Chap. 5 Special Design. 36. 2 Corinthians
The Second Epistle does not admit of sections so defined as in the First, being less ecclesiastical and dogmatic. It is restorative rather than corrective, and overflows with the sense of God's compassion and encouragement in the midst of tribulation and sufferings. The address here, “to the church of God that is in Corinth” adds, not “with all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours,” but quite appropriately, “with all the saints that are in all Achaia.” It is less external and more intimate: not thanks for gifts and power but blessing for delivering grace.
The apostle's heart was full. He had drunk deeply of Christ's sufferings; but now his encouragement also abounded through Christ; and both, he assures them, were for their encouragement and salvation. If they had passed through sufferings, he would have them know what had been his in Asia, “when excessively pressed beyond power, so as to despair even of living.” Having the sentence of death within to trust in the God of resurrection, he yet confides, counting now on their prayers for thanksgiving also. And as conscience had begun its good work in them, he can speak of his own, and explain as he did not in the First Epistle why he had not gone to Corinth. Their state forbade it, not his levity, nor aught of fickleness as some said. This leads on to a wondrous assertion of God's immutable word of grace in His Son, and the no less power of our establishment and enjoyment by the Holy Spirit, with which he ends chap. 1, assuring them now of his love in desiring to see them at Corinth only with joy.
Little did the Corinthians conceive his grief and earnest desire for joy from them (chap. 2). Not only had he and they grieved, but sufficient to the one who had caused it by his evil was this punishment by the many. They should show grace now, lest he should be swallowed up with grief, and their obedience in confirming love as they had in judging. In blessed grace and ungrudging maintenance of the church's place, the apostle says, “To whom ye forgive anything, I also, for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, [it was] for your sakes in Christ's person, that no advantage be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” What a contrast with either the assumption or the indifference of worldly religion! What a defeat he anticipates of Satan's aim! This again gives occasion for their learning how his heart yearned over them right through. At Troas though a door was opened in the Lord and he came for the gospel, he had no rest for his spirit at not finding Titus, but went on to Macedonia, where he met him and got good tidings of Corinth. Was this a loss? “Thanks be to God who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ and manifesteth through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.” The apostle identifies himself with the gospel, a sweet savor to God in the saved and in the perishing. And who is competent for these things? He was not as the many, trading with the word of God; he gave it as purely as he received it from God.
Chap. 3 contrasts the law with the gospel, and in particular exposes the mixture of the two, the favorite device of those who misread Christ. For did he begin to commend himself? Did he need letters of commendation to them or from them? They were his letter, written on his heart, manifested that they were Christ's letter! What grace for the apostle so to write of them! What an honor for them so to hear His competency was from God Who made us competent, new covenant ministers, not of letter but of spirit; for letter kills, but spirit quickens. Then in a parenthesis, which includes from verse 7 to the end of verse 16, he sets out the law graven on stones, as a ministry of death and condemnation, introduced with glory but annulled; whilst the ministry of the Spirit and righteousness is the surpassing glory, and the abiding in glory. The Lord is the spirit of what in the letter only kills; but where the Spirit is, there is liberty. Law was a veiled system like Moses' face; whereas in the gospel “we all with unveiled face looking on the glory of the Lord are transformed according to the same image from glory unto glory as by the Lord the Spirit.”
Therefore having this ministry, and being shown mercy, we faint not. Grace banished fear and dishonesty, and gave by manifestation of the truth to commend oneself to every conscience of man in the sight of God. So chap. 4 begins. All is out in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Man is lost, man under law most guilty and blinded by the god of this age; God in the glory of His grace has the believer face to face without a veil. Self is not our object, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your bondmen for Jesus' sake. But we have this treasure yet in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God and not out of us; in everything afflicted, but not straitened, always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. Such is the principle; then comes the fact: “For we that live are ever delivered unto death on account of Jesus—that the life also of Jesus, might be manifested in our mortal flesh.” This life works in others: we believe, and therefore speak, knowing Him Who raised up the Lord Jesus and will raise and present us with those we serve for His sake. Far from our fainting, the inward man is renewed day-by-day. Our momentary light affliction works for us a surpassingly eternal weight of glory, looking as we do at, not the seen, but the unseen and eternal things.
In chap. 5 we have the power of life in Christ tested not only by death but by judgment. The Christian is shown more than conqueror thereby, as, if dead, rising like Christ, and if living, mortality swallowed up of life (vers. 1-4). Nor does Christ's judgment seat abate the constant confidence, for our manifestation before Him will only prove the perfectness of His redemption, though there may be loss also. The glory begun abides. Then the love of Christ constrains, besides the sense of the terror of the Lord for such as meet judgment in their nakedness, so that we persuade men to receive the gospel. The judgment of charity is, that “One died for all: therefore all died;” and He died for all “that the living [which is only by faith in Him] should live no longer to themselves but to him who died and was raised.” Even Christ after the flesh is known no more, but dead, risen, and glorified. So if one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things are passed, behold, they are become new; and all are of the God Who reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and gave us, the ministry of the reconciliation. This he explains to the end, characterized by God in this way and now based on Christ's work.
Chap. 6 describes this ministry of God's grace; not only in its source and distinctive properties and glorious end, but in its irreproachable character and its deep exercises through all circumstances. Assuredly the Corinthians were not straitened in Paul, as he could now freely tell them; it was in their own affections. But true largeness of heart goes with thorough separateness from all evil. The exhortation follows against any incongruous yoke with unbelievers. What has a Christian to do with helping to draw the world's car? Righteousness, light, and Christ forbid such a part. What agreement too has God's temple with idols? The saints are a living God's temple, more deeply than the O.T. expressed; wherefore the call to come out of their midst and be separate and touch no unclean thing was the more imperative. How they knew themselves received, God's Fatherhood, and their own sonship, the gospel had already proved. “Having then these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear” (chap. 7:1) is the real close of the chapter.
In chap. 7:2-16 the apostle concludes what had been interrupted by the marvelous exposition of the Spirit's ministration of the gospel, the matter of grief which grace had turned into blessing. He enlarges on what chapter 2 only touched, and lets them know what his letter cost him, when he knew its effect on them. It was grief according to God working out repentance to salvation unregrettable. Love is of God, and creates happiness rising above self, sorrow, sin, and Satan. The grief of the world works out death. The teaching is highly valuable, not only in a moral way but in the light of God cast on the assembly's clearance of itself from the evil which it is bound to judge in the last resort. “In everything ye proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.”
The way was now clear for the apostle happily to treat fully of that collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem, which he had briefly introduced in the last chapter of his First Epistle. Now that grace was doing its work, he can speak of the grace bestowed on the Macedonian assemblies in their own deep poverty and trial. And beyond hope it was; for they gave themselves first “to the Lord, and to us by God's will.” Taking nothing himself from the rich Corinthians, Paul was the more earnest for others; not as commanding, but, through the zeal of others, proving also the genuineness of their love. As they abounded in much, let them abound in this grace too. What a motive and pattern is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! He simply gave in this his mind—he would not say more. It was expedient, or profitable, for those who purposed a year ago to perform. A willing mind was the great thing without burdening any. Titus too was jealous for them; and Paul sent with him the brother whose praise was in the gospel through all the assemblies and chosen by them as “our fellow-traveler with this grace.” For the apostle was careful to provide things honest not only before the Lord but also before men. Hence he sent a second unnamed brother (22) of oft-proved diligence, but now much more diligent “through his [not, I think, Paul's] great confidence as to you.” They were to show the proof therefore (chap. 7).
Yet another chapter (9) is devoted to the theme. He knew their ready mind, of which he boasted to the Macedonians, that Achaia, (of which Roman province Corinth was the metropolis) was prepared a year ago; and he would not that “we, not to say, ye,” should be put to shame. Nor does he fail, in awakening their souls to the joy of grace practically, to remind them that God loves a cheerful giver; and would have us abound to every good work, with thanksgiving to God as the result. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift, the spring of all grace by us.
In the later chapters (10-13) he vindicates his authority, entreating them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; let others boast of natural appearance or of fleshly arms. His arms were powerful according to God for overthrowing strongholds, and leading captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ. He was ready to avenge all disobedience when their return to it was fulfilled. If boasting somewhat more abundantly of what the Lord gave him, he would not be put to shame. As strong by letters when absent, so he would be present in deed. He had not gone beyond the measure God had apportioned, but hoped, their faith increasing, to be enlarged among them, and yet more to evangelize beyond them, instead of boasting in another's rule as to things ready. He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord; for not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends (chap. 10).
Jealous over the beloved Corinthians, whom he had espoused (he says in chapter 11) as a chaste virgin to Christ, he fears lest their thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to Christ. In the most touching way he asks if he committed sin in abasing himself that they might be exalted, and in everything kept himself from being burdensome to them, though Macedonian brethren supplied his wants. God knew whether it was lack of loving them; but so he did to cut off occasion from some wishing it, against whom he thunders as deceitful workers. To speak of his own devotion, labors, and sufferings, he counts to speak as a fool; but we are indebted to that unworthy occasion for details of the deepest interest. They had compelled him in their folly (chap. 11). Was there any heroism in being let down in a basket through a window by the wall?
In chapter 7 he glories in what “a man in Christ” he knows (without saying who, for flesh had no part in it) experienced when caught up to the third heaven. Otherwise he gloried, not in anything man loves to attach to his name, but “in his infirmities.” He knew not even whether it was in the body or out of the body; so. completely was it apart from all living associations or nature, before God in the glory of His Paradise. Yet was it as a check to this unequaled distinction (of the deepest moment to all subsequent life and service), lest he should be exalted by the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that there was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him. Nay more, he tells us that he prayed the Lord thrice for its removal, but had the answer, “My grace sufficeth thee, for power is perfected in weakness.” It is dependence in faith, the true and signal secret of all Christianity in practice. “Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you.” He had been at Corinth once and long. Only their state, and his desire to come when they were restored, hindered him when ready to come a second time. This is the true force of coming a “third time.” How painful to such a heart to rebut the imputation of craft, when they could not deny his personal unselfishness! or of their supposing he was excusing himself to them! All was really in love for their edifying; but he feared lest perhaps on coming he should find them not as he wished, and he be found by them such as they did not wish.
Chapter 8 closes this part and the entire Epistle with an overwhelming appeal, not only spoiled by false punctuation in the Authorized and Revised Versions, but making way for wrong doctrine at issue with the gospel. “Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me (who is not weak toward you but is powerful among you, for he was crucified of weakness, yet he liveth of God's power; for we too are weak in him, but we shall live with him by God's power toward you), try yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your, selves, Or recognize ye not as to yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate” (3-5). As this alternative was the last thought which could occur to the childish vanity which questioned Paul's apostleship, the application turns on their own standing in the faith. As surely as they were in it, he was an apostle to them. If Christ were not in them, they were reprobates and not entitled to speak on such a question. Where was their vaporing now? But his prayer was that they might do nothing evil, and his joy to be weak if they were powerful, praying also for their perfecting, and writing thus when absent that when present he might spare severity. He adds a farewell message of suited tenderness and care, with a commendation which speaks to the hearts of all believers ever since. Who, accepting it from God, has not profited?