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Overview: 2 Corinthians

May 08, 2020
Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. Although it is called "second or two Corinthians" in our Bibles, there are many signs in this letter that it is not the second letter he wrote to the ancient church of Corinth. Paul started this community of Jesus in Corinth a long time ago, on one of his missionary journeys (you can read the story in the book of Acts chapter 18). And after moving on, Paul received news that things were not going well there. That's why he wrote the letter we call "1 Corinthians" to correct these problems. And apparently many people in the church rejected Paul's teachings in that letter and rebelled against his authority.
overview 2 corinthians
Thus, we learn in this letter that Paul himself had followed what he calls a "painful visit" and after that, he sent a letter, which he says he wrote with pain and tears. Thus, after all these measures, most, but not all, of the Corinthians realized his arrogance and apologized to Paul, wanting to reconcile. So Paul wrote this letter to assure them of his love and devotion. The document is designed with three main parts; Each of them addresses a specific topic. Paul first gives definitive form to his reconciliation with the Corinthians. Then, in chapters 8 and 9 he addresses the topic of forgotten generosity; and in the final chapters, Paul challenges the rest of the Corinthians, who still reject him.
overview 2 corinthians

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Let's dive in and see how this all works. Paul begins by thanking the “God of all mercy and comfort,” who brought peace and encouragement to him and the Corinthians during this time of division and strife. He admits that things have been tense since his painful visit and makes it clear that he has forgiven her and that he wants an open and honest relationship. But why had Paul been rejected in the first place? Later in this letter it will be revealed that the Corinthians had despised Paul as a leader because: he was poor; he earned a miserable living through manual labor; he was under constant persecution and suffering;
overview 2 corinthians
He was often homeless and, above all, was not an impressive speaker. So once the Corinthians were exposed to other, richer and more impressive Christian leaders, they began to think less about Paul; in fact, they were ashamed of him. Therefore, Paul responds first by showing that valuing these leaders simply for their wealth and oratory is a betrayal of Jesus and reveals a completely distorted value system. “True Christian leadership,” Paul says, “has nothing to do with status or self-exaltation.” Paul describes himself and the other apostles as slaves, captives of King Jesus, who leads them in a victorious procession.
overview 2 corinthians
Paul's job is not to impress, but to direct people to one person, who is Jesus. He then alludes to a recent request from the Corinthians that he provide them with some letters of recommendation to demonstrate his authority and qualifications. Paul finds this funny. His church would not exist if he had not started it, that is why he says that they are proof of his true leadership, they are his letter of recommendation. He cleverly quotes the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel as saying that the Spirit of God has written the letter of recommendation of him on his hearts as his new covenant people.
The Corinthians should need no more proof than that. The mention of the new covenant leads Paul into a lengthy comparison of the Old Covenant, between God and Israel, which was mediated by Moses, with the New Covenant, between God and the Corinthians, mediated by Jesus in the Spirit. The Old Covenant made at Mount Sinai was glorious; it made Moses himself shine with the glory of God, but that glory once faded, not to mention the fact that the laws of that covenant were ineffective in truly transforming Israel. But the New Covenant was even more glorious, because the resurrected Jesus is the very glory of God and lives forever, and now it is his spirit that is transforming people to be more faithful, just like Jesus himself.
This all sounds incredible. Who doesn't want to share the glory of God? But Paul goes on to show us how the paradox of the cross upsets the Corinthians' ideas of glory and success; After all, Jesus' glorious ascension as King took place through his suffering, execution, and death. On the cross, Jesus revealed God's salvation, dying for the sins of the world to reconcile people to God. But the Cross does even more: it reveals the character of God. He is a being of absolute and suffering love, who seeks the well-being of others. The cross also reveals a new way of going through life.
And Paul's goal is for his life and ministry to imitate the cross. Thus, although his apostolic career was marked by humility, suffering and poverty, the whole was at the service of the Corinthians. So they do not accept Paul's poverty and suffering, nor do they accept Jesus. Paul's way of life and leadership are actually proof that he truly represents the crucified and resurrected Jesus. Paul wants to reconcile with the Corinthians but he does not let things remain that way until they transform and embrace the paradox of the upside-down cross. After this passionate appeal, Paul continues to address the topic of forgotten generosity.
Thus, the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem had fallen into poverty as a result of a famine. and Paul is raising funds among the new churches he started, primarily with the Gentiles. Everyone sent him a gift as a symbol of his unity in Jesus Christ. And many of these churches were happy to donate, but the Corinthians, in the midst of all this conflict with Paul, had not set aside money for the donation. And for Paul, it's not just about the money. It is another sign that the Corinthians have not been transformed by the gospel of Jesus, which is essentially a story of generosity.
Paul says, "You know the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich." He is telling the gospel story through financial metaphors: Jesus gave up his glory or "wealth" and humbled himself to die as a poor slave so that other people, impoverished by sin and death, would rise up and be saved. enrich themselves through riches. of the grace of God. Being a Christian is letting this story penetrate deeply into your mind and heart, allowing it to transform you into a more generous person, more willing to share your life and your resources to help others.
In the last part of the letter, Paul focuses on the first source of his conflict with the Corinthians: the group of impressive leaders whom he sarcastically calls "super-apostles." So they came to Corinth, promoting themselves and badmouthing Paul as a poor, failed leader. At the risk of sounding self-appointed, Paul says, "Do these guys really want to compare credentials?" He can definitely deal with them. Are they Jewish Bible experts? Paul is too; He was a Pharisee, he memorized the entire Bible! Do you want to boast about your superior knowledge of Jesus? Paul actually saw and sat with the resurrected Jesus;
He actually had visions of Jesus' heavenly throne! But most importantly, Paul dedicated his entire life to the mission of Jesus, sacrificed comfort and stability, and never asked the Corinthians for money. Unlike the super-apostles, who demanded large sums of money, Paul earned his living by working. But Paul says that he refuses to boast about these accomplishments because they are not things that really matter to him as a Christian. On the contrary, what he will boast about is how imperfect and weak he is, because precisely in those defects he discovers the love and mercy of Jesus. Or as Jesus once told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul ends the letter with a solemn warning to the Corinthians: they must control themselves.
Their contempt for Paul, for his way of life, his love for the super apostles, all of this shows that they fundamentally do not understand who Jesus is. They are not living as transformed followers of Jesus, so he invites them once again to humble themselves before the love of Jesus. Second Corinthians offers us a unique window into the life of Paul and the paradox presented to us through the cross of Jesus. The cross challenges our values, our ways of seeing the world. We value success, education, wealth. But God values ​​humility and weakness, because his love and power are made known through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
The cross also releases the transforming power and presence of the Spirit to empower followers of Jesus to live the "crucified" lifestyle and make it their own. And this is what the second letter to the Corinthians is about.

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