Paul's Teachings on the Light of the Gospel and Encouragement

God of All Comfort

Paul began this letter to the church in Corinth with a greeting from him and Timothy. Paul then went on to speak about the comfort that God brought to Christians in times of trouble and how that gave Christians the ability to comfort others during their difficult seasons. He pointed out that followers of Christ not only shared in His suffering but also in His comfort. Paul wrote about the problems the disciples had experienced in Asia; it had felt like they had received a death sentence. This had forced them to rely on God rather than on themselves. God had delivered them there, and Paul shared that he hoped that God would deliver them again. He told the church in Corinth to pray for him; as a result, many would see and give thanks for the blessings received.

Plans Changed

Paul had intended to travel to Corinth, but his plans changed. During his previous visit to Corinth, there had been problems. Paul wanted to return to Corinth when he could do so joyfully, and this would in turn bring joy to the Corinthians. He informed the church in Corinth that this sin that had caused the issues had not harmed him but had harmed the church, and it should be dealt with by the church there. This should be done with forgiveness and comfort. He forgave, so Satan could not win because Satan desired trouble within the church. The problems in the church in Corinth had bothered Paul so much that he could not preach in Troas but had gone on to Macedonia.

A New Covenant

Paul wrote that he did not need letters of recommendation from the church in Corinth since the church itself was a letter of recommendation written on his heart for all to know and read. The church was like a letter from Christ, written by the Holy Spirit instead of with ink. Paul and his fellow apostles' confidence came from Christ. Paul contemplated how if the ministry that had been revealed to Moses had been so glorious, how much more so would the ministry of the Holy Spirit be? The hope provided in this ministry would make Christians bold. Wherever the Spirit of God was, there was freedom.

Light of the Gospel

Paul discussed how this ministry came from the mercy of God. Christians had renounced deceptive practices. Their ministry was open and transparent. If the gospel was veiled, it would be veiled to those who were not saved. Satan would blind unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel. Paul noted that their teachings did not come from themselves but from God. Their gospel was to bring light to the world in the knowledge and glory of Jesus Christ.

Paul mentioned treasures in jars of clay. These jars of clay were symbolic of humans in their natural state since humans were made out of the earth when God formed Adam. Paul and Timothy were full of afflictions, but the treasure within them was the knowledge of God received through the grace of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, all knowledge and wisdom had been placed. This knowledge could only be accessed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul made another comparison to the human body by writing about a tent being like an earthly home. The tent was like the body. People complained while they were still in their earthly bodies, but they needed to be brave. While they were in their bodies, they were away from God, but to be out of their bodies was to be present with God. So, when they one day would be separated from their bodies, they would all have to appear before the judgment of Christ so that they would receive what was due to them.

Reconciliation

Paul stated that the love of Jesus Christ controlled him and Timothy. Jesus had died for everyone, and once everyone had died, the ones that would live again would live for Christ and not for themselves. If anyone had received Christ, that person should not look at people in the flesh but as new creatures in Christ. The old had gone, and the new had come. Jesus was reconciling the world to Himself (or bringing back a right relationship). Paul declared that they were ambassadors of Christ, and he begged the church in Corinth to be brought into a right relationship with God. They were not placing obstacles in anyone's way, so fault could not be found in their ministry. He listed all of the horrible things that they had endured, even being called imposters when they were speaking the truth of the gospel.

Temple of the Living God

Paul proclaimed that the saved were living temples of God. He warned the Corinthians that they should not become intimately involved with nonbelievers. This was causing problems within the church in Corinth, where nonbelievers were sowing discord.¹ Paul said that since God had promised that His people would be His temple, they should cleanse their bodies from anything that would defile them.

Paul remarked that they should not condemn him for what he had written; he had great pride in the church in Corinth. Despite all of the problems, Paul felt great joy. God had comforted them by giving them Titus, and then Titus had comforted them. If the letter had made them sad, Paul did not regret it because if that sadness made them repent, then that brought joy. He also had a section of the letter that expressed his happiness at the coming of Titus and his service to the church in Corinth.

Giving

Paul then addressed giving. He encouraged the Corinthians to give generously. He used the churches in Macedonia as an example of how churches suffering from their problems gave freely and sought opportunities to give. He wrote this not to command the Corinthians to do this, but to show that their love was genuine. A vital point of this part of the letter to the church in Corinth was that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV®). God did not want people to give out of a sense of obligation. Rather, He wanted people to want to give from a genuine desire to help others and further His ministry.

Summary

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, reminding them that God would bring comfort in times of trouble. There had been problems when Paul had visited Corinth previously, so he had delayed this visit so that it could be a time of joy when he returned. Paul pointed out that the ministry of the apostles had come from God. Their gospel was to give light to the world in the knowledge and glory of Jesus Christ. Once people received Christ, they were new creatures in Him. God said that His people would be His temple and should not defile it. Paul encouraged the church in Corinth to give and to give generously. He noted that God loved it when people gave because they wanted to and not because of some obligation they felt.

Application and Reflection

Application

Paul wrote that God loves someone who gives cheerfully. God does not want someone who gives out of obligation but out of love. This is also a way for believers to show God's love to others. The grace of Jesus Christ magnifies these gifts. Our gifts are matched and multiplied.

Reflection

Paul wrote that if this letter made the Corinthians sad, he did not mind because they would have even more joy if that sadness caused them to repent of their sins. Repentance is an integral part of the Christian life. Do you not only ask for forgiveness but also repent of your sins?