The background to 2 Corinthians is complicated by letters from Paul we do not have as well as visits to Corinth by Paul, Timothy and Titus. An additional problem is 2 Corinthians is a compilation of several other letters. Perhaps parts of 2 Corinthians contain other letters sent by Paul (the so-called “tearful letter”). Some suggest chapters 8 and 9 are separate letters dealing with the collection, and chapters 10-12 are yet another letter dealing with the super-apostles. I would recommend any serious commentary on 2 Corinthians for an overview of these suggestions or an introduction to the New Testament such as Raymond Brown. Combining letters around a similar theme is not surprising, but it is also not necessary to understand the overall theme of the whole letter: the need for reconciliation between Paul and the church.
First, Paul must deal with the damage in his relationship the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 1-7). The church did not receive the letter of 1 Corinthians well and Paul’s attempts to deal with the tensions seem to have created more problems. The reason Paul did not return to Corinth is to spare them from another difficult visit (1:23-2:1). Paul admits he has caused the church a great deal of pain, but (with God as his witness), he did not intend it that way. Although he does admit he may have caused the pain the church felt after 1 Corinthians, the “tearful letter” and the painful visit.
Paul wanted to gladden those he had pained, but the pain was ultimately necessary. His tough letter was written to make it possible for him to have a “joyful visit” the next time he came to Corinth (2:3). Paul was confident the church world respond to his tearful letter, even if there was come fear it might cause them pain. But not all grief and pain is bad, in fact godly grief produces a great deal of positive virtues. If Paul had upset them with his strong challenge, that pain is a positive benefit if they are reconciled to him
Second, Paul must encourage the Corinthian church to make good on their promise to participate in the collection he has made for the poor saints in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9). Paul’s collection would have looked very suspicious to a resident of a Roman city like Corinth. Public works were not funded through taxation or public fundraising, but through wealthy people who want to gain honor from public benefaction. There is no honor in putting money into general fund and sending it off to distant (non-Roman) city to be used to help poor people. It is no surprise at all the Corinth church was slow to participate in the Collection. But it is remarkable (from a modern Christian perspective) this wealthy Christian church refused to participate in Paul’s collection to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem. But now that Paul and the church have reconciled, it is now time for the church to participate in this important ministry Paul initiated. In fact, for Paul, participating in this gracious gift is an opportunity to render a service to God.
Third, Paul must deal with some competition in the church, the so-called “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 10-13). Paul probably coined this sarcastic description of his opponents, but it may be based on the attitude of the opponents themselves. They consider themselves to be superior to Paul in terms of honor, use of rhetoric, and perhaps even blessings from God. Some have argued this is a reference to the apostles in Jerusalem, but it seems unlikely Paul would refer the Twelve with this snarky title. More likely the super apostles are Greeks in Corinth who have accepted the Gospel but are now behaving like Greek intellectuals. Like many of the other issues in Corinth, Paul is dealing with a pagan worldview in the church. The opponents appear to be trained communicators (v. 6) and accepted patronage from the church (v. 7-9). This would be consistent with any other Greco-Roman philosopher or teach and more or less expected by the Corinthian congregation. Rather than superior apostles, the opponents are like Satan, masquerading true apostles (11:12-15). Rather than boast in his accomplishments, Paul choose to boast in his suffering as a servant of Jesus Christ. Boasting in beatings and arrests is an outrageous reversal of what the super-apostles consider to be indicators of divine favor. Paul claims in these final chapters of the book that the follower of Christ can expect to suffer as Christ himself did.
It is unfortunate for Paul that each of his visits come with a negative aspect with it. It kind of makes the people think negative thoughts every time they would see him because that is all they are use to with him visiting. I do agree that not all pain is bad because I am a firm believer in what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. The pain the people of the church in Corinth would go through for Christ I believe would in end strengthen there relationship with Him. I am curious to know why the “super-apostles” seemed to think they were superior to Paul and how they went about validating that to the church in Corinth.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Relationships are filled with ups and downs and are never going to be perfect. Especially if one end had to be done through letters and then delivered by another individual. The tone of voice in the 1 Corinthians letter may not have been the tone in which Paul intended it. That is where people get in trouble. They read more into or make assumptions when that is not actually what was meant. “Paul admits he has caused the church a great deal of pain, but (with God as his witness), he did not intend it that way” (P. Long – Blog). After the initial letter Paul then needs to send encouragement to the people of Corinth. Through all of the ups and downs Paul still stands by the Corinthians. “But not all grief and pain is bad, in fact godly grief produces a great deal of positive virtues” (P. Long – Blog). Paul wants to show people that they are people of God and that even in suffering good things can come from it.
When considering the Corinthian culture back then we can’t put our modern day spin on it and view the Corinthians as “bad guys”. Yes, Paul was being the ancient world Robin Hood and collecting money from the rich to give it to the poor. But unlike this notion being extremely common nowadays and people not really being weary of where their money goes. Back then people were extremely suspicious because who says the money that you’re collecting is actually going where you say its going? Even though people were weary Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 8:1- 9:15 “Paul express his complete confidence that the Corinthian communities of Jesus devotion will partite wholeheartedly in that initiative” (TTP, 157). Unfortunately Paul’s “competitors” try to frame him as a phony through this effort. Stating that Paul will just be using the money for himself. So the question at the end of the day is did this activity help or hurt Paul’s ministry?
2 Corinthians reminds me a lot of where we are today. Broken and sinful congregation of people who don’t really want to listen to anyone. I think that if anything, 2 Corinthians was written on purpose in parallel to what the world would be like one day. Paul is the one who strives to strengthen the congregation and the entire Corinthian church. Paul, although unorganized and all over the place; his leadership helped to unify the Corinthian church.
The Corinthians were in a hard spot. It is hard to exactly identify this with what is going on today. But I agree with April, we are a very broken society. Sometimes we all need a slap on the wrist. It is not going to be what we want. No one in their right mind likes to be told what they are doing wrong. Paul is not telling these people that they are doing horrible things to make them feel bad. He wants so badly for them to step up to their potential, that he is willing to potentially sacrifice if these people will want to see him again. I firmly believe what he did took courage. No one likes to look back at the work they have done and see it failing once again. He wants to have a friendly relationship with them, but that is the thing. Paul shows us a great example of what tough love looks like. He does not need to do that, but he wants to know that this group of people actually see the light. It is the tough love that we do not want that makes the difference. He is trying to be a leader by example and by witnessing to them. There was not the time to waste with trying to help them. Paul handles the situation exactly how it should have been handled.
2 Corinthians Theme
The main theme of 2 Corinthians would in simple terms be Paul’s fight to restore and again, gain the respect and trust of the Corinthian church. I also like how P.Long puts it saying that the main theme is “the need for reconciliation between Paul and the church”. There have been many situations that have happened throughout 1 & 2 Corinthians that have altered the way the people of Corinth view Paul, as well as the way Paul views the people of Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 11:16 Paul states “I repeat, Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting”(2 Cor. 11:16). This verse is important to address for people who think that Paul is a fool in accordance with his collection strategy as well as his comparison to the “super apostles”. The Corinthians have questioned his credibility so they turned to “super apostles” for guidance, which resulted in Paul feeling some type of way ultimately changing his plans and commands for Corinth. Overall, Paul’s main theme in 2 Corinthians is broken down into two parts which are separated by 2 Cor. 1-9 and 2 Cor. 10-13. It was in 2 Corinthians 1-9 where Paul expresses his feelings and attitude toward the Corinthians which ultimately lead to 2 Corinthians 10-13 which “gave way to a stage in which he began to enjoy a fragile but hopeful reconciliation with them” (TTP 147)
2 Corinthians is a complicated letter due to the fact that it is a compilation of several letters. In this letter, first Paul must deal with the damage in his relationship with the Corinthian church. Due to the Corinthians not receiving the 1 Corinthian letter very well, Paul had to deal with the tensions, but it seemed to have created more problems. Paul caused the Corinth church a great deal of pain, but he did not intend to—which was his reasoning for not returning to Corinth. Paul gave the church a strong challenge, through his tearful letter, that he had hoped would help reconcile him with the Corinthians. The next main theme in 2 Corinthians was Paul’s collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. What Paul was doing, by collecting money in one city, to bring it to the poor in another city was very abnormal to the Greco-Roman culture—causing his actions to look very suspicious to a resident of a Roman City like Corinth. The wealthy would gain honor through their donation of money; however, no honor is received when the money is sent off to some other distant land. The third main theme is the competition that Paul faced in the church, the super-apostles. These were people who considered themselves to be above Paul in honor, use of rhetoric, and even blessings from God. The super-apostles were Greeks in Corinth who had accepted the Gospel but were now acting like Greek intellectuals.
It is unfortunate that the Corinthians ended up taking Paul’s tough love the wrong way which ended up causing Paul a great deal of issues, some issues that could have even ruined his reputation.
2 Corinthians was a complicated letter because of the fact that Paul has to restore his relationship with the Corinthian Church. The view of Paul by the people in Corinth is very skewed and not on the best of terms. Paul is once again having to go back and repair his relationship within the church. In 2 Corinthians Paul states “I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little” (ESV). This was an important moment for Paul to let the people of Corinth know that he was here to repair what he had left behind. The Corinthians have always questioned Paul and his knowledge because the Greco-Roman way was to base everyone off of their social status. The two main themes of 2 Corinthians are from chapters 1-9 in which Paul was telling the Corinthians how he felt towards them. Considering 2 Corinthians chapters 10-13 is the section of when Paul begins to recreate that relationship with the Corinthians. “chapters 10-13 gave way to a stage in which he began to enjoy a fragile but hopeful reconciliation with them” (TTP, p.147). For Paul to rebuilt his relationship it will allow for the church of Corinth to be steered in a new direction in way that Paul originally intended when he started it there.
Paul and his relationship with the church is not ideal but it has substance. Paul was personal on a heart to heart level with Corinth when he explains himself openly to them. Paul was seeking the best for the Corinthian believers. Paul was motivated the desire to spread or to extend Gods grace upon them. I feel as if we extended Grace and held our Christian brothers and sisters accountable. People will still be upset because they were exposed. God did not call us to be comfortable or to do super easy tasks. As a church I feel as if we should be a raw and real as we can be because we need to be honest with people being aware of what we are doing holds us accountable and you will never know if people are watching you.
Paul loves God and when we love God so much, we care and love for others the same. We love as Jesus loves us and died for us. By Paul trying to rekindle the relationship it allowed the Corinthians to be steered into the right directions that Paul wanted them to go in.
The book of 2nd Corinthians contains a complicated background that requires inquiry to the reason Paul wrote the church in Corinth and the text himself. Many scholars suggest that 2nd Corinthians is potentially a few letters combined into one collection, either combined by the church itself or future compilers. As Long notes, some suggest that chapters 8 and 9 were originally separate letters, while others will argue that chapters 10-12 were also separate letters at one point. Regardless of if the book is a collection of separate letters are not, the contents of what Paul attends to should be the focus of any discussion.
In the first seven chapters, Paul addresses the damaged nature of his relationship with the Corinthians. The previous letter, 1st Corinthians, was not received kindly by the church of Corinth, with his actions unintentionally leading to more issues that needed to be dealt with. However, Paul, while saddened, decided to write a “tearful letter” in hopes of clearing up the problems so he could return for a happier visit. He understood that not all grief or pain is bad, it is caused by necessary challenges to the believer’s way of life, it will lead to reconciliation. A second issue addressed is whether or not the church in Corinth would follow through on their contribution to the collection, which was aimed at providing funds to be used by the poor saints in Jerusalem. The third issue worthy of mention is the “super-apostles” who challenged Paul’s authority in the church. These figures were believed to be superior to Paul in their use of rhetoric, language, and speech skills, being similar to the Greek intellectuals of the day. Overall, these three topics dominate the text and display Paul’s need to continue to work on the hearts of the believers in Corinth.
Reading through this blog I have conclude that 2 Corinthians is written by Paul. The church of Corinth was very displeased by Paul after his writing of the letters in 1 Corinthians. In second Corinthians he could see the pain that the church was in. This all leads to good intentions because as we see in our lives today, not every relationship is perfect. Most relationships have ups and downs where we see them sometimes having to end because the situation can not be resolved. Some pain as we see in 2 Corinthians with the Corinth church and Paul can be good in certain ways. When God is in the picture, with all pain we may see good things come from that which Paul may have intended to see. In 2 Corinthians we see many different letters put into one. Most of which are apologies to the Corinth church for the damages he has caused. I believe that Paul meant no harm to the Corinth Church and meant all good things to come out of it.
The possibility that the super-apostles that Paul talks about could be apostles behaving like the then-modern philosophers and lawyers makes the most sense to me. This explanation might also connect 2 Corinthians to 1 Corinthians. Maybe the super-apostles were former members of the church in Corinth who were responsible for the divisions in the church. That makes the most sense to me. Then again, maybe these people were outsiders “guest speakers” that riled the church up and got them going at each other. I still prefer the former, 1 Corinthians called out a number of specific shortcomings in the church. Perhaps those who were unwilling to follow Paul’s instructions left, causing a “tearful” separation.
I absolutely love the book of 2 Corinthians. We went through the book as a staff this summer at camp and I had many great discussions with my fellow staff members during our study of this book. The theme of giving was super impactful for me. I did not even think about the fact when reading the book that there were churches who were poor giving to churches that had more money than they did. Not only did they give, but they gave joyfull, they loved the grace of giving. This has really affected me. I always think that because I am a broke college student I am exempt because of my lack of funds. I never thought about the fact that giving is a grace from God, that I have the ability to give, and that should make me be a joyful giver. It also made me reflect on how everything that I have been given has been given to me by God. I also thought that the super apostles was such a good section of this book. It was super interesting to read through Paul defending himself and his ministry in that section. This was always weird to me because I never would have thought that Paul of all people would have to defend himself from the church that he planted. But I mean, they always seem to have some sort of problem with Paul or something else so I am not sure why I was really surprised.
The first key issue that Paul addresses in 2 Corinthians is the reconciliation between himself and the church. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians did go over well with the church in Corinth. Paul does not intend that the letter the Corinthians but instead to here use to help them grow spiritually (1 Cor 4:14). Secondly, Paul tries to encourage the Corinthian church to take part in a collection for those who are poor in Jerusalem. The idea of a collection being sent off to another far way city would be strange to Corinthians, often only rich would give donations to receive honor not the entire community (Long, Reading acts). Which explains why the church might have resisted this new idea at first but now Paul urges them to begin to take part in this ministry. Thirdly, Paul must address some who are called “super apostles” in 2 Corinthians 10 through chapter 13 Paul takes various claims of him by some saying how he is “timid” in person, but is ” bold” when Paul is away (2 Cor 2:1)”. Paul makes a defense for the ministry that God has enabled him to be able to participate in by showing how he has suffered for it through being persecuted, beaten and shamed. Something completely opposite to Greek culture who always sought ones honor, never speaking one’s personal dishonor (Long, reading acts).
Even in our own personal lives, how do we build off of broken relationships? I understand how Paul views his dilemma with how bad the first visit went, the second one cannot be nearly as bad. I believe it is up to the people of Corinth to open their hearts and give Paul a second chance. People are so quick to judge off of one poor experience and it is ridiculous to value someone off of only negativity. If the people of Corinth were so hurt initially by Paul, is there any way for him to hurt them more?
There are several themes in the 2nd book of Corinthians. However, this blog doesn’t mention the lessons that the Church learns; this blog is about Paul reconciling his relationship with the Corinth Church. Aren’t themes lessons? One of the themes in this letter is found in 2 Corinthians 12, boasting of our weaknesses because God is our strength. The second theme in this letter is reconciliation, which is why Paul wrote this letter to the Church. Paul wanted them to reconcile with them and each other and God. The last theme is servitude by serving the people in the Church and outside in love and sacrifice.
Like anything that we read about, there are major themes to the passage or story. Long (2017) demonstrates that there are three main themes throughout 2 Corinthians. The first theme regarding Paul dealing with the damage in the Corinthian church relationship. With the church not receiving the 1 Corinthian letter in an advance format, it creating some tensions for Paul. Paul demonstrates that he caused a great deal of pain to the church when he didn’t return to Corinth. However, the letter was written to make it possible for Paul to have “joyful visit” the following time he came to Corinth (Long, 2017, para 3). The second theme regarding 2 Corinthians is how Paul must encourage the church to have a good promise to participate in collection of the poor saints in Jerusalem. Like our modern day, public works is not funded through taxation or public fundraising. It is, however, funded by wealthy people who want to gain honor from the public. With Paul and the church having reconciliation, it’s time for the church to be involved in with an important ministry. Finally, Paul must deal with the super-apostles. This name comes from the opponents that are in honor of Paul and appear to be trained communicators.
it is clear that in Paul’s first letter in 1 Corinthians he was not intentionally trying to offend the Corinthian’s, so a good portion of 2 Corinthian’s is Paul’s attempt to mend and restore that relationship. Longenecker discusses how sorting out these events was not a simple task (Longenecker, 2014, pg. 141). How the events unfolded with how Paul called out the Corinthian’s sins and they were upset with that is not much different then things we see happen today. There have been many times when people have called me out and confronted me of places where I have fallen short. I was not thrilled with it and was not willing to accepting it because of how hard my heart was. It is easy to think that they are simply attacking you, this is appearing to be one of the Corinthian’s initial thoughts. Another thing that often happens is that the truth offends us. When we are presented with the truth, we can feel offended because we are not willing to admit that we are wrong. This relates to why there is so much resentment towards the Gospel. The Gospel tells us that we have all sinned and that is a tough pill for many people to swallow. This explains why the Corinthian’s were upset and it really put a road block in Paul’s ministry which caused him to spend extra time rebuilding that relationship prior to continuing his ministry with the Corinthian’s.
The relationship between Paul and Corinthians believers are having issues for one reason. Some people might think Paul might be going a bit hard on the 1 Corinthians book and the church could not receive. But one reason I see was the different spiritual level between each Pual and Corinthians church. Corinthian churches are known as immature believers. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 said ‘’I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready’’. In this, Paul is saying that the Corinthians believers were acting like spiritual infants or immature believers because of their divisions and quarrels.
From the side view of Corinthian, this is really hard for them to be mature as well. Because of the business, the location and the population. Corinthian was one of the most important cities at that time and good for business. It’s located between Italy and Asia, so many people travel in and out to the city from east to west. Since many races travel, there are many different kinds of gods as well. As spiritual beings, it is hard to stand firm, for they are surrounded with sin, sexual immorality and adultery and others.
However, Paul, as the spiritual father, must deal with the broken relationship between him and Corinthian believers to be reconciled and encourage the church to grow and mature. So, one reason that causes them is because the churches are infant in spirit and do not know how to deal with the temptation from false teaching and antichrist.
The acknowledgment that 2 Corinthians might be a compilation of several letters, possibly including the “tearful letter,” raises intriguing questions about the fluidity of Paul’s correspondence. Your breakdown of the three main sections of 2 Corinthians into Paul’s efforts to repair his relationship with the Corinthian church, the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem, and the challenge posed by the “super-apostles” is clear and aids in navigating the many different themes within the text.
The exploration of Paul’s delicate handling of the strained relationship with the Corinthian church in chapters 1-7 resonates with the human complexities of leadership and pastoral care. The acknowledgment of unintentional pain caused by Paul’s strong challenge, as well as the subsequent godly grief, reflects the dynamics of reconciliation. The discussion on the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem sheds light on the cultural and economic context of the Corinthian church. Your insight into the challenges faced by a wealthy Christian community in participating in such a collection provides a new perspective. Paul’s emphasis on rendering a service to God through this gracious gift is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of faith and practical charity. The examination of the so-called “super-apostles” in chapters 10-13 shows a new dynamic within the Corinthian church. Your interpretation of these opponents possibly being Greeks in Corinth who adopted the Gospel but now exhibit behaviors aligned with a Greek intellectual worldview is interesting and different. Paul’s choice to boast in his suffering rather than accomplishments challenges conventional ideas of divine favor, offering a different perspective.
The main themes of 2 Corinthians, even if the background between 1 and 2 Corinthians, complicated, and “Is also one of the hardest of Paul’s letters to get right” (Longenecker & Still, p. 141). In other words, there is a variety of complexities that pervade, at least, the background of 2 Corinthians. Paul here is trying to reconcile to the church in Corinth after the painful visit that occurred in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 that Paul alluded to.
Paul goes through various hardships throughout the entirety of his letters, and in 2 Corinthians 2:23-29, Paul exclusively talks on the suffering that he has been through, in comparison to the super-apostles in 2 Corinthians 11:5.
Paul is in the process of trying to reconcile with the church in these two letters here. In other words, Paul is going through the hardships that directly affect a follower of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are expected to find suffering and persecution, and indeed, Paul is showing others how he has suffered as a servant of Christ, and 2 Corinthians 11:30 points out that Paul is explicitly talking of the weaknesses, struggles, and hardships that he has struggled through, but again, as a servant and follower of Jesus Christ, this is something that will happen, regardless of the timeframe (1st century AD or 21st Century AD).
It’s fascinating how the background of 2 Corinthians adds layers to our understanding of Paul’s interactions with the Corinthian church. The complexity arising from missing letters, multiple visits, and the compilation of chapters makes it a puzzle worth solving.
The issue of reconciliation takes center stage in the initial chapters. Paul’s strained relationship with the Corinthians, exacerbated by the reception of 1 Corinthians and his attempts to mend the rift, underscores the relational tension. The “tearful letter” and the painful visit demonstrate the depth of Paul’s commitment to addressing the issues, even if it meant causing temporary pain for the sake of long-term reconciliation. The notion that not all grief and pain are negative is an interesting point. Paul’s challenging words, though causing discomfort, were intended for the ultimate good of the Corinthian church. It’s a reminder that sometimes discomfort is necessary for growth and positive transformation.
I personally enjoy Long’s note about the collection. In Roman culture it was dishonorable to allocate random funds to a poor, non-roman city. Paul understood this and attempted to gain this collection anyway. Ministry would not be possible if it were not for the cheerful giver who is a good steward with what God has gifted them. That goes farther than just finances as well. As Paul put it in his first letter, we as the body of Christ cannot function without properly using all of our “parts” or gifts, properly. The foot needs to do the foot’s job as well as the hand and even the appendix, whatever that thing does. When we as believers are functioning the way God intended, we are living life in the Will of God. With this model, we are able to function as a loving community of Christ followers who, through faith in Christ and proper use of our gifts, can make a difference in the world around us today, just as Paul was urging then.
It is unfortunate to see how the Christians in Corinth were terribly stubborn. Paul was trying to show the Corinthians the service of tithing to actively teach the Corinthians the importance of serving God through helping others financially. In this case, the suffering Christians in Jerusalem were in desperate need of support as they were being actively persecuted, but the pockets of the Corinthians, who were wealthy, remained closed. We can read Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians to pursue giving in 2 Corinthians 9. Paul expresses in v. 12 that this service of giving of your resources is important as it is not only a service to God, but it also cultivates thankfulness in one’s heart. In other words, blessing others reminds you of how much you have been blessed by God. Paul longs for the Corinthians to patriciate in this as he has great hope for the church and truly believes they are capable for such big steps of faith. He encourages that fact that this service is a gift, and this step in their ministry will greatly increase their walking in step with the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s love for the church and their spiritual growth is beautiful, and it is unfortunate that the response was not met with the goals Paul had encouraged them to meet. Yes, the idea of collection was countercultural, and it makes sense if the church was at first weary, but they were not open to being moved by the Spirit to support others, especially other Christians, that were in need.
We see very many different aspects in the book of 2 Corinthians, as Long has mentioned in his blog. I think out of the letters to various churches that Paul wrote to, this one is one of the most diverse in what is happening and being covered. Paul uses the first several chapters to really clear his chest for what seems to have taken place in the first letter to the Corinthians. Paul apologizes for the anguish and sorrow that he created in the church in his first letter to them, but also says that the things needed to be called out and taken seriously. We also know that he did said what he wrote in the first letter was because he loved and cared for them, and wanted to see the church strive towards God’s glory and the things he has planned for his children. This is a great example of someone who is all-in for the mission of Christ, as Paul cares deeply for the growth of the church. And then in the rest of the book, we see more themes that Long mentioned such as there being “super Apostles” in the church, and encourage the Corinthian church to make good on their promise to participate in the collection he has made for the poor saints in Jerusalem. So now Paul encourages them once more, and shows them that the follower of Christ can expect to suffer as Christ himself did. I think a good reminder for reading 2 Corinthians is that God planned what to be included in that book for us, no matter the issues in constructing it that may arise.