2 Corinthians 2 NIV

I.                  Apologetic: Paul's Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry (chs. 1-7)

A.    Greetings (1:1-2)

• B.Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11)
• C.The Integrity of Paul's Motives and Conduct (1:12;2:4)
• D.Forgiving the Offending Party at Corinth (2:5-11)
• E.God's Direction in Ministry (2:12-17)
• F.The Corinthian Believers -- a Letter from Christ (3:1-11)
• G.Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces (3:12;4:6)
• H.Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7-16a)
• I.The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the Christian (4:16b;5:10)
• J.The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11;6:10)
• K.A Spiritual Father's Appeal to His Children (6:11;7:4)
• L.The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)

2 Corinthians 2 NIV

1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 

2For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved?

3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 

4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 

6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 

7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 

8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 

9Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 

10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 

11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 

13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. 

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 

15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 

16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 

17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Dec 12: Uruguay | Operation World

Dec 12: Uruguay | Operation World

2 Corinthians 1 NIV

I.                  Apologetic: Paul's Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry (chs. 1-7)

A.    Greetings (1:1-2)

• B.Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11)
• C.The Integrity of Paul's Motives and Conduct (1:12;2:4)
• D.Forgiving the Offending Party at Corinth (2:5-11)
• E.God's Direction in Ministry (2:12-17)
• F.The Corinthian Believers -- a Letter from Christ (3:1-11)
• G.Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces (3:12;4:6)
• H.Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7-16a)
• I.The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the Christian (4:16b;5:10)
• J.The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11;6:10)
• K.A Spiritual Father's Appeal to His Children (6:11;7:4)
• L.The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)

2 Corinthians 1 NIV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: 

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise to the God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 

4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 

6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 

7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 

9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 

10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 

11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrityand godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 

13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 

14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 

16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 

17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? 

18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 

21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 

22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

23 I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 

24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

Dec 11: United States of America | Operation World

Dec 11: United States of America | Operation World

Summary of the Book of 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians NIV

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.

Author

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.

Date

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.

Recipients

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).

Occasion

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.

Purposes

Because of the occasion that prompted this letter, Paul had a number of purposes in mind:

1. 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).
2. To let them know about the trouble he went through in the province of Asia (1:8-11).
3. To explain why he had changed his travel plans (1:12 -- 2:4).
4. To ask them to forgive the offending party (2:5-11).
5. To warn them not to be "yoked together with unbelievers" (6:14 -- 7:1).
6. 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).
7. 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).
8. To deal with the minority opposition in the church (chs. 10 - 13).
9. To prepare the Corinthians for his upcoming visit (12:14; 13:1-3,10).

Structure

The structure of the letter relates primarily to Paul's impending third visit to Corinth. The letter falls naturally into three sections:

1. Paul explains the reason for the changes in his itinerary (chs. 1 - 7).
2. Paul encourages the Corinthians to complete their collection in preparation for his arrival (chs.8 - 9).
3. Paul stresses the certainty of his coming, his authenticity as an apostle and his readiness to exercise discipline if necessary (chs. 10 - 13).

Unity

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.

Outline

I.                  Apologetic: Paul's Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry (chs. 1-7)

A.    Greetings (1:1-2)

• 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)

                       II.         Hortatory: The Collection for the Christians at Jerusalem (chs. 8-9)

• Generosity Encouraged (8:1-15)
• Titus and His Companions Sent to Corinth (8:16;9:5)
• Results of Generous Giving (9:6-15)

III.         Polemical: Paul's Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (chs. 10-13)

• Paul's Defense of His Apostolic Authority and the Area of His Mission (ch. 10)
• Paul Forced into Foolish Boasting (chs. 11-12)
• Final Warnings (13:1-10)
• Conclusion, Final Greetings and Benediction (13:11-14)

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From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 2 Corinthians
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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