Lesson 113: 2 Corinthians 1–3
Introduction
Paul wrote to the Saints in Corinth and explained how they
would be able to comfort others. He also exhorted them to forgive a sinner who
had been in their congregation. Paul taught the Saints that if they turned to
the Lord, they would become more like God.
I.
2 Corinthians 1 Paul teaches the Corinthian Saints
how to comfort others
---Invite students to think of a time when someone they know
experienced a difficult trial or affliction.
• What did you do to help him or her?
• Have you ever wanted to comfort someone during a trial but
didn’t know how?
---Invite students to look for a truth as they study 2 Corinthians 1 that can help them know
how to comfort others in their trials and afflictions.
---After Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, a riot broke out in
Ephesus in response to his teachings. (See Acts 19:23–41. Note: Asia was a Roman province in
modern-day Turkey.) Paul left Ephesus and went to Macedonia, where Titus
brought him news that Paul’s earlier letter had been well received by the
Saints in Corinth. Paul also learned that the Saints were experiencing
tribulations and that some false teachers in Corinth were corrupting the true
doctrine of Christ. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to comfort the Saints and to
address the problems these unwelcome teachers had caused.
---Invite several students to take turns reading aloud from 2 Corinthians 1:1–5. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what Paul told the Saints about their tribulations.
• What did Paul tell the Saints about God in verse 3 that might have comforted them in
their tribulations?
• What truth can we learn from verse 4 about what we can do as we receive
Heavenly Father’s comfort? (Students should identify a truth similar to the
following: When Heavenly Father comforts us in our tribulations, we are able to
help others receive His comfort.)
• How has receiving God’s comfort during a trial helped you
help someone else receive His comfort? (Consider sharing one of your
experiences while students think of their own experiences.)
--- In 2 Corinthians 1:6–8 Paul told the Saints in Corinth about the
severe and life-threatening tribulations he and his companions had experienced
while preaching the gospel in Ephesus.
---Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 1:9–11 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what helped Paul and his companions during their
trials.
• What helped Paul and his companions during their trials?
• What truth can you identify in verse 11 about how we can help people who
are experiencing trials? (Students may use different words, but make sure they
identify the following truth: Our prayers can help those who are experiencing
trials.)
• How can our prayers help someone who is experiencing
trials?
• How have the prayers of others helped you during a trial
you experienced?
---In 2 Corinthians 1:12–24 Paul rejoiced in those
who had received the counsel he gave in his first epistle. In verses 15–20 Paul responded to those who found
fault with him when he changed his plans to visit them. Some of Paul’s critics
seemed to say that because Paul changed his travel plans they could no longer
trust him or his teachings. Paul declared that the message of the gospel was
true, regardless of his change in plans.
II.
2 Corinthians 2 Paul exhorts the Saints in Corinth
to forgive a sinner
---Invite students to think of a time when a person hurt or
offended them or someone they love.
• Why might it be difficult to forgive that person?
---Invite students to look for truths as they study 2 Corinthians 2 that will help them
know why it is important to forgive all people.
---Remind students that in Paul’s first letter to the
Corinthians he had chastened them for their disobedience and lack of faith.
Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 2:1–4 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul hoped the Saints in Corinth would know
about his chastening.
• According to verse 4, what did Paul want the Saints to
know about his motive for chastening them?
• How can chastening or correction be evidence of someone’s
love for us?
---In 2 Corinthians 2:5–6 Paul wrote about a Church member who had
sinned against other Church members and had caused them grief. As a result, the
Church had disciplined this man.
---Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 2:7–8 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul said about how the Saints should treat this
man.
• How were the Saints supposed to treat this man who had
caused so much grief?
---Even though this man had sinned, the worth of his soul is
great in the sight of God (see D&C 18:10). Paul exhorted the Saints to
forgive, comfort, and love this man to help him repent.
---Invite students to read 2 Corinthians 2:9–11 silently, looking for
another reason why Paul said the Saints should forgive others.
• According to what Paul taught the Saints in verse 11, what is another reason we should
forgive others? (Using their own words, students should identify the following
truth: If we do not forgive others, Satan will have an advantage over us. You
may want to suggest that students mark this truth in verse 11.)
---Point out that forgiving others does not mean that the
sinner should not be held accountable for his or her actions. Nor does it mean
putting ourselves in situations in which people can continue to mistreat us.
Rather, forgiving others means treating with love those who have mistreated us
and harboring no resentment or anger toward them. We are commanded to forgive
all men. (See Guide to the Scriptures, “Forgive,” scriptures.lds.org; D&C 64:9–11.)
• How do you think Satan has an advantage over us when we do
not forgive others?
---Testify of the importance of forgiving others. Ask
students to think about someone they may need to forgive. Invite them to set a
goal to forgive this person so that Satan won’t have an advantage over them.
---Explain that we read in 2 Corinthians 2:14 that Paul wrote that he
thanked God, who always “cause[d him] to triumph in Christ,” even during
difficult times.
III.
2 Corinthians 3 Paul teaches the Saints in Corinth
that as they turn to the Lord, they will become more like God
---During Paul’s absence from Corinth, some false teachers
began to oppose Paul’s teachings and tried to discredit Paul by telling the
converts that they still needed to follow the law of Moses.
2 Corinthians 3:1 says that in response to
those who tried to discredit him, Paul asked the members of Corinth
rhetorically if he needed to provide them with a “[letter] of commendation”
that testified of his character and his legitimacy as a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. (Explain
that in Paul’s time, newcomers to a community would carry letters of
commendation with them. These letters introduced the newcomers and attested to
their good character.)
---Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 3:2–3 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul said served as his letter of commendation.
• What served as Paul’s letter of commendation? (The Saints’
changed lives were like an epistle from Christ Himself.)
• What does the phrase “known and read of all men” in verse 2 mean? (Many people would first come
to know the Church and judge its truthfulness through the personal conduct and
examples of Church members.)
---Point out the phrase “not in tables of stone, but in
fleshy tables of the heart” in verse 3 and explain that during Moses’s day,
the commandments had been written on stone tablets. Paul taught the Corinthian
Saints that, through the power of the Holy
Ghost, the commandments had been written in their hearts.
---In 2 Corinthians 3:5–13 Paul reasoned that if
the old law of Moses, which was to be done away with, was itself glorious, then
the glory of the everlasting gospel covenant is even greater. Paul reminded the
Saints in Corinth that Moses wore a veil over his face when he came down from
talking with the Lord on Mount Sinai because the children of Israel were afraid
of the glory that emanated from his face.
---Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 3:14–15 aloud, and ask the
class to follow along, looking for how Paul compared the Israelites who were
afraid of the glory that emanated from Moses’s face to the Jews in his day.
• How did Paul compare the Israelites who demanded Moses
wear a veil to the Jews in his day?
• What might the phrases “their minds were blinded” in verse 14 and “[they had a] veil … upon their
heart” in verse 15 mean?
---Invite a student to read 2 Corinthians 3:16–18 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for what Paul promised would remove the veil of
misunderstanding from the hearts and minds of the people. Point out that the Joseph Smith Translation
modifies the phrase “when it shall turn to the Lord” in verse 16 to “when the heart shall turn to
the Lord” (Joseph Smith Translation, 2 Corinthians 3:16).
• According to the Joseph Smith Translation of 2 Corinthians 3:16, what did the people have
to do to have the veil of misunderstanding removed?
---Write on the board: As we turn
our hearts to the Lord …
• According to verse 18, what happens to those who turn to
the Lord and have the veil of misunderstanding taken away? (Explain that the
phrase “changed into the same image from glory to glory” refers to the gradual
change we receive through the Spirit that helps us become more like God.)
---Complete the statement on the board so that it reads, “As
we turn our hearts to the Lord, we will have the Spirit, which will
gradually help us become more like God.”
• What do you think it means to turn our hearts to Jesus
Christ?
---Invite students to take one minute to list in their class
notebooks or scripture study journals ways people can turn their hearts to
Jesus Christ. Invite a few students to share their lists with the class.
---Invite students to ponder how the Spirit has changed them
or someone they know. Ask a few students to share their experiences with the
class.
---Invite students to think about what they could do to
better turn to the Lord. Ask them to set a goal to turn to the Lord so they can
receive the Spirit and become more like God.
Commentary and Background Information
2 Corinthians
2:1–4. Church leaders chasten Church members out of love
President Brigham Young explained the reason he chastened
Church members:
“At times I may to many of the brethren appear to be severe.
I sometimes chasten them; but it is because I wish them to live so that the
power of God, like a flame of fire, will dwell within them and be around about
them” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe
[1954], 115).
2 Corinthians
2:5–11. The importance of forgiving others
We gain an insight into Paul’s love and compassion from 2 Corinthians 2:5–11. We do not know whether
the transgressor Paul referred to is the one mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:1 or another
offender—perhaps one of the false teachers in Corinth who had opposed Paul and
his teachings. Paul encouraged Church members to forgive the man and comfort
him so that he would not be “swallowed up with overmuch sorrow” (2 Corinthians 2:7).
2 Corinthians
3:1–2. Some judge the Church by its members’ examples
“Many people throughout the world have kind feelings toward
the Church because of the acts of kindness and service they see manifest in the
lives of Church members (see 2 Corinthians 3:2).
“Paul’s declaration that members of the Church are like
epistles, ‘read of all men,’ suggests that the personal conduct of Church
members is the way many will first come to know the Church and judge its
truthfulness. Just as a shopkeeper is judged by the goods he sells, so the
Church—and sometimes even Jesus Christ—is judged by the lives we live.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie … taught, ‘In the ultimate sense, the gospel is
not written on tablets of stone or in books of scripture, but in the bodies of
faithful and obedient persons; the Saints are, thus, living epistles of the
truth, the books of whose lives are open for all to read’ (Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 2:414)” (New Testament Student
Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 395).
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin extras:
Help
students develop a deeper understanding of the principle
Students need to understand a doctrine or principle before
they can apply it. You can help students understand doctrines and principles by
asking questions that lead to a clear understanding of the meaning of a
particular principle or doctrine, that encourage students to think about a
principle in a modern context, or that invite students to explain their
understanding of a principle.
Lesson 114: 2 Corinthians 4–5
Introduction
In
his letter to the Saints in Corinth, Paul taught that the trials and
afflictions of this life are temporary and small compared to the blessings of
eternity. He also taught the Saints about the Judgment and testified that Jesus
Christ made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.
I.
2 Corinthians 4 Paul testifies that even though he has afflictions, he is
not fearful or troubled
---Display
image 1.
- What does this picture portray?
- What might the person being pushed think about the person who is pushing him?
---Display
image 2.
- How does seeing the first picture in a larger context change your judgment about what it portrays?
---Paul
wrote to the Corinthian Saints to help them see the larger context of their
tribulations. Invite students to look for truths as they study 2 Corinthians 4 that Paul taught the
Saints about their tribulations.
---In
2 Corinthians 4:1–7 Paul assured the Saints that he had truthfully
preached the gospel to them. He taught that Satan, “the god of this world” (verse 4), works to keep people from
accepting the gospel. Paul compared himself and his fellow ministers to clay
pots that contain the “treasure” of “the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God” (verses 6–7).
---Invite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 4:8–9 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for how Paul described the challenges of his missionary
labors.
- How did Paul describe the challenges of his missionary work?
- What phrases did Paul use to describe how he responded to these challenges?
- Why do you think Paul could keep a positive attitude while he experienced these challenges?
---In
2 Corinthians 4:11–14 Paul taught that even though some people would
die for the gospel of Jesus Christ, their death would be temporary.
---Invite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 4:14–16 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for what Paul knew that helped him face trials and
persecution.
- What did Paul know that helped him face trials and persecution?
- What does the phrase “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (verse 16) mean? (Even though Paul and his companions would die physically, their spirits were being strengthened daily.)
---Divide
students into pairs. Invite each partnership to read 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 aloud together,
looking for truths Paul taught the Saints about trials and afflictions. Ask
each pair to work together to answer the following questions in their class
notebooks or scripture study journals. You may want to provide the questions on
a handout or write them on the board:
- What truths did Paul teach the Saints about trials and afflictions?
- Why is it important to see our afflictions in the larger context of Heavenly Father’s plan?
- When have you seen someone remain strong during trials because they saw their afflictions in the larger context of Heavenly Father’s plan?
©
2015 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
---After
sufficient time, invite several students to write their answers to the first
question on the board. Students may write several possible truths, including
the following: Our trials and afflictions in this life are small compared to
the everlasting blessings and growth that come as we faithfully endure them.
Because temporary afflictions can bring about eternal growth and glory, we need
not despair in times of trouble. There is eternal purpose in our afflictions,
even when we cannot see it in mortality.
---Invite
several students to report their answers to the second question. After they
report, consider asking follow-up questions such as the following:
- In what ways can our trials and afflictions bring about growth?
- How can remembering these truths help us faithfully endure trials and afflictions?
---Invite
several students to share their answers to the third question. Consider sharing
one of your own experiences.
II.
2 Corinthians 5 Paul teaches the Saints about the
Judgment and Atonement of Jesus Christ
---Give
each student a piece of paper. Ask each one to fold the paper in half and to
write his or her name on one half of the paper and Heavenly Father on the other
half. Explain that when we came to earth, we left Heavenly Father’s presence. Invite
students to tear their papers in half and to keep the two halves separated.
- In what ways can the ripped paper represent what happened when we left Heavenly Father’s presence and came to earth to experience mortality?
---Invite
students to look for truths as they study 2 Corinthians 5 that will help them
understand what we must do to return to Heavenly Father’s presence.
---In
2 Corinthians 5:1–6 Paul acknowledged that though in mortality we
are separated from God and will eventually die, we will be resurrected and live
again.
---Invite
students to read 2 Corinthians 5:6–7 silently, looking for
what Paul taught the Saints they should do knowing they were separated from God
in mortality.
- What truth did Paul teach about our separation from God in mortality? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following truth: Because we are separated from God in mortality, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Invite each student to write this truth on the half of the paper that has his or her name on it.)
- What does it mean to “walk by faith, [and] not by sight”? (verse 7).
- What are some examples of situations or decisions you might face that would require you to walk by faith and not by sight? (Write students’ responses on the board. Their answers might include following the standards of the Church, deciding to serve a mission, or sharing their testimonies.)
---Invite
students to think of a time when they (or someone they know) walked by faith
and not by sight. Ask a few of them to share their experiences.
---Invite
students to consider a situation or decision they are currently facing in which
they struggle to walk by faith. Encourage them to walk by faith in that situation
and in all situations.
---Invite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 5:8–10 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for what Paul said we should do while we are separated from
God in mortality.
- According to verse 9, what did Paul say we should do while we are separated from God in mortality?
- Based on Paul’s teachings recorded in verse 10, what truth can we learn about why we should labor to do good works in this life? (Students may use different words but should identify a truth similar to the following: Each of us will be judged by Jesus Christ according to what we have done in mortality. Invite students to consider marking the phrases in verse 10 that teach this truth.)
---Invite
students to consider changes they may need to make to prepare for the time when
they will be judged by Jesus Christ. Encourage them to follow any promptings
they may receive.
In---vite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 5:15–16 aloud. Ask this
student to also read aloud the Joseph Smith Translation of
2 Corinthians 5:16 (in 2 Corinthians 5:16, footnote a). Invite
the class to follow along, looking for what Jesus Christ did for us so that we
can return to Heavenly Father’s presence.
- According to verse 15, what did Jesus Christ do to help us return to Heavenly Father?
- According to verses 15–16, what do believers do because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (Believers live Christ-centered lives and do not follow the ways of the world or give in to the flesh. Invite each student to write this statement on the half of the paper that has his or her name on it.)
---Invite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 5:17–19 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along, looking for how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can help the Saints
return to Heavenly Father’s presence.
- How can the Atonement of Jesus Christ help us return to Heavenly Father’s presence? (After students respond, write the following truth on the board: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become new creatures and be reconciled to God. Invite students to write this truth on the half of the paper that has “Heavenly Father” written on it.)
- What do you think it means to become “a new creature”? (verse 17).
-----Invite
students to read Mosiah 27:23–26 silently, looking for any
additional details about what it means to become a new creature. After
sufficient time, invite a few students to share what they found.
-----Invite
a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for his
explanation about how we can become new creatures.
“The essence of the gospel of Jesus
Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made
possible through the Savior’s Atonement. True conversion brings a change in
one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God (see
Acts 3:19; 3 Nephi 9:20) and includes a conscious
commitment to become a disciple of Christ.
“… As we honor the ordinances
and covenants of salvation and exaltation (see D&C 20:25), ‘press forward with a
steadfastness in Christ’ (2 Nephi 31:20), and endure in faith to the
end (see D&C 14:7), we become new creatures in Christ
(see 2 Corinthians 5:17)” (“Converted unto the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2012, 107).
---Invite
each student to put the two halves of the paper together. Explain that to
reconcile is to bring together two parties who were previously separated.
Because of the Fall of Adam as well as our own sins, we become separated
spiritually from our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ offers, through His
Atonement, to reconcile us to the Father and restore our relationship with Him.
---Invite
a student to read 2 Corinthians 5:20–21 aloud. Ask the class
to look for what Paul admonished the Saints to do.
- What did Paul admonish the Saints in Corinth to do?
- What did Paul teach about Jesus Christ as recorded in verse 21? (Even though Jesus Christ was without sin, He suffered for our sins so we could be made righteous.)
---Testify
of the truths students identified in this lesson. Ask students to review the
list of truths they wrote down and to consider what they must do to become or
remain reconciled to God. Encourage them to follow any promptings they may
receive.
Commentary and Background Information
2 Corinthians
4:5–10. “Troubled on every side, yet not distressed”
During
a difficult time, George A. Smith, First Counselor to Brigham Young,
received counsel from his cousin the Prophet Joseph
Smith that was similar to Paul’s teachings to the Corinthian Saints:
“He
told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround
me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains
piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith,
and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap at last”
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 235).
2 Corinthians
4:17. Keeping our mortal afflictions in perspective
Elder
Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy used Paul’s words to help us put our mortal
afflictions into an eternal perspective:
“The
Apostle Paul taught, ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’ [2 Corinthians 4:17]. It is interesting that
Paul uses the term ‘light affliction.’ This comes from a person who was beaten,
stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and who experienced many other trials [see 2 Corinthians 11:23–28]. I doubt many of us
would label our afflictions light. Yet in comparison to the blessings and
growth we ultimately receive, both in this life and in eternity, our
afflictions truly are light” (“More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us,”
Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 79).
2 Corinthians
5:19. “Reconciling the world unto himself”
Elder
Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained Paul’s
teaching about reconciliation:
“Reconciliation
is the process of ransoming man from his state of sin and spiritual darkness
and of restoring him to a state of harmony and unity with Deity. Through it God
and man are no longer enemies. Man, who was once carnal and evil, who lived
after the manner of the flesh, becomes a new creature of the Holy
Ghost; he is born again; and, even as a little child, he is alive in
Christ” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 2:422–23).
© 2016 by
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Right margin extras:
Objects
and pictures
It
is often difficult to teach the intangible aspects of the gospel. Using objects
and pictures can be an effective way to help students understand spiritual
principles.
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