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“The Apology of an Apostle” “The Final Exam” Winter Quarter - 2018-2019

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“The Apology of an Apostle” “The Final Exam” Winter Quarter - 2018-2019 “The Apology of an Apostle” “The Final Exam” Winter Quarter - 2018-2019 1. Introduction - 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 a. Do you remember the days of your final exams? a.i. Do you remember the cramming, the midnight coffee, the prayers, the tears, the fears and the stark terror when the teacher handed you the test? a.ii. There is so much pressure placed on you when you take a “final exam.” b. Maybe you were like this one guy who said, “Last semester I took macroeconomics and didn’t have a clue what I was doing and the proof was my final exam. There were 80 multiple choice questions. For some reason I decided to play the game of probability and choose the letter “A” as an answer for every question. The outcome was total failure. The following day, the professor asked to see me after class. He asked, “Is everything okay?” “Sure.” I said. “Why?” “Well, here’s your test,” he said and handed me a piece of paper that was covered in red ink. “Can you explain why you chose to mark “A” for every question?” Knowing there was nothing I could do at that point, I said, “Well, I’ve always wanted to be an “A” student.” c. Is that the only way you could ever be an “A” student too? d. Final exams are stressful because they usually determine whether you pass or fail. d.i. And guessing all your answers is usually not a good strategy. d.ii. When you walk into the classroom to take a final, you want to have absolute confidence that you know the answers. d.iii. Preparation, plus confidence equals academic success. e. Tonight, we are going to see that Paul was preparing the Corinthians for their final exam. f. Soon he would be arriving in Corinth but first he was sending them this letter we’ve been studying to prepare the way so that all could be confident of a happy reunion. f.i. In fact, the word “confidence” appears five times in this letter. Repeat f.ii. Paul said this in (2 Cor 7:4 N.V.) “ I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you.” g. This is one of the techniques of teaching. g.i. When you stand before a class to prepare them for an exam, the teacher wants to infuse the students with confidence. g.ii. You tell them you believe in them and they will do well. h. Why? When students succeed, who also succeeds? The teacher h.i. Why was Paul repeating the idea of confidence five times in this letter? h.ii. He wanted the Corinthians to have spiritual success and the Apostle wanted to revel in their success like any spiritual father would. i. Let’s read tonight’s text for the lesson entitled “The Final Exam.” j. As he started his closing comments, Paul wrote these words in (2 Cor 13:5-10 N.V.) {5} “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? {6} And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. {7} Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. {8} For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. {9} We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. {10} This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority--the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. k. In our last lesson, you may remember that the Corinthians were questioning Paul’s credentials. k.i. They were demanding proof of his apostleship. k.ii. He said in (2 Cor 13:3 N.V.) “ . you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.” l. Look how he turned the tables on the doubters in (2 Cor 13:5 N.V.) Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-- unless, of course, you fail the test? l.i. Paul put the Corinthians on the defensive by giving them “The Final Exam” to prior for his soon arrival. l.ii. The first thing we see on the test was . 2. The Question a. Did you ever take a final exam and there was only one question? a.i. Would you like that? a.ii. I wouldn’t because if you get the wrong answer, you failed. b. Yet, look at the question Paul put on the final exam for the Corinthians in (2 Cor 13:5 N.V.) “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?” c. What was the question Paul was getting the Corinthians to answer? c.i. Are you in the faith or out of the faith? c.ii. Are you a Christian or are you not a Christian? c.iii. Are you in Christ or are you out of Christ? c.iv. Are you with Him or are you against Him? d. Is it possible to be in the middle? d.i. Can you be someone who is not necessarily against Jesus but you not completely living for Him either? d.ii. Can you ride the fence with the Lord with one foot in the church and one foot in the world? e. Jesus said in (Mat 12:30 N.V.) “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” f. In their final exam, Paul was putting the Corinthians on the spot. f.i. He asked in v.5, “Are you in the faith?” f.ii. Why that question? g. Remember, Paul’s credentials were being questioned in that church. g.i. The super-apostles were claiming that Paul was not the real deal. g.ii. They said this about him in 2 Corinthians 10:10, “ . .in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” g.iii. And it appears as if many in that congregation had also become dismissive of their own spiritual father. h. Some of you have children who have walked away from what you’ve taught them about the Lord’s church their whole lives. h.i. When this happens, you question everything you did as a parent in raising that child. h.ii. You rip yourself apart and put yourself back together looking for the reasons you failed to help that child live a life of true faith as an adult. h.iii. Maybe the child even blames you for their walking away from the Lord’s church and now have gone to a denominational church. h.iv. Or, maybe they are simply entertaining the idea. i. The question to ask them before leaving is, “Right now, are you in the faith or out of the faith?” i.i. You see, there is only one faith. i.ii. The Bible says in (Eph 4:4-6 N.V.) {4} “There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” i.iii. A child who is considering leaving the Lord’s church for another faith should be asked to do what Paul said in 2 Cor 13:5, “Test yourselves.” i.iv. That is, “Look closely at the faith you are considering leaving for another and make an honest comparison.” j. Look again at (2 Cor 13:5 N.V.) Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? j.i. As their spiritual father, Paul was getting the Corinthians to examine themselves to see if they were truly Christians or were they frauds. j.ii. He was confident that they would answer the question: “Yes, we are in Christ and in the faith.” k. If the Corinthians were in Christ and in the faith, who was the spiritual father who lead them there? Paul was. l. If you have a straying child who is considering leaving the church, you can ask them the same question Paul asked the Corinthians. l.i. “Right now, are you in the faith or out of the faith?” l.ii. “Right now, are you in Christ or out of Christ?” l.iii. And if they say, “I’m in Christ right now and in the true faith”, then ask, “Then why leave it for another faith?” l.iv. How many true faiths are there? One Ephesians 4:5 m. And if your child leaves your faith for another faith, one of you must be wrong. m.i. Remember what Jesus said in (Mat 12:30 N.V.) “He who is not with me is against me.” m.ii. Ephesians 4:5 says there is one faith. m.iii. Jesus said in (Mat 16:18 N.V.) “On this rock I will build my church.” m.iv.
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