1:1-2 Hello again to you (not only the Corinthians) from Paul joined with apostle Timothy, with peace from God. Following this verse we will study some of the most beautiful, revealing and guiding verses in the Bible. The Bible may end with the revelation of the culmination of this life, but the rest is dedicated to revealing the natural way and composition and purpose of our lives here on earth.
1:3 A moment of reflection of awe and joy that our creator is merciful and comforting. Even a non-believing might be able to see the generosity of nature as we, intricate beings that we are, thrive within and because of it.
1:4 God's work in the earth and within individuals proliferates. His work is multilayered, intricate, omniscient, expansive. When we assent to His will, we become the instruments with which he heals the earth. Our movements and interactions become opportunities to do good work among humanity, not just for ourselves.
He makes us strong and resilient so that we become instruments of strength and resilience. With our personal, emotional and spiritual growth, we become capable of growing others, of holding them up through tribulations we were held up through. We conquer tribulation in order that we gain the experience to conquer the tribulation of others.
The nature of creation is selfless: Humility, generosity and compassion infiltrate, overtake and sweep away all adversity for the benefit of the whole.
1:5 As we have spoken of before, the joys and tribulations of humanity are memories and histories within our own DNA. We share the threads of strength and endurance through generation after generation, from beginning to end of our existence. Our emotions, intangible, are known here on earth, have been felt and expressed long before us. We have a kinship, a connection with souls who occupied these spaces before us when we feel and express what they felt and expressed. They knew and endured and contemplated suffering just as we know and endure and contemplate suffering. We have the ability to draw strength from our shared experiences. There is consolation abundant to match any suffering we might go through when we realize our emotional kinship, thriving despite time and distance.
1:6 When we travel wisely, faithfully through tribulation and we emerge with strength. We provide consolation to humanity that such adversity is surmountable.
1:7 Those who suffer injustice reveal themselves as promoters of and allies with justice. Justice is an inevitability and the balm of it will salve all wounds and persons who suffered for it.
1:8 Paul's life was threatened regularly. A promoter of justice, he was constantly confronting injustice. Injustice fought back, as we know it does. Paul is identifying our shared connection: we are confronted by evil, danger, and fear...
1:9-10 ...We are confronted by those things but we are not overcome by them when we put our trust in God. What does that mean? It's said so often: "Put your trust in God." Well, in order to do that, you have to agree with the intention of the universe, in the philosophy of compassion. Once we agree, we begin to eke out the moments where we are guided in accordance with the will of creation.
Paul did not lose hope or lose motivation when confronted by adversity because he agreed that compassion should be the order and intention of humanity. Moreover, he trusted that if the universe's intention was compassion, those doing the work of compassion would always triumph.
We are delivered because we deliver. We are and carry the packages of compassion and creation insists that they arrive.
1:11 Prayer is an energy, a beckoning... calling forth the forces beyond us. Prayer is a call to that which we cannot see, cannot hear, cannot touch because we understand that our trust in God, in compassion, in creation supplies us with materials inaccessible to the superficial world. Spiritually armed, we are reinforced by a great and infinite army of justice.
Your prayers are heard. Your prayers are held. Your prayers are powerful. Your prayers are answered powerfully. How much you put into prayer is equivalent to what you get out of it. Paul is thankful for the prayers on his behalf because it is humbling to receive the reinforcements of the universe, to have people believe we are deserving enough of their prayers.
1:12 Conduct yourself with simplicity and godly sincerity in order to be content with yourself. Self value a necessary foundation. We have to understand as well as believe that we are capable of moving mountains, of influencing nations of thought and people.
The "fleshly wisdom" Paul speaks about is the intention of the world... which is contradictory to the intention of creation. Creation... well, creates. The world procures. Takes. The world tells us to consume material and wealth and power and fame. Paul urges us not to get distracted by the complex monetary and governmental systems in the world. Be simple, humble, sincere.
1:13-14 The work we should be proud of at the culmination of our lives on earth is the work we have done in the lives of others. We should be proud of creating laughter, joy, opportunity, friendship... our most precious moments should be watching the smiles we induced stretch across the faces of people we encountered. We are each others boast... "Look," we should say at the end of our lives, pointing to a person on earth "I caused that laughter. I made that smile. I enabled that joy."
Our significance is in ensuring others realize and thrive within theirs.
1:15-17 The Corinthians would have benefited from having Paul visit a second time; they were still working out issues in the process of establishing their churches. Ultimately Paul's decision and advice was to encourage them to seek God for correction and direction.
1:18-20 Regardless of what appears to go wrong or derail us, when we live our lives in accordance with God's will, the answer is always Yes. The answer is yes in that, Yes, He will always direct you toward your best opportunity. Even when we receive a "No" in life when we really, desperately desired a yes, trust that that "No" was given in order for you to reach your ultimate YES.
Sometimes we think things are not going our way but the No actually redirects us toward our Yes. It is imperative that we are vigilant... we are being guided, but are we following directions?
1:21-22 We are sealed with and by Spirit. We are established, perfected, protected and loved by creation. 1 Peter 5:10, we are not journeying alone. We are strengthened for our purpose.
1:23 It was dangerous to be around Paul. He had many adversaries and Paul did not want to endanger anyone, even thought it might have been comforting to him to be among friends.
1:24 "Fellow workers for your joy..." Humanity's purpose, simply proclaimed in this first chapter of II Corinthians. We are here as workers. Together we serve compassion. Together we serve each other.
