2 Corinthians 5:13
If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
If we are out of our mind
The phrase "out of our mind" comes from the Greek word "exestēmen," which can mean to be beside oneself or to be in a state of ecstasy. In the context of Paul's ministry, this could refer to the intense spiritual experiences or fervor that might appear irrational to outsiders. Historically, early Christians were often misunderstood and accused of madness due to their fervent faith and counter-cultural practices. Paul acknowledges that their passionate devotion might seem irrational, but it is a testament to their commitment to God. This phrase challenges believers to consider how their faith might appear to the world and to embrace a God-centered life that might defy worldly logic.

it is for God
This phrase emphasizes the motivation behind any perceived irrationality. The Greek word "Theou" (for God) indicates that any actions or states of being that seem out of the ordinary are dedicated to God. This reflects a deep commitment to living a life that prioritizes divine approval over human understanding. Historically, this aligns with the early church's willingness to endure persecution and misunderstanding for the sake of their faith. It serves as an inspiration for modern believers to prioritize their relationship with God, even when it leads to actions that the world might not understand.

if we are of sound mind
The phrase "of sound mind" translates from the Greek "sōphronoumen," meaning to be of sober mind or self-controlled. Paul contrasts the ecstatic experiences with a rational, controlled demeanor, suggesting that both states serve a purpose in the Christian life. The historical context of Corinth, a city known for its philosophical debates and diverse religious practices, would have required a balance of fervor and reason to effectively communicate the Gospel. This phrase encourages believers to maintain a balance between spiritual passion and rational thought, ensuring that their witness is both heartfelt and understandable.

it is for you
The phrase "for you" indicates that the rational, controlled aspect of Paul's ministry is intended for the benefit of the Corinthian believers. The Greek "hymin" (for you) underscores the pastoral care and responsibility Paul feels towards the church. Historically, this reflects the apostolic mission to nurture and guide early Christian communities, ensuring their growth and stability. This phrase inspires believers to consider how their actions and demeanor can serve and edify others within the body of Christ, emphasizing the importance of community and mutual edification in the Christian faith.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 2 Corinthians, addressing the church in Corinth. Paul is defending his ministry and explaining his actions and motivations.

2. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece, known for its wealth and diversity, but also for its moral challenges. The church in Corinth faced various issues, including divisions and misunderstandings about Paul's teachings.

3. The Corinthian Church
The recipients of Paul's letter, struggling with internal conflicts and external pressures, needing guidance and clarification on spiritual matters.
Teaching Points
Devotion to God May Seem Foolish
Sometimes, our commitment to God may appear irrational to others. Paul emphasizes that being "out of our mind" is a result of our dedication to God, which may not always align with worldly wisdom.

Balancing Zeal and Wisdom
While fervor for God is commendable, Paul also stresses the importance of being "of sound mind" for the benefit of others. This balance ensures that our actions are both passionate and edifying.

Perception vs. Reality
The way others perceive our faith-driven actions may not always reflect the truth. We must remain steadfast in our purpose, knowing that our ultimate accountability is to God.

Purposeful Living
Every action, whether it seems radical or reasonable, should be motivated by a desire to glorify God and serve others. This intentionality reflects a mature Christian walk.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Paul's willingness to be seen as "out of his mind" for God challenge our own comfort zones in living out our faith?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our zeal for God is balanced with sound judgment for the benefit of others?

3. How can we discern when our actions are being misunderstood for the sake of the Gospel versus when they are genuinely misguided?

4. Reflect on a time when your faith-driven actions were perceived as foolish. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience?

5. How can Romans 12:2's call to be transformed by the renewing of our minds help us navigate the tension between being "out of our mind" for God and "of sound mind" for others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 26:24-25
Paul is accused of being out of his mind by Festus, yet he insists he speaks the truth. This parallels his defense in 2 Corinthians 5:13, where he explains that any perceived madness is for God's sake.

1 Corinthians 4:10
Paul describes himself and the apostles as "fools for Christ," highlighting the theme of being misunderstood for the sake of the Gospel.

Romans 12:2
Encourages believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, which can sometimes appear as foolishness to the world.
Person and Ministry of the Apostle Further ConsideredC. Lipscomb 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Missionary EnthusiasmW. Thorpe.2 Corinthians 5:12-17
Paul's Self-CommendationF. W. Robertson, M. A.2 Corinthians 5:12-17
Zeal in the Cause of ChristW. M. Punshon, LL. D.2 Corinthians 5:12-17
People
Corinthians, Paul
Places
Achaia, Corinth
Topics
Beside, Cause, Foolish, Glory, God's, Mind, Order, Ourselves, Sake, Senses, Serious, Service, Sober, Whether
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Corinthians 5:13

     5401   madness

2 Corinthians 5:6-14

     5109   Paul, apostle

Library
August 1. "For we must all Appear Before the Judgment Seat of Christ; that Every one May Receive the Things done in his Body, According to that He Hath Done" (ii Cor. v. 10).
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done" (II Cor. v. 10). It will not always be the day of toil and trial. Some day, we shall hear our names announced before the universe, and the record read of things that we had long forgotten. How our hearts will thrill, and our heads will bow, as we shall hear our own names called, and then the Master shall recount the triumph and the services which we had
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Work and Armour of the Children of the Day
'Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet the hope of salvation.'--1 THESS. v. 8. This letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest book of the New Testament. It was probably written within something like twenty years of the Crucifixion; long, therefore, before any of the Gospels were in existence. It is, therefore, exceedingly interesting and instructive to notice how this whole context is saturated with allusions to our Lord's teaching,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Great Reconciliation
"God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 COR. V. 19. Such considerations as we have had before us, are of far more than theoretical interest. They are of all questions the most practical. Sin is not a curious object which we examine from an aloof and external standpoint. However we regard it, to whatever view of its nature we are led, it is, alas, a fact within and not merely outside our experience. And so we are at length brought to this most personal and most urgent inquiry,
J. H. Beibitz—Gloria Crucis

Tent and Building
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'--2 COR. v. 1. Knowledge and ignorance, doubt and certitude, are remarkably blended in these words. The Apostle knows what many men are not certain of; the Apostle doubts as to what all men now are certain of. 'If our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved'--there is surely no if about that. But we must remember that the first Christians,
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Love that Constrains
'The love of Christ constraineth us.'--2 COR. v. 14. It is a dangerous thing to be unlike other people. It is still more dangerous to be better than other people. The world has a little heap of depreciatory terms which it flings, age after age, at all men who have a higher standard and nobler aims than their fellows. A favourite term is 'mad.' So, long ago they said, 'The prophet is a fool; the spiritual man is mad,' and, in His turn, Jesus was said to be 'beside Himself,' and Festus shouted from
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

Pleasing Christ
'We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him.'--2 COR. v. 2. We do not usually care very much for, or very much trust, a man's own statement of the motives of his life, especially if in the statement he takes credit for lofty and noble ones. And it would be rather a dangerous experiment for the ordinary run of so-called Christian people to stand up and say what Paul says here, that the supreme design and aim towards which all their lives are directed is to please Jesus Christ.
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Entreaties of God
'Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech ... by us: we pray ... in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.'--2 COR. v. 20. These are wonderful and bold words, not so much because of what they claim for the servants as because of what they reveal of the Lord. That thought, 'as though God did beseech,' seems to me to be the one deserving of our attention now, far rather than any inferences which may be drawn from the words as to the relation of preachers of the Gospel to
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Patient Workman
'Now He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God.'--2 COR. v. 5. These words penetrate deep into the secrets of God. They assume to have read the riddle of life. To Paul everything which we experience, outwardly or inwardly, is from the divine working. Life is to him no mere blind whirl, or unintelligent play of accidental forces, nor is it the unguided result of our own or of others' wills, but is the slow operation of the great Workman. Paul assumes to know the meaning of this protracted
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Old House and the New
'We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.'--2 COR. v. 8. There lie in the words of my text simply these two things; the Christian view of what death is, and the Christian temper in which to anticipate it. I. First, the Christian view of what death is. Now it is to be observed that, properly speaking, the Apostle is not here referring to the state of the dead, but to the act of dying. The language would more literally and accurately
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Sacrifice of Christ.
Preached June 23, 1850. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST. "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again."--2 Corinthians v. 14, 15. It may be, that in reading these verses some of us have understood them in a sense foreign to that of the apostle. It may have seemed that the arguments ran thus--Because Christ
Frederick W. Robertson—Sermons Preached at Brighton

The Believer a New Creature
We have two great truths here, which would serve us for the subject of meditation for many a day: the believer's position--he is "in Christ;" and the believer's character--he is a "new creature." Upon both of these we shall speak but briefly this morning, but may God grant that we may find instruction therein. I. First, then, let us consider THE CHRISTIAN'S POSITION--he is said to be "in Christ." There are three stages of the human soul in connection with Christ: the first is without Christ, this
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 15: 1869

The Great Assize
Beside that direct testimony, it should be remembered there is a convincing argument that so it must needs be, from the very fact that God is just as the Ruler over men. In all human governments there must he an assize held. Government cannot be conducted without its days of session and of trial, and, inasmuch as there is evidently sin and evil in this world, it might fairly be anticipated that there would be a time when God will go on circuit, and when he will call the prisoners before him, and
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 18: 1872

Substitution
Note the doctrine; the use of it; the enjoyment of it. I. First, THE DOCTRINE. There are three persons mentioned here. "He (that is God) hath made him (that is Christ) who knew no sin, to be sin for us (sinners) that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Before we can understand the plan of salvation, it is necessary for us to know something about the three persons, and, certainly, unless we understand them in some measure, salvation is to us impossible. 1. Here is first, GOD. Let every
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Christ --Our Substitute
Little however, did I think I should live to see this kind of stuff taught in pulpits; I had no idea that there would come out a divinity, which would bring down God's moral government from he solemn aspect in which Scripture reveals it, to a namby-pamby sentimentalism, which adores a Deity destitute of every masculline virtue. But we never know to-day what may occur to-morrow. We have lived to see a certain sort of men--thank God they are not Baptists--though I am sorry to say there are a great
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860

A Solemn Embassy
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."--2 Corinthians 5:20. THERE has long been war between man and his Maker. Our federal head, Adam, threw down the gauntlet in the garden of Eden. The trumpet was heard to ring through the glades of Paradise, the trumpet which broke the silence of peace and disturbed the song of praise. From that day forward until now there has been no truce, no treaty between God and
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." It is true the soul is incomparably better than the body, and he is only worthy the name of a man and of a Christian who prefers this more excellent part, and employs his study and time about it, and regards his body only for the noble guest that lodges within it, and therefore it is one of the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Life of Mr. Hugh Binning.
There being a great demand for the several books that are printed under Mr. Binning's name, it was judged proper to undertake a new and correct impression of them in one volume. This being done, the publishers were much concerned to have the life of such an useful and eminent minister of Christ written, in justice to his memory, and his great services in the work of the gospel, that it might go along with this impression. We living now at so great distance from the time wherein he made a figure in
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of Meditating on the Future Life.
The three divisions of this chapter,--I. The principal use of the cross is, that it in various ways accustoms us to despise the present, and excites us to aspire to the future life, sec. 1, 2. II. In withdrawing from the present life we must neither shun it nor feel hatred for it; but desiring the future life, gladly quit the present at the command of our sovereign Master, see. 3, 4. III. Our infirmity in dreading death described. The correction and safe remedy, sec. 6. 1. WHATEVER be the kind of
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Death and Judgement.
TO THE AUTHOR OF THE GUARDIAN. Sir, THE inclosed is a faithful translation from an old author, which if it deserves your notice, let the reader guess whether he was a Heathen or a Christian. I am, Your most humble Servant. "I cannot, my friends, forbear letting you know what I think of death; for, methinks, I view and understand it much better, the nearer I approach to it. 1 am convinced that your fathers, those illustrious persons whom 1 so much loved and honoured, do not cease to live, though they
Joseph Addison—The Evidences of the Christian Religion, with Additional Discourses

The Inwardness of Prayer
The Inwardness of Prayer It is difficult and even formidable thing to write on prayer, and one fears to touch the Ark. Perhaps no one ought to undertake it unless he has spent more toil in the practice of prayer than on its principle. But perhaps also the effort to look into its principle may be graciously regarded by Him who ever liveth to make intercession as itself a prayer to know better how to pray. All progress in prayer is an answer to prayer--our own or another's. And all true prayer
P. T. Forsyth—The Soul of Prayer

The Work of Regeneration.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."--2 Cor. v. 17. In our former article we contended that regeneration is a real act of God in which man is absolutely passive and unable, according to the ancient confession of the Church. Let us now reverently examine this matter more closely; not to penetrate into things too high for us, but to cut off error and to clear the consciousness. Regeneration is not sacramentally effected
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

But this Being the Case, How to this Opinion that Should not be Contrary...
2. But this being the case, how to this opinion that should not be contrary which the Apostle says, "For we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each may receive according to the things he hath done by the body, [2710] whether good or bad;" [2711] this, thou signifiest, thou dost not well see. For this apostolic sentence doth before death admonish to be done, that which may profit after death; not then, first, when there is to be now a receiving of that which a person shall have
St. Augustine—On Care to Be Had for the Dead.

In the Work of the Redemption of Man, not Only the Mercy, but Also the Justice, of God is Displayed.
In the work of the Redemption of man, not only the mercy, but also the justice, of God is displayed. 15. Man therefore was lawfully delivered up, but mercifully set free. Yet mercy was shown in such a way that a kind of justice was not lacking even in his liberation, since, as was most fitting for man's recovery, it was part of the mercy of the liberator to employ justice rather than power against man's enemy. For what could man, the slave of sin, fast bound by the devil, do of himself to recover
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

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