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2 CORINTHIANS. A LETTER OF JOY & CONFLICT. 2 CORINTHIANS: BACKGROUND. Apparently Paul’s 4 th letter to this church Often called the “most personal” of Paul’s letters b/c he tells more about himself
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2 CORINTHIANS A LETTER OF JOY & CONFLICT
2 CORINTHIANS: BACKGROUND • Apparently Paul’s 4th letter to this church • Often called the “most personal” of Paul’s letters b/c he tells more about himself • Probably written from Macedonia (7:5) in A.D. 54-57, within a few weeks/months after 1 Corinthians • Contains a mixture of joy & personal pain over conflicts & questioning of Paul’s apostleship • Extremely emotional letter; a good reminder of Paul’s humanity
OUTLINE OF 2 CORINTHIANS • Chapters 1-7: Reconciliation & Defense of Paul’s Ministry • Chapters 8-9: Participation in Contribution for Jerusalem • Chapters 10-13: Reaction to Opponents at Corinth
IMPORTANT THEMES IN 2 Cor. • Paul’s Concept of His Apostolic Ministry (chaps. 1-5) • God’s Comfort in the Midst of Affliction (chap. 1) • Forgiving a Penitent Brother (chap. 2) • The Believer’s Hope for Eternity (chaps. 4-5) • The Meaning of True Repentance (chap. 7) • The Spirit & Motivation for Giving (chaps. 8-9) • Paul’s Suffering as an Apostle (chap. 11) • Power in Weakness (chap. 12)
LESSONS FOR TODAY • ____________ is sometimes part of following Jesus, but that should not deter us. • Even though our relationships with other believers may be difficult, we shouldn’t _________ _____ on them & should always be ready to ____________. • No matter how much we ___________ in this life, God has a great future for us. • B/c of what Jesus did for us, we have every reason to be ________________ toward others. • If you want to find out how ____________ God is, admit how ___________ you are.
2 CORINTHIANS: KEY VERSES “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18