Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to defend his ministry and apostleship after being criticized by false teachers in the Corinthian church. The letter outlines the steps leading to Paul writing it, including his previous visits and letters to Corinth. It contrasts with 1 Corinthians in focusing more on Paul's personal experiences and emotions. Paul defends his ministry, credentials as an apostle, and encourages the Corinthians in areas like giving, before giving his final exhortation.

1. Week 7 Powerpoint

2. Pauline Epistles 1

3. City and Church at Corinth
Second Letter to the Corinthians (some steps leading to it)
1. Paul’s first trip to Corinth in A.D. 50 (Acts 18:1-17)
2. Paul then traveled to Ephesus (Acts 19) – 3rd missionary journey
3. Paul writes his “lost letter” to the Corinthians (1 Cor 5:9)
4. A delegation from Corinth brought Paul questions
5. Paul wrote 1st Corinthians to answer those questions (1 Cor 7:1ff)
6. Paul made a “painful visit” to Corinth from Ephesus (2 Cor 2:1; 13:1)
7. Paul wrote a sharp, sorrowful letter (2 Cor 2:4) carried by Titus which is now
lost (not 1 Cor)
8. Paul went to Troas to meet Titus (2 Cor 2:12,13)
9. Paul hurried to Macedonia, possibly to Philippi, anxious to hear from Titus
concerning the Corinthians’ response (2 Cor 7:5)
10. Titus brought good news about the church as a whole (2 Cor 7:6-16)
11. Titus brought bad news concerning a group in the church that opposed Paul’s
apostleship
a) They were Jewish (11:22) false teachers (11:23)
b) They viciously criticized Paul’s change of plans about visiting Corinth,
collecting money for poor saints, and Paul’s apostolic authority.
12. Paul wrote Second Corinthians to Defend his ministry

4. OUTLINE OF 2 CORINTHIANS
I. THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED (2 COR 1 – 7)
II. THE MINISTRY OF GIVING ENCOURAGED (2 COR 8-9)
III. THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY ENFORCED (2 COR 10-13)
Contrasts between 1st and 2nd Corinthians
1) 1st Corinthians deals with Church Issues and Practical Solutions; 2nd
Corinthians is an impassioned self-defense by the wounded
preacher.
2) 1st Corinthians is more Systematic; 2nd Corinthians is more Emotional
a) Paul is weeping as he writes chapters 1 – 7
b) Paul is angry as he writes chapters 8 – 13
 2nd Corinthians is considered THE MOST BIOGRAPHICAL AND
PERSONAL OF PAUL’S CHURCH EPISTLES.

5. I. THE SUFFERING OF THE MINISTRY (1:1-2:11)
A. Suffering because of Persecution (1:1-11) – Suffering can be turned
to minister to others
1) By Praising God in all circumstances (1-7)
2) By Trusting God in all circumstances (9-10) (cf. 1 Cor 15:32 Asia
Incident) (cf. Acts 19:23-41; 2 Cor 11:24 – possible incident)
3) By Enlisting prayers to God in all circumstances (11)
B. Suffering because of Misunderstanding (1:12-2:11) – What do you do
when misunderstood?
1) Appeal to your conscience (1:12-14)
2) Point Everyone to Christ (1:15-24) – Paul chose to legitimately
tell the Corinthians the reason he did not come to them
earlier. His reason was consideration for them. His
testimony was based on the person of Christ and His
faithful word.
3) Deal firmly but compassionately (2:1-11) – Always be willing to
have a forgiving spirit. No matter what has been done to
you by a fellow Christian.

6. II. THE GLORY OF THE MINISTRY (2:12-7:16)
A. The Triumphant ministry (2:12-17)
1) Paul recognized God was leading (2:12-14)
2) God was leading to victory (2:15-17)
B. The Glorious ministry (3:1-18)
1) Tables of stone versus -- living epistles (3:1-3)
2) Death of the letter versus -- exceeding glory of grace (3:4-6)

7. QUESTION:
IN WHAT SENSE IS PAUL A
MINISTER OF THE NEW
COVENANT (3:6)?

8. II. THE GLORY OF THE MINISTRY (2:12-7:16)
A. The Triumphant ministry (2:12-17)
1) Paul recognized God was leading (2:12-14)
2) God was leading to victory (2:15-17)
B. The Glorious ministry (3:1-18)
1) Tables of stone versus -- living epistles (3:1-3)
2) Death of the letter versus -- exceeding glory of grace (3:4-6)
3) Glory of the law versus -- permanent transformation (3:7-11)
4) Temporal versus -- permanent transformation (3:12-18)
C. The Powerful ministry (4:1-18)
1) The Judaizers caused suffering (4:1-6)
a) Because of false teaching (1,2)
b) Because of Satan’s blinding (3-6)
2) The Power of God sustained (4:7-18)

9. D. The Motivated ministry (5:1-21)
1) The Brevity of Life (5:1-9)
2) The Accountability of the Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10)
3) The Terror of the Lord (5:11)
4) The Love of Christ (5:14)
5) The Message of Reconciliation (5:15-21)
E. The Separated ministry (6:1-7:1) (cf. Gal 3:1; Phil 4:15)
F. The Comforted ministry (7:2-16)

10. I. EXAMPLE OF GIVING (8:1-12)
A. Spiritual believers give generously (8:1,2)
B. Spiritual believers give willingly (8:3,4)
C. Spiritual believers give personally (8:5)
D. Spiritual believers give lovingly (8:6-8)
E. Spiritual believers give sacrificially (8:9)
F. Spiritual believers give proportionately (8:12)
II. ENFORCEMENT FOR GIVING (8:6-9:4) – This passage gives 4 steps of
encouragement toward the Corinthians’ promised gift.
A. Paul sent Titus to get the Corinthians ready to give (8:6)
B. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to instruct the Corinthians on giving (8:10-15)
C. Paul sent a group of brothers to receive the offering (8:16-24)
D. Paul was coming himself to receive the offering (9:1-4)
III. EXHORTATIONS FOR GIVING (9:1-15)
Did the Corinthians Respond?
A. The recipients will be helped (9:1-5)
B. The giver will be blessed (9:6-10) See Romans 15:25,26
C. The Lord will be glorified (9:11-15) Macedonia = Philippi
Achaia = Corinth

11. I. PAUL’S AUTHORITY AS AN APOSTLE (10:1-18)
A. The Accusation (10:1,2)
B. The Attack (10:3,4)
C. The Answer (10:4-18)
1) Spiritual Weapons (4,5)
2) Carnal Weapons (6-18) – The sin of comparing
We must not compare others with others (7)
• Man measures by outward appearance (1)
• God measures by inward character (3-5)
We must not compare ourselves with others (9-18)
• False Prophets were comparing themselves with themselves
• God has a different standard of evaluation (13-18)
II. PAUL’S CREDENTIALS AS AN APOSTLE (11:1-13:14)
A. False Apostles’ Credentials (11:1-15)
1) They claimed to be super apostles (5)
2) They claimed to be trained rhetoricians (6)
3) They claimed to be dependent on the churches (7-12)

12. B. Paul’s Credentials (11:16-12:10)
1) Paul’s Suffering (11:16-33)
2) Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (12:1-10)
Paul’s heavenly experience of glory (10:1-6)
Paul’s earthly experience of suffering (10:7-10)
• To produce humility (7)
• To produce prayer (8)
• To produce strength (9a)
• To produce power (9b)
C. Paul’s Desired Response (12:11-13:10)
1) Acceptance as a TRUE APOSTLE (12:11-13)
2) Demonstration of TRUE LOVE (12:14-15)
3) Change of UNREPENTANCE (12:16-21)
4) Demonstration of GOD’S POWER (13:1-10)
D. Paul’s Final Exhortation (13:11-14)