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“Introduction to 2 Corinthians 1"”

Thoughts for Today:

The first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians does not appear to be the first letter he wrote to the believers in Corinth. How do we know? In 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul seems to reference a previous letter: "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- ". Many Biblical scholars have taken the past tense of the word "written" to mean that Paul's first epistle was lost and therefore, what we know as 1 Corinthians is actually his second letter. This would make 2 Corinthians his third letter to the church at Corinth.

In Paul's previous epistle (what we know as 1 Corinthians), Paul wrote to correct a number of problems within the church. It was a stern epistle which addressed several doctrinal errors, as well as his intention to guide them away from carnality and into true spirituality. Unfortunately, it had a polarizing (rather than unifying) effect upon the people. Certainly there were some who repented and were corrected; yet others turned more firmly against him. Those who opposed Paul, spoke poorly of him, challenged his claim of apostleship, and therefore felt that he had no authority over them or right to chastise their behavior.

Titus had been to Corinth, and it was while Paul was in Macedonia that Titus brought news of how the Corinthians had received his previous letter. It hadn't gone well. This led Paul to write this second epistle to the Corinthians.

Questions to Ponder:

2 Corinthians could easily be titled, "If at first you don't succeed then try, try, try again." Paul wasn't going to give up on the Corinthians. And it didn't matter if they initially rejected him. Do you have someone in your life who seems to be off track? Have you been tempted to give up on them? Will you renew your effort?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.