2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness (Preaching the Word)

273 Pages·2006·0.89 MB·English

by  R. Kent Hughes

P R E A C H I N G T H E W O R D
2 CORINTHIANS
POWER IN
WEAKNESS
R. Kent
Hughes
2 CORINTHIANS
Books in the PREACHING THE WORD Series:
GENESIS:
Beginning and Blessing
EXODUS:
Saved for God’s Glory
by Philip Graham Ryken
ISAIAH:
God Saves Sinners
by Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.
JEREMIAHANDLAMENTATIONS:
From Sorrow to Hope
by Philip Graham Ryken
DANIEL:
The Triumph of God’s Kingdom
by Rodney D. Stortz
MARK, VOLUME ONE:
Jesus, Servant and Savior
MARK, VOLUME TWO:
Jesus, Servant and Savior
LUKE, VOLUME ONE:
That You May Know the Truth
LUKE, VOLUME TWO:
That You May Know the Truth
JOHN:
That You May Believe
ACTS:
The Church Afire
ROMANS:
Righteousness from Heaven
EPHESIANS:
The Mystery of the Body of Christ
COLOSSIANSANDPHILEMON:
The Supremacy of Christ
1 & 2 TIMOTHYANDTITUS:
To Guard the Deposit
by R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell
HEBREWS, VOLUME ONE:
An Anchor for the Soul
HEBREWS, VOLUME TWO:
An Anchor for the Soul
JAMES:
Faith That Works
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:
The Message of the Kingdom
Unless otherwise indicated, all volumes are by R. Kent Hughes
P R E A C H I N G T H E W O R D
2 CORINTHIANS
Power in Weakness
R. Kent Hughes
CROSSWAY B OOKS
A PUBLISHING MINISTRY OF
GOOD NEWS PUBLISHERS
WHEATON, ILLINOIS
2 Corinthians
Copyright ©2006 by R. Kent Hughes.
Published by Crossway Books
Apublishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
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without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USAcopyright law.
Cover banner by Marge Gieser
First printing, 2006
Printed in the United States of America
Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures are taken from the The Holy Bible: English Standard
Version®, copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by
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Scripture references marked NASBare from The New American Standard Bible®, copyright ©
by The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995.
Used by permission.
Scripture references marked RSVare from the Revised Standard Version, copyright ©1946,
1971 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the
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Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
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For
my pastor son
William Carey Hughes:
Live
the
paradox
But [the Lord] said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
of my weaknesses, so that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 9
AWord to Those Who Preach the Word 11
1 Exalted Identities 13
(2 CORINTHIANS 1:1, 2)
2 The Comfort of God 21
(2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7)
3 Affliction and Resurrection 29
(2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11)
4 Integrity and Ministry 37
(2 CORINTHIANS 1:12 — 2:4)
5 Forgiveness and Ministry 47
(2 CORINTHIANS 2:5-11)
6 Triumphal Procession in Christ 53
(2 CORINTHIANS 2:12-17)
7 Credentials of Ministry 61
(2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-3)
8 Sufficient for Ministry 67
(2 CORINTHIANS 3:4-6)
9 AMore Glorious Ministry 75
(2 CORINTHIANS 3:7-18)
10 Doing Ministry 81
(2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6)
11 The Power of New-Covenant Ministry 89
(2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-12)
12 “Futures” and Steadfastness 95
(2 CORINTHIANS 4:13-18)
13 More Beyond 103
(2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10)
14 Paul’s Driving Motivations 111
(2 CORINTHIANS 5:11-15)
15 Gospel Regard 117
(2 CORINTHIANS 5:16, 17)
16 God’s Reconciliation 123
(2 CORINTHIANS 5:18 — 6:2)
17 Ministry That Commends 131
(2 CORINTHIANS 6:3-13)
18 Bringing Holiness to Completion 139
(2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 — 7:1)
19 Comfort and Joy for a Caring Heart 147
(2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-16)
20 The Grace of Giving 155
(2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-15)
21 Integrity and Giving 163
(2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-24)
22 Ready, Willing, Generous Giving 171
(2 CORINTHIANS 9:1-15)
23 Call to Church Discipline 179
(2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-6)
24 Boasting in the Lord 185
(2 CORINTHIANS 10:7-18
25 Apologiafor Boasting 193
(2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-15)
26 Paul’s Boasting 201
(2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-33)
27 Paul’s Greatest Boast 209
(2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10)
28 Authenticating Apostleship 217
(2 CORINTHIANS 12:11-21)
29 Final Warnings and Exhortations 225
(2 CORINTHIANS 13:1-10)
30 Apostolic Optimism 231
(2 CORINTHIANS 13:11-14)
Notes 239
Scripture Index 257
General Index 264
Index of Sermon Illustrations 268
About the Book Jacket 272
Acknowledgments
O
nce again, I must thank my administrative assistant, Mrs. Pauline Epps,
for her patience and expertise in preparing the manuscript for publication.
Special thanks, too, go to Herb Carlburg, who not only prints the sermon
transcripts but checks out every detail.
Any pastor knows that it takes both a pastor and a congregation to have
a sermon and that engaged listeners help make the sermon. So, thanks to
College Church in Wheaton for helping make the messages, such as they are,
a little better.
And, as always, I’m so grateful for my wife, Barbara, who has freed
me to spend the hours necessary for this work, and who is my best listener!