2 Corinthians: Discipleship Lessons
Detailed Table of Contents

Preface 3
Table of Contents 5
Reprint Guidelines 11
References and Abbreviations 12
Introduction to 2 Corinthians 14
  The City of Corinth 14
  Tentative Chronology of Paul and the Corinthians (50-56 AD) 15
  Literary Problems 17
  Paul's Opponents in Corinth 17
  Situation 18
1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) 19
  Salutation (1:1-2) 20
  The God of All Comfort (1:3-4) 20
  Comfort as We Share Christ's Sufferings (1:5-7) 21
  A Crushing, Hopeless Burden (1:8-10) 23
  Relying on God's Deliverance (1:9-10) 24
  Intercessory Prayer (1:10b-11) 25
2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) 28
  A Legacy of Godliness and Sincerity (1:12-14) 28
  Paul's Planned Visit to Corinth (1:15-18) 29
  The Firm Promises of God (1:18-20) 30
  Anointing, Seal, and Spirit (1:21b-22) 30
  Sparing Them Another Painful Visit (1:23-2:2) 32
  Paul Wrote the `Severe' Letter Rather than Visiting (2:3-4) 33
  Restoring the Disciplined Brother (2:5-9) 33
  Obedience to Apostolic Authority (2:9) 34
  Forgive So that Satan Doesn't Take Advantage of You (2:10-11) 36
3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) 38
  An Open Door and Peace in One's Spirit (2:12-13) 38
  Marching in the Triumphal Procession (2:14) 39
  The Fragrance of Knowing God (2:14-16) 39
  Who Is Sufficient for This Ministry (2:16b) 41
  Peddlers or Sincere Advocates (2:17) 41
  Letters Written on the Heart (3:1-3) 42
  Living Letters 43
  Competent Servants of a New Covenant (3:4-6) 43
  How Seminaries and Ordination Relate to Competency 44
  The Vital Role of the Holy Spirit (3:6) 46
  Ministers of a New Covenant (3:6a) 46
4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) 49
  The Greater Glory of the Spirit (3:7-11) 50
  The Glory of God on Moses' Face (Exodus 34) 50
  Boldness in Our Hope of Glory (3:12) 51
  The Veil of the Old Covenant (3:13-15) 51
  Spiritual Freedom from the Holy Spirit (3:16-17) 52
  Beholding the Glory of God (3:18) 53
  Being Changed into Christ's Likeness (3:18) 55
5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) 58
  Ministry by God's Mercy (4:1) 58
  A Plain and Open Ministry (4:2) 58
  Satan Has Blinded Unbelievers (4:3-4) 60
  Christ, the Glory of God (4:5-6) 63
  Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7) 63
  Pressures on Every Side (4:8-9) 64
  Death in Us, Life in You (4:10-12) 67
  Faith in the Resurrection (4:13-14) 68
  Outer Deterioration, Inner Renewal (4:15-16) 68
  Focusing on Eternal Glory (4:17-18) 69
  Fix Your Eyes on the Eternal (4:18) 70
6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) 72
  Earthly Tent vs. Heavenly House (5:1) 72
  Groaning and Longing (5:2-4) 74
  Swallowed Up by Life (5:4b) 75
  Made for Life, Guaranteed by the Spirit (5:5) 75
  Longing for Home (5:6-8) 76
  The Problem with the Doctrine of `Soul Sleep' 77
  Walk by Faith, Not by Sight (5:7) 78
  Aiming to Please the Lord (5:9) 79
  The Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10) 80
  Persuading Men (5:11a) 81
  Open before You and God (5:11b-12) 82
  Out of Our Mind? (5:13) 82
  Christ's Love Compels Us (5:13-15) 82
7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) 85
  A New Creation in Christ (5:16-17) 85
  Reconciliation (5:18-19) 87
  Ambassadors of Reconciliation (5:18-20) 88
  Substitutionary Atonement (5:21) 90
  Today Is the Day of Salvation (6:1-2) 91
8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) 94
  A No-Stumbling-Blocks Policy (6:3) 94
  Commended by Hardships (6:4-5) 95
  Commended by a Godly Character and Spiritual Ministry (6:6-7) 96
  Commended through Paradoxical Ministry (6:8-10) 97
  Open Wide Your Hearts (6:11-13) 99
  Don't Yoke Yourselves to Unbelievers (6:14-16) 99
  You Are the Temple of God (6:16a) 101
  Old Testament Promises (6:16b-18) 101
  Let Us Purify Ourselves (7:1a) 102
  Perfecting Holiness (7:1b) 102
  What Kind of Separation Is Required? 103
  A Plea for Open Hearts (7:2) 105
  Paul Is Encouraged by the Corinthians (7:3-4) 106
  Fightings Without and Fears Within (7:5) 106
  The Comfort of Titus' Coming (7:6-7) 107
  Sorrow that Leads to Repentance (7:8-10) 107
  Eagerness to Clear their Name (7:11-13a) 108
  Titus' Good Report (7:13b-16) 108
9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) 111
  The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches (8:1-5) 112
  The Grace of Giving 114
  Match the Macedonians' Generosity (8:6-8) 115
  Christ's Generosity in Poverty Made Us Rich (8:9) 116
  Jesus Was Poor Here on Earth 116
  Christ Humbled Himself 117
  Complete the Giving You Began (8:10-11) 118
  Give According to Your Blessing (8:12-15) 118
  Does the Bible Advocate Socialism or Communism? 119
  Gathering Just the Amount Needed (8:14-15) 119
  Representatives Who Will Carry the Offering to Jerusalem (8:16-19) 120
  We Are Transparent in Financial Matters (8:20-21) 120
  Show Honor to Representatives from the Churches (8:22-24) 121
  Boasting to the Macedonians (9:1-4) 122
  Time to Complete Your Generous Gift (9:5) 122
10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) 125
  The Law of Sowing and Reaping (9:6) 125
  A Proverb of Generosity (Proverbs 11:24-25) 126
  Principles of Blessing and Tithing (Malachi 3:10-12) 126
  The Result of Failing to Put God First in Giving (Haggai 1:2-11) 127
  Jesus' Teaching on Giving and Blessing (Luke 6:37-38) 128
  Freedom and Joy in Giving (9:7) 128
  God Can Cause You to Abound (9:8) 130
  The Righteous Man 131
  God's Supply, Increase, and Enlargement (9:10-11) 132
  Your Giving Will Prompt Praise (9:12-15) 133
11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) 136
  A Change in Tone 136
  Paul's Boldness (10:1-2) 136
  Spiritual Warfare (10:3-6) 137
  Paul's Apostolic Authority (10:7-8) 140
  Forceful by Letter and in Person (10:9-12) 140
  Paul's Field of Ministry (10:13-15a) 140
  Led Astray from Pure Devotion to Christ (11:1-3) 141
  Gullible and Easily Deceived (11:4-5) 142
  Was Paul an Untrained Speaker? (11:6) 143
  Paul's Refusal to Ask for Support (11:7-9) 144
  Full-time Christian Ministry vs. Bi-Vocational Ministry 145
  Undermining the Claims of False Apostles (11:10-14) 146
  Foolish Boasting (11:16-21) 147
  Paul's Jewish Heritage (11:22) 148
  Paul's Sufferings (11:23-25) 148
  Dangers from Travel (11:26) 149
  Depravation and Stress (11:27-28) 149
  Boasting in Weakness (11:29-30) 150
  Paul's Escape from Damascus (11:31-33) 151
12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) 152
  Visions and Revelations in the New Testament (12:1) 152
  Boasting of Visions and Revelations (12:2-4) 153
  Boasting of the Truth (12:5-6) 154
  Paul's Thorn in the Flesh (12:7) 154
  Was the Thorn a Sickness? 155
  Is Sickness from Satan? 156
  My Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:8-9a) 157
  God's Power in Us 158
  When I Weak, then I Am Strong (12:9b-10) 159
  The Signs of an Apostle (12:11-12) 160
  Expending His Resources for the Corinthians (12:13-15) 162
  Concern for the Corinthians' Sin and Disorder (12:20-21) 162
  The Pain of Correction (12:21a) 165
  Paul's Promise to Set Things in Order (13:1-3a) 165
  Weakness and Strength (13:3b-14) 166
  See If You Will Stand the Test (13:5-8) 167
  Authority for Building You Up (13:9-10) 167
  Concluding Words (13:11-13) 168
  Trinitarian Benediction (13:14) 169
Appendix 1: Handouts for Group Participants 172
  Introduction to 2 Corinthians 173
  1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) 175
  2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) 176
  3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) 178
  4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) 180
  5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) 181
  6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) 183
  7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) 184
  8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) 186
  9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) 188
  10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) 189
  11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) 191
  12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) 192
Appendix 2. A Brief Critique of the Prosperity Message 194

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