An Introduction to 2 Corinthians
Notes
Transcript
Background for 2 Corinthians
Corinth was located on the Peloponnesus. It is the southern part of Greece that looks like a large island, except it is connected to the mainland of Europe by an isthmus. The Isthmus was 10-miles long and 4 miles wide. The was the major land bridge between the two parts of Greece and was so prominent that the famed Isthmian games were named after it. Its name also has come to describe every such piece of land—a narrow stretch connecting two larger land areas (like the isthmus of Panama). In Paul’s day a strong wall six miles in circumference surrounded Corinth. The wall wrapped around the city and stopped at the base of the rock-mountain cliff 1,886 feet above sea level.
In the early days of the Greek Empire, Corinth was one of the richest and most important Grecian cities. But in 146 B.C. the Romans decimated Corinth, slew its men, and made slaves of its women and children. The city remained in a barren state until 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar led Rome to rebuild the devastated city.
Once rebuilt, Corinth used its advantageous geographical position to achieve strong financial status. Workers dragged small ships both ways across the narrow isthmus on a cleverly constructed road to opposite harbors four miles away. The western harbor was Cenchreae. Larger ships had to have their cargos carried by caravan across the ishmus to other large ships waiting on the opposite side. This process allowed ships going to or from the Aegean Sea to avoid the 200-mile, 14-day dangerous journey around the stormy southern tip of the Peloponnesus. Spending money in Corinth’s shops and then taking the city’s produce aboard, these sailors made the city famous again—and wealthy. Corinth had quite a reputation for its ceramics and its works in bronze. It was never an agricultural power and never needed to be. Corinth eventually became the leading city of the region and when Paul went to visit, Gallio was its “proconsul” (Acts 18:12)
Retired Roman soldiers and freed slaves made up a major portion of the population in Corinth. Greek influence was diluted and a rugged frontiersman’s attitude prevailed. The mindset of the people was similar to what was found on the American Frontier in the new cities that sprang up in Denver and San Francisco. People went to Corinth, like they did to California, in order to find their fortune and a place of their own as freedmen. Rugged individualism and a spirit of self-sufficiency prevailed. Prosperity, independence, decadence and the pursuit of pleasure describe daily life in Corinth.
How the church was founded
There was a sizeable Jewish community in the city along with many gentiles from all over the Roman Empire. Emperor Claudius had recently ordered all Jews to leave Rome and Corinth seemed as good a place as any for some to move to. After preaching at the Areopagus in Athens on his second missionary trip, Paul moved on to Corinth. When he arrived, he met Priscilla and Aquilla. He worked with them making tents, and began to teach in the Synagogue testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. As had occurred so many times before, most of the Jews rejected the message. But among them were God-fearing gentiles who did receive the good news and believed. It was in Corinth that Paul finally decided he’d had enough of Jewish unbelief and when they opposed him and reviled him, he shook the dust out of his garment and said, “Your blood be on your own head, I am innocent. From now on I will go to the gentiles” (Acts 18:6).
The gentile church in Corinth grew quickly and Paul remained there for about 2 years, teaching and preaching. Paul was the first Apostle to arrive and preach in Corinth. He founded the church there and after a fruitful ministry, he returned to Antioch ending the second missionary trip.
As you might imagine, because of its wealth and location on a major trade route, Corinth became a stopping point for travelling Evangelists and so-called Apostles. They became frequent guest speakers at the church and found the support and generosity of the Corinthians a major reason to stop, stay a bit, and preach.
Paul was not as elegant an orator as many of these travelling preachers. (Apollos as an example and Hebrews). He didn’t speak to entertain but preached only Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead. He taught the new believers how to live a godly and righteous life before God and with each other. During Paul’s stay in Corinth, he never took money or room and board from those in the church. He paid his own way. The travelling Apostles who came after Paul would take up offerings and ask for support. Corinth was a popular stop on the preaching circuit.
We learn in the letter called 1 Corinthians that those in the church began to take sides and compare one preacher against another. Divisions formed with divided loyalties behind different leaders and speakers. After Paul left Corinth, he began to be criticized for being wordy in preaching, not elegant and entertaining in speech, loud and bold when away but meek and unimpressive when present. They even accused him of indifference towards them because he didn’t ask them to help and support his ministry.
This second letter, as we call it, by Paul to the Corinthian church is his attempt to correct the misguided view of himself held by many in the church and to proclaim his love and devotion for them. He also wants to make it clear that as the founding Apostle of the church and as an Apostle of Christ Jesus, Paul has divine authority to teach, correct, and discipline those in the congregation.
Let’s read our passage for today:
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God and Timothy the brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth together with all the Saints who are in the whole of Achia. 2 Grace to you and and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our distress so that we will be able to encourage those in any distress with the comfort with which we are comforted by God. 5 Because just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also our comfort overflows through Christ. 6 So if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted it is for your comfort which is energized in the patient endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm knowing that as you share in the suffering, assuredly you will also share in the comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, concerning our affliction that took place in Asia, that to an extraordinary degree, beyond our strength, we were in despair even of life. 9 But we’ve had the sentence of death within ourselves so that our confidence would not be in ourselves but in God, who raises up the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death and will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope, and He will again deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
Preparing the Proper Tone (vv. 1-2)
Verses 1 and 2 are a typical greeting for a letter written in the first century Roman Empire. But a couple of things stand out in how Paul introduces himself, how he describes the recipients, and his desire for them in verses 1 and 2.
Paul describes himself as “an Apostle of Messiah Jesus according to the will of God” (v.1). In light of the difficulties he has been having with this church, he wants them to know up front that he is the representative of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus is the anointed one of God and Paul is the Anointed One’s spokesman. This means Paul operates under the authority of the Messiah. Those who reject Paul as the spokesman of Christ are rebelling against Jesus himself. Paul doesn’t serve by chance, he serves according to the will of God. The gospels tell us that during his ministry, Jesus selected 12 men to serve as special envoys. He choose them and gave them authority to build the church. Paul was also directly called by the Lord (on the road to Damascus) and serves according to the will of God. Many of those who travelled around preaching in the middle of the first century called themselves Apostles, but they received the gospel message from those who heard it directly from the Lord. Paul is one of the direct recipients of the gospel given specifically from Jesus himself. So knowing the difficult subject matters Paul needs to discuss in the chapters ahead, he opens with a strong declaration of who he is and the authority he has as an Apostle of Christ Jesus, serving according to the will of God.
Second, Paul writes to the church in Corinth. They are members of the body of Christ. But the letter also includes the saints or holy ones in Achia (the surrounding area). These Church and Saints are interchangeable. The church is the gathering of God’s people, the holy ones, or saints are individuals who are holy before God. The church speaks of the group that gathers in the name of Christ to serve and follow Him. Saints or holy ones speaks to the individuals who make up the church. So, Paul writes to those who attend church, specifically, those who are God’s holy and chosen people. I think Paul opens this way because he wants them to know that he respects each of them individually for who they are in Christ and the blessing they have from the Father in being his holy and chosen people
Verse 2 sets the tone for what Paul wants to convey in the chapters ahead, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. We all serve Jesus as Lord and Savior. We belong to the Father and are his children, loved and dear because of the grace and peace he gives us.
Purpose In Pain
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our distress so that we will be able to encourage those in any distress with the comfort with which we are comforted by God. 5 Because just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also our comfort overflows through Christ.
Seems Paul was always getting into some type of trouble as he travelled preaching the Gospel. This is one of the reasons some in Corinth rejected Paul as a legitimate Apostle. Others who came and preached and didn’t suffer the same afflictions Paul suffered. For someone who preaches good news of salvation and God’s blessing on His people, Paul sure seems to go through a lot of struggle and difficulty. He must be doing something wrong. The next few verses indirectly deal with this way of thinking. In verse 3 Paul praises God who gives comfort to those who are in any affliction. Paul and his companions were huge recipients of God’s comfort because they were huge recipients in suffering for Christ. Paul takes what some were considering as a negative and turns it into a positive showing the Corinthians that suffering is part of God’s plan and God is especially present for those who suffer when sharing the gospel message.
Participation In Suffering
6 So if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted it is for your comfort which is energized in the patient endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm knowing that as you share in the suffering, assuredly you will also share in the comfort.
Paul and his friends were definitely afflicted with trials and suffering. The reason? Because through these afflictions, God’s comfort is experienced and those who go through tough times are able to encourage and comfort others when they go through the same types of difficulty. Paul’s suffering is for their benefit. As they watch and learn from Paul, they will have the courage to endure when troubles come their way. And trouble will come. The comfort God gives is energized, or “put to work” as we endure with patience the suffering.
The fact that we endurance through suffering is a sign God’s comfort is at work within us.
Perseverance Through Dispair
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, concerning our affliction that took place in Asia, that to an extraordinary degree, beyond our strength, we were in despair even of life. 9 But we’ve had the sentence of death within ourselves so that our confidence would not be in ourselves but in God, who raises up the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death and will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope, and He will again deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
It is not clear what trouble Paul is specifically referring to when he talks about the affliction that took place in Asia. It could be the events of Acts 19 where a riot broke out in Ephesus (which is in Asia) because of Paul’s preaching. Many turned from paganism and idol worship. Sales of idols and participation I idol worship fell sharply. The pagans in the city started a riot took place. This could be the event Paul refers to but when we read Acts 18, the events in Ephesus, as described in Acts, don’t seem severe enough for what Paul is referring to. He despaired even of life and had a sentence of death upon himself.
Whatever the trouble, Paul is not embarrassed or ashamed. The extreme difficulty he faced revealed the power of God in delivering him from “so great a peril”. Paul and his companions had to set their hope on God, trust Him, and wait on God to deliver them from evil. The situation led others to pray for deliverance and because of the answered prayer, all who became involved were able to give thanks to God and give praise for the favor God gave to Paul in such a difficult situation.
Some preach a gospel of prosperity. The message of the cross and the persecution we face when we choose to live a righteous life and walk with Christ is foreign to the prosperity gospel. This was true in Paul’s day and it is true today. Ridicule, slander, and persecution will follow those who proclaim Christ and walk with the Lord. Our affliction teaches us to put our confidence in Christ, trust in God’s providence, and look for His deliverance. Affliction leads us to have God-reliance and not self-reliance. And through fellowship with other believers, through the prayers of the saints and the support of our brothers and sisters, we are able to endure and see God deliver us from all evil
Amen.
