Chapter 1
MSB Intro to 2 Corinthians:
Believed to have been written in AD 55 or very early in AD 56, after Paul had left Ephesus, where he spent 2 1/2 years. The first letter to the Corinthians was written from Ephesus, probably in about AD 55. So this letter is not long after chronologically, but from a different geography.
Paul spent 18 months in Corinth on his second missionary journey. After leaving, Paul hears of immorality rampant in that church, and writes them a letter about it. This is the "lost letter". We do not have it. Even after this, Paul heard of divisions within the church at Corinth. (Apollos, Cephas, Paul, and Jesus). The Corinthians send a letter to Paul with many specific questions also. In response, Paul writes 1 Corinthians and sends it to them. He also sends Timothy to them - perhaps to deliver the letter. After this, more bad news reaches Paul telling him that people identifying themselves as "apostles" are in Corinth.
The first thing these did was to try and undermine Paul. If they could undermine the man they could undermine his teaching. This is apparently a VERY OLD strategy, and despicable. When Paul hears of this he temporarily leaves Ephesus and goes to Corinth. (So this would have been a trip to Corinth during the 2 1/2 years overall that he was in Ephesus). This is referred to as the "painful visit". The visit does not go well, with someone - possibly one of the false prophets - openly insulting Paul. And the Corinthian church did not defend Paul in the face of this. How bitter that must have been. I remember the conference in Joaquin when they ran Dad off. How bitter that must have been for him, too. Even Bud Cockrell was against him.
After the insult, Paul returned to Ephesus and wrote "the severe letter", which also does not survive. It was sent with Titus to the church at Corinth. After some other events, Paul hears from Titus that the Corinthians have repented of their rebellion against Paul. Upon hearing this, but realizing that the situation is still volatile, Paul writes 2 Corinthians.
2022 - So if I'm reading MSB correctly, there was "the lost letter", then 1 Corinthians, "the severe letter", and then 2 Corinthians. Four letters that we know about, only two of which have come down to us. 2 Corinthians is the "last" letter. Corinth must have been like a wayward child to Paul, getting attention that other churches likely deserved more. Squeaky wheel and all that.
MSB says 2 Corinthians contains the clearest, most concise summary of the substitutionary atonement of Christ to be found anywhere in Scripture (5:21, cf Is 53). Also, the nature of the New Covenant receives its fullest exposition outside the book of Hebrews (3:6-16).
Listed as an interpretive challenge is the relationship of the first 9 chapters to chapters 10-13. There will be a note at 10:1 about it. Paul's thorn in the flesh is mentioned in this book, and there is much speculation about what that might have been. Perhaps it was only his past reputation, following him around.
MSB footnotes on these first four chapters average about 2/3rds of each page. A lot here for study.
Paul starts off talking about sharing in both suffering and comforting with the Corinthians. He says if we suffer, we are better able to comfort those who also suffer. In the context of the chapter intro information, I'm not sure what this is about. Perhaps a wave of persecution had swept either Ephesus or Corinth and Paul was referring to that as he got started on this letter.
And then this verse gives us the perspective needed:
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [2Co 1:8 ESV] Paul was going through some severe difficulties, not least probably being his near despair at the troubles in the Corinthian church. Paul seems to imply that he had resigned himself to death, thinking maybe that those persecuting him would win. MSB says we don't know what this was about but that the Corinthians were apparently aware of it, though they may not have realized just how severe the situation was.
It seems that the application here is that whatever the "limit" of suffering we have reached and recovered from ourselves, we can give comfort and aid to others to that same end. Empathy? Or experience?
Paul seems to have been accused of lying outright about a planned trip to Corinth, and the false apostles had made much of it. Paul defends himself, saying this was a change in plans necessitated by events as they unfolded, not a purposeful deceit in any way. 2021 - No...I don't think this is what it says, I think I'm reading in to it based on the MSB intro to the book. What it seems to say is that he had planned a trip - two in fact. He seems to have made one of those stops - on his way to Macedonia, but he cancelled his trip as he was coming back. The reason he cancelled was not that he had other plans or did not want to go but in order to spare them. He was apparently quite angry with them and with the people that were there and were being allowed to usurp authority in the church (again, reading in from the introduction). Paul seems to have been afraid of how such a visit might go, of how severe his words to them might have been, perhaps to the extent of ruining relationships, pushing people away, and even creating insurmountable enmity between himself and some of the brothers there at Corinth. Perhaps it was this. Or perhaps Paul was so angry that he was afraid he would shake the dust of Corinth off his feet, that he would condemn them on earth and then God would do so in heaven as he promised His apostles. Perhaps Paul thought it was that severe in Corinth, and he feared what might happen if he went. This doesn't seem at all unlikely, and seems a better "sparing" than just not yelling at them.
When people are against you for their own reasons and purposes, there is nothing that you do or can do that they will judge fairly. Reminds me of the attacks on Trump. He can't do anything right in their eyes. They even side with Russia against him. I am sure they'll say his peace plan - which is an amazing thing in itself so quickly into his term - is a non-starter.