Full Transcript

Welcome to Share the Word. Paul has needed to defend his position over and over again in Corinth, yet the focus today is forgiveness, restoration, love, encouragement, and humility within the Christian community. As Christians, we are in an ongoing battle, and what comes to mind is there’s no I in team. Listen in. Second Corinthians chapter 2. It’s all about the team.

As I may have mentioned before, probably more than once, I am a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan. That’s an American pro football team, if you’re not into sports. It would have been hard not to be, having grown up in the Pittsburgh area in the 1960s and 70s. The Steelers went from the worst team in the league in the 60s to the best team in the league in the 70s, winning four Super Bowls in that decade. Ten players from that 70s team are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you’re from Cleveland or Baltimore or maybe most anywhere else, you’re probably thinking, Okay, okay, where’s this going?

Well, I’m getting to something, and you’re going to have to hang with me for a few minutes. Right now, as I record this, the Steelers are in the middle of the 2024 season, and their record is six wins and two losses, good enough for first place in their division. That’s surprising because this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Many sports talking heads had the Steelers pegged for last place in their division this year. The biggest challenge was both quarterbacks from last season left, and new quarterbacks were brought in, leaders of the team, and these new additions didn’t realize when they were brought in that they would be competing against each other for the starting role. The team didn’t even plan that.

It just happened as each of these players became available. Now, one is a high-profile veteran quarterback named Russell Wilson. The other is a young guy named Justin Fields, who had been a number one draft pick just a couple years ago, but who hadn’t performed up to expectations. But suddenly, these two guys are Steelers. Most expected a difficult rivalry would be the outcome as they fought over one of the most coveted positions in sports, an NFL starting quarterback job. In the months leading up to the season, the sports pages, the internet sites devoted to covering my team fanned that flame, talking up about how this was going to be such a contentious rivalry that sells papers and gets clicks.

Mike Tomlin, the head coach, wouldn’t say who he favored, but the leaks were saying the veteran Russell Wilson would be named the starter, and he was at the end of training camp. But then, wouldn’t you know it, Russell got hurt before the season even started, and the Steelers were forced to start the young, talented but very underperforming up until now, Justin Fields. But he played surprisingly better than anyone expected given his chance, and the team won four of their six games leading into the season. He was becoming the toast of Pittsburgh, and many were anointing him the long-term answer at quarterback for the Steelers that we’ve been looking for. And then Russell Wilson got healthy, healthy enough to come back and play again. Oh boy, all the sports media now, even nationally, were fixated on this question about who would be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback.

Most of them agreed that you just couldn’t yank the rug out from under Justin Fields after a 4-2 start. It would crush his confidence. It would divide the locker room. Yet the head coach, Mike Tomlin, named veteran Russell Wilson the starter for Week 7 to most everyone’s surprise. And they won. And the next week, with Russell Wilson at the helm again, they won again.

In fact, scoring the most points in a two-game stretch in a long time. I’m not predicting we’re going to the Super Bowl this year, but hey, stay tuned. When the young quarterback who lost his starting job was asked what he thought about being demoted, he responded meekly, I just didn’t play as well as I should have, and if I had, there wouldn’t be any question about who should be the starter. I was impressed by that. Many of these young multimillionaire first-round draft picks have huge egos. You know that.

They’ve been told they are the greatest thing since sliced bread since middle school. I honestly expected Justin to sulk and pout on the sideline and drop passive-aggressive hints on X about how he felt robbed. But that hasn’t been the case. I keep seeing him and Russell goofing around with each other like they’re brothers, talking through strategy together on the bench during games, and I see Justin cheering on the sideline when the offense does well with Russell under center. I’m sure hoping he’ll get another chance down the road, but for now, he’s Russell’s supporter and a great teammate. He’s obviously bought into the ideal that it’s all about the team.

Watching all this play out piqued my curiosity. I knew that head coach Mike Tomlin is a Christian, a frequent speaker at Christian men’s conferences in Pittsburgh, and he’s well known for having a good mentoring kind of relationship with his players. Then I began to see someone posting photos to Facebook of a prayer circle that forms on the 50-yard line after each Steelers game, not just for my team either, but even with opposing players joining in. And I noticed that many of the Steelers team leaders were in those photos, including Russell and Justin. Digging a little bit more, I found out that a few years back, the Steelers hired a team chaplain, a lifelong Pittsburgh guy who had been the lead pastor of a Bible-believing church in the city. His name is Kent Chevalier.

Actually, the Steelers hired Kent and his wife Erica to minister to the players and their wives and girlfriends or families, because Coach Tomlin believes that how they do as a team is affected by how healthy his players are, not just body and mind, but spiritually. I found a great interview with Kent and Erica talking about their role with the Steelers, and he was asked about those prayer circles after the game. He said something very interesting. He said that as our society turns these young men into veritable gods, fans close to worship them. He said, We human beings are just not meant to be or equipped to be worshipped. So he teaches these young athletes to deflect the glory to God, to whom alone belongs all glory for all they are and all they accomplish.

Have you ever noticed how many of these pro athletes, when interviewed after the game, say, First of all, I’d like to give the glory to God for what I was able to do today. Well, learning all this explained a lot to me. I learned that Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, both are Christians, have been taught that it’s better to be humble, to root for each other, and ultimately to do what is best for the team, because all of that brings glory to God, which is our highest calling as Christians. A few weeks ago, I saw an article on a Steelers site where the writer was kind of amazed that Justin Fields seemed to be okay taking his demotion after starting the first several games of the season and doing well. There were no tantrums, no I want to be traded posts on Instagram, none of that. The writer didn’t have an explanation for it.

He found it odd. In the comment section, I suggested, Why not look into the angle of their Christian faith and write a story about how that plays into how these guys have meshed and how the team chemistry is right now? I hope I’ll see such a story. Now, if you hate the Steelers or care nothing about pro football, my deepest apologies. But I told you all that to simply draw an analogy. In a very real sense, a local church like the church at Corinth or the church that you or I go to is a team, and we’re in a much more significant battle than trying to climb the NFL standings.

We’re in a battle for souls, if the Bible is true. We’ve got a much more dangerous opponent, too. Yet in reality, the internal dynamics that cause a sports team to do well or to flail around and do poorly are quite similar to those of a local church. If your church is doing well and making a difference for God and good in your community, or is making little if any impact, or even doing harm to the cause of Christ, huh, what’s behind that? And what part do you play in that? It’s a very important and maybe uncomfortable question for us.

From what we’ve seen already of the Corinthian church, I think we’d all have to agree they were in last place in the Greek Christian churches division, maybe last in the whole league of Christian churches, if there was such a thing. They were very dysfunctional, riddled with problems. And the Apostle Paul is trying his best to correct those problems and get them back on track, to turn this team around. Since he had left Corinth, on top of all the other problems we learned about from 1 Corinthians, some men claiming to be apostles had arrived there and were doing their best to undermine and demean him, to turn the members’ hearts away from him. Paul refers to them more than once in 2 Corinthians, as in chapter 10, verse 10, where he writes, For some are saying, ‘Paul’s letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence, it’s weak, and his words contemptible.’

This caused Paul to leave Ephesus temporarily and go to Corinth to try and address this threatening issue. This is what Paul refers to at the outset of chapter 2 as his painful visit. Apparently, it didn’t go very well either. It seems that a leader in Corinth, emboldened by those false apostles, had openly resisted and opposed him. He refers to this person as someone that has caused us grief, both he and the church itself, he meant. It seems that Paul was not able to resolve the problem at that point without blowing that church up, and so he returned back to Ephesus.

But some months later, after some time had elapsed and probably some steam vented, he wrote to them again. Sometimes we need to let things cool off when there are serious disagreements. We need to, you know, back off, disengage for a bit. We don’t have this letter from Paul to the Corinthian church, but it addressed what was going on very directly, apparently, and called on them to repent. This was carried to them by Titus, another of Paul’s younger associates. Paul was very anxious to find out how the Corinthian Christians responded to that letter.

In the meantime, he finished up his work at Ephesus and had moved on to the city of Troas, a city on the western coast of the province of Asia. In verse 12 of chapter 2, he writes, Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me there, I still had no peace of mind because I didn’t find my brother Titus there. So I bid them farewell and went on to Macedonia. He expected, I guess, to meet Titus at Troas on his return from Corinth and learn what the response to his letter had been. But Titus didn’t show up when he expected, so Paul’s anxiety was growing. He crossed over to Macedonia, hoping to intercept Titus there, feeling sure he would have to stop at one of the churches in Philippi or Thessalonica.

To Paul’s great relief, he did find Titus there, and we learn the outcome in chapter 7, verse 7, where Paul writes, When we came to Macedonia, we had no rest. We were being harassed at every turn. There were conflicts on the outside and there were fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. The majority of the Christian believers, after thinking things through, after some time had elapsed, after getting that second letter from Paul, after learning from Titus how their disloyalty had hurt him, decided he, in fact, was the rightful coach of their team, we could say, that they had indeed wronged him and repented of that.

Paul was overjoyed to hear this. He saw the young believers in these places that he ministered to like his own children. As a parent, nothing hurts like when a child at some point rebels and insults you and turns away from you, listening to other voices and other influences you know are misleading them and will be harmful for them. And that’s exactly what had gone on at Corinth with those false apostles who had come in badmouthing Paul, trying to turn people’s hearts away from him. But I bet as the believers there watched those guys’ lives over time and then thought back about Paul and Timothy and Silas, most realized their mistake in listening to the false apostles and were very sorry. Getting back to my team analogy, the players have to have confidence in the quarterback and the coach, and the coach and quarterback have to have confidence in each other.

Without these dynamics in place, no team is going to do very well. In this case, think of the players as the members of the Corinthian church, the quarterbacks as whoever were looked at in the church as the most influential leaders there. And the coach, obviously, the apostle Paul. One big reason the church had been in such a mess is the false apostles who had come in had undermined many of the members’ confidence in Paul, the coach, and apparently emboldened at least one leader to rebel against him openly. It’d been as if some people around Justin Fields got in his ear and said, You know what? You’ve been wronged, man.

Tomlin and the Steelers have disrespected you, man. And then Justin set about trying to undermine Coach Tomlin in the locker room. If that had happened, the vibe in Pittsburgh surrounding the Steelers this year would be very, very different. Or what if the players that supported Justin and felt he got a raw deal started rebelling themselves? Some started demanding to be traded, for example. Isn’t that pretty much like when a church member disagrees with decisions their leaders have made and rebel, or just up and leave?

Whatever Paul had written in the letter Titus delivered addressed the problems and reiterated Paul’s love for them. I’m sure he also tried his best to let them see how Satan was the real author of this disunity. And fortunately, whatever he wrote worked. The majority of the congregation were moved and persuaded by it. In fact, the rebellious leader was apparently confronted by the majority of the congregation, the man Paul said had caused them all grief. With the background information that I’ve just given you as context now, listen to what Paul writes further in chapter 2, starting in verse 5.

I’m not overstating it, he says, when I say that the man who caused all this trouble hurt all of you even more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and his punishment has been enough now. It is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now, reaffirm your love for him. When you forgive this man, I forgive him too.

And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us, or we’re familiar with his evil schemes. Get the picture? After receiving Paul’s letter, which contained instructions how to react to what was going on, the majority of the congregation decided Paul was right. They confronted this leader who had been out of line. The word translated punishment means an official sanction occurred. They likely removed him from his leadership position, or perhaps even put him out of the church for a time.

But Paul, learning about this from Titus, decided to forgive this man after learning he had repented. He asked the congregation to reaffirm their love for him too. That doesn’t necessarily suggest he was returned to his former place of leadership, but he was forgiven and accepted again by the church. Paul saw all this as vital for the unity of the team—I mean church—going forward. The internal dynamics had to get righted, or they would continue to struggle. I’ve been involved in local church leadership for decades.

I’ve seen a lot, believe me. The dynamics between leaders, and then between leaders and the congregation, have to be right, or a church is going to struggle, especially if someone’s seen as a leader by people gets their nose out of joint. That can really create a bad problem. It’s one of Satan’s favorite schemes, to use Paul’s words, the enemy’s efforts at creating trouble in churches. Churches’ leaders are not above being confronted, by the way, as this fellow at Corinth obviously was. In fact, they need to be if they are seriously in the wrong.

Apparently, at Paul’s urging, that’s exactly what happened, and this leader was sanctioned. Fortunately, when a majority of members let him know they felt he was in the wrong and backed that up with some church discipline, he repented, realizing he had hurt his church and the cause of Christ. That was the ideal outcome. When there is genuine repentance, an erring person should be forgiven and accepted by the church again, as Paul urged be done in this case. So, for me, the big idea in this chapter is that a local church fellowship should be seen one way, like a team. Good internal dynamics must be maintained.

If it’s a leader or even a lead pastor who is out of line, they are not above being confronted and corrected. Paul later wrote to Timothy, who was involved in a situation in Corinth, Don’t entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning, you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you in the sight of God and Jesus Christ and the elect angels to keep these instructions without partiality and to do nothing out of favoritism. That sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? In the last couple months, I’ve read about two very well-known pastors in America who have had to be sanctioned over serious personal failures.

I was sad to read about that happening, but at the same time, I was glad the people in their churches were willing to obey the Scripture and confront them. Paul says that’s not something members of a church should enter into lightly. It’s not just when you disagree with a policy decision or something. He says, but if there’s clear-cut sin, if it’s that kind of situation that is bringing disrepute to the church and to the cause of Christ, and trustworthy witnesses confirm the problem is real. Leaders, like any other church member, need to be sanctioned. No favoritism, he says.

Leaders who put themselves above correction and above accountability are acting foolishly and are setting themselves up for failure and for damaging the body of Christ. Being a leader and overseer, a pastor in the Church of Jesus Christ, is very serious business. The apostle Paul was an overseer of many churches his teams had planted, an awesome responsibility. In the closing verses of his chapter, he writes, Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and also among those who are perishing. To the one, we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.

And then he says, Who is equal to such a task? Really. I can’t leave this passage without explaining his word picture there a little bit. In the Roman Empire, conquering generals often paraded their defeated enemies through a city at their triumphal return from battle, a victory parade, a triumph they called it. People would shower the victorious army with flowers. Censors of burning incense would be carried along their path.

All this left a strong aroma in the air. That aroma smelled sweet to the victors, but was the smell of death to the defeated enemies. Paul is saying he feels often like he is in one of those triumphal parades. He knows he’s on the winning side, God’s side, and that the aroma surrounding him was the aroma of life to those who believed the gospel message he preached. But the aroma of death to those who rejected him and his message. And then he adds, Who is equal to such a task?

Paul understood clearly how weighty and critical his responsibilities were. That’s why he was so acutely concerned about the welfare of those people in Corinth, those young believers in that church. Leading a winning football team, very hard job, with all the dynamics you’re trying to balance out and weigh. Some people are going to love you, others are going to hate you. Your decisions are always going to be questioned. There’s always a lot of pressure.

Overseeing and leading a truly successful church is just as challenging and a lot more consequential. The enemy is always scheming to disrupt things. Some members are naive enough to let him do that and easily misled by him. Some are foolish enough to be disagreeable and rebellious. Spiritual leaders must be people of real integrity who understand how to build, protect, and motivate a team. Who is equal to such a task?

Some are, fortunately. By the grace and enablement of God, some are, and they deserve our prayers, our cooperation, and our appreciation. It’s all about the team. What kind of team player are you? This is Paul for Share the Word. Thanks, Paul.

So are you equal to the task? In this world, we will be tempted, and the schemes of Satan will continue to try to keep us from reconciliation, from forgiveness, and to keep us focused on the self. When we lead like Jesus, we shift our focus from selfish to selfless. We take on a servant’s role, and our humility builds the kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of man. What steps can you take to ensure you don’t fall into Satan’s trap of unforgiveness? From all of us at Share the Word, our blessings and prayers go out to all of you.