2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4

Today we will begin reading 2 Corinthians. This is actually Paul's 4th letter to this church. It was received about a year or so after 1 Corinthians in A.D. 55/56. It is said this is the most personal of all Paul's correspondence as he tackles the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit. There had been some murmurings that Paul suffered too much to be spirit-filled and therefore wasn't an apostle. This is an issue near & dear to my heart, for I have seen and experienced suffering in my family. This letter helps to reassure me that God is there & He loves me. Let's dig in:

Since this is a letter, Paul begins with greetings. He then hits the theme of this letter straight on the head - suffering. I like what he has to say:
- God will comfort us in our troubles.
- We will all have suffering, but we will also all find comfort.
- Suffering allows us to rely on God, realizing that we have very little power over the circumstances of our lives. However, when we rely on God, He WILL deliver us.

Finally, we read an explanation of Paul's intentions in traveling and his purpose for this letter. Paul planned to visit the Corinthian church twice, once on his way to collect money for the destitute, and again on the way back. His first visit turned out to be disastrous. The church was in turmoil over some false teachings and they rejected Paul. He left in order to avoid additional conflict and sent a letter (now lost) encouraging the church to repent and come back to the true teaching of Christ. Many in the church listened; however, there was still a minority that continued to reject Paul. This letter was sent to clear up the continued misunderstandings & prepare the church for Paul's third visit.

What I find interesting is Paul's leadership here. He has every right to come down harshly on this church. However, rather than stand & fight, Paul turned the other cheek. He left a volatile situation & began writing to the people & sharing his heart with them. I have learned over the years that in times of trouble & intense emotion, writing helps eliminate the anger. Being able to stop & think & put thoughts down on a piece of paper gives you time to pray & really assess the issue. It allows a cooling off period for the others involved, allowing them to get control of their emotions and see their way out of anger. As we read this letter, pay close attention to how Paul addresses these issues. He does not compromise faith. Instead, he stands firm in love. We can learn a lot about conflict resolution from this letter, so keep reading!