This week, we concluded our journey through Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth. These is some of the better known books of the New Testament, but it’s been great to read through again and notice new and different things within.

Last week, we looked at the frayed relationship between Paul and the Corinthians, and Paul’s attempt to reconcile with them in 2 Corinthians.  As we move into the second half of this letter, we get to see more of the consequences of their relationship breakdown.

In chapters 8 and 9, Paul references a tough situation – extreme poverty had arisen among believers in Jerusalem. Though Paul doesn’t specify what has lead to these conditions, some believe this could have been the famine mentioned in Acts 11:27-29 (but others date that famine to about 10 years before 2 Corinthians was written.)

What Paul talks about is the generosity poured out by some of the churches in support of those in Jerusalem, even those communities who didn’t have much to offer, and the lack of generosity from the Corinthian Church, who we can understand to have been relatively wealthy among the churches.

Now, I want to highlight one negative thing about this passage, and then one positive. Something for everyone!

It struck me that, reading through 21st century British sensibilities, Paul’s behaviour could be seen as controlling or coercive.

Paul begins by praising the efforts of the churches of Macedonia, who had given generously and then contrasts that with the Corinthians. He expected better of them.

Just to put this in perspective, imagine if we were doing a particular drive to increase donations for foodbank, and I stood up on a Sunday morning, or wrote an email to the church, and said how wonderfully generous Church A had been, even though they’re a smaller congregation, and how amazing it was to receive so much from Church B, even though they don’t have much money, but that Resound was letting itself down and not doing enough, which was an indication of our lack of faith and that we were not truly transformed by the gospel.

I don’t imagine that would go down well…

To Paul’s credit, he does clarify that these are his opinions, not commands from God. We can, then, read this as an impassioned plea from someone who isn’t the most skilled at communicating sensitively. Chapter 9 also suggests that Paul feels as though his own reputation is on the line as he has been ‘boasting’ about the Corinthians to others.

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4 otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be put to shame—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an extortion. – 2 Cor 9:3-5

Despite the slightly problematic delivery of the message, the positive in this part of the letter is that Paul’s heart appears to be that a generous heart is a good thing and something that develops our faith and reveals God’s love. Paul is proud of the Corinthian church and seems desperate to see them continue in the fullness of Christian living.

His other key point is that we are blessed when we bless others.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Cor 9:6-8

Paul is highlighting generosity as a key component of the gospel, demonstrating this by using generosity as a lens through which we can view Jesus’ life;

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 

There is a literal financial need for the church in Jerusalem, but Paul is teaching through financial metaphors.

For the end of this letter, Paul addresses what appears to be one, if not the, root of the problem in his relationship with the Church– a number of people who had been influencing the Corinthians and turning them away from Paul and his teaching. Paul calls these ‘Super-Apostles’.

It feels a bit like the US Presidential race that we’re seeing at the moment, with the use of so-called ‘negative campaigning’, targeting an opponent and trying to worsen their public image.

Paul, once more to his credit, doesn’t adopt the response of many politicians by fighting fire with fire and criticising them back, but rather takes on the challenge. His counter argument is centred around being humble and recognising that he isn’t the main thing, God is.

(God) said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Cor 12:9-10

Paul ends by anticipating a third visit to Corinth – possibly confirmed as happening in Acts 20:2-3 and Corinth is thought to have been Paul’s base as he wrote his letter to the church in Rome.

He says that he is writing to the Corinthians severely now so that he doesn’t have to be severe face to face.

He leaves them with one final challenge;

 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may be restored. – 2 Cor 13:5-9

This wraps up all that he’s written in this letter and places the responsibility back on the Corinthians themselves. ‘Don’t just take my word for it, look at yourselves and see what you find’.

It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but that brings us to the end of Paul’s communications with the church in Corinth. There has been so much to pull out of these letters, and so much that we didn’t cover in these reflections. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading 1&2 Corinthians and that you’ve got plenty of takeaways from thinking about them again or for the first time.