276 illustrations referencing 2 Corinthians
Paul's perspective on suffering reveals the transformative power of eternal thinking: 'For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all' (2 Corint...
Andy Dufresne escaped through five hundred yards of sewage pipe—"the length of five football fields." He crawled through filth to reach freedom. When he emerged on the other side, rain washed him clea
In Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is a convict, hardened by nineteen years in prison. A bishop shows him mercy, giving him silver candlesticks, calling him brother. Valjean tears up his parole papers an
In Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella hears a voice: If you build it, he will come. He plows under profitable corn to build a baseball diamond in rural Iowa. His family thinks he is crazy. Now faith is con
Before the first battle, Maximus rallies his men: "What we do in life echoes in eternity." It's a soldier's cry, but it carries theological weight. Paul writes: "For our light and momentary troubles a
Lord of equity and abundance, You who measured out manna in the wilderness so that no family went without — teach me what it means to lead toward peace in a world that hoards its bread. Paul wrote to the...
Lord of every harvest and every season, You are the God who balanced the manna in the wilderness — where the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too...
In 1980, a team of restorers climbed scaffolding in the Sistine Chapel to begin one of the most controversial art restorations in history. For nearly...
In 2019, photographer Lindsay Adler gave a TED Talk in New York where she showed two versions of the same portrait. The first had been...
Lord God of mercy and justice, I come before You carrying the weight of a world where the sound of gunfire has become too familiar — in schools, in sanctuaries, on street corners where children once played without fear. The...
Lord of all nations and neighborhoods, You who measured out manna in the wilderness so that no family went hungry and no tent overflowed with waste — reshape our political imagination by the standard of Your generous equity. We confess...
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy faces the "leap of faith"—a chasm with no visible bridge. His dying father's only hope is the Holy Grail on the other side. The clue says: "Only in the leap
In American History X, Derek Vinyard is a neo-Nazi whose hatred landed him in prison. There, a Black inmate named Lamont befriends him, slowly dissolving Derek's ideology through ordinary kindness—fol
Dear God of Love and Justice, In 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, Paul paints a picture that would have made every tyrant in Rome nervous. He quotes the old manna story from Exodus — where the one who gathered much did not...
In The Secret Garden, Mary Lennox arrives at Misselthwaite Manor bitter, unloved, and unloving. She discovers a hidden garden, dead from neglect. As she tends it back to life, she herself is transform
In The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne wakes with no memory of who he was—only skills and instincts. As his past resurfaces, he must choose: become the assassin he was, or become someone new. He chooses
In The Princess Bride, Westley faces multiple trials: The Cliffs of Insanity, the swordsman Inigo, the giant Fezzik, the fire swamp. Each requires different equipment—climbing skills, sword mastery, w
We read this passage as a call to live in the spirit of generosity and solidarity, reflecting the unity of the Body of Christ. The apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of equality among believers, which resonates with our understanding of the communion of saints and the mystical body of Christ. Th
We read 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 through the Lutheran Lens as a manifestation of the Gospel's call to live out our baptismal identity in love and service. Here, Paul is not imposing a new Law but is highlighting the fruit of faith — the joyful sharing of resources among the body of Christ. This passage
We read this passage as a powerful affirmation of the new creation reality in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul emphasizes the transformative work of the cross, where believers are reconciled to God through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. We understand this text to underscore the
We read this passage as an expression of the covenantal generosity that is rooted in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This text, nestled in the epistle's larger call for the collection for the Jerusalem church, demonstrates how the covenant community is to live in light of the grace they have rec
We read this passage as an exhortation to Christian charity and equality within the body of Christ, rooted in the principle of mutual aid. Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to give generously to support the Jerusalem church, emphasizing that this is not to burden them but to foster equality. This
We read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 as a profound testimony to the paradox of Christian strength through divine grace amidst human weakness. The Apostle Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' is seen as a reality that many of us face, reminding us that God's grace is sufficient and that His power is perfected in wea
We read this passage as Paul's profound personal testimony of God's power made perfect in weakness. The 'thorn in the flesh' is understood as a divinely permitted affliction designed to keep Paul humble and dependent on God's grace. We see the sufficiency of grace as central to the Christian life, w