2 Corinthians
Chapter 1
Greeting
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God in Corinth and to all the saints throughout Achaia.
May you receive grace and peace from God our Father and from Christ Jesus, the Lord.
Comfort in Tribulation
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord, the all-merciful Father and the God of all comfort!
He encourages us during all our trials so that we can also comfort those facing any trial with the same reassurance we receive from God.
Whenever the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ a great comfort also overflows.
So, if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we receive comfort, it is also for you. You may experience the same comfort when you endure the same sufferings we endure.
Our hope for you is very firm; just as you share in our sufferings, so shall you also share in our comfort.
Brothers and sisters, we want to share some of the trials we faced in the province of Asia. We were overwhelmed; it was too much; more than we could handle, and we had already lost all hope of survival.
We felt as if we were destined for death, but this happened so that we would no longer rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
He rescued us from such a deadly danger and will continue to do so. We trust that he will keep protecting us,
but you must help us with your prayers. When many intercede on our behalf, many will give thanks to God for it.
Change of Plans
We take pride in this: our conscience assures us that we have lived in this world with the honesty and sincerity that come from God. We have been guided, not by human motives, but by God’s grace, especially regarding you.
There were no hidden motives in my letter, only what you can read and understand.
I trust that what you now only partly understand, you will come to realize and be proud of us fully, just as we will also be proud of you on the Day of the Lord Jesus.
With this assurance, I wanted to visit you first, which would have been a double blessing for you,
because I planned to leave you to go through Macedonia, then return to you on my way back from Macedonia, and you would have sent me on my way to Judea.
Have I planned this without thinking at all? Or do I change my decisions on a whim, so that I am caught between No and Yes?
God knows that our dealings with you are not just Yes and No,
just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we—Silvanus, Timothy, and I—preach to you, was not Yes and No; with him, it was simply Yes.
In him, all of God’s promises have proven to be a Yes, and we also say in his name: Amen! Giving thanks to God.
God himself has anointed us and strengthens us together with you to serve Christ;
he has marked us with his own seal in the first outpouring of the Spirit upon our hearts.
Reasons for the Change of Plans
God knows, and I swear to you on my own life, that if I did not return to Corinth, it was because I wanted to spare you.
I do not wish to lord it over your faith, but to contribute to your happiness; for regarding faith, you already stand firm.
Commentaries
Greeting.
As usual, Paul introduces himself as an ‘apostle.’ However, on this occasion, it is not just a standard introduction but rather a declaration that this title is his by the will of God and the call of Christ Jesus. The entire letter focuses on his apostleship and on defending his missionary work, which had been challenged by those he calls ‘false apostles’—who apparently infiltrated the Church of Corinth. As is common in his letters, Paul mentions his helpers, including Timothy, one of his most trusted companions. The recipients are not only the Corinthians but also several communities scattered across the province of Achaia, where his apostolic ministry was likely scrutinized as well.
Comfort in Tribulation.
After the greetings, there is a hymn of praise or a solemn, almost liturgical prayer of blessing that fully introduces us to the context of the letter: Paul’s apostolic suffering and the comfort that comes from the “compassionate Father and God of all comfort” (3). To what tribulation and suffering is Paul referring? Undoubtedly, it is that caused by his difficult relationship with the Corinthian community, which affected him deeply. Besides suffering, the Apostle mentions another bond that unites him with the Corinthians: praying for those who suffer or are in danger, and giving thanks for their deliverance. Paul’s sufferings, both personal and those caused by the Corinthian community, seem to have subsided for now. It is a time for thanksgiving.
Change of Plans.
Paul seeks to clarify a misunderstanding or to respond to a reproach that, apparently, has been directed at him. In fact, the planned itinerary included a second and third visit to Corinth. The second visit was probably intended to personally address local issues (cf. 13:1f). Instead of going there again, he chose to write them a letter, which led the Corinthians to complain about this change: they seem to think Paul promises a visit but does not follow through, thus questioning his apostolic credibility. Paul defends himself in the only way he knows, appealing to the testimony of Christ Jesus, who guides all his steps and informs his decisions: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” he will affirm in Galatians 2:20. In essence, his actions toward the community were not guided by human prudence but by the “simplicity and sincerity that God requires” (12), which are the core qualities of his apostolic ministry.
Reasons for the Change of Plans.
Paul justifies the change of plans and the cancellation of his visit: he preferred to write them a letter rather than cause excessive tension with his presence. It was very difficult for the Apostle to write this severe, harsh letter—anguish, anxiety, tears—because he loves the Corinthians. These specific problems with the Corinthians gave Paul the opportunity to highlight the characteristics of all apostolic ministry or Christian leadership, as valid then as now.