Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we can only prove Paul wrote seven letters. The others may or may not have been written by his hand. I find it interesting that two of the first four were written to the Church in Corinth. Corinth was and is at a strategic point in the geography of the Mediterranean. It sets on a narrow isthmus that divides the southern part of Greece from the northern mainland. In Paul’s time, a sort of railway allowed ships to be put on wheels for the four-mile trip from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean, thus avoiding the weather and pirates at the southern end of Greece. A sea level canal replaced the overland system in 1893. Geography made Corinth a crossroads of trade and a very prosperous city, and the church there one of the most affluent Paul visits.

Paul’s first letter to Corinth was very critical of the congregation. The church had lost its focus on Christ’s teachings and was arguing about whether to follow Paul, Apollos or other wandering con artists trying to profit by the new Christian movement. The criticism was public. It was an open letter copied and passed around to all the churches. It was as if Paul slammed the congregation on Facebook. This second letter was in part an apology – almost. After he left Corinth, Paul left Titus there to watch after the church and traveled elsewhere promising to return. He makes a big deal about not being able to come back within the time frame he said he would. If I were part of the congregation, I’m not sure I would welcome him back after the spanking he gave them. But then, he almost apologizes for being too harsh with his first letter. He had reports from Titus that the church had improved and much of his criticism was no longer applicable. Paul’s reaction was that his first letter had worked. I can see that. As a coach, I frequently had to challenge my players to improve. As coaches, we had to teach them basic things like footwork and how to block and tackle. When they improved, we could only assume that our teachings had worked. Paul was much the same. He then writes a few paragraphs that remind me of parents punishing their children. “This hurts me worse than it hurts you.” I never understood that until I was a parent myself. The last thing in the world a parent wants to do is discipline their children. My dad never spanked his children. He used to tell us that some day we would be bigger than him, and he wanted us to love him rather than fear him. His punishment was to tell us he was disappointed. A spanking would have hurt less. We revered our Dad, just as Paul was revered. Not only by the church n Corinth but throughout the new Christian movement. This guy was commissioned by Christ Himself. I am sure Paul’s disappointment in the congregation caused them to think twice about their actions. “We have turned away from secret and shameful ways.”

Paul tries to enhance his image by outlining the physical trials he has endured for Christ. He was shipwrecked three times, beaten with rods twice, lashed five times and stoned once. I don’t know about you, but I’m not impressed with this. The Viet Nam War POWs were heroes. But they were all shot down. Combat aviators get shot down when they make mistakes. I’m not saying I didn’t respect those who spent time in a North Vietnamese prison, but they weren’t venerated as much by their peers as they were by the American public. So please excuse me when I can’t be impressed by Paul’s sufferings. I believe he could have been equally effective if he had avoided at least some of those situations that got him whipped.

Paul includes a wonderful homily in chapters 3-6. He refers to Christians as letters from God written not on paper but on human hearts. He says Christians are like spiritual treasures in clay jars. The power is not from the jar but from the contents. In chapter 4 versus 13-14 Paul says: “It is written in Scriptures, ‘I believed so I spoke.” Our faith is like this too. We believe, and so we speak. God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and we know that God will also raise us with Jesus. God will bring us together with you, and we will stand before him.” Beautiful, inspiring words. I encourage to read these four chapters when you get a chance. They are truly inspirational.

Paul spends all of chapters 8 and 9 talking about sharing with those less fortunate and encouraging the Corinthians to tithe. If I ever feel the need to ask our congregation to increase our contributions to God’s work, I will quote from these two chapters. As I said earlier, Corinth was a fairly well-to-do congregation while many others in Greece and Asia Minor were struggling financially. The church in Jerusalem was extremely strapped financially. That congregation had to hide out and were constantly in danger of persecution. It is expensive to live in hiding and be unable to work.

On an interesting note, Paul describes a near-death experience. “I know this man was taken up to paradise. I don’t know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. He heard things he cannot explain, things that no human is allowed to tell.” As far as I know this was the first description of a near-death experience. Not only do I think they can and do happen, we have a lot to learn from them.

Paul says one thing however I strongly disagree with. I realize some people believe Scripture is absolute. If it says so in the Bible, it is so. Period! But the Bible was not written in King James English. It has been translated many times and each translation is an approximation of what the original author actually meant. In my Bible the passage I refer to reads: “You are not the same as those who do not believe. So do not join yourselves to them. Good and bad do not belong together. Light and darkness cannot share together.” Does Paul really mean that Christians should isolate themselves from non-believers or that Christians should only associate with other Christians? This passage has been used to justify cults that isolate themselves from society so as to avoid being contaminated by infidels. But this interpretation is in direct conflict with the Great Commission. It is our job as Christians to bring light into the darkness. It is our job to be a light so that all will have an opportunity to find Christ. You don’t have to preach to your neighbors or criticize their non-belief. I once had a friend who was absolutely anti-religion. He used to make fun of me and say I was trying to make points with God. His wife was even worse. She refused to accept the existence of a higher power. However, when I led Bible study at Community Pride in the late 1990s, she would come and sit in the back. She didn’t quite join the group, but almost. I have a sister the same way. But -- after I said grace one Thanksgiving, she told one of our nieces to listen to what I had to say. Not a complete breakthrough in either case, but a crack in the wall. A small crack that let a ray of light shine in to the darkness. I cannot believe Paul wanted us to hide our light under a basket. I cannot believe Paul wanted us to isolate us from those who need Jesus.

Pray with me. Jesus, we stand ready to do your bidding. We stand ready to be beacons of light in a dark divided world. We pray that you will give us the wisdom and the strength to be living examples of Christian teachings. Amen