Posts Tagged ‘2 Corinthians (2008)’
2nd Corinthians – Final Review
Certain items stand out from a review of the Corinthian correspondences. So dynamic was Paul’s pastoring of this dynamic and diverse community that in an initial eighteen-month mission and a four-year period of intercession and periodic communication that it has left a mark on Christianity forever. He encourages Christians to separate themselves from the world…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Context
The epistle provides a sort of living picture of an apostolic Church. In this particular letter Paul’s passionate words rival only those in Galatians. After a summary of the early apostolic period, one can see that Paul suffered much before meeting the Corinthians. A proper context for the Corinthian letter makes for a more comprehensive…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Concluding the Epistle
Paul’s argument in the 11th chapter of Second Corinthians is similar to the one he uses in Galatians against the Judaizers. He writes ”if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.” He then derides the so-called ”superlative apostles” and boasts how he provided the gospel free-of-charge…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Paul’s Bold Counter-Argument
A marked shift in topic and tone appears within the last four chapters of Second Corinthians. Regardless of whether or not these chapters were added to the epistle after its original composition, its apostolic authority is unquestioned. These chapters are a reaction to the Corinthian situation: trouble making evangelists agitating the impressionable church. These missionaries…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Titus and the Collection for Jerusalem
Returning from his quick diversion to stress that God’s people must be consecrated to the holy and sacred (cf. 6:14-7:1), Paul writes, ”I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overjoyed” (7:4). He continues by accounting his troubles in Macedonia…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Holiness: A Serious Separation from Sin
An intensely personal epistle, Second Corinthians has a great deal to say about the Christian life, its requisite hope, and its standards. By itself, the law can only lead to condemnation, as God’s holiness is inaccessible. Yet, the law is always preceded by God’s promise of instruction and grace. After the incarnation, death, and resurrection…
Read More2nd Corinthians – The Holy Glory of God
The all-holy glory of our Triune God is weighty and substantial, never ”fluffy.” To illustrate this, one can look to Moses’ veiled, radiant face after having seen God’s glory. Paul takes up this image of veils and radiant glory in chapter three. He also contrasts the ”dispensation of death” with the ”dispensation of the Spirit”…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Covenant, Law, and Life in the Spirit
Paul discusses two main ideas in chapter three. First, he discusses the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Second, he explains the principle of living in the spirit. The dynamic church of Corinth contains bona fide Christians with numerous spiritual gifts, however troublesome they may be for Paul. Analyzing his interaction with…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Chapter Two
Paul transitions from the first to the second chapter of Second Corinthians by finalizing his account of the pastoral role he has as an apostle. Masterfully illustrated by his actions, the Godly pastor is one who ever acts with the mind, heart and soul of Christ Himself. Even while conducting administrative endeavors like payroll and…
Read More2nd Corinthians – Pastoring the Corinthians
Though the constitution of the Church cannot change, the Corinthian church is extraordinarily different than the average American parish. An community of converts founded by Paul himself, the factionalism among those Christians in this multicultural trade hub presented the apostle, Timothy, and Titus with a series of daunting pastoral challenges. The first chapter of Second…
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