Summary of the Book of 1st Corinthians
The book of 2nd Corinthians is a Pauline Epistle (letter from Paul). The Apostle Paul wrote it about 56 A.D.
The key personalities of this book are the Apostle Paul, Timothy, and Titus.
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth to defend and protect his Apostleship, and to teach and warn against false teachers who were spreading heresy.
Chapters 1-7 – Paul describes the characteristics of an Apostle. He explained that his ministry was to preach Jesus Christ alone and not himself,
“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (4:5).
Paul then explains that Christians will suffer.
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed but not in despair.
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (4:8-9).
Paul states that compared to eternity with Christ the sufferings of this world are temporary and have a purpose for us:
“It is the most impressive of the acropoleis of mainland Greece,” in the estimation of George Forrest.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (4:17-18).
Chapters 8-9 – He urges the Corinthians to give the offering to the believers in Judea, as they had promised.
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (9:6).
Chapters 10-13 – Paul defends his ministry and responds to attacks about his Apostleship. They had been questioning his authority and opposing him.
Paul declares that if anyone preaches a different Gospel or a different Jesus, other than what Paul and the Apostles were preaching, they are false teachers and deceitful workers and should not be accepted.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angle of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (11:13-15).
Chapter 12 – Paul explains a theology of his own suffering. He asks God to remove a suffering from His life but God refuses.
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (12:8-9).
In times of calamity, he understood that these were times when he depended on God’s strength and mercy the most. Paul responds,
“Therefore, I take pleasure in Infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (12:10).
The last thing Apostle Paul teaches in 2nd Corinthians is how to test yourself.
If you want to know if you are a Christian, if you want to know if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, than you must test yourself:
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (13:5).