2 Corinthians Simplified

This is One of the More Difficult Books I’ve Ever Tried to Simplify

But I’ll Do My Best to Make this an Easier Book to Read/Understand

Author & Audience

Author = Paul

This is Paul’s Most Personal Letter in the New Testament

Paul Talks a Lot About Himself

So We Learn More About Paul’s Heart and Ministry Than in Any Other Book

Audience = Church at Corinth

In Order to Understand What is Going On in this Letter…

A Little Background Information is Necessary

After Paul Wrote 1 Corinthians, it Seems the Church Didn’t Receive it Very Well

He Mentioned in 1 Corinthians that He was Sending Timothy to Them

It Seems Like Timothy Found Corinth in Pretty Bad Shape

Not Only From Problems We See Addressed in 1 Corinthians…

But Also From Some New Problems that We Will Discover in a Few Minutes

Because of Their Lack of Repentance, Paul Made a 2nd Visit to Them

He Describes in 2 Corinthians that His 2nd Visit to Them was Sorrowful

2 Corinthians 2:1 (NASB95)

But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again.

Paul’s 1st Visit was to Establish the Church

His 2nd Visit was a Sorrowful One Because of Their Lack of Repentance

And He was Supposed to Make a 3rd Visit, But He Postponed it

He Didn’t Want to Have Another Sorrowful Visit

He Wanted to Make Sure They Had Repented Before He Returned to Them

After Paul’s 2nd Visit (Sorrowful One), it Seems He Might Have Written a 3rd Letter to Corinth

This Letter, Along with His 1st Letter, are Lost to History

This 3rd Letter Caused Them “Sorrow”

2 Corinthians 2:4 (NASB95)

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

2 Corinthians 7:8–9 (NASB95)

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

This Letter Likely Dealt with the Same Problems 1 Corinthians Dealt with

And this Tear-Soaked Letter Brought About Godly Sorrow that Led to Their Repentance

Now Titus has Returned to Paul with Good News About Corinth

2 Corinthians 7:6–7 (NASB95)

But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.

Corinth Seemed to Be Doing Much Better

But There Were Some New Things that Needed to Be Dealt with Now

So Paul Decided to Write His 4th Letter to Them (2 Corinthians)

Purpose

So Far in Our Studies of Romans and 1 Corinthians…

Paul has Been Very Structured in His Writing

It’s Somewhat Easy to See the Flow of His Points and Arguments

But This Letter is Far Different

It’s a Very Personal Letter

Paul Talks a Lot About Himself and His Ministry

This Causes the Letter to Seem Disjointed at Times

A Huge Chunk of the Letter (2:14-7:4) has Even Been Called “The Great Digression”

Paul was Talking About One Thing and Then Goes Off Topic for a While Before Coming Back

Paul Had Many Purposes for Writing this Letter, Which Explains the Lack of Structure

To Express His Comfort and Joy in the Repentance of the Corinthian Church

To Inform Them of Some Recent Affliction He Suffered in Asia

To Explain Why He Had Changed His Travel Plans and Hadn’t Yet Visited Them for a 3rd Time

To Tell Them to Forgive and Reaffirm Their Love to the One They Punished for Sinning

To Encourage Them to Give Liberally and Cheerfully to the Poor Christians in Jerusalem

To Prepare Them for His Upcoming Visit

But Paul’s Primary Purpose for Writing 2 Corinthians was:

To Defend His Apostolic Ministry

There Were Some Hebrew Christian False Teachers in Corinth Who Were…

Leading a Some in the Church Away From Paul

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NASB95)

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

These Were Men Who Were Making Themselves Out to Be Apostles

But in Reality, They Were Servants of Satan

They Were Trying to Turn the Church Away From Paul and Toward Themselves

They Did this By Constantly Speaking Against Paul

2 Corinthians 10:10 (NASB95)

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

They Were Prideful and Arrogant

So They Were Using Paul’s Humble Demeanor to Claim He Wasn’t a True Apostle

They Were Trying to Belittle and Demean Paul in the Eyes of the Corinthians

They Spoke Against His Integrity

They Used His Change of Travel Plans as an Example of His Lack of Honesty and Integrity

They Taught that the Life and Ministry of a True Apostle was One of Success and Prosperity

But Paul’s Ministry was More Characterized By Suffering and Humiliation

Therefore He Must Not Be a True Apostle

They Looked Down On Paul Because He Didn’t Receive Money From the Corinthians

He Preached Free of Charge to Them

This Made His Life Much More Difficult, But He Did it for Their Sake

The Rich, Noble, and Mighty False Apostles Abhorred Such Selfless Behavior…

Because of Their Arrogance and Selfishness

So Paul Wrote to the Corinthians to Defend His Apostleship and Ministry

He Wanted to Win the Hearts of the Corinthians Back…

And Prove to Them that He is a True Apostle…

And His Ministry is What True Christian Ministry Looks Like

Ministry is Not About the Minister

It’s About the Master

It’s About Following Jesus By Enduring Suffering for the Cause of His Kingdom

(Click for Circle)

Themes

I Found a Few Key Words that Point to Some Major Themes in the Book

“Boast” - “Ministry” - “Sorrow”

“Sorrow”

Paul Talked a Lot About His Sorrowful Visit, His Sorrowful Letter…

And the Fact that He Made the Corinthians Sorrowful with Both

But He was Happy that Their Godly Sorrow Led to Their Repentance

“Ministry”

Paul Explains What a True Ministry of the New Covenant By the Spirit Looks Like:

2 Corinthians 6:3–10 (ESV)

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;

by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Ministry is Not for Those Seeking Success, Prosperity, and Fame

It is for Those Who are Willing to Suffer for the Glory and Spread of Jesus’ Name

We are All Meant to Be Ministers in the Kingdom

Not Preachers, But Ministers/Servants

That Means We All Must Have the Mindset of Self-Sacrifice for the Glory of Jesus

“Boast”

The Primary Theme in this Letter is Paul Boasting About His Ministry

Paul Hated to Participate in Such Foolish Boasting…

But He Felt it was Necessary to Win the Corinthians Back to Himself

But His Boasting was Different Than the False Apostles

They Loved to Boast About the Shallow, Outward, Temporary Things

Themselves and Their Strengths, Wealth, Abilities, etc.

But Paul Boasted About Jesus, as Well as His Weaknesses, Poverty, Lack of Abilities, etc.

Because in His Weaknesses, Jesus Gets the Glory, Not Him

2 Corinthians 11:21–28 (NIV)

To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Paul has Much More to Boast About Than These False Apostles

He’s Endured Many Things for Jesus

The Power, Glory, and Grace of Jesus Shines Brightest in Our Failures, Sufferings, and Weaknesses

Summarized Outline

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry (1-7)

Paul Let’s the Corinthians Know that He Still Loves Them…

Even After All of the Sorrow He’s Caused Them

But Some of Them Have Become Ashamed of Him…

Because of His Poverty, Homelessness, and Sufferings

They Were More Impressed By the Wealthy, Influential, Eloquent, “Super Apostles”

But Paul Tells Them that True Christian Leadership/Ministry Isn’t About Self-Promotion

It’s About Self-Demotion so that Jesus is Exalted Instead of Us

In Our Ministry, Jesus Should Be the Only Impressive One

Sharing in the Glory of God Comes Through Self-Sacrificial Imitation of Jesus

In the Upside-Down Kingdom, Only By Humbling Yourself Do You Become Like the King

Paul Encourages Generosity (8-9)

Paul Reminds the Corinthians of the Contribution for the Poor in Jerusalem

And He Encourages Them to Embody the Gospel in Their Giving

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NASB95)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Jesus’ Generosity has Abounded Toward You

Let Your Generosity Abound Toward Others

Paul’s Boast and Final Warning to the False Apostles (10-13)

Paul Boasts in His Weaknesses…

Even Though His Strengths are Much Greater Than Those of the False Apostles

His Weaknesses Better Exalt the Grace and Power of Jesus

He Warns Them that He is Coming and He Won’t Spare the Unrepentant

Key Passage

2 of My Favorite Illustrations in this Letter…

Are Also Key Passages that Fit with the Primary Theme of the Letter

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB95)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Paul Illustrates His Ministry as if He is a Captive of King Jesus

As He is Led in Triumphal Procession…

The World Laughs and Mocks Him

But it’s All to the Glory of the King

Being a Captive of King Jesus Means Suffering, Hardship, and Humiliation for Us

But it Means Glory and Exaltation for King Jesus

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB95)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

Paul Illustrates His Ministry as if He is a Dirt Jar that Holds the Treasure of the Gospel

He is Nothing But a Humble Vessel that Carries the Saving Power of God Within Him

May We All View Ourselves in Christ the Way Paul Did

I Am Nothing

Jesus is Everything

Only Then Can We Be Adequate Ministers of the Gospel