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| Survey, Overview, & Chronology of the New Testament |
II Corinthians
- I. To Whom:
- a. Specific--“Church of God which is at Corinth” (v.1).
- i. “Church of God” is synonymous with “church of Christ” (Rom 16:16).
- 1. This is so because Jesus purchased the church with His blood (Ac 20:
28) (note the term God, O Theos is used).
2. Jesus said He would build His church (Matt 16:18).
3. Jesus is deity (Jn 1:1-14).
4. Hence, to say church of God is to express the deity of the Christ.
- ii. Corinth was the capital city of Achaia.
- 1. The population of the city in the biblical times would have been around
600,000.
2. Enjoyed wealth.
3. Was overrun with sexual indulgence—temple to the goddess of
passion (Venus), who was worshipped by 1-2,000 harlots, the
priestesses of the temple, commonly called “slaves of the temple.”
4. They were proud of their mental acuteness, and loved to argue for
argument’s sake.
- iii. A church was established there in 51 A.D. (Ac 18:1-8), and it is they whom
Paul addresses.
- b. Universal application--“All the saints” (v.1).
- i. The term “saint” in the New Testament is a synonym for the term Christian.
- 1. Matt 28:19—“make disciples”—Ac 11:26—“disciples were called
Christians.”
2. Disciples are in Christ—Gal 3:27 >> Matt 28:19, 20 >> Ac 11:26.
3. Saints are in Christ—Phil 4:21; Col 1:2; 1 Cor 1:2.
4. Paul was persecuting the church—Ac 8:1-3; 9:1-4, yet we read he
persecuted saints—Ac 9:13; 26:10.
5. Compare also Eph 2:19 with 1 Tim 3:15 >>house, church, saints.
6. Compare again 1 Cor 14:33 with 1 Tim 3:15 >> Matt 28:19, 20; Ac
11:26; 2:38, 41, 47.
7. Thus, it MUST be concluded that the New Testament term saint is
synonymous with the term Christian.
8. So, then, to address the saints is to address Christians.
- ii. “Saint” is translated from the word hagios, meaning a most holy thing, or a
set apart thing/person.
- 1. A Christian is a disciple of Christ, who is set apart to the cause of
Christ.
2. Thus, the term Christian means follower of Christ.
- c. “Partakers of sufferings and consolation” (v.7).
- i. 1 Thess 3:3, 4.
ii. This is a paradox; how can one suffer and be comforted at the same time?
(1 Thess 1:6).
- 1. Rev 2:10.
2. Rom 8:17, 18.
3. 2 Cor 4:1, 16-5:3.
4. Eph 1:3.
- d. Those who were “helping together by prayer” (v.11).
- i. Prayer is the sole prerogative of a Christian.
- 1. Jn 9:31; Prov 28:9.
2. 1 Pet 3:11, 12.
3. Thus, the only way they could help by prayer is if they were faithful.
- ii. How does prayer help?
- 1. Jms 5:16-18.
2. 1 Pet 5:7.
- iii. Sometimes we cannot send money to missionaries, or those stricken by
disaster.
- 1. Often we fail to have the funds to support preacher students, etc.
2. However, there is power in prayer (Phil 4:6, 7); hence by our prayers
we can be helpers of the Lord’s work.
- e. Those who have sinned—13:2.
- i. This alone refutes the concept of once saved always saved.
ii. They had sinned and were in need of repentance—12:21; 13:5.
II. Date:
- a. Along with Mark, Romans and Galatians we will place the date about 56 A.D.
b. This would place with writing at six months to one year after the first.
c. This conclusion is drawn for the following reasons:
- i. The statement of 1:8 coincides with Acts 19:23-41 (Ephesus is a city in
Asia). Hence, it was written after this event.
ii. 2:12, 13 speaks of the course Paul had taken in Acts 16:8, 9, so after this.
iii. 9:2 coincides with Acts 20:2.
- 1. The verb “boast” is kauchomai, which is in the present tense.
2. This implies Paul was with those of Macedonia.
3. This is probably the time that the second epistle was written (56-57 A.
D.).
4. In Acts 20:2 it states that he went down to Greece; compare this with
2 Cor 13:1.
- iv. Finally, 2:5-10 speaks of that about which Paul wrote in 1 Cor 5. Hence, it
was likely no more than 6 months to 1 year after the writing of the first.
- d. As per the date Bro Lipscomb notes: “The date may be thus ascertained: It was
written after the riot of Demetrius at Ephesus…(1:8). Paul then traces his passage
from Ephesus, through Troas, to Macedonia (2:12, 13; 7:5), where he was engaged
in making a collection for the saints in Judea (8:1); and the collection was still
proceeding at the time of writing (9:1, 2). Titus returned to Corinth to continue the
collection among the Corinthians, and prepare them for the reception of Paul
himself (8:6, 17; 9:3-5). Paul alludes to revelation made to him fourteen years before
(12:2); and as the vision occurred when he was at Jerusalem…”
III. Author:
- a. “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ” (v.1).
- i. “Apostle” is translated from the term apostolos, meaning one sent forth with
orders having authority. By whom was Paul sent?
ii. “By the will of God.”
- 1. Not something he had taken upon himself.
2. Gal 1:6-12, 15-17.
3. 1 Cor 15:8-10.
4. 2 Cor 12:11, 12.
- b. Perhaps through Timothy as a scribe, which was a common practice during the
first century (1:1).
- i. Rom 16:22.
ii. 1 Pet 5:22.
- iii. 1 Cor 1:1.
IV. Purpose: (Note: in my estimation, as well as that of others, this is the most difficult
book of the New Testament—2 Pet 3:16. It has a personal element, sometimes seems to
flow free of a context, yet is bound together by a thread of thought. Nay, not even the
Revelation of John contains the complexity of 2 Cor).
- a. Purpose passages:
- i. 5:17-21.
ii. 6:4-10.
iii. 6:14-7:1.
- b. Paul was writing to those who had sinned—13:2.
c. The Judaizers dealt with the word as “peddlers” (2:17 NKJV), who were “false
apostles” (11:13-22). They were bringing another gospel (11:4); and were guilty of
boasting (10:12). They attacked the church as evil men (11:15) attempting to pervert
the results of Paul’s labor (10:16-18).
d. Paul, then, shows the comfort which is found in Christ Jesus (1:1-7, 9, 10, 20; 4:
14; 5:14, 15; 6:9; 13:14). He expresses his love for them (2:4), desiring that they be
obedient to his words (2:9), warning them of Satan’s attack against the church (2:
11). He explains that the Law of Moses has been taken out of the way (3:16-18),
and in Christ we now trust (chs. 4-5); for it is Christ who has born our sins (5:17-21).
Hence the book tends to deal with the concept of eternity and how one is to be
approved by the Lord in order to stand in the judgment (5:9, 10). But, in order to be
approved, we must take advantage of the present time (6:2), being separated from
the word (6:14-7:1).
e. Brother Lipscomb notes: “The report brought by Titus was in the main favorable.
The majority of the church had bowed submissively to his exhortations and
admonitions, and had earnestly set about correcting the excesses and abuses he
had so faithfully exposed (1:13, 14; 7:9, 15, 16). The Judaizing faction, however,
whose animosity was aroused by his solemn rebuke, were doing all in their power to
destroy his influence in the church (3:6-4:1—RS). They were depreciating his
authority (11:13-22—RS), misrepresenting his motives (11:5-10—RS), and conduct
(1:12; 10:2—RS); even using his epistle to bring charges against him as having
failed to keep his promise to visit them, and of having adopted an authoritative style
of writing little in unison, as they alleged, with the contemptibleness of his
personable appearance and speech (10:10).”
V. Interesting Facts:
- a. Comfort in trouble—1:1-10.
b. He whom had been disciplined had returned—2:6-11.
c. The Old Testament was being done away from the time it was given—3:6-18.
d. Christians are renewed in the inward man walking by faith not by sight—4:16-5:7.
e. All will be judged by God—5:10.
f. The world has been brought to God by Jesus—5:17-21.
g. Christians are to be separate from the word—6:14-7:1.
h. Repent and not repent—7:8-10.
i. Giving involves self-sacrifice—8:1-5.
j. Christians are spiritually rich—8:9.
k. He who is willing to give is blessed spiritually by God—9:6, 7.
l. There are false teachers—11:3, 4, 13-15.
m. Paul’s thorn in the flesh were the Judaizing teachers—12:7-10.
n. Apostles had ability—9:12.
o. Men ought to judge themselves—13:5.
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| Street Address: 1019 Clothilde St., Morgan City, LA 70380 Mailing Address: PO Box 1756, Morgan City, LA 70381 Phone: (985) 384-3489 |