2 Corinthians
Summary of the Book of 2 Corinthians
This summary of the
book of 2 Corinthians provides information about the title, author(s), date of
writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the
chapters of the Book of 2 Corinthians.
Paul is the author of
this letter (see 1:1; 10:1). It is stamped with
his style and contains more autobiographical material than any of his other
writings.
The available evidence
indicates that the year a.d. 55 is a reasonable estimate for the writing of
this letter. From 1Co 16:5-8 it
may be concluded that 1 Corinthians was written from Ephesus before Pentecost
(in the late spring) and that 2 Corinthians may have been written later that
same year before the onset of winter. 2Co 2:13; 7:5 indicate that it was probably written
from Macedonia.
The opening greeting
of the letter states that it was addressed to the church in Corinth and to
Christians throughout Achaia (the Roman province comprising all of Greece south
of Macedonia; see map, 2288).
It seems that Paul
wrote as many as four letters to the church at Corinth: (1) the letter referred
to in 1Co 5:9 (see note there); (2) 1 Corinthians; (3)
the "severe" letter (see 2Co 2:3-4;
see also below); (4) 2 Corinthians. After writing 1 Corinthians Paul continued
his ministry at Ephesus until he heard that his letter had not completely
accomplished its purpose. A group of men had come to Corinth who presented
themselves as apostles. They were false teachers who were challenging, among
other things, Paul's personal integrity and his authority as an apostle
(see 11:4; 12:11).
In the face of this
serious situation, Paul decided to make a quick trip to Corinth (12:4; 13:1-2) to see whether he
could remedy the situation. The visit turned out to be painful and did not
accomplish its purpose. So when Paul returned to Ephesus, he wrote the
Corinthians a severe letter "out of great distress and anguish of heart
and with many tears" (2:4), probably sending it by Titus (12:8). Some identify this letter with 2Co 10-13. Others think it has been lost.
After writing the
severe letter, Paul had second thoughts. He was deeply concerned about how the
Corinthians might react to it. So after the riot caused by Demetrius and his
fellow silversmiths (see Ac 19:23-41), he left Ephesus and set out for Macedonia
by way of Troas. He expected to meet Titus in Troas to get news of the effect
of his severe letter on the Corinthian church, but Titus was not there
(see 2Co 2:12-13).
Still deeply concerned and despite the fact that the Lord had opened up an
opportunity to preach the gospel at Troas, Paul said good-by to the believers
there and moved on to Macedonia, where he met Titus. To his relief, the news
from the Corinthian church was basically good. The severe letter had brought
its intended results (7:5-16). The encouraging
report of Titus of the improved situation at Corinth is the immediate occasion
of the writing of 2 Corinthians.
How, then, does one
explain the harsh tone of chs. 10 - 13, which is so different from the rest of the
letter? Some think that when Paul had just completed writing the first nine
chapters, a report came to him that a strong and vocal minority was still
causing trouble at Corinth. So before sending off the letter he added the last
four chapters to address this troublemaking group. Others hold that chs. 10 - 13 were written
some time after Paul had sent the first nine chapters and that they constitute
a separate letter. There is, however, no manuscript evidence that warrants
splitting 2 Corinthians into two parts.
Because of the
occasion that prompted this letter, Paul had a number of purposes in mind:
- To express the comfort and joy
Paul felt because the Corinthians had responded favorably to his painful
letter (1:3-4; 7:8-9,12-13).
- To let them know about the
trouble he went through in the province of Asia (1:8-11).
- To explain why he had changed
his travel plans (1:12 -- 2:4).
- To ask them to forgive the
offending party (2:5-11).
- To warn them not to be
"yoked together with unbelievers" (6:14 -- 7:1).
- To explain to them the true
nature (its joys, sufferings and rewards) and high calling of Christian
ministry. This is the so-called great digression, but it turns out to be
in some ways the most important section of the letter (2:14 -- 7:4; see
note on 2:14).
- To teach the Corinthians about
the grace of giving and to make sure that they complete the collection
for the poor Christians at Jerusalem (chs. 8 - 9).
- To deal with the minority
opposition in the church (chs. 10 - 13).
- To prepare the Corinthians for
his upcoming visit (12:14; 13:1-3,10).
The structure of the
letter relates primarily to Paul's impending third visit to Corinth. The letter
falls naturally into three sections:
- Paul explains the reason for
the changes in his itinerary (chs. 1 - 7).
- Paul encourages the Corinthians
to complete their collection in preparation for his arrival (chs.8 - 9).
- Paul stresses the certainty of
his coming, his authenticity as an apostle and his readiness to exercise
discipline if necessary (chs. 10 - 13).
Some have questioned
the unity of this letter (see above), but it forms a coherent whole, as the
structure above shows. Tradition has been unanimous in affirming its unity (the
early church fathers, e.g., knew the letter only in its present form).
Furthermore, none of the early Greek manuscripts breaks up the book.
- Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11)
- The Integrity of Paul's Motives and Conduct (1:12;2:4)
- Forgiving the Offending Party at Corinth (2:5-11)
- God's Direction in Ministry (2:12-17)
- The Corinthian Believers -- a Letter from Christ (3:1-11)
- Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces (3:12;4:6)
- Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7-16a)
- The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the
Christian (4:16b;5:10)
- The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11;6:10)
- A Spiritual Father's Appeal to His Children (6:11;7:4)
- The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)
From the NIV Study
Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 2 Corinthians
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
