Facing Death-2 Cor 1:1-11

• How would I face my own death (2 Cor 1:9) / death of one I love?
• Can I praise God in the midst of sufferings (2 Cor 1:3) and give reasons for praising him (2 Cor 1:4, 6)?
• Do I see myself sharing “in the sufferings of Christ” (2 Cor 1:5)? See suffering as vital for me?
• Would I trust God to deliver me if I’m able to “deliver myself” [from distress, despair, desperation, death] (2 Cor 1:10)?
• Do I know God’s deliverance from death if I’m not dying (2 Cor 1:9; Ps 23:4)?
• If I’ve not received mercy and comfort, can I show genuine mercy and comfort to others (2 Cor 1:5-7)?
• “Suffering in your life is when true naked faith can emerge, a faith that comes to life in the midst of great pain.” Nouwen.
• “”𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 is that the 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 to the 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 is not 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 the 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 but usually 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 the 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.” Tim Keller, Hope in Times of Fear.
• Unfortunately I struggle to trust God more in the midst of pain than when things are going well.
• [Despair of Life; Delivered from Death; Strengthened to Strengthen Others; Deliverance & Consolation (1:1-11)]
• Introduction, timeline and themes of 2 Corinthians are below after the references.
• [Major themes in 2 Corinthians: power in weakness, reconciliation, cruciform (servant) leadership–true servant.]

Paul‘s humanity. I loved studying 1 Cor in 2020/21 because Paul shows his fully human self with imperfections, deep-seated insecurity, defensiveness, aggressiveness and sarcastic quick temper…like me! In Paul I see a mirror of my anger, sarcasm, reactiveness, harshness, belaboring the same point over and over, confronting others by “going after” critics and accusers, etc. Of course I’ve not suffered as Paul did, yet I know God’s merciful deliverance over the last 40 years to this day.

Paul is the most developed NT character from his letters and Acts, a towering religious figure and a fully fleshed out human being. His letters give a startlingly clear picture of his anger, exasperation, despair and triumph through many “deaths” and “resurrections” as a Christian. 1 Cor is practical, instructional; 2 Cor is autobiographical, the most intensely personal of all NT books–a cry from the heart of his ultimate devotion to Christ and his churches of converts. In short, both 1 and 2 Cor–though deeply theologically saturated in the gospel of Christ crucified–reveal all of Paul’s human imperfections, insecurities and vulnerabilities.

My weakness is to love comfort and convenience [not discomfort, difficulty or distress]. This is embarrassing: I had a personal maid serving me throughout my boyhood in Malaysia until I went to medical school at 17. I was a spoiled little prince who never did any house chores. I NEVER washed dishes, did laundry, take out the garbage, cook, mow the lawn, clean the house, use a hammer, or fix anything. My parents paid others to do it. It wasn’t to spoil me [it didn’t work!], but so that I’d study hard and have a good life. Only God–through my parent’s unconditional love–enabled me to become a MD. In 1980 I came to the U.S. and became a Christian. I experienced grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness and purpose [the will of God (2 Cor 1:1)] for the first time. So I prioritized God and his kingdom (Mt 6:33) through life changing decisions (Lk 9:23; 1 Cor 15:36). My old life died and my new life and new community in the church began (2 Cor 5:17). Cf. Paul, I’ve lived a charmed life. Yet I desire to take up the cross of Christ.

Greeting (1:1-2) [and Blessing (1:3-7)]. Sender, credentials, co-sender and recipients (2 Cor 1:1):

1. An apostle by the will of God, set apart and sent by God (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:7; 9:16-18). Paul didn’t decide to be an apostle, nor did someone else nominate him. He didn’t choose it, but God chose him (Ac 9:15-16; Jn 15:16), set apart from his mother’s womb (Gal 1:15-16) with a prophetic calling (Isa 49:1, 5; Jer 1:5). Despite much opposition he was unwavering, for he knows who he is–that God sent him to speak God‘s word (1 Cor 1:17)–unlike others (2 Cor 2:17). His authority derives from the one who commissioned him.
2. Timothy the cosender of the letter. Sosthenes was the cosender of 1 Cor, but Timothy is the cosender of 1, 2 Th, Phil, Col and Philemon. Paul met him during his ministry in Derbe or Lystra (Ac 16:1-2) and lauded him as a devoted son (1 Cor 4:17; Phil 2:22). Paul sent him on mission assignments when he was unable to go (1 Cor 4:17; Phil 2:19; 1 Th 3:2, 6). Timothy does the same work (1 Cor 16:10) and has the same preaching task (2 Cor 1:19) as Paul. Timothy had visited Corinth (Ac 18:5; 1 Cor 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor 1:19) and may have given Paul the bad news that led to the sudden painful visit. Paul cites colleagues to make clear that he is not alone on these issues, that he does not stand apart from the consensus of the church but reflect the consensus of those who are with him, and that he is not a maverick apostle.
3. The recipients are the church in Corinth (1 Cor 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 1 Th 1:4; 2:14). They are not their own but God’s, bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20). It reinforces the idea of their unity from God’s perspective.
4. The Archians (2 Cor 9:2). Not think self-centedly or arrogantly, that the spiritual world revolves around them. They are not apart from but together with Christians throughout Archaia.
5. God’s “holy people” [“saints”] are those set apart and called out from the sinners, separated from the world and called to go back into the world as God’s light and reconciliation. “Holiness is a dignity attributed to them, but at the same time it’s a duty they must discharge by making the gift a reality in their lives.” They’re “dead sinners, revised and edited;” mainly “insane people” [Mussolini] from the world’s view because they give themselves to God, fellow believers, the world without thought to themselves.

Grace and peace [charis {Gk} and shalom {Hebrew}] (1 Cor 2:2). Grace is the foundation of their Christian existence and expresses Christ’s work of salvation which presents us with undeserved forgiveness of our sins and our unearned acceptance by God (Ac 20:24; Rom 3:23-24; Eph 2:8-9). Peace is the effect of God’s action in Christ. It’s not simply the absence of hostility but peace that God won through Christ’s death, defeating the supernatural enemies and bringing about reconciliation (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:17; Col 1:20). It covers a person’s physical and spiritual well-being and wholeness, which can only be given by God (Isa 48:18; Ps 85:10).   The God of all comfort (1:3-7). “Blessed/Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 2:3a). God acts in history specifically in the life, death and  resurrection of his beloved Son. God is not a remote ruler of the universe. In no other religion is God called Father with a sense of intimacy and assurance as in the N.T.

1. 1st, God is no longer simply the Father of Israel, but through Christ, all, both Jew and Gentile, have access to the Father (Eph 2:18). One can only truly know God as Father as the Father of Jesus.
2. 2nd, Jesus is the foremost blessing God has bestowed on humankind (Col 1:12).
3. 3rd, the Lord is the name that is above every name (Phil 2:11) and denotes his special status and supreme authority. That Jesus is our Lord is central and it sums up Paul’s preaching (2 Cor 4:5; Col 2:6). But this lofty title has lost its impact in our day. It “has become one of the most lifeless words in Christian vocabulary.” But those who call Jesus Lord belong absolutely to him and owe him absolute obedience (Lk 6:46). It brings glory to God. Conversely to reject Jesus as Lord is to reject God as Father.

The Father of compassion/mercies and the God of all comfort (1 Cor 2:3b). God is not called the Father of judgments or vengeances but the Father of all mercies and comfort (Ps 103:13-14; Isa 40:1; 51:12) that come through Christ (2 Cor 1:5). Paraklesis (comfort, consolation) occurs 29 times in 2 Cor (out of 59 times in the NT), and 6 times in 2 Cor 1:3-5 and the verb (parakaleo) 4 times.

The word “comfort” has gone soft in modern English. It connotes emotional relief, a sense of well-being, physical ease, satisfaction, and freedom from pain and anxiety. Many “worship” comfort in a self-centered search for ease, but it’s short lived and never fully satisfies. Originally comfort was connected with its root [Latin fortis (fortitude)]: brave, courageous, strong. Comfort had nothing to do with feeling content or easing pain. Rather it fortifies your heart, mind and soul. It puts steel in your spine. It encourages, helps, exhorts. God’s comfort strengthens weak knees and sustains sagging spirits so that you face the troubles of life with unbending resolve and unending assurance. Sadly, comfort as understood today often weakens rather than strengthens people in their difficulties and hardships.

In dire need is when you know God’s promises best, as Paul says, “harassed at every turn–conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Cor 7:5). Such times are when God’s comfort overcomes hardships and sorrows that break your hearts. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to comfort us. Israel’s God sees the people’s misery, hears them crying out, and is concerned about their suffering so that he comes to rescue them (Exo 3:7-8; Neh 9:9). Similarly, God acted decisively in Christ to deliver man from the bondage of sin. That God is the Father of the one who was crucified reveals that God intimately knows our suffering. God may not remove our afflictions, but God always comforts by giving the strength to face them. This comfort is a foretaste of the final consolation to come.

• Those who suffer much (and receive comfort of the Spirit) live much, is rich in experience and resources.
• Paul was a most afflicted person, so that he could console and comfort others. A life of ease is commonly stagnant. Paul suffered from hunger, cold, nakedness, stripes, imprisonment, perils by sea and land, robbers, Jews, Gentiles, so that his life was a continuous death (2 Cor 11:23b-29; 12:7-10). Literally, he died daily (1 Cor 15:31).

God “comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Cor 1:4a), for He is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3). Why? “…so that we can comfort those in any trouble” (2 Cor 1:4b). What’s the troubles, and the comfort? Paul’s troubles (2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 11:23-29) include physical hardships, dangers, persecutions, anxieties as he carried out his apostolic commission. “…trouble / affliction” refers to both external distress (2 Cor 4:8; Rom 8:35) and inner torment (2 Cor 7:5; Phil 1:17). These may be the hardships (2 Cor 4:7-12; 6:4-10; 11:23-29) and Paul’s persecution: plots, riots and mob violence (Ac 9:23-25; 14:19-20; 17:5-9; 19:28-41; 21:27-36), false accusations (Ac 16:20-22; 17:6-7; 18:13; 19:26-27; 21:20-21; 21:28; 24:5-6), imprisonments (Ac 16:16-40), and stoning (Ac 14:19).

1. Afflictions come from serving Christ, suffering endured on behalf of Christ.
2. Comfort comes from God.
3. Afflictions deepen our faith in God’s power rather than weaken it.
4. God’s comfort is not for us alone, but to be a comfort to others. God always gives a surplus, to overflow to others. Not to make us feel better but to enable us to strengthen others to face suffering. Not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. Paul/You/I can comfort no one. The comfort is God’s and it merely flows through you.
5. Affliction tempts one to retreat into a shell, to shut oneself off from others. Those who focus on themselves are the most miserable people. But if we turn our pain to helping others we can redirect and conquer that pain. Paul knew what it was like to be discouraged, to feel unbearably crushed and what it was like to be at the end of his rope/tether. That’s why he knew how to encourage, to comfort and to console others. Paul knows who holds the other end of the rope–God.

Comfort Paul received. 1] deliverance out of troubles/from deadly peril (2 Cor 8-11). 2] release from anxiety when Titus rejoined him in Macedonia (2 Cor 7:5-7) before writing this letter. But Paul wasn’t delivered from all persecution and affliction. Up to the time of writing, God had delivered Paul out of all his troubles in the sense that none of them had proved fatal (2 Cor 1:8-11; Ac 9:23-25; 14:19-20; 16:19-40).

Comfort in the sense of encouragement and strengthening in the midst of troubles is one of the + aspects of Christian suffering. It is allowed so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. One human being cannot effect divine deliverance from troubles for another, but it is possible to share with another sufferer the encouragement received in the midst of one’s own troubles. The testimony of God’s grace in one’s life is a forceful reminder to others of God’s ability and willingness to provide the grace and strength they need. Paul has this in mind when he says that the comfort he received was ‘for your comfort’ (2 Cor 1:6). Paul is assured that God’s grace is sufficient to enable him to cope with weakness, suffering, persecution, and being encouraged by God to stand firm in the face of opposition (2 Cor 12:8-10; Ac 18:9-11).

Share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor 1:5), because the old age still persists. What are “the sufferings of Christ” (2 Cor 1:5a)? Sufferings Christ himself endured (1 Pet 1:11; 4:13; 5:1), which Christians are called to endure because of our union with him, and in order to be like him (Mt 20:23; Mk 10:38-39; Phil 3:10-11; 1 Pet 4:24; Rom 8:17; Col 1:24; Gal 6:17). Paul preached Christ crucified AND lived it. His suffering is irrefutable confirmation of his union with Christ–the source of the afflictions which he endured, and the source of the abundant consolation which he enjoyed. This is the difference between the sorrows and sufferings of Christians and others. Alienation from Christ doesn’t secure freedom from suffering, but it cuts off the only source of consolation.

1. Sufferings ordained by Christ for believers (Ac 9:15-16). Paul suffered in his apostolic work just as Christ did in his work as Messiah (1 Pet 4:13). The sufferings of Christ are sufferings endured on behalf of Christ. Christians who preach and embody the gospel of Christ crucified suffer from sparking violent reactions from those hostile to God in a fallen world (2 Cor 4:10-12).
2. Sufferings associated with the Messiah, i.e., Messianic sufferings that God’s people must undergo prior to the coming of the kingdom (Isa 26:17; 66:8; Jer 22:23; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:9-10). Paul’s Jewish contemporaries expected the messianic age to be preceded and ushered in by a period of suffering–the messianic woes or birth pangs of the Messiah/Christ.
3. ‘Christ, who suffered personally on the cross, continues to suffer in his people.’ While Christians endure sufferings for the sake of Christ, he at the same time suffers in his people (Ac 9:4-5).

Sharing in the sufferings of Christ is because the old age is still present, so also his comfort abounds through Christ because the new messianic age had already begun (though it had not yet been fully brought in). As stated, this comfort can be either deliverance out of affliction or encouragement in the midst of affliction which enables one to endure. This comfort can be mediated providentially through fellow believers, as was the case with Paul when Titus met him in Macedonia (2 Cor 7:6-7).

Paul’s affliction/distress/suffering is for their “comfort and salvation” (2 Cor 1:6a). 1 positive outcome of suffering is to comfort others who are in affliction (2 Cor 1:4). A 2nd positive aspect is “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation” (2 Cor 1:6). How? ‘death is at work in us, but life is at work in you’ (2 Cor 4:12). Paul’s preaching ministry was accompanied by many sufferings. Thus, they could share in the comfort he received in the midst of it for their benefit–both the firstfruits of salvation in the present time, and final salvation on the last day. So “if we are comforted, it is for your comfort” (2 Cor 1:6b). Paul was comforted for his converts’ comfort (i.e. that he might comfort them with the comfort he himself received from God). He goes on to describe this comfort as that “which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer” (2 Cor 1:6:c). Two aspects:

1. What were their “same sufferings”? It wasn’t the same as Paul’s (2 Cor 11:23-33). Their sufferings might be conflicts among families, relatives, and the small everyday problems which living out the gospel gives rise to in the midst of a town submerged in paganism and licentiousness. So, Paul recognizes their afflictions, while not of the same order as his sufferings, as sharing in the sufferings of Christ (Phil 1:29-30).
2. The comfort they received may not have been only from Paul’s testimony, but, awakened to the possibility by Paul’s testimony, they recognized that they too could experience similar encouragement and strengthening grace from God. ‘Paul’s personal consolation flowed out to the whole church, because from it believers learnt that the God who had sustained Paul, and renewed him in his time of necessity, would never fail them. Thus their salvation was advanced both by his sufferings and by his being comforted’ [Calvin].

“Our hope for you is firm” (2 Cor 1:7a), Paul affirms in his conclusion of this benediction section, despite the tension in their relationship after writing 1 Cor. Up until and including the time of writing ch. 1-9, Paul had not lost confidence in them (2 Cor 2:3; 7:4). Even when he wrote the ‘severe letter,’ he was still sure that they’d respond +vely, and he’d expressed to Titus his confidence that they would (2 Cor 7:12-16). Paul’s confidence in them was from knowing that God himself encouraged and strengthened them: “because we know that just as you share in our [the] sufferings, so also you share in our [the] comfort” (2 Cor 1:7b). Two comments:

1. Paul speaks of ‘the’ sufferings and ‘the’ comfort, not ‘our’ sufferings and ‘our’ comfort. It’s not that they share the sufferings and comfort of Paul and his colleagues (NIV), but rather that they all (Paul, his colleagues and them) share ‘the’ sufferings [i.e. the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor 1:5)] and ‘the’ comfort of God.
2. The latter clause lacks a verb (‘so also of the comfort’). The verb can be in the present tense (NIV) or future tense (NRSV). As the verb in the first clause is in the present tense (you share), it is better to supply a present tense verb in the second clause (NIV). Thus, Paul’s hope for them is firm because he knows that as they are sharing ‘the’ sufferings, they are also sharing ‘the’ comfort.

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters” [Paul’s formula] (2 Cor 1:8a) is how he moves from the general to the particular and informs them “about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia” (2 Cor 1:8b), an experience where he was comforted by God–still fresh in his memory. What were these Asian troubles? Perhaps, Jewish opposition stirred up against the apostle in Ephesus. These troubles proved to be a devastating experience: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Cor 1:8c).

The seriousness of the situation. “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death [lit. ‘Indeed, we ourselves have received the sentence of death in ourselves‘ ] (2 Cor 1:9a). 1:9a). Receiving the sentence ‘in ourselves’ is a subjective experience–a perception in his heart and mind. Paul realized the dire straits he was in–a hopeless situation, and humanly speaking there was no escape. [Or the ‘answer’ (apokrima can mean ‘answer’, ‘decision’ or ‘verdict’) given by God.]

“But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:9b). Reliance upon God rather than on one’s own ability is fundamental in the Christian life, but it doesn’t come naturally. Very often, facing impossible situations is necessary so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. Afflictions teach dependence on God.

A most distressing deadly peril Paul faced in Asia: ‘we despaired of life itself’ (2 Cor 1:8). It appeared that his missionary career would be cut short and urgent projects be left undone. The problems in Corinth wasn’t resolved, the collection for Jerusalem (chs. 8-9) was not completed, and his own ambition to evangelize the further wouldn’t happen (Rom 15.22-29). ‘His feelings must have been not unlike those of Abraham when faced with the offering of Isaac . . . But he learnt also to have a faith similar to that of Abraham, who accounted “that God could even raise the dead” ‘ (Rom 4:17; Heb 11:19). When Paul faced death, he learnt to rely on “God who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:9b). He knows God raised Christ from the dead and those who trust in Christ (1 Cor 15:20-23; 1 Th 4:13-18). Did he learn something more personal through his experience in Asia? God who would raise him personally from the dead? Paul testifies that God “delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again” (2 Cor 1:10). If Paul’s divine deliverence was from an attack by the Jews in Ephesus, then possibly it was thro Priscilla and Aquila’s heroic intervention. They’re in Ephesus before Paul arrived on his 3rd missionary journey, and probably continued to be there during his Ephesian ministry (Ac 18:24-19:1). But when Paul wrote Romans they’d moved to Rome (Rom 16:3). Paul says, ‘Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me’ (Rom 16:3- 4), written shortly after 2 Cor, could refer to their part in Paul’s deliverance.

“On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (2 Cor 1:10b) is Paul’s faith that God would act on his behalf again having experienced divine deliverance in the past. Paul was aware of threats to him from his fellow countrymen (Rom 15:30-31; 1 Th 2:14-16), with further attempts to kill him (Acts 20:3; 21:10-14; 23:12-15). So Paul expresses his confidence that God will continue to deliver him from present perils.

“As you help us by your prayers” (2 Cor 1:11a). Paul knows the efficacy of intercessory prayer and repeatedly solicits prayers (Rom 15:30-32; Eph 6:18-20). But Paul’s concern is not only for personal deliverance, but that “many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:11b). He characteristically wants thanks to be given to God who had granted him deliverance. “The prayers of many” (pollon prosopon–lit. ‘many faces’), meaning ‘persons’ or ‘people’: ‘so many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to the prayers of many people.’ In the context of prayer, prosopon is the idea of people’s faces upturned in prayer to God as: ”so that thanksgiving be made through many people for the blessing granted to us because of many faces upturned in prayer.”

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.

2 Corinthians introduction, timeline and themes:

1. power/strength in weakness,
2. reconciliation,
3. servant (cruciform) leadership.

Accusations against Paul: Fickle (2 Cor 1:17), authoritarian (2 Cor 1:24), no proper credentials (2 Cor 3:1), cowardice (2 Cor 10:1, 10), worldly (2 Cor 10:2), presumptuous (2 Cor 10:13-17) and lacking dignity (2 Cor 11:7).

Timeline and Paul‘s deteriorating relationship with his converts in Corinth is needed to understand 2 Cor. Paul wrote 1 Cor to:

• clarify an earlier [lost] letter that he’d written (1 Cor 5:9),
• respond to news he’d received from Chloe’s household (1 Cor 1:11),
• answer questions about his teaching in the letter they’d sent him (1 Cor 7:1),
• respond to criticisms of his own person, apostleship, preaching and ministry (1 Cor 4:3; 9:3),
• give instructions about “the collection for God’s people” (1 Cor 16:1),
• prepare for Timothy’s visit (1 Cor 4:17; 16:10-11) and
• inform them of his plan to visit them on the way to Jerusalem after passing through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5).
• Following 1 Corinthians, Timothy visited Corinth; the situation didn’t improve (Ac 19:21-22).
• Paul then immediately visited Corinth–the “painful visit” (2 Cor 2:1). An anonymous adversary publicly confronted Paul and undermined his authority. Though Paul threatened to come to Corinth “with a stick” (1 Cor 4:21), he was perceived as unimpressive and timid (2 Cor 10:1).
• Leaving Corinth, Paul decided not to visit again until he had sent a letter “in much distress and anguish of the heart” (2 Cor 2:4). {The letter was lost or preserved and incorporated into 2 Cor as Ch. 10–13, an incongruous section whose shift in tone from the optimism of the preceding chapters is jarring, and which seems to rehash a controversy that has already been resolved.}
• Soon after they received this agonized letter, Titus visited Corinth and found the church repentant as a result of Paul’s letter (2 Cor 7:5-13).
• Returning to Paul in Macedonia, Titus brought the happy news. In the early fall of 57 a.d., rejoicing at the news of their repentance, Paul then wrote 2 Cor.

Timothy brought disturbing news after his visit making Paul change his travel plans (1 Cor 16:5) by sailing directly from Ephesus to Corinth, instead of journeying through Macedonia to Corinth and then to Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:3-4). Paul intended to visit them twice (2 Cor 1:15-16). But when Paul arrived he was the object of a hurtful attack (2 Cor 2:5; 7:12) by 1 person while the whole church did not support Paul (2 Cor 2:3). It was a very painful visit for Paul and them, which Paul didn’t wish to repeat. So he changed his travel plans again, and after his journey into Macedonia, he went back to Ephesus, instead of returning to them (2 Cor 1:23; 2:1).

Paul wrote his “severe” letter to them [now lost] once back in Ephesus to call the church to take action against the one who had attacked Paul during his “painful” visit, and so demonstrate their affection for him (2 Cor 2:3-4; 7:8, 12) and their innocence in the matter. When Titus returned from Corinth, Paul and Titus planned to meet in Troas. But when Titus had not yet come, Paul left for Macedonia hoping to intercept Titus on his way to Troas (2 Cor 2:12-13). When Paul reached Macedonia he found himself embroiled in the bitter persecution with the churches (2 Cor 7:5; 8:1-2), which compounded Paul’s anxiety. When Titus finally arrived, Paul found great consolation (2 Cor 7:6-7) as he heard of their zeal to show their affection and loyalty to Paul by punishing the one who had caused him such hurt.

A critical church crisis. The complex Corinthian situation caused Paul intense worry, distress and frustration. In 1 Cor Paul rebuked them for causing divisions in the church and justifying their lives using sophia (wisdom), gnosis (knowledge) and pneumotikoi (being spiritual). Paul wanted them to live out the scandal of the cross by calling them back to Christ crucified. But some didn’t welcome his reproof and his refusal to humor them. They questioned his authority, his apostleship, his correctives and didn’t welcome his message and example of selfless suffering. To them, Christianity should lift people up, not weigh them down.

Rejecting Paul but accepting his boastful rivals. Paul’s physical presence is seemingly weak, so stumbling in his speech, and afflicted with a thorn in the flesh. How can such a disappointingly unimpressive person be an agent for the power of God’s glorious gospel? Others are more eloquent. Also, they’re put off by his confrontational criticism, misled by boastful rivals when he launched a major project of collecting funds for Jerusalem to promote Gentile Jewish Christian unity. They’re a source of great pride and an enormous heartache. Should Paul defend himself against personal insults, attacks and slander?

Defending his ministry for the sake of the gospel. In 2 Cor Paul clarifies the implications of the gospel that they failed to grasp. Through this letter they might be proud of him again (2 Cor 5:12), be interested in the ministry for the poor in Jerusalem, contribute generously, and understand how countercultural the gospel is. Yet they are dumbfounded, for they don’t get the basic paradox that expresses the very heart of the gospel of the cross Paul preached. If they can’t embrace his cross–centered life and ministry through weakness and suffering, can they embrace the cross and apply it to their own lives?

2 Cor is a restatement of the basic doctrine of the cross which Paul preached (1 Cor 2:2; 15:1-4). The world despises the humility of the cross and ridicules it because it threatens its own self-seeking outlook. But Paul’s argument throughout 2 Cor is that only in cruciform sufferings like his can Jesus perform his powerful work, introducing glory into an age of darkness, salvation into a world of despair, a new age with the old life, and power to more and more people. Those who can’t see the glory in the cross of Christ is because they’re captured by the wisdom of this world. Then they will hardly see glory in Paul’s suffering. But if they do see it, they will see how exceedingly glorious Paul’s ministry is.