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 not to 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 (2:11-13)
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. Motivation from Eternal Expectation (2 Corinthians 5:1-11)
Expectation of a heavenly dwelling (5:1)
The temporary affliction mentioned in 4:16-18 could be borne because of an eternal expectation.
“Know” indicates certain knowledge (1 John 3:2)
Our earthly body is a temporary tent which will be dissolved (2 Peter 1:13-14; 1 Cor. 15:35-50)
Our heavenly body is “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (John 14:2-3)
Desire for the heavenly dwelling (5:2-4)
Our strong desire and yearning for our heavenly dwelling or clothing anticipates our immortal apparel (Philippians 3:20-21; Romans 8:23)
1 John 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
2 Peter 1:13-14  Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,  14  knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
John 14:2-3  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Philippians 3:20-21  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  21  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Romans 8:23  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

6. Motivation from Eternal Expectation (2 Corinthians 5:1-11)
God has prepared us for a heavenly dwelling (5:5)
Our assurance is the Holy Spirit who has been given to us as a guarantee or earnest (1:22; 1 John 3:24)
Faith produces confidence of an eternal dwelling in God’s presence (5:6-8)
Inhabiting our mortal home means that we are absent from our heavenly one and from the presence of the Lord.
We walk by faith (Hebrews 11:1; 1 Peter 1:8-9)
We would be “well pleased” to be absent from our bodies but present with the Lord (Philippians 1:23)
The word “earnest” (arrabōn) means “money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount will subsequently be paid” (Thayer 75). The Holy Spirit is God’s pledge of complete and final payment. As one received the word of the Spirit in his heart and saw its impact in the change in his life, he received God’s earnest in his own heart.
1 John 3:24  Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
1 Peter 1:8-9  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,  9  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Philippians 1:23  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

7. Motivation from Eternal Expectation (2 Corinthians 5:1-11)
Our eternal expectation makes pleasing God our ultimate aim (5:9)
Pleasing God is our chief aim or labor -- the honor that we love to strive for! (1 Thess. 4:1-2, Col. 1:10)
We will all be judged by Christ according to what we have done (5:10)
Jesus is the righteous judge! (John 5:22-23, 30; Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:8; Matthew 25:31ff.)
Judgment is based on our deeds! (Rev. 20:12)
No one is exempt! (John 5:28-29)
The word used here for “make it our aim” or “labor” “(φιλοτιμούμεθα philotimoumetha, from φίλος philos and τιμὴ timē, loving honor) means properly to love honor; to be ambitious.” (BARNES). Thayer adds, “to strive earnestly.” ILLUS: An athlete who makes winning the championship his whole life.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2  Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;  2  for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
Colossians 1:10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
John 5:22-23  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,  23  that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
John 5:30  I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
Acts 17:31  because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.“
2 Timothy 4:8  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Revelation 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
John 5:28-29  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice  29  and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

8. Motivation from Eternal Expectation (2 Corinthians 5:1-11)
Knowing “the terror of the Lord” (i.e. the certainty of punishment for evil doers) compels the apostles to persuade men” (5:11a)
Hebrews 10:31  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The apostles’ motivations were well known to God, and Paul hoped they were understood by the Corinthians as well (5:11b)
These pure motivations should assure the Corinthians of the truth of Paul’s message and help them appreciate the urgency with which he preached it (cp. 2 Corinthians 4:2)
2 Corinthians 4:2  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

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