Overview of the Book of 2 Corinthians

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of 2nd Corinthians. 2nd

Corinthians was written sometime around 57 AD, probably about a year or so after 1st

Corinthians was written. And the theme of 2nd Corinthians is Paul's apostolic authority.

So he is writing this letter to defend his office of being an apostle.

So the Corinthian church, as you know, they have a lot of problems. And in correcting the church,

Paul, I'm sure, made more than a few enemies. So there was that. Also, false teachers had crept into the church.

In fact, some of them claimed to be apostles themselves. And they were creating a great deal of division going as far as to say that Paul is actually a false apostle.

So can you imagine that? I just want you to think about that. Ministers in churches saying that you shouldn't listen to the

Apostle Paul, but you should listen to them. Wait a minute, that happens today still.

Yeah. So this letter is Paul writing to offend his apostolic authority.

So this is a very personal letter. It's probably the most personal letter Paul ever wrote.

The attacks against Paul were personal. His love for the people was also personal.

You remember, Paul founded this church and he wasn't about ready to give it up.

He wasn't going to let it go astray, at least while he was alive.

Now there is a positive side to the letter as well. Most of you know that 1st

Corinthians is a letter where Paul is rebuking the church over their bad Christian conduct.

But since then, when he's writing 2nd Corinthians, the church had actually made a lot of improvements.

And they actually took much of Paul's advice. So he's really praising the church up to a large degree.

And then there is his rebuke of the false teachers where he calls them, at one point he calls the false teachers, ministers of Satan.

So that is, it serves really as a continual warning that churches need to be on guard against wolves in sheep's clothing.

So in conclusion, some of the most memorable verses in the New Testament can be found in the book of 2nd

Corinthians. For example, there's Paul's statement, how we walk by faith and not by sight.

There is the statement where he says that we are, when we are absent from the body, we are present with the

Lord. And then I'll just close with his statement in chapter 5, verse 17, where he writes,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away.