1. The Epistle of Second Corinthians

2. Outline of 2nd Corinthians
Explanation of Paul’s Apostolic Ministry (1:1—6:10)
Greetings from “an apostle…by the will of God” (1:1-2)
Past events in Paul’s ministry
Trouble in Asia, but comfort from God (1:3-11)
Plans for visiting Corinth (1:12-24)
Writing out of love produces sorrow, yields forgiveness (2:1-11)
Nature of the word Paul ministered
Dual aroma of the gospel (2:12-17)
The word is ministered thru the Corinthians’ changed lives (3:1-5)
A ministry of the Spirit (3:6-18)
God’s treasure in earthen vessels (4:1-7)
Motivation for ministering
An eternal perspective (4:8-18)
A future expectation (5:1-11)
The love of Christ (5:12-16)
Reconciling men to God (5:17-21)
Proof that Paul is a minister of God (6:1-10)

3. Outline of 2nd Corinthians
Exhortations to the Corinthians (6:11—9:15)
Concerning fellowshipping darkness
The Corinthians must open their hearts and separate from the world (6:11—7:3)
Comfort and confidence in the Corinthians’ obedience (7:4-16)
Concerning the collection for the saints The Corinthians are to do the following:
Follow the examples of Christ and the Macedonian churches (8:1-9)
Complete what had been planned and purposed (8:10-15)
Prove themselves (8:16—9:5)
Sow that they might reap, in order to have more to sow (9:6-15)

4. Outline of 2nd Corinthians
Exoneration of Paul’s Apostleship (10:1—13:10)
Paul’s ministry cannot be measured “according to the flesh” (10:1-18)
Paul must boast:
His selflessness excludes others from being regarded as apostles (11:1-15)
His willingness to suffer (11:16-33)
His exaltation due to his revelations is tempered by infirmity (12:1-10)
His miracles (12:11-13)
He spent and was spent so as not to burden the Corinthians (12:14-18)
His desire for their edification (12:19—13:10)
 Conclusion (13:11-14)

5. Exoneration of Paul’s Apostleship: Paul Must Boast: He is Willing to Suffer (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
Whether they regard him as a fool or not, Paul expects the Corinthians to receive him (11:16-21)
Paul recognizes that foolishly boasting of one’s accomplishments is not generally what the Lord would have His followers do (11:17; Matthew 6:2)
But Paul reasons that the Corinthians would accept it because:
Many others were doing it (11:18)
The Corinthians put up with fools gladly, even to the point of willingly suffering abuse from them (11:19-20)
In a tone of irony, Paul says he was “too weak” to boast and tyrannize as others had done*; but if others could boldly boast, so would he (11:21, cf. 10:10-11; 2 Peter 2)
Matthew 6:2  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
The tyranny of arrogant false teachers is described well by Peter in 2 Peter 2: notice they are “not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries” (v. 10) and they bring bondage (v 19)

6. Exoneration of Paul’s Apostleship: Paul Must Boast: He is Willing to Suffer (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
Paul boasts that his spiritual lineage is equal to that of his detractors (11:22; Phil. 3:4-5; Acts 22:2-3)
“This proves that the persons who had made the difficulty in Corinth were those who were of Hebrew extraction though it may be that they had been born in Greece and had been educated in the Grecian philosophy and art of rhetoric. It is also clear that they prided themselves on being Jews - on having a connection with the people and land from whence the religion which the Corinthian church now professed had emanated… Their boast would probably be that they were the descendants of the patriarchs…that the true religion had proceeded from them, etc.” (Barnes)
Philippians 3:4-5  though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:  5  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
Acts 22:2-3  And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:  3  "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

7. Exoneration of Paul’s Apostleship: Paul Must Boast: He is Willing to Suffer (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
Paul boasts that he has sacrificed and suffered as a minister of Christ more than his detractors (11:23-27)
In labors, stripes, prison, and deaths (11:24-25; 1:9)
5 times received 40 stripes minus one
3 times beaten with rods (Acts 16:22-24)
Once stoned (Acts 14:19)
3 times shipwrecked
In perilous journeys – perils of rivers, robbers, his own countrymen, the Gentiles, the city, the wilderness, the sea, and false brethren (11:26)
In personal distress and deprivation (11:27; Corinthians 4:11)
Acts 16:22-24  Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  23  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.  24  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Acts 14:19  Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there (LYSTRA); and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
1 Corinthians 4:11  To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.

9. Exoneration of Paul’s Apostleship: Paul Must Boast: He is Willing to Suffer (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
Paul boasts of his deep concern for the churches (11:28; Colossians 2:1)
His compassion and empathy for all are the traits that commend him (11:29)
If he must boast, his true boast is not in his strengths or accomplishments, but in his weakness (11:30; 12:7-10)
Paul refers to his unheroic escape from death threats in Damascus as an example of his weakness (Acts 9:23-25)
NOTE: “Aretas IV was a Nabatean ruler…whose rule extended from 9 B.C. to A.D. 40; [he] was father-in-law to Herod Antipas. This chronological note lets us know that Saul’s conversion was prior to A.D. 40.” -- Ferrell Jenkins [cf. Galatians 1:17]
Colossians 2:1  For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
Galatians 1:17  nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

10. Lesson Schedule for our study of Second Corinthians Eastside Auditorium Winter Quarter 2017-18