2 Corinthians;- The stormy pastorate (Index thread)

The full background of 2 Corinthians is really the whole story of Paul’s engagement with the Aegean area. That is, modern Greece and western Turkey,

As Arnold Toynbee observes, the fact that the Aegean has two sides, west and east, is the origin of the Greek geographers’ distinction between “Europe” and “Asia”, which stops making any kind of sense north of the Black Sea. Paul spends his time going round it either clockwise or anticlockwise, crossing direct between Corinth and Ephesus or across the narrow straits near modern Istanbul.

Paul first entered this region travelling north from Cilicia, on the south coast of modern Turkey (Acts ch16). The word “Asia” in this chapter refers to the Roman province of that name, a more limited territory on the west coast. For the moment, the Holy Spirit forbade him to preach there. No reason is given (God does not normally give reasons), but perhaps we can guess. This province contained Ephesus, which was a major city and the location of a major temple. This was a such an important mission field that it would have been difficult to get Paul out of it once he was there. I suspect that the Holy Spirit recognised this, and wanted him to visit mainland Greece first. The rest of the story is familiar. They went north, made the usual crossing at the straits. They travelled south through Greece (Macedonia, Athens, Corinth), and finally sailed over to Ephesus. Thus going round the Aegean in the anti-clockwise direction. And this was, of course, Paul’s first visit to Corinth. There is a reason for keeping count.

After reporting back to his “home church” in Antioch, Paul came out to Ephesus again. During the interval, Apollos had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria (which was a very intellectual environment). He was a follower of John the Baptist, so he was probably commending Jesus as a “good teacher”. Prisca and Aquila taught him a true Christian understanding of Jesus and introduced him to the Christian version of baptism (“in the Spirit”). They then encouraged him to cross over to Corinth and support the church there. This was an incautious thing to do, because Apollos appears to have retained an idiosyncratic understanding of Christian teaching, possibly still influenced by his philosophy.

Prisca and Aquila are found in a number of places (Ephesus, Corinth, Rome) and were probably involved in the thriving sea-trade, easily switching their base from one location to another. I suspect that they and other disciples like them were responsible for establishing a Christian presence in Rome, initially in the form of Christian “cells” in the synagogue community, as in the early days of the church in Jerusalem. If Paul was encouraging this activity, that would make him effectively the long-distance founder of the church in Rome, explaining his interest in them. He says that he plans to visit them, which certainly proves (Romans ch15v20, 2 Corinthians ch10 v16) that he did not regard the Roman church as having been founded by anybody else.

Paul spent more than two years working in Ephesus. His correspondence with the Corinthian church probably began at this time. We have two letters preserved in the New Testament, but internal evidence shows that others must have been written. It is now commonplace for scholars to identify an implied series of four letters. I identified a fifth letter in the previous threads, and on closer study I may have discovered the existence, at least, of one more.

The earliest known letter, by general consent, is the advice letter mentioned in 1 Corinthians ch5 v9; “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men”. As I remarked In the relevant thread, I think this famous advice has been edited into 2 Corinthians as the passage from ch6 v14 to ch7 v1.

This makes 1 Corinthians the second letter in the full series. The Corinthians seem to have replied giving arguments against what he was telling them, and Paul had also heard “from Chloe’s people” (unless this was the same letter) that the Corinthian church was in a divided state. So the main purpose of 1 Corinthians is for Paul to explain himself and develop his advice. He seems to have been arguing against a faction who believed that their “wisdom” entitled them to understand “freedom from the law” as “freedom from moral restraints”, and this may have been the “I belong to Apollos” party.

The next phase is the arrangement of the collection for the church in Jerusalem. This comes up in 2 Corinthians, but we learn from that discussion that Paul had already raised the subject with them, in such a convincing way that they had given their consent. If that proposal had been presented in writing, rather than by word of mouth, that would necessitate a third letter in the series. These arrangements were made more than a year before the writing of 2 Corinthians ( 2 Corinthians ch8 v10).

At the same time (probably) Paul devised a plan for picking up the collection money from Corinth and Macedonia. He would sail direct from Ephesus to Corinth (making his second visit there), travel north to Macedonia, and then double back to Corinth for a third visit before sailing direct to Palestine to deliver the money. This “double visit” plan must have been announced to the Corinthians, because Paul is defending himself in 2 Corinthians ch1 against complaints about broken promises. But the outline of this plan could have been included in the original “third letter” message abut the collection.

We learn from the second chapter, supplemented by later chapters, how the plan went wrong. Paul’s return visit was pre-empted by the arrival of “emissaries from Jerusalem”, mentioned in other letters as visiting Antioch and the Galatian churches in order to compel new Gentile Christians to obey the laws of Moses. They put on a show of authority which Paul did not even claim, based on the letters of commendation which they had been given and could display. They conducted themselves in an authoritarian manner, giving orders and even striking the disobedient. They also demanded payment, as of right. Some people are impressed by that sort of thing. They had probably gone elsewhere by the time Paul arrived (to Rome?), but they left behind followers in the church who took them at their own valuation.

As a result, the anticipated “second visit” turned into the infamous “painful visit” (2 Corinthians ch2 v1). It appears that at least one member of the Corinthian church challenged Paul openly, taking him by surprise. Paul was accused of not being a “real” emissary from God, because he was not able to show letters of commendation, he did not bully his people, and he did not demand money from them. Paul was not at his best in this kind of unprepared confrontation with people who were supposed to be his friends, so he backed off and returned to Ephesus. This becomes another accusation against him, that he can’t stand up to people face to face, and is capable only of strongly-worded letters.

Paul would be facing more trouble in Ephesus, because the hostility of the local pagans was about to erupt into the “Diana of the Ephesians” riots described in Acts ch19 and 2 Corinthians ch1 v8; “We were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.” Once the dust had settled from this crisis, Paul was able to work out a new plan for the collection. He would travel north, and once again cross the narrow straits into Macedonia. Meanwhile Titus would cross over the Aegean and visit Corinth himself, taking with him (I believe) the “anguished letter” mentioned in 2 Corinthians ch2 v4, normally counted as the third letter, though I suggest it may be the fourth. He would then travel north to Macedonia in order to rendezvous with Paul and report on his experience in Corinth. Paul’s next move would probably depend on what he heard from Titus.

This first part of the plan was carried out. Paul went north as far as Troas, on the Asian side of the straits, which had been neglected in his first journey. He was tempted to linger and preach the gospel, but he was torn away by his anxiety to hear from Titus and crossed over into Macedonia once more (2 Corinthians ch1 vv12-13).

Meanwhile, Titus found that the Corinthians were already contrite and repentant about the way they had treated Paul, even before reading his letter. They had corporately rebuked the chief culprit, to the point that he was in danger of being “overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” (2 Corinthians ch2 v7). Paul’s letter had been designed to “test you and know whether you are obedient in everything”. They seemed to be passing the test. However, they may have voiced a grievance that Paul had sent Titus instead of coming himself in the promised “third visit”, and Titus could also see that nothing had been done about the collection for Jerusalem.

Once Paul and Titus had discussed these things, Paul remained in Macedonia and began writing 2 Corinthians, normally treated as his fourth letter. I am limiting this letter to the first nine chapters, and have mentioned a reason for counting it as a fifth. He talks about the recent quarrel and also about the persecutions in Ephesus. He combines both threads into a single theme, because both situations cause the gospel-preacher to be attacked by the enemies of the gospel. He declares his intention of making the promised third visit, after all. But he is concerned about the possibility that he will arrive in Corinth with the Macedonian share of the collection and discover, in the presence of the Macedonian representatives, that the Corinthians have made no preparations about their own share. In order to avoid that embarrassment, he will send Titus back to them to prepare the way (2 Corinthians ch8 vv16-24).

There is a definite change of mood in the last four chapters of 2 Corinthians, and I believe these chapters are the main portion of an additional letter, written after Titus made the return visit promised in ch8. My reading of the story is that he arrived in Corinth, carrying the first nine chapters as Paul’s latest letter to the church, only to find himself in the middle of a second “painful visit”. The denigration of Paul’s authority, in contrast with the authority of the emissaries of Jerusalem, had broken out afresh. There was nothing Titus could do except return to Macedonia and report back to Paul again.

I believe the last four chapters of 2 Corinthians comprise Paul’s fifth (or even sixth) letter to the Corinthians, being his angry response to what happened to Titus on that “advance” visit. It is not the “anguished letter”, which would have been mild in comparison. He repeats his determination to make them a “third visit”, but makes it clear that the gloves will be off this time. He will use the authority which the Lord has given him for building up the church. He will make good his previous warning, in the middle of the “painful visit”, that if he had to come again in anger he would not spare them. That is what he means when he identifies the third visit as the “third witness” required by the law before someone can be condemned (2 Corinthians ch13).

We know from Acts ch20 that Paul did make that third visit. Luke says nothing about all this drama, but reports how Paul left Ephesus for Macedonia and then moved down to “Greece” to spend three months there. He was about to set sail for Syria, in accordance with the original plan described in 2 Corinthians, but this journey was aborted when “a plot was made against him by the Jews”. One wonders how the Jews knew enough about his plans to interfere with them. There has to be a possibility of collusion on the part of vengeful Judaizers within the local church. Instead, Paul and his companions returned to Asia by a clockwise journey round the Aegean, taking them back through Macedonia and Troas, and down the coast on the far side, before taking to the open sea on his final journey to Jerusalem.

Newsletter

ch1 vv1-11
Paul tells the Corinthians that he has left Ephesus and arrived in Macedonia

Argument

From ch1 v12 to ch2 v17
He explains that he did not visit them on the way because he had a bad experience on his last visit.

The letter kills

ch3
He and his fellow-apostles do not need the “letters of recommendation” which the Corinthians were demanding, because they have been sent by God to proclaim the new covenant.

Treasure in earthen vessels

Ch4 vv15
That is why Paul and his fellow-apostles are not disheartened by their afflictions at the hands of various enemies, including the pagan persecutors.

Our inner nature is renewed

From ch4 v16 to ch5 v13
They remain of good courage, walking by faith and not by sight.

Not without the Spirit

From ch5 v14 to ch7 v4
They are constrained by the love of Christ, because they have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

The news from Titus

Ch7 vv5-16
He was pleased to hear from Titus that the Corinthians were repentant about their behaviour during the Painful Visit.

Titus comes back to you

ch8 Titus will now be returning to them, in advance of the visit which Paul expects to make himself, to ensure that the collection for the poor of Jerusalem is made ready.

Don’t let me down

ch9
He urges them to be generous themselves about the collection for Jerusalem.

Formidable in his letters

ch10
This is a fresh letter written after Titus has made the promised “collection visit” and returned to Paul. Paul is angry because the original challenge to his authority has been revived.

Foolishness

ch11
He makes the case that his claim to authority direct from Christ outweighs the “letters of recommendation” from Jerusalem which other people can show.

Visions and thorns

ch12 vv1-13
The climax of the argument in the previous chapter.

The third visit at last

From ch12 v14 to ch13 v14
He still intends to make that promised visit, but he will come, if necessary, using the full power of the authority which Christ has given him, in order to preserve them for Christ.

Incidentally, this is likely to be the last time that I put together a series index thread for ATS, simply because I’m running out of ideas for a series. I’ve covered so much of the Bible in the last ten years or so that there aren’t many large empty spaces left to explore, though that need not stop me from composing individual threads when the inspiration comes. I did give advance warning in my ten-year Index Thread that this moment was going to come eventually. I suppose I could cater for any continuing interest in “new series” by bumping some of the old ones, which many people won’t have seen recently or at all. Meanwhile, the process of transferring a lot of this material into book format is well under way.
Ten years of Bible threads

How to do an Index Thread

I can’t claim copyright on the concept, because many other people have been doing similar things, but I did develop my own version independently. It was when I was coming to the end of the original Revelation series. I had been getting into the habit of posting crosslinks between related threads. My first thought was that I might put together a page of links covering the whole series, and attach one to the end of each thread in the series. This would have entailed bumping nearly fifty threads in one go, thus accidentally swamping the Prophecies and Predictions forum, and it would not have been popular. There were already people who resented seeing just one Revelation thread a week. Instead I came up with the idea of having one dedicated Index Thread, and attaching explanatory supplementary posts. I continue doing this, though I’ve never added as many supplements as I did on that occasion.
Revelation; Project Complete

The trickiest aspect of it, technically, is getting the BB code right so that each link is labelled on screen by the title of the thread (a very fiddly chore). By the time it comes to putting together a new Index I’ve normally forgotten how to do it, so I have to paste a copy of an old link at the top of the page and use that as a model. I still don’t know what went wrong with some of the links in the Ten Year Index.

How not to do an Index Thread

Another member of the site once conceived the ambition of posting an entire series of threads AND the relevant Index thread in the course of a single evening. As far as I can recall, he was one of the more “mystical” interpreters of religion. I was a fascinated observer of this little drama, mostly from my vantage point on myATS. In theory he was bumping my own threads off the top of the Religion forum, but I was too interested in seeing what would happen next to care about that angle.

In fact the first item he posted was the Index Thread, though it was blank at that stage. Then he posted Thread no1, with minimal content (a Bible verse or even just a reference) and added that thread’s link to the Index Thread. Then he did the same for a second thread, and so on. I can’t remember the common theme. He may have been going through a tricky chapter verse by verse. I don’t think he can have realised how much work he was taking on, in a short time, even if all went well. Since there was no sign that he had prepared anything in advance, it looked as though he was expecting to compose ALL these threads, after posting the links, within the two-hour editing period. The number of posted threads kept going up.

Then the number of posted threads started coming down. Apparently the Mods had noticed this sudden flood of threads, had investigated them and discovered the minimal content, and on that basis were starting to delete them.

Then the number of threads started going up again. The titles of already deleted threads were re-appearing on the screen. “Good grief”, I thought, “He’s going to get himself banned!” He didn’t get banned on this occasion, though he did stop posting suddenly. I would imagine that they post-banned him to give themselves a chance of sorting things out unhindered. He was left free to try again a few weeks later.

You can’t even try to follow in his footsteps now. A new feature introduced after these events (I assume it’s still there) will prevent you from adding a second thread within one hour of posting the first one. The patient approach is a better idea.

Paul was a human just like everyone else. It reminds me of Elijah. Remember one day he was challenging all of the worshipers of Baal and telling them to call on their god to bring fire down from heaven. And then mocking their god when it did not answer? And then Jehovah God did answer Elijah and sent fire from heaven to lick up the offering and the water he had put down as a test to whose God was real? After he had all the priests and followers of Baal put to death after that wicked queen Jezebel, who had already put many of Jehovah's servants and prophets to death, said she would do the same to Elijah. And here was this man the day before who was so courageous, that got up and ran for 40 days and nights in fear. And God had to send the ravens to feed him while he ran away far into the wilderness.

It is a good reminder that Bible writers, and the stalwarts of old were just like us. They were not super human, and had the same emotions and fears as we do. What helped them through it all was their faith in Jehovah. Which Elijah for some reason lost for a little while until Jehovah brought some sense back into him.

Oh I see you were posting more than the initial post. My response was to the initial post.

While we're on the subject of the Religion forum...
I normally work from Recent Posts, and I normally post new threads by going to myATS and jumping off the previous thread (this usually works, but on one occasion it landed me in the wrong forum).

That means that I don't often visit the Religion forum itself and I've only just discovered that my Jeremiah Index Thread has been made "sticky". I'd just like the ATS powers that be know that I appreciate this recognition of the usefulness of what I've been doing here. As I told my mother once, I do like being "helptual".

At least this is one thread which is not about "what's happening to ATS"

At least this is one thread which is not about "what's happening to ATS"