2nd Corinthians

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2nd Corinthians

• Defending the Faith

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The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

• The most biographical of all of Pauls writings.
• This epistle is written some time after 1st
  Corinthians. Some of the problems in that first
  epistle had been settled some still remained.
• The legitimacy of Pauls apostleship had been
  brought into question.
• Another collection for the church in Jerusalem.

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Occasions for the Epistle

• Paul explains why he has not returned to Corinth
  (115 24).
• Restoration of a repentant believer (25-11).
• Encouragement to complete an offering for the
  church in Jerusalem (8-9).
• To affirm his apostleship and teachings which
  have come under attack.

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Outline of 2nd Corinthians
Chapter 1-7 Chapters 8-9 Chapters 10-13
A Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry An Encouragement of the Corinthians Financial Ministry A Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry
Personal Practical Personal
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Introduction (11-11)
Travel Plans Why Paul didnt come to Corinth
(112 - 213)
Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (214 -
716)
Collection of a Love Gift for the
Jerusalem Church (8-9)
Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (101 -
1210)
Travel Plans Pauls upcoming trip to Corinth
(1211 - 1310)
Conclusion (1311-14)
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2 Corinthians 13-4

• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
  Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all
  comfort 4 who comforts us in all our affliction
  so that we may be able to comfort those who are
  in any affliction with the comfort with which we
  ourselves are comforted by God.

7
2 Corinthians 18-10

• 8 For we do not want you to be unaware,
  brethren, of our affliction which came to us in
  Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond
  our strength, so that we despaired even of life
  9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within
  ourselves in order that we should not trust in
  ourselves, but in God who raises the dead 10 who
  delivered us from so great a peril of death, and
  will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.
  And He will yet deliver us

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Introduction (11-11)
Travel Plans Why Paul didnt come to Corinth
(112 - 213)
Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (214 -
716)
Collection of a Love Gift for the
Jerusalem Church (8-9)
Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (101 -
1210)
Travel Plans Pauls upcoming trip to Corinth
(1211 - 1310)
Conclusion (1311-14)
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2 Corinthians 21-3

• 1 But I determined this for my own sake, that I
  would not come to you in sorrow again. 2 For if I
  cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the
  one whom I made sorrowful?
• 3 And this is the very thing I wrote you, lest,
  when I came, I should have sorrow from those who
  ought to make me rejoice having confidence in
  you all, that my joy would be the joy of you all.

10
2 Corinthians 24

• For out of much affliction and anguish of heart
  I wrote to you with many tears not that you
  should be made sorrowful, but that you might know
  the love which I have especially for you.

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2 Corinthians 26-8

• 6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment
  which was inflicted by the majority, 7 so that on
  the contrary you should rather forgive and
  comfort him, lest somehow such a one be
  overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
• 8 Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for
  him.

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Introduction (11-11)
Travel Plans Why Paul didnt come to Corinth
(112 - 213)
Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (214 -
716)
Collection of a Love Gift for the
Jerusalem Church (8-9)
Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (101 -
1210)
Travel Plans Pauls upcoming trip to Corinth
(1211 - 1310)
Conclusion (1311-14)
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2 Corinthians 214-16

• 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
  His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us
  the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every
  place.
• 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among
  those who are being saved and among those who are
  perishing 16 to the one an aroma from death to
  death, to the other an aroma from life to life.
  And who is adequate for these things?

14
2 Corinthians 217

• For we are not like many, peddling the word of
  God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we
  speak in Christ in the sight of God.

15
2 Corinthians 31-3

• 1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?
  Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation
  to you or from you?
• 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts,
  known and read by all men 3 being manifested
  that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us,
  written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the
  living God, not on tablets of stone, but on
  tablets of human hearts.

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2 Corinthians 34-6

• 4 And such confidence we have through Christ
  toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in
  ourselves to consider anything as coming from
  ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who
  also made us adequate as servants of a new
  covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit
  for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

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Old Covenant
New Covenant

• The letter

The Spirit
Tablets of stone
Tablets of human hearts
The letter kills
The Spirit gives life
If the ministry of the death, in letters engraved
on stones, came with glory
How shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be
even more with glory?
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2 Corinthians 312-13

• Having therefore such a hope, we use great
  boldness in our speech, 13 and are not as Moses,
  who used to put a veil over his face that the
  sons of Israel might not look intently at the end
  of what was fading away.

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2 Corinthians 314-16

• 14 But their minds were hardened for until this
  very day at the reading of the old covenant the
  same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed
  in Christ.
• 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a
  veil lies over their heart 16 but whenever a man
  turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

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2 Corinthians 317-18

• 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the
  Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
• 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as
  in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
  transformed into the same image from glory to
  glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

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2 Corinthians 43-5

• 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled
  to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the
  god of this world has blinded the minds of the
  unbelieving, that they might not see the light of
  the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
  image of God.
• 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ
  Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your
  bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

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2 Corinthians 510

• For we must all appear before the judgment seat
  of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for
  his deeds in the body, according to what he has
  done, whether good or bad.

23
2 Corinthians 511

• Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we
  persuade men, but we are made manifest to God
  and I hope that we are made manifest also in your
  consciences.

24
2 Corinthians 520

• Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
  though God were entreating through us we beg you
  on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

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Introduction (11-11)
Travel Plans Why Paul didnt come to Corinth
(112 - 213)
Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (214 -
716)
Collection of a Love Gift for the
Jerusalem Church (8-9)
Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (101 -
1210)
Travel Plans Pauls upcoming trip to Corinth
(1211 - 1310)
Conclusion (1311-14)
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2 Corinthians 81-2

• Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the
  grace of God which has been given in the churches
  of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of
  affliction their abundance of joy and their deep
  poverty overflowed in the wealth of their
  liberality.

Macedonia
? Corinth
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2 Corinthians 86-7

• 6 Consequently we urged Titus that as he had
  previously made a beginning, so he would also
  complete in you this gracious work as well. 7 But
  just as you abound in everything, in faith and
  utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness
  and in the love we inspired in you, see that you
  abound in this gracious work also.

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2 Corinthians 88-9

• 8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as
  proving through the earnestness of others the
  sincerity of your love also.
• 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus
  Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your
  sake He became poor, that you through His poverty
  might become rich.

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2 Corinthians 96-7

• 6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall
  also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully
  shall also reap bountifully.
• 7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his
  heart not grudgingly or under compulsion for
  God loves a cheerful giver.

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2 Corinthians 98-9

• 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to
  you, that always having all sufficiency in
  everything, you may have an abundance for every
  good deed 9 as it is written, "He scattered
  abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness
  abides forever."

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2 Corinthians 910-11

• 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and
  bread for food, will supply and multiply your
  seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your
  righteousness 11 you will be enriched in
  everything for all liberality, which through us
  is producing thanksgiving to God.

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Introduction (11-11)
Travel Plans Why Paul didnt come to Corinth
(112 - 213)
Presentation of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (214 -
716)
Collection of a Love Gift for the
Jerusalem Church (8-9)
Defense of Pauls Apostolic Ministry (101 -
1210)
Travel Plans Pauls upcoming trip to Corinth
(1211 - 1310)
Conclusion (1311-14)
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2 Corinthians 1012-13

• 12 For we are not bold to class or compare
  ourselves with some of those who commend
  themselves but when they measure themselves by
  themselves, and compare themselves with
  themselves, they are without understanding. 13
  But we will not boast beyond our measure, but
  within the measure of the sphere which God
  apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as
  far as you.

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2 Corinthians 112-3

• 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly
  jealousy for I betrothed you to one husband,
  that to Christ I might present you as a pure
  virgin.
• 3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived
  Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led
  astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion
  to Christ.

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2 Corinthians 114

• For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom
  we have not preached, or you receive a different
  spirit which you have not received, or a
  different gospel which you have not accepted, you
  bear this beautifully.

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2 Corinthians 121-2

• 1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not
  profitable but I will go on to visions and
  revelations of the Lord.
• 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years
  ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or out
  of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a man
  was caught up to the third heaven.

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2 Corinthians 123-5

• 3 And I know how such a man-- whether in the
  body or apart from the body I do not know, God
  knows-- 4 was caught up into Paradise, and heard
  inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted
  to speak.
• 5 On behalf of such a man will I boast but on
  my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard
  to my weaknesses.

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2 Corinthians 127-8

• 7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the
  revelations, for this reason, to keep me from
  exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in
  the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to
  keep me from exalting myself!
• 8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three
  times that it might depart from me.

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2 Corinthians 129-10

• 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient
  for you, for power is perfected in weakness."
  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about
  my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell
  in me.
• 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,
  with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
  with difficulties, for Christ's sake for when I
  am weak, then I am strong.

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