Day 150 – Tuesday, July 29, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

2 Corinthians 1

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

(2 Corinthians 1:1–2, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul opens this letter with the usual greetings. This is basically the expanded return address.
• Paul identifies himself, his assistant Timothy, and the then addresses the letter to the church at Corinth and the saints in Achaia, the region which contains Corinth, its capitol.
• He then extends grace and peace to the readers.

Comfort in Suffering

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. ⁶ Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. ⁷ And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. 

(2 Corinthians 1:3–7, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Pauls offers praise and blessing to God for the comfort He supplies. He also is thankful for the comfort he can give to other Christians because of God’s comfort to him.
• Paul makes it clear that he and his companions do suffer for the cause of Christ and for his readers, but that he also receives comfort from God and consolation from knowing that his suffering furthers the gospel for the readers’ sake.
• His hope is steadfast, that the disciples will also—in their suffering—be consoled by God as well.

Delivered from Suffering

⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, ¹¹ you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. 

(2 Corinthians 1:8–11, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul further describes the trouble which his party faced, that burdened them nearly to the point of death.
• But they trusted in God, who can raise the dead, who delivered them from death in their distress.
• He thanks the Corinthians for their prayers, and is thankful for this effective gift to him and his team.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end ¹⁴ (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

(2 Corinthians 1:12–14, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul reminds the readers that he conducted himself in a simplicity that reflected only the gospel, not human wisdom.
• He also tells them that they are his pride and joy, his success story, as he hopes he is to them as well.

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit—¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. ²⁰ For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³ Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand. 

(2 Corinthians 1:15–24, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul recounts his desire to come to Corinth on his way to and from Macedonia. He offers a bit of wordplay as he discusses his desire not to be a yes, yes, no, no speaker, but rather a Yes. This is a divine yes through Jesus Christ.
• The promises of God are Yes and Amen. When God promises, the promise is sealed.
• Paul then references the fact that he has not come to Corinth to spare them. This may have been in response to the opposition that came against him from some in the church. He won them over, but his explanation of his travel plan change is explained in the beginning section of chapter two.
• Paul is writing much of this letter in response to a letter sent from Corinth and a letter he sent in response that was not included in the Biblical record.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.