Overview of the Book of 2 Corinthians

Moore's Corner Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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