Both suffering and abundant life are major themes in 2 Corinthians. How can this be? In 2 Corinthians, Paul is not sharing secrets for how to avoid pain and suffering. Instead, Paul offers all followers of Jesus the connection between our great needs and God's great abundance—it is His grace.

While the landscape of idolatry from the Ancient Near East is not easily observed in the West, the human tendency to give worth and value to imitation gods is just as present. Through the theme of idolatry in the Bible, we will discover how we still seek to our idols to provide us worth, satisfaction, and blessings. But we will also see how God, through Jesus, is the only real source an abundant life.

God has given His children every resource they need to hold the ground He has already won in their lives.