2 Corinthians

 2 Letter to Corinthians

Title: Depending on the reading of the Book of Acts, 1 Cor. 5:9, and 2 Cor. 2:3 this can be a 3rd or 4th letter that Paul sent to Corinth – not everything that Paul wrote is a part of the New Testament canon (cp. John 20:30-31; 21:25).

Date of writing: In his letter Paul indicates that he intends to come for the third time (12:14; 13:1). Also, he is looking for/expecting the collection for the suffering church in Jerusalem (9:1-5). Therefore, knowing that within Luke’s blog (Book of Acts) Paul visits Corinth only twice, we need to date it between 64 and 70 AD.

Structure:

A. 1:1-2, Greetings

  B. 1:3 – 2:17, Concerns for the Church at Corinth

    C. 3 – 4, Ministers of New Covenant, and their suffering (4:7-12)

      D. 5, heavenly reconciliation of God to His creation

        E. 6:1-13, co-working with God

        E’. 6:14-18, do not “co-work” with unbelievers

      D’. 7 – 9, connection with Jerusalem church as an example of reconciliation 

    C’. 10 – 12:10, Paul’s ministry and suffering (11:21-28)

  B’. 12:11 – 13:10, Concerns for the Church at Corinth

A’. 13:11-14, Final greetings

Main themes:

Congregations in submission to the Church authority

Suffering of the ministers

Reconciliation of God and creation (New heaven and new earth idea)

Helping the suffering brothers

Boasting in the Lord

Main Characters:Paul, Titus, Silvanus (1 Pet. 5:12), Timothy, Macedonians vs. Achaian; he (Paul) mentions the governor of Damascus and King Aretas.

Reflection in other parts of the Bible: Paul uses the story of Golden calf – vailed Moses (Ex. 34) as a typological explanation of the hermeneutical challenge of those who tris to read the Scriptures without faith that Jesus is the Messiah.

Encouraging the Achaian believers to gather the financial support for the suffering church in Jerusalem (ch. 8 – 9), Paul refers to the story of manna given as a gift from heaven to Israelites in accordance with their needs (Ex. 16:18) and to the sabbatical blessing of a godly man (Ps. 112) who shares with the poor.  

Lutheran teaching:

The Book of Concord (the Lutheran confessions) illustrates the deficiency of human will in regards of salvation relying on 2 Cor. 3:5-6. The conversion of man is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit using the means of grace – the Word and the Sacraments. (FC, Epitome, II:3; FC, SD, II:12, 26, 56, 71).

Picking up the distinction of the Church’s authority and the authority of the State, Confessions (AC XXVIII:17; Tr.32) make the reference to 2 Cor. 10:4 “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds”. At the same time Large Catechism uses these words as an encouragement to be spiritually “watchful and well armed” with the teaching of God, prayer, and sacramental reading of God’s Word “that we may not think of Baptism as a mere empty sign, like the fanatic’s dream” (LC, longer preface:15; III:30; IV:63).

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 644 – The Church’s one foundation (church as a new creation idea)

LSB 954 – We all believe in One True God (based on 2 Cor. 4:13-14)

Relevancy of the Book:

Reading one of the most personal/emotional letters of Paul, it is important to contemplate the troubles the ministers of the Gospel undertake for the sake of God’s people. To the outsiders their lives do not look like an example of success: no career growth, but huge salary bumps etc. Yet, all of that is to repeat after Paul: “I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (2 Cor. 7:4).   

Memory verses:

5:18-19 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”.