Having covered a great deal of the background pertaining to this epistle in the introduction to 1 Corinthians, we won’t spend nearly as long revisiting that information. If you are reading this prior to reading the introduction to 1 Corinthians, you may want to spend the time reading that first before coming back here. This letter (likely the fourth of four letters, with the first and third ones missing) was written after Paul had left Ephesus (Acts 20:1-3) but before he had arrived in Corinth for his 3 month stay. Paul had heard of their troubles and made an unrecorded quick trip to Corinth from Ephesus and back (referred to as a sorrowful visit in 2 Corinthians 2:1). Though that trip was not noted in Acts, Paul mentions that he’d be coming to Corinth for the third time (2 Corinthians 12:14; 13:1), so this second (sorrowful) visit apparently was offensive to Paul. It is thought that the second visit prompted Paul to write a severe letter (the third of four letters, also missing) of rebuke, encouraging repentance (2 Corinthians 2:3-4; 7:8). Titus delivered this (missing) letter by sea, while Paul headed their way over land, through Troas and Macedonia (Acts 20:1-2; 2 Corinthians 2:12-13; 7:5-9,13-15). Paul didn’t know what to expect from them as he approached, and he was quite anxious (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:5).
Paul could have stayed and ministered in Troas (2 Corinthians 2:12), but his spirit troubled him and he moved closer to Corinth (Philippi in Macedonia). When Titus met him there (or perhaps in Thessalonica), Paul was overwhelmed with joy at hearing of the Corinthians’ genuine repentance and deep affection and loyalty to him (2 Corinthians 7:6-15). So Paul wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia to express thanks for their repentance and renewed obedience, as well as to encourage their offering for the Jerusalem Church (2 Corinthians 8-9). Despite his joy, Paul still engages in a defense of his ministry (2 Corinthians 10-13). He ended up departing for Jerusalem with an offering from several churches (Acts 20:2-21:17). Chapters 1-7 of this letter, then are Paul’s effort to give divine comfort and encouragement in the midst of the Corinthians’ suffering and trouble (2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 7:4,7,13). Chapters 8-9 detail the expectations on the offering for the Jerusalem Church, and chapters 10-13 are in regard to God’s strength manifested in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). The change of tone from chapter 10 onward has caused some commentators to think that 2 Corinthians is a combination of two separate letters, but the change of subject at that juncture accounts for the tone change in an even more understandable way.
Sam Storms has published a nice, 13-point timeline surrounding Paul’s ministry to the Corinthians, and it is worthwhile to include it here, so we’ll begin this introduction with that.
“Paul’s relationship to the Corinthians was a long and tempestuous one. From several statements in both his first and second epistles to the church in that city, we are able to reconstruct the sequence of events:
- Paul first preaches the gospel in Corinth during his second missionary journey, probably in late 50 or early 51 AD. He worked with Priscilla and Aquila as a tentmaker and probably lived with them. The results of Paul’s initial ministry in Corinth are recorded in Acts 18:1-11. While there Paul regularly went to the synagogue and reasoned with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, seeking to demonstrate, as was his custom, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah prophesied by the OT Scriptures.
- After 1-1/2 years of ministry in Corinth, in the spring of 52 AD, Paul made his way with Priscilla and Aquila to the city of Ephesus. After only a brief stay, he left Priscilla and Aquila there and departed for Jerusalem. From there he went to Antioch, eventually returning to Ephesus where he remained for the next 2-1/2 years (from the fall of 52 to the spring of 55 AD). It was during this 2-1/2 year period of ministry in Ephesus that the Corinthian correspondence was composed.
- Sometime in late 54 AD, Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians that is now lost (cf. l Corinthians 5:9-11). We will call this ‘Corinthian Letter A’. He wrote this letter in response to news (either by personal report or a letter from the Corinthians) that some in Corinth had failed to separate from people within the church who had engaged in repeated sexual immorality. Evidently the Corinthians misinterpreted Paul, thinking that he was recommending they separate entirely from the wider Corinthian society.
- Subsequent to this, Paul received reports from certain people in Chloe’s house (l Corinthians 1:11) that there were problems in the Corinthian church, in particular the breaking up of the believing community into factions. Also, according to 1 Corinthians 16:17, three men (Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus) from Corinth came to him, evidently with a letter from the church asking Paul numerous questions about Christian behavior and belief (cf. l Corinthians 7:1). In response to the report from Chloe’s house and the questions asked of him, Paul wrote what we know as First Corinthians. We will call this ‘Corinthian Letter B’ (probably written in late 54 AD).
- In ‘Corinthian Letter B’ (our First Corinthians), Paul revealed his travel plans. He hoped first to go to Macedonia and then make his way south to Corinth. However, after sending Timothy to Corinth bearing the letter, he changed his plans slightly. Now he proposed to visit Corinth twice: first, on his way to Macedonia, and second, on his way back from Macedonia (of. 2 Corinthians 1:15-16).
- All of this changed yet again, however, when Timothy arrived in Corinth and discovered how bad the situation was. Timothy, or perhaps someone else, informed Paul concerning the distressing circumstances in Corinth and how the church had not responded to his letter (our First Corinthians).
- Paul immediately put aside everything else and made an urgent visit to Corinth to try to put things right (probably in the spring of 55 AD). This direct confrontation with the Corinthians turned out to be a bitter and humiliating experience for Paul. He refers to it in 2 Corinthians 2:1 as ‘a painful visit’ or one that caused ‘sorrow.’ Apparently the Corinthians not only ignored the instruction of First Corinthians (i.e., ‘Corinthian Letter B’), but also had given their allegiance to one or two men who opposed Paul, who treated him with disrespect, and ridiculed his apostleship. Paul was deeply hurt and offended (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:5-8,10; 7:12).
- Because of this distressing experience, Paul did not stay long in Corinth. He returned to Ephesus and determined not to make another painful visit to Corinth. Therefore he called off the double stop he had earlier planned to make at Corinth on his way to and from Macedonia (of. 2 Corinthians 1:15-16). All this did was to give his enemies in Corinth an excuse to charge him with being fickle, a man who vacillated and really cared very little for the Corinthian believers and their feelings (2 Corinthians 1:17).
- Paul obviously could not leave matters unsettled. He feared that his enemies would destroy the work of the gospel in Corinth. Therefore he wrote yet another letter to them (in the summer of 55). This one he refers to in 2 Corinthians 2:4,9 as the ‘severe’ or ‘tearful’ letter. We will call it ‘Corinthian Letter C’. In this letter he harshly rebuked the Corinthians and demanded the punishment of the man who had opposed and ridiculed him so maliciously (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:3,4,6,9; 7:8-12). Titus was given the unenviable responsibility of carrying this letter to Corinth. Like ‘Corinthian Letter A,’ this piece of correspondence is also lost.
- Paul remained in Ephesus, where he faced some of the worst opposition to the gospel he had yet encountered. He refers to this in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10. In late 55 AD he left Ephesus and went to Troas hoping to meet Titus there with news of how the Corinthians had responded to the ‘severe/tearful’ letter. Much to his chagrin, Titus was not there (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:13). Evidently he and Titus had planned to meet in Macedonia should the meeting in Troas not occur. Hence, Paul made his way to Macedonia, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Titus from Corinth. While in Macedonia he ministered to the churches there and began collecting money to send to the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering from famine (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2).
- Finally, Titus arrived from Corinth with the good news for which Paul had prayed. His response is described in 2 Corinthians 7:5ff. However, not all the news from Corinth was encouraging. For example, some had become critical of Paul for what they perceived to be vacillation in his travel plans; this proved him to be a ‘man of flesh’ (2 Corinthians 1:12,17); the collection begun by Titus for the church in Jerusalem had stalled (8:6,10; 9:2); despite what he had written in 1 Corinthians, some in the church had kept up involvement in the cultic and immoral life of the city (6:14-7:1; 12:2-13:2); Paul was still receiving criticism for his policy of not taking money from them but choosing rather to support himself; worst of all, the church in Corinth had been infiltrated by a group of ‘false apostles’ who seriously undermined his authenticity as an apostle and thus his authority in the lives of the believers there.
- It is now, in late 55 or early 56 AD, that in view of these developments Paul sits down to write his fourth letter to the Corinthians. This letter is what we know as Second Corinthians. We will call it ‘Corinthian Letter D’, [our 2 Corinthians], a letter Paul hoped would prepare them for his third and final visit (2:2-3; 9:4; 10:2; 11:9; 12:14,20,21; 13:1,2,7,10).
- In the summer or fall of 56, Paul makes his third visit to Corinth, where all is well. It is from Corinth at this time that he writes the Epistle to the Romans. ‘It is probable that this letter [i.e., Romans], his most carefully structured statement, arose out of the issues raised by his most recent problems with the Corinthians, as more hastily expressed in 2 Corinthians. Did Romans have its genesis in lectures given in Corinth in the light of the recent problems there?’”
Storms concludes, saying, “That, in 13 easy steps, was the scenario of events in the up and down relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth. In all Paul wrote them 4 letters, only 2 of which God providentially pre served for us in the NT.
1) Corinthian Letter A – written in 54 AD; now lost (l Corinthians 5:9-11)
2) Corinthian Letter B – written in late 54 AD; our First Corinthians
3) Corinthian Letter C – written in the summer of 55 AD; now lost (2 Corinthians 2:4,9)
4) Corinthian Letter D – written in late 55 or early 56 AD; our Second Corinthians.
Thus we see that Second Corinthians was written by Paul after he received the good news of how the Corinthians had responded to the severe letter (2 Corinthians 7:5ff.). Paul is ecstatic that the church had repented and had even taken disciplinary action against the man who had opposed him. Paul must still on occasion explain his travel plans, the nature of his apostolic authority, and even issue a few warnings and rebukes. But even all this is couched in joy and confidence that the church in Corinth is growing and maturing in Christ. The so-called ‘lost’ letters of Paul raise several important [unanswered] theological questions:
1) Were these lost letters as inspired and infallible as 1 and 2 Corinthians?
2) Were the Corinthians as spiritually and morally obligated to believe and obey what Paul wrote in the lost letters as they were what he wrote in 1 and 2 Corinthians?
3) Why did God not preserve these and other apostolic writings for the church of subsequent generations?
4) What, if anything, do these lost letters tell us about the nature of the biblical canon?
5) If these lost letters were suddenly 'found,' should they be included in our canon of Scripture?”
Having noted the timeline, I find it worthwhile to note what Third Millennium has to say in its summary of 2 Corinthians: “Paul begins by greeting the Corinthians with joy and an important section of thanksgiving to God for them. We see the Pastoral side of Paul here as he is both affirming and encouraging the Corinthians in their faith. He speaks of the reciprocal nature of God’s comfort and compassion among believers. As we share in the sufferings of Christ and the gospel, we are moreover encouraged by sharing in the sufficiency of His comfort, not merely comfort that is adequate for ourselves, but an abundance that overflows to encourage others as well. He challenges them to take refuge in this and to press on enduring the despair through their hope in Christ. Due to his promise in the previous letter the Corinthians had been expecting him. Therefore at this point, he offers an explanation of the unforeseen change in his travel plans. Paul did not want to come to them in grief again over the labors of the ministry Christ had called him to. Paul uses this to transition to indicate the importance of forgiving those who have wronged you.”
“Paul then begins to praise God and offer a lengthy account of the nature of his ministry. He reminds them that he was ordained by God, that he has received this commission by the mercy of God, and that he is committed to integrity in proclaiming the gospel. In contrast, this ministry is not about him. He is not concerned with his own pleasure or the applause of men, but rather his ultimate motivation is pleasing Christ for it is He who suffered as a sacrifice for his sins. He challenges them to endure hardship as he has and to avoid being bound in any sort of covenant with unbelievers, for this is a hindrance to their relationship with God. He finally appeals to them to have open heart toward he and his faithful partners for he takes great joy and encouragement in them that has risen above all their troubles. Paul explains further that this encouragement comes through the report of Titus that they had received his first letter well. He takes great joy in the eagerness of their hearts as displayed in their response to its instruction as they were moved to Godly sorrow and repentance. He tells them of the confidence that he now has in them after they had confirmed his image of them as he had boasted to Titus of their faith. He extends to them his desire to have them found equally faithful in playing their part in generous giving toward the collection for the church in Jerusalem, just as the Macedonians gave – beyond their ability. He informs them that he is sending Titus in preparation for his coming. They should receive him in love as an example of the unity of the body to the whole church. This section concludes by instructing them of the results of their generous hearts. They are not merely meeting the needs of God’s people, but their gifts overflow in praise to God as others rejoice of their obedience and partnership in the gospel.”
“The final section is a stern response by Paul to some of the opposition that had surfaced in the church, not only to him, but to progress of the gospel. He took great offense in this opposition and was ready to take it head on. He first wants to establish the importance of faith obedience by the Corinthians in the midst of these new ‘apostles’ who were boasting in themselves and slandering him. They have exposed themselves as false apostles in their actions as this not the way of service and allegiance to Christ. While they boast in their own strength, Paul responds ironically by boasting in his weakness. For it is through the weak that the power of the gospel operates. He turns to the Corinthians and their responsibility for taking action. He appeals to them to reevaluate their position toward these offenders and forewarns them of the action he will take if necessary upon his visit.”
Finally, we can turn now to Calvin’s preview of 2 Corinthians. He begins by saying, “So far as we can judge from the connection of this Epistle, it appears that the first Epistle was not without some good effect among the Corinthians, but at the same time was not productive of so much benefit as it ought to have been; and farther, that some wicked persons, despising Paul’s authority, persisted in their obstinacy. For the fact of his being so much occupied, at one time in declaring his fidelity, and at another in maintaining the dignity of his office, is itself a token that they had not as yet been thoroughly confirmed. He himself, too, complains in express terms, that there were some that made sport of his former Epistle, instead of deriving benefit from it. Understanding, then, the condition of the Church among them to be such, and being detained by other matters, so as to be prevented from coming to them so soon as he had at that time contemplated, he wrote this Epistle from Macedonia. We are now in possession of the purpose which he had in view in writing this Epistle – that he might perfect what he had already begun, in order that he might, when he came, find every thing in proper order.”
“He begins, as he is wont, with thanksgiving, rendering thanks to God, that he had been marvelously rescued from the most imminent dangers, and at the same time he calls them to notice, that all his afflictions and distresses tended to their benefit and welfare, that he may the better secure their favor by this farther pledge of union, while the, wicked perversely took occasion from this to lessen his influence. Farther, when wishing to apologize for delaying to come to them, he declares that he had not changed his purpose from lightness or unsteadiness, and that he had not, for the purpose of deceiving, professed anything that he had not really had in view, for there was the same consistency to be seen by them in all his sayings, that they had had experience of in his doctrine. Here, too, he briefly notices, how stable and sure was the truth of his preaching, as being founded on Christ, by whom all the promises of God are fixed and ratified – which is a high recommendation of the gospel.”
“After this he declares, that the reason why he had not come was this, that he could not appear among them cheerful and agreeable. In this statement, he reproves those, who, from his change of purpose, took occasion to calumniate him. He accordingly throws the blame upon the Corinthians, as being not yet well prepared for receiving him. He shows, at the same time, with what fatherly forbearance he was actuated, inasmuch as he kept himself back from visiting their city for this reason – that he might not be under the necessity of exercising severity upon them.”
“Farther, lest any one should object, that he had in the mean time not at all refrained from handling the Corinthians severely in his writings, he apologizes for the vehemence that he made use of in his first Epistle, by saying that it was owing to others – they having shut him up to the necessity of this against his will. That this keenness had proceeded from a friendly disposition he satisfactorily shows, by ordering that the incestuous person himself, on whose account he had been much exasperated, should be received back into favor, having since that time given some evidence of repentance. Farther, he brings forward this additional evidence of his affection towards them, that he had no rest in his mind (2 Corinthians 2:13) until he had learned through means of Titus the state of their affairs, for an anxiety of this kind originates in affection.”
“Having had occasion, however, to make mention here of his journey to Macedonia, he begins to speak of the glory of his ministry. As, however, those darling Apostles, who endeavored to detract from him, had obtained an easy victory over him by trumpeting their own praises, that he may have nothing in common with them, and that he may at the same time beat down their foolish boasting, he declares that he derives commendation from the work itself and does not borrow it from men. In the same passage, he extols in magnificent terms the efficacy of his preaching, and sets off to advantage the dignity of his Apostleship by comparing the gospel with the law, declaring, however, first of all, that he claimed nothing as his own, but acknowledged everything, whatever it might be, to have come forth from God.”
“After this he relates again, with what fidelity and integrity he had discharged the office entrusted to him, and in this he reproves those who malignantly reproached him. Nay more, rising still higher in holy confidence, he declares, that all are blinded by the devil, who do not perceive the luster of his gospel. Perceiving, however, that the meanness of his person (as being contemptible) detracted much from the respect due to his Apostleship, embracing this favorable opportunity, he does not merely remove this occasion of offense, but turns it into an opposite direction, by saying, that the excellence of God’s grace shines forth so much the more brightly, from the circumstance that so valuable a treasure was presented in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). Thus he turns to his own commendation those things which the malevolent were wont to cast up to him by way of reproach, because on his being weighed down with so many distresses, he always, nevertheless, rises superior to them. He treats of this subject up to the middle of the fourth chapter. As, however, the true glory of Christians lies beyond this world, he teaches that we must, by contempt of this present life and mortification of the outward man, set ourselves with the whole bent of our mind to meditation on a blessed immortality.”
“Farther, near the beginning of the fifth chapter, he glories in this – that being actuated by such a disposition, he has nothing else as the object of his desire, than to have his services approved unto the Lord, and he entertains a hope, that he will have the Corinthians as witnesses of his sincerity. As, however, there was a danger of his being suspected of vanity, or arrogance, he again repeats, that he is constrained to this by the unreasonableness of wicked persons, and that it was not for his own sake, as though he were eager to retain their good opinion, but for the benefit of the Corinthians, to whom it was of advantage to have this opinion and persuasion; and he declares that he is concerned for nothing but their welfare. With the view of confirming this, he subjoins a universal statement, showing what ought to be the object aimed at by the servants of Christ – that, losing sight of themselves, they should live to the honor of their Lord; and at length he concludes, that everything except newness of life ought to be reckoned of no importance, so that he alone, who has denied himself, is to be held in esteem.”
“From this he passes on to unfold the sum of the Gospel message, that by the magnitude and excellence of it he may stir up both ministers and people to a pious solicitude. This he does in the beginning of the sixth chapter. Here again, after having noticed how faithfully he discharged his office, he gently reproves the Corinthians, as being hinderances to themselves in the way of their reaping advantage. To this expostulation he immediately subjoins an exhortation, to flee from idolatry – from which it appears, that the Corinthians had not yet been brought so far as he wished. Hence it is not without good reason that he complains, that they had themselves to blame, inasmuch as they had not had their ears open to doctrine so plain. But lest he should, by pressing too severely their tender minds, dishearten or alienate them, he again assures them of his kind disposition towards them, and resuming his apology for severity, which he had left off in a manner abruptly, he brings it to a conclusion, though in a different way. For assuming greater confidence, he acknowledges that he is not dissatisfied with himself for having grieved them, inasmuch as he had done it for their good; while at the same time, by congratulating them on the happy issue, he shows them how cordially he desires their best interests. These things he treats of to the end of the seventh chapter.”
“From the beginning of the eighth chapter to the end of the ninth, he stirs them up to cheerfulness in giving alms, of which he had made mention in the last chapter of the first Epistle. He commends them, it is true, for having begun well, but lest the ardor of their zeal should cool in process of time, as often happens, he encourages them by a variety of arguments to go on perseveringly in the course on which they had entered. In the tenth chapter, he begins to defend himself, and his office as an Apostle, from the calumnies with which the wicked assailed him. And in the first place, he shows that he is admirably equipped with the armor that is requisite for maintaining Christ’s warfare. Farther, he declares, that the authority which he had exercised in the former Epistle was grounded on the assurance of a good conscience, and he shows them that he had no less power in his actions, when present, than authority in his words when absent. Lastly, by instituting a comparison between himself and them, he shows how vain their boasting is.”
“In the eleventh chapter, he calls upon the Corinthians to renounce those depraved inclinations, by which they had been corrupted, showing them that nothing is more dangerous than to allow themselves to be drawn aside from the simplicity of the Gospel. The fact of his having begun to be somewhat disesteemed among them, while others had been more favorably received by them, had arisen, as he shows, not from any fault on his part, but from their being haughty or nice to please; inasmuch as those others had brought them nothing better or more excellent, while he was contemptible in their view because he did not set himself off to advantage by elegance of speech, or because he had, by voluntary subjection, by way of humoring their weakness, given up his just claim. This irony [by way of mockery] contains in it an indirect reproach for their ingratitude, for where was the reasonableness of esteeming him the less, because he had accommodated himself to them? He declares, however, that the reason why he had refrained from taking the wages to which he was entitled, was not that he had less affection to the Corinthians, but in order that no advantage might be gained over him in any respect by the false apostles, who, he saw, laid snares for him by this stratagem.”
“Having reproved the unreasonable and malignant judgment of the Corinthians, he magnifies himself in a strain of pious glorying, letting them know in what magnificent terms he could boast, were he so inclined, premising however, that it is for their sakes that he acts the fool in heralding his own praises. At length, checking himself, as it were, in the middle of the course, he says that his chief ground of glorying is that abasement which was despised by the proud, for he had been admonished by the Lord, not to glory in anything but in his infirmities. Towards the close of the twelfth chapter, he again expostulates with them for shutting him up to the necessity of thus playing the fool, while they give themselves up to ambitious men, by whom they are estranged from Christ. Farther, he inveighs keenly against those who wantonly raged against him, adding to their previous crimes this impudence of opposition. In the thirteenth chapter, by forewarning such persons that he will treat them with peculiar severity, he exhorts all in general to recognize his apostleship, as it will be for their advantage to do so; while it is a dangerous thing for them to despise one, whom they had found by experience to be a trusty and faithful ambassador from the Lord.”
So we’ll look at the text of 2 Corinthians in 13 chapter-divided segments.