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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780802402417 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Moody Publishers |
| Publication date: | 09/15/1983 |
| Series: | Everyman's Bible Commentaries |
| Edition description: | New Edition |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.38(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Second Corinthians
By Robert B. Hughes
Moody Press
Copyright © 1983 The Moody Bible Institute of ChicagoAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8024-0241-7
CHAPTER 1
GUIDING CONCEPTS
Introduction
Flat tires, traffic jams, and dogs that bark at 1:00 A.M. have a way of exposing the depth or shallowness of our spirituality. A reaction of genuine love often seems almost impossible. But the apostle Paul had far more than traffic problems. He was misunderstood and falsely accused. His enemies lied about his desires for money, his qualifications to be an apostle, and his commitment to his friends in Corinth. They even made personal attacks against his appearance. In 2 Corinthians, Paul's reactions to those insults expose a heart of love and deep spiritual insight—truth that can lead us to deeper spiritual responses to life's problems.
Why was Paul able to respond with such maturity? How did he find the right words needed for the very sensitive situation in Corinth? How did he know what to include? What was his process of selection? What emotions directed that process? The answers to those questions uncover the beauties of Paul's heart and teach us how to recognize the world from his point of view—treating people as new creations in Christ (5:16-17). May we see our reactions to life in that light.
How to Interpret The Letter
The backbone of this commentary is the consistent asking and answering of three basic questions:
What Is The Basic Content?
What Is The Source of the Content?
Why Did Paul Say What He Said?
Two fundmental beliefs support those questions: (1) Paul had good reasons for everything he said; and (2) his reasons can be found in the needs and problems of the original readers. A look into the lives and times of Paul and the Corinthians is vital for discovering why Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. The why behind a passage also supplies the rationale and direction for present-day application, without which we have truth without reason and arrows without targets.
WHAT IS THE BASIC CONTENT?
An outline of each section of 2 Corinthians shows the content Paul presented and the order in which he addressed it. Such analysis provides the road map for finding the important link between truth and its application.
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE CONTENT?
What is the source of the content? This question has two aspects: (1) What was the specific source of the readers' needs, questions, or problems? Paul did not waste words; he aimed at specific needs. Therefore, we must always seek to discover the needs that evoked Paul's responses. (2) What resources did Paul use to frame his responses? Were they from his own background, the Christian community, or the Old Testament? Great insights can be gained from the consistent application of these questions.
WHY DID PAUL SAY WHAT HE SAID?
Was Paul's content related to the life setting of the readers, to some problem they had? The point where Paul's resources met the Corinthians' needs becomes the point where Godmeets us today. Their problems are fundamentally our problems, and the way God met them then is the way He speaks to us today.
A PERSONAL NOTE
My goal is to show how God used Paul's knowledge and spiritual reactions to meet some very ugly and deep-rooted problems in Corinth. My prayer is that you will learn some helpful ways to study 2 Corinthians and that you will be led into what only the Spirit can accomplish: personal application and a changed life.
Overview and Key Verses
What Is the Basic Content?
A brief overview of 2 Corinthians is the first step in understanding why Paul had to say what he did.
THE CONCERN OVER HIS UPCOMING VISIT
Paul's travel plans pervade the entire letter. The notations of his itinerary expose three aspects of content and order: (1) Chapters 1-7 relate to Paul's original plans, which he had to change.
I intended at first to come to you, that you might twice receive a blessing. [1:15]
But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. [1:23]
Now when I came to Troas ... [2:12]
But taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. [2:13]
For even when we came into Macedonia ... [7:5]
(2) Chapters 8-9 speak of the work of Titus among the Corinthians to complete their offering. Paul wanted the matter to be settled before he arrived.
Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. [8:6]
Lest if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared ... [9:4]
(3) Chapters 10-13 focus on Paul's impending arrival. He hoped for harmony, but would not spare any who persisted in rebellion.
I ask that when I am present I may not be bold. [10:2]
Here for this third time I am ready to come to you. [12:14]
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish. [12:20]
This is the third time I am coming to you. [13:1]
If I come again, I will not spare anyone. [13:2]
For this reason I am writing these things while absent, in order that when present I may not use severity. [13:10]
THE REASONS FOR PAUL'S CONCERN
A further probing of this threefold travel structure reveals Paul's rationale behind each section. He wanted them to solve their own problems while he was absent so that when he came they all could enjoy peace and harmony.
Paul's discussion of himself in chapters 1-7 gives his reasons for staying away from Corinth. He wanted to spare them from his severe authority to discipline (1:23). In fact, he remained absent and wrote 2 Corinthians for the same reason; they were still not ready for him to come in peace. The theme of sparing concludes in 13:2, where Paul reasserts that when he came again he would spare no one. Until then, he wants the Corinthians to focus on the things of the heart, not appearance (5:12).
Key Verses: Chapters 1-7
Paul's strategy is to state the problem and then provide the solution. That strategy is present in each of the letter's three sections. Paul also gives the major purpose behind his attempts to correct their problems.
The Problem: You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. [6:12]
The Solution: Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. [5:17] Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. [7:1]
The Purpose: We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart. [5:12]
Chapters 1-7 carefully point out the Corinthians' root problem: worldly affections that had closed their hearts toward God and Paul. Paul's solution encourages the readers to make room for him in their hearts (6:13; 7:2). Though Paul claims a great glory for his ministry (chap. 3), the treasure is in earthen vessels (chap. 4). True glory is easily missed if one focuses on the container rather than its contents. That is why Paul only relates to a person's heart realities in Christ (5:12, 16). As Paul drives his point home, he exposes the core of the problem. It is of the heart (6:12) and could only be remedied by "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (7:1). The entire discussion concerning Paul's ministry in weakness and glory must not be seen as a defensive reaction but as a loving correction.
Key Verses: Chapters 8-9
The Problem: But now finish doing it also; that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. [8:11]
The Solution: As it is written, "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack." [8:15] As it is written, "He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness abides forever." [9:9]
The Purpose: I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. [8:8]
In chapters 8-9 Paul commends those who would deliver the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. Charges of greed and thievery against Paul had blocked the progress of the collection (1:17; 2:17; 4:2; 10:2; 11:7; 12:13-18). Paul tries to correct two problems: (1) the question of equality (8:13-15) and (2) the question of giving freely from the heart (9:7-9). He wants the offering to issue from sincere love (8:8).
Key Verses: Chapters 10-13
The Problem: I ask that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. [10:2]
The Solution: And He has said to me, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. [12:9]
The Purpose: All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. [12:19]
In this section Paul commends himself as an eminent apostle. However, his boasting in weakness is quite different from that of his opponents. He corrects their assertion that he walked in the flesh (10:2). Also, he points out that his free service of ministry should not have branded him as inferior or as cunningly designed to cheat them. The Corinthians need their appearance-oriented evaluation of Paul turned around (12:11). They can only follow the correct pattern of godliness when they understand what makes for a commendable man of God (11:3).
Key Verses for the Letter
The Problem: You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. [6:12]
The Solution: And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. [12:9]
Broad Outline
A Test Passed: Confidence for Continued Obedience 1:1—7:16
A Test for the Sincerity of Love: Giving from the Heart 8:1—9:15
True vs. Foolish Commendation: The Real Source of Strength 10:1—13:14
CHAPTER 2LIFE IN CORINTH
The Source of the Content
PEOPLE AND PLACES: PAUL AND CORINTH
Introduction. What caused the problems Paul faced, and how did he find the solutions? Understanding Paul's past relations with Corinth is the first step toward the answer. The major biblical sources for such understanding are Acts, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Thessalonians. The following material reconstructs the life settings of Paul and the Corinthians. Those settings focus on two problems: money and status.
From Macedonia to Athens. Paul had already forged his philosophy of work and fund-raising when he first set foot into Thessalonica. People had to work for their food (2 Thess. 3:7-10), and Paul used himself as a model of self-support (2 Thess. 3:6-15). This life-style was often criticized, and Paul tackled this criticism head-on in 2 Corinthians. Amid much persecution he left Thessalonica, passed through Berea (Acts 17:10), and entered Athens.
The first visit to Corinth. Paul left Athens and came to Corinth (Acts 18:1) in weakness, fear, and trembling (1 Cor. 2:1-5). True to his ways, he made tents with his new friends Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:3). This "work as you go" lifestyle in Corinth was later thrown back in Paul's face as proof that he was not an authoritative and respectable apostle (1 Cor. 9:6, 15; 2 Cor. 11:7-9; 12:13).
As hostility in Corinth increased, Paul received a special vision from the Lord, telling him not to fear (Acts 18:9-10). Paul mentions his Corinthian troubles in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3. He was even taken to court by the Jewish leaders of Corinth. The verdict of Gallio the judge was that Christianity was only a squabble within the Jewish religion (Acts 18:12-17). Although that judgment gave Paul freedom under Roman law to continue his ministry it did not insure any bodily protection, as Gallio's "let them be" attitude all too painfully showed (Acts 18:17). The Corinthians had more than ample opportunity to observe Paul's character amid hard and unfair persecutions.
After one-and-a-half years (Acts 18:11) Paul traveled to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18-19). The couple remained in Ephesus (Acts 18:26) and Paul returned home to Antioch in Syria.
The second visit to Corinth. The second visit of Paul to Corinth is only briefly mentioned in 2 Corinthians 13:2. The brief mention of the second visit masks its great importance for understanding Paul's relations with Corinth.
I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. [2 Cor. 13:2-3]
That passage contains several facts: (1) the problem was so severe during Paul's second visit that he had to threaten severe discipline; (2) this threat was made with reference to his return, not to his present time with them. The situation was not corrected during his second visit, so Paul discerned that he ought to depart and "in absence" work to solve the problems; and (3) the problem centered on proving that Christ spoke through Paul (13:3). Did he have acceptable credentials? Some were answering no.
There is much debate over whether the second visit to Corinth was before or after the writing of 1 Corinthians. The itinerary followed here concludes that Paul heard about the problems in Corinth when he arrived in Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:1–20:1). On his second visit to Corinth (not recorded in Acts), he did what he could to gain a hearing. That attempt failed, and Paul left with an ultimatum: if he returned, he would "not spare anyone" (13:2). Then, soon after his departure, he sent a letter telling the Corinthians to avoid immoral Christians (1 Cor. 5:9), no doubt speaking to the primary issue of the debate during his second visit. Later, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to clear up some new and some persistent problems. Second Corinthians was written shortly afterwards.
This itinerary is based on several conclusions: (1) 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 represents a change of itinerary; (2) 2 Corinthians 1:15-16 was Paul's original plan, and 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 was his "Plan B." On or before his second visit, Paul had spoken of a final double visit (2 Cor. 1:15-16) before he left for Jerusalem. The pain of his second visit caused him to stay away as long as possible, returning only after he had passed through Macedonia (1 Cor. 16:57); (3) if 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 is a change from the original double-visit plan, then Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 1:23, "I came no more to Corinth," meant that he had not been to Corinth since he wrote 1 Corinthians. A visit between 1 and 2 Corinthians is thus excluded. Paul's second visit had to have been made prior to the writing of 1 Corinthians. This view of 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 and 2 Corinthians 1:23 produces the following order of events: first visit, second visit, lost letter (1 Cor. 5:9), 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, third visit.
First Corinthians: The life setting in Corinth. An understanding of the life setting of 1 Corinthians is vital to interpreting 2 Corinthians. After Paul's second visit and follow-up letter (mentioned in 1 Cor. 5:9) several things happened in Corinth, causing him to write yet another letter (1 Corinthians). Word had reached Paul through several avenues. Chloe's people reported that the church had split into several factions, each claiming the authority of a well-known figure: Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Christ (1 Cor. 1:12). Such divisions originated in the Corinthians' fleshly and foolish ways (1 Cor. 3:1) and amounted to a division of Christ Himself (1 Cor. 1:13).
Some had become arrogant about Paul's return, which he had promised during his second visit (2 Cor. 13:2). They had misunderstood his letter about immoral associations and thus allowed an immoral brother to fellowship with the Christian community (1 Cor. 5:1-2). Some asserted a superior wisdom, one that surpassed even Paul's (1 Cor. 4:7-10). Evidently, they felt that Paul's words carried little weight (1 Cor. 4:18). Though Paul said he would return with full discipline (2 Cor. 13:2) they were not convinced that he had enough clout for them to worry about. Not all was gloomy, however. The Corinthians were doing generally well (1 Cor. 1:4) and were worthy of some praise (1 Cor. 11:2). From his second visit Paul also had firsthand knowledge of their overall condition.
The Corinthians also sent a letter asking several questions, highlighted by the "now concerning" phrases throughout 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:1, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1). The last question concerned the collection for the poor in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-4). Titus helped begin this work (2 Cor. 8:6, 10), and the Corinthians were seeking to clarify some details. The picture changes in 2 Corinthians, where we discover that something had caused them to hold back from finishing what they had begun (2 Cor. 8:11).
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Second Corinthians by Robert B. Hughes. Copyright © 1983 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Excerpted by permission of Moody Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
1. Guiding Concepts,2. Life in Corinth,
3. Mutual Trust Reaffirmed: A First Defense 1:1—2:17,
4. Adequacy in Ministry Commended: A Second Defense 3:1—5:19,
5. Exhortations to Reconciliation 5:20—7:16,
6. A Test for Sincerity of Love: Giving from the Heart 8:1—9:15,
7. A Warning to Recognize Paul's Authority 10:1-18,
8. A "Foolish" Demonstration of Paul's Authority: Earthly Examples 11:1-33,
9. Further "Foolishness": Heavenly Examples 12:1-13,
10. A Plea to Avoid Pending Judgment 12:14—13:14,