2 Corinthians and Galatians

A Critical & Exegetical Commentary

Gareth Reese

• Publisher: Scripture Exposition Books LLC
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780998451855
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

This is a phrase-by-phrase commentary and exposition of the New Testament books of 2 Corinthians and Galatians.This commentary is in use as a college textbook, yet is suitable for the lay church member.

2 Corinthians and Galatians were both written by Paul during the same period of his life, to different churches wrestling with similar, thorny issues.The threat to New Testament Christianity posed by Judaizers is rightly framed by the information learned from 2 Corinthians and Galatians.Time and again in 2 Corinthians, Paul emphasizes his apostolic message and authority, insisting that the new covenant gospel which reflects the truths Jesus taught is what is now to be preached.According to Paul, the new covenant Scriptures are our rule of faith and practice.In Galatians, Paul examines what is involved in the faith that God looks for as He would justify men who have sinned.Is it faith alone (i.e., knowledge, assent, and trust), or is it a faith that includes obedience to what God has said?In his words to Peter - "a man is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 2: 16) - Paul persuasively demonstrates that the faith that saves is habitually doing what God says, not walking by man-made religious rules.The Judaizers, who championed rules like the Pharisees taught, were distorting the gospel message as preached by the apostles of Jesus (Galatians 1: 7).

This commentary is conservative evangelical Christian in its outlook, yet skillfully examines the Scriptures from multiple theological viewpoints. Introductory Studies cover authorship and attestation, the place and date of writing, original target audience to whom the letters were addressed, and the original purpose for writing.Two extended Special Studies address issues crucial to our understanding of how God deals with people He would save:

• Readers are introduced to the Dead Sea Scroll referred to as 4QMMT and the subject of "works of the Law."Particularly, the study demonstrates how 4QMMT helps us rightly understand Paul's contrast of faith v. works of the Law.
• The doctrine of Justification by Faith is also given extended treatment, and key theological questions are addressed.Biblically, what is "justification" and what is "faith"?Is sola fides (faith alone) the condition upon which God justifies sinful men?How and how often is justification applied to men by God?And how has our understanding of the New Testament been impacted by the New Perspective on Paul that has dominated theological discussions for the past 30+ years?

Since this commentary presumes the God-inspired nature of all Biblical writing, the author seeks to harmonize the teachings of 2 Corinthians and Galatians with other relevant Scriptures, and also helpfully examines the original language in which the epistles were written.A fully annotated bibliography of other commentaries is included to encourage readers to extend their own studi

Commentary On

2 Corinthians

THE PAULINE EPISTLES: GROUP TWO¹

2 Corinthians

INTRODUCTORY STUDIES

A. HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS

As we study these historical allusions, we are looking for anything that will help us answer questions about the author, date, destination, and purpose of the letter.

1. Historical Allusions from the beginning of the letter. 1:1-2:13

1:1 - Paul signs this letter.² Timothy is with Paul when this letter is written. He was not with Paul when 1 Corinthians was written. Before the writing of that letter (1 Corinthians 4:17), Timothy had been sent to Macedonia with Erastus to organize the collection (Acts 19:22). According to 1 Corinthians 16:10,11, Timothy was expected to finally arrive at Corinth. That trip has been completed, Timothy has returned to Paul, and is again with the apostle when 2 Corinthians is written.

The destination of the letter is given. "To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints that are throughout Achaia." What do we know about Christians in Achaia other than those at Corinth? There were several at Athens (Acts 17:34). We also know about a church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1). We know of none elsewhere from the extant New Testament records. Acts just does not record any missionary activities in the outlying regions of the province, but we must remember Paul's oft-used method of evangelism was to himself work in the metropolitan centers, while his helpers evangelized the villages and communities for miles around.

We have our first help on the date of this letter. It cannot be before there was a church in Corinth. The church there was begun during Paul's second missionary journey, AD 51-54 (Acts 18:1-18).

1:2 - The usual Pauline greeting. Paul does not use the conventional greeting regularly found in letters in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, which was simply "Greetings" (charein). Paul instead combines both the Hebrew and Greek form of greeting (shalom and charein). This is done, it appears, for two reasons: 1) People of both Greek and Hebrew descent were to be found in the churches. 2) These terms "grace and peace" have a new meaning now, a Christian meaning, and are most appropriate. Grace - i.e., unmerited favor to you - is a prayer for their continuing salvation. Peace to you - i.e., peace with God and peace with man - is a prayer that the result of salvation will be experienced by the readers to an ever fuller extent.

1:3-5 - Paul's usual thanksgiving. It is Paul's custom, after the opening greeting, to write words of thanksgiving to God for the people to whom he is writing. There is a thanksgiving in every letter but Galatians (where he was so stirred up by the apostasy that he leaves out the thanksgiving). Usually, in the thanksgiving, there are intimations of what the rest of the letter is about. The keynote of this thanksgiving is "comfort." See how often the word "comfort" appears in the next few verses.

1:8-11 - Something recently happened to Paul in Asia that left him in mortal danger. It is doubtful that the riot of Demetrius and the silversmiths at Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41) is the event alluded to. Verse 9 speaks of a "sentence of death." The apostle, in his own mind, was convinced that his days were numbered.

1:15,16 - Paul here explains a recent change in his travel plans. Originally, his planned itinerary was to go to Corinth from Ephesus, then to Macedonia, and from thence back to Corinth, and then to go on to Jerusalem with the offering. Apparently, Paul's plans were changed for him by some unforeseen circumstances in the church at Corinth. Because of the change in plans, some people at Corinth charged Paul with vacillation (1:17) and perhaps with being afraid to come again to Corinth.

1:19 - Paul and Timothy and Silas had preached among the readers. This occurred during Paul's first trip to Corinth (Acts 18:1-5), when the church was first planted there.

1:23 - "To spare you I came no more to Corinth." Most commentators put this verse with verses 15,16 and understand it to be an explanation as to why Paul changed his travel plans.

2:1 - Paul says he determined not to come to Corinth again in sorrow. This could mean sorrow which he would feel, or sorrow which he would cause. It sounds as though there has been a very recent "sorrowful" visit made by Paul to Corinth.

2:3,4 - "This very thing I wrote you ...." The Greek verb egrapsa is an aorist tense. It may be an historical aorist (i.e., referring to some letter before the one now being written),³ or it may be an epistolary aorist (i.e., referring to the letter now being written). Paul seems to be saying that he is writing this very letter to the Corinthians so that when he comes he will not have sorrow from them.

2:6-8 - Some individual in the Corinthian church has been disciplined and the discipline has led that person to repent. Who was the man? Was he the incestuous man of 1 Corinthians 5?⁴ These verses also point to a difference of opinion among the Corinthians as to exactly what to do with the offender. The "majority" inflicted the discipline. What was the position of the minority? Were they opposed to any discipline being practiced in this case? Did the minority believe the social ostracism involved in the discipline had not yet been of sufficient duration? Whichever it may have been, the disciplined member had repented, and Paul here urges that the penitent be publicly restored to fellowship.

2:9 - Again, a decision must be made concerning "I wrote." Is it historical or epistolary? Paul seems to be saying that he is writing this very letter to the Corinthians to put them to the test, to see if they would obey him in all things. His apostolic authority is being tested.

2:12-13 - Shortly before writing this letter, Paul has been to Troas. He came to do evangelistic work because there was an open door of opportunity. At the same time, he also expected to meet Titus (who had been sent to Corinth on a trouble-shooting mission) at Troas and hear a report from him. But Titus did not come as soon as Paul expected. Paul was so intensely anxious about Titus' mission to Corinth that he could not carry on the work at Troas. He instead departed to Macedonia in order that he might the sooner meet Titus and hear of the progress of affairs in Corinth. (Some of these details we ascertain from what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:5-7.)

2:14 - 7:4 contain a long presentation of Paul's apostolic credentials.

2. Historical allusions in the closing chapters of the letter. 11:1-13:14

11:1ff - Paul is still calling for recognition of his apostleship. In 11:5 and in 12:11, Paul insists he is not inferior to "the most eminent apostles." If we may let Galatians 2 guide us, "most eminent apostles" reflects the exalted view (held by the Judaizers) of Jesus' original apostles over against Paul. The "most eminent apostles" should not be identified with the "false apostles" (the Judaizers) of 11:13.

11:23-27- Note all that has happened to Paul before this letter was written. Very few of these things are mentioned by Luke in Acts 13-19.

11:32,33 - Chronologically, the danger at Damascus preceded most of the hardships just catalogued in verses 23-27. The attempt by certain Jews to capture and kill Paul at Damascus occurred after his call to be an apostle (Acts 26:16-18) and his three-year stay in Arabia.⁵ Does Paul put this attempt on his life at the end of the list of his hardships because it is an example of how Jewish religious leaders, all along, have been trying to get rid of Paul, the apostle of Christ?

12:2-4 - Paul was caught up to Paradise fourteen years before the writing of this epistle. As indicated below, we will date the writing of 2 Corinthians in the Fall of AD 57. Fourteen full years before the writing of 2 Corinthians would bring us to the Fall of AD 43, a few months before the first missionary journey began.⁶ If this dating is accurate, the vision of Paradise concerning which Paul here speaks is nowhere else recorded.⁷

12:14 - This is the third time Paul is "ready to come" to Corinth. Have there been two other trips to Corinth before 2 Corinthians is written? Or does this verse speak only of Paul's plans and intentions which could not be carried out to completion? Acts does not record two other trips antecedent to the one from which 2 Corinthians was written. Do we get help later in 2 Corinthians (e.g., 13:1-2)? Has Paul been to Corinth more than once before 2 Corinthians was written?

12:18 - Titus and "the brother" have previously been sent by Paul to Corinth. When was this trip? 12:17 indicates this trip is already in the past as 2 Corinthians is being written, so it cannot be the same as the up-coming trip made by Titus and two brothers to implement the collection of the offering at Corinth (2 Corinthians 8:16-23). Who is "the brother"? When was the trip here-indicated made?

12:19 - "We have been speaking all for your upbuilding, beloved." This verse has implications concerning the tone of the whole letter. Paul says it is "all" for their upbuilding.

12:20 - Paul is afraid he may yet find trouble when he arrives at Corinth. He was anxious that before he next arrives in town the church correct all the evils mentioned in his correspondence with them. Two issues were paramount: the disharmony in the life of the congregation resulting from the divisive work of the Judaizers (12:20) and continuing immorality by some in the church (12:21).⁸

12:21 - Paul is anxious, lest he be humiliated (humbled) when he next comes into their presence. Does this not sound a bit like he had been humiliated once before this letter is written?

13:1,2 - This is "the third time" that Paul was coming to Corinth. He has already been present there "the second time." 12:14 therefore must mean more than that other trips were just planned but never carried out. He had been there twice before this proposed trip. On the second trip he had warned those who persisted in their old sins. Now he says that when he arrives on this third visit, should he find some still continuing to practice their sins, he will not spare them. There will be discipline administered by an apostle of Christ.

13:5 - "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" Something has happened (Judaizers) that leaves the Corinthians vulnerable. They may very well be departing the faith once-for-all delivered to the saints. May we see in this call for spiritual examination one of Paul's purposes for writing this letter?

13:10 - "I am writing these things ... in order that when present I may not use severity." This sounds as though it might be another part of his purpose for writing.

13:11 - "Fi...

Table of contents

• Title page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• 2 CORINTHIANS
• GALATIANS