Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church

06/08/2026

2 Corinthians 3:4 states, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.” Paul now begins to explain what true ministry is. Paul is confident before God that his ministry is authentic and that the Corinthians are his “letter of commendation” testifying to it. Paul’s confidence is not in himself, but through “Christ.”

In 1738, John Wesley boarded a ship from Georgia back to England, utterly defeated. His missionary efforts had collapsed, his reputation was bruised, and inwardly he confessed, “I went to convert the Indians, but oh, who shall convert me?” He felt like a man whose entire ministry had been exposed as hollow. Yet on that same voyage, Wesley observed a group of Moravian believers whose calm trust in Christ during a violent storm astonished him. While waves crashed over the deck and passengers screamed in terror, the Moravians sang hymns with serene confidence. When the storm passed, Wesley asked one of them, “Were you not afraid?” The man replied gently, “I thank God, no.” Wesley pressed further, “But your women and children—were they not afraid?” The Moravian smiled: “No. Our hearts are fixed in Christ.” That encounter shattered Wesley’s self-reliance. He realized that true confidence before God does not come from zeal, effort, or ministerial success, but from Christ alone. Weeks later, at Aldersgate Street, Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed” as he trusted in Christ’s finished work. From that moment, his ministry was marked not by striving, but by a deep, Spirit‑given confidence—exactly the kind Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 3:4.

Prayer for today: Father, may my confidence always be in you through Christ in all that I do. Amen.

06/07/2026

Psalm 2:1-12 teaches us that in a world that rages against God, he enthrones his Son as king and calls every soul to submit to Christ.

Freddy Fritz | Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (PCA)

06/07/2026

2 Corinthians 3:3 states, “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Paul asserts that the believers in Corinth are like a letter. Christ had entrusted Paul to write a “letter” upon the hearts of the Corinthian believers. In fulfillment of Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26, Paul contrasts the old covenant, in which God wrote on “tablets of stone” (see Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 32:15; 34:1; Deuteronomy 9:10), with the apostolic ministry of writing “on tablets of human hearts.” Paul writes on hearts “not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God.” The Spirit’s work of changing the Corinthians’ hearts as a result of Paul’s ministry confirms that the new covenant is being established through his ministry.

When John Newton arrived in Olney in 1764, he found a parish marked by spiritual apathy. He did not bring impressive credentials or polished sermons; he brought a transformed life. People came first out of curiosity—“the converted sea captain”—but stayed because they saw in him a living letter of Christ. His gentleness with the poor, his tireless visiting of the sick, and his patient instruction of children slowly reshaped the town. Newton often said that the greatest proof of the gospel was not his preaching but the changed lives of those who believed it. One striking example was William Cowper, the poet plagued by deep depression. Through Newton’s friendship, Cowper found seasons of stability and hope, contributing hymns such as “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” Newton never claimed credit; he believed Cowper’s renewed courage was Christ writing on a human heart. By the end of Newton’s ministry, Olney itself had become a testimony. The parish registers, once filled with drunkenness and disorder, now recorded conversions, reconciled families, and restored reputations. Newton’s life had become what Paul described—a letter of Christ, not written with ink, but by the Spirit, read by all who watched him live.

Prayer for today: Father, may my life be a living letter written by the Spirit of the living God and be seen as a transformed life. Amen.

06/07/2026

Join us Sunday, June 7th for worship at 10:45 am to hear Pastor Freddy Fritz preach on Psalm 2.
Please note, our Adult Bible Fellowship and children's Sunday school classes have suspended for the summer.

We would love to see you!

06/06/2026

2 Corinthians 3:2 states, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.” The changed lives of the Corinthian believers are testimony to the world of the apostle’s ministry. The Corinthian believers have a fixed place in Paul’s affections.

In 1785, a young Anglican minister named Thomas Scott was widely known for his cold, intellectual preaching. He believed Christianity was mostly moral philosophy, and he openly criticized ministers who spoke of grace. One of those ministers was John Newton, the former slave trader turned pastor of Olney. Newton never argued back in print; instead, he lived a life of patient kindness, pastoral warmth, and sacrificial love. Scott later wrote that Newton’s life “was a book which convinced me more than all the arguments I had resisted.” Newton visited the sick, cared for the poor, prayed with tears, and carried himself with a humility that Scott could not explain. Scott said he began to “read” Newton’s life long before he ever read Newton’s theology. And what he read was the gospel. Newton never set out to win Scott through debate. His transformed character—his gentleness, joy, and steady compassion—became the letter Christ wrote for others to see. Through that living letter, Scott was converted and eventually became one of the great evangelical commentators of his age. Newton’s life shows Paul’s point: the most persuasive apologetic is often a transformed person.

Prayer for today: Father, may my life be such that it points people to the wonderful grace of Jesus. Amen.

06/05/2026

2 Corinthians 3:1 states, “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?” Paul now answers the criticism, most likely from the false apostles, that he did not have “letters of recommendation.” As church members or leaders traveled about in the ancient world, congregations wrote letters confirming their maturity and ministry to the congregations who would receive them (see Acts 18:27; Romans 16:1-2; 3 John 5-8, 12). The “letter” confirming Paul’s ministry was far better, because it consisted of the lives of the Corinthian believers (see v. 2). Paul expects a negative answer to both his questions.

When John Chrysostom was appointed bishop of Constantinople in 398 A.D., many in the imperial court doubted him. He had no aristocratic pedigree, no political alliances, and no flattering endorsements from the powerful. His background as a monk and preacher from Antioch seemed unimpressive to the elites who expected a bishop to arrive with glowing testimonials. But Chrysostom carried something far weightier than written commendations: the transformed lives of the people he had shepherded. Those who had sat under his preaching in Antioch testified—not with parchment, but with character—that the gospel he proclaimed had reshaped their marriages, softened their tempers, and stirred generosity among the poor. Their lives were his “letter,” written not with ink but with the Spirit. When critics in Constantinople questioned his authority, Chrysostom pointed not to endorsements but to the fruit of his ministry. His integrity, courage, and compassion became visible proof of his calling. Like Paul, he embodied the truth that the most persuasive commendation for a minister is not a document but a people—living epistles, written by God, read by the world.

Prayer for today: Father, may that be true of my ministry too. Amen.

06/04/2026

2 Corinthians 2:17 states, “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” Paul was not like some of his opponents, who demanded payment for their ministries as if they were retail “peddlers of God’s word.” In contrast, Paul supported himself so that he could never be charged that way. Rather, Paul understood that his commission came from God and, knowing that God’s eye was upon him, he spoke as a representative of Christ.

In 1522, as the Reformation was gaining momentum, a group of merchants in Wittenberg approached Martin Luther with a proposal. They saw the crowds gathering to hear him preach and recognized an opportunity. If Luther would endorse their religious trinkets—medals, charms, and “blessed” tokens—they promised generous financial support for his work. The offer was tempting: money for printing Bibles, supporting students, and protecting the fledgling movement. But Luther refused instantly. He later wrote that the gospel “is not a sack to be carried to market, nor a coin to be traded for gain.” He knew that to attach Christ’s name to merchandise would be to cheapen the message and turn the pulpit into a marketplace. Luther insisted that the word must be preached “freely, boldly, and without price,” because it was God’s word, not his to sell. His refusal cost him resources, influence, and friends. But it preserved something far more precious: the integrity of the gospel. Luther understood what Paul declared—that true ministers speak as those standing before God, not as salesmen seeking profit. The word is a trust, not a product, and those who bear it must do so with sincerity and fear of the Lord.

Prayer for today: Father, may I never be or become a peddler of God’s word. Amen.

06/03/2026

2 Corinthians 2:16b states, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Paul is aware of the seriousness of the gospel’s message. Proclaiming a message of eternal life and death is a sobering responsibility. No one is worthy of such a solemn task. Nevertheless, God qualifies us for it. It is not until 2 Corinthians 3:5 that we get the answer to Paul’s question: “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves... but our sufficiency is from God.”

John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, was naturally timid—so much so that when he was first called to preach, he burst into tears and fled the room. Yet God kept pressing him forward. Years later, when Mary, Queen of Scots, summoned him for interrogation, Knox stood alone before the most powerful figure in the nation. She accused him of treason, threatened him, and demanded he justify his preaching. Knox later admitted that in that moment, he felt the weight of eternity on his shoulders—one frail man called to speak truth before a throne that could end his life. But something happened as he opened his mouth. Knox said he felt “a strength not my own” settle upon him. His voice steadied. His arguments sharpened. His courage rose. Even his enemies later admitted that the queen trembled more before Knox than Knox ever trembled before the queen. Knox never claimed the strength was his. He knew his own insufficiency. But he also knew the God who calls is the God who supplies. His life became a living commentary on Paul’s question: no one is sufficient for these things—except the one upheld by the sufficiency of Christ.

Prayer for today: Father, I know that I am not sufficient to preach the gospel, so please help me to do so in the sufficiency of Christ. Amen.

06/02/2026

2 Corinthians 2:15-16a states, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” The “aroma” (osme) and “fragrance” (euodia) are used in the Septuagint to refer to the aroma of a sacrifice pleasing to God (see Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:25; Leviticus 1:13; Numbers 15:3). Paul’s life is an offering to God for the sake of proclaiming the gospel. Some encounter Paul’s message and life and dislike it, leading to their own condemnation. Others are attracted by the Christlikeness they see in Paul’s life and message and like it, leading to their own eternal life.

A vivid historical picture of 2 Corinthians 2:15–16a—the church as the aroma of Christ—comes from the early Christian martyrdoms under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In A.D. 177, believers in Lyons and Vienne were arrested and tortured for refusing to renounce Christ. Among them was a slave girl named Blandina, physically frail yet spiritually unshakable. Her captors assumed she would break quickly, but every day she endured beatings, burning, and the rack with a single confession on her lips: “I am a Christian, and nothing wicked is done among us.” To the Roman authorities, her steadfastness was the stench of defiance—an odor of death, exposing the futility of their power. But to her fellow believers, Blandina’s courage was the sweet fragrance of Christ himself. They wrote that her suffering “perfumed” the entire church with hope, strengthening the fainthearted and drawing wavering believers back to boldness. When Blandina was finally killed in the arena, the crowds saw only disgrace. The church saw glory. Her life became a living commentary on Paul’s words: the same gospel that hardens some hearts softens others; the same witness that repels the world revives the saints. In her, Christ’s aroma spread—life to some, judgment to others.

Prayer for today: Father, may my life be the aroma of Christ to you. Amen.

06/01/2026

2 Corinthians 2:14 states, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” Paul now changes topics. He shifts from the visible reality of his anxiety for the Corinthian believers and his disappointment at not finding Titus in Troas to the spiritual realm. Paul uses the imagery of a Roman triumphal procession. He pictures God as the sovereign victor, Christ as the conquering general leading the victory procession, and himself as a captive of Christ who is joyfully following him. Despite the setback Paul experienced at Troas, Paul’s eyes of faith can see the unrelenting progress of the kingdom of God.

In 312 AD, on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine marched toward Rome with an anxious and divided army. Maxentius controlled the city, the political future of the empire hung in the balance, and Constantine knew he was outnumbered. Ancient historians record that the night before the battle, Constantine saw a sign—whether in a dream or a vision—of a cross with the words “In this sign, conquer.” He ordered his soldiers to mark their shields with the Christian symbol and advanced toward Rome at dawn. What followed was not merely a military victory but a dramatic reversal that reshaped the empire. Constantine’s troops broke Maxentius’s lines, drove them back across the Tiber, and watched as Maxentius himself drowned in retreat. As Constantine entered Rome, crowds lined the streets, celebrating him as a deliverer. Incense burned, banners waved, and the emperor processed through the city in triumph. Paul’s language in 2 Corinthians 2:14 evokes this very image: God leading his people in a triumphal procession—not as conquered captives, but as those sharing in Christ’s victory. Constantine’s march into Rome offers a faint historical echo of the greater spiritual reality: wherever Christ leads, he spreads the fragrance of his triumph through his people.

Prayer for today: Father, may I spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ wherever I go. Amen.