To get the most out of this study, I would encourage you to purchase the workbook. This workbook contains much more information and further study for each chapter of 2 Corinthians than in the actual teaching sessions.
In the introduction, Kelly says that all the things she didn't know about 2 Corinthians is what moved her and changed her. She gives us a bit of history and context.
History
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia in AD 54 or 55. Approximately 80,000 people lived in ancient Corinth at the time of Paul's writing. On the outskirts, about 20,000 more people lived.
Corinth sat on an isthmus, meaning there were two harbors. You can imagine how busy this city was with ships, trade, buying and selling goods of every kind.
At this time, a lot of dark things were going on:
- Slavery
- Prostitution
- Corruption
- Immorality
Context
Paul wrote this letter to a group of believers who had great opposition towards Paul:
- They were judging him
- They were questioning his integrity
- They questioned his apostleship
- They found their own apostles (super apostles)
- They paid great attention to social status, wealth, power
- They compared themselves amongst themselves
- They judged according to the world's standards
The Corinth church was upset with Paul because he didn't come visit them when he said he would come. They questioned, also, his integrity and his message about Christ. Their hearts were withdrawing from him.
Second Corinthians was written out of great desperation and grief. Everything in this book Paul writes out of a place of pain:
- Relational hardship
- Dissension
This is Kelly's introductory statement for 2 Corinthians:
Second Corinthians is a letter to a church in a city, written out of weakness, with an open heart about a new ministry that changes lives because Jesus has made all things new."
She starts with 2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (please read). Notice: "to the church of God in Corinth." Kelly asks this question: "how can the church of God be thriving in Corinth?" Her answer: Because the gospel of Christ is made for real life. We need the power of the gospel.
She shares 5 points from this introductory statement:
We'll discover that the church of God is meant to thrive in real life. Thrive in hardships, difficulties, complexities of life, pain, struggles and messiness of life.
Second Corinthians was written out of weakness. Paul has endured much suffering and much pain over the broken relationship of the Corinth church. Kelly says this "we will come to love our weakness because of what Christ can do through our weakness."
Second Corinthians 4:7 says this "but we have this precious treasure (the good news of salvation) in earthen vessels (of human fraility), so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be (shown to be) from God (His sufficiency) and not from ourselves."
Notice: "jars of clay" (earthen vessels). Paul didn't mean we were not valuable. Possibly he was meaning jars of clay are fragile, weak. The treasure inside that jar of clay (earthen vessel), when that comes shining through, it is glorious knowing that it comes from God and not ourselves.
Paul will talk a lot about our weakness. In our weakness, the power of Christ shines through (2 Cor. 12:9). Our weakness does not have to be our greatest consternation. It will be our blessing. Why? Because we will embrace and not resist it and know that's when the power of Christ rests upon us.
Written with an open heart. Chapter 6 of second Corinthians verses 11 and 12 speak of his open heart. Admist all the attacks from the Corinth church, Paul is able to keep an open heart. This literally means for the heart to be stretched open.
Do we keep our hearts open when we are attacked? Do we withdrawal our heart or retaliate?
Paul has challenged us. Let's be determined to keep our hearts stretched open as well.
A new ministry that changes lives. The scripture used here chapter 3:6 He has qualified us (making us sufficient) as ministers of a new covenant (of salvation through Christ), not of the letter (of a written code) but of the Spirit; for the letter (of the law) kills (by revealing sin and demanding obedience), but the Spirit gives life.
Paul will take four chapters to explain what Christian ministry looks like and what it is - chapters 3-6. In these chapters, Paul talks about:
- What the power of the gospel is
- What ministry looks like
It's a new covenant of the Spirit, not of the Law. Kelly mentioned some other points she will talk about because of the New Covenant.
We are more poised for ministry than we ever thought we were.
Our competency comes from God alone. Why is that true? Because Jesus Christ came to make all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).
This covers what Kelly will be talking about in this 8-week DVD series on 2 Corinthians.
Please see notes on "Session 2"
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