Book of 2 Corinthians
Paul’s defense of his ministry and encouragement in hardship.
About the Book of 2 Corinthians
Second Corinthians is the most personal and autobiographical of all Paul's letters — a window into his soul during one of the most difficult periods of his ministry. After a painful visit to Corinth and a harsh letter that caused grief, Paul writes this letter from Macedonia, having received news of reconciliation through Titus. The emotional range of the letter is extraordinary.
The opening chapters develop Paul's theology of suffering and comfort: "The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort... comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." He describes his and his team's hardships — beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, sleepless, hungry — as making visible the resurrection life of Jesus: "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed."
Chapter 5 contains the famous declaration: "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" Chapters 8-9 develop a theology of generosity, with the statement that "God loves a cheerful giver." The climax comes in chapters 10-12, where Paul's "boasting" culminates in his famous "thorn in the flesh" passage and God's response: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Second Corinthians is essential reading for anyone in ministry or experiencing suffering they cannot escape.