2 Corinthians 1

==2 Corinthians 1:1-7==
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
In the introduction to this 2nd letter to the church at Corinth, Paul greets the saints/Christians there with his usual greeting from the Father and Son. He then adds a couple of additional descriptions of God the Father that are not found in the first letter. Time has passed and as the church has grown, so to has the persecution of the church by the Jews. Paul calls God "the Father of mercies" and "the God of all comfort".
As we see in verses 4-7, the church is enduring tribulation, even to the point that they were suffering what Christ suffered at the hands of the Jews. Paul admonishes them here to continue enduring, to be comforted, because consolation is coming. An end to their persecution at the hands of the Jews was on the horizon.
==2 Corinthians 1:8-10==
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
Asia is the province that encompases the western-most region that is now Turkey. In Asia we see the seven congregations that John writes to in the book of Revelation (1:4). The persecution there by the Jews against Paul and his companions was intense. Though they faced even death at the hands of the Jews, they trusted in God who raises the dead. Paul writes that they were spared and uses this as an example to the church at Corinth that if they also trust in God, they too shall will overcome, that the church will be delivered from this enemy.
I want to focus for a moment on Paul's words concerning death and resurrection. This is not spiritual death and resurrection for Paul is already a Christian. This is Paul enduring physical persecution, and possible physical execution/murder at the hands of the Jews. He writes that though they faced physical death, the did not trust in themselves but in God who raises the dead. Remember, he has just finished speaking of the sufferings of Christ. This reference to resurrection of the dead is a direct reference back to Christ who was raised from the dead. Paul is pointing squarely back to his words to them in the first letter in 1 Corinthians 15. This is literal, physical resurrection, a counter to the physical death they faced at the hands of the Jews.
Whether they remained alive individually to see the end of the persecution and the deliverance of the church from the Jews, or whether they died individually, they could take comfort in knowing that the church would continue on and that they would live in Christ and be raised at the last day.
==2 Corinthians 1:11-14==
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13 For we write none other things unto you, that what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our's in the day of the Lord Jesus.
This persecution that Paul and those with him faced were helped by the prayers of the church at Corinth as well as the gift (a monetary gift to assist in the missionary work that Paul was doing). The help this gave them, in large part, was that while they were facing the evil of the Jewish persecution, they knew also that there was good in the world. They were not like Elijah who was unaware of the 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal - just before he finds Elisha (1 Kings 19:13, 18-19).
Paul continues by saying that they rejoiced in good conscience that they preached not the wisdom of men but the gospel both in word and deed, moreso to the church at Corinth. There are a couple of important points to make here.
1. Paul is again identifying Grace as the inspired gospel.
2. Paul is declaring that this writing to the church at Corinth is inspired scripture (vs. 13).
He is also writing things to the church at Corinth that they are already deeply knowledgeable about (epiginosko) and that Paul trusts they will remain so even to the end. The end of what? Contextually this is the end of the persecution he had just been talking about in the past few sentences. He confirms this by saying that they had also come to know assuredly the work that Paul was doing in their name even as they were Paul's work even to the "day of the Lord Jesus". "Unto" indicates an event that had not happened yet. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth an inspired letter stating that he believed the church would remain until the day of the Lord Jesus. It is beyond reasonable to put this "day" more than 2000 years later, especially in light of what Paul wrote in this letter, things of intimacy, of personal content to these people of that day. The "day of the Lord Jesus" must therefore reference the coming of Jesus in judgment against those persecutors, whose end would be within the lifetimes of those reading the letter from Paul.
This introduction, then, gives us a foundation on which to understand much of the rest of the letter.
==2 Corinthians 1:15-16==
15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; 16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
Paul's travel intentions. These intentions are carried out and recorded in Acts 18-20 which gives us a relative dating of the writing of this letter as before Acts 18.
==2 Corinthians 1:17-20==
17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? 18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
The word translated "lightness" in verse 17 is better translated as "fickleness" as born out by the next couple of verses. His intent to come to them, his preaching and especially the preaching concerning the end and the day of the Lord Jesus is not wishy-washy, not a maybe, but is as true and sure as God's promises. What Paul is saying is that his travel plans are guided by the Holy Spirit. Throughout Acts up to the point of Macedonia they have always been thus since Paul's conversion (Acts 16:6-7).
==2 Corinthians 1:21-22==
21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
After some pretty basic, easy to understand introductions, Paul gets into the thick of things with some statements that today have become highly contentious. This will then call for some comparison with a number of passages to understand more fully what Paul is talking about. The church at Corinth, however, has not had hundreds of years of the teachings of man to unlearn and also had the Apostles and inspired preachers/members to help them understand without those cross references. Paul's statements would not be as difficult for them as they are for us today.
As in Romans 1:11, Paul speaks of a church already in existence as being in the process of being established. Again this points to the idea that the church, though founded at the cross and practically begun at Pentecost (Acts 2), was established through a process, through a period of time. This "setting up of the kingdom" was spoken of in Daniel 2:44. The church didn't just come into existence as a fully formed institution. It began in a child-like state (1 Cor. 13:8-9) and eventually grew up (1 Cor. 13:10-11). This establishing in verse 21 is present, active, and currently ongoing in Paul's time, though it would have an end in the lifetime of this audience.
Much ado has been made about the sealing here and the earnest of the [Holy] Spirit. There are some major doctrines read into this verse that aren't borne out in the scriptures.
The following verses give us some context for the nature of this sealing:
# In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13)
# And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30)
In Ephesians 1:13 they heard the word, the gospel, they believed it, and it sealed them. Throughout the NT we see a repeat of this pattern using different words. They heard the Word (Rom. 10:17), believed it (Romans 10:9-10), and obeyed it (Romans 10:13; Acts. 22:16). James 1:21 refers to this as the "engrafted word". The sealing is the taking in of the word and making it a part of self.
This holy spirit is not a reference to the third person of the Godhead but a reference to the spirit of holiness in us that comes with having the word engrafted to our hearts. Note that Paul does not say "the Spirit of God in your bodies" which is what most people are arguing about today and must unlearn. He is talking about the spirit of holiness, a particular mindset within our minds (heart here) set on God. Paul covers this at length in his letter to the Romans in chapters 7 and 8. It is the spiritual self winning the battle over physical desires by the power of the gospel learned and lived. See also Romans 15:15-16.
==2 Corinthians 1:23-24==
23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Paul wrote to them before to correct some errors. He wants them to know that he is not some king or tyrant over them, but a fellow laborer who means to facilitate their joy in Christ, for they stand by faith in Christ Jesus, not Paul. This is a reference back to what Paul wrote to them in the first letter, the corrections he made to their actions, including chapter 5 where the man was living in adultery and they were tolerating it. They over compensated from Paul's correction and he needs to bring them back the other way now, however, he wants to do so in gentleness to bring them joy rather than harshness, as they intended to do the right thing. We will see more of this in the coming chapters.
In Truth and Love.
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Category:Apocalyptic