Classroom Snippets: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians in Miniature

Chapters 1-7

• Whole lot of “comfort” going on! The thanksgiving section suggests the tone of the first 9 chapters, which is one of reconciliation.
• 1:8, “hardships in Asia”: may allude to Paul being imprisoned at Ephesus, perhaps when he wrote Philippians—“in our hearts we felt the sentence of death” (1:9).
• Paul has had a painful visit (2:1; 12:14; 13:1-2) and written a harsh letter (7:8) since 1 Corinthians.
• Paul had also planned a visit that didn’t materialize, and the Corinthians thought Paul was playing games with them (1:15, 17-18).
• Some sinner that Paul chastised the Corinthians over—in part for not disciplining him—has apparently repented (7:12). The Corinthians have proved themselves to be obedient (2:9).
• Godly sorrow leads to repentance that leads to salvation (7:10)!

• As Paul doesn’t play games with promises, God’s promises are a “yes” in Christ—they are fulfilled (1:20)!
• For the Holy Spirit is a “seal” that indicates we are God’s property (1:20).
• And the Holy Spirit is an “earnest” of our inheritance, both a guarantee and a down payment of what is to come (1:21; 5:5).
• Jesus was without sin (5:21).
• God made the one without sin, to be sin (probably an allusion to the idea of Jesus as a sin offering, see Rom. 8:3)...
• So that we might become God's righteousness (I would go with those who see it along the lines of Rom. 3:26 and this understanding of Rom. 1:17--in other words, Paul is not thinking here about us becoming righteous [although he believes this too] but about God being demonstrated to be righteous).

• 2 Corinthians is full of the paradox of our suffering being our triumph. For example, there is the image of us being led in triumphal procession—we are in chains but we are victorious!
• Also the image of being pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair… (4:8-10).
• Paul identifies with the sufferings of Christ—we carry around his dead body, knowing we will also wear his life in the resurrection (4:10).
• According to Schenck, Paul identifies with the faith of Jesus that God would raise him from the dead (4:13-14).
• We will all appear before Christ’s judgment seat to receive the due of our deeds (5:10).
• Now is the time to sign up for salvation (6:2)!
• To be away from the body is probably a reference to resurrection rather than the intermediate state (5:8). The heavenly tent is our resurrection body (5:2) and the naked are those who do not receive one at the judgment (5:3)!

• Some teachers in the name of Christ “peddle the word of God for profit” (2:17). This is possibly an allusion to the “super-apostles” of 11:5.
• Paul and Timothy are ministers of a new covenant of the Spirit, which is a ministry which replaces the ministry of Moses (3:6).
• In Schenck’s view, as Paul allegorically applies the story of “Lord to Moses=glory which faded” in Exodus, it comes out “Spirit to us=glory which increases” under the new covenant (3:13-17).
• Paul has a ministry of reconciliation just as in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself (5:19).
• Transformation into the Lord Jesus’ likeness is an allusion to our resurrection bodies (3:18). Being reconciled to God is about becoming a new creation (5:17).
• Like in Colossians 1:15, Christ is the image of God

• Many scholars regard 6:14-7:1 as an interpolation, perhaps even something Paul wrote to the Corinthians at another time. It comes out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly. You can read from 6:13 to 7:2 and not know you’ve even missed anything.

Chapters 8-9

• Deal with the offering Paul is raising to take to Jerusalem, interestingly not mentioned in Acts, even though the names in Acts 20:4 sounds like such a delegation. We don’t know what happened to the money. Did Paul use it to pay for the men with a vow?
• Prosperity goes around. Sometimes one group has it and another doesn’t. Then things switch around. When God has prospered you, it’s your turn to take up the slack (8:13-15).
• The Lord loves a cheerful giver (9:7).
• Jesus set the example: “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (8:9). However you understand Philippians 2:6-8, Paul's thoughts here are likely similar.
• Who are these brothers??? (8:18, 22) Is it Apollos? Timothy? I’m inclined at least to Timothy.

Chapters 10-13

• The tone of 10-13 is quite different from 1-9. Paul is grieved and on the offensive. Most probably would say that these are from a different letter, either the harsh letter before 1-9 or a subsequent letter after 1-9.
• The church is under the influence of individuals Paul calls “super-apostles” (11:5) or even “false apostles” (11:13). They are trained speakers (11:6; like Apollos). They take patronage, unlike Paul (11:7-9).
• Paul argues that he is superior to them (11:22-29)—he’s a Hebrew like them; he’s an Israelite like them; he has suffered more than them for Christ…
• Some good autobiographical stuff here (11:24-33).
• Paul has had better revelations and visions (12:1-4). Many think this is Paul’s conversion experience, although the timing is difficult (14 years ago?).
• Paul performed signs and wonders when he came (12:12).
• Paul feels like a fool to boast like this (11:23; 12:11), he is in fact nothing (12:11). Elsewhere he talks of how whatever was to his credit he considered nothing next to Christ (Phil. 3:7). And in Gal. 6:14 he says “May I never boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ.”
• Paul mentions here a thorn in his flesh that God did not take away to teach him that “my strength is made perfect in weakness” (12:9). Many think eye problems mentioned in Galatians 4:15, perhaps associated with his conversion experience.
• Paul talks about coming to discipline the church (10:11; 12:21), including his fear that many who had earlier sinned might not yet have repented.The question of dating these chapters centers in my mind on 12:17-18. The mention of “the brother” along with Titus seems to date these chapters after the visit planned in 2 Corinthians 8-9. So if 8-9 were connected to 1-7, then 10-13 are likely subsequent to 1-9. It is also possible, however, that we have three letters here, 8-9, then 10-13, then 1-7. The 1-9 then 10-13 hypothesis is simpler, however.
• Also it would be strange in the same letter, after giving no indication whatsoever that he has changed who he's talking to, to rejoice in the repentance of a notorious sinner and the obedience of the community (7:8-13) and then at the end of the same letter suspects he will find many who haven't repented (12:21) and a community in need of discipline (10:2).