5 Things Christians Should Know About 2 Corinthians

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A lot of speculation and analysis has circulated concerning 2 Corinthians. Paul was constantly subjected, then and now, to ongoing criticism. Was he smart enough to write 2 Corinthians? Was he savvy enough to speak the words in 2 Corinthians? All of that comes into play and becomes the bigger picture at hand. It’s important to understand the sacrifices that Paul presented and the words of wisdom he offered.

Christians should be very knowledgeable on 2 Corinthians because it discusses the idea of sacrifice and giving God your undivided grace. Paul entrusted his fate and that of others in God’s hands. Not only are we able to see the wider scope of charity and servitude through 2 Corinthians, but we also have the opportunity to see how everything eventually comes full circle. The idea that everything works out and has a deeper meaning reveals the importance behind giving your undying faith to God.

Speculation on the Letters

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Most scholars believe that Paul is the author of the letters. In fact, it’s been discussed and debated as to whether or not the one letter was actually composed from two or more of Paul’s letters. The New Testament contains only two letters to the Corinthians despite the evidence indicating that four letters existed – 1 Corinthians 5:9 which refers to an earlier letter which is often referenced as a warning letter, 1 Corinthians, the Severe Letter which Paul refers to as the letter of tears, and 2 Corinthians.

Scholars have paid attention and addressed the change of tone from other harmonious tones. In 2 Corinthians 10-13 the tone is often seen as bitter and has led scholars to believe that chapters 10-13 are part of the “letter of tears” which is often said to be part of Paul’s main letter. However, those who disagree with the analysis omit the relevance of the “letter of tears”.

Chapters 1-7

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Paul describes the characteristics of an Apostle. He explained that his ministry was to preach the words of Jesus Christ and not himself, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (4:5).

Paul then explains that Christians will suffer. "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” It is promised to followers of Christ that they will suffer. Paul states that compared to eternity with Christ the sufferings of this world are temporary and have a purpose for us. "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Here the element of suffering is discussed and explains that everything will come full circle. This is important to note because Paul is reiterating to everyone to never give up despite how difficult everything may appear and the internal struggles that we all go through.

Chapters 8-12

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Paul urges the Corinthians to give the offering to believers in Judea as they promised. He taught the people how to give generously and how those offerings would come around full circle. Paul also defends his ministry and responds to attacks about his Apostleship. He was dealing with people questioning his authority and going against him. Paul believes that if anyone preaches a different Gospel that those false teachers would be deemed unacceptable.

In these chapters, we also get a further theology behind Paul’s suffering. Even though Paul asks God to move suffering, He denies his request. In the end, Paul embraces his suffering because he recognizes that God has placed the suffering into his life for a reason. Paul says, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Ultimately Paul knew he was the strongest when he felt the weakest because he was dependent on God and the infinite strength that He shares.

The People that Opposed Paul

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Most of the Christians at Corinth had changed their ways. Some were in opposition against Paul. They thought that Paul was not a powerful person. These people believed that he could write powerful letters, but he wasn’t the greatest speaker. The writings have reported that Paul wasn’t attractive and insinuated that he had some kind of illness. Moreover, many people found it odd that he refused to accept money from them for his work. However, these individuals were false apostles - they said that they were better than Paul was. There are no concrete names for these individuals. In 2 Corinthians 11:21-24, Paul refers to Hebrews, Israelites, Christ’s servants…’ The false apostles claimed to be Christian apostles. However, they wanted the Jews and Greeks in the church to obey all the laws of Moses - so they preached a different good news that was different from Paul’s message.

God's Plan

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Overall 2 Corinthians helps to shed light on the idea of suffering. God has a plan for every person. At times we may feel crippled by the restraints and obstacles that present themselves along the way, it’s important to remember that there is a bigger picture. Paul asked God to end his suffering, but the Lord had bigger plans for Paul and knew that He could push the envelope a little further.

There will be times when we feel like we’re not enough. There will be times when we think we can’t possibly take any more pain and frustration, however, we must know that our God would never give us more than we can handle. He’s testing us because there’s a lesson He wants us to learn. Paul’s teachings are relevant then and even now more so – as we continue to be bombarded with tragic events in our life, we must come together as a community and be enlightened by the bigger picture God has in hand.