Reason for Writing

Let us recall that the holy Apostle Paul, having received word from the household of Chloe concerning certain disorders in the Church of Corinth, sent the holy Timothy there to ascertain the facts and to effect what corrections could be made. But following Timothy’s departure from Ephesus, envoys from the Corinthian Church arrived with a letter from the Corinthians. In response to this letter and to all that was occurring in Corinth, the holy Apostle Paul wrote his first epistle, sending it with these same envoys to the Corinthian Church. In it he wrote, among other things, that he had sent Timothy to them, instructing that they receive him and provide for him, and promising himself to come to them as soon as he had arranged all things in Ephesus, where he intended to remain until Pentecost.

Thus, from the first epistle we see that the chief intermediary between the Corinthians and the holy Apostle Paul, on Paul’s behalf, was the holy Timothy. From the second epistle, however, we see that this role is now held by the holy Titus. Paul anxiously awaits him from Corinth in Troas, is gladdened by his arrival in Macedonia, thanks the Corinthians for the good reception they gave him, and sends the second epistle with him; whereas the holy Timothy stands with the holy Apostle in the inscription of the epistle, as a co-author, yet is not mentioned in the epistle itself. What a change?!

In the introduction to the first epistle, a conjecture has already been offered in explanation of this. Let us repeat it. The affairs of the holy Apostle in Ephesus did not proceed as he had supposed. The tumult raised against him by Demetrius the silversmith forced him to depart from Ephesus much sooner than he had written to Corinth; and this altered all his plans. The holy Timothy could not reach Corinth before Paul himself; the alms could not be collected as he desired; an unexpected appearance in Corinth by Paul himself might have an unfavorable effect on the perceptive scholarship of the Corinthians; moreover, to appear there without knowing how the first epistle had been received would not accord with the rule of prudence observed by the holy Apostle. For all these reasons, when departing Ephesus, the holy Apostle sent the holy Titus to Corinth with word of the change in his plan and of his coming much sooner than expected, entrusting him meanwhile to oversee the gathering of alms and especially to inquire carefully into how the first epistle had been received and what effect it had produced. The latter, one may say, was the principal matter, which was concealed under the arrangements concerning the collection of alms. Having gathered reliable information about the consequences of the first epistle, the holy Titus was to hasten to meet the holy Apostle, whom he expected to wait for him in Troas.

Having made these arrangements, the holy Apostle set his course toward Troas. Troas is by sea almost as far from Ephesus as Corinth. But if the holy Apostle intended to visit certain churches on the way, then upon arriving in Troas, he could reasonably hope that, if he did not find the holy Titus already there, he would soon await his arrival. In every way, he intended to occupy himself in Troas with preaching the Gospel (2 Cor. 2:12). Upon arriving there he set to this work; and a door was opened to him by the Lord; but since Titus was still not there, from great anxiety he was unable to continue the work of preaching; therefore, taking his leave of those there, he hurried to Macedonia, probably to Philippi (2 Cor. 2:13). Here the holy Apostle either found, or soon awaited, Titus with joyful news from Corinth; therefore, having spoken of his going to Macedonia, he exclaims: “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph!” (2 Cor. 2:14). In Macedonia the holy Apostle also caught up with the holy Timothy, who perhaps delayed there for some reason, whether it was on account of business, or illness, or yet some other cause—if such conjectures are needed on this matter. That is why in the second epistle the holy Titus is mentioned only as the active agent on behalf of the holy Apostle, while the holy Timothy stands only in the inscription.

The second epistle to the Corinthians is written immediately after Titus’ arrival, as is evident from what the holy Apostle writes in this epistle concerning the reception he received in Corinth (2 Cor. 7:11–16); consequently, it is written on the basis of the information that Titus brought, and in accordance with it. From this the content of the epistle makes it possible to conjecture what the holy Titus brought from Corinth; and this conjecture, if one sets it forth, will make it possible both to understand the content of the epistle more clearly and to see why it is such and not otherwise. Thus commentators proceed: and thus we must proceed as well.

What did the holy Titus bring? He brought assurance that the epistle had worked the same effect on Corinthian society as a strong wind works on gathered noxious vapors. The community was roused and with great zeal immediately set about correcting all the faults that had been pointed out (2 Cor. 7:11), and showed complete readiness to do all possible toward gathering alms. Although the epistle speaks of the correction of only one matter, namely the excommunication of the one guilty of incest (2 Cor. 2:5–8), and only in passing alludes to the rejection of all pagan practices (2 Cor. 6:14–17); yet there is no doubt that they had resolved to correct everything according to Paul’s instruction with complete exactitude. This should be confirmed by the very fact that the holy Apostle no longer mentions anything else, regarding that as unnecessary and burdensome. Having received such news, the holy Apostle was extremely comforted and gladdened (2 Cor. 7:6, 7).

But there was something else that the holy Titus brought, which, though it did not disturb the apostolic spirit that had been reassured concerning the whole body of the Corinthian Church, nonetheless required his attention and care. The body of the Church in all respects showed itself to be pure (2 Cor. 7:11) and full of true Christian spirit; but around its edges there were certain rumors about the holy Apostle Paul and his deeds that were not altogether favorable; there seem to have been even some who were not particularly eager and did not quickly abandon disapproved customary practices (2 Cor. 12:20, 21). The latter is a matter of weakness; but in the former one perceives hostile disposition toward the holy Apostle. These, for example, criticized in the holy Apostle the fact that he first wished to come directly to them, to go from them to the Macedonians, and then return from them, so as to depart from them to Judea (2 Cor. 1:16), but then changed his plan and is coming to them through Macedonia instead. This, they said, he does with “levity” or is “deliberating” something “according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 1:17). When the holy Apostle made such a promise is not apparent from either the Acts or the first epistle. Probably he had communicated this to them before the first epistle and before the reports from the household of Chloe through one of the faithful. The information received afterward regarding the state of the Corinthian Church caused him to change this intention. But those, not knowing this, censured him and were even ready to cast some shadow of instability upon the very preaching of the Gospel and upon the economy of salvation in the Lord (2 Cor. 1:17–22). But evil rumors were not limited to this alone. They also said: How strict he is in his letter! But when he was here, how did he conduct himself—so humbly and gently! And this is not all; it was also heard: Is he really an Apostle? Such and similar rumors were circulating in Christian society. There is no need to seek out who originated them, whether misguided believers or unbelievers ill-disposed toward the holy Apostle. It is sufficient to know that they were heard among Christians to see in this a reason for the holy Apostle to attend to them and to hasten to the believers with explanations that could prevent them from erring regarding him.

Both kinds of news prompted the holy Apostle to write a new epistle to the Corinthians. He needed to assure them, before his arrival among them, that he was completely reconciled to them in spirit, and joyful concerning their zeal in correcting all the faults indicated by his letter. He needed to provide the faithful with adequate explanations by means of which they themselves could repel the empty rumors about the holy Apostle that were being spread among them; for if these were left alone, they could implant in the minds of Christians prejudices dangerous to the Gospel’s cause regarding him and his manner of action. He needed also to urge to correction those who still were lagging in correcting themselves, so that, when coming to them, he would have no need to act with all the severity of apostolic authority, as he himself says: “I may not come harshly and use the authority that the Lord gave me” (2 Cor. 13:10). And concerning alms, too, he needed to say something, in order to surround this holy work with holy motives and deeds, to point out the bounds of what is due and what is willing, and in part to encourage zeal for it: “I am afraid that somehow”, he says, “if the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be humiliated in this undertaking” (2 Cor. 9:4).