First and Second Corinthians

Love-driven Ministry

Lesson #9 for August 29, 2026

Scriptures:1 Corinthians 16:5-7; 2 Corinthians 1:3-14; 2:4-17; 4:2; 7:5-13.

1. What ministry is “love-driven”? What ministry should be love-driven?
2. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, recounting many of his hardships—in addition to having been in jail—which he had suffered in order to share the message of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:24-28: ²⁴Five times I was given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews; ²⁵three times I was whipped by the Romans; and once I was stoned. I have been in three shipwrecks, and once I spent twenty-four hours in the water. ²⁶In my many travels I have been in danger from floods and from robbers, in danger from my own people and from Gentiles; there have been dangers in the cities, dangers in the wilds, dangers on the high seas, and dangers from false friends. ²⁷There has been work and toil; often I have gone without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty; I have often been without enough food, shelter, or clothing. ²⁸And not to mention other things, every day I am under the pressure of my concern for all the churches.—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation^®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition (2 Corinthians 11:24-28). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].^‡

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] What we see in his letters to the Corinthians is some of the “deep concern” that Paul had for this church. Yet, amid it all, his love for them never failed, just as Christ’s love for us never fails us. In fact, it was from Jesus that Paul learned to love the churches in a way that reflects the love that Jesus has for us (2 Cor. 5:14; see1 Cor. 11:1).—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, August 22.^‡§

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] In 2 Corinthians 1 and 2, Paul highlights several key characteristics of a love-driven ministry. His personal experiences, including suffering, forgiveness, and sincerity, demonstrate how true Christian ministry should be motivated by God’s love rather than by personal gain or status.—T-BSG* 120.^‡

God Comforts When His Children Are Suffering

3. Paul had spent one and one-half years in Corinth, and he knew about the problems that were in Corinth. He thought that they had pretty much straightened everything out. However, information came that there were problems again. Paul gave thanks because he knew where help can be found—with God in heaven.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7: ³Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! ⁴He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. ⁵Just as we have a share in Christ’s many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God’s great help. ⁶If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. ⁷So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.—GNB-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] Paul’s thankfulness focuses on the comfort that God provides for those who are suffering. In this passage, the verb parakaleō (to comfort) and the noun paraklēsis (comfort) occur together ten times. This represents one third of all occurrences of these words in 2 Corinthians (29 times). God is portrayed as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 1:3, 4, NKJV).—BSG* for Sunday.^‡§

[T-BSG:] Compassion and Comfort (2 Cor. 1:3–7): Paul describes God as the “Father of mercies” and the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3, ESV). Compassion (or mercies) and comfort are exactly what Paul received from God in his own trials. Thus, the apostle was able to extend this same mercy to the people around him, including his churches. A compassion-driven ministry provides comfort to others, just as God comforts us in our suffering (2 Cor. 1:4). Ministry isn’t about power or control but about sharing in people’s pain and pointing them to Christ. Paul reminds the Corinthians that his own sufferings allowed him better to understand and minister to others who suffer (2 Cor. 1:6).—T-BSG* 120.^†‡§ [Did the Corinthians suffer?]^‡

[BSG:] The comfort one receives from God is not to be kept for oneself (2 Cor. 1:4, 5). Only the afflicted heart that became the recipient of God’s consolation is able to impart comfort effectively to those in affliction, too. [Is that really true? Does one have to have had cancer to be an oncologist?]

Paul could comfort others because he himself, in his sufferings, received comfort from God. “If we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. . . . Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation” (2 Cor. 1:6, NKJV; emphasis supplied). This is love!—BSG* for Sunday.^‡§

4. As Paul was reviewing everything that was happening in Corinth, he remembered the help that he himself had received from God; then, he was encouraged and thankful.

[BSG:] Paul speaks of trouble “beyond measure, above strength” that made him and his fellow workers fear that the end had come to them (2 Cor. 1:8). For a moment, they thought the resurrection was their only hope. However, God delivered them, and the scenario changed (2Cor. 1:10). From the fear of death (2 Cor. 1:8), they rise to an implicit hope that God would deliver them once again (2Cor. 1:10). God’s victories in the past give us confidence that He will do the same in the future. God uses afflictions to teach us to trust in Him. Hardships can lead us to spiritual maturity, at least to the extent that we allow them to draw us closer to God. Paul’s thanksgiving also displays the power of intercessory prayer and the gratitude we experience because of God’s deliverance (2Cor. 1:11). [Jesus wins; Satan loses!]

What have you found helpful in dealing with the suffering that, one way or another, we all face?—BSG* for Sunday, August 23.^‡§

[BSG:] We learned that Paul’s love for the Corinthians was made manifest in that he comforted them in their hardships, just as he received comfort from God in his (2Cor. 1:1–11)…. We will see that his love for them was also displayed through the integrity that he and his fellow workers manifested toward the church members in Corinth.—BSG* for Monday.^‡§

5. Read2Corinthians 1:12-14; 2:17; and 4:2. Paul repeatedly stated things that revealed his love for the Corinthians.

[BSG:] SecondCorinthians 1:12–14 introduces the thesis Paul will develop in the rest of the letter. His integrity and apostleship have been questioned by some in Corinth. They thought Paul had a vacillating and indecisive character, which was not fitting for the apostolic ministry. In response, Paul stresses that he and his colleagues behaved with the utmost integrity toward them. [Was Paul ever persecuted in Corinth?]

Two words portray the conduct of Paul and his associates: simplicity and sincerity (2Cor. 1:12). The term “simplicity” comes from the Greek word haplotēs. It is applied here to express personal integrity in speech or behavior; in short, it reveals the purity of motives (Eph. 6:5,Col. 3:22). In turn, the term “sincerity” (from the Greek eilikrineia) also points to integrity and purity of motives.—BSG* for Monday, August 24.^†‡§

[BSG:] The Corinthians should not have doubted the clarity of Paul’s intentions. He makes it clear that his simplicity and sincerity have their origin in God. This idea is well captured by the New English Translation Bible, which mentions “pure motives and sincerity which are from God” (2Cor. 1:12, emphasis supplied). In the same verse, Paul further asserts that these ministerial qualities are given to us “by the grace of God.”

It seems Paul’s opponents misinterpreted his words, in previous written communications (2Cor. 1:13, 14). Paul guarantees that his intentions were clear and understandable. He was sure that the uprightness of his words, intentions, and actions would be made clear “in the day of the Lord Jesus” (2Cor. 1:14, NKJV).

What has been your own experience with having your motives or intentions, however well-meaning and sincere, questioned or challenged? What should that tell you about how careful you should be when questioning someone else’s motives?—BSG* for Monday.^†‡§

6. Why do you think the Corinthians, for whom Paul had worked for more than one and one-half years, seemed to be doubtful about his ministry and his love? One possible reason is that Paul’s plans for visiting Corinth had changed.

1 Corinthians 16:5-7: ⁵I shall come to you after I have gone through Macedonia—for I have to go through Macedonia. ⁶I shall probably spend some time with you, perhaps the whole winter, and then you can help me to continue my journey, wherever it is I shall go next. ⁷I want to see you more than just briefly in passing; I hope to spend quite a long time with you, if the Lord allows.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] The apostle Paul found it necessary to reprove wrong in the church, but he did not lose his self-control in reproving error. He anxiously explains the reason of his action. How carefully he wrought so as to leave the impression that he was a friend of the erring! He made them understand that it cost him pain to give them pain. He left the impression upon their minds that his interest was identified with theirs. He says, “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved; but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.” [2 Corinthians 2:4.]—Ellen G. White, Letters and Manuscripts,* vol. 10, Letter 16A, par. 14 [1895] [Lt 16a, 1895, par. 14]; Ellen G. White Comments, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1094.1.^‡Ω

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p14060.4715020&index=0]^‡

7. Notice Paul’s original travel plans, and see the changes in2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4.

2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4: ¹⁵I was so sure of all this that I made plans at first to visit you, in order that you might be blessed twice. ¹⁶For I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and again on my way back, in order to get help from you for my journey to Judea. ¹⁷In planning this, did I appear fickle? When I make my plans, do I make them from selfish motives, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸As surely as God speaks the truth, my promise to you was not a “Yes” and a “No.” ¹⁹For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was preached among you by Silas, Timothy, and myself, is not one who is “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, he is God’s “Yes”; ²⁰for it is he who is the “Yes” to all God’s promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our “Amen” is said to the glory of God. ²¹It is God himself who makes us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has set us apart, ²²who has placed his mark of ownership upon us, and who has given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.

²³I call God as my witness—he knows my heart! It was in order to spare you that I decided not to go to Corinth. ²⁴We are not trying to dictate to you what you must believe; we know that you stand firm in the faith. Instead, we are working with you for your own happiness.

^2:1So I made up my mind not to come to you again to make you sad. ²For if I were to make you sad, who would be left to cheer me up? Only the very persons I had made sad. ³That is why I wrote that letter to you—I did not want to come to you and be made sad by the very people who should make me glad. For I am convinced that when I am happy, then all of you are happy too. ⁴I wrote to you with a greatly troubled and distressed heart and with many tears; my purpose was not to make you sad, but to make you realize how much I love you all.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] Paul had been in Corinth before. According to1 Corinthians 16:5, 6, he planned to pass through Macedonia on his way back to Corinth and, perhaps, stay in Corinth for the winter. From Corinth, he would go to Judea with the offering collected for the poor in Jerusalem not only in Macedonia, but also in Achaia, Galatia, and Asia. However, he changed his plans because of a bad report brought by Timothy from Corinth (1 Cor. 4:17, 1 Cor. 16:10,2Cor. 1:1).—BSG* for Tuesday, August 25.^†‡§

8. We need to take a larger view of this whole process and understand that Paul was traveling through Macedonia and down to Greece and to Achaia to collect money to help the Christians in Jerusalem. They were suffering from food shortages and other problems during a famine.

[BSG:] Paul intended to go straight from Ephesus to Corinth and there address the issues reported by Timothy. The new itinerary would be Ephesus—Corinth—Macedonia—Corinth—Judea (2Cor. 1:15, 16). He went from Ephesus to Corinth, but then he returned to Ephesus. His plans changed. He didn’t go back to Corinth as planned, at least not immediately, because his latest visit did not go well. So, he returned to Ephesus and wrote to them instead. He would rather send a letter than risk worsening things with another visit (2 Cor. 2:1, 3 [See just above in Item #7.]).—BSG* for Tuesday, August 25.^†‡§

[BSG:] Paul’s intentions on the last visit were misinterpreted. Some in Corinth said that he was unreliable and that he did not love them enough (2Cor. 1:17). In his response to the accusations, he moved the Corinthians’ eyes to the gospel of Christ. He was faithful to his intentions to visit the Corinthians at the best opportunity, just as God had been faithful in fulfilling His promises to them through Christ (2Cor. 1:18–22).—BSG* for Tuesday, August 25.^†‡§

9. Paul needed to make it very clear why he had done what he did. He was not vacillating and changing his mind; he had a very specific plan in mind.

2 Corinthians 1:17: [Reading again:] In planning this, did I appear fickle? When I make my plans, do I make them from selfish motives, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?—Good News Bible-TEV.*^‡

[BSG:] Thus, his response was not a confusing mixture of “yes” or “no” dependent on the circumstances, as they said, but was “always Yes,” just as God’s work in Christ is “always Yes” (2Cor. 1:19, ESV).

Therefore, the reason Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians instead of visiting them was his sincere love for them, not the opposite (2 Cor. 2:4). Another visit right after the painful visit would bring them further pain, not the joy he intended to cause with his presence (2 Cor. 1:24, 2Cor. 2:3). How easily his good intentions were misinterpreted.—BSG* for Tuesday, August 25.^†‡§

10. What do we know about that “painful visit”?
11. Paul made it very clear that he was not trying to tell the people in Corinth what they must do, or even what they should believe. He was presenting the evidence and asking them to do what was right.

Forgiveness and Reaffirmation of Paul’s Love for the Corinthians

[BSG:] Rather than visiting the Corinthians a second time, Paul, after returning to Ephesus, sent what became known as “the severe letter” (see 2Cor. 2:3, 4; 2 Cor. 7:8, 12).—BSG* for Wednesday, August 26.^†‡§

12. We should note that it is quite likely that Paul’s severe letter is mostly recorded in 2 Corinthians 10-14. Notice what the results of that letter were.

2 Corinthians 7:5-13: ⁵Even after we arrived in Macedonia, we did not have any rest. There were troubles everywhere, quarrels with others, fears in our hearts. ⁶But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us with the coming of Titus. ⁷It was not only his coming that cheered us, but also his report of how you encouraged him. He told us how much you want to see me, how sorry you are, how ready you are to defend me; and so I am even happier now.

⁸For even if that letter of mine made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. I could have been sorry when I saw that it made you sad for a while. ⁹But now I am happy—not because I made you sad, but because your sadness made you change your ways. That sadness was used by God, and so we caused you no harm. ¹⁰For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation—and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death. ¹¹See what God did with this sadness of yours: how earnest it has made you, how eager to prove your innocence! Such indignation, such alarm, such feelings, such devotion, such readiness to punish wrongdoing! You have shown yourselves to be without fault in the whole matter.

¹²So, even though I wrote that letter, it was not because of the one who did wrong or the one who was wronged. Instead, I wrote it to make plain to you, in God’s sight, how deep your devotion to us really is. ¹³That is why we were encouraged.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] Paul and Titus met later in Macedonia, where Paul heard from Titus the excellent news that his strong words had caused positive results, which brought much joy to the apostle’s heart. If before, some in Corinth positioned themselves against Paul, now the church sided with him. How important it is to support our leaders. As church members, we can make their work much easier than it is.—BSG* for Wednesday, August 26.^‡

Discipline in the Church

13. Read 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 regarding church discipline.

[BSG:] Scholars debate whether the offender here is the incestuous man of1 Corinthians 5:1–5 or someone else, a person who influenced others in the church in their accusation that Paul had been inconsistent and inconsiderate of them in his traveling decisions. The context seems to favor the second option. In any case, the most important teaching of the passage regards how the church should deal with a person in sin.

This passage teaches that the purpose of church discipline is restoration through forgiveness and through reaffirmation of love for the sinner (2 Cor. 2:6–8, 10). The passage also hints that church discipline may be painful, but it is necessary. That is, however well-intentioned they may be, and wanting to be “grace”-oriented, some churches might never confront or deal with blatant or even public sin. On the other hand, others can be very rigid, unforgiving, and harsh. Sin needs to be dealt with, but in love. Thus, Paul could exhort the church to reaffirm its love for the offender (2 Cor. 2:8) because he himself loved the church (2 Cor. 2:4)!—BSG* for Wednesday, August 26.^†‡§

14. Paul tried to make it very clear in his various messages to the Corinthians that the ultimate goal of discipline should be to reinstate a defaulting member after they have reformed their ways. Paul expected the Corinthians to love the offender, and he wanted them to recognize that they were able to love the offender because God loved them as offenders also.
15. Paul sometimes had to say some very challenging things. Has your pastor ever said the following to your congregation?

1 Corinthians 11:1: Imitate me, then, just as I imitate Christ.—GNB-TEV.*

16. Are you sure that God loves you? What basis do you have for that conviction?

Triumphant in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:12-13: ¹²When I arrived in Troas to preach the Good News about Christ, I found that the Lord had opened the way for the work there. ¹³But I was deeply worried, because I could not find our brother Titus. So I said good-bye to the people there and went on to Macedonia.—GNB-TEV.*

[BSG:] Paul’s heart was uneasy while waiting for Titus (2 Cor. 7:5, 6). Despite that uneasiness, he couldn’t stop talking about Jesus (2 Cor. 2:12). He loved Jesus so much. At that point, he didn’t yet know the results of his letter. He was anxious to see Titus and hear about the reaction of the Corinthians.—BSG* for Thursday, August 27.^‡§

[EGW:] From Ephesus Paul set forth on another missionary tour, during which he hoped to visit once more the scenes of his former labors in Europe. Tarrying for a time at Troas, “to preach Christ’s gospel,” he found some who were ready to listen to his message. “A door was opened unto me of the Lord,” he afterward declared of his labors in this place. But successful as were his efforts at Troas, he could not remain there long. “The care of all the churches,” and particularly of the church at Corinth, rested heavily on his heart. He had hoped to meet Titus at Troas and to learn from him how the words of counsel and reproof sent to the Corinthian brethren had been received, but in this he was disappointed. “I had no rest in my spirit,” he wrote concerning this experience, “because I found not Titus my brother.” He therefore left Troas and crossed over to Macedonia, where, at Philippi he met Timothy.—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles* 323.1.^†‡

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17. We know that Paul was very happy to see Titus in Macedonia and to get the good news that the Corinthians had responded well to his strong letter and that they wanted him to come back. See2 Corinthians 2:14-17 which is quoted below.

A Fragrance of Christ

[T-BSG:] In a small village, a woman named Anna ran a bakery. Every morning, her baking filled the air with the aroma of freshly baked goods and warm spices. The scent drifted through the streets, drawing people in. Some eagerly came to buy, while others simply enjoyed the comforting smells as they passed by.

However, not everyone appreciated it. A neighbor, Mr. Grayson, found the smell overwhelming and constantly complained. “This scent is everywhere! I can’t escape it!” he grumbled.

One day, during a harsh winter storm, the power went out in the village. Many were cold and hungry, but Anna’s bakery had a wood-fired oven. She opened her doors, offering warmth and food to anyone in need. People followed the familiar fragrance, knowing it led to a place of comfort and nourishment.

Even Mr. Grayson, who once complained, found himself drawn in. As he accepted a warm loaf of bread, he realized the same fragrance he once despised was now sustaining him.

Christianity is more than fundamental beliefs or theological reflection. It involves people, communities, and a God who is with us in our darkest moments or on our loftiest mountaintops of success. In the second epistle to the Corinthians, we can learn a lot about Paul’s life and ministry through his interaction with the church. We realize, once again, that more than our words, our attitudes and relationships communicate the fragrance of Christ and attract a world yearning for hope.—T-BSG* 119.^†‡

2 Corinthians 2:14-17: ¹⁴But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. ¹⁵For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. ¹⁶For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life. Who, then, is capable for such a task? ¹⁷We are not like so many others, who handle God’s message as if it were cheap merchandise; but because God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in his presence, as servants of Christ.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] In a burst of joy, Paul affirms that God “always leads us in triumph in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:14, NKJV). What a marvelous statement! A heart filled with the presence of Christ spreads “the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14, NKJV).

Paul rejoices in Christ because the painful letter bore the fruit he intended to harvest (2 Cor. 7:5–9). This is a great victory. Meanwhile, in2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul reaffirms his sincerity as an apostle of Christ (2 Cor. 2:17,2Cor. 1:12). According to this passage, what distinguishes a faithful servant of Christ from a false minister is that while the latter peddles the gospel for self-interest, the former preaches the Word of God in wholehearted love for Christ.—BSG* for Thursday, August 27.^†‡§

[T-BSG:] A Fragrance of Christ (2 Cor. 2:14–17): Smells communicate nonverbally. For example, bad smells drive us away. Conversely, good smells are attractive and can tap deep into our emotions. The smell of a favorite food may evoke within us long-forgotten emotions, reminding us of home, family, or celebrations. Smells were important in the cultural context of the biblical world, as they often functioned as the extension of the personality of the bearer. Priest and kings (as well as the sanctuary) were anointed in the Old Testament, and the composition of the anointing oil suggests a strong-smelling fragrance (compare withExod. 30:22–33), containing cinnamon, myrrh, cane, and cassia. Also commonplace was the rite of anointing specific people or locations as belonging to God, whose fragrance they now bore.

Paul uses the fragrance metaphor in connection with a triumphal procession (linking it in the minds of his audience to well-known Roman triumphal processions). During these triumphs, evidence of the victory was shown. For Paul, the Corinthian church—with all its frailties and internal challenges—was the evidence of the success of his proclamation in the face of trials (2 Cor. 2:14). Additionally for Paul, believers were “an incense offering whose fragrance, being diffused in every place, is the saving knowledge of Christ.”—“2 Corinthians,” in Andrews Bible Commentary, ed. Ángel Manuel Rodríguez et al. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2022), p. 1665. Ministry should attract people to Christ, just as a sweet fragrance fills a room. However, to some, the gospel is an offense, like the smell of death (2 Cor. 2:16).—T-BSG* 121-122.^†‡§

[EGW:] Those who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions; they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung closer to his protecting love. Such ones are a living proof of the tender care of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light, and chastens us for our good. Christ is the light of the world; in him is no darkness. Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in the Lord always.—Ellen G. White, The Health Reformer,* October 1, 1877, Article A, par. 33.^†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p504.1243&index=0]^‡

[EGW:] A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness. It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence. It is full of Christ, and leaves a track of light wherever its possessor may go.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 667.2.^‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p84.3140&index=0]^‡

18. Knowing what you know so far about this experience of Paul, do you think he was a reliable minister?
19. Again read2 Corinthians 2:1-14.

[BSG:] What does the fact that Paul changed his traveling plan tell us about the necessity of flexibility in Christian ministry? Why is it important to be open to change when needed?

Paul faced anguish and anxiety in his ministry. This clearly shows that church leaders are human beings who are as exposed to distress as any other people. What can church members do in order to ease their work?

Paul refers to his restlessness (2 Cor. 2:13) right before mentioning his triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14). How could he talk about his weakness and strength at the same time? How can we?—BSG* for Friday, August 28.^†‡§

[T-BSG:] Ministry driven by love can reach those who are yearning for hope. This type of ministry requires compassion, integrity, sincerity, and faithfulness to God’s promises. Ultimately, those who have encountered Jesus and been transformed by Him will be like a fragrance that attracts others looking for salvation. The initial chapters of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians introduce this type of ministry, as Paul makes the case for his own ministry. Based on 2 Corinthians 1 and 2, discuss the following questions….

1. Why are compassion and grace essential for a love-driven ministry? What role models can we find in Scripture that illustrate these characteristics?
2. Many of us don’t like to be dependent on others. Why is it important to learn dependence on one another in our churches?
3. Paul repeatedly highlights transparency and integrity in his dealings with churches and individuals. Why is integrity so important in our relationships?
4. What is the importance of God’s promises in your life? How would you explain to a non-churched friend that His promises are trustworthy?
5. Mahatma Gandhi is said to have stated, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Why is forgiveness essential in our relationships, inside and outside the church?—T-BSG* 122-123.^‡

©2026, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. ^†Bold type is added. ^‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ^ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the Bible study guide or source. ^§Italic type is in the source.

Last Modified: July 19, 2026                                                                                     Email: [email protected]