When we last left Paul, he was still in northern Macedonia after having left Ephesus at the culmination of his three-year ministry there. He had been expecting to hear from Titus about how things are in Corinth but had not done so, so out of concern for matters there he crossed the Aegean Sea in preparation to head south to Corinth. It was shortly after reaching Macedonia that Titus found him and gave him a good report about the believers in Corinth. It was this good report that prompted Paul (in conjunction with the promptings of the Holy Spirit, of course) to write the letter that we call 2 Corinthians. I’m going to examine this letter in a kind of outline form, but I encourage you to read the whole thing!

The letter is not as deeply theological or addressing as many different issues as 1 Corinthians. It reads very much more conversationally, as Paul simply pours out his thoughts to the church in advance of his planned upcoming visit. He writes it along with his friend and co-worker Timothy.

He begins by talking about the comfort that he has received from God regarding Titus’ report.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

The first two chapters summarize how much anguish Paul had felt over the last known relations between him and the church in Corinth. He reviews these issues a little later in the letter, but his beginning is simply an emphasis of how much relief he feels from Titus’ report. He also explains how grateful he is that God prompted him to not visit Corinth immediately upon leaving Ephesus but rather that he should head to Macedonia first. This allowed a needed “cooling off” period which I’ll address later.

Paul ends chapter two by segueing into a critique of those who preach the gospel with insincere or deceptive motives of personal gain or their dislike of Paul. Chapters 3 and 4 are largely Paul’s description of his own motives of bringing glory to Christ and boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Paul ends chapter 4 by saying

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light 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.”

The affliction Paul is referencing is both his own distress over the tense relations he feels in regard to the Corinthian church, but also the tension he feels between his and the messages delivered by the false teachers who are defaming Paul.

These two themes pervade the whole letter. Paul switches back and forth between explanations of his heartfelt yearning (and confidence) for restored fellowship with the church, and his frustration with the false teachers who are damaging the gospel and casting doubt on the authenticity of Paul’s message.

Paul also encourages the church (in chapter 7) to extend fellowship back to him and also to one who Paul had earlier asked the church to remove fellowship from – perhaps the one mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” Paul encourages them to restore fellowship because the person has repented and needs the fellowship of believers to bring him back into full restoration. He says (2 Corinthians 7:10), “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.“

Paul also encourages the church to finish the collection and preparation of a gift for the relief of the church in Judea. In Chapters 8 and 9 he reminds them of their earlier stated intent to engage in this relief effort and also reminds them that their generosity will be visible and inspiring to other believers in Macedonia.

Paul finishes the letter by once again revisiting his earlier topics and closes with this statement: “Your restoration is what we pray for. For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.“