Corinthians, Second Epistle to The
Background and Occasion
The story behind 2 Corinthians is one of the most complex in the New Testament. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul apparently made a painful visit to Corinth that ended badly (2 Corinthians 2:1). An individual in the church had openly opposed Paul, and the congregation had failed to support the apostle. Paul then wrote a severe letter "out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears" (2 Corinthians 2:4), which he sent via Titus.
Unable to wait for news, Paul left Ephesus and traveled to Macedonia, where Titus finally met him with encouraging reports: the Corinthians had responded to the severe letter with godly sorrow and had disciplined the offender (2 Corinthians 7:5-11). Yet the situation was not fully resolved. False apostles had infiltrated the church, challenging Paul's authority and offering a rival gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4, 13). Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to express his relief, to encourage the collection for Jerusalem, and to confront the false teachers head-on.
The Ministry of the New Covenant (Chapters 1-7)
The first major section of the letter develops a rich theology of apostolic ministry. Paul begins by reflecting on suffering, explaining that God comforts the afflicted so that they can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). He describes the new covenant ministry as surpassing the old in glory, drawing a contrast between Moses' veiled face and the unveiled transformation believers experience through the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).
Paul's famous metaphor of treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7) captures the paradox of divine power working through human weakness. Though "afflicted in every way," Paul and his coworkers are "not crushed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9), sustained by the hope of resurrection and the reality that "the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). This section also contains the powerful declaration: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Collection for Jerusalem (Chapters 8-9)
Paul devotes two chapters to the collection he was organizing for impoverished believers in Jerusalem. He holds up the Macedonian churches as models of generosity, noting that "in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity" (2 Corinthians 8:2). Paul grounds Christian giving in the example of Christ: "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). He articulates principles of voluntary, cheerful, and proportional giving: "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Paul's Defense Against False Apostles (Chapters 10-13)
The tone shifts dramatically in chapters 10-13 as Paul confronts opponents who have been undermining his authority. These "super-apostles" (2 Corinthians 11:5) boasted of their credentials and polished speaking abilities. Paul responds with what he calls a "fool's speech," reluctantly listing his own credentials and sufferings: beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, danger, and sleepless nights (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Paul also shares his experience of being "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) but immediately balances this with the famous "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). When Paul pleaded for its removal, the Lord replied: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). This becomes Paul's definitive statement on the relationship between human weakness and divine power, culminating in the paradox: "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Key Themes and Lasting Significance
Second Corinthians offers the most intimate window into Paul's inner life of any letter in the New Testament. Its theology of the cross applied to daily ministry, its vision of weakness as the venue for divine power, and its portrait of authentic apostleship have deeply shaped Christian understanding of leadership, suffering, and grace. The letter demonstrates that genuine spiritual authority is not measured by eloquence or impressive credentials but by faithful endurance, transparent vulnerability, and the transforming power of the gospel.
Biblical Context
Second Corinthians is the eighth book of the New Testament in traditional ordering. It follows 1 Corinthians and assumes knowledge of events that transpired between the two letters. Key theological passages include 2 Corinthians 3 (new covenant glory), 2 Corinthians 4-5 (treasure in jars of clay, new creation), 2 Corinthians 8-9 (principles of giving), and 2 Corinthians 12 (weakness and grace). The letter connects to Acts 20:1-3 and references events in Paul's Ephesian ministry.
Theological Significance
This epistle provides the New Testament's most developed theology of suffering and weakness as the context for divine power. It articulates the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), the new creation in Christ, and the surpassing glory of the new covenant. Its treatment of Christian giving is foundational for the church's understanding of generosity. The letter also provides crucial insight into Paul's apostolic self-understanding and criteria for authentic ministry.
Historical Background
Paul wrote from Macedonia around 55-56 AD, after a tumultuous period involving a painful visit to Corinth, a severe letter, and the arrival of false teachers who may have been connected to a Judaizing movement. Corinth was a major Roman colony and commercial center. Titus served as Paul's emissary and brought back the good report that prompted the letter. The collection for Jerusalem mentioned in chapters 8-9 was an important act of solidarity between Gentile and Jewish believers.