Where it fits

Second Corinthians is the eighth book of the New Testament, with 13 chapters. Paul wrote it to the same church as 1 Corinthians, probably from Macedonia about a year later. In between, a painful visit and a sharply worded letter had strained the relationship (2:1–4; 7:8–12). Read straight through, it takes about half an hour.

Who, to whom, and why

This letter isn't tidy, and it isn't meant to be. Paul writes with a mix of relief, hurt, tenderness, and fierce honesty. Some scholars think it combines more than one letter, since the tone changes noticeably at chapter 10. The turning point of the first half is the arrival of Titus with encouraging news about the church (7:5–7).

Chapters 1 to 7 are Paul's account of his ministry. He praises God as the Father of mercies who comforts the afflicted (1:3–4), describes serving a new covenant of the Spirit (chapter 3), and says God's treasure is carried in fragile clay containers (4:7). Chapter 5 describes reconciliation: God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and believers are his ambassadors. Chapters 8 and 9 turn to a collection for poor Christians in Jerusalem and the spirit of generous giving. In chapters 10 to 13, Paul defends his apostleship against critics who boasted of their credentials, and he answers by boasting in his weaknesses.

Three ideas to hold on to

1. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. Paul says the comfort he received in suffering was meant to be passed on (1:3–7). He and his companions had been under such pressure in Asia that they despaired of life, and he says it taught them to rely on the God who raises the dead (1:8–9).
2. God's power shows up in weakness. Paul asked three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed and heard, “My grace is sufficient for you” (12:7–9).
3. Reconciliation and generosity belong together. God reconciled the world to himself in Christ (5:18–19), and Paul asks the Corinthians to show that same grace by giving generously to people in need (8:1–9:15).

Passages people ask about

• 2 Corinthians 4:7–18. Treasure in fragile containers. Paul admits he is afflicted and perplexed, yet not crushed.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17–21. New creation and the ministry of reconciliation. Believers become Christ's ambassadors.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1. The “unequally yoked” passage. It is often applied to dating and marriage, but most commentators read it in the setting of idol worship and pagan temple practices.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6–15. Cheerful giving. The context is a specific relief offering for poor believers in Jerusalem.
• 2 Corinthians 11:21–33. Paul's list of hardships: beatings, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, and daily concern for the churches. He boasts about them reluctantly, to make a point about weakness.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7–10. The thorn in the flesh. Paul never says what it was, and we shouldn't guess beyond what he wrote.

How it points to Jesus

Paul says the old covenant had a glory that fades, and that in Christ the veil is removed (3:6–18). He writes that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God (5:21). And he points to Jesus' own generosity: though he was rich, he became poor so that we might become rich (8:9).

A common misunderstanding

Second Corinthians 9:6–8 is sometimes used as a formula: give to get. Paul is writing about a specific offering for poor believers. His promise is that God will supply what is needed so the Corinthians can keep being generous, not that giving makes people rich. The point is love for a struggling church, not a deal with God.