Before directly confronting the “super-apostles” who infiltrated the Corinthian church (11:5), Paul shows how real apostles live and conduct their ministry (2:14-7:4). Part of his ministry consists of refusing to be enamored with the old covenant, but instead, preaching the superior new covenant (3:1-18). Because the new covenant is so much better than the old,…
2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (Unveiled Glory: The Superiority of the New Covenant)
In the face of criticism from the Corinthians, Paul first sought to defend his integrity (1:12-2:13). Now Paul begins a long section defending his ministry, particularly his status as a minister of the new covenant (2:14-7:1). To begin the defense of his ministry, Paul points out that true ministry is carried out by speaking God’s…
2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6 (Paul’s Picture of True Apostleship)
In 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:13, Paul had been defending himself against the charge that he didn’t care about the Corinthians because he changed his travel plans. In fact, the opposite was true: he loved them! But he didn’t want to cause them unnecessary grief, because, if he had visited, it would have not gone well. Instead…
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:13 (Reasons for Paul’s Absence)
The body of Paul’s letter begins with a defense of his change of plans (1:12-17). Despite the charge of being fickle and duplicitous, Paul’s behavior stemmed from God’s faithfulness (1:18-22). He continues a defense of his changed travel plans by arguing that it was actually a good thing he changed his mind about visiting (1:23-2:4).…
2 Corinthians 1:12-22 (Paul Defends Himself)
Paul now begins the body of his letter as a defense of his personal behavior (1:12-22). He first explains that his conscience is clear in how he treated the Corinthians, especially concerning his travel plans (1:12-17). He moves onto a theological aside, explaining that his word to the Corinthians can be trusted because it is…
2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (Paul’s Greeting & Meditation on Suffering)
Paul opens 2 Corinthians by greeting the church he is writing to (1:1-2) and then moves into a meditation on suffering that serves as the theological foundation for the rest of the book (1:3-11). Paul demonstrates that true power is manifested in weakness, not in the glory of human ingenuity espoused by the "super-apostles" (cf.…
2 Corinthians Intro & Background
Ever have a complicated relationship with someone? A relationship where you love the person so much but they also drive you crazy? A relationship where you want what's best for them, but they look at your advice suspiciously? If so, you're in luck, because the apostle Paul also had some complicated relationships, especially with the…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.1 | Two Wrong Responses to Total Depravity
The dominion of sin not only extends to all humanity but also dominates every individual soul. Because of the utter pervasiveness of sin, do people have any freedom of the will? If there is any freedom for people, how far does its power extend? To find the answer, we need to consider the dangers that…
10 Things I’ve Learned about Parenting in 10 Years
Inspired by this post, I wanted to reflect on things I've learned over the years about parenting so far. Your marriage is most important. What inspired me to write this was ultimately Bryan Caplan's statement that "you can't be a good parent and a bad spouse." Yes and amen. Marriage is God's design for human…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.11 | Was Humanity Flawed from the Beginning?
Humanity is corrupted by a natural viciousness. However, this corruption did not come from within our human nature. When I say that it didn't come from nature, I mean that it was an event from outside of humanity that caused man to fall rather than an inner flaw given to humanity from the beginning. I…
Raising Lazarus 