seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity[b] and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?
18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas[c] and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
23 I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
a. 2 Corinthians 1:8 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 8:1; 13:11.
b. 2 Corinthians 1:12 Many manuscripts holiness
c. 2 Corinthians 1:19 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
What an odd start to a letter. So are they going to Corinth on the way to Asia or not? Geeze..... Paul.... I read a couple of commentaries..... this one is from the easy English site. [less preachy]
We read about Paul’s first visit to Corinth in Acts 18. We know that this was about the year AD 50 from a book by Gallio. He was the Roman governor (Acts 18:12). He was there for one year in the year AD 51. Paul stayed for about 18 months. Then he left to go to Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla. Whilst he was at Ephesus, he wrote a letter to the Christians at Corinth. He told them not to be good friends with immoral people. (Immoral people have sex with a person whom they have not married.) We do not have a copy of that letter. (Some people think that it was 2 Corinthians 6:11–7:1. If it is not, perhaps Paul repeated part of the letter in that passage. We do not know.)
After this, some people brought messages to Paul from Corinth. People from the family of Chloe told him about the church at Corinth. They said that it had divided into groups. Each group followed a different teacher. Other people told him that there was bad sexual behaviour among the church members. Then they asked Paul to answer some of their questions. Some questions were about marriage and divorce. Other questions were about the food that they should eat. They also asked questions about how they should use spiritual gifts. They asked as well, about what happened after death. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians as a reply to these questions.
Paul then visited Corinth again. The people’s reaction to his letter was not what he had hoped for. The visit was a painful one for both Paul and the Christians at Corinth.
When he got back to Ephesus Paul wrote them a severe letter. He wrote about this letter in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4. He did not write it to make them sad. He wrote it to show that he loved them. Some people think that 2 Corinthians chapters 10-13 is this severe letter. (Nobody can prove this, however.) Titus took this letter to Corinth. He returned to Paul with the good news that the Christians at Corinth had changed their ways.
Paul then wrote the letter called 2 Corinthians. In it, he explained why he had not come to visit them for the third time. He had promised to do this in 1 Corinthians 16:5. He told them to collect (ask people to give) money for the church in Jerusalem. In his letter, he also opposed those who did not think him to be a real apostle. (An apostle is a person whom someone sends to do a special task. In New Testament times, they were people who had also met the risen Jesus.) People thought that Paul was not a real apostle. He was not one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He did not behave like the other apostles who came to Corinth. He did not ask for money. But Paul was an apostle because God chose him.
Most of the Christians at Corinth had changed their ways. Some still opposed Paul. They thought that Paul was not a powerful person. He could write powerful letters but he was not a great speaker. He did not look attractive. He had some kind of illness (2 Corinthians 10:10; 12:7). He refused to accept money from them for his work. There were false apostles. They said that they were better than Paul was. We cannot be sure who these people were. In 2 Corinthians 11:21-24, Paul refers to ‘Hebrews, Israelites, Christ’s servants…’ Perhaps the false apostles said that they were Christian apostles. However, they wanted the Jews and Greeks in the church to obey all the laws of Moses. So they preached a ‘different good news’ (2 Corinthians 11:4). But their message was not really God’s good news.
Some of the Christians at Corinth said bad things about Paul. He had promised to visit them but he had not done so. After he had written 1 Corinthians, he made a ‘painful visit.’ He had not intended to make that visit. As a result of the visit, he wrote them a severe letter. He did not visit them again. The Christians at Corinth said that he was only like any other man. He kept on changing his mind. They also said that they did not understand his letters. They thought that he wrote one thing but he meant something else. They could not trust him to visit them. Therefore, they said that they could not trust his message about God.
In his reply, Paul said that his conscience was calm. He had behaved in a good and honest way when he was with them. He had not done anything that other people had not known about. There were no hidden meanings in his letters. He hoped that the Christians at Corinth would understand this. If so, when Jesus returns as Judge, they and Paul would be proud of each other.
Paul explained that he had intended to visit them twice. The first visit would have been on his way from Ephesus to Macedonia. The second visit would have been on his return journey. He did not intend to change his mind when he made those plans. He did not make promises that he did not intend to keep. God is trustworthy. The good news is true. Jesus is not a person who keeps changing his mind. He was the Person about whom Timothy, Paul and Silas had preached. God says that Jesus is the ‘yes’ to all his promises. Jesus proves that all God’s promises are true. So when we pray by Jesus Christ we can say ‘Amen’. This is a Hebrew word that means ‘firm, steady, *trustworthy’. We use it at the end of prayers. It shows that we agree with them. We are sure that God will answer them. In this way, we give glory to God. People who sold things used the words ‘to stand firm’ in business. This meant that they would keep their promises. The mark of possession was a ‘seal.’ This was a piece of wax that they put on an official piece of paper. It showed who owned it. A ‘guarantee’ (certain promise) was a payment of part of a sum of money. This was a sign that the full amount would be paid in the future. God gives us the Holy Spirit to show that we belong to him. One day we will share the glory of heaven if we stand firm in Christ.
So.... the Christians in Corinth are not fans of Paul. Well... as of this minute, neither am I. Paul told people he would be somewhere at a given time.... and then he went somewhere else.... Paul... claimed to be an apostle [chosen by Jesus] and yet he was giving Jesus a black eye by not doing what he said he was going to do. On top of that.... they accused him of being long-winded with really nothing to say. He was, apparently, a horrible preacher..... and according to the people who read his letters... his letters were as clear as mud.Back in the days when Paul would have been sending word to the Church in Corinth.... there was no postal service.... no air mail.... no email... and definitely no instant messenger...... there were no nifty brochures to hand out..... there were not bill boards to announce a big evangelical event coming to a church near you..... there was word of mouth.... and by the time someone traveled from Israel to Corinth by foot and by boat..... plans changed.
Paul was also compromising with the message. He told people they didn't have to be circumcised.... or be picky about what they ate.... On top of that.... the people in Corinth were holding their church meetings in what amounted to a brothel [the temple of Aphrodite where male and female prostitutes were employed by the church]. The people in Corinth were going to the brothel to worship and of course some were being side tracked.
I once attended a church that met in a bar. The bar was located just off of the notorious Baltimore Block. The church that met in the bar was attended by hookers and others...... and the preacher.... well his name was Jim.... and he was a real piece of work.... he had to have sex with each of his parishioners...... like I said... a real piece of work. There were a couple of people in that church who really were seeking Jesus. I know so because we shared our witnesses. Their lives hadn't been as serene as mine. They were born into the culture on the "block" where flesh is easily bought and regrettably sold just to get by. They weren't welcome in any churches around town. They didn't have the right clothes or the right make up..... and they carried the "block" with them wherever they went. I have to wonder.... how did the people in those good churches around the "block" recognize the hookers and others from the "block"?
Paul... they guy who held the coats for the men who beat Stephen to death..... is causing an issue in Corinth. The location of the meeting place is causing a problem in Corinth. The Messianic Jews and the Male and Female Prostitutes were butting heads in Corinth.... and Paul wasn't showing up.
Paul says one thing in this chapter that I agree with.... Paul says.... "It's not about me.... and what I have done right or wrong.... it's about Jesus". It's about God who loved us so much.... He let His only Son come to us..... so that He could conquer death..... for us. That's the message.... the message that is good no matter how dark the surroundings get. Even if the preacher is a pervert rapist or murderer..... the message is from Jesus and that message is never going to change....
Jesus is the reason for the season...... the meaning of everything.... the light in the dark..... the second chance..... the way to go..... that's the message....
Simply Stated...... John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Paul said.... "I mess up.... but God doesn't"
Last edited: