Bible 110 New Testament
II Corinthians
(McDonald)
Power Made Perfect in Weakness
Collecting and Arranging the Evidence
Collection of Pauline fragments; not mentioned by Clement
Paul could not have written II Corinthians in present form. Problem is with
Chs. 10-13 in contrast with Chs. 1-9. Most scholars see these as two separate
compositions to Corinth. But there are problems in 1-9. 2:12-13, 7:5ff are
connected. Another letter between 2:14 and 7:5?
II Corinthians has 3 letters:
1. 1:1-2:13 and 7:5-9:15
2. 10-13
3. 2:14-7:4
These three follow I Corinthians. But I Corinthians is not the first letter (1Cor.
5:9).
Letter A (founding visit) is lost (possibly 6:14-7:1)
Letter B is I Corinthians
Letter C is II Corinthians 2:14-7:4
(Second visit) Letter D is II Corinthians 10-13
Letter E is II Corinthians 1:1-2:13
Third visit
Why was II Corinthians arranged as it was?
A.
In arrangement of NT literature there is tendency to warn about future
heresies at the end of series
B.
Gap, 2:13 and 7:5? Chiasm – alternating form of organization
The scribe saw a chiastic pattern which
A
B
A1
B1
ended at a not so helpful point. At the
center is the passage of reconciliation
(see handout)
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Bible 110 New Testament
After the crime: Dealing with the Grief
(2 Cor. 1;1-2:13 and 7:5-9:15)
Paul in Macedonia with Timothy and Titus had come from Ephesus where he
nearly took his life (II Cor. 1:8-9).
By the last letter E, Paul has mellowed out and become more cooperative.
He is not defending his apostleship.
Paul did not want to be accused of financial mismanagement. He sent
Titus et al.
He may have thought that his letters were vague and hard to understand.
The readers mistook what he said.
The final letter E of Paul is a model of diplomacy. He has mellowed, not
reconciled to Corinth. He sent others to collect offerings. He writes nothing lofty
and theological but practical.
(McDonald II)
II Corinthians 10-13
Victim’s Description of the Crime
Challenges of Charismatic and Institutional Power
are in turn challenged by strength made perfect in weakness
Tensions between Paul and Corinthians are about conflict between
charismatic and institutional power. Jesus is charismatic leader. When he died,
his personal authority was institutionalized in the disciples. Paul could establish
himself as charismatic leader or derive it from the apostles in Jerusalem.
Collection was institutional commitment. Paul went back to Antioch.
Representation from James came. Peter and Barnabas broke table fellowship
with Gentiles. Paul rebuked Peter openly and lost. Then he went to Asia Minor
to show that God smiled on his enterprise. Collection was a validation of his law
free gospel to those in Jerusalem.
Early Christianity was a Jewish sect. With the Pauline mission outside of
Syria, it became a cult.
Mesas of missionary support had to change. In 1st
century (Mark 6:7-13, Luke 10:3-9) missionaries went out as miracle workers;
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forbidden to take anything with them that was separate from the gospel. These
missionaries had a predisposed good will. Issue arose: how long do we have to
have a travelling missionary in our house? Who is a travelling missionary and
who is not? (Didache)
Paul wanted to avoid such problem s. But he was venturing into regions
where Jews were a despised cult. Also, he was evangelizing Gentiles, not Jews.
So he had to make tents to support himself rather than live from the Jewish
Christians. He wanted to keep his mission free from patronage. He wanted to
keep the people open to give to the collection. In working with his hands, he was
disobeying Mark 6.
He and associates went to Corinth, set up tent making, evangelized, and
worked miracles (I Cor. 1; I Cor. 14). This basis of working miracles was an
improper basis for ministry. When Paul left Corinth, charismatic missionaries
came to the church and lived on the Christians whom Paul had set up. Paul was
critical of them for living off the church. They were not institutional missionaries
so they were not concerned to sent collections to Jerusalem.
Paul came under fire in Corinth:
1. Financial dealings (II or 12:14ff) What was Paul doing with the money?
They thought he was skimming money
2. Epistolary domination – dogmatic (I Cor.)(2 Cor. 10:8-9) (2 Cor. 12:18-19).
He felt that he had the authority from the apostles in Jerusalem. He felt
that he could speak with authority.
3. Other missionaries in Corinth when Paul was there had a stronger
presence and miracle work than Paul (II 11:22, II 13: II 11:5-6, II 12:11b13). He did not take support from Corinthians, and Corinthians resented
it. They thought that he was not living according to the Lord. Ancient
teacher and philosopher who supported themselves were considered
debased. Their message was not considered valid.
4. Super apostles appealed to charisma for their authority. Paul appealed to
institutional authority (II 10:18, II 10:13-15, II 13:10). Paul considered his
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opponents diabolical, for their authority was outside the apostles.
Dangers were in both the charismatic and institutional authoritative styles.
Danger in local pastors dominating over the flock. Danger in charismatic
Christians claiming superiority over others, seeking supernatural signs to
validate.
Paul boasts first in institutions, then in weakness (II 12:1-?) What
was his “thorn?” Was it Epilepsy, speech impediment, anemia, or some other
handicap? He understood suffering and weakness. The weak understood life
and the things of Christ better than the strong. The weak understood the
shortcomings of charismatic and institutional leaderships.
Was letter D the painful letter? There may have been a group of super
apostles and one who abused Paul, or there may have been a member of
Corinth who sided with super apostles against Paul.
(McDonald III)
II Cor. 2:14-7:4
1. Timothy told Paul that Corinth were concerned again about Paul’s
financial handling (II Cor. 7:2)
2. Concern that Paul had abandoned the Corinthians
He had sent Timothy (I Cor. 4:17-21) who was not well received. Paul
promises to come in power and confront the arrogant. But when he did come, he
came in weakness.
3. Missionaries have arrived. Corinthians are comparing them to Paul and
Paul was coming up short:
a. not a good Bible teacher
- shallow
b. Paul does not have a letter of recommendation from other
communities; he is on his own (II Cor. 5:12, II Cor. 3:1ff, II Cor. 6:3-4)
Was there a leader in Corinth who was a better Bible teacher than Paul?
Apollos had created problems for Paul as I Corinthians indicates. Apollos
represents the type of missionary with whom Paul had problems. Apollos
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Bible 110 New Testament
returned to Corinth later. Apollos is Hellenistic Jew from Alexandria (Acts
18:24ff). Most certainly had contact with Philo. Eloquent, learned in scripture,
fervent in spirit (charismatic?). The brother in Ephesus wrote a letter of
recommendation for Apollos to Corinth. His method of bible teaching was
allegorical.
I Cor. 11:1 – how did Paul feel about Apollos? “I belong to Apollos.”
Apollos was related to baptism. “Eloquent wisdom” in 1:17 was a reference to
Apollos. 1:19 Paul will destroy the wisdom of the wise man (Apollos). I Cor. 3:1
Paul was accused of superficial teaching. He did not give them strong teaching
because they could not understand it.
Content of Apollos’ teaching – esoteric, related to scripture. Corinthian
theology is a theology of Platonic almost Gnosticism.
Plato – God is demiurge, contemporary with forms or ideas.
Indeterminate stuff also excited. Demiurge wanted to create a world out of stuff
out used ideas to order it. He used mathematics to multiply creation.
In the world of forms is the world of soul. Soul is placed into body to make
human. Body is decaying, flawed, has desires, passions. Good of soul is union
with God. Body must be controlled to do this.
Philo says that God created ideas or forms first. Creates ideal human
(only soul male/female).
This human is created in image of God. Second creation (Gen 2:7) – God
takes clay and forms a human being and breathes into human breath of life.
With fall of Eve through knowledge, then is division of Adam into male and
female. This is the human who took the image of God. By mysteries the soul
can rise back and disembodied state.
Super apostles were probably on the border of Gnosticism. Demiurge
was named evil. Gnosticism named body evil and wanted to rescue the form.
God of Israel was looked on as evil; God of soul was good. Sacred knowledge
yielded the key to eternal life (gnosis).
I Cor. deals with resurrection. Corinthians behind in a resurrection of form
or spirit, not of body. Paul argued for resurrection of transformed body. This
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appears in I Cor. 15 (Philo). Paul argues against Philo that the second Adam is
spiritual, not the first Adam. Philo taught that first Adam was spiritual. 15:53ff
refutes Philo – spiritual puts on physical but Paul says that body puts on spirit.
Transformed body, human being
I Cor. 11 – veiling of woman to pray or prophesy. Woman must have veils
because of angels. Gnostics taught that woman must become male (God form
[androgynous] male-female). When women remove their veils, they remove their
symbol of shame.
Baptism is act of the soul’s rescue from the body (I Cor. 15:29).
Corinthians baptized so that their souls could be released from their bodies. (Col
2:11-13 “removing the body [flesh] is Gnostic)
Paul tried allegorizing in (I Cor. 10:1ff) argument against baptized and Eucharistic
perfectionism. Also 1 Cor. 4:8-13. I Cor. 15:22ff Corinth apparently believed that
in death of Christ the authorities’ power had been conquered and they were
already reigning. Paul said no! The authorities still rule. The super apostles
were ruling; they were perfect, transcendent; one has already overcome sin.
There is no more sin. They were expressing the freedom of the soul from the
body. Corinthians were both ascetic and libertine as result of Philonic Gnostic
teaching.
In I Corinthians Paul dealt with the problems which Apollos had raised with
his proto-Gnosticism. Goal 3:27-28 Paul’s response to Gnostic idea of baptism
and sex.
Corinthians came down on Paul because he was not a cunning Bible
teacher; he had no letter of recommendation. The treasure is in an earthen
vessel so that the power might be of service to God.
II Cor. 5:1-4 As humans we long for immortality to - put on Christ
II Cor. 5:12-13 Is Paul accused of being out of his mind or in his mind? Is he
answering objections that he is not spiritual? If I stay in my right mind and don’t
speak ecstatically, it is to minister to you.
II Cor. 4:4-6 Gnostic mentality
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Bible 110 New Testament
Image of God is lost. “God of this age” Genesis passage; Is this Paul’s
formulation in 4:6 (garden of creation)? Who did it? One of the culprits sermons
to be Apollos; another, the super apostles; Paul himself.
At Corinth the Corinthians did it to themselves. Their religious mentality left them
vulnerable to charismatic leaders, obsessive with power to make miracles
(spiritual gifts), venerating miracle worker, Paul had to defend himself against
super apostles. After Paul’s letter D, the Corinthians caught on to suffering,
weakness, and mellowness.
American religion with its obsession with the sensational will find that salvation is
not in this.
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