Introduction
Occasion and Purpose of the Epistle
Contents of the Epistle
Place and Time of Writing the Epistle
Authenticity and Unity of the Epistle
Character of the Epistle
Resources for Reading the Epistle
Occasion and Purpose of the Epistle
In the Corinthian church, as is well known from the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:10 and following), various disorders were occurring. In order to put an end to such disorders, the Apostle Paul wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians from Ephesus. This epistle, as the Apostle learned from Titus, whom he had sent to Corinth, had a beneficial effect on the Corinthians (2 Cor 7:5 and following). The Apostle Paul’s decree concerning the incestuous man was carried out, and this sinner repented of his transgression. But nonetheless, the same messenger of Paul reported to him that his opponents — the Judaizers — were not idle and were trying to undermine his authority among the Corinthian Christians. They pointed out that the Apostle Paul was weak in spirit, changeable in his decisions, so that he was difficult to rely upon. With these attacks in mind, the Apostle writes a second epistle to the Corinthians.
The Apostle speaks himself about the purpose of the epistle in chapter XIII (verse 10). By his epistle he wishes to bring the Corinthian church into such a state that afterward, when meeting the Corinthians in person, he would have no need to apply the full strictness of his apostolic authority to them. To this end he strives first of all to restore his authority in the eyes of the Corinthians — this is the main purpose he had in writing the epistle. All else serves only as a means for achieving this end.
Contents of the Epistle
The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, apart from the salutation and introduction, contains three parts. The first part — the first seven chapters — contains a depiction of the character of Paul’s apostolic activity, with the Apostle giving special attention to depicting his love for the Corinthians and the greatness of the New Testament ministry. In the second part — chapters VIII and IX — the Apostle speaks of the collection of alms for the poor Christians. In the third part — from chapter 10 through chapter 13 — the Apostle polemicizes with his opponents, victoriously repelling all the accusations leveled against him. Here he also states his requirements concerning the Corinthians.
Place and Time of Writing the Epistle
As is evident from the epistle itself (2 Cor 2:13; cf. Acts 20:1), the Apostle was in Macedonia at the time of writing the epistle, where he was found by Titus returning from Corinth. The epistle was written, it appears, in the same year 57 in which the First Epistle to the Corinthians was also written (cf. Acts 18:1).
Authenticity and Unity of the Epistle
No one among the biblical critics has raised any serious objections against the Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians belonging specifically to Paul. Indeed, if one reads this epistle with attention, one cannot in any way doubt that it was written by the great Apostle to the Gentiles, the founder of the Corinthian church. But criticism raises a special objection against this epistle. Specifically, it is said that the epistle does not represent a single, unified work, but consists of two or even three separate epistles of the Apostle Paul, which were later joined into one. It is asserted in this connection that after the First Epistle to the Corinthians the Apostle wrote a second epistle to Corinth, consisting of the last four chapters of our Second Epistle, and then a third, consisting of the first nine chapters of the same epistle.
On what basis does such an opinion rest? It is said that the last four chapters of the Second Epistle do not harmonize with the first nine, standing somehow completely apart from the first. Critics rely mainly on the apparent difference in tone with which the Apostle speaks in both parts. In the first part his speech is calm, and he himself is in an elevated and joyful spiritual state, while in the second he expresses his positions with extraordinary ardor and is greatly agitated. And the state of the Corinthians is depicted differently in each part: in the first it satisfies the Apostle, in the second, on the contrary, it disturbs and troubles him (cf. 2 Cor 7:14 and 2 Cor 12:20). But these grounds are quite insufficient to serve as proof that the two parts of the epistle originated at different times. First of all, even the first part does not contain only praise of the Corinthians — there are reproofs there as well. For example, in chapter VI (verses 11–16) the Apostle points to the lack of love toward him on the part of the Corinthians, and to certain deficiencies in their moral life. Moreover, if the Apostle in the first part praises the obedience of the Corinthians, he has in view only their attitude toward the incestuous man (2 Cor 7:11). Furthermore, if the tone of the second part differs from the tone of the first, this is explained by the fact that in the first part the Apostle addresses the Corinthian Christians, his spiritual children, while in the second he has in view chiefly his enemies, the Judaizers. It is very understandable that in the second part he is so agitated and so ironic toward his enemies. One must also take into account the circumstance that the epistle, being so extensive, was not written by the Apostle all at once, and during the writing of the epistle, when the first part was already finished, the Apostle may have received from Corinth such new information as compelled him to change the tone of his speech. This last circumstance can also explain why the Apostle in the second epistle persistently urges the collection of alms and then somewhat further on defends himself against the suspicion that he is using these alms for his own personal benefit. The Apostle probably learned of such suspicions precisely after he had already written the first nine chapters, where among other things the collection of alms is discussed, and he did not want to rework that part, all the more since the alms were truly extremely necessary for the poor Christians. He reasoned thus: “let me be subjected to suspicion rather than the poor be deprived of alms on which they had already counted”! Finally, even in the first part there is a hint at the existence of such suspicions against the Apostle (see 2 Cor 8:16-22).
Character of the Epistle
The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, after the Epistle to the Philippians, is especially important for understanding the personality of the Apostle Paul. Here we see the deep humility of the Apostle, his meekness and extraordinary condescension toward his spiritual children, and at the same time a lofty awareness of his apostolic dignity, which he defends with all his energy against his enemies — the Judaizers. In terms of style, it also stands out for its qualities — chiefly the power of expression, devastating irony, and the general beauty of its rhetorical turns.
Resources for Reading the Epistle
Besides the well-known patristic commentaries — those of John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and others — the most useful works for the exposition of the epistle are those of Kling (in Lange’s Bibelwerk), Heinrici, Bousset, and F. Bachmann (1909). Among Russian commentaries, the commentary of Bishop Theophan is distinguished by its greatest thoroughness.