SECOND EPISTLE TO THE
CORINTHIANS.
INTRODUCTION.
Having
despatched
his first Epistle to the Corinthians by their returning messengers (1 Cor. 16:17, 18), and having, as it appears, sent Titus with
them as his own messenger (comp. 1 Cor. 16:1, 2 and 2
Cor. 8:6), Paul became exceedingly anxious as to the
effect which his letter would have, and, to get earlier news from it, he
advanced from Ephesus to the seacoast at Troas, where he expected to meet Titus.
But when Titus did not come, though Paul found "a door opened to him" in Troas,
his spirits were so intolerably oppressed by forebodings of evil as to the
situation at Corinth, that he crossed over the
sea into Macedonia
to learn what had occurred there. Here, possibly at
Philippi, he meets with Titus, and this second Epistle is called
forth by the report which Titus brought (2:12, 13; 7:5-7). The first Epistle was
written from Ephesus in the spring of A. D. 57, and this one from Macedonia,
probably in September or October of the same year. It shows that Titus reported
that the majority of the church was with Paul, accepted him as an apostle, read
his message with fear and trembling, received his rebukes with grief, and sought
to obey his instructions with holy zeal, promptly excommunicating the incestuous
man (7:7-14). But there was still a dangerous and defiant minority for Paul to
subdue, an evil influence for him to break down, and this second Epistle is
written because of this party. This minority, which existed when the first
Epistle was written, had apparently been re-enforced by Judaizers, who came from Jerusalem bearing what purported to be letters
of commendation from some high authority. This minority denounced Paul with
unscrupulous boldness. They accused him of cowardice, in that he had not come to
Corinth, insinuating [167] that he
preferred to keep at a distance and thunder in his letters, because he knew that
he was weak and contemptible if present. With wanton brazenness they struck at
his apostolic authority, asserting that he had no authentic commission, and not
even commendatory letters from
Jerusalem. They accused him of lying in regard to his
journeys and visits, and being so vacillating in his statements and purposes as
to be wholly untrustworthy. These, and other charges and innuendoes, were so
bold in their character, so gross in their nature and so dangerous in their
significance that, for the good of the cause, Paul felt impelled to write this
defense. Being strongly emotional from end to end, it is in style the most
difficult of all Paul's Epistles, and it is also the least systematic; but the
following analysis is fairly satisfactory. Part I. The
maintenance of his genuine apostleship (chs. 1-7).
This part is addressed more particularly to that section of the church which was
loyal, or even friendly, in its attitude toward him. It is divisible into two
subdivisions: (1) Defense against the charge of being unreliable because he had
changed his plans as to the time and direction of his journey to visit them, and
had apparently contradicted himself (chs. 1, 2). (2) A
discussion of his apostolic office (chs. 3-7). Part
II. Exhortations as to the offerings for the Judæan
poor (chs. 8, 9). Part III. A
measurement of his life, powers, ability, etc., with those who opposed and
defamed him (chs. 10-13). This part is
addressed more particularly to those who held him in doubt, and those who openly
defied him, and may be subdivided as follows: (1) Preliminary suggestions as to
the measurement (ch. 10-11:21). (2) The measurement in
detail (ch. 11:22-13). The Epistle differs very
greatly in its tone, passing from the warmest affection to the most startling
menace, because the apostle is sometimes addressing the penitent majority, and
sometimes the refractory minority. [168]
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