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"Having hope..."

Text: 2 Corinthians 10:15

HOPE OF INCREASING FAITH

Hope naturally comes with faith. Part of our faith involves hope (Romans 5:1-5). Paul extended the idea of hope to the growth of faith of the Corinthians.

“Not boasting of things beyond measure,
that is, in other men’s labours,
but having hope, that as your faith is increased,
we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere.”
2 Corinthians 10:15

1. “Not boasting of things beyond measure”

a) Glorying (boasting) is not wrong.

b) Caution is needed.

c) One must not glory beyond measure.

2. “That is, in other men’s labours”

a) Paul did not boast of other people’s labours as if they were his.

b) There were other labourers in the field.

c) Paul never took glory in the work of others!

3. “But having hope”

a) Paul exercised his sense of hope.

b) It was a natural and good thing to do.

4. “That as your faith is increased”

a) Paul worked hard at helping the Corinthians to grow in their faith.

b) Some of the things he did:

i) Intercession

ii) Correction

iii) Exhortation

iv) Instruction

c) If the Corinthians followed through, their faith would increase.

5. “We shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere”

a) Paul looked forward to the day when the Corinthians would stand with him.

b) The sphere of ministry of Paul and his co-workers would then be “greatly enlarged”.

c) At the moment, because of the bad influence of the detractors, the Corinthian church was divided.

d) Paul expressed hope that the Corinthian Church would increase their faith significantly.