Back to Corinth: 2 Cor. 7:1-16

Verse 11: “For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

“Don’t get in trouble!” “Don’t do that, it’ll hurt!” We’ve heard those phrases before; now how about these:

“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” That quote was from the late Rep. John Lewis from atop the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL on March 1, 2020. https://www.al.com/news/2020/07/get-in-good-trouble-famous-quotes-from-the-late-john-lewis.html . He was speaking of the type of trouble one would encounter confronting injustice, but not backing away from the confrontation. I thought about that phrase when I read the Holman New Testament Commentary on I & II Corinthians on 2 Cor. 7. It, too, made reference to a story about visiting people in the hospital and the term “good pain”…that when suffering “temporary agony that leads to the discovery and eradication of a disease is really a blessing.” (pg. 385 of the above book).

You wouldn’t normally associate “trouble” and “pain” with the adjective “good”. Likewise, you would think that someone who had been reprimanded wouldn’t feel better about the experience. But here, Paul is complimenting the Corinthian church for repenting and learning from their past sin and the sorrow that was caused. Paul even listed the benefits gained in verse 11 from the lesson they had learned. Therefore, the reprimand produced good fruit in the church.

When I used to officiate football, I learned some things correctly, but in my zeal to know more, I talked more that I listened. I had a veteran referee on a long “away game” have a talk with me about it. Yes, what he said stung my pride, but he was right. I learned from it, and became a better official because of it. I also came to value his wisdom very much in officiating matters, so that I would use him as a barometer to make sure I was learning correctly.

How about you, Christian? Do you learn from God’s correction? Remember, He does it because He loves us, and wants us to grow in Him.

Something to think about.

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Proverbs 13:13-18

verse 13: “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”

As I look back during the time that I officiated high school football, I remember with bemusement some of the reactions of some coaches to the rules. There were always those who argued against the calls that went against their team no matter what…yet these same coaches would be cheering us when the same rule was used in a call against the other team! There were some occasions where the team’s busted play for no gain would actually be saved due to a flag that was thrown on the play.

My Holman concordance makes reference to the fact that those who abide by the law (e.g., those coaches who abide by the rules) will benefit and be rewarded by their obedience; yet those who do not (e.g., coaches who ignore or scorn such rules) will pay the penalty, because they will still be in debt to the law.

To quote an old cliché, “the law is the law”, and that certainly applies to God’s law. As Christians, we are guilty of sin…but we have an Advocate in Jesus Christ. By His blood, our sins are forgiven; our penalty has been served by Him.

Have a blessed day!

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