and the other option is you will be paid only Dhs 5,000 but it is a permanent job. You will be employed till you retire and not only that when you retire, they will take care of your medical bills, pension and everything. Which one will you take? Some may take the Dhs 15,000 because they will say for 3 years by which time I will find another job but you see what happens here? In three years you have to make provision for your life time. Even though the sum of Dhs.5,000 is smaller, this is what God says, I have provided you in abundance. This Dhs 5,000 is to supply all your needs not all your wants. Our Christian life with that suffering is nothing compared to what God has promised for our life time – pension, taking care of all our needs, all our wants.

Effectively, in Chapter 5, the letter compares the Christian life with that of a tent, it is temporary and not a house.

Chapter 6

2 COR 6:1-4

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacles in anyone’s way so that no fault may be found with our ministry.

God’s fellow workers – St. Paul, Titus and Silas were all fellow workers. The preacher advised that last week after the class someone came up to him and apologized because when he first came to preach he was not happy to hear him and was angry because he wanted to hear Br. Hilary. He advised that it was natural for someone who is used to hearing the regular preacher. The person said he was now convinced (many months ago) that he was happy with the fact now and was sorry for his earlier approach.

There is nothing to be sorry about; this is something to be expected. Both the preachers, whoever stands to preach do not preach themselves, they preach Christ. They are not preaching themselves though how they preach might differ. Br. Clive advised that frankly even he liked the way Br. Hilary preached because he can really fire you up. He has passion when he preaches, he preaches from his heart, which Br. Clive finds difficult though he speaks from the heart. But each of them is doing God’s work, not for their glory.

Whether it is any preacher, we have to accept them, accept the word being spoken, do not look at the person because if your faith is based on the preacher, tomorrow if the preacher, your faith will not just be shaken but you will crash. If you find some fault in the preacher, even a serious fault and your faith is based on him, you would fall. He is bringing Christ to you, he comes with his faults, both our preachers come with their weaknesses but God’s word is not corrupted. It comes with faith and truth. Their life is supposed to reflect that word they speak but they come with their weaknesses. Even the Pope goes for confession every week. 2 Cor: 4 mentions that we are jars of clay, what they possess is meant for us; God’s word is given to us through them.

St. Paul quotes ISA 49:8 here. Thus says the Lord: “In a time of favour I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages;”

One more day God has given us to repent, one more day to hear His word. Do not receive God’s grace in vain. To each one grace has been given as Christ has distributed, as Christ apportioned. What you do with that grace is important. The human co-operation, your co-operation is necessary for the gospel to become effective in your life. Your co-operation is needed. Your full co-operation is your response to God’s invitation. When God pours out His grace you are supposed to grab it with both hands and make full use of it. That is what God does here.

The fact that we are here, that we can talk about the many blessings, it is because of God’s grace. What we do with that grace, how we utilize it depends on us. God depends on your co-operation. God can do nothing without our co-operation. He cannot even save you without your co-operation, remember that.

2 Cor 6:4-7

but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.

St. Paul regularly talks about all the hardships he underwent. In 2 Cor 11:24-27 he talks about being flogged five times, beaten thrice, etc. Here once again he talks about sleepless nights and the hard work. He is just trying to say that the call of the apostle involves what he had to do, riches are for others but being an apostle was not to be envied, it did not come only with power but came along with hardships.

2 Cor 6:8-10

in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well-known, as dying, and see- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possession everything.

St. Paul talks about opposites over here.

Bad report - good report; glory – dishonour; genuine – fake; known - yet unknown; dead yet alive; sorrowful yet rejoicing; poor yet rich; having nothing yet possessing everything. We all know you can either be rich or poor. You cannot be both unless you are Richie Rich, the poor little rich boy.

That is the meaning of opposites but our Christian life is a contradiction just as Christ’s life was a contradiction.

LK 2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Behold this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against.”

Our lives will seem like a contradiction because of our eyes, that is why we say we walk by faith not by sight. Others seeing you have no idea of the riches you actually possess. Though you are not known to others, yet it is said you are known to God. No one else’s opinion matters because God knows you. He knows you individually, you are not a face in a crowd. God fixes the stars and calls each one by name, how much more important are each one of you. Whatever your name God knows each one individually. God holds you in the palm of his hand. How would God hold so many people in the palm of His hands but He does. This is trying to convey an image. He is trying to tell us how important we are that He holds us in the palm of His hands. He knows exactly among all the billions of people who are running around, His eyes are on us like His eyes are on the sparrow. He knows you individually; He cares and loves you individually and uniquely. It is possible. We love all our children equally but each one we love in a unique way. That is the way God loves each one of us.

2 COR 6:11-13

We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return – I speak as to children – open wide your hearts also.

St. Paul is just trying to bring to all Christians essentially in this chapter what is the life of what we now call a Bishop. All the Bishops are apostles, the priests are not apostles. The concern each Bishop is supposed to have for the different flocks. This is one of the greatest passages which relates to the Bishop, how he is supposed to act, he is supposed to be a father, he is supposed to correct, he has the authority, he can be firm in his letters and that is why he sends Pastoral letters because he wants to convey something to us. This is how the Bishop will speak to you. Paul says that he has spoken freely so in turn open wide your hearts.

St. Paul is trying everything to get to them. He says I have become everything to all men so that in doing so I would save a few. He knew he could not save all. Some people’s eyes were blinded and their eyes will never be opened. He says he can do all things. Why does he say that? He is appealing to their goodness as a father would appeal to his children. You try to touch an emotional chord and he is using that speech to convey that in 1 Cor he was so harsh but now he is opening his heart, he is being a father to them.

This is what a bishop is. He is the Father of the whole jurisdiction in which he presides over. No Bishop from another province will overstep this boundary. He has the sole and full authority in this jurisdiction and no other Bishop from elsewhere can interfere in his jurisdiction. The Bishop belongs to this great college of the church. He has his own place, his own rights. He sits not as a ruler but as a father, that is why he is called a shepherd over his flock.

From 2 COR 6:11-13 we could move on to 2 COR 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves, from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.

2 COR 6:14-18 does not seem right in the middle of this. This reflects what came in 1 Cor 5:9-11 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons – not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or robber.

What does St. Paul say about being yoked to believers and non-believers, being married to unbelievers? What exactly is this, we have to be clear.

2 COR 6: 14-18

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Be-liar? Or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God: as God said, “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their god, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”