Intro - 2 Corinthians

Although we have two letters from Paul to the Corinthians, an introduction to 2 Corinthians from biblica.com says, “It seems that Paul wrote as many as four letters to the church at Corinth: (1) the letter referred to in 1 Co 5:9; (2) 1 Corinthians; (3) the ‘severe’ letter (see 2 co. 2:3-4); (4) 2 Corinthians.” This might explain why 1 Corinthians might have been so difficult for me to follow, because it was referencing letters between Paul and the Corinthians that we don’t have. We know that 1 Corinthians was dictated by Paul to a scribe, addressing a lot of issues that the saints in Corinth were dealing with specifically. The article gives further timeline, and while I’ve read something similar in a different article, I’m going to take this with a grain of salt.



The article says, “After writing 1 Corinthians Paul continued his ministry in Ephesus until he heard that his letter had not completely accomplished its purpose. A group of men had come to Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They were false teachers who were challenging, among other things, Paul’s personal integrity and his authority as an apostle. In the face of this serious situation, Paul decided to make a quick trip to Corinth to see whether he could remedy the situation. The visit turned out to be painful and did not accomplish its purpose.” After getting back to Ephesus, Paul wrote the third “severe” letter, “probably sending it by Titus.”



After returning to his ministry in Ephesus, there is a riot, as we read about in Acts 19:23-41m started by a silversmith named Demetrius. He instigated a riot with his fellow artisans because they made goods that were bought by pagan patrons of Artemis, and they were losing business because Paul was converting so many people in the city. These converts stopped buying goods used in the worship of pagan gods, so the makers of these goods started a riot. Paul wanted to address the rioters, but was forbidden by his followers and government leaders. So Paul left Ephesus and went to Macedonia, where he met with Titus to hear how his “severe” letter was received by the people of Corinth.



To his relief, Titus informed him that his letter was well received and that the situation of the saints in Corinth had improved. This is what prompted Paul to write 2 Corinthians, to send a lighter, gentler, and loving touch to his rebukes. The IM quotes Bruce R. McConkie as teaching, “In First Corinthians, Paul reproved the philosophical and worldly saints in Corinth with sharpness… Now he is showing forth an increase of love toward these same church members les they esteem him to be their enemy.” I hadn’t thought about this being Paul’s approach. As difficult as it was for me to understand 1 Corinthians, it came off as very preachy, lots of in-depth explanations and a lot of complex topics discussed. If it were directed as me, I might be a little bit put off by the tone of the epistle. So it would make sense that Paul would want/need to make sure that the harshness of the letter was followed up by love and encouragement.



Along with the considerably more friendly tone of 2 Corinthians, this is the place where Paul shares more of his own personal story, including a profound spiritual experience, his issue with this “thorn in the flesh,” and his persecutions for the sake of the gospel. He is encouraging to the struggling saints, and showing love and concern for them. The IM says, “Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians stands out for its themes of comfort in the midst of affliction, strength in the midst of weakness (as exemplified by Paul himself), and the discerning of true teachers from false ones… While many of Paul’s letters focus on doctrine, much of this letter emphasizes Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian Saints and his love and concern for them. Though Paul was firm in his opposition to critics, throughout 2 Corinthians we see him as a tender priesthood leader caring for the happiness and well-being of the Saints.”



How 2 Corinthians is compiled is a little bit of a complicated issue. There are 2 distinct portions of this book, chapters 1-9 are encouraging and warm, while chapters 10-13 are harsh. I read several different ideas about why this is. One idea is that after writing and/or the first 9 chapters, Paul received word that the Corinthians were experiencing an attempted take over by false teachers, so he wrote chapters 10-13 as a rebuke for the usurpers. The IM says that these disrupters were “preachers from the Jerusalem area (who) came to Corinth and began teaching the Saints that they must adopt Jewish practices, contrary to Paul’s teachings. Much of 2 Corinthians addresses the problems caused by these unwelcome teachers.” Another theory is that chapters 10-13 are actually the “harsh” third letter that Paul sent to the Corinthians, which they responded to well. The IM comments, “the book of 2 Corinthians may be a collection of several letters Paul wrote to the Corinthian Saints.”



I’m excited to start on this next section. Even though I was just in 1 Corinthians yesterday, the time that spanned between 1 and 2 Corinthians for Paul and the context that has changed is significant. It’s hard for me to keep that perspective sometimes because there’s really not time in between the reading of the sections. But in Paul’s time, from yesterday to today, there have been riots, moving between countries, rejection and the acceptance of the gospel by current members, and an invasion of outsiders trying to manipulate the saints in Corinth. Honestly, I’m not looking forward to another trudge through 1 Corinthians, but I am excited for something a little bit more emotional and encouraging and uplifting.