This chapter marks the end of Paul’s defense of his ministry against false teachers (2 Corinthians 1-7) and the beginning of a discussion regarding financial giving (2 Corinthians 8-9).  For several years Paul had been collecting an offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-28; Galatians 2:10).  The Corinthians heard about this offering and inquired about how they could be involved in providing for the poor (1 Corinthians 16:1).  Although Paul had given them instructions on how to collect money for this offering (1 Corinthians 16:2-4), the believers at Corinth had not yet responded.

Paul writes to Corinth about the extreme generosity of the churches in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea) who had given toward this offering even though they were experiencing great trials and financial struggles of their own (8:1-5).  The churches in Macedonia had first given themselves completely to God and then allowed God to use them to help others in their time of hardship (8:5).  Paul desired the Corinthians to also be used by God in helping those in Jerusalem, so he had sent Titus to urge them in this expression of love for others (8:6-7).  Paul would not force the Corinthians to give (8:8), but he reminded them that giving generously best reflects the actions of Christ who sacrificed Himself so that others could be freed from sin (8:9).  The Corinthians desired to participate in this offering a year ago and Paul advised them to finish what they had started so that God could continue to provide for their own needs (8:10-15).  In order to remove any doubt about Paul’s motivation for collecting this offering, he sent Titus and two other unnamed, but well-respected, men to collect and handle this offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem (8:16-23).  In reality, contributing to this offering was a chance for the church at Corinth to prove their love for God and others because giving is one of the highest forms of love (8:24).

Dear God, help me to love others by giving when it is in my power to do so.

The false teachers who had infiltrated the Corinthian church assaulted the character of Paul in order to turn the people away from him and further spread their erroneous teachings.  So in an effort to defend himself and protect the purity of the church Paul paid a visit to Corinth, but he was not well received (2:1); in fact, he was openly ridiculed by an individual, possibly one of the false teachers (2:5-8, 10; 7:12).  Paul was devastated that the believers in Corinth had not defended him or remained loyal to the one who loved them so much.  Eventually the Corinthians repented (7:7) after Paul had returned to Ephesus and wrote a “severe” letter delivered by the hand of Titus (7:15-16).

In this part of the letter, Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthians knew he had forgiven them so he shares his heart regarding the situation and his joy in their repentance.  Paul invited them to open their heart to him because he had never “corrupted” or “cheated” them in any of his actions (7:2).  He had always conducted himself with integrity and sincerity.  Paul did not blame them for believing his accusers.  He knew the false teachers employed deceitfulness and trickery to lure the Corinthians away from the truth.  Instead of holding this incident against the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf.  I am filled with comfort.  I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (7:3-4).  The anguish and disappointment resulting from the Corinthians’ rejection of Paul had not caused him to lose his joy, but he took great comfort in Titus’ report of their repentance (7:5-8).  Paul even expressed Titus’ incredible joy concerning their repentance (7:13-16).  Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.  For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (7:9-10).  The Corinthians had been cleared of their wrongdoing as a result of their repentance, meaning that they turned from their sin and pursued a right relationship with God (7:11-12).  Sorrow over one’s sin should naturally lead a person to repentance (turning from sin and restoring our relationship with God), but without repentance there can be no forgiveness.  When repentance is accompanied by faith in Jesus, it brings salvation from the power and penalty of sin.  The practice of repentance continues as the believer is sorrowful about the daily sins which break fellowship with God.

Dear God, when I sin, may I be sorrowful and turn from my wrongdoing so that I can passionately pursue You once again.

Thus far in his letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul had defended his ministry against false teachers and those who had questioned his sincerity (2 Corinthians 1-3).  Although Paul experienced incredible persecution and accusations from those who desired to destroy him, he wrote about the ministry of the gospel given to him by God and his unwavering commitment to withstand the onslaughts (2 Corinthians 4).  Paul was careful to remind the church at Corinth that this confidence was founded in the power of Christ, who brings daily renewal to the inner man (4:16-18).  Even though his body had been worn down through persecution and personal attacks, Paul looked forward to a future resurrection where he was guaranteed eternity in the presence of God (5:1-8).  Paul made it his aim to please God through the way he lived his life in spite of his circumstances (5:9-11).  Most of his ministry had been spent preaching the necessity of believing in Jesus Christ, who died for sin and rose again, and now he challenged those who had believed in Christ to urge others to be made right with God (5:12-21).

Since many in the Corinthian church had been set free from sin and made right with God through Jesus Christ, they had become “workers together” with Paul; however, he warned them about taking this for granted (6:1).  It is possible that the Corinthians had fallen victim to the false teachers and were fearful of possible persecution if they proclaimed the message of hope through Jesus Christ, so Paul encouraged them to embrace the persecution which stems from speaking the truth.  Paul spoke from experience.  He had been through numerous times of trial (6:2-10), but endured them with joy.

Paul then turned his full attention to the Corinthians and, in love (6:11-13), he called them to live holy lives before God by separating themselves from associations which were detrimental to their relationship with God (6:14-16a).  God desired to “dwell with them and walk among them” (6:16b).  God deeply desired to be their God and he desired them to be His people; therefore, the Corinthians could not be divided in their loyalty.  Drawing from God’s words in Isaiah 52:11 Paul commanded the Corinthians to “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.  I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (6:17-18).  Since God has promised to be our God and dwell among us, we should “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (7:1).

Dear God, cleanse me of all associations which distract me from a relationship with You.  I embrace You as my God.  Dwell in me, walk with me, and be a Father to me.

The trials faced by believers can be overwhelming at times (4:7-15) and Paul wrote to encourage the Corinthians to keep the proper perspective during hardship.  Although the physical body is worn down through trials and persecution and is getting closer to death with each passing day (4:16a), the inner man is being renewed day by day through the power of Christ (4:16b).  Adversity should not cause those who believe in Christ to quit or give up because there is a guarantee of eternal life and reward (4:17-18).  Paul continues this thought by reminding the Corinthians that the physical body (Paul calls it a tent) will eventually be destroyed, but the destruction of that body will give way to a new body fashioned by divine hands (5:1).  All believers desire to be freed from the weak and frail bodies which have been torn apart by sin (5:2-6) so they can inherit eternal life in the presence of God.  This is a reality we accept by faith (5:7) and Paul writes in confidence that absence from the physical body will be followed by eternity with God (5:8).

Until the physical body is finally destroyed by death, the follower of Christ should make it his or her “aim” to please God through living in obedience because “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (5:10).  Every believer is held accountable to God for the way he has lived his life.  This judgment is not a judgment for sin (Christ paid for sin on the cross), but a judgment concerning things accomplished for the sake of God during their time on earth.  Knowing that he would be held accountable for his life, Paul spent his time persuading men to be reconciled to God (5:11; 5:20).

Paul was willing to do anything, even if it appeared crazy to the false teachers (5:12-13), to persuade men to believe in Jesus Christ, who died for sin and rose again to secure eternal life (5:14-15).  Paul believed that all men were valuable in the eyes of God and could experience new life in Christ and be freed from the power of  sin (5:17).  When a person experiences new life in Christ, God gives that individual the “ministry of reconciliation,” meaning that they can participate in proclaiming to sinners that they can be reconciled (made right) with God through belief in the death of Jesus Christ for sin (5:18-20).  Paul then summarizes the message believers are to proclaim to those who have not yet believed, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (5:21).

Dear God, thank You for a future hope in Your presence, but I also pray that You would use me to proclaim reconciliation to sinners.

The forgiveness of God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, provides victory for those who believe, but trials are still present in this life.  Although Jesus defeated sin (2:14) and the Spirit begins the transformation process in our lives (3:18), Paul knew that believers might become discouraged by hardships so he wrote that they should never give up (4:1).  The message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ was an important message which should not be abandoned because of trials or persecution.  Paul was currently facing persecution from the false teachers, who were accusing him of deceiving people and teaching an erroneous message, but Paul vehemently defended his ministry.  It was the false teachers whose minds were corrupt and whose hearts were darkened (4:2-4).  Paul preached Jesus Christ as Lord and presented Him as the One who brought light to us all (4:6).

In order to endure persecution, Paul drew his strength from the power of God and all who believe in Jesus Christ will also need God’s power to endure hardship (4:7).  Paul writes a few words of encouragement concerning persecution and endurance, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (4:8-10, NLT).  Weakness is an opportunity for God to show His great power.  Even though Paul risked his life through preaching the gospel, he was confident that the same power which raised Jesus from the dead would also raise him up one day (4:11-15).  Paul then explained that he does not lose heart in the midst of persecution (4:16).  Although his body was wasting away with each passing day, the inner man was being renewed each day (4:16).  This renewal provided hope in the future and deterred him from giving up on the ministry which had been given to him by God (4:17-18).

Dear God, I need Your strength in the middle of my trials so that I might never give up and carry on the ministry to which You’ve called me.

The false teachers, who had been vigorously attacking Paul’s apostolic authority, brought into question his legitimacy as a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many parts of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth formed his defense against these unnecessary onslaughts.  Although the Corinthian people had no reason to question Paul’s authority, he sarcastically asked them if he should reintroduce himself or present them with the appropriate documents to prove his position (3:1).  Ultimately, the only documentation Paul needed to prove his authority to preach the gospel was not written on a piece of paper, but on the lives of those who had been changed through his preaching and ministry amongst the Corinthians (3:2-3).  This change, which was evident in the church of Corinth, had not been accomplished in Paul’s own strength, but with the power of God working through him (3:4-5).

Not only did Paul’s dependence on the power of God separate him from the false teachers, but also his message.  The false teachers had deceived the people into thinking that forgiveness could be received through obedience to the Law of Moses, but Paul’s message was of the new covenant, which was that Jesus Christ provided forgiveness through His sacrificial death on the cross (3:6).  The Law of Moses only exposed a person’s utter sinfulness, but the new covenant gave life and forgiveness through the spirit of God who entered into those who believed in Jesus Christ as the payment for sin (3:7-11).  In comparison, the Law of Moses brought death, but the new covenant which was preached by Paul brought righteousness (3:9).

The new covenant brought hope and boldness to the ministry of Paul (3:12).  As a part of the old covenant, Moses did not possess the boldness realized in the time of Paul because the new covenant had not yet been revealed (3:13).  The old covenant consisted of symbols, types, and mystery while the new covenant (forgiveness through the death of Jesus Christ) brought understanding of God’s plan to save mankind from sin (3:14-16).  Then when forgiveness is received through belief in Jesus Christ, a person gains freedom from sin and the demands of the law (3:17) and the Spirit begins the work of transformation (3:18).  This was the message of Paul.

Dear God, bring transformation through the Spirit in my life.

Paul continued to remind the Corinthian church that he had not personally visited them because he did not want to cause grief or pain (1:23-24) through swift disciplinary action for their wrongdoing (2:1).  Although it would have been Paul’s right to visit and demand that they change their ways, he knew that he should be patient with them and therefore used written words to share his heart for them (2:2-4).  The contents of Paul’s written letter is not entirely known; in fact, the only indication about its’ contents are detailed in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and 7:5-12.  It appears that the actions of one man resulted in the severe letter written by Paul to the Corinthians, but no details are provided about the infraction which took place (2:5).  It is possible that this man had personally attacked Paul or questioned his apostolic authority, but Paul was calling for the Corinthian Christians to extend comfort and forgiveness so that this man would not become discouraged (2:6-10).  Paul knew that harboring unforgiveness or bitterness toward another person could possibly cause division within the church and Paul did not want to give Satan an opportunity to destroy the church at Corinth (2:11).

Paul then writes concerning the opportunities for ministry given to him by God (2:12-17).  He had been spreading the message of hope through Jesus Christ from city to city as he was being led by God (2:14).  Paul described spreading this message of hope as a sweet smelling fragrance (2:15), although some people reacted in different ways.  Paul writes, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life” (2:15-16).  Paul carefully handled this message entrusted to him by God and did not want to be associated with many who were simply preaching for personal gain (2:17).  Preaching the good news about Jesus Christ with sincerity and authority was important to Paul because He knew that God was watching (2:17).

Dear God, help me to freely forgive others and preach with sincerity.

Paul, along with Timothy, writes this letter to the church at Corinth as well as believers throughout Greece (1:1-2).  The church at Corinth is known as the most immature congregation out of all the churches Paul planted.  They struggled with divisiveness and numerous issues which restricted them from maturing in their faith (see 1 Corinthians); however, Paul’s letter to them reflected his love for them and his desire to see them put aside their differences.

As he begins writing this second, canonical letter to the Corinthians, Paul offers his praise to God for bringing him and his companions comfort during trials (1:3-8); after all, Paul was very familiar with hardship (1:9-11).  In fact, at one point in his life Paul thought he was going to die, but he determined to stop relying on himself and relied only on God (1:9).  Paul had placed his full confidence in the plan of God, even though he was experiencing deep pain (1:10).  The prayers offered on Paul’s behalf during his time of trial also brought him great comfort (1:11).

After his brief greeting and an expression of gratefulness to God, Paul moves into the real reason why he was writing – to defend his sincerity and apostolic authority.  The false teachers had obviously questioned Paul’s genuineness, so he made it clear that he had always conducted himself in holiness and sincerity (1:12-14).  Paul goes on to explain a change in his travel plans that the false teachers may have used as “proof” that Paul did not really care about the Corinthians (1:15-24).  This change of itinerary, Paul explains, was an act of grace which spared them a “severe rebuke”  from him for their immaturity and entertaining of false teachers (1:23).  He did not desire to exercise disciplinary action and dominate them with his authority, but rather to work together with them so that they would be able to stand firm in their faith (1:24).  It is apparent that Paul deeply cared about the spiritual well-being of the Corinthian church and this is why he began his letter by expressing his desire for the believers at Corinth to experience joy.

Dear God, give me a passion to see spiritual maturity in the people You have entrusted to me.

The church at Corinth began while Paul was traveling through the city on his second missionary journey.  Paul actually resided with the Corinthians for a year and a half and during this time he was able to personally teach them about the ways of Christ (see Acts 18:1-18).  However, after Paul’s departure, the Corinthian church encountered major problems and Paul wrote them a letter (1 Corinthians 5:9) in order to confront some issues.  This letter has since been lost.

While Paul was in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, he heard of more problems within the church, so he wrote another letter, which is known as 1 Corinthians.  Paul used this letter to warn against their divisiveness and bring clarification about some issues within the Corinthian church.  It seems as if Paul’s writing of 1 Corinthians resolved some of the issues, but another threat entered into Corinth – false teachers.  These teachers were misleading the Corinthian church by questioning the apostolic authority and sincerity of Paul, so he left Ephesus and attempted a brief visit to Corinth, but he was turned away by an arrogant insulter (2 Corinthians 2:1,5; 12:14; 13:1-2) .  Since a personal visit was not well received, Paul returned to Ephesus and wrote a “severe” letter (2 Corinthians 2:4) to the Corinthians, which has since been lost.

Titus eventually gave Paul the news that many of the Corinthians had repented and affirmed their loyalty to Paul (2 Corinthians 7:7) as a result of his written letter.  This news brought great joy to Paul.  Although many had repented, Paul knew that the false teachers were still in Corinth and some of the Corinthians were still against him.  With this in mind, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in order to defend his apostleship (2 Corinthians 1-7), to instruct them concerning giving (2 Corinthians 8-9), and to confront the false teachers directly (2 Corinthians 10-13).