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2 Corinthians 1:1-2
Last week we were introduced to the author of the book of 2 Corinthians—Paul the apostle. The testimony of his life and conversion is still very fresh in my memory. The wonder of Paul being God's chosen instrument is almost immeasurable. Paul’s life and testimony remind us of what an awesome God we serve.
(Prayer) Thank you Lord for making us new like Paul. Thank you for pouring into our hearts faith and love for you, so that we can believe and trust and depend on you for all our strength. Thank you for making us ministers of the Gospel. May you fill us with your Word once again this morning. In Jesus name, amen.
As important as examining the author of this letter, is our examination of his audience—Paul readers. We are given a brief description of who they are here again in verse 1. Please have your Bibles open and follow along with me as I read 2 Corinthians 1:1-2.
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 the saints throughout Achaia: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This letter is written by Paul, who is an apostle of Jesus Christ according to God's will, and it is written to the church of God in Corinth, as well as all the saints in Achaia. This then is a letter to a church and to the other Christian brothers and sisters in the immediate region. But where is Corinth and Achaia, and what do we know about the church there? And more importantly, what do we know about Paul’s relationship with this church. Without an understanding of these facts, the meaning of this letter would be lost.
This however is not a simple task. Unlike many other letters in the New Testament, the dynamics of the author and the readers of this book is particularly complex. Let’s first set the stage by looking at an overview of Paul’s interactions with this church.
Let’s start by turning to Acts 18. It is here, on Paul’s second missionary journey, we are told Paul arrives in the city of Corinth. What do we know about this city? Well, we know they have wonderful leather products—rich Corinthian leather (as adorned the Plymouth Volarč of the 1970’s). Actually Corinth was a very metropolitan city on the Aegean Sea in Greece. As such, it was a city of many vices and much immorality, idolatry, and a myriad of other problems that come with such an affluent and metropolitan city. Let’s see how Paul’s visit to the city progressed. Follow along with me beginning in Acts 18:1
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law." 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever. 18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.…24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
During his 18 months in Corinth, Paul, with the help of Silas and Timothy, planted a church. It was in Corinth where Paul came under severe attack from Jews, and decided to focus his ministry on preaching to the Gentiles. After he left Apollos ministered there for some time. This was a church that Paul poured himself into, preaching and teaching them the Word of God continually.
Sometime after he left, Paul received news from the church on how things were going. The news wasn’t good. Apparently, within the church their had arisen a number of problems, not the least of which was a incestuous man. 1 Corinthians 5:1 describes the situation, and it was not good. The immorality so ramped in the city was occurring in the church as well, and nothing was being done about it. The church was ignoring, perhaps for the sake of peace, this man’s incestuous relationship with his mother.
So Paul writes a letter to the church telling them that they must expel this man from the church, as well as deal with the sins of their own hearts. This is Paul’s first letter to the church, but it is not 1 Corinthians, since he describes writing it in 1 Corinthians. We will call this first letter, Letter A. This was not an inspired letter, but rather a letter from Paul’s heart pleading with and demanding that the church take appropriate action and discipline this man. It is also a stern reminder not to become entangled in the sins of the world. We do not have this letter. We only know of it because Paul tells us he wrote it.
Sometime later, Paul received word of how the church had received the letter. Again, the news was not good. In 1 Corinthians 1:11 Paul tells us that he received new that there were quarrels among them. One group followed Paul, another Apollos, another Peter, etc… The church also had apparently written Paul a letter, that he refers to in 1 Corinthians 7:1. So there was some kind of ongoing communication between Paul and the church he founded. Paul cares deeply about their spiritual well-being.
In response to this further bad news, Paul send Timothy to Corinth to get more information and help make sure that these issues were dealt with. It was at about this same time that Paul wrote what we know as 1 Corinthians. We will call this Letter B. In this inspired letter, Paul responds to the "from bad to worse" situation that the church was in. He addresses the issues of cliques, incest, corrupt worship, worldly wisdom and philosophy, weak church leadership, misuse of spiritual gifts, immorality, abuse of the Lord’s supper, and the failure to properly respect preaching and prophecy. This is a church with a lot of problems. But problems not uncommon in the churches today. That is why 1 Corinthians is such an important letter.
At some point along this timeline, there is evidence that Paul decided that he must go visit Corinth himself. This is referred to as the "sorrowful visit" or the "painful visit" as referred to in 2 Corinthians 2:1. Paul went to the church personally to confront them about their backsliding and their failure to effect appropriate discipline. This must have been a very difficult journey for Paul. He loved this church and so wanted it to grow in the Lord, but many in the congregation were floundering spiritually, and it hurt Paul deeply. He had fed them the Word of God and they weren’t listening—they were just doing their own thing.
Upon returning to Ephesus, Paul wrote a third letter, one that we will call Letter C. This is referred to as the "severe letter." Paul makes reference to this letter in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4. Turn there with me.
1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For 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 should not be distressed by those who ought to make 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.
Paul really wore his heart on his sleeve in this letter. He hated to grieve his beloved church by chastising them and correcting them, but he knew he must—the stakes were too high not to. It is much like a parent who knows he must discipline his child, even though he knows it may (temporary as it may be) negatively effect the relationship. No one likes to be punished or disciplined, and yet is necessary for survival. Paul knows this, and it is because of his deep love for the church and it’s people he wrote them such a severe letter. If Paul didn’t care, or didn’t much like the people, he wouldn’t have waisted his time on them. But he cares deeply. That concern is reflected in his desire to see them mature and grow. "I said what I said, wrote what I wrote, BECAUSE I love you." How often do we understand that as a child though? Not very often. Only later do we come to appreciate what courage it took our parents to instruct us and discipline us the way they did—they had our interests in mind every step of the way. It was a sign of their love. Paul needed this church to understand that.
Most troubling to Paul was that not only were there the ongoing issues mentioned in 1 Corinthians, (Letter B) there was now a very tangible beginnings of a mutiny against him. False teachers and false apostles were assaulting Paul, trying to undermine the truth he preached and replace it with their own worldly wisdom false doctrines.
This letter then, Letter C, the severe letter, was an attempt to deal with the continuing problems Paul found when he visited. Paul was giving his life and industry for the well-being of the church, and he was being maligned and vilified. He was attacked as being a false apostle. They attacked his authority and sought to undermine it and his teachings. They questioned his honesty and integrity, and even questioned his love and concern for the church. He alludes to this in 2 Corinthians 11:12. They attacked his character and his personality, calling him arrogant and boastful, all in an attempt to tear him down and thereby elevate themselves and their own contrived teachings.
Paul’s heart was crushed. He was in anguish over the status of this church. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of Christ and the sake of the Truth. His tears reflected the deep pain that churches can inflict upon pastors and evangelists. It was those feelings he later says he regretted having to express, but he had to let them know how much this situation pained him.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 7 that he couldn’t sleep and felt harassed at every turn, and was downright fearful of the situation. But then a ray of hope came to Paul. Titus returned from Corinth and informed Paul that many in the church had responded to Paul’s plea, and expressed their longing for him and their sorrow for causing such pain. This was a great joy to Paul. To hear their love expressed for him. Look at 2 Corinthians 7:8-9.
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
He had regretted writing the letter at first, but now he realized that it was those harsh words that lead the people to sorrow and that sorrow led them to repentance. And, God had intended that all along.
This letter is also lost, although some believe that a portion of it is retained in 2 Corinthians 9-13. There is however, no manuscript evidence for such a claim and therefore pure conjecture.
Having received some encouraging news at last, Paul writes Letter D, otherwise known as 2 Corinthians. There is a tone of joy and happiness in this letter, and yet Paul is still careful to defend himself and his authority, because he knows that there may still be some in the church who refuse to accept his authority and his teaching and may again in the future seek to undermine him and the Truth.
We will see in this letter Paul lay out the defense of his ministry and his authority as an Apostle. In doing so, he lays forth a defense for all those who minister for the sake of the Gospel. He will open his heart to us time and time again. His love for the church will be seen in his commitment to the Truth of God and to their spiritual welfare. It is a deeply personal letter, and as such it is one of the most unique in the New Testament. It is, though, as all of Paul’s letters are, a call to focus on the Truth of Jesus Christ. What better subject to discuss at this time of the year. I trust that the Lord will firmly implant this Word into our hearts in the upcoming weeks and months.