2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (WEL) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the congregation of God which is at Corinth together with the saints who are in Achaia. 2 May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Book summary: (Dr Henry Morris): “After Paul’s departure from Corinth, the church had been injured spiritually, not only by the divisions and immorality discussed by him in 1 Corinthians but also by certain of the “Christ party” (1Co 1:12), who were now falsely claiming to be apostles of Christ (2Co 10:7; 2Co 11:13), and trying to undermine Paul’s teachings. They were corrupting God’s Word (2Co 2:17), and Paul was forced both to defend himself and to rebuke these false teachers with great severity (2 Corinthians 10:7-12:13).”
Chapter summary: (Benson): “In this chapter, after an assertion of his apostolic office, and a Christian salutation, the apostle,
(1) Expresses his grateful sense of God’s goodness in preserving him from the dangers to which he had been exposed in Asia, and in delivering him from his troubles, for the encouragement of others under trouble, 2Co 1:1-11.
(2) He asserts his own and his fellow-labourers’ integrity of conduct, 2Co 1:12-14.
(3) Vindicates himself from the charge of levity, or inconstancy, in his purpose to have visited them sooner, 2Co 1:15-24.”
V1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the congregation of God which is at Corinth together with the saints who are in Achaia.
Paul maintains his apostleship as he was appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 22:14 and Acts 22:21).
The Judaizers complained that Paul was not an Apostle of Jesus Christ even though the Apostles in Jerusalem had acknowledged him (Acts 9:15 and Galatians 2:7).
Ask Andy AI (Dr. Andy Woods, Sugar Land Bible Church) summarizes: “Paul defended his apostleship primarily because it was under attack by certain groups, such as the Judaizers and Pharisees, who argued that he was not a true apostle since he was not one of the original twelve apostles and was converted later, after Jesus’ earthly ministry. To establish his credibility and authority to speak, Paul spent the first two chapters of his letter explaining and defending the legitimacy of his apostleship. He defended his apostleship in several key ways: 1. Independence: Paul proclaimed that he received the gospel directly from God through a revelation of Jesus Christ, not from any human source or from the original apostles. This direct divine commissioning gave him independent authority. 2. Interdependence: Despite his independent calling, Paul showed that his message was in perfect harmony with the teachings of the original apostles, demonstrating unity and consistency with the apostolic doctrine. 3. Personal Experience: Paul recounted his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus, where he encountered the risen Christ, which confirmed his apostleship. He referred to himself as “the apostle born out of due season” and “the least of the apostles,” acknowledging his unique and later calling. 4. Public Rebuke of Peter: Paul pointed out that he had publicly rebuked Peter, the leading apostle, which underscored his authority and legitimacy as an apostle. 5. Sufferings and Signs: Paul described the hardships, sufferings, and signs he endured as evidence of his genuine apostleship, showing that his ministry was marked by the power of God. 6. Support from the Jerusalem Apostles: The original apostles in Jerusalem recognized and accepted Paul’s apostleship, commissioning him and affirming his ministry as legitimate. Through these defenses, Paul established that his apostleship was genuine, divinely appointed, and authoritative, enabling him to boldly teach and correct the churches. Relevant Scriptures include: Galatians 1:11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:8-9, Galatians 2:8-9, and 2 Corinthians 11:23-28.
V2 May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s standard greeting asking God to bless the believers with God’s grace (for living the Christian life, encouragement, etc.) and God’s peace.
We learn:
- Paul’s attitude to fellow believers.
- Paul’s prayer for God to bless them.
Questions:
- What is your attitude towards other believers?
- How do you pray for your fellow believers?