With respect to
subject material and tone 2 Corinthians is a very different letter from 1
Corinthians. It is undoubtedly the most passionate and earnest of Paul's
letters, "burning with the fire of loving concern" as one commentator
put it. It is also, perhaps, the most detailed
exposition of the nature and character of authentic Christian living, Christian
ministry and service, and Christian leadership in all of the New Testament,
often illustrated by Paul's own life experiences. So, what's the letter about?
At its heart, in
addition to following up some of the implications of 1 Corinthians, here Paul
is directly addressing new problems raised by 'false teachers', who in Paul's
absence, are having a profound impact upon the church. Through an impressive
and stylish presentation and a message of 'super-spirituality' which appealed
to the Corinthians' sense of pride (that Paul cited as being so damaging to the
church fellowship in his first epistle), these teachers were casting doubt on
Paul's authority and authenticity as an Apostle. Paul was losing his influence
and the Corinthians were again losing their way. 2 Corinthians then, is a
battle to regain the minds and hearts of these wayward believers with the true
Gospel, by a true servant of the Lord so that they may, once more, live the
true Christian life.
Drawing on a wealth
of material from his own life, Paul's immediate concern for the Corinthians is
for them to get a proper, God-centred perspective on 'suffering' (1:3-11). The 'false teachers' are trying to persuade
them that "real" servants of Christ will rise above the pains and
difficulties of life by the quality of their faith and godliness. And so,
because of the countless problems in life and ministry that Paul has
encountered, his apostleship is being questioned and undermined. But, says
Paul, 'troubles' (v4: NIV; "afflictions", ESV; literally
"pressures") are the normal expectation and experiences of every true
follower of Jesus (see also John 16:33).
This is not pain for
pain's sake. Times of difficulty, if approached with a Godly perspective, can
be occasions when our relationship with the Lord deepens and intensifies
(v3-5); when genuine fellowship between believers is strengthened (v6-7); when
faith is increased (v8-11) and when our prayer-lives are energised (v9b-11).
No-one would choose to walk down these paths of darkness, but "God never wastes our pain" (John Piper).
In 1:15-2:1, Paul,
who had experienced so much suffering for the faith - from the hands of
unbelievers (see Acts 9:29; 14:5,19, etc; 2 Cor 6:4-10; 11:23-27) and from the
tongues of Christian brothers (2 Cor 10:1,10-12) - responds to accusations of insincerity and
unreliability. It's clear that when his plans were of necessity changed some
have misunderstood his intentions. But Paul is not writing to defend himself or
to retaliate in kind. Rather, in all his engagements with the Corinthians he
has acted with love (2:4). Christ's
servants can be easily misunderstood and circumstances may well prevent
promises and intentions being fulfilled; but the overriding attitude of real
servanthood is not hard-heartedness against malign accusers or
self-preservation when the brickbats are thrown, but that of love and
(undeserved?) grace. It is the Jesus way (1 Peter 2:18-23). Such grace should similarly permeate
throughout the whole church fellowship. Repentant sinners must be welcomed
(2:6-11;
cf 1 Cor 5:5), otherwise Satan may well keep his foot in the door
by hardening people's attitudes (see 1 Cor 13:4-7).
So what does
authentic Christian ministry and service look like? In answering the question, Paul piles up the
metaphors and ideas in the passages that follow: it is to be led as a captive
by the triumphant Victor, Jesus (2:14); it is to spread the fragrance of Jesus
among those we meet, whether for life or death (2:14-16); it is to faithfully
spread the Word (v17) by life and by lip - not to gain quick results, but by
the patient sowing of God's truth (cf 4:2); it is to become an open letter of
model Christian faith and life to be read and seen by all (3:2-3); it is to
live a life of Christ-centred perseverance, where the glory of the new-birth
does not fade with time or difficulties (3:7-13; 4:1); it is to believe that
God is at work through us and that God alone can work to transform people's
lives (4: 2-6); it is to live as useful,
if fragile and vulnerable jars of clay in the hands of God (v7-12); it is not
to live for spiritual exuberance but to commit to faithful endurance (v8-9); it
is to die to self (and often our constraining circumstances help us in this)
that we may live for God (v10-12); it is to live in the present world of
painful affliction and trouble with the
certainty of heaven's joy and future glory in view (v13-18). Over time, authentic ministry is tough,
unimaginably so; but, says Paul, it is worth it, unimaginably so.
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