2 Cor 2: Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Cor 2:1-4

1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

A. Find Out:

1. What had Paul decided? v.1
2. What was his reasoning? v.2
3. Why does he say he wrote? v.3a
4. What confidence had he when he wrote? v.3b
5. How had he written? v.4a
6. What had he wanted to convey? v.4b

B. Think:

1. Why, apparently, had Paul written previously?
2. What had been his attitude in writing?
3. So why had he not visited them?

C. Comment:

This is at least Paul’s third if not fourth letter to Corinth. In 1 Cor 5:9,11 Paul indicated that he had written prior to what we now call 1 Corinthians. Now he is referring to their response to one of his letters. Whether it is 1 Corinthians or another one in between isn’t clear. When he had written, it is obvious (v.3a) that he wrote to correct something wrong and had hoped that it had been put right (which is why it may refer to 1 Corinthians which is all about putting right wrong things). He had anticipated that they would understand what he had said, would accept it and rejoice in it. Indeed, he had been deeply grieved that he had had to write it and had written with a deep sense of love for them.

However, from what he says here, it seems that his letter had not been warmly welcomed. Indeed, the whole of this present letter may be with the express purpose of seeking to address their reactions to his previous letter. Anyway, because of this response, he had decided not to visit them. He didn’t want to come and create an acrimonious situation that would only add to their pain. Observe that Paul could have written authoritatively and powerfully against their reaction, but instead writes with gentleness and humility. What an example!

D. Application:

1. When we are rejected, do we respond with grace and humility?
2. Are our hearts moved to tears by the difficulties of others?

Passage: 2 Cor 2:5-11

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent – not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

A. Find Out:

1. What had obviously happened? v.5
2. What had further happened? v.6
3. So what does Paul say they ought to do now? v.7,8
4. Why had he written previously? v.9
5. How did Paul say he would follow what they did? v.10
6. Why? v.11 

B. Think:

1. What happens first when someone publicly sins?
2. What does Paul say should then happen?
3. But what does he say should further happen and why

C. Comment:

The Corinthian church was one where things went wrong (as in most churches at some time or other!). Someone had obviously been sinning publicly and one suspects, from what Paul had said previously, that nothing had been done about it – which was why Paul had written previously. Now he speaks further on this matter.

First, he reminds them of the effect of someone in the church sinning in this way: it causes grief to the godly. This will not only be just to one person but to the whole body that is submitted to Christ.

The next thing is that the church as a whole should take action against the sinner. The elders may take action but the whole church should endorse it by their behaviour. The sinner should know that he or she is not only offending the Lord, but they are also offending the whole body of Christ. Discipline by the whole church should be brought. (see also Jesus’ teaching in Mt 18:15-17).    

What is the purpose of that, according to what Paul says? It is to bring sorrow to that sinner and then repentance and restoration. Yes, that is to be the intended outcome – the restoration of the sinner (see also Gal 6:1). Satan would want that person separated off and destroyed but the Lord wants repentance, forgiveness and restoration for them. 

D. Application:

1. Do we see sin as offending the whole body?
2. Would your whole church respond in this way? Pray for it.

Passage: 2 Cor 2:12-17

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

A. Find Out:    

1. Where had Paul gone and why? v.12,13
2. What two things had God done with them? v.14
3. What did Paul say they were? v.15
4. How did that have different effects? v.16
5. What did he say they didn’t do? v.17a
6. What instead were they doing? v.17b

B. Think:

1. How is verse 14 a follow on from verses 12 & 13?
2. What sort of fragrance did they bring wherever they went?
3. How does that always have two different effects?

C. Comment:

 In chapter 1 Paul had spoken about his travel plans and how they had changed. Here again he speaks of exactly the same thing, of how he had gone somewhere but had felt unhappy and so had moved on. However (he implies), this is not a waste of time because wherever we go we bring the knowledge of God.

Observe carefully how Paul describes what happens to them.

First, they are led by God. Even when they make changes to their original plan it is because of God’s planning.

Second, it is like they are being led by Christ, the victor, in a triumphal procession (picture of what happened when victorious Roman generals returned home with their captives), so that through them Christ is glorified.

Third, it is as if wherever they go, they bring a fragrance with them (imagine a woman with a strong perfume entering a room), which is the knowledge of God.

Fourth, that perfume will have two different effects, this knowledge of God. For some people it will bring in life as they accept Him, while for others it confirms their death as they reject him. No, wherever they go their lives had impact and other lives were changed. No waste there!

D. Application:

1. Can we say that Christ leads us and wherever we go we bring glory to him by the nature of our lives?
2. Wherever we go, do we leave a fresh awareness of the knowledge of God, by the way we live?