2 Corinthians— Paul’s Heart
03.01.23
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. (2 Corinthians 2:15)
The book of 2 Corinthians is one that believers often turn to for special needs. As someone described it, “It was written with a quill dipped in tears.” Through it all, Paul learned that: the Father of mercies… is the God of all comfort (1:3).
Paul used this letter to open his heart to the Corinthian believers and to all us who have followed in their faith through the centuries. It can be a difficult book to teach. It is filled with blessings, but also problems. Again, as someone wrote: “It is a mixture of consolation and rebuke, gentleness and severity, earnestness and irony.”
Paul expressed to the Corinthian church his state of physical weakness, weariness, pain, and the spiritual burdens which he carried (1:8. 9). While he was waiting to hear from Titus regarding how Corinth was doing, Paul was also pressed by the persecution in Ephesus and the false gospel being taught in Galatia. He became deathly ill, so that he “despaired even of life.” Such is the circumstance which prompted the writing of this book.
As noted last week when we studied 1 Corinthians, Corinth was a center for three things: trade, athletics, and idolatry. The church at Corinth was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey in about 50 AD (Acts 18).
Paul wrote this book during his third missionary journey in about 56 AD. It was written a few months after 1 Corinthians and was a follow-up to that letter. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul found it necessary to make a hurried, painful visit to Corinth (2:1). The problems that occasioned the first letter had not been resolved. Following this visit, he wrote a severe and sorrowful letter to which he refers in 2:4. This letter has been lost to us.—it was not included in the NT canon.
Titus delivered the letter. Paul, unable to wait to meet Titus on his return, hurried to meet him in Macedonia. Titus related the good news that the church was doing well, and the sinful brother (1 Co 5:1) had repented. He also relayed the bad news that there was still a group opposing the Apostle. Paul then wrote a third letter which we know as 2 Corinthians.
As noted at the outset, the theme of this book is ‘the heart of Paul.’ He expressed his joy at the favorable response the church had to Paul’s ministry. He reminded the believers of their commitment to the offering for the poor saints in Judea. He also defended his apostolic authority, as there was still an element in the church which sought to discredit him. They accused him of many things, including: fickleness (1:17, 18), pride and boasting (3:1; 5:12), weakness (10:10), dishonesty (12:16-19), and insanity (11:16-19).
Paul defended himself, not for his own sake, but for the sake of the truth of the gospel and the good of the Corinthians. One of the key words in the book is ‘comfort,’ found eleven times in nine verses.
The Lord Jesus Christ is seen in so many ways. He is our comfort (1:5), victory (2:14), liberty (3:17), light (4:6), judge (5:10), reconciliation (5:19), gift (9:15), owner (10:7), and power (12:9).
This wonderful Savior, this God of all comfort, can be your Savior and Comforter if you repent of your sin and trust in Him today.