The Aroma of Life (2 Cor 2:14-3:6)

What aroma do you give off? Cool like Clint Eastwood or Keanu Reeves? Cute like Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit? Tough and strong like Captain America? Often I feel physically like a slouching older person who can't even stand up straight, or like one who often says the wrong thing in the wrong way. Paul says that God uses him "to spread the aroma of the knowledge of [God] everywhere" (2 Cor 2:14). As a Christian do you spread God's aroma?

Competency in ministry (2:14 - 4:6). [Celebrating and Communicating (2:14-3:6); Led in Triumph; Confident and Competant; Aroma of Life; Opposition]. After not meeting Titus in Troas as he had hoped, Paul breaks off and resumes in 2 Cor 7:5-7 with a long digression to balance a depressing account of his ministry:

1. affliction in Asia (2 Cor 1:8-9), 
2. criticisms of his integrity (2 Cor 1:12, 17-18),
3. the pain experienced in Corinth because of the offender (2 Cor 2:4-5), and 
4. his inability to settle to missionary work in Troas (2 Cor 2:12-13).

To balance this depressing account, Paul strikes a positive note (2:14-4:6):

• God always and everywhere enables him to carry on an effective ministry despite many difficulties (2 Cor 2:14-17).
• He asserts that he doesn't need letters of recommendation, because their very existence constitutes a 'letter' from Christ validating his ministry (2 Cor 3:1-3).
• His competency for ministry comes from God who made him an able minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6).
• He compares the greater glory of his ministry under the new covenant with the lesser glory of Moses' ministry under the old covenant (3:7-18). [A wonderful new relationship.]
• He concludes by describing how he conducts his ministry (4:1-6). [The clear shining of a great light.]

Led in triumph (2:14-17). Despite the difficulties of his mission, Paul is able to say, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession (2 Cor 2:14a). Leads us in triumph [thriambeuonti hemas] likely means that God, having 'conquered' Paul, now leads him as a 'captive' in his 'triumphal procession.' Paul's imagery is of a triumphal procession of a victorious Roman general leading his army through the streets of Rome up to the Capitoline Hill exhibiting the spoils and captives of war.

"And uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere" (2 Cor 2:14b). During the procession, incense was burnt to the gods and the aroma wafted over the spectators and those in the procession. For the victorious, the aroma was pleasing (2 Cor 2:15, 16b), but for the vanquished, it was far from pleasant (2 Cor 2:16a). The one whom Paul describes as led in triumph as a captive is the same one whom God uses to spread abroad the aroma of the knowledge of him, namely Christ, in whom the knowledge of God's glory is displayed (2 Cor 4:6).

Paul, a pleasing aroma of Christ. "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing" (2 Cor 2:15). Why? Because, by preaching of the word of God (2 Cor 2:17), he spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Christ. In the Roman victory procession, the incense was offered to the gods, even though it was the people who smelt its aroma. So, while Paul focuses on the response of the people to the proclamation of the gospel, he says that the proclamation of Christ is well pleasing to God: it is "to God the pleasing aroma of Christ." But the smell of incense burnt to the gods in the triumphal procession would have different connotations to different people. For the victorious general, his soldiers and the welcoming crowds, the aroma is the joy of victory. But for the prisoners of war, the aroma is associated with the fate of slavery or death which awaited them. Gospel preaching likewise has different connotations for different people (2 Cor 2:16).

"To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life" [lit. 'to those [who are perishing] an aroma from death to death; to those [who are being saved] an aroma from life to life'] (2 Cor 2:16a). 'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God' (1 Cor 1:18). With such a heavy responsibility Paul asks, "And who is equal to such a task" (2 Cor 2:16b)? Paul's answer: 'Not that we are competent in ourselves . . . our competence comes from God' (2 Cor 3:5).

"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit" (2 Cor 2:17a). Due to the heavy burden of responsibility for preaching that he feels, he refuses to tamper with God's word (2 Cor 4:2), or to act like many other open air speakers/orators (1 Cor 1:17; 2:1) who peddle the word of God for profit and prey upon them (2 Cor 11:20), similar to petty traders who adulterate their wine with water or use false weights. Possibly these "peddlers" whom Paul alludes to were already operating in Corinth. To distinguish himself from them, Paul refused financial support from those he was ministering to, though he accepted it from Christians elsewhere (2 Cor 11:7-12; 12:13-15). In contrast to such people, Paul says, "On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God" (2 Cor 2:17b). He describes 4 aspects of his preaching: he speaks:

1. in Christ, as one who belongs to Christ and has been taught by him;
2. before God, as one who is accountable to God (2 Cor 5:10-11);
3. with sincerity, as one whose motives are pure and without dissimulation;
4. sent from God, as one who has been commissioned by God and must faithfully carry out his commission.

Letters of recommendation (2 Cor 3:1-3). Paul says much about the commendation of servants of God (2 Cor 4:2; 5:12; 6:4; 10:12, 18; 12:11). When Apollos came to Corinth he brought a letter of recommendation from the Ephesian Christians (Ac 18:27) and Paul wrote letters of recommendation for many other people (Rom 16:1-2; 1 Cor 16:10-11; 2 Cor 8:22-23; Eph 6:21-22; Col 4:7-8, 10; Phlm 10-12, 17-19). But in their case at least, Paul did not need a letter of recommendation for them or to receive one from them. It is not his disapproval of such letters, but as their founding apostle who planted the church it's proof enough of his apostleship. Thus, he needed no letter of recommendation to prove the authenticity of his apostleship to that church.

Why did Paul raise the question of letters of recommendation? It's likely that the fact that he didn't bring such a letter with him to Corinth had been used as a basis of criticism by someone in the church. Quite likely, it was the offender--the one who caused pain (2 Cor 2:5) and who did wrong (2 Cor 7:12) who, in mounting his personal attack against Paul, criticized the apostle's lack of such a letter. The offender probably also received support at least from the 'false apostles' who had already infiltrated the church and were themselves to oppose Paul so vehemently (chs. 10 - 13).

"Are we beginning to commend ourselves again" (2 Cor 3:1)? Self-commendation in itself was not reprehensible and was even necessary in situations where commendation by a third party was not possible. Elsewhere, Paul does commend himself (2 Cor 4:2; 6:4), but was reluctant to overdo it (2 Cor 5:12; 10:18). Criticism that he didn't bring letters of recommendation forced him to ask, "Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you" (2 Cor 3:1b)? Some came to Corinth with letters of recommendation because they needed them and likely asked them for letters to facilitate the next stage of their mission. They, the false apostles in Corinth, were probably critical of Paul for not doing so. Paul regarded it as absurd that he should be required to bring such letters to them or to ask them for such letters when he's their founding apostle. Paul's question expects an emphatic 'No' as an answer.

"You yourselves are our letter, written on [y]our hearts, known and read by everyone" (2 Cor 3:2) is Paul's defense against criticisms that he didn't bring a letter of recommendation when he came to Corinth. The meaning is of a letter written on Paul's heart, consisting of the knowledge of what God had done in their lives through his preaching of the gospel. '...your hearts' also fits well in the context. Paul says, 'you yourselves are our letter,' and 'you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry' (2 Cor 3:3). It was through Paul's ministry that Christ constituted them a letter of recommendation for him, suggesting that the letter was written on their hearts. So, the existence of believers in Corinth was testimony to the effectiveness and authenticity of Paul's ministry. They were his letter of recommendation, written, he says, on our/your hearts, known and read by everyone.

"You show that you are a letter from Christ" (2 Cor 3:3a). If they are Paul's letter of recommendation, the author of that letter is Christ, for Christ himself produced this letter for him. Certainly, then, his 'letter' of recommendation carries more weight than those written by human authors that 'some people' presented. While Christ was the author of the letter, Paul says it was "the result of our ministry" (2 Cor 3:3b). In a metaphor of letter writing an author and a scribe are envisaged. Paul describes a 'living letter' dictated by Christ, and 'inscribed' in their hearts through his apostolic ministry of gospel proclamation. Paul takes the analogy one step further when he says this scribal work was performed "not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God'' (2 Cor 3:3c). His ministry was empowered by the Spirit of God, and any changes wrought in the lives of his hearers were effected by the Spirit (Rom 15:17-19; 1 Cor 2:4-5).

Paul varies the metaphor saying, "not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor 3:4d). The law is written in stone at Mount Sinai (Exo 31:18). But the gospel is written on human hearts, alluding to the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:24-32). This allusion paves the way for Paul to describe himself as a minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6) and to compare and contrast the ministry under the old and new covenants (3:7-18).

An exalted view of ministry is implied (3:1-3). Paul and his colleagues were privileged to be the agents by whom 'living letters' from the exalted Christ were inscribed in the hearts of men and women. For this ministry the apostles were entrusted with the precious ink of the Spirit. By the grace of God, what was effected in their hearts through Paul's ministry became a letter authenticating and commending his ministry. Chrysostom comments, 'The virtues of disciples commend the teacher more than any letter.'

Ministers of the new covenant (3:4-6). Paul answers the question 'Who is equal to such a task?' (2 Cor 2:16) by showing that his competence as a minister of the new covenant comes from God. Then he expands on the new covenant (2 Cor 3:3; Jer 31:31) and to contrasting ministries under the old and new covenants (3:7-18).

"Such confidence we have through Christ before God" (2 Cor 3:4) is based on seeing God's work in them through Christ (3:1- 3), for he's seen God transform their lives through Christ who produced 'living letters' in their hearts. Before God (or 'towards God') is the one who leads him in triumph and through him spreads abroad the aroma of the knowledge of God (2:14-17).

Paul's confidence is not self-confidence: "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God" (2 Cor 3:5). His competence in ministry comes from God, and he answers the question he raised: 'Who is equal to such a task?' (2 Cor 2:16). His denial of self-sufficiency isn't an exaggerated humility, but a sober recognition of the fact that spiritual ministry can be accomplished only by the power of God at work in the minister and released through the preaching of the gospel (Rom 15:17-19; 1 Cor 1:18 -2:5).

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant" (2 Cor 3:6a). Paul repeats his answer to the question 'Who is equal to such a task?' (2 Cor 2:16) by stressing that it is God who has made him a competent minister of the new covenant. 

'Minister' ( diakonos ) can mean either an agent acting as an intermediary, or an assistant who acts at the behest of a superior. In his ministry, Paul functioned in both these ways (2 Cor 5:20; 1 Cor 3:5). 

"New covenant" is only in 1 other place in the Lord's Supper tradition which Paul received ['This cup is the new covenant in my blood' (1 Cor 11:25)]. Both Jesus' words of institution and Paul referring to the new covenant show that Jeremiah's prophecy has been fulfilled: 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,' declares the LORD' (Jer 31:31-32). Jesus' words which Paul quotes (1 Cor 11:25) and the exposition in Heb 9:15-28 of Jer 31:31 make clear that Christ's death established the new covenant that supersedes and surpasses the old Mosaic covenant, as Paul makes plain (3:7-11).

Paul stresses the ministry of the new covenant is "not of the letter but of the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:6b)--interpreted as a ministry which doesn't focus upon the literal meaning of the OT ('letter'), but on its real underlying intention ('spirit'). But Paul uses 'letter' and 'Spirit' to the law of Moses ['engraved in letters on stone' (2 Cor 3:7)] and the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:8)--the primary features of ministry under the old and new covenants.

"...for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6c). How does the letter, the law of Moses, kill? There's nothing wrong with the law - he insists that the law is holy, righteous, good and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14). But it's powerless to curb human sin (Rom 8:3) or to bring life and be a means to establish righteousness (Gal 3:21). Instead, it pronounces God's judgment on sinners and brings death (Rom 7:10). So a ministry of the letter is a ministry of death. On the other hand...

"...the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6d) and does what the law could never do, i.e., bring about the fulfilment of its own demands (Rom 8:2-4). The ministry of the Spirit--different from the ministry of the letter--is a ministry of the new covenant where sins are forgiven and remembered no more and God's law is written on people's hearts (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:25-27). It's a ministry where people are motivated and enabled by the Spirit to overcome their sinful tendencies and live lives pleasing to God (Rom 7:4, 6), the final outcome of which is eternal life (Gal 6:8).

When Paul contrasts the letter that kills and the Spirit who gives life (2 Cor 3:6), no downgrading of the role of Scripture in Christian life and ministry is involved. The letter that kills refers to the law of Moses in its role of pronouncing judgment upon those who sin. But that same law testifies to the saving gospel of Christ (Rom 3:21; 4:1-25; 10:5-8). 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work' (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.

A No-Win Situation (2 Cor 2:1-13)

Firm and loving (2 Cor 2:4). Paul wrote the 'severe letter' after defending his change of travel plans (1:15-24) to help them discipline and forgive the offender (2:1- 13). This relieved (7:6-13) and concerned Paul that Satan wins if the offender is overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So he urged them to reaffirm their love for the repentant offender. For their sake he minimized the wrong he suffered from the offender to show his full support in reinstating the one who hurt him.

A no-win situation (2:1-4). "So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you" (2 Cor 2:1). Paul intended to visit them after passing through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5-7), but changed his plans to visit them first on his way to Macedonia, and again on his way back, so that they 'benefit twice' (2 Cor 1:15-16). The first visit was painful for both them and he, so he didn't make the return visit. Instead wrote the 'severe letter.' It was a 'no-win' situation.

• If he made another visit, it'd be painful.
• If he didn't, his opposition "wins."
• And by writing the 'severe letter', he was criticized for being bold when absent, but timid when present (2 Cor 10:1, 10).

Demand for discipline causes grief. "For if I grieve you [plural], who is left to make me glad but you [singular, 'the one'] whom I have grieved?" (2 Cor 2:2). Who'd make Paul glad if he made the 2nd promised visit and caused them further grief? The grief is caused by the disciplinary action Paul demanded of the congregation (2 Cor 2:5-8). The rebuke of Paul's demand for disciplinary action--something they didn't do, even when Paul was grieved (2 Cor 2:3)--caused grief to both the offender and the church. There's little joy in their relationship until the offender is disciplined, brought to repentance and restored to fellowship.

"I wrote as I did" (2 Cor 2:3a) is the 'severe letter' Paul wrote after his return from the 'painful visit.' He rebuked them for not defending him when he was attacked by the one who caused him grief (2 Cor 2:5). He demanded his punishment and expected their obedience (2 Cor 2:6, 9), "so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice" (2 Cor 2:3b) [remove the friction existing between them and him]. During the 'painful visit,' Paul was anguished by the offending individual, while they, who should've made him rejoice, did nothing. The 'severe letter' was to ensure that this won't happen again. "I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy" (2 Cor 2:3c). The 'severe letter' caused grief, but Paul was confident that they'd want to see Paul joyful again. Paul tackled the thorny problem of punishing the one who caused grief, confident of their goodwill towards him despite the difficulties in their relationship.

With "distress and anguish of heart'' (2 Cor 2:4a) is how Paul wrote the 'severe letter' (2 Cor 2:3), either because of persecution in Asia (2 Cor 1:8-9) or the painful situation in Corinth. Tears 'in a brave and courageous man are a sign of great distress.' [Calvin.] Paul projected into the past what he felt now about them, having received good news from Titus about their response to the 'severe letter.' Despite the current distress Paul felt, he continues to have confidence in their basic goodwill based on his assurance of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Real love. "Not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you" (2 Cor 2:4b). In the 'severe letter' Paul rebuked them for their failure to support him, hoping to move them to repentance (2 Cor 2:3)--not to grieve them, but to let them know the depth of his love for them. How? Not by glossing over a bad situation, but by confronting it and demanding (again) that they take action. It takes real love to confront a difficult situation rather than side-stepping it. Rebuking another without feeling deep love merely tramples them.

Forgive the offender (2:5-11). "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" (2 Cor 2:5). Paul was caused grief by the offender, but he minimized the grief he experienced by drawing attention to the fact that he himself had grieved them as well (2 Cor 2:10). If he alone experienced grief, he'd simply suffer the wrong (1 Cor 6:7). But it was the church as a whole, as well as Paul, that was affected, and so the matter had to be dealt with.

"The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient" (2 Cor 2:6). Punishment (epitimia ) in extra-biblical writings are either legal penalties or commercial sanctions. Thus the church had acted formally and judicially against the offender, possibly excluding him from their gatherings. The majority (pleionon) might imply that a minority did not approve of the punishment, or it may refer to the whole church (minus the offender) and the punishment was by a unanimous decision of the whole church. To Paul it was enough.

Church discipline. "Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him" (2 Cor 2:7a). Although the punishment of the offender was deserved, it brought Paul no joy (2 Cor 2:2); it was restoration he sought. And if the church did not forgive and comfort him, there'd be the danger that he may be "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow" (2 Cor 2:7b). 'overwhelm' ( katapino ) refers to animals who 'devour' their prey, and of waves or waters which 'swallow up' objects and people. Paul is afraid that the offender, if not forgiven and comforted, may 'drown' in his sorrow, so he adds, "/ urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him" (2 Cor 2:8). Reaffirm (kyrosai ) denotes confirmation of a sale or in the ratification of a covenant (Gal 3:15). The re-affirmation of love for which Paul calls, is a formal act by the church, in the same way that the punishment had been formal and judicial. Church discipline is for punishment and to be remedial.

"Another reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything" (2 Cor 2:9). What Paul expected was not obedience to him personally, but obedience to him as an apostle and ambassador of Christ. This is not to 'lord it over' their faith, for he was working for their joy (2 Cor 1:24). "Anyone you forgive, I also forgive" (2 Cor 2:10a). While calling them to forgive (2 Cor 2:6-7), Paul also forgives him to allay their fears that he'd not approve the forgiveness and reinstatement of one who had hurt him badly. "And what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive -I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake (2 Cor 2:10b). Comments:

1. Downplay his hurt when he adds, if there was anything to forgive, which clearly he had (2 Cor 2:5-11; 7:8-13).
2. Forgive the offence for their sake to open the way for reconciliation and restoration of a sense of well-being in the church. His own forgiveness was needed before they would feel free to forgive and effect reconciliation with the offender.
3. "...in the sight of Christ" (lit. 'in [the] face of Christ'). It could be an oath formula, 'As I stand in the sight of Christ, I have forgiven the offence.' Or that his forgiveness has the approval of Christ: 'What I have forgiven has been forgiven in the sight of Christ who looks down with approval.' Or that at the time of writing Paul had not had the opportunity to express his forgiveness face to face with the offender, but nevertheless he had already forgiven the offence 'in the sight of Christ.'

All this was "in order that Satan might not outwit us [lit. 'that we be not taken advantage of by Satan'] (2 Cor 2:11a)--that Satan take advantage of the situation and keep the church weak if there were no forgiveness and reconciliation. Also the Greek pleonekteo ('to take advantage of') is used 4x - all by Paul (2 Cor 7:2; 12:17, 18; 1 Th 4:6). The other uses in 2 Corinthians (and arguably so for that in 1 Thess.) It is to take advantage of people by defrauding them of something which belongs to them. So Paul has in mind that Satan might take advantage of the situation and defraud the congregation of one of its members permanently. Paul adds, "For we are not unaware of his schemes" (2 Cor 2:11b), and accordingly he urges them to reaffirm their love for the offender to forestall such a possibility. Paul recognizes an active role on the part of Satan to undermine the faith, devotion and good order of the church (2 Cor 11:3, 14-15).

Waiting for Titus (2 Cor 2:12-13). Paul had no peace of mind in Troas, despite great opportunities to preach the gospel, because he did not meet up with Titus as expected and so did not receive the news of their situation which he longed to hear. He said this to emphasize again the love he had for them.

"Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me..." (2 Cor 2:12). Paul visited Troas on his 2nd missionary journey, and had the vision of a 'man of Macedonia' begging him to come over and help them (Ac 16:8-10). Possibly some disciples were made at Troas, and he went there again to preach the gospel, and to meet Titus. Paul used the metaphor of the open door to describe the opportunity he had for 'effective work' in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:9), where a church was founded, and the gospel was taken to other cities in the region (Colossae, Laodicea, and other cities of the 7 churches of Asia (Rev 2-3; Ac 19:10). 

"I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there" (2 Cor 2:13a). Titus is mentioned for the 1st time. Paul took him to Jerusalem, and who, 'even though he was a Greek,' was not compelled to be circumcised (Gal 2:1-3). Apart from this, we know nothing of Titus [likely not Titius Justus (Ac 18:7)]. Titus played a crucial role in relations between Paul and the church at Corinth. 1 Pastoral Letter is addressed to Titus in Crete and responsible for setting up elders in the churches there (Tit 1:5). Because Paul didn't find Titus, "I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia" (2 Cor 2:13b). That he left behind the infant church and a door that the Lord had opened for him shows his concern for the Corinthian believers: 'Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches' (2 Cor 11:28). That Paul was relieved when he finally met up with Titus in Macedonia (7:5-16) suggests that when he arrived in Troas Paul had been deeply concerned whether Titus would have been well received in Corinth, and whether the church would respond positively to the demands of the 'severe letter.' Before that there is a long digression (2:14 - 7:4) where Paul speaks about the nature of his ministry and how he was used by God even during distressing times.

2:1-13 is replete with important pastoral examples.

1. Tough love for his converts. Paul's decisions were driven by avoiding causing them pain / grief (2 Cor 2:1-2) and his love for them (2 Cor 2:4). With 'tough love' he wrote a strongly worded letter at the risk of causing them grief in order to deal with their failure to address a serious wrong that had been perpetrated by one of their members (2 Cor 7:8-12).
2. Punishment is punitive and remedial. This was necessary for the well-being of the offender and of the church as a whole. Punishment is for the repentance of the offender. After repentance, Paul urged forgiveness to comfort him and reaffirm their love for him (2 Cor 2:6-8). To encourage them, he assured them that anyone they forgave he also forgave, even though he himself was the one hurt by the offender (2 Cor 2:10).
3. Moral failure allows Satan to cause further harm (2 Cor 2:10-11) through disharmony in the church and to lose one of their members - if he was overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and not comforted and reinstated following his repentance.
4. Sharing emotions with his converts--his pain and love for them (2 Cor 2:4), and how his concern for them led him to abandon the opportunity for fruitful work among others in Troas so that he might the sooner obtain news about them. In Christian ministry professionalism is not enough. It must be motivated by love for those to whom we minister (1 Cor 13:1-3).

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.
   

Fearless, happy and always in trouble

Conscience, Conduct and Integrity (1 Cor 1:12-24)

Why Paul changed his plans (1:12-24). Paul's conscience testifies to his integrity in his conduct (2 Cor 1:12). [Sincere and Reliable; Response to Criticism (1:12-24)]

• How's your conscience in how you think, feel and live?
• If I act nicely, is it because that's who I genuinely am, or is it just because I like the person I'm nice to?
• Or, if I'm mean, impatient and harsh, is it because I'm upset with that person and "forget" that I'm a Christian?

The body of Paul's response (1:12 - 7:16) is a long section responding to news from Titus that the 'severe letter' had resolved the crisis from the offender's attack on Paul during his 'painful visit' to them.

• He defends his personal integrity and explains why he changed his travel plans (1:12-24), and 
• his purpose in writing the 'severe letter' (2:1-4), 
• calls for the reinstatement of the presumably repentant offender (2:5-11) and 
• tells of his disappointment at not meeting Titus in Troas (2:12-13). 
• He then describes how God enables him to exercise a competent ministry (2:14 - 4:6) and that 
• it involves present suffering on the way to future glory (4:7 - 5:10). 
• There follows a description of the ministry of reconciliation (5:11-21) and 
• his appeal to them for reconciliation (6:1 - 7:4). 
• The body of the response concludes with an expression of joy, having received news from Titus of the resolution of the current crisis (7:5-16).

Personal defence (1:12-24). Some in Corinth criticised Paul for his character and actions. So, even while welcoming the good news from Titus regarding changes for the better, he felt the need to defend his personal integrity before dealing with:

• matters in the 'severe letter,' 
• the reinstatement of the offender, and 
• the nature of his apostolic ministry.

General defence of his integrity (2 Cor 1:12-14) before specifically defending his integrity in relation to his travel plans and writing the 'severe letter' (1:15 - 2:4). In 2 Cor 1:12-14 he defends his integrity in general terms, and then specifically in relation to changes to his travel plans (1:15-24). "Now this is our boast: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world ... with integrity" (2 Cor 1:12). Paul uses the concept of boasting more than any other NT writer. To boast means to take pride in something or someone, and in Paul's writings it's used both negatively [an unwarranted pride in one's own merits], and positively [legitimate pride based upon what God has done and enabled one to do] (Rom. 15:17-19).

'Conscience' (syneidesis) occurs more often in the Pauline corpus than in the rest of the NT combined. Unlike the Stoics, Paul did not regard conscience as the voice of God within, nor did he restrict its function to a person's past acts (usually the bad ones), as was the case in the secular Greek world of his day. For Paul, conscience is a human faculty whereby people either approve or disapprove of their actions (performed or intended) and those of others. The conscience is not to be equated with God or the moral law. Rather, it adjudicates on human action in the light of the highest standard a person perceives--to the Jews could be the Mosaic law and halakhic tradition [religious laws], and to Christians the norms of God's past and present revelation.

All human nature is affected by sin, both a person's perception of the standard required and the conscience itself (as a part of human nature) are also affected by sin. So, conscience can never be the ultimate judge of one's behaviour. The conscience may excuse one for that which God will not excuse, and may condemn one for that which God allows. Thus, the final judgment belongs only to God (1 Cor 4:2-5). Yet, to reject one's conscience is to court spiritual disaster (1 Tim 1:19). Do not reject the voice of conscience.

Paul's boasting: "Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity" (2 Cor 1:12a). Paul behaves this way in the world (carrying out his mission), but especially in his relations with them. He spent 18 months with them on his 1st visit, and in all his interactions with them, he was especially careful to be exemplary. Why? Perhaps they were more critical and Paul wanted to be clear that as a messenger of the gospel.

"We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace" (2 Cor 1:12b). The contrast between operating with integrity and godly sincerity and relying . . . on God's grace on the one hand, and with worldly wisdom on the other, is one a frequent theme in Paul's letters. Later he asserts, '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' (2 Cor 2:17; 4:2). Worldly wisdom resorts to cunning (2 Cor 4:2) or cleverness with words (1 Cor 2:1) to impress an audience. A ministry by the grace of God relies on the power of God (Rom 15:17-19; 1 Cor 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:11-12). If God by his grace chooses to bless, the ministry will be effective; if not, Paul won't seek to produce results by worldly means.

Paul continues his general defence: "For we do not write to you anything you cannot read or understand" (2 Cor 1:13a). They questioned his integrity by what he'd written--that in his letters he wrote one thing but intended another. It might be: the 'previous letter' (1 Cor 5:9), the 'severe letter' (2 Cor 2:3-4; 7:8- 12), or parts of 1 Cor where he refused support (1 Cor 9:12-18) and his travel plans (1 Cor 16:5-7)--which is most likely as he explains why he changed those plans (2 Cor 1:15 - 2:4). But Paul insists that what he wrote was straightforward.

The day of the Lord (2 Cor 1:13b-14) when every person's life and work will be subject to divine scrutiny: "And I hope that, 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" (2 Cor 1:13b-14). Paul expresses his pride and joy in his converts at the coming of the Lord (Phil 4:1; 1 Th 2:19), but only here of the pride he expects his converts to have in him on that day. Paul feels pride in his converts because they are the seal of his apostleship, the proof that he faithfully carried out his commission as apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 1:5). His converts will feel pride in their apostle when on that day they realize all they owe him. Then they'll understand fully what they have only understood in part.

Defence of changed travel plans (1:15-24). From a general defence of his integrity Paul now specifically addresses his change of travel plans, which they took as evidence of insincerity in his dealings with them.

Benefit you twice. "Because I was confident of this..." (2 Cor 1:15a, 14), Paul promised to visit them after passing through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5). But he changed his plans and visited them before going to Macedonia to double benefit them: "I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 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" (2 Cor 1:15b-16). "Benefit" denotes the joy Paul hopes would be experienced by them when he visits them. But since Paul no longer thinks of his relationship with others in purely human terms (2 Cor 5:16) - apart from Christ - it's more likely that the benefit Paul had is the effect of his spiritual ministry among them (Rom. 1:11-12). "...send me on my way" is to provide a person with things necessary for a journey. When Paul wrote of his intended journey to Judea, he had in mind his trip to Jerusalem with the collection taken up among the Gentile churches for the poor believers there (Ac 20:1 - 21:17; Rom 15:25-27).

The confidence Paul spoke of (1 Cor 2:15) was misplaced, for they criticised him for his changed travel plans that forced him to ask. "Was I fickle when I intended to do this?" (2 Cor 1:17a). Paul's question in Greek expects a negative answer, as in, 'You do not think I was changing my plans in an off-hand manner, do you?' The next question relates to Paul's personal integrity: "Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both 'Yes, yes' and 'No, no'?" (2 Cor 1:17b). Again the question expects a negative answer. To make my plans in a worldly manner ('according to [the] flesh') would be to renege on commitments if they no longer suited him, with little concern for how this would affect them. As if he would change his 'Yes, yes' to a 'No, no' without any compunction if it so suited him. Paul's question is meant to evoke from his audience an emphatic denial that he would act in such a way.

Straightforward. 'Yes, yes' and 'No, no' echoes Jesus' teaching: 'All you need to say is simply "Yes," or "No" ' (Mt 5:37). ['let your word [be] "yes yes", "no no" ']. Also, 'All you need to say is a simple "Yes" or "No" ' (Jas 5:12). 'Yes, yes, no, no' is the same as Jesus did, to teach straightforward truthfulness and to warn against the (inappropriate) use of oaths. Paul uses it to deny that he was fickle when making his plans, being prepared to say 'yes, yes' and 'no, no' in the same breath.

"But as surely as God is faithful, our message [logos] to you is not 'Yes' and 'No'" (2 Cor 1:18). This is an oath - that Paul's word to them was consistent with his intentions. He didn't say 1 thing to them and then do something different if it suited him. Paul uses oaths often (Rom 1:9; 2 Cor 1:23; 11:10, 31; Gal 1:20; Phil 1:8; 1 Th 2:5, 10) when he defends or lays heavy stress upon the truth of his assertions. In the early church Christ's words against swearing (Mt 5:33-37) were likely understood as a criticism of the improper use of oaths, rather than their prohibition. Christ was placed under oath when answering the question of the high priest (Mt 26:63).

Paul's message (logos) to them with an oath is not inconsistent. It relates to his travel plans. Paul used 'message' (logos) with his gospel preaching (1 Cor 1:18; 2:4; 1 Th 1:6). So he uses logos here to assert that his message isn't inconsistent. "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us - by me, Silas and Timothy - was not 'Yes'and 'No', but in him it has always been 'Yes'" (2 Cor 1:19). There's no inconsistency in Christ, whom Paul proclaimed in his gospel - he's not 'Yes' and 'No', but always 'Yes', i.e., utterly reliable. Paul implies he's similarly reliable in his preaching and in all he says or writes, including his travel plans.

Son of God--is found in only 3 other places in Paul (Rom 1:4; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:13). It's a messianic title in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q246). This title shows the closest relationship between Christ and God (Rom 10:13/Joel 2:32; Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10-ll/Isa 45:23). From his conversion in the mid-30s, Paul preached Jesus as the Son of God, 1st in Damascus (Ac 9:19-20; Gal. 1:16), then in Cilicia (Gal 1:16, 21-23). Jesus the Son of God is central to Paul's gospel preaching (2 Cor 1:19; Rom 1:3-4, 9; 5:10; 8:3, 32; Gal 1:16; 4:4).

Paul specifically associates Silas ('Silvanus' nrsv) and Timothy with himself in the preaching of the gospel in Corinth. Silvanus, who may be identified with the Silas (Silas) of Acts, was a leader of the Jerusalem church chosen to carry the decision of the Jerusalem council to Antioch (Ac 15:22), who became Paul's colleague on the 2nd missionary journey following Paul's disagreement with Barnabas (Ac 15:36- 41). When Paul and Silas reached Lystra, Timothy, the son of a Jewish Christian mother and a Greek father, was recruited to join the small missionary team (Acts 16:1-3). Thus, when Paul came to Corinth for the 1st time, both these men were associated with him, and joined him in the ministry of the gospel there.

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ" (2 Cor 1:20a). What does it mean that in Christ 'it is always "Yes" ' (2 Cor 1:19)? Many OT promises of God never fail to find their fulfilment in Christ:

• the seed of the woman who will bruise the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15), 
• the raising up of one like Moses (Dt 18:15; Jn 7:40; Ac 3:22; 7:37), 
• one who will sit on David's throne (2 Sam. 7:12-13), and 
• the servant of the Lord who will bear the sins of the people (Isa 53:4-11).

There's no equivocation with the promises of God. Balaam says to Balak: "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" (Num. 23:19).

"And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Cor 1:20b). The Gk is difficult to translate/interpret. But its general thrust reflects the praise and worship of the early church to God offered 'through him' (Christ) and confirmed by their 'Amen' (assent). Many similar ascriptions of praise in the NT (Rom 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 15:33; 16:27; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20; 1 Tim 1:17; 6:16; 2 Tim 4:18; Heb 13:21; 1 Pet 4:11; 5:11; 2 Pet 3:18; Jude 25; Rev 1:6; 7:12) confirms the use of 'Amen' in the early church. Here (2 Cor 1:19) the "us" by whom the Amen is spoken refers to Paul and his missionary colleagues.

God's certain promises made Paul, his co-workers and they stand firm in Christ (2 Cor 1:21), and who also anointed them and sealed them with the Spirit (2 Cor 1:22). To those who ascribed fickleness to Paul because he changed his travel plans was God's work in him, making him stand firm in Christ, which guarantees the trustworthiness of what he says. What is God's work in Paul?

1. "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ" (2 Cor 1:21a). The verb 'To stand firm' (bebaioo) is a guarantee given that commitments will be carried out. The NT uses it in connection with the proclamation of the gospel, which is 'confirmed' by miraculous signs or spiritual gifts (Mk 16:20; 1 Cor 1:6). When human beings are the objects, it indicates their strengthening or establishing to exhibit certain characteristics--believers being kept firm so as to be blameless in the day of the Lord (1 Cor 1:8). Here he argues that God makes him stand firm to be trustworthy.
2. God "anointed us" (2 Cor 1:21b) [with the Spirit]. Anointing was used in commissioning rites in the OT (Exo 28:41; 1 Sam 15:1; 1 Kgs 19:16) and in the NT [Heb 1:9 ('God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy'), in Luke's writings (Lk 4:18; Ac 4:27; 10:38) and in 1 Jn 2:20, 27 [2 x])]--referring to the anointing of the Spirit.
3. God "set his seal of ownership on us" (2 Cor 1:22a). The verb, 'to set a seal on' ( sphragizo ), is the sealing of commercial letters and sacks so that nobody can tamper with the contents. In the NT, 'to seal' means to keep secret or stamp with a mark of identification or ownership (Rev 7:3-8). Christians are 'marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit' (Eph 1:13; 4:30) that occurs at conversion as people are baptized (Ac 2:38).
4. When his seal upon us, God also "put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit" (2 Cor 1:22b). "Deposit" [NIV and most English translations) is arrabon [Gk], and like sphragizo is a commercial term. It's the pledge given by a purchaser to a seller as a guarantee that the purchase price will be paid. Thus, the Spirit God has given Paul and to whose presence he appeals is a guarantee of his apostolic integrity.

God makes Paul and his colleagues stand firm and have been anointed with his Spirit (2 Cor 1:21-22) is Paul's major thrust. Why does Paul make these assertions? To show that their integrity and the truthfulness of their gospel rests on God's work. The Spirit of God makes them stand firm and anoints them, and whose presence is the authenticating seal upon their mission and message. If the work of God in them guarantees their trustworthiness in the greater matter of gospel proclamation, then surely they're also trustworthy in the lesser matter of their travel plans. Any changes is not the result of fickleness, but of genuine concern for them.

"I call God as my witness--and I stake my life on it" (2 Cor 1:23a). Beginning with a solemn oath, Paul asserts the purity of his motives, and insists that he changed his travel plans with them in mind, something he needed to emphasize because his motives were called into question (2 Cor 1:23b). "And I stake my life on it" (translates lit. 'upon my life'), is part of an imprecatory oath whereby Paul calls upon God as witness against him if he is not speaking the truth. It may also be translated 'concerning my life,' where Paul calls on God as a character witness concerning his life, in support of the truthfulness of what he says. This is how Paul calls on God as his witness in 4 other places (Rom 1:9; Phil 1:8; 1 Th 2:5, 10). This is also the way it was used in Greco-Roman tradition and in the literature of the Hellenistic and Roman period.

"...it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth" (2 Cor 1:23b). It doesn't say here from what they were to be spared, but from what Paul says elsewhere (2 Cor 13:1-4, 10) it's that Paul would spare them disciplinary action.

"Not that we lord it over your faith" (2 Cor 1:24a), Paul says lest they conclude that he exercises spiritual tyranny over them. The role of an apostle (all pastors) is of a servant to the people of God (2 Cor 4:5), not a tyrant. But serving them also doesn't mean doing only what pleases them (2 Cor 1:23). It may involve disciplinary action as well. After all, apostles (all pastors), while called to serve the people of God, must do so by carrying out the desires of their Master.

"...but we work with you for your joy" (2 Cor 1:24b) attractively describes Christian ministry (lit. 'but we are fellow workers of your joy'). "...because it's by faith that you stand firm" (2 Cor 1:24c) is why Paul doesn't lord it over their faith. Though they came to faith through his ministry, but their faith was their own, and rests on the power of God (1 Cor 2:5; 15:1-2; Rom 1:16). Because of their [own] faith, believers have their own standing before God (Rom 5:1-2; 11:20), and in this respect they are subject to no-one else (Rom 14:4).

"Faith should be completely free of any bondage to men. We should note well who it is that says this, for, if ever any mortal man had a right to claim such lordship, Paul was he. Thus we conclude that faith should have no master but the Word of God and is not subject to human control. ... spiritual lordship belongs to none but God alone. This is always a settled principle--that pastors have no special lordship over men's consciences because they are ministers and helpers and not lords." John Calvin, comments on 2 Cor 1:24. The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

Christian ministry (1:12-24) must have integrity, godly sincerity, rely on the grace of God, reject worldly wisdom--violence, scapegoating, blaming, tribalism, manipulation (2 Cor 1:12). The message--proclaimed or written must be straightforward, unambiguous and readily understood (2 Cor 1:13-14). Ministry is never 'lording it over' people's faith, but with a view to promoting their joy in the Lord (2 Cor 1:24).

Paul describes how God works in believers to establish them firm in the faith (2 Cor 1:21). He strengthens them to stand firm in Christ and he anoints them with the Holy Spirit, both as a seal that they belong to him and as a pledge guaranteeing their full salvation at the appearing of Christ (2 Cor 1:22).

Paul emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the purposes of God for all the promises of God find their 'Yes' in him (2 Cor 1:20). All the promises - 

• the coming of a prophet like Moses (Dt 18:15), 
• one who will sit on the throne of David and establish an everlasting kingdom of peace and justice (2 Sam 7:16), 
• the Servant of the Lord who will bear the sins of God's people (Isa 53:12b), 
• the establishment of the new covenant under which people's sins will be remembered no more (Jer 31:31, 34) and 
• the law of God that will be written in their hearts by the Spirit (Jer 31:33)

- all these promises and more find their fulfilment in Christ.

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.

Delivered from Death and Despair (2 Cor 1:1-11)

• Would I fully depend on God to deliver me when I'm still able to "deliver myself" [from distress, despair, desperation and death] (2 Cor 1:8-10)? Can I know God's deliverance from death if I'm not close to death (2 Cor 1:9)?
• If I've not received mercy and comfort, can I show genuine mercy and comfort to others (2 Cor 1:5-7)?
• [Major themes in 2 Corinthians: power in weakness, reconciliation, cruciform (servant) leadership--true servant.]
• "Suffering in your life is when true naked faith can emerge, a faith that comes to life in the midst of great pain." Henri Nouwen.
• ""𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 is that the 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 to the 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 is not 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 the 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 but usually 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 the 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨." Tim Keller, Hope in Times of Fear.
• Unfortunately I struggle to trust God more when in the midst of discomfort and pain than when things are going well.
• Introduction, timeline and themes of 2 Corinthians are below after the references.

Paul's humanity. I loved studying 1 Corinthians in 2020/21 because Paul shows his fully human self with human imperfections, deep-seated insecurity, defensiveness, aggressiveness and sarcastic quick temper...like me! In Paul I see a mirror of my imperfections, anger, sarcasm, reactiveness, belaboring the same point over and over, confronting people by "going after" critics and accusers, etc. Of course I've not suffered as Paul did, yet I know God's merciful deliverance in my desperation over the last 40 years to this day. From his letters and Acts, Paul is the most developed NT character, a towering religious figure and a fully fleshed out human being. His letters give a startlingly clear picture of his anger, exasperation, despair and triumph through many "deaths" and "resurrections" as a Christian. 1 Cor is practical and instructional; 2 Cor is autobiographical and the most intensely personal of all NT books--a cry from the heart of his ultimate devotion to Christ and his churches of converts. In short, both 1 and 2 Cor--though deeply theologically saturated in the gospel of Christ crucified--reveal all of Paul's human imperfections, insecurities and vulnerabilities.

My weakness is to love comfort and convenience [not discomfort, difficulty or distress]. This is embarrassing: I had a personal maid serving me throughout my boyhood in Malaysia until I went to medical school at age 17. I was a spoiled little prince who never did any house chores. I never washed dishes, or did my own laundry, or take out the garbage, or cook, or mow the lawn, or clean the house, or use a hammer, or fix anything. My parents paid others to do it. Their desire was not to spoil me [it didn't work!], but so that I'd study hard and have a good life. Only God through my parent's unconditional love enabled me to become a doctor. Then I came to the U.S. and became a Christian in 1980. I experienced grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness and purpose [the will of God (2 Cor 1:1)] for the first time in my life. So I prioritized God and his kingdom (Mt 6:33). I made life changing choices and decisions (Lk 9:23; 1 Cor 15:36). My old life died and my new life and new community in the church began (2 Cor 5:17). Compared to Paul, I've lived a charmed life. Yet I desire to take up the cross of Christ.

Greeting (1:1-2) [and Blessing (1:3-7)]. Sender, credentials, co-sender and recipients (2 Cor 1:1):

1. An apostle by the will of God, set apart and sent by God (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:7; 9:16-18). Paul didn't decide to be an apostle, nor did someone else nominate him. He didn't choose it, but God chose him (Ac 9:15-16; Jn 15:16). He was set apart from his mother's womb (Gal 1:15-16) with a prophetic calling (Isa 49:1, 5; Jer 1:5). He was unwavering despite much opposition and critics because he knew that he is who he is. He knows that God sent him to speak God's word (1 Cor 1:17)--unlike others (2 Cor 2:17). His authority derives from the one who commissioned him as his agent.
2. Timothy the cosender of the letter. Sosthenes was the cosender of 1 Cor, but Timothy is the cosender of 1, 2 Th, Phil, Col and Philemon. Paul met him during his ministry in Derbe or Lystra (Ac 16:1-2) and lauded him as a devoted son (1 Cor 4:17; Phil 2:22). Paul sent him on mission assignments when he was unable to go (1 Cor 4:17; Phil 2:19; 1 Th 3:2, 6). Timothy does the same work (1 Cor 16:10) and has the same preaching task (2 Cor 1:19) as Paul. Timothy had visited Corinth (Ac 18:5; 1 Cor 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor 1:19) and may have given Paul the bad news that led to the sudden painful visit. Paul cites colleagues to make clear that he is not alone on these issues, that he does not stand apart from the consensus of the church but reflect the consensus of those who are with him, and that he is not a maverick apostle.
3. The recipients are the church of God in Corinth (1 Cor 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 1 Th 1:4; 2:14). They are not their own but God's, bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20). It reinforces the idea of their unity from God's perspective. 
• Paul mentions the Archians (2 Cor 9:2) for the collection to help them to not think self-centedly or arrogantly, that the spiritual world revolves around them. They are not apart from but together with Christians throughout Archaia.
• God's "holy people" ["saints"] are those set apart and called out from the ranks of sinners. They're separated from the world and then called to go back into the world as God's light and reconciliation. "Holiness is a dignity attributed to them, but it is at the same time a duty which they must discharge by making the gift a reality in their lives." They're "dead sinners, revised and edited." Mussolini said that they were mainly "insane people." From the world's point of view they are insane because they give themselves to God, their fellow believers and to humankind without thought to themselves.

Grace and peace [charis {Gk} and shalom {Hebrew}] (1 Cor 2:2). Grace is the foundation of their Christian existence and expresses Christ's work of salvation which presents us with undeserved forgiveness of our sins and our unearned acceptance by God (Ac 20:24; Rom 3:23-24; Eph 2:8-9). Peace is the effect of God's action in Christ. It's not simply the absence of hostility but peace that God won through Christ's death, defeating the supernatural enemies and bringing about reconciliation (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:17; Col 1:20). It covers a person's physical and spiritual well-being and wholeness, which can only be given by God (Isa 48:18; Ps 85:10).

The God of all comfort (1:3-7). "Blessed/Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 2:3a). God acts in history specifically in the life, death and resurrection of his beloved Son. God is not some remote ruler of the universe. In no other religion is God called Father with such a sense of intimacy and assurance as in the N.T.

1. 1st, God is no longer simply the Father of Israel, but through Christ, all, both Jew and Gentile, have access to the Father (Eph 2:18). One can only truly know God as Father as the Father of Jesus. 
2. 2nd, Jesus is the foremost blessing God has bestowed on humankind (Col 1:12). 
3. 3rd, the Lord is the name that is above every name (Phil 2:11) and denotes his special status and supreme authority. That Jesus is our Lord is central and it sums up Paul's preaching (2 Cor 4:5; Col 2:6). But this lofty title has lost its impact in our day. It "has become one of the most lifeless words in Christian vocabulary." But those who call Jesus Lord belong absolutely to him and owe him absolute obedience (Lk 6:46). It brings glory to God. Conversely to reject Jesus as Lord is to reject God as Father.

The Father of compassion/mercies and the God of all comfort (1 Cor 2:3b). God is not called the Father of judgments or vengeances but the Father of all mercies and comfort (Ps 103:13-14; Isa 40:1; 51:12) that come through Christ (2 Cor 1:5). Paraklesis (comfort, consolation) occurs 29 times in 2 Cor (out of 59 times in the NT), and 6 times in 2 Cor 1:3-5 and the verb (parakaleo) 4 times.

The word "comfort" has gone soft in modern English. It connotes emotional relief, a sense of well-being, physical ease, satisfaction, and freedom from pain and anxiety. Many "worship" comfort in a self-centered search for ease, but it's short lived and never fully satisfies. Originally comfort was "closely connected with its root, the Latin fortis (fortitude)--brave, strong, courageous" (Wycliffe). To Paul comfort has nothing to do with feeling content or easing pain. Rather it fortifies your heart, mind and soul. It puts steel in your spine. It encourages, helps, exhorts. God's comfort strengthens weak knees and sustains sagging spirits so that you face the troubles of life with unbending resolve and unending assurance. Sadly, comfort as understood today often weakens rather than strengthens people in their difficulties and hardships.

In dire need is when you know God's promises best, as Paul says, "harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within" (2 Cor 7:5). Such times are when God's comfort overcomes hardships and sorrows that break your hearts. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to comfort us. Israel's God sees the people's misery, hears them crying out, and is concerned about their suffering so that he comes to rescue them (Exo 3:7-8; Neh 9:9). Similarly, God acted decisively in Christ to deliver man from the bondage of sin. That God is the Father of the one who was crucified reveals that God intimately knows our suffering. God may not remove our afflictions, but God always comforts by giving the strength to face them. This comfort is a foretaste of the final consolation to come. 

• Those who suffer much (and receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit) live much. Such a life is rich in experience and resources.
• Paul was one of the most afflicted of men, so that he could console and comfort others. A life of ease is commonly stagnant. Paul suffered from hunger, cold, nakedness, stripes, imprisonment, perils by sea and land, robbers, Jews, Gentiles, so that his life was a continuous death (2 Cor 11:23b-29; 12:7-10). Literally, he died daily (1 Cor 15:31).

God "comforts us in all our troubles" (2 Cor 1:4a), for He is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3). Why? "...so that we can comfort those in any trouble" (2 Cor 1:4b). What were the troubles, and what was the nature of the comfort? In 2 Cor itself there are references to the troubles he experienced (2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 11:23-29), including physical hardships, dangers, persecutions and anxieties as he carried out his apostolic commission. "...trouble / affliction" refers to both external distress (2 Cor 4:8; Rom 8:35) and inner torment (2 Cor 7:5; Phil 1:17). These may be the hardships (2 Cor 4:7-12; 6:4-10; 11:23-29) and the accounts of Paul's persecution in Acts: plots, riots and mob violence (Ac 9:23-25; 14:19-20; 17:5-9; 19:28-41; 21:27-36), false accusations (Ac 16:20-22; 17:6-7; 18:13; 19:26-27; 21:20-21; 21:28; 24:5-6), imprisonments (Ac 16:16-40), and stoning (Ac 14:19).

1. Afflictions come from serving Christ, suffering endured on behalf of Christ.
2. Comfort comes from God.
3. Afflictions deepen our faith in God's power rather than weaken it.
4. God's comfort is not for us alone, but to be a comfort to others. God always gives a surplus , and intends it to overflow to others. It's not just to make us feel better but to enable us to strengthen others to face suffering. God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. Paul/You/I can comfort no one. The comfort is God's and it merely flows through you.
• Affliction tempts one to retreat into a shell, to shut oneself off from others. Those who focus on themselves are the most miserable of people. But if we turn our pain to helping others we can redirect and conquer that pain. Paul knew what it was like to be discouraged, to feel unbearably crushed and what it was like to be at the end of his rope/tether. That's why he knew how to encourage, to comfort and to console others. Paul knows who holds the other end of the rope--God.   
  

Comfort Paul received. 1) deliverance out of troubles/from deadly peril (2 Cor 8-11). 2) release from anxiety when Titus rejoined him in Macedonia (2 Cor 7:5-7) immediately preceding the writing of this letter. But Paul wasn't delivered from all persecution and affliction though he received comfort from God. Nevertheless, up to the time of writing, God had delivered Paul out of all his troubles in the sense that none of them had proved fatal (2 Cor 1:8-11; Ac 9:23-25; 14:19-20; 16:19-40).

Comfort in the sense of encouragement and strengthening in the midst of troubles is one of the positive aspects of Christian suffering. It is allowed so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. One human being cannot effect divine deliverance from troubles for another, but it is possible to share with another sufferer the encouragement received in the midst of one's own troubles. The testimony of God's grace in one's life is a forceful reminder to others of God's ability and willingness to provide the grace and strength they need. Paul has this in mind when he says that the comfort he received was 'for your comfort' (2 Cor 1:6). Paul is assured that God's grace is sufficient to enable him to cope with weakness, suffering, persecution, and being encouraged by God to stand firm in the face of opposition (2 Cor 12:8-10; Ac 18:9-11).

Share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor 1:5), because the old age still persists. What are "the sufferings of Christ" (2 Cor 1:5a)? It's the sufferings Christ himself endured (1 Pet 1:11; 4:13; 5:1), which Christians are called to endure because of our union with him, and in order to be like him (Mt 20:23; Mk 10:38-39; Phil 3:10-11; 1 Pet 4:24; Rom 8:17; Col 1:24; Gal 6:17). Paul preached Christ crucified AND lived it. His suffering is irrefutable confirmation of his union with Christ. As union with Jesus was the source of the afflictions which he endured, so it was the source of the abundant consolation which he enjoyed. This is the difference between the sorrows and sufferings of Christians and others. Alienation from Christ doesn't secure freedom from suffering, but it cuts off the only source of consolation.

1. Sufferings ordained by Christ for believers (Ac 9:15-16). Paul suffered in his apostolic work just as Christ did in his work as Messiah (1 Pet 4:13). The sufferings of Christ are sufferings endured on behalf of Christ. Christians who preach and embody the gospel of Christ crucified suffer from sparking violent reactions from those hostile to God in a fallen world (2 Cor 4:10-12).
2. Sufferings associated with the Messiah, i.e., Messianic sufferings that God's people must undergo prior to the coming of the kingdom (Isa 26:17; 66:8; Jer 22:23; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:9-10). Paul's Jewish contemporaries expected the messianic age to be preceded and ushered in by a period of suffering--the messianic woes or birth pangs of the Messiah/Christ.   
3. 'Christ, who suffered personally on the cross, continues to suffer in his people.' While Christians endure sufferings for the sake of Christ, he at the same time suffers in his people (Ac 9:4-5).  

As Paul shared abundantly in the sufferings of Christ because the old age is still running, so also his comfort abounds through Christ because the new messianic age had already begun (though it had not yet been fully brought in). As stated, this comfort can be either deliverance out of affliction or encouragement in the midst of affliction which enables one to endure. This comfort can be mediated providentially through fellow believers, as was the case with Paul when Titus met him in Macedonia (2 Cor 7:6-7).

Paul's affliction/distress/suffering is for their "comfort and salvation" (2 Cor 1:6a). 1 positive outcome of suffering is to comfort others who are in affliction (2 Cor 1:4). A 2nd positive aspect is "If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation" (2 Cor 1:6). How? 'death is at work in us, but life is at work in you' (2 Cor 4:12). Paul's preaching ministry was accompanied by many sufferings. Thus, they could share in the comfort he received in the midst of it for their benefit--both the firstfruits of salvation in the present time, and final salvation on the last day. So "if we are comforted, it is for your comfort" (2 Cor 1:6b). Paul was comforted for his converts' comfort (i.e. that he might comfort them with the comfort he himself received from God). He goes on to describe this comfort as that "which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer" (2 Cor 1:6:c). Two aspects:

1. What were their "same sufferings"? It is unlikely that they were the same as Paul's (2 Cor 11:23-33). Their sufferings might be the conflicts among families and relatives, the painful problems and the small everyday vexations which living out the gospel would give rise to in the midst of a town submerged in paganism and licentiousness. So, Paul may be recognizing their afflictions, while not of the same order as his sufferings, as sharing in the sufferings of Christ (Phil 1:29-30).
2. The comfort they received may not have been only from Paul's testimony, but, awakened to the possibility by Paul's testimony, they recognized that they too could experience similar encouragement and strengthening grace from God. 'Paul's personal consolation flowed out to the whole church, because from it believers learnt that the God who had sustained Paul, and renewed him in his time of necessity, would never fail them. Thus their salvation was advanced both by his sufferings and by his being comforted' [Calvin].

"Our hope for you is firm" (2 Cor 1:7a), Paul affirms in his conclusion of this benediction section, despite the tension in their relationship after writing 1 Cor. Up until and including the time of writing ch. 1-9, Paul had not lost confidence in them (2 Cor 2:3; 7:4). Even when he wrote the 'severe letter,' he was still sure that they'd respond +vely, and he'd expressed to Titus his confidence that they would (2 Cor 7:12-16). Paul's confidence in them was from knowing that God himself encouraged and strengthened them: "because we know that just as you share in our [the] sufferings, so also you share in our [the] comfort" (2 Cor 1:7b). Two comments:

1. Paul speaks of 'the' sufferings and 'the' comfort, not 'our' sufferings and 'our' comfort. It's not that they share the sufferings and comfort of Paul and his colleagues (NIV), but rather that they all (Paul, his colleagues and them) share 'the' sufferings [i.e. the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor 1:5)] and 'the' comfort of God.
2. The latter clause lacks a verb ('so also of the comfort'). The verb can be in the present tense (NIV) or future tense (NRSV). As the verb in the first clause is in the present tense (you share), it is better to supply a present tense verb in the second clause (NIV). Thus, Paul's hope for them is firm because he knows that as they are sharing 'the' sufferings, they are also sharing 'the' comfort.

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters" [Paul's formula] (2 Cor 1:8a) is how he moves from the general to the particular and informs them "about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia" (2 Cor 1:8b), an experience in which he was comforted by God. This experience was still fresh in Paul's memory. Lacking information of what these Asian troubles were, suggestions include Jewish opposition stirred up against the apostle in Ephesus. These troubles proved to be a devastating experience: "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself" (2 Cor 1:8c).

The seriousness of the situation. "Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death [lit. 'Indeed, we ourselves have received the sentence of death in ourselves' ] (2 Cor 1:9a). [Sentence (Gk apokrima), and 'in ourselves' (en heautois).] Receiving the sentence 'in ourselves' suggests a subjective experience--a perception in his heart and mind. Sentence (apokrima) was probably not pronounced by a magistrate, but likely Paul's own conclusion as he realized the dire straits he was in, a hopeless situation, and humanly speaking there was no escape. [Or the 'answer' (apokrima can mean 'answer', 'decision' or 'verdict') given by God.]

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead" (2 Cor 1:9b). Reliance upon God rather than upon one's own ability is of fundamental importance in the Christian life, yet such an attitude does not come naturally. Very often, facing impossible situations is necessary so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. Afflictions teach dependence on God.

A most distressing deadly peril Paul faced in Asia: 'we despaired of life itself' (2 Cor 1:8). It appeared that his missionary career would be cut short and urgent projects be left undone. The problems in Corinth had not been resolved, the collection for the saints at Jerusalem (chs. 8-9) had not been completed, and his own ambition to evangelize the western part of the empire would not come to fruition (Rom 15.22-29). 'His feelings must have been not unlike those of Abraham when faced with the offering of Isaac . . . But he learnt also to have a faith similar to that of Abraham, who accounted "that God could even raise the dead" ' (Rom 4:17; Heb 11:19). When Paul faced death, he learnt to rely upon God who raises the dead. He already knew God had raised Christ from the dead and would also raise up with Christ those who trust in him (1 Cor 15:20-23; 1 Th 4:13-18). However, he seems to have learnt something more personal through his experience in Asia, that is, reliance upon God as the one who would raise him personally from the dead.

Paul testifies that God "delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again" (2 Cor 1:10). If the deadly peril from which Paul was delivered was an attack by the Jews in Ephesus, then possibly it was thro the heroic intervention of Priscilla and Aquila that divine deliverance for Paul was effected. They were in Ephesus before Paul arrived on his 3rd missionary journey, and probably continued to be there during his Ephesian ministry (Ac 18:24 - 19:1), though by the time Paul wrote Romans they'd moved to Rome (Rom 16:3). If they were in Ephesus during his ministry there, then they'd be there when Paul faced his deadly peril in Ephesus. In Romans, Paul says, 'Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me' (Rom 16:3- 4), written shortly after writing 2 Cor, could refer to their part in Paul's deliverance, unless the reconstruction suggested is correct.

"On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us" (2 Cor 1:10b) is Paul's faith that God would act on his behalf again having experienced a divine deliverance in the immediate past. Paul was ever conscious of threats to his safety from his fellow countrymen (Rom 15:30-31; 1 Th 2:14-16), and there are further attempts by them to kill him (Acts 20:3; 21:10-14; 23:12-15). So Paul expresses his confidence that God will continue to deliver him from present perils.

"As you help us by your prayers" (2 Cor 1:11a). Paul knows the efficacy of intercessory prayer and repeatedly solicits prayers (Rom 15:30-32; Eph 6:18-20). But Paul's concern is not only for personal deliverance, but that "many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many" (2 Cor 1:11b). He characteristically wants thanks to be given to God who had granted him deliverance. "The prayers of many" (pollon prosopon--lit. 'many faces'), meaning 'persons' or 'people': 'so many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to the prayers of many people.' In the context of prayer, prosopon is the idea of people's faces upturned in prayer to God as: ''so that thanksgiving be made through many people for the blessing granted to us because of many faces upturned in prayer.''

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
   

2 Corinthians introduction, timeline and themes: power/strength in weakness, reconciliation, servant (cruciform) leadership.

Accusations against Paul: Fickle (2 Cor 1:17), authoritarian (2 Cor 1:24), no proper credentials (2 Cor 3:1), cowardice (2 Cor 10:1, 10), worldly (2 Cor 10:2), presumptuous (2 Cor 10:13-17) and lacking dignity (2 Cor 11:7).

Timeline and Paul's deteriorating relationship with his converts in Corinth is needed to understand 2 Cor. Paul wrote 1 Cor to:

• clarify an earlier [lost] letter that he'd written (1 Cor 5:9), 
• respond to news he'd received from Chloe's household (1 Cor 1:11),
• answer questions about his teaching in the letter they'd sent him (1 Cor 7:1),
• respond to criticisms of his own person, apostleship, preaching and ministry (1 Cor 4:3; 9:3),
• give instructions about "the collection for God's people" (1 Cor 16:1),
• prepare for Timothy's visit (1 Cor 4:17; 16:10-11) and
• inform them of his plan to visit them on the way to Jerusalem after passing through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5).

• Following 1 Corinthians, Timothy visited Corinth; the situation didn't improve (Ac 19:21-22). 
• Paul then immediately visited Corinth--the "painful visit" (2 Cor 2:1). An anonymous adversary publicly confronted Paul and undermined his authority. Though Paul threatened to come to Corinth "with a stick" (1 Cor 4:21), he was perceived as unimpressive and timid (2 Cor 10:1). 
• Leaving Corinth, Paul decided not to visit again until he had sent a letter "in much distress and anguish of the heart" (2 Cor 2:4). {The letter was lost or preserved and incorporated into 2 Cor as Ch. 10–13, an incongruous section whose shift in tone from the optimism of the preceding chapters is jarring, and which seems to rehash a controversy that has already been resolved.} 
• Soon after they received this agonized letter, Titus visited Corinth and found the church repentant as a result of Paul's letter (2 Cor 7:5-13). 
• Returning to Paul in Macedonia, Titus brought the happy news. In the early fall of 57 a.d., rejoicing at the news of their repentance, Paul then wrote 2 Cor.

Timothy brought disturbing news after his visit making Paul change his travel plans (1 Cor 16:5) by sailing directly from Ephesus to Corinth, instead of journeying through Macedonia to Corinth and then to Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:3-4). Paul intended to visit them twice (2 Cor 1:15-16). But when Paul arrived in Corinth he was the object of a hurtful attack (2 Cor 2:5; 7:12) by a certain individual and the church as a whole made no attempt to support Paul (2 Cor 2:3). It was a very painful visit for Paul and them, which Paul didn't wish to repeat. So he changed his travel plans again, and after his journey into Macedonia, he went back to Ephesus, instead of returning to them (2 Cor 1:23; 2:1).

Paul wrote his "severe" letter to them [now lost] once back in Ephesus to call the church to take action against the one who had attacked Paul during his "painful" visit, and so demonstrate their affection for him (2 Cor 2:3-4; 7:8, 12) and their innocence in the matter. When Titus returned from his visit to Corinth, Paul and Titus planned to meet in Troas. But when Titus had not yet come, Paul left Troas for Macedonia hoping to intercept Titus on his way to Troas (2 Cor 2:12-13). When Paul reached Macedonia he found himself embroiled in the bitter persecution with the churches (2 Cor 7:5; 8:1-2), which compounded Paul's anxiety. When Titus finally arrived, Paul found great consolation (2 Cor 7:6-7) as he heard of the Corinthians' zeal to demonstrate their affection and loyalty to Paul by punishing the one who had caused him such hurt.

A critical church crisis. The Corinthian situation is complex. It caused Paul intense worry, distress and frustration. In 1 Cor Paul rebuked them for causing divisions in the church and justifying their lives using sophia (wisdom), gnosis (knowledge) and pneumotikoi (being spiritual). Paul wanted them to live out the scandal of the cross by calling them back to Christ crucified. But some didn't welcome his reproof and his refusal to humor them. They questioned his authority, his apostleship, his correctives and didn't welcome his message and example of selfless suffering. To them, Christianity should lift people up, not weigh them down.

Rejecting Paul but accepting his boastful rivals. Paul's physical presence is seemingly weak, so stumbling in his speech, and afflicted with a thorn in the flesh. How can such a disappointingly unimpressive person be an agent for the power of God's glorious gospel? Other leaders are more eloquent. Also, they were put off by his confrontational criticism of them, misled by boastful rivals when he wanted to launch a major project of collecting funds for Jerusalem to promote Gentile Jewish Christian unity. To Paul, they're a source of great pride and an enormous heartache. Should Paul defend himself against personal insults, attacks and slander?

Defending his ministry for the sake of the gospel. In 2 Cor Paul clarifies the implications of the gospel that they failed to grasp. He hopes that upon reading this letter they might become proud of him again (2 Cor 5:12), revive their interest in the ministry for the poor in Jerusalem, contribute generously, and understand the countercultural nature of the gospel. Yet they are dumbfounded by Paul because they don't get the basic paradox that expresses the very heart of the gospel of the cross that he has preached to them. If they can't understand and appreciate his cross-centered life and ministry as demonstrated by weakness and suffering, how can they understand the cross and weakness and suffering of Christ and apply it to their own lives? 

• 2 Cor is a restatement of the basic doctrine of the cross which Paul preached to them (1 Cor 2:2; 15:1-4). The world despises the humility of the cross and ridicules it because it threatens its own self-seeking outlook. But Paul's argument throughout 2 Cor is that only in cruciform sufferings like his can Jesus perform his powerful work, introducing glory into an age of darkness, salvation into a world of despair, a new age with the old life, and power to more and more people. Those who can't see the glory in the cross of Christ is because they're captured by the wisdom of this world. Then they will hardly see glory in Paul's suffering. But if they do see it, they will see how exceedingly glorious Paul's ministry is.

Faith is not subject to human control

"Faith should be completely free of any bondage to men. We should note well who it is that says this, for, if ever any mortal man had a right to claim such lordship, Paul was he. Thus we conclude that faith should have no master but the Word of God and is not subject to human control. ... spiritual lordship belongs to none but God alone. This is always a settled principle--that pastors have no special lordship over men's consciences because they are ministers and helpers and not lords."

John Calvin, comments on 2 Cor 1:24. The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

A privileged and charmed life

It took me over 5 decades of life to realize that I've lived a privileged and charmed life my entire life to this very day.

I've never been hungry (except when I'm trying to eat less to lose weight). I've never been in financial need (even after making some stupid and very costly financial decisions). I've never been physically assaulted or sexually abused. I became a doctor. I'm generally healthy and do not take any medications. My parents loved me unconditionally and I have no negative memories of them whatsoever. Virtually everyone I know is not poor, not struggling financially, or living below the poverty line (including almost everyone in church). I've belonged to the same church community for over 40 years. My wife has put up with me for the last 40 years of marriage and counting.

In brief, I've not been wounded by life. So the question I personally need to ponder daily for the rest of my life is, "What do I do with a life where I've not suffered any major or serious mental, psychological or physical wounds?"