2. Corinthians 1,8-11. 4.Sunday after Epiphany

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

2. Corinthians 1,8-11             1119

4. Sonntag nach Epiphanius  017 

Blasius, Bishop of Sebaste, Turkey. Martyr 316.
Ansgar, Bishop of Bremen, Archbishop of Hamburg, Apostle to Denmark and Sweden, 

Patron of Denmark, ✠ 865 

3. Februar 2019 

1. O Jesus Christ, Thou Crown Prince of Heaven, save us from all shameful paths of sin and send to us the Holy Spirit, so that He may lead us in paths of pleasantness (Löhe 457).  Amen. 

2. »For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.« 

  3. As he does in so many of his epistles, the Apostle Paul begins with greetings and thanksgivings. Paul greets the Corinthian church as »those sanctified in Christ Jesus who are called to be saints with the Church universal« (1. Corinthians 1,2). He reminds them that they have »the grace of God given to them in Christ Jesus« (1. Corinthians 1,4), and therefore »they are not lacking in any gift as they await the parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ« (1. Corinthians 1,7). He reminds them, and us, that Christ will sustain us to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, for God is faithful« (1. Corinthians 1,8). 

4. What is true of the Corinthian Christians 2000 years ago remains true for us today in the 21. century: Jesus is faithful and He will sustain us to the day of His second Advent. We are guiltless because of the gospel, which is a simple message: »Jesus gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age« (Galatians 1,3). The New Testament makes it very clear that this gospel is received by faith: »It is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith [Habakkuk 2,4], for in Christ Jesus we are all sons of God through faith« (Galatians 2,17.26). 

5. With all this grace, faith and gifts, nevertheless Paul writes »We experienced affliction in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received a sentence of death.« Paul reminds us that Christians are prone to trials and tribulations. The Devil shows up and attempts to snatch away the gospel that has been sown within our heart (Matthew 13,19). The Devil is a master of deception and has thousands of years sowing suffering and sorrow among men and women. His first victims were Adam and Eve, and he sows chaos and doubt still today. Trials and tribulations also ebb and flow through our Christian life (Matthew 13,20-21). How many times have you heard someone say: „I can’t believe in God anymore because He allowed something bad to happen in my life.“ or „I can’t believe in a God who lets bad things happen to good people; that’s not a loving God.“ Finally, the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches tempt us to abandon the faith (Matthew 13,22). The ultimate goal is to discourage a Christian so that they reject the faith and give up on God. Job is a good example of this. 

6. Job was blameless and upright, one who feared, loved and trusted God and turned away from evil (Job 1,1). He was blessed by God; he had 10 children, good health and was extremely wealthy (Job 1,2-3). The Devil believed Job worshipped God because He had blessed him abundantly, so God allowed him to put Job to the test (Job 1,9-12). Forthwith the Devil went and laid Job’s life waste: in a single day Job’s wealth is lost and all his children die in a natural disaster (Job 1,13-19); yet Job remained faithful to God and blessed His Name (Job 1,21-22). Then the Devil struck Job with painful sores upon his entire body (Job 2,7). Again, Job remained faithful to God (Job 2,10), but Job’s great loss and the tremendous stress from it took a toll on him; he cursed the day of his birth and lamented in his suffering (Job 3,1). Three of Job’s friends sat with him and try to comfort him (Job 2,11-13), but their lengthy discourse was inaccurate: Job, you are suffering because you have sinned; you should repent and then God will bless you again (Job 4-25). The Lord chastised Job’s friends for their inaccurate diagnosis as to why Job suffered (Job 42,7).  

7. In the end, the Lord is proven right: Job remained faithful and righteous throughout his suffering. He did not begrudge his friends but prayed for them that the Lord would be merciful to them (Job 42,8). And the Lord restored Job’s wealth, health and family, in fact, He doubled what he had previously had (Job 42,10).  

8. God does not forsake His people, and He shows us His mercy. St. Paul declares: »God is faithful, by whom we were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, for the preaching of the cross is the power of God« (1. Corinthians 1,9.18). Before His Ascension, Jesus promised His disciples: »I am with you always, to the end of the age« (Matthew 28,20). Again the Apostle Paul: »We know that for those who love God all things work together for good« (Romans 8,28); »He will supply every need of ours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus« (Philippians 4,19). God’s Word does not change and His promise is the same for us now and always. Trust in Him, for He has redeemed us and sustains us. Paul says of his suffering: »We felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.« For such strength and endurance we pray for all who suffer, petitioning God to keep them in the faith and to restore His blessing to them.  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Christ, You have done great things in our lives; keep us grounded upon our unshakeable trust in You, so that rejoice in your grace and mercy. Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.