1 of 2

The apostle Paul was undeterred by intense opposition to his message. Why? Because he was energized by a vision (2 Corinthians 4:15) of the results of getting the gospel message out: "As God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving and God will receive more and more glory."

2 Corinthians 5:10-15,18-6:2

1. 1. What (v. 11) was the "solemn fear" that pushed Paul to persuade others to respond to the gospel?
2. 2. Why (v. 13) could Paul have appeared unbalanced to his contemporaries? How is a spirited defense of the gospel viewed in our day?
3. 3. On what basis (v. 14) could Paul shrug off criticism of the intensity of his appeal?
4. 4. Do you accept that a major purpose of your receiving new life (v. 15) is to no longer live to please yourself?
5. 5. How might this affect how you approach your assignment (v. 18) of reconciling people to Christ?
6. 6. Do you agree with Paul (v. 19) that the gospel is a wonderful message? When something is really good news, are you eager to share it with others?
7. 7. What do the verbs used in 5:20 through 6:2—"urge," "plead," "beg"—tell you about Paul's passion in sharing the good news?

Ask God for the resolve to take seriously your commission as Christ's ambassador where you work and live.

2 Corinthians 5:10-15,18-6:2

10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

next page... |  1 of 2

share this page

Prayer for the Week

Give me confidence to risk sharing the gospel, Lord, since You've promised to show up when I do.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter (All fields required)    RSS Feed   RSS Help