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Basics

BOOK: 2 Corinthians

Description: In many ways a very personal letter from the apostle Paul, very largely about him defending his ministry in order to continue to work with them.

Author: The apostle Paul

Date written: Probably somewhere about AD55

Chapters: 13

Brief Synopsis

• Paul has been to Corinth where he raised up this church and is therefore their spiritual father.
• He has had cause to bring correction to them and this has caused some to speak out against him. The only reason he is concerned for his own reputation is in order to maintain their relationship with them.
• Much of the letter, therefore, is given to seeking to maintain his relationship with them so he can continue to exercise his God-sent ministry on their behalf and for their blessing.

Outline

• Ch.1-7 Paul’s Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry
  • 1:1-2 Salutation
  • 1:3-11 Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction
  • 1:12-2:4 The Integrity of Paul’s Motives and Conduct
  • 2:5-11 Forgiving the Offender at Corinth
  • 2:12-17 God’s Direction in the Ministry
  • 3:1-11 The Corinthian Believers–a Letter from Christ
  • 3:12-4:6 Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces
  • 4:7-16a Treasure in Clay Jars
  • 4:16b-5:10 The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the Christian
  • 5:11-6:10 The Ministry of Reconciliation
  • 6:11-7:4 A Spiritual Father’s Appeal to His Children
  • 7:5-16 The Meeting with Titus
• Ch.8 & 9 The Collection for the Christians at Jerusalem
  • 8:1-15 Generosity Encouraged
  • 8:16-9:5 Titus and His Companions Sent to Corinth
  • 9:6-15 Results of Generous Giving
• Ch.10-13 Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority
  • Ch.10 Paul’s Defense of His Apostolic Authority and the Area of His Mission
  • Ch.11-12 Paul Forced into Foolish Boasting
  • 13:1-10 Final Warnings
  • 13:11-14 Conclusion

Paul’s Visits to Corinth

The Acts of the Apostles records two of Paul’s visits to Corinth:

1. On his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-18)
2. A year and a half stay
3. Some suggest Paul first arrived in Corinth in AD50 and left AD52, and then travelled back to Caesarea
4. On his third missionary journey (Acts 20:2,3)
5. He went down to Greece for three months and from his writing in this letter we must assume he went to Corinth a second time.
6. In 2 Cor 2:1 he says he doesn’t want to make another painful visit to them. Now there was no hint of that in the first, very successful visit, so it infers a second visit in which he had to bring painful correction.
7. Paul also spoke of an anticipated third visit, (2 Cor 12:14, 13:1)
8. In this second letter he makes direct reference such a possible visit, also with indirect references (10:2, 12:20,21, 13:10).

It would appear, therefore, from 2 Corinthians that he made a second visit which had proved very painful, even though there is no named second visit in Acts.

Paul’s Letters

We refer to 1 & 2 Corinthians but 1 Cor 5:9 seems to indicate a prior letter which they misunderstood, and which would have been written after his initial visit in AD52, after which he composed what we now call 1 Corinthians.

It would seem, therefore, he followed this up with a second visit that felt very painful and after he left, he composed 2 Corinthians, which is very much first an apologetic for all he had said and then, second, a challenge to prepare for a third visit.

Why Read 2 Corinthians

Well to be honest it is not a very easy letter to read in that Paul seems to bend over backwards to appease his readers in the earlier chapters. Let’s try and lay out again what happened:

1. He made a first visit to Corinth that lasted two years.
2. After he left they appear to have written to him asking about sexual conduct (1 Cor 7:1) and he had replied (1 Cor 5:9) – his first letter which no longer exists.
3. He seems to have followed this up with his second letter that we know of as 1 Corinthians after he received word that all was not going well in Corinth.
4. Following this he seems to have made the second visit which did not go well.
5. After he left, he wrote his third letter that we know as 2 Corinthians.

Yes, it is a somewhat confusing history but it shows

1. the success of the missionary ventures (the first extended visit),
2. the problems the church faced and needed help with (their letter and his first letter),
3. the ongoing nature of such difficulties (needing him to write 1 Corinthians with much extended and corrective teaching),
4. the further ongoing nature of those difficulties which necessitated a second visit,
5. the volatile nature of humans who make up church that meant Paul was fairly heavy handed and was probably rebuffed, needing him to write 2 Corinthians with a heavy sense of conciliatory exposition while at the same time maintaining his authority as an apostle. 

Concluding Comments

This rather strange letter reveals the difficulties that true apostles can experience:

•  He was the father of this church
• Yet he did not want to lord it over them
• When he had to correct wrongs in the church that was never easy
• It was important that they accepted his apostleship as a channel of God’s blessing to them and therefore it was important that he stood up for his ministry.
• Yet even in that he did it by showing his weakness and the stresses and strains of the ministry.
• He seeks to win them by gentleness and never heavy handed authority
• Yet he still has a duty before the Lord to correct that which was wrong – for their good!