2nd Corinthians Series

November 20, 2021

2nd Corinthians differs from 1st Corinthians in that it deals with personal attacks leveled at Paul rather than doctrinal issues.

Around 56/57 AD, Paul was in Macedonia when Titus finally brought word regarding the church in Corinth.

Good News!! The Corinthian believers had received Titus with open arms and the majority had accepted Paul’s counsel.

Bad News!! The hostile opposition to Paul from the Judaizers – A group/groups who mixed Jewish traditions with the Christian Gospel and insisted that righteousness by faith in Jesus was not enough to be saved and used any method to discredit him – remained.

Not only did Paul have to fight against traditional paganism threatening the church, he also had to fight against the active jealousy, malice and slanderous accusations coming from converted Jews who professed to be Christians.

These Judaizers of Corinth were boasting about themselves while at the same time discrediting Paul – accusing him, in part, of being a coward, having no apostolic authority and lacking charisma.

These opponents of Paul were not misguided saints. They were servants of Satan. Their motivation was self-promotion and financial gain. They were not concerned about the health of the church and Paul had a real concern that the people were being led away from the truth.

He had to say something…………..

Which brings us to My Favorite Thing About 2nd CORINTHIANS – Paul would go anywhere - endure anything - for the hope of winning one person to Jesus and he believed the eternal reward completely exceeded anything he had to suffer here on earth.

Saul’s {Paul} life had been great. He was an up and comer in the Jewish religious world, until…… he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. From that moment, Paul’s life was in peril from every side.

• 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 - We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again,

• 2 Corinthians 4:6-18 - For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

• 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 - We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see -- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

• 2 Corinthians 7:2-4 - Make room in your hearts for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I often boast about you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with consolation; I am overjoyed in all our affliction.

Paul’s confidence in the care and love of God was unwavering. Despite every painful experience, Paul was able to rejoice because his eyes were fixed, not on what he went through, but on Jesus, who walked beside him every step of the way.