A channel for the teaching ministry of Dr. John Mark Hicks.

John Mark Hicks

Paul began his “foolish” boasting by identifying how, as a minister of Christ, he endured hardships, dangers, threats, and loss for the sake of the ministry of reconciliation. In effect, he boasted in his endurance, and through this endurance he suffered “more” (hyper) than the “super (hyper) apostles.” Instead of listing his credentials, he preferred to list his sufferings for the gospel of the crucified Messiah. 
 
But Paul is not finished. He finds it necessary to boast even further. 
 
 “If I must (dei) boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30) 
 “It is necessary (dei) to boast; nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1). 
 
It is rather curious that in one breath Paul is determined to boast about his weaknesses but then finds it necessary to boast about his visions and revelations. The latter does not seem, at first glance, to be a weakness. We may suppose that the “super-apostles” boasted in their visions and revelations as a sign of strength, as a credential. 
 
Paul, however, thinks of his boasts about visions and revelations as a way of boasting in his weakness. This will become apparent in 2 Corinthians 12:9 because, in some way, Paul believes his boast about his vision is actually a boast about his weakness. 
 
 “I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 
 
His weakness is ultimately a “thorn in the flesh” that both torments and humbles him (2 Corinthians 12:7). 
 
Paul’s first boast in weakness is found in 2 Corinthians 11:30-33. Paul reminds his readers that his preference is to boast in his weakness—and he assures them this is true by invoking the presence and knowledge of God. This functions like a doxological oath. He calls upon God to bear witness to his truth-telling. 
 
In some way, Paul’s description of the Damascus incident is a form of boasting in weakness. Perhaps the “super-apostles” used this as example of Paul’s inferiority. Paul had to escape from a political threat in a humiliating manner. Does that sound like a minister of the Messiah? But Paul boasts in it, and his boast is one in weakness. The weakness is the humiliation of a secret escape over the wall in a basket. That would stand in contrast to a triumphant exit from the city due to his success and good standing with the authorities. Apparently, Paul’s preaching in Damascus created a significant enough disturbance that it caught the attention of the authorities there which led to his humiliating exit (cf. Acts 9:23-25). His escape was, in the eyes of some, humiliating and thus a weakness. But Paul boasts in such weaknesses as a servant of the crucified Messiah who labors in the ministry of reconciliation. 
 
At the same time, perhaps there is a subtle comparison with other heroes who escape over walls, like the spies Rahab helped (Joshua 2:15), or David whom Michal helped (1 Samuel 19:12). Perhaps Paul is reminding us that basket escapes are signs of God’s power even if they are mocked as human weakness. God triumphs through human weakness. 
 
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Blessings, 
 
Matt

Paul began his “foolish” boasting by identifying how, as a minister of Christ, he endured hardships, dangers, threats, and loss for the sake of the ministry of reconciliation. In effect, he boasted in his endurance, and through this endurance he suffered “more” (hyper) than the “super (hyper) apostles.” Instead of listing his credentials, he preferred to list his sufferings for the gospel of the crucified Messiah.

But Paul is not finished. He finds it necessary to boast even further.

    “If I must (dei) boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30)
    “It is necessary (dei) to boast; nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1).

It is rather curious that in one breath Paul is determined to boast about his weaknesses but then finds it necessary to boast about his visions and revelations. The latter does not seem, at first glance, to be a weakness. We may suppose that the “super-apostles” b

2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10 Bible Class "Boasting in Weakness" - John Mark Hicks

Paul is jealous for the purity of the Corinthian church just like a father is for his engaged daughter. He intends to protect the church from those who proclaim another Jesus with a different Spirit and a different gospel. 
 
Paul now turns his specific attention to the group that threatens the purity of the Corinthian church. He calls them “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5) but also “false apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:13). These designations tell us something about their identity and how dangerous the situation has become. They have come to Corinth with a different gospel, preaching another Jesus with a different spirit. 
 
Since the “super-apostles” are also “false apostles,” Paul’s description is sarcastic. They are not really “super-apostles” except in their own eyes as they think they are better than Paul. They are “hyper-apostles” in the sense that they presume they have credentials Paul, who himself is an apostle of Christ, does not have. But Paul does not think of himself as at all inferior to these so-called apostles; indeed, his credentials—about which he will shortly boast—are more shaped by the gospel than theirs. He is not only not inferior, but he is, in fact, authentic whereas these “hyper-apostles” are not. 
 
Paul concedes he is not like them in at least one respect, that is, he is “untrained (idiotes) in speech.” He is not a speech professional, a trained rhetorician or orator. We might surmise that some, if not all, the “super-apostles” were. This is their advantage, it seems. But it is no advantage at all since Paul’s ministry is not rooted in the style and ability of speech-making but in “knowledge.” Paul knows the mystery of Christ; he knows the gospel. He knows it, not simply in a cognitive sense, but through his ministry as an ambassador of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation. He has suffered for the gospel, just as Jesus did, and the Corinthians know this about him. Paul’s ministry is not one of outward show but of continual suffering for the sake of the gospel. 
 
As trained rhetoricians, the “super-apostles” enjoyed and perhaps requested (maybe demanded) patronage. They expected, as was the case in Greco-Roman culture, to be rewarded for their skills and efforts, and Corinthians expected to provide patronage. This involved a sort of patron-client relationship where there were expectations due to an agreed financial exchange. In other words, the “super-apostles” expected to be paid, and the Corinthians expected to pay. 
 
Paul addresses this situation in 2 Corinthians 11:7-11. The Corinthians so valued the patronage relationship that they appear to have been offended by Paul’s lack of interest. “Did I commit a sin by humbling myself?,” Paul asks. As we know from 1 Corinthians 9, Paul made a deliberate decision to live among the Corinthians without patronage and live by his own means. He did this so that he would not “burden” the Corinthians. 
 
What does Paul mean by “burden?” It certainly includes a financial burden as Paul “robbed other churches by accepting” their support, as he did, for example, from Macedonia. But it seems it is more than financial. 
 
The “burden” of patronage involves mutual obligations. Paul is willing to receive help and financial support from other places, both congregations and individuals. We know he received support from Philippi in Macedonia, for example, on at least one occasion (cf. Philippians 4:15-16). So, it is not that Paul opposes financial support per se. Rather, it has something to do with expectations and the obligations connected with patronage. 
 
Patronage was, in fact, a hierarchical relationship, though the obligations were mutual. The patron—the one who provided financial support—was owed a certain honor and respect, including attending to the directives of the patron. Clients, then, served the patron, often lived in their household, and were loyal to the patron. 
 
Perhaps Paul wants to avoid enmeshment in this cultural world of patronage because of the relationship it assumes and expects. Paul does not want the Corinthian support while living in Corinth because he does not want that kind of relationship with the church. He refuses patronage so that he is free to preach the gospel of Christ in loyalty to the kingdom of God rather than out of loyalty to a patron.

Paul is jealous for the purity of the Corinthian church just like a father is for his engaged daughter. He intends to protect the church from those who proclaim another Jesus with a different Spirit and a different gospel.

Paul now turns his specific attention to the group that threatens the purity of the Corinthian church. He calls them “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5) but also “false apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:13). These designations tell us something about their identity and how dangerous the situation has become. They have come to Corinth with a different gospel, preaching another Jesus with a different spirit.

Since the “super-apostles” are also “false apostles,” Paul’s description is sarcastic. They are not really “super-apostles” except in their own eyes as they think they are better than Paul. They are “hyper-apostles” in the sense that they presume they have credentials Paul, who himself is an apostle of Christ, does not have. But Paul does not think of himself as at a

2 Corinthians 11:5-15 Bible Class "When Patronage Goes Awry" By John Mark Hicks

Since the beginning of chapter eleven, Paul has been promising to boast if only for the sake of the Corinthians and his care for the church. The “super-apostles” have created a climate of boasting. This is quite suited to Greco-Roman culture where boasting is often how one announces their credentials and explains why they should be heard. The “super-apostles” have boasted that they are superior to Paul, and Paul feels the pressure to respond to their boasts. 
 
But Paul is not quite ready to begin his boast. “I say again,” he writes, and repeats his point from verses 1-2. He thinks the whole project is foolish. The sort of boasting in which he will engage to satisfy the Corinthians is to play the fool, and since some already think he is a fool, he will “boast a little.” 
 
In fact, the sort of boasting required by the Corinthians, and which Paul will do, is not “according to the Lord” (kata kurion) but “according to the flesh” (kata sarka). Paul’s “boastful confidence,” that is, his endeavor, undertaking, or substance, is not the sort of boast that “boasts in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18) but boasts in the flesh (or, “human standards,” NRSV). 
 
Paul’s boast, in some sense, is going to follow the pattern (according to the flesh) of the “super-apostles” which accords well with the Corinthian (and Greco-Roman) expectations of traveling teachers or preachers. Boasting in external credentials (rhetoric, success, education, prosperity, etc.) is, to Paul’s mind, foolish boasting, but the Corinthians think it is wise and perhaps necessary. Indeed, they “gladly put up with fools” who boast according to the flesh because they think they are wise. This wisdom, however, is according to the flesh; it is the wisdom of human failings, Greco-Roman expectations, and the power-brokers of decision-making governance. It is boasting according to human standards. 
 
Nevertheless, for their sake, Paul will proceed with this kind of foolish boasting, though his particulars diverge from the “super-apostles” as he will ultimately and most importantly boast in his weakness rather than his strengths. 
 
Yet, before he begins his boast, Paul reminds them of who the “super-apostles” are. They have revealed their internal motives through their behaviors and demands. If the Corinthians were truly wise and strong, they would recognize their Satanic strategies and practices. But, unfortunately, the Corinthians have been deceived like Eve was by the serpent, and they have been played like weak fools. 
 
In 2 Corinthians 11:20, Paul describes how the Corinthians have been played with five verbs which, in fact, draw a contrast between Paul and the “super-apostles.” In their supposed wisdom, the Corinthians have put up with the foolishness of the “super-apostles,” and have, therefore, put up with oppressive behaviors: enslavement (“makes slaves of you”), predatorial practices (“preys upon you”), exploitation (“takes advantage of you”), haughtiness (“puts on airs”), and abuse (“gives you a slap in the face”). 
 
These verbs, which characterize the “super-apostles,” also draw a dramatic contrast with Paul’s own approach to the Corinthians, as he describes himself in 2 Corinthians. The below chart identifies the contrast; the chart is adapted from Frank Materia, II Corinthians: A Commentary (p. 258). 
Behavior of the “Super-Apostles” Paul’s Behavior 
Domineering Enslavement Does not exercise authority over their faith (1:24) 
Predatorial Practices Not a Burden to the Corinthians (11:9; 12:14) 
Exploitation Not crafty or cunning (4:2; 12:16) 
Haughty Humbles himself to work with his own hands (11:7) 
Abusive Acts as their father (6:13; 12:14) 
 
The contrast is stark. The intruders employ practices that seek to control and manipulate the Corinthians for the sake of their own gain and power. Paul’s practices arise from his passion for the gospel and its truth, and his practices conform to the ministry of Jesus himself who suffered and died for the gospel. Paul lives among the Corinthians as a co-worker, who earns his own keep, cares for them with the love of a father, and does not domineer over them like a master over a slave. This language reveals the hearts of the “super-apostles” in contrast to Paul’s own care and anxiety for the Corinthians. 
 
Apparently, to use the barbs of the super-apostles or Corinthians themselves, Paul was “too week” to treat the Corinthians with the oppressive practices of legitimately credentialed so-called apostles. Paul’s passion for the Corinthians shines through his sarcasm but also his disappointment with some of them who have been taken in by these intruders.

Since the beginning of chapter eleven, Paul has been promising to boast if only for the sake of the Corinthians and his care for the church. The “super-apostles” have created a climate of boasting. This is quite suited to Greco-Roman culture where boasting is often how one announces their credentials and explains why they should be heard. The “super-apostles” have boasted that they are superior to Paul, and Paul feels the pressure to respond to their boasts.

But Paul is not quite ready to begin his boast. “I say again,” he writes, and repeats his point from verses 1-2. He thinks the whole project is foolish. The sort of boasting in which he will engage to satisfy the Corinthians is to play the fool, and since some already think he is a fool, he will “boast a little.”

In fact, the sort of boasting required by the Corinthians, and which Paul will do, is not “according to the Lord” (kata kurion) but “according to the flesh” (kata sarka). Paul’s “boastful confidence,” that is, his endeav

2 Corinthians 11:16-21 Bible Class "I Can't Believe You Put up With..." By John Mark Hicks

Paul is about to do something foolish but necessary: boast. 
 
Quoting Jeremiah 9:23-24, Paul has already disclaimed boasting except boasting in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17). But soon, in this letter, he will begin to boast in 2 Corinthians 11:21b-12:13. He is forced to play this foolish game because at least some of the Corinthians have welcomed those whom he calls “super-apostles” (11:5; 12:11). The Corinthians, apparently, relish the boasting of the “super-apostles,” and the Corinthians received them as representatives of Jesus. So, Paul must boast, but it is foolishness. 
 
The word “fool” or “foolish” occurs eight times (11:1, 16 [2x], 17, 19, 21; 12:6, 11 in this section of 2 Corinthians (11:1-12:13). Those words only occur seven other times in the whole New Testament. By the time Paul gets to the end of his boasting, he exclaims: “I have been a fool!” (12:11). He spoke as a fool rather than “according to the Lord” (11:17). Yet, he does so because he is anxious for the health of the Corinthians. 
 
However, this is all a bit of irony, even sarcasm. Paul will boast—and play the fool—but his boasting is of a different sort than the “super-apostles.” Paul does not boast for self-commendation but to defend his role among the Corinthians as their father in the Lord. His boasts are not lavish self-praise but his own set of credentials which are different from the “super-apostles.” Paul boasts because he is protective of the church rather than himself. In this way, he boasts in the Lord rather than in his own value. 
 
The first four verses of chapter eleven explain why Paul will engage this foolishness. 
 
 Bear with me in this foolishness as I am divinely jealous, 
 because I am your father who betrothed you to Christ 
 I fear you have been deceived like Eve, 
 because you bear with any who preach another Jesus. 
 
Paul asks the Corinthians to bear with him in his foolish boasting just as, it seems, they have borne with the preaching about a another Jesus. If the Corinthians have put up with and received the boasting of the “super-apostles,” then Paul expects them to put up with some of his own foolishness. This is especially true since Paul planted the church and is their father in the faith (1 Corinthians 4:15). 
 
Paul compares himself to a father who has promised his daughter in marriage and thereby invokes a well-known cultural practice. First, there is an announcement—an engagement between the daughter and the man. Second, there is a betrothal period (typically a year in Jewish cultural) during which time the father protects the virginity of the daughter. Third, there is a marriage ceremony. 
 
The comparison seems rather obvious. Paul betrothed the Corinthians to Christ when he planted (fathered) the church, giving birth to a daughter (the Corinthian church). As her father, his mission is to protect the chastity of his virgin daughter for the sake of Christ. On the wedding day, which is the day when Christ returns, Paul intends to present Christ with a virgin bride. 
 
This explains Paul’s godly jealousy for the Corinthians in the face of his detractors and the intrusion of the “super-apostles.” He is like a father protecting his daughter from those who would seduce her into an illicit relationship. 
 
But what is so illicit about a relationship with the “super-apostles”? 
 
Paul fears they will lead the Corinthians astray from a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ,” just as Eve was deceived by the serpent through “its cunning.” Embedded in this language is a fairly weighty judgment against the “super-apostles.” 
 
 They use cunning deceptions to lead people astray. 
 They stand opposed to “pure devotion to Christ.” 
 They serve the same role as the serpent who deceived Eve. 
 
Comparing the situation with Eve, who was tricked by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, suggests how seriously he assesses the situation in Corinth. The chastity of his daughter is on the line with these intruders. They play the part of the serpent, which is perhaps why Paul compares them to Satan who “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). In fact, one of the reasons for writing this letter is so the Corinthians would not be “outwitted by Satan” (2 Corinthians 2:11). This, then, is a dire situation where the virginal betrothal lies in the balance.

Paul is about to do something foolish but necessary: boast.

Quoting Jeremiah 9:23-24, Paul has already disclaimed boasting except boasting in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17). But soon, in this letter, he will begin to boast in 2 Corinthians 11:21b-12:13. He is forced to play this foolish game because at least some of the Corinthians have welcomed those whom he calls “super-apostles” (11:5; 12:11). The Corinthians, apparently, relish the boasting of the “super-apostles,” and the Corinthians received them as representatives of Jesus. So, Paul must boast, but it is foolishness.

The word “fool” or “foolish” occurs eight times (11:1, 16 [2x], 17, 19, 21; 12:6, 11 in this section of 2 Corinthians (11:1-12:13). Those words only occur seven other times in the whole New Testament. By the time Paul gets to the end of his boasting, he exclaims: “I have been a fool!” (12:11). He spoke as a fool rather than “according to the Lord” (11:17). Yet, he does so because he is anxious for the health of th

2 Corinthians 11:1-4 Bible Class "God's Jealousy for the Church" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8-9 – What Paul Doesn’t Do 
 
Here’s how my continued investigation played out, at least in part. 
 
I have heard it said that the Bible is its own best interpreter. There is much truth in that. Since the Bible offers a coherent account of God’s scheme of redemption, one part illuminates another part. 
 
This is particularly true when we are reading the same human author, like Paul. What Paul writes in Colossians will helpfully illuminate what Paul means in Ephesians. This is more pronounced when Paul is writing to the same church about the same thing. Consequently, if we want to understand what lies in the background of Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16, it is helpful to hear how Paul grounds and explains this collection in 2 Corinthians 8-9. 
 
As we read 2 Corinthians 8-9 where Paul encourages the Corinthians to follow through on their commitment to help the saints in Jerusalem, we see the inner workings of Paul’s understanding as he provides a rationale for their giving. We see, in effect, Paul’s own hermeneutic (or step two) at work. We see how Paul gets from (1) there are needy saints in Jerusalem to (3) you Corinthians ought to supply their needs. What is the second step that demands the move from (1) to (3)? 
 
Interestingly, in this text Paul does not seem to inhabit the same patternistic world in which I grew up, at least not the sort of pattern for which I searched. First, he does not command the Corinthians to give. “I am not commanding you,” Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 8:8). 
 
Second, he does not demand they obey the pattern I thought was in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Paul does not remind them of what he had previously prescribed as if their first day of the week giving was part of their faithfulness to a pattern. He neither details a pattern nor itemizes the blueprint particulars that constitute what a faithful church practices regarding giving. He neither specifies the laws that govern this act of worship nor reminds them of the dire consequences of neglecting it. 
 
Third, he does not draw a line of fellowship concerning the collection. Paul does not make this collection—for which he gave directions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2—a matter of fellowship or communion with him. Their non-participation would be an embarrassment and a lack of grace on their part, but it would not violate whatever pattern is embedded in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 as a test of fellowship. 
 
In other words, Paul does not do what the method I had learned would have done and what I have heard done over the years practically every Sunday. Paul does not say, “you are commanded to give every first day of the week, and if you don’t, you are unfaithful to the pattern God established.” I often used Paul’s direction for the collection in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 to establish pattern authority for why faithful churches share their financial resources every first day of the week. I regarded it, as many had before me, as part of an exclusive pattern of worship. It was one of the five acts of worship without which the Sunday assembly is incomplete and could not be considered a community who worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). 
 
Paul does not use that sort of pattern authority. He does not remind them of what I supposed was a pattern command in 1 Corinthians 16. He does not prescribe giving as a matter of obedience to a pattern of congregational worship. 
 
What does Paul do? How does Paul call a wealthy Gentile congregation in Greece to contribute to a collection for poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem? 
 
There is only one imperative in the text: “finish the work” (2 Corinthians 8:11). The Corinthians had promised to give to the needy in Jerusalem, and Paul expects them to keep their promise. They had expressed a prior willingness, even eagerness, to contribute (2 Corinthians 8:10-12). Though he does not command them, he does offer a rationale to motivate them to act on their prior willingness according to their ability. 
 
Ultimately, Paul does not use a two-step rationale such as: “This is the pattern God demands; therefore, do it.” Neither does he introduce the sort of rationales that establish a pattern for the church based on detailed prescribed practices as might be expected. Rather, he calls the Corinthians to embody and practice a different sort of pattern.

2 Corinthians 8-9 – What Paul Doesn’t Do

Here’s how my continued investigation played out, at least in part.

I have heard it said that the Bible is its own best interpreter. There is much truth in that. Since the Bible offers a coherent account of God’s scheme of redemption, one part illuminates another part.

This is particularly true when we are reading the same human author, like Paul. What Paul writes in Colossians will helpfully illuminate what Paul means in Ephesians. This is more pronounced when Paul is writing to the same church about the same thing. Consequently, if we want to understand what lies in the background of Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16, it is helpful to hear how Paul grounds and explains this collection in 2 Corinthians 8-9.

As we read 2 Corinthians 8-9 where Paul encourages the Corinthians to follow through on their commitment to help the saints in Jerusalem, we see the inner workings of Paul’s understanding as he provides a rationale for their giving

2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 Bible Class "Blessing Rather than Exhortation" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8-9 – What Paul Doesn’t Do 
 
Here’s how my continued investigation played out, at least in part. 
 
I have heard it said that the Bible is its own best interpreter. There is much truth in that. Since the Bible offers a coherent account of God’s scheme of redemption, one part illuminates another part. 
 
This is particularly true when we are reading the same human author, like Paul. What Paul writes in Colossians will helpfully illuminate what Paul means in Ephesians. This is more pronounced when Paul is writing to the same church about the same thing. Consequently, if we want to understand what lies in the background of Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16, it is helpful to hear how Paul grounds and explains this collection in 2 Corinthians 8-9. 
 
As we read 2 Corinthians 8-9 where Paul encourages the Corinthians to follow through on their commitment to help the saints in Jerusalem, we see the inner workings of Paul’s understanding as he provides a rationale for their giving. We see, in effect, Paul’s own hermeneutic (or step two) at work. We see how Paul gets from (1) there are needy saints in Jerusalem to (3) you Corinthians ought to supply their needs. What is the second step that demands the move from (1) to (3)? 
 
Interestingly, in this text Paul does not seem to inhabit the same patternistic world in which I grew up, at least not the sort of pattern for which I searched. First, he does not command the Corinthians to give. “I am not commanding you,” Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 8:8). 
 
Second, he does not demand they obey the pattern I thought was in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Paul does not remind them of what he had previously prescribed as if their first day of the week giving was part of their faithfulness to a pattern. He neither details a pattern nor itemizes the blueprint particulars that constitute what a faithful church practices regarding giving. He neither specifies the laws that govern this act of worship nor reminds them of the dire consequences of neglecting it. 
 
Third, he does not draw a line of fellowship concerning the collection. Paul does not make this collection—for which he gave directions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2—a matter of fellowship or communion with him. Their non-participation would be an embarrassment and a lack of grace on their part, but it would not violate whatever pattern is embedded in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 as a test of fellowship. 
 
In other words, Paul does not do what the method I had learned would have done and what I have heard done over the years practically every Sunday. Paul does not say, “you are commanded to give every first day of the week, and if you don’t, you are unfaithful to the pattern God established.” I often used Paul’s direction for the collection in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 to establish pattern authority for why faithful churches share their financial resources every first day of the week. I regarded it, as many had before me, as part of an exclusive pattern of worship. It was one of the five acts of worship without which the Sunday assembly is incomplete and could not be considered a community who worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). 
 
Paul does not use that sort of pattern authority. He does not remind them of what I supposed was a pattern command in 1 Corinthians 16. He does not prescribe giving as a matter of obedience to a pattern of congregational worship. 
 
What does Paul do? How does Paul call a wealthy Gentile congregation in Greece to contribute to a collection for poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem? 
 
There is only one imperative in the text: “finish the work” (2 Corinthians 8:11). The Corinthians had promised to give to the needy in Jerusalem, and Paul expects them to keep their promise. They had expressed a prior willingness, even eagerness, to contribute (2 Corinthians 8:10-12). Though he does not command them, he does offer a rationale to motivate them to act on their prior willingness according to their ability. 
 
Ultimately, Paul does not use a two-step rationale such as: “This is the pattern God demands; therefore, do it.” Neither does he introduce the sort of rationales that establish a pattern for the church based on detailed prescribed practices as might be expected. Rather, he calls the Corinthians to embody and practice a different sort of pattern. 
 
As I understand Paul in these two chapters, I see three (perhaps more) overlapping and mutually enriching organizing emphases. Together, these point to a pattern which grounds Paul’s invitation to the Corinthians to participate in the grace of giving. 
 
Check out the playlist for the full series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoMmBP5ZSj0&list=PLnjejt767F5JwWv5snwhJUGhE-Ad04n9R

John Mark Hicks Videos

2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10 Bible Class "Boasting in Weakness" - John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 11:5-15 Bible Class "When Patronage Goes Awry" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 11:16-21 Bible Class "I Can't Believe You Put up With..." By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 11:1-4 Bible Class "God's Jealousy for the Church" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 Bible Class "Blessing Rather than Exhortation" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Bible Class "Embodying the Grace of God" by John Mark Hicks

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2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10 Bible Class "Boasting in Weakness" - John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 11:5-15 Bible Class "When Patronage Goes Awry" By John Mark Hicks

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2 Corinthians 11:1-4 Bible Class "God's Jealousy for the Church" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 Bible Class "Blessing Rather than Exhortation" By John Mark Hicks

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Bible Class "Embodying the Grace of God" by John Mark Hicks

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