PAUL WRITES ANOTHER LETTER, FACING THE FACT THAT MANY OF THE CORINTH CHURCH MEMBERS DIDN'T RESPECT HIM.
REGARDING THE OPENING PARAGRAPH IN CHAPTER ONE, DAVID GUZIK SAYS:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ:
Paul’s introduction of himself as an apostle is both familiar and necessary because he was held in low regard among the Christians in Corinth. They had to remember and recognize his apostolic credentials.
By the will of God strengthens the point. Paul was not an apostle by the decision or desire of any man, including himself. Paul was an apostle by the will of God. Even if the Corinthian Christians held him in low regard, it did not diminish his standing as an apostle before God.
AND THEN IN VERSES 5 THROUGH 7...
The sufferings of Christ abound in us: Paul had a life filled with suffering. He describes some of these sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: stripes... prisons... beatings... stonings... shipwrecked... perils of waters... robbers... in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Yet, Paul knew that all his sufferings were really the sufferings of Christ.
b. So our consolation also abounds through Christ: Because Paul’s sufferings were the sufferings of Christ, Jesus was not distant from Paul in his trials. He was right there, identifying with the apostle and comforting him.
REGARDING THE OPENING PARAGRAPH IN CHAPTER ONE, DAVID GUZIK SAYS:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ:
Paul’s introduction of himself as an apostle is both familiar and necessary because he was held in low regard among the Christians in Corinth. They had to remember and recognize his apostolic credentials.
By the will of God strengthens the point. Paul was not an apostle by the decision or desire of any man, including himself. Paul was an apostle by the will of God. Even if the Corinthian Christians held him in low regard, it did not diminish his standing as an apostle before God.
AND THEN IN VERSES 5 THROUGH 7...
The sufferings of Christ abound in us: Paul had a life filled with suffering. He describes some of these sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: stripes... prisons... beatings... stonings... shipwrecked... perils of waters... robbers... in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Yet, Paul knew that all his sufferings were really the sufferings of Christ.
b. So our consolation also abounds through Christ: Because Paul’s sufferings were the sufferings of Christ, Jesus was not distant from Paul in his trials. He was right there, identifying with the apostle and comforting him.
CHUCK SMITH SAYS:
He wrote to correct their carnality, their doctrinal errors. But the affect of his first epistle was sort of a polarizing of the people. And there were those who did repent and were corrected. They really came along after receiving Paul's epistle, but there were others that turned more firmly against Paul. And it seemed to be those who were the Judeaizers, or perhaps those who said, "We are of Christ," and were teaching basically from the Sermon on the Mount and had not really accepted the grace of God that Paul shared that has come to us through Jesus Christ.
They began to speak despairingly of Paul, began to challenge his claim of apostleship, and thus, speaking to them with authority. And it would seem that Timothy probably delivered the first epistle, and brought back to Paul the initial reaction toward the epistle. Titus had stayed there for a while and was to meet Paul in Troas, and to give Paul a full report on the Corinthian church.
When Paul got to Troas, Titus had not shown up. And God opened for Paul an effectual door of ministry in Troas, however, he was so upset in his spirit about the possible offense that the Corinthians might have for him, rather than staying in Troas and ministering in that effectual door, he journeyed on over to Macedonia, where Titus did meet him and gave to him news of the church in Corinth which encouraged Paul. But he also heard of this faction that had set themselves against Paul, were challenging his apostleship. And so, Paul learned from Titus, now, the condition of the church in Corinth.
He wrote to correct their carnality, their doctrinal errors. But the affect of his first epistle was sort of a polarizing of the people. And there were those who did repent and were corrected. They really came along after receiving Paul's epistle, but there were others that turned more firmly against Paul. And it seemed to be those who were the Judeaizers, or perhaps those who said, "We are of Christ," and were teaching basically from the Sermon on the Mount and had not really accepted the grace of God that Paul shared that has come to us through Jesus Christ.
They began to speak despairingly of Paul, began to challenge his claim of apostleship, and thus, speaking to them with authority. And it would seem that Timothy probably delivered the first epistle, and brought back to Paul the initial reaction toward the epistle. Titus had stayed there for a while and was to meet Paul in Troas, and to give Paul a full report on the Corinthian church.
When Paul got to Troas, Titus had not shown up. And God opened for Paul an effectual door of ministry in Troas, however, he was so upset in his spirit about the possible offense that the Corinthians might have for him, rather than staying in Troas and ministering in that effectual door, he journeyed on over to Macedonia, where Titus did meet him and gave to him news of the church in Corinth which encouraged Paul. But he also heard of this faction that had set themselves against Paul, were challenging his apostleship. And so, Paul learned from Titus, now, the condition of the church in Corinth.