Oct 12, 2017
Welcome to Devotionary, where we make the Bible accessible and applicable.
In this episode, titled, “Tough Love”, we’ll learn about another letter Paul had sent to the church in Corinth that has long since been lost. But that letter evidently contained some harsh words from the apostle. He had stepped on some toes and offended some of the members of the local congregation. But his intent had been to bring healing, not hurt. He had been out to call the church to accountability and obedience. As a result, he had been forced to say some things that were, at face value, offensive and hard to receive, but which, in the long-run, had their intended impact on the Corinthians. As Christians, we can sometimes find it hard to say what truly needs to be said. We don’t want to offend anyone. We don’t want to be accused of being judgmental or holier-than-thou. So, even when we see fellow believers acting in ways that are not honoring to Christ, we tend to keep our mouths shut. Afraid of turning a friend into a potential enemy, we fail to speak up and say what needs to be said. And, as a result, the body of Christ suffers. 2 Corinthians 2:1-13 is all about tough love, a difficult thing to pull off, but a non-negotiable necessity if the church is going to be effective.