Wednesday night, if you want to read ahead, read 2 Corinthians chapter 3, because we're going to do chapter 2 this morning.

We'd like to cover this chapter. It's kind of an interesting chapter. It's not a super easy to read chapter because there's stuff you kind of need to know about the things Paul's dealing with the Corinthian church from reading 1st Corinthians

and also knowing a little bit about Paul's situation. So we're going to dive right in.

Second Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1.

Paul says, but I determined this with myself,

that I would not come again to you in heaviness, for if I make you sorry,

who is he that maketh me glad? But the same which is made sorry by me? And I wrote this same,

or letter unto you, lest when I i came i should have sorrow from them of whom i ought to rejoice

having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all paul is talking about the

corinthians and how he didn't visit them which they're mad at them for that that, by the way. We know that from other pastures. They're really ticked. Paul, you're a liar. We don't believe anything you say anymore because you didn't come to visit us and you said you would. Well, if you remember, he said he might come if the Lord permitted him to. And these people were totally reading into things and saying stupid stuff about Paul.

And it was getting nasty.

And so Paul is writing the letter.

Now, this is an interesting thing.

Paul was determined to stick with this church.

I know a lot of pastors would probably bail at this time saying,

Corinthians, man, you don't like me, great.

You can just do whatever you want. And we'll see if you make it to heaven. Good luck with that.

But Paul didn't do that. Why? It tells us right here, and this is something we should note here in verse one, but I determined this with myself that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

I just want to speak for a minute on determination.

In fact, I'll call it strong-minded determination

because he's talking to himself saying,

I'm determined, I don't care what this church does to me.

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