paul

The 67 OPEN REFERENCE of Paul’s Letter to the T – 2nd Corinthians 6,7

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Rolling Stone (online article by Jeff Ihaza on Nov 11th 2025) says the number or ‘saying “67” has become the latest way for grown-ups to confirm their fears about young people becoming difficult to decipher — that they live in an internet-based world they increasingly can’t understand.’ – which even people who hear about 67 don’t know the movie and music reference and just brush it off – just like the saying – just like being “in the know” – and ‘the New York Times posited that perhaps a dada-esque absurdity is the point, that youth culture, in an active quest to bewilder adults, adopts nonsensical humor in an effort towards subterfuge. A nine-year-old from Indiana interviewed for the piece suggests that there isn’t really any meaning behind 67. “No offense to adults, but I think they always want to know what’s going on,” she told the paper of record.’

I will walk away from reading too much into it – the phrase – I mean our generation had lots of sayings that today’s kids would never understand… And life is too short to be caught up in worldliness – and wordiness….

Here is something laid out straight however – OPEN REFERENCE – the 6,7 of Paul’s letter to the wayward Corinthians is DIRECT and then his JOY in their improvement of faith is PALAPTABLE REAL. Paul gives it to them straight and we have this OPEN BOOK reference called the Bible to derive all this material as “gospel truth” and even “old testament teasers” of what God said He would do and then He did! (and this means we can also believe what God says He WILL do in our future…)

Paul said OPENLY to the Corinthians, quoting old testament prophet Isaiah, he even pleads ‘not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’

Paul told of the distress he and others had in this ministry – and yet how important it was and is to keep going. And to subsets of populations of new churches, as he would say not to us all: Be Holy – O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 

Paul was really trying to get repentance of the people, and sorry but not sorry that he was so harsh and open in his letters to them – He just wanted to present the truth of the need to follow the Lord – and not waste it… Paul said: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Yes – God does not sugar coat things – He want attention and righteousness – even so much as to give His only Son to be able to cloak the sins and welcome the sinners into Heaven. In our repentance we remember the hardships of earthly life and remember Paul’s pause to see that his ministry makes a difference – then and now:  Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

THANK YOU LORD for being open with us – we need repentance – and this is written over and over again – and with our repentance is our understanding of needing Jesus – and this is the TRUTH of Life forever – thank you for being an OPEN REFERENCE to Heaven’s HOPE for us to come to You as Your children.

Amen

—

Here’s the 6,7 on this all:

2 Corinthians 6-7 NKJV
Marks of the Ministry
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy
O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

The Corinthians’ Repentance
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance
Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus
Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

Paul’s Letter to the T – for Life in Harmony, 2nd Corinthians 2-3

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I think it’s interesting that a new friend and I were talking about the old religion they were raised in (not one that I had heard of – was interesting conversation and I thought how awful – and she realized later how awful of the harshness and the hybrid rules that seemed to have been made up by man) and our conversation grew to how NOT to be stuck in living in forced “legalistic” routines and rules. 

If anything – we in the church should not get so caught up in legalism but be caught up in the Spirit that allows us to share – to teach – to help others and ourselves grow…

Then the verse of the day, today, surely NOT “coincidentally”, that I received from Bible Gateway by email, was a short sentence from Paul about God: “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”– and Paul certainly talks about the pull away from legalism. 

In this 2nd letter to the Corinthinans – Paul was not commending himself or his fellow teachers – but saying that the Holy Spirit has inspired them and filled them to be the teachers to tell others of the LIFE that the Spirit gives:  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE! That is Paul’s Letter to a T – that we can have life in Harmony with the Spirit.

Truly, we are made alive by God – we can be refilled by the Spirit and hold close as well as share Jesus from our hearts – we share and are not perfect but “perfecting” as God renews in us His life for us – to believe in Him and to live life in an abundant way – not materially but in a spiritual “OK-ness” that we can life knowing we have a glorious future with Jesus in Heaven – with God our Father – and a peace that the world will not bring but will be fulfilled with the fulfilment of Jesus forever.

The letters that Paul wrote were preserved – for the sake of teaching 2000 years plus – and this section of scripture of being filled with the spirit is bracketed by writing of living victorious in Jesus – not gloating or peddling the Word of God – but being assured and assuring of the comfort of the Lord. 

So – here is our study and our life – to live like Paul urged – free of death – and to

triumph in Christ – let us listen to this letter to motivate us to not judge or perish by the law but to live in the Spirit – to be the aroma of salvation – to live freely IN CHRIST –  “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

THANK GOD 

THANK GOD 

AMEN

…

(starting in chapter 2 of 2nd Cor. NKJV)
Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3
Christ’s Epistle
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Glory of the New Covenant
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Judging and the Jealousy in Life, and in the Book of Acts

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Four “J” words: Judging – Jealousy – Jesus – JOY

Recently I found myself Judging someone for Judging someone else – now I knew the first person – and we are apt to start judging aren’t we – it was/is an easy slide of our senses into Judging. But the second person I didn’t know but was led to believe that this person was like so many other people we encounter in life and well, without knowing, I (we) lump in people with lots in life that we don’t know – but have plenty of experiencing seeing…  and perhaps we have even experienced or been one of “those” people – whatever they are or whatever they do…  Seems that we have lots of opinions on people – me too…  how human of us (ME)… LOVE thinks no evil but well, we do that don’t we? – and we have the conviction of being convicting…  and when I say we are human, it is because we are not that much different than others – it is just our lot in life to be flawed humans – thus needing Jesus even the more – and THANK GOD, Jesus forgives and we can be filled with JOY in that…

As for jealousy (another “J” word) – we do participate in that too – we are very human and this is not unheard of – even the amazing transformed Saul (also called Paul as his Roman name) who was truly transformed by Jesus’s intervention on the Road to Damascus, stopped lots of his ‘BIG” sins of persecuting jews who were new Christians, well Paul, devout as anything at that point, still admitted to jealousy – and that commandment was the toughest to not break. From God to Moses who carried the message to others: Exodus 20:17 NKJV “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”  And as for jealousy that we have on ourselves, yes when we are jealous of a life we “think” we should have – but don’t – well that is all in the category of judging ourselves and being jealous and worldly and not counting our blessings for what we DO have…

And what we DO HAVE is LOVE – LOVE comes to us as Jesus and His Spirit reinvigorates us…  [pray we don’t have a road to Damascus blinding but well, we do need Jesus coming to us – and in the best way, His conviction is there to convince us to LOVE] and God’s LOVE for us is true and never ending because GOD IS LOVE – and as Paul would write later in a letter to the Corinthians (13:1,4), “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal… Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy…”  

LOVE DOES NOT ENVY…  WOW…

It is very judging of me to judge myself – and we are tempted to say that we are stuck in “that if we do not have love, we are nothing” – but we AREN’T nothing – not with the AMAZING gift of God – that HE GIVES US HIS LOVE – we feel that love and we have that love SO THAT WE MAY HAVE LOVE TO SHARE…  Therefore we ARE SOMETHING – we are never nothing – we ARE the LOVE of GOD with JESUS in us and JOY

Jesus and JOY – those are love Words that triumph over jealousy and judging…May we work to not envy nor judge nor be trouble to others…  May we live in His Love and share that…

AMEN

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We (I) learn alot about the LOVE of GOD in how He put forth the beginnings of the church and in the efforts of the disciples and these martyrs for Christ…  Here are but excerpts of Acts – really good ones – about Stephen and about Saul/Paul and of how the church grew from LOVE…  If you have not read the story of Stephen, here is the whole link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%206-8%3A1&version=NIV;NKJV

Scripture excerpts of the calling of Saul/Paul into LOVE

Stephen Accused of Blasphemy (Acts 6:8-15 NKJV)
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

…

Stephen the Martyr (Acts 7:54-59 NKJV) – (NOTE: the chapter of Acts 7 (at the link above) is great for learning of the old testament and linking up the connection to Jesus from the acts of the Israelites)
When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Then they [Sanhedrin blaming Stephen for blasphemy] cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Saul Persecutes the Church (Acts 8:1-3 NKJV)
Now Saul was consenting to his [Stephen’s] death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

…

The Damascus Road: Saul Converted (Acts 9:1-30 NKJV)
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ
Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Saul Escapes Death – Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem
And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

The Church Prospers
Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

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1 Corinthians 13 New King James Version
The Greatest Gift
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.