“Introduction to 2 Corinthians”

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth (which is actually his third {1 Corinthians 5:9}) is probably one of the most neglected, understudied books in all the Bible. I think that is because of the vast difference in the subject matter and writing styles that exists between First and Second Corinthians. In his first letter Paul addressed all sorts of controversies and difficulties the brethren were experiencing in the church there, and he also answered a bunch of interesting questions that the brethren had presented to him. Then you get to Second Corinthians and Paul uses a lot of ink defending himself, his credibility and his apostleship, and he does so, quite often, with a much less direct and comprehensible style of writing.

But the book of Second Corinthians is not the lamentation of a spurned Apostle writing from a defensive posture. It is a letter that expresses love, concern and affection for dearly beloved brethren for whom Paul wanted nothing but the best. “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). The brethren in Corinth were succumbing to the deceptive and destructive influence of false teachers who were leading them astray, and disparaging the authority of an inspired Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to win back their affection in order to properly redirect their wayward steps and save their immortal souls.

The following six paragraphs are quoted from a commentary on PDF that I pulled off the internet from the Floral Heights Church of Christ (of which I know nothing about, by the way). I like this “Overview of 2 Corinthians” even though there is no name associated with the document for which to cite the appropriate credit:

“Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians sets forth the apostle's great love for the brethren. Everything that Paul did was for the benefit of the Corinthians (see 2 Corinthians 1:6; 2:4; 4:15; 12:14-15, 19). Paul's great desire for these brethren was their spiritual restoration (see 2 Corinthians 13:9). The Corinthians; however, needed to clear three major hurdles to achieve restoration. First, the Corinthians needed to identify and pray for the forgiveness of their sin of being unwilling to forgive one who seeks forgiveness (see 2 Corinthians 2:5-9). Secondly, the Corinthians needed to clear themselves from sharing unlawful affections with unbelievers such as uncleanness, fornication, and lasciviousness (2 Corinthians 6:11ff; 12:21). Thirdly, the Corinthians needed to be restored for being deceived by factious brethren who were teaching false doctrines and making faulty accusations against Paul (see 2 Corinthians 12:19-20; 13:3).

“The beauty of reading 2 Corinthians is that one can clearly see God's expectation for His beloved saints. The saints are those who are obedient in all areas of truth (see 2 Corinthians 2:9). The saint is to be the mirror image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). The saint is to be cleansed from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). The saint is to be presented to God as a pure virgin in respect to sin (2 Corinthians 11:2). The saint of God is to "do no evil" (2 Corinthians 13:7). The Christian today is expected to be no less perfect than these early New Testament Christians (see Matthew 5:48). There is no sin that God overlooks or excuses without man seeking justification.

“A great "device" of Satan is lies (see 2 Corinthians 2:11). There were many ministers of Satan in Corinth who laid claims to being Christian yet their deeds were far from Christ like (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). These factious brethren sought to destroy Paul's reputation as an apostle who spoke divine revelation so that the Corinthians would turn away from him. These men accused Paul of being inconsistent (2 Corinthians 1:17), preaching his own ideas (2 Corinthians 3:1; 4:1-6; 5:12; etc.), deluded (2 Corinthians 5:13), a coward (2 Corinthians 10:1, 10), an idiot (2 Corinthians 11:15), not an apostle (2 Corinthians 12:11; 13:3), and that he and Titus were participating in a scam on the brethren (2 Corinthians 12:17-18).

“Paul was fearful that the Corinthians would be fully persuaded by these false accusations. Paul wrote, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). Again, Paul writes, “For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Paul had great anxiety for the brotherhood of saints (see 2 Corinthians 11:28). He would not sit back idly and do nothing while brethren lost their eternal souls.

“To combat the false accusations by the factious brethren of Corinth Paul lowers himself to their tactics. Apparently the factious were boasting of their ancestry and the need for the Corinthians to continue in the Mosaic system as well as the teachings of Christ (very similar to the Acts 15 Jerusalem Conference and the book of Galatians) (see 2 Corinthians 3:4-18; 11:22). Paul boasts not only of his sufferings but also his experience of being transported to the third heaven (see 2 Corinthians 11:22 - 12:6). Paul was in all sense of the word an apostle of Jesus Christ who spoke divine revelation. Paul writes, "I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing" (2 Corinthians 12:11).

“Having proved his apostleship and the error of the factious, there was only one thing left to do. Paul was coming to Corinth and those who would not repent of their sins would not be spared but rather dealt with sharply (see 2 Corinthians 13:1-2, 10). The practical application for the saints today is that we too must "do no evil" (2 Corinthians 13:7). Those who will not be restored to the Lord through teaching, patience, and longsuffering must be dealt with. Paul would not sweep men's sins under a rug of apathy and pretend to be in favor with God. One year had passed between the writings of 1 and 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 8:10). Now was the time for the brethren to be either restored or exposed as moving from death unto death (see 2 Corinthians 2:16). Paul concludes by saying, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11).”

Please read 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 for tomorrow.

Happy reading and have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

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