Author : Keith Sharp
The city of Corinth
Corinth is located on a narrow isthmus joining the Peloponnesus, i.e., lower Greece, with Northern Greece. Because of this strategic location, and because it had two harbors, Cenchrea on the east opening toward the Aegean sea, and Lechaeum on the west facing the Adriatic, it was the center of travel for Greece in all directions. An 1800 foot high rock behind the city served as a natural fortress. Corinth was a very ancient city. It was destroyed by the Romans ca. 146 B.C. and rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. Caesar made it a Roman colony, thus, its citizens had Roman citizenship, and it was ruled by a Roman proconsul.
In Paul’s day the Greek and Jewish population of the city outnumbered the Roman. It was a city of over half a million people and the political and commercial capital of the Roman colony of Achaia. The Isthmian Games, a Greek athletic contest held in honor of the gods second in popularity only to the Olympic Games, was held in a stadium outside the walls of Corinth every other year.
The city prided itself on intellectualism, but it was actually dominated by a shallow sophism, the use of clever but fallacious argumentation to carry a dispute, rather than the pursuit of truth and learning. Corinth shared with the rest of Greece the love of philosophy and speculation.
Corinth was infamous as a center of immoral pleasure. To “live like a Corinthian” was proverbial for a dissolute life. The city was devoted to the pagan goddess Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of sexual love and fertility, and its temple employed a thousand sacred prostitutes in her worship. Paul was in Corinth when he compiled his list of the sins of the Gentiles (Romans 1:21-32). It was the Sodom of Greece.
History of Church
The apostle Paul began the church at Corinth on his second journey of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 18:1-18). Paul was at Corinth on his second journey for at least a year and a half (Acts 18:11,18). After this Paul left Corinth in order to return to Antioch of Syria (Acts 18:19-22). Apollos followed Paul in Corinth with great success (Acts 18:24; 19:1;
1 Corinthians 3:6). Then Apollos left for Ephesus, bringing Paul news of the church (1 Corin-thians16:12). Paul had come to Ephesus before Apollos (Acts 19:1).
At some time Paul wrote a letter to Corinth prior to First Corinthians which may be preserved in part of First Corinthians (5:9). The apostle also received news from the family of Chloe of other problems (1:11; 11:18). Paul then sent Timothy and Erastus to Corinth (1 Corin-thians 4:17; Acts 19:21-22). Then, another letter reached Paul, reporting more problems and asking questions (7:1; 16:17-18). Thus, before Timothy had arrived in Corinth, Paul sent First Corinthians to them (1 Corinthians16:10).
It seems the church in Corinth harbored every sin and problem a local congregation could. They were divided (1 Corinthians 1:10-13), were carnal (3:1-4), loved human wisdom (3:18-20), gloried in men (3:21; 4:6), were proud (4:7-10), harbored a fornicator (ch. 5; 6:15-20), lacked discipline (ch. 5), went to law against each other (6:1-8), were generally immoral (6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 12:21), were ignorant about marriage (ch. 7), were abusive of liberty (ch. 8), participated in idol worship (10:14-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14 7:1), harbored “liberated” women (11:2-16), abused the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34), misused spiritual gifts (chapters 12 – 14), lacked love (13:1-7), denied the resurrection (ch. 15), accepted false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:3-4,19-20), and squabbled (12:2).
Author
The apostle Paul wrote Second Corinthians with the help of Timothy (1:1; 10:1).
To Whom Written
Paul wrote “To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia.” (1:1)
Where and When Written
He sent this letter from Macedonia while on his third journey, ca. A.D. 56 or 57 (1:15-16; 2:12-13; 7:57; 8:1; 9:2-4; cf. Acts 20:1).
Occasion of Letter
Paul sent Titus from Ephesus to Corinth with First Corinthians ca. A.D. 55 or 56 (1 Cor-inthians 16:1-4,8-9; 2 Corinthians 8:6; 12:18). Paul planned to go to Macedonia and Corinth
(1 Corinthians 16:5-7), but he delayed his trip to see how they would receive First Corinthians (1:15-16; 2:1-3). After the riot in Ephesus, he went to Troas, hoping to hear from Titus about the church in Corinth (1:8; Acts 20:1). Titus did not arrive, so Paul pressed on to Macedonia (2:12-13; Acts 20:1). When he came to Macedonia, Titus arrived, bringing the glad news that the saints in Corinth had repented when they read First Corinthians (7:57). Paul sent Titus back to Corinth with Second Corinthians (8:6-8).
Condition of Church in Corinth
Most of the brethren in Corinth repented (2:5-6; 7:5-11), but they still tolerated false teachers (11:34). The heretics claimed to be apostles and denied Paul’s apostolic authority (11:13; 12:11-12; 13:3), claimed to be true ministers of Christ and denied Paul’s ministry (11:23; 13:1-3), and made vicious attacks on Paul (10:10). They were trying to turn the Gentiles to Judaism (11:22). Paul threatened to deal harshly with them when he came to Corinth (10:11; 13:1-3).
Theme
The theme is Paul’s Defense of his Apostleship (5:20).
Outline of Second Corinthians
I. Introduction – 1:1-11
A. Salutation – 1:1-2
B. Thanks for Their Comfort – 1:3-11
II. Paul’s Defense of His Ministry – 1:12 – 7:16
A. Why He Changed His Plans to Visit Them – 1:12 – 2:4
B. Advice to Restore the Penitent Sinner- 2:5-11
C. Thanks to God for Triumph in Christ – 2:12-17
D. The Superiority of Paul’s Ministry of the New Testament – 3:1 – 11
E. Reasons for Plainness of Speech – 3:12 – 4:15
F. Hope Sustains in Trials – 4:16 – 5:10
G. The Ministry of Reconciliation – 5:11 – 6:13
H. Prohibition of Unequal Yoking – 6:14-7:1
I. Paul’s Rejoicing in Their Repentance – 7:12-16
III. The Collection for the Poor Saints in Jerusalem – 8:1 – 9:15
A. The Collection – 8:1 – 15
B. The Messengers – 8:16 – 24
C. Bountiful Giving – 9:1 – 15
IV. Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship – 10:1 – 13:10
A. Defense of Apostolic Methods Against Attacks by False Apostles – 10:1 -11:15
B. Defense of Apostolic Ministry as Contrasted with False Apostles – 11:16-33
C. Defense of Apostolic Revelation – 12:1 – 4
D. Defense of Personal Weakness – 12:5 – 10
E. Defense of Apostolic Signs – 12:11 – 13
F. Defense of Apostolic Sacrifice – 12:14 – 18
G. Apostolic Warning – 12:19 – 13:10
V. Conclusion – 13:11 – 14
