A new book, 2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 says...
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 1:1, 2, which read,
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth will all the saints who are throughout Achaia; grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the Apostle Paul's second missionary journey, he visits Corinth for the first time and spends about 18 months with them. After leaving them, he wrote a letter that at this point is lost that is referred to in 1 Corinthians 5:9, "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;..." so a previous letter from Paul to the Corinthians was written. In 1 Corinthians 7:1 we find out that the Corinthian church wrote back to Paul, "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." 1 Corinthians was written in response to this letter that Paul received back from the Corinthians from the first letter he wrote.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the city of Ephesus and sent it on with Timothy. Later he visited them and he describes it as a sorrowful or painful visit referred to in 2 Corinthians 2:1. He returns to Ephesus and writes them a third letter, also lost at this point, referred to in 2 Corinthians 2:4, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you." This letter was sent with Titus to the Corinthians.
Paul journeys from Ephesus to Macedonia and meets up with Titus and hears the report that the Corinthians are changing their ways and writes now what we call 2 Corinthians from the town of Philippi. This is a letter that will be written in a much different vain that 1 Corinthians. So let's follow the paper trail.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth will all the saints who are throughout Achaia; grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the Apostle Paul's second missionary journey, he visits Corinth for the first time and spends about 18 months with them. After leaving them, he wrote a letter that at this point is lost that is referred to in 1 Corinthians 5:9, "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;..." so a previous letter from Paul to the Corinthians was written. In 1 Corinthians 7:1 we find out that the Corinthian church wrote back to Paul, "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." 1 Corinthians was written in response to this letter that Paul received back from the Corinthians from the first letter he wrote.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the city of Ephesus and sent it on with Timothy. Later he visited them and he describes it as a sorrowful or painful visit referred to in 2 Corinthians 2:1. He returns to Ephesus and writes them a third letter, also lost at this point, referred to in 2 Corinthians 2:4, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you." This letter was sent with Titus to the Corinthians.
Paul journeys from Ephesus to Macedonia and meets up with Titus and hears the report that the Corinthians are changing their ways and writes now what we call 2 Corinthians from the town of Philippi. This is a letter that will be written in a much different vain that 1 Corinthians. So let's follow the paper trail.
- Paul visits the Corinthians on his second missionary journey and the church is started.
- Paul writes a first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus that is lost. 1 Corinthians 5:9
- The Corinthians respond back with a letter to Paul. 1 Corinthians 7:1
- Paul writes a second letter that we call 1 Corinthians from the town of Ephesus and sends it to them via Timothy.
- Paul visits them a second time, a painful visit, and it results in another letter that is lost in response to that visit. This letter is sent via Titus. 2 Corinthians 2:1-4
- Paul meets up with Titus in Macedonia and gets a better report and writes from Philippi what we know as 2 Corinthians.
His introduction to the letter is much like the rest of the introductions to the other churches. His name, "Paul"; his position, "an apostle of Christ Jesus"; his commission, "by the will of God", his companion, "Timothy our brother."; the naming of the recipients of the letter, "to the church of God which is at Corinth"; the backing, "with all the saints who are throughout Achaia;" and the salutation, "grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
When we have the grace of God, which is God's unmerited favor, then we able to experience peace from God. Grace and peace are tied up in the Father and the sending of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. These words he gives to a church that was pretty messed up in 1 Corinthians but he stills calls them a church of God in this opening. Churches can come back. Churches can be revitalized to follow the Word of God. Churches can make adjustments to God rather than always away from God. In our world we need a little more of this and that is my prayer today.
"Lord, thank you for the exchange between Paul and the church in Corinth. Thank you that Paul kept going back and writing back to see the church steer back onto the path of Your holiness. I pray that the churches of the world that have walked away from Your truth would steer back on course and that we would see how important in the face of the grace and peace of God to keep in close correspondence with You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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