New Testament

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians is Paul’s most personal letter, written after a painful break with the Corinthian church and its partial repair. He defends his ministry against critics who prized polished speech, letters of recommendation and impressive displays, arguing that God’s power is shown through weakness, in a messenger who carries the death of Jesus in his body so that the life of Jesus may be revealed (). It belongs in the Bible because it shows what gospel ministry looks like: new covenant glory held in “jars of clay” (), the message of reconciliation, generous giving, and grace that is sufficient because Christ’s power is perfected in weakness ().

Author: Paul, with Timothy named as co-sender (1:1). That Paul wrote it is almost universally accepted, though many scholars think the canonical letter may gather more than one of his letters to Corinth.
Audience: The church in Corinth and believers throughout the province of Achaia (1:1). Some had been hurt by Paul’s severe letter, while others were drawn to rival teachers whom Paul ironically calls “super-apostles” (11:5, 12:11).
When: Probably around AD 55–56, some months after 1 Corinthians. Between the two letters came a painful visit (2:1) and a letter Paul wrote in anguish and with many tears (2:4, 7:8).
Where: Written from Macedonia, where Titus finally met Paul with news that the church had repented (2:12–13, 7:5–7). Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia.
Genre: 2 Corinthians is a letter of reconciliation and self-defense, with sharp changes of mood. Chapters 1–7 are full of relief and affection, chapters 8–9 appeal for the collection for Jerusalem, and chapters 10–13 turn to biting irony, including a “fool’s speech” in which Paul boasts of his weaknesses (11:16–12:10). These shifts have led many scholars to think the book joins two or more letters, for example that chapters 10–13 belong to the tearful letter or to a later one, while others argue for one letter written over time or answering fresh news. Either way, read each section in its own tone and notice the threads that tie them together, such as Titus’s visits (8:6, 12:18).

Shape of the book

Comfort, Changed Plans and Forgiveness · ch 1–2Paul praises the God of all comfort, explains why he changed his travel plans and sent a painful letter instead, and urges the church to forgive the offender who has repented.
Ministers of the New Covenant · ch 3–5Contrasting Moses’ veiled glory with the Spirit’s ministry, Paul describes treasure in jars of clay, the hope of a heavenly dwelling, and the message of reconciliation.
Open Hearts and Titus’s Good News · ch 6–7Paul lists his hardships as credentials, pleads for open hearts, calls for separation from idolatry, and rejoices at the church’s godly sorrow and repentance.
The Collection for Jerusalem · ch 8–9Pointing to the generous Macedonians and to Christ who became poor, Paul urges the Corinthians to complete their gift for the poor believers in Jerusalem.
Paul’s Defense Against the Super-Apostles · ch 10–13Paul answers his rivals, boasts as a fool of his sufferings and his thorn in the flesh, and warns the church to examine itself before his third visit.

Themes

Power in Weakness. Paul’s critics judged by appearances. He answers that God put this treasure in jars of clay to show that the power is from God (), and he records the Lord’s answer to his prayer about the thorn: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (). Weakness is where Christ’s strength is displayed.
The Ministry of the New Covenant. Paul’s commendation is not a letter of ink but the Corinthians themselves, written by the Spirit on human hearts (). The ministry of the old covenant came with glory, but the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness has greater and lasting glory ().
Reconciliation. God “reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (). The message that God is reconciling the world to Himself in Christ () also shapes Paul’s plea that the church be reconciled to him and to God (, ).
Comfort in Affliction. The letter opens with the God of all comfort, who comforts Paul so that he can comfort others (). Paul speaks openly about despairing of life in Asia () and about fears within and conflicts without (), and he presents suffering as the place where God’s comfort is learned and shared.
Generosity as Grace. Paul calls the collection a grace, a gift God works in His people (, ). The model is Christ, who though rich became poor for their sake (), and the aim is fairness among believers and thanksgiving to God (, ).
True and False Apostles. Paul’s rivals commended themselves, measured themselves by one another and took payment (, ). Paul’s marks are different: sincerity before God (), refusing to be a burden (, ), and a long list of beatings, dangers and sleepless nights ().

Where Christ is

Christ is both the message and the pattern of Paul’s ministry. All God’s promises find their “Yes” in Him (), His face shows the glory of God (), and He who knew no sin was made sin for us (). Paul’s own sufferings carry “the death of Jesus” so that “the life of Jesus” may be seen ().

Glory Greater Than Moses’. Type and fulfillment. Moses’ face shone after he met with God, and he veiled it (). Paul says that glory was fading, and a veil still lies over the reading of the old covenant until a person turns to the Lord, while in Christ believers behold the Lord’s glory and are transformed into His image (). The Spirit writing on hearts fulfills the new covenant promise (, ). (; ; ; )
Light Out of Darkness. Fulfillment. Paul links new birth to the first day of creation: “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 Jesus Christ” (). Christ is the image of God (), as Adam was made in God’s image. (; ; ; )
New Creation and the Sin-Bearer. Promise and fulfillment. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” () echoes Isaiah’s promise of a new thing and of new heavens and a new earth. The claim that God made the sinless one “to be sin on our behalf” () echoes the Servant of , who bore the sins of many. (; ; ; ; )
Now Is the Day of Salvation. Fulfillment. Paul quotes , where God promises to help His Servant in the day of salvation, and declares that day has arrived (). He then joins Old Testament promises that God will dwell among His people and be their God (), applying them to the church. (; ; ; ; )
Rich Yet Poor. Echo and pattern. Christ became poor so that through His poverty believers might become rich (). Paul then quotes the manna rule, that whoever gathered much had nothing left over and whoever gathered little did not lack (), to show God’s pattern of provision shared among His people (). (; ; ; )

Reading well, key terms and common misreadings

Read it well

Read 2:12–13 and then 7:5–7. Paul breaks off the story of looking for Titus and resumes it five chapters later; the long section between is his defense of gospel ministry.
Track key words: “comfort” in chapter 1, “glory” in chapter 3, “grace” in chapters 8–9, and “boast” in chapters 10–12.
Treat the hardship lists (4:8–9, 6:4–10, 11:23–29) as Paul’s credentials. He presents suffering, not success, as the mark of a true servant of Christ.
Read chapters 8–9 with 1 Corinthians 16:1–4 and Romans 15:25–27 to see the collection for Jerusalem as a gift binding Gentile churches to Jewish believers.
Hear the irony in chapters 10–13. When Paul speaks as a fool, he is mimicking his rivals’ boasting to expose it.

Key terms

Comfort, encouragement παράκλησις (paraklēsis) — Strengthening help that comes alongside. The noun and its verb appear again and again in 1:3–7, framing the whole letter with God’s comfort in suffering.
Covenant διαθήκη (diathēkē) — Paul contrasts the old covenant, written on stone, with the new covenant of the Spirit (3:6, 3:14). The word recalls Jeremiah’s promise of a covenant written on the heart.
Reconciliation καταλλαγή (katallagē) — Restoring a broken relationship. In 5:18–20 God is the one who reconciles, through Christ, and then sends messengers with that message.
Weakness ἀσθένεια (astheneia) — Frailty, sickness, lack of strength or status. Paul turns it from a disqualification into the place of Christ’s power (12:9–10, 13:4).
Boast καυχάομαι (kauchaomai) — To take pride in or claim credit. Paul’s rivals boast of appearances, so Paul boasts, as a fool, only of his weaknesses and in the Lord (10:17, 11:30).
Ministry, service διακονία (diakonia) — Used for Paul’s apostolic work, the ministry of the new covenant and of reconciliation (3:8, 5:18), and also for the collection, a service to the saints (8:4, 9:1).

Easy to misread

Using chapters 8–9 to promise financial returns for giving. Paul does say God will enrich the giver, but for the purpose of further generosity and thanksgiving to God (9:8–12), and his model is Christ, who became poor (8:9).
Reading “made Him who knew no sin to be sin” (5:21) as Christ becoming sinful. Paul stresses that He knew no sin; He took the place and judgment of sinners. Some read “sin” here as a sin offering, Reformed and Lutheran readers stress the exchange of our sin for His righteousness credited to us, and others stress our sharing in His righteousness by union with Him.
Claiming to know exactly what the thorn in the flesh was (12:7). Suggestions include an illness, perhaps affecting Paul’s eyes, persistent opponents, or a spiritual attack. Paul does not say, and the focus falls on the Lord’s answer.
Reading 6:14 about being unequally yoked only as a rule about marriage. In context it concerns partnership with idolatry and the church as God’s temple (6:16); many apply the principle to marriage as well, in line with 1 Corinthians 7:39.

Further reading: David Guzik, Enduring Word · Matthew Henry on CCEL · BibleProject overview video