2 Cor. 3:1-2, 5-6 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? 5:10 All of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. Paul's Joy At The Corinthians' Repentance. Paul is the one who strives to strengthen the congregation and the entire Corinthian church. 2 Cor. 8:7 Now as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you – so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. Believers who are well off are responsible to help those who are in need. Our experience of adversity and suffering can be a resource for others. There is no honor in putting money into general fund and sending it off to distant (non-Roman) city to be used to help poor people. He wants to have a friendly relationship with them, but that is the thing. Like I said, they had a history. Unfortunately Paul’s “competitors” try to frame him as a phony through this effort. No one in their right mind likes to be told what they are doing wrong. The first half of the book details the duties and privileges of a leader. The book is understandable as a unit. Purposes. 2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of the most well-known passages in Paul’s letters to Corinth, and perhaps in the entire Bible: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” In the paragraph of which this verse is … (2 Cor. In fact, for Paul, participating in this gracious gift is an opportunity to render a service to God. We should not be sparing in our praise of others’ work. Daniel 1:8-16 - What was Wrong with the King’s Food? If we are going to let everyone see the reality of our life and work, we had better be prepared to be humbled. 7: 10.) * I formerly intended to come: this plan reads like a revision of the one mentioned in 1 Cor 16:5. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. But unlike this notion being extremely common nowadays and people not really being weary of where their money goes. (Praise to the God of All Comfort. This theme is characterized by the expression, “for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. Bible Commentary Although he does admit he may have caused the pain the church felt after 1 Corinthians, the “tearful letter” and the painful visit. 8:10-11 In this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something – now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. Reminder of the Gospel. 2 Cor. 2 Cor. Rather than boast in his accomplishments, Paul choose to boast in his suffering as a servant of Jesus Christ. 16:5 –9 with Acts 19:21–22). While the authorship of many of these letters has been debated by modern scholars, there is a nearly unanimous consensus that 2 Corinthians was written by Paul. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They consider themselves to be superior to Paul in terms of honor, use of rhetoric, and perhaps even blessings from God. 12:14 Here I am, ready to come to you this third time. Although II Corinthians 13 was apparently unknown to Clement of Rome in a.d. 96, it is quoted by Polycarp in a.d. 105. To the Corinthians who valued strength, position, and privilege, this list would sound only like weakness and failure (2 Corinthians 11:21–29). We should keep our commitments in a timely fashion, 2 Cor. Because of the occasion that prompted this letter, Paul had a number of purposes in mind: To express the comfort and joy Paul felt because the Corinthians had responded favorably to his painful letter (1:3–4; 7:8–9,12–13). [⇑ See verse text ⇑] Paul is describing the reason for his refusal to lose heart in the face of suffering for his faith in Christ. Who Are the Seven Angels in Revelation 8:2? First, Paul must deal with the damage in his relationship the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 1-7). 4:5 We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. The reason Paul did not return to Corinth is to spare them from another difficult visit (1:23-2:1). “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.” (2 Cor. This is the central message of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians reminds me a lot of where we are today. The central theme of 2 Corinthians is the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit in Paul’s apostolic life, ministry, and message. Paul’s collection would have looked very suspicious to a resident of a Roman city like Corinth. Leadership means exercising authority for others’ good. 2:12-13 When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. Sometimes we all need a slap on the wrist. Paul handles the situation exactly how it should have been handled. Leadership involves service that increases others’ joy. Daniel 3:19-27 – Who is the Fourth Man in the Fiery Furnace? 4. No one likes to look back at the work they have done and see it failing once again. 2 Cor. Outward trappings of success do not guarantee competence and integrity. I Corinthians. Paul wants to show people that they are people of God and that even in suffering good things can come from it. In chapters 7-16 Paul deals with questions from the church on marriage (ch. The Ethics of Judith: Sex, Lies, and Murder. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Post was not sent - check your email addresses! He does not need to do that, but he wants to know that this group of people actually see the light. With your gift of any size, you’ll enable us to continue equipping Christians with high-quality biblically-based content. 2 Cor. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense… For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends. https://www.insight.org › ... › bible › the-pauline-epistles › second-corinthians Leadership means exercising authority for others’ good. He wrote in the previous verse that his current suffering, though nearly unbearable at times (2 Corinthians 1:8), can't even be compared to the far weightier glory of eternity. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). It is no surprise at all the Corinth church was slow to participate in the Collection. And all things, &c. — These new things are all of God, the author of them, considered in this view as reconciling us to himself — Removing our carnal mind, which was enmity against him, and taking us into his favour; by Jesus Christ — Through whose sacrifice and intercession, merits and Spirit, these blessings are obtained. Naturally, it would be much easier to be transparent with people if we had nothing to hide. Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. The book known as 2 Corinthians is one of the fourteen New Testament letters that have traditionally been attributed to Paul, the great early Christian missionary preacher. 12:9-10 The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. Throughout the letter Paul turns upside down our natural expectations of the way life works. Stating that Paul will just be using the money for himself. 2 Cor. Even though 2 Corinthians is digressive, this can be no more an argument against its unity than the digressive nature of 1 Corinthians is against that epistle’s unity. Back then people were extremely suspicious because who says the money that you’re collecting is actually going where you say its going? 2 Cor. CORINTHIANS-2 THEME: Paul’s Defense of His Ministry. Perhaps parts of 2 Corinthians contain other letters sent by Paul (the so-called “tearful letter”). Paul’s opponents had questioned his motives and his personal courage. The term "kingdom" (basileia ) occurs five times in 1 Corinthians ( 4:20; 6:9-10 [twice]; 1 Corinthians 15:24 1 Corinthians 15:50). Broken and sinful congregation of people who don’t really want to listen to anyone. 2 Cor. What does 2 Corinthians 4:18 mean? You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work. Paul probably coined this sarcastic description of his opponents, but it may be based on the attitude of the opponents themselves. Freedom In Christ. Author: 2 Corinthians 1:1 identifies the author of the Book of 2 Corinthians as the apostle Paul, possibly along with Timothy. Used under license from Veer. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 8:13-15 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. Major Theme of 2 Corinthians As will be seen, a major subject that Paul discusses later in 2 Corinthians 4-6 and 11-12 is the subject of God providing strength in our weakness, which in context is always referring to the physical weaknesses of our mortal and fragile bodies. Main Themes of 2 Corinthians. He stayed one and a half years, … This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 2 Cor. With regard to theology proper (the study of God) in 1 and 2 Corinthians, one of the major themes developed therein is the kingdom of God. Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. ( Log Out / Transparency will convince others that our motives are pure. Third, Paul must deal with some competition in the church, the so-called “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 10-13). The opponents appear to be trained communicators (v. 6) and accepted patronage from the church (v. 7-9). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But now that Paul and the church have reconciled, it is now time for the church to participate in this important ministry Paul initiated. I am curious to know why the “super-apostles” seemed to think they were superior to Paul and how they went about validating that to the church in Corinth. / That is where people get in trouble. If Paul had upset them with his strong challenge, that pain is a positive benefit if they are reconciled to him. ( Log Out / BOOK OF CORINTHIANS-2 KEY VERSES: 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a … Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 3. Paul is not telling these people that they are doing horrible things to make them feel bad. I firmly believe what he did took courage. As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.". Image by Second Corinthians is the third of Paul’s letters. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul claims in these final chapters of the book that the follower of Christ can expect to suffer as Christ himself did. In 1 Corinthians 3:3 Paul says the church is “still worldly,” essentially they are still thinking like the people of Corinth, not the people of God. For if I have been somewhat boastful about you to Titus, I was not disgraced; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved true as well. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. 2 Cor. 1:12 Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with frankness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God – and all the more toward you. Paul, although unorganized and all over the place; his leadership helped to unify the Corinthian church. Universal Themes in 2 Corinthians. They argued that he had suffered too much to be a Spirit-filled apostle of the risen Christ. Paul's Joy At The Church's … But it is remarkable (from a modern Christian perspective) this wealthy Christian church refused to participate in Paul’s collection to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Yes, Paul was being the ancient world Robin Hood and collecting money from the rich to give it to the poor. 3:6.) What was going on in Corinth that prompted Paul to write what we think was at least four letters to the new congregation at Corinth? 9 There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people. In chapter 4 Paul returns to the theme of transparency, as we noted in our discussion of 2 Corinthians 1:12–23. - Revelation 13:16-18. It is unfortunate for Paul that each of his visits come with a negative aspect with it. The Corinthians were in a hard spot. Of the 27 New Testament books, Paul wrote 13. But Paul argues that his suffering is the means God uses to reveal his glory (1:3–4, 11, 20). Finally, most, but not all, of the Corinthians, realized their sin and pride and apologized to Paul. The church did not receive the letter of 1 Corinthians well and Paul’s attempts to deal with the tensions seem to have created more problems. 6:11, 7:2 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you… Make room in your hearts for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. Through all of the ups and downs Paul still stands by the Corinthians. There was not the time to waste with trying to help them. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. 7:4, 14 I often boast about you; I have great pride in you…. This would be consistent with any other Greco-Roman philosopher or teach and more or less expected by the Corinthian congregation. ( Log Out / Some suggest chapters 8 and 9 are separate letters dealing with the collection, and chapters 10-12 are yet another letter dealing with the super-apostles. In this careful study of 2 Corinthians, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letter's occasion and purpose, authorship, and other background information, as well as its important theological themes. Relationships are filled with ups and downs and are never going to be perfect. The tone of voice in the 1 Corinthians letter may not have been the tone in which Paul intended it. 1:24 I do not mean to imply that we lord it over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in the faith. Rather than superior apostles, the opponents are like Satan, masquerading true apostles (11:12-15). MAJOR CHARACTERS: Paul, Corinthians. Healthy relationships should be high on our priority list. Adopted by the Theology of Work Project Board October 19, 2011. “But not all grief and pain is bad, in fact godly grief produces a great deal of positive virtues” (P. Long – Blog). After the initial letter Paul then needs to send encouragement to the people of Corinth. The epistle is also a tremendous source of hope and encouragement for anyone suffering through trials. 2 Cor. In the end, Paul agrees that he is boasting about all of the things that show his weakness, including his very first escape from a royal death sentence for declaring that Christ is the Son of God in a Damascus synagogue. 2 Cor. It kind of makes the people think negative thoughts every time they would see him because that is all they are use to with him visiting. 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