Corinthians 2 Essay

19:33; Deuteronomy 28:53; 1 Thessalonians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:6 – 7); (Gutherie 255 – 256). Paul does not resist the temptation to pursue this image for further, personal purposes. Up until chapter 4:12, both death and the life of Jesus have been present in Paul and in his leadership colleagues (4:10 – 11). Now, however, Paul turs to a more explicit set of reflections that bears on himself and the Corinthians and alters the picture so that now only death is at work in him in the Corinthians (v. 12). In this direct appeal for sympathy from the Corinthians, Paul seeks to turn his suffering and hardship into a source of increase goodwill from them (NIB 82). For that reason, (v. 16) goes back to the hope of the resurrection which Paul had expressed

This ministry, which he first defines as “the ministry of the Spirit” (3:8), he later sums up grandly as “the ministry of reconciliation” (5:18); (Carver 59). Although Paul has gone through tribulations, the ministry was being accomplished. The Corinthians came to accept the gospel. Paul had completed this ministry of unveiling eyes to the glory of the Lord (3:1-18) among the Corinthians. He had seen the gospel do its work in their very lives. He sold himself out for them. All the afflictions listed through this section was all for their sakes (15a). He poured himself out so that they could be recipients and benefactors of this veil removing ministry and He knows that they will be present with him at the resurrection of Christ. Now Paul shifts from speaking about his ministry to his weakness of appearance. He had made this sacrifice of ministry even though it has taken a toll on His

At these cases, in point, the statement here at 5:12 appears to be an overt denial of self- recommendation. Yet I suggest that the apostle consistently offers self- recommendation , and our current passage is no exception; in fact, he clearly uses 2 Corinthians to a great extent to recommend himself quite forcefully” (Guthrie 297). The false teachers were attacking Paul on the grounds that He was weak in appearance (Ben 348) and “a minister of a covenant more glorious than Moses’ covenant could be expected to be a glorious figure.”[10] . Moreover, Guthrie points out the labels of affliction as insignificant, or light here the adjective is used as a substantive and set up the contrast with baros, weight, tonnage later in the verse. The term finds it’s another expression such as “light” somewhere. he states that , “ ancient authors used the word to speak of things light in weight, but this literal meaning came to have a figurative counterpart , speaking as it does here in in 2 Corinthians 4:17 of something considered unimportant or insignificant” (Guthrie 271). For that whatever reason, the specific false apostles were attacking Paul about his