2 Corinthians 1 (6)

Pray Psalm 80.8-11.
You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.

Sing Psalm 80.8-11.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
You set us free from sin, LORD, and planted us in grace.
We rooted in Your strong Word have spread from place to place.
Our shadow covered mountains, our branches reached the sea;
Your grace flowed like a fountain of life, abundantly.

Read 2 Corinthians 1.1--24; meditate on verse 20-24.

Prepare
1. How are the three Persons of God involved in our salvation?

2. Why did Paul change his mind about going to Corinth?

Meditation
All the Persons of the Godhead are involved in our salvation. God the Father ordained and promised it (v. 20). Jesus the Son fulfilled all the promises and requirements of our salvation (v. 20), so that God the Father can establish us in Him, together with all who believe (vv. 21, 24). God the Spirit is “given us” as “a guarantee” (v. 22; cf. Eph. 1.13, 14). He brings the power for salvation and indwells us for our sanctification. And all of this, which daily redounds to our joy (v. 24), is unto the glory of the Triune God Who saves (v. 20).

That’s as close as we get to having all three Persons of the Trinity appear in a single passage (cf. also Matt. 28.18-20). God has sealed in Jesus, by the power of His Spirit, all who believe (vv. 22, 24). He makes us one together in Christ (vv. 21, 22) and calls us to take up the work of the Gospel with joy (v. 24).

Paul did not want the Corinthians to fail in their work or to lack the joy of the Lord. He decided that, by returning to them so soon after his first epistle, he would only add to their burden, since they would not have had time to amend the issues he broached in that letter (v. 23). Moreover, he did not want to seem as though he was “lording it” over the Corinthians (v. 24). His only desire was that they might labor together in the joy of the Lord for the progress of the Gospel.

We also, who have, by the grace of the Triune God, believed unto salvation are called to be laborers in the Lord’s vineyard, workers who rejoice in making Jesus known in all we say and do.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Is. 6.3). Three in One.

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4.8). Three in One.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ
and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us
and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 1.21, 22). Three in One.

We, the beloved children of God, have been established, anointed, sealed, and given the guarantee of the truth of all these promises through the Holy Spirit—the life-giving Spirit who empowers and enables us to do the work that God has planned beforehand especially for us (Eph. 2.10).

And what a Spirit this is!
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Rom. 8.11).

We don’t lack Power; we just lack the ability/wisdom/faith/trust/courage/gumption (choose one) to obey, claim, believe, and use it.

We serve a Holy, Holy, Holy Triune Powerful Majestic God.

“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
nor are there any works like Your works.
All nations whom You have made
shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
and shall glorify Your name.
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God” (Ps. 86.8-10).

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen,
to the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1.20).

Filled with His Spirit.

“…as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I AM holy’” (1 Pet. 1.15, 16).

For reflection
1. How do you respond to knowing that all three of the divine Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are intimately involved in your salvation?

2. How does Their cooperation in our salvation encourage us in the church in our work for the Gospel?

3. How can you become more consistent in your witness for the Lord?

Everywhere the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one operation, one sanctification.… How? God, who anointed you, and the Lord sealed you and placed the Holy Spirit in your heart. Therefore, you have received the Holy Spirit in your heart. Ambrose (333-397), The Sacraments 6.2.5, 6

Pray Psalm 80.1-7.
Call on the Lord to renew you, your church, and churches everywhere in the great salvation He has accomplished for us in Christ and bestowed upon us by His Spirit.

Sing Psalm 80.1-7.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
O God of grace, restore us, and shine on us Your face!
O save us, LORD, work for us; renew us by Your grace!
Give ear, O gracious Savior, Who leads us as Your flock:
Stir up Your pow’r and favor, our King and LORD and Rock!

How long will You ignore all Your people’s fervent prayer?
Shall bitter tears fall ever? O LORD, renew Your care!
Our neighbors mock and scorn us, they laugh at our distress.
Renew, O LORD, and turn us, look down on us and bless!

T. M. and Susie Moore

Two books can help you see both the greatness and the smallness of God’s salvation. Such a Great Salvation and Small Stuff will show you how to think small, live big, and know the salvation and glory of God in all your daily life. You can learn more about these books and order your copies by clicking here and here.

Support for Scriptorium comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 103 Reynolds Lane, West Grove, PA 19390.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.