2 Corinthians
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, usually
referred to simply as Second Corinthians and often written 2
Corinthians, is the 8th book of the New Testament. The book,
originally written in Greek, is a letter from Paul of Tarsus
to the Christians of Corinth, Greece...
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Corinthi...
I. TEXT, AUTHENTICITY AND DATE
1. Internal Evidence
2. External Evidence
3. Date
II. RESUME OF EVENTS
III. THE NEW SITUATION
1. The Offender
2. The False Teachers
3. The Painful Visit
4. The Severe Letter
IV. HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION
V. INTEGRITY OF THE EPISTLE
1. 2 Corintians 6:14 through 7:1
2. 2 Corintians 10:1 through 13:10
VI. CONTENTS OF THE EPISTLE
1. 2 Corintians 1 through 7
2. 2 Corintians 8 through 9
3. 2 Corintians 10 through 13
VII. VALUE OF THE EPISTLE LITERATURE
I. Text, Authenticity and Date.
1. Internal Evidence:
Compare what has already been said in the preceding article.
In the two important 5th-century uncials, Codex Alexandrinus
(A) and Codex Ephraemi (C), portions of the text are
lacking. As to the genuineness internal evidence very
vividly attests it. The distinctive elements of Pauline
theology and eschatology, expressed in familiar Pauline
terms, are manifest throughout. Yet the epistle is not
doctrinal or didactic, but an intensely personal document.
Its absorbing interest is in events which were profoundly
agitating Paul and the Corinthians at the time, straining
their relations to the point of rupture, and demanding
strong action on Paul's part. Our imperfect knowledge of the
circumstances necessarily hinders a complete comprehension,
but the references to these events and to others in the
personal history of the apostle are so natural, and so
manifestly made in good faith, that no doubt rises in the
reader's mind but that he is in the sphere of reality, and
that the voice he hears is the voice of the man whose heart
and nerves were being torn by the experiences through which
he was passing. However scholars may differ as to the
continuity and integrity of the text, there is no serious
divergence among them in the opinion that all parts of the
epistle are genuine writings of the apostle.
2. External Evidence:
Externally, the testimony of the sub-apostolic age, though
not so frequent or precise as in the case of 1 Corinthians,
is still sufficiently clear to establish the existence and
use of the epistle in the 2nd century Clement of Rome is
silent when he might rather have been expected to use the
epistle (compare Kennedy, Second and Third Corinthians, 142
ff); but it is quoted by Polycarp (Ad Phil., ii.4 and vi.1),
and in the Epistle to Diognetus 5 12, while it is amply
attested to by Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Tertullian
and Clement of Alexandria...
Link: https://bible-history.com/isbe/C/CORINTH...
was written a few months subsequent to the first, in the same
year --about the autumn of A.D. 57 or 58 --at Macedonia. The
epistle was occasioned by the information which the apostle
had received form Titus, and also, as it would certainly seem
probable, from Timothy, of the reception of the first epistle.
This information, as it would seem from our present epistle,
was mainly favorable; the better part of the church were
returning to their spiritual allegiance to the founder, 2Co
1:13,14; 7:9,15,16 but there was still a faction who
strenuously denied Paul's claim to apostleship. The contents
of this epistle comprise, (1) the apostle's account of the
character of his spiritual labors, chs. 1-7; (2) directions
about the collections, chs. 8,9; (3) defence of his own
apostolical character, chs. 10-13:10. The words in 1Co 5:9
seem to point to further epistles to the church by Paul, but
we have no positive evidence of any.
Link: https://bible-history.com/smiths/C/Corin...
Shortly after writing his first letter to the Corinthians,
Paul
left Ephesus, where intense excitement had been
aroused against
him, the evidence of his great success, and
proceeded to
Macedonia. Pursuing the usual route, he reached
Troas, the port
of departure for Europe. Here he expected to meet
with Titus,
whom he had sent from Ephesus to Corinth, with
tidings of the
effects produced on the church there by the first
epistle; but
was disappointed (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 1:8; 2:12,
13). He then
left Troas and proceeded to Macedonia; and at
Philippi, where he
tarried, he was soon joined by Titus (2 Cor. 7:6,
7), who
brought him good news from Corinth, and also by
Timothy. Under
the influence of the feelings awakened in his mind
by the
favourable report which Titus brought back from
Corinth, this
second epistle was written. It was probably written
at Philippi,
or, as some think, Thessalonica, early in the year
A.D. 58, and
was sent to Corinth by Titus. This letter he
addresses not only
to the church in Corinth, but also to the saints in
all Achaia,
i.e., in Athens, Cenchrea, and other cities in
Greece.
The contents of this epistle may be thus arranged:
(1.) Paul speaks of his spiritual labours and course
of life,
and expresses his warm affection toward the
Corinthians (2 Cor.
1-7).
(2.) He gives specific directions regarding the
collection
that was to be made for their poor brethren in Judea
(8; 9).
(3.) He defends his own apostolic claim (10-13), and
justifies
himself from the charges and insinuations of the
false teacher
and his adherents.
This epistle, it has been well said, shows the
individuallity
of the apostle more than any other. "Human weakness,
spiritual
strength, the deepest tenderness of affection,
wounded feeling,
sternness, irony, rebuke, impassioned self-
vindication,
humility, a just self-respect, zeal for the welfare
of the weak
and suffering, as well as for the progress of the
church of
Christ and for the spiritual advancement of its
members, are all
displayed in turn in the course of his appeal."--
Lias, Second
Corinthians.
Of the effects produced on the Corinthian church by
this
epistle we have no definite information. We know
that Paul
visited Corinth after he had written it (Acts 20:2,
3), and that
on that occasion he tarried there for three months.
In his
letter to Rome, written at this time, he sent
salutations from
some of the principal members of the church to the
Romans.
Link: https://bible-history.com/eastons/C/Cori...
SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. Reasons for writing. To
explain why he deferred his promised visit to Corinth on his
way to Macedonia (1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 16:5; 2
Corinthians 1:15-16), and so to explain his apostolic walk,
and vindicate his apostleship against gainsayers (2
Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 6:3-18;
2 Corinthians 7:2; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Corinthians 7:11; 2
Corinthians 7:12). Also to praise them for obeying his first
epistle, and to charge them to pardon the transgressor, as
already punished sufficiently (2 Corinthians 2:1-11; 2
Corinthians 7:6-16). Also to urge them to contributions for
the poor brethren at Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8). Its
genuineness is attested by Irenaeus (Haer., 3:7, section 1),
Athenagoras (De Res. Mort.), Clement of Alexandria (Strom.,
3:94, 4:101), and Tertullian (Pudic., 13).
Time of writing. After Pentecost A.D. 57, when Paul
left Ephesus for Troas. Having stayed for a time at Troas
preaching with success (2 Corinthians 2:12-13), he went on
to Macedonia to meet Titus there, since he was disappointed
in not finding him at Troas as he had expected. In Macedonia
he heard from him the comforting intelligence of the good
effect of the first epistle upon the Corinthians, and having
experienced the liberality of the Macedonian churches (2
Corinthians 8) he wrote this second epistle and then went on
to Greece, where he stayed three months; then he reached
Philippi by land about Passover or Easter, A.D. 58 (Acts
20:1-6). So that the autumn of A.D. 57 will be the date of 2
Corinthians. Place of writing. Macedonia, as 2 Corinthians
9:2 proves. In "ASIA" (see) he had been in great peril (2
Corinthians 1:8-9), whether from the tumult at Ephesus (Acts
19:23-41) or a dangerous illness (Alford).
Thence he passed by way of Troas to Philippi, the
first city that would meet him in entering Macedonia (Acts
20:1), and the seat of the important Philippian church. On
comparing 2 Corinthians 11:9 with Philemon 4:15-16 it
appears that by "Macedonia" there Paul means Philippi. The
plural "churches," however, (2 Corinthians 8:1) proves that
Paul visited other Macedonian churches also, e.g.
Thessalonica and Berea. But Philippi, as the chief one,
would be the center to which all the collections would be
sent, and probably the place of writing 2 Corinthians Titus,
who was to follow up at Corinth the collection, begun at the
place of his first visit (2 Corinthians 8:6). The style
passes rapidly from the gentle, joyous, and consolatory, to
stern reproof and vindication of his apostleship against his
opponents. His ardent temperament was tried by a chronic
malady (2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:1-4; 2
Corinthians 12:7-9).
Then too "the care of all the churches" pressed on
him; the weight of which was added to by Judaizing
emissaries at Corinth, who wished to restrict the church's
freedom and catholicity by bonds of letter and form (2
Corinthians 3:8-18). Hence, he speaks of (2 Corinthians 7:5-
6) "rightings without" and "fears within" until Titus
brought him good news of the Corinthian church. Even then,
while the majority at Corinth repented and excommunicated,
at Paul's command, the incestuous person, and contributed to
the Jerusalem poor fund, a minority still accused him of
personal objects in the collection, though he had guarded
against possibility of suspicion by having others beside
himself to take charge of the money (2 Corinthians 8:18-28).
Moreover, their insinuation was inconsistent with their
other charge, that his not claiming maintenance proved him
to be no apostle...
Link: https://bible-history.com/faussets/C/Cor...
