| Preface | 3 | |
| Table of Contents | 5 | |
| Reprint Guidelines | 11 | |
| References and Abbreviations | 12 | |
| Introduction to 2 Corinthians | 14 | |
| The City of Corinth | 14 | |
| Tentative Chronology of Paul and the Corinthians (50-56 AD) | 15 | |
| Literary Problems | 17 | |
| Paul's Opponents in Corinth | 17 | |
| Situation | 18 | |
| 1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) | 19 | |
| Salutation (1:1-2) | 20 | |
| The God of All Comfort (1:3-4) | 20 | |
| Comfort as We Share Christ's Sufferings (1:5-7) | 21 | |
| A Crushing, Hopeless Burden (1:8-10) | 23 | |
| Relying on God's Deliverance (1:9-10) | 24 | |
| Intercessory Prayer (1:10b-11) | 25 | |
| 2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) | 28 | |
| A Legacy of Godliness and Sincerity (1:12-14) | 28 | |
| Paul's Planned Visit to Corinth (1:15-18) | 29 | |
| The Firm Promises of God (1:18-20) | 30 | |
| Anointing, Seal, and Spirit (1:21b-22) | 30 | |
| Sparing Them Another Painful Visit (1:23-2:2) | 32 | |
| Paul Wrote the `Severe' Letter Rather than Visiting (2:3-4) | 33 | |
| Restoring the Disciplined Brother (2:5-9) | 33 | |
| Obedience to Apostolic Authority (2:9) | 34 | |
| Forgive So that Satan Doesn't Take Advantage of You (2:10-11) | 36 | |
| 3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) | 38 | |
| An Open Door and Peace in One's Spirit (2:12-13) | 38 | |
| Marching in the Triumphal Procession (2:14) | 39 | |
| The Fragrance of Knowing God (2:14-16) | 39 | |
| Who Is Sufficient for This Ministry (2:16b) | 41 | |
| Peddlers or Sincere Advocates (2:17) | 41 | |
| Letters Written on the Heart (3:1-3) | 42 | |
| Living Letters | 43 | |
| Competent Servants of a New Covenant (3:4-6) | 43 | |
| How Seminaries and Ordination Relate to Competency | 44 | |
| The Vital Role of the Holy Spirit (3:6) | 46 | |
| Ministers of a New Covenant (3:6a) | 46 | |
| 4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) | 49 | |
| The Greater Glory of the Spirit (3:7-11) | 50 | |
| The Glory of God on Moses' Face (Exodus 34) | 50 | |
| Boldness in Our Hope of Glory (3:12) | 51 | |
| The Veil of the Old Covenant (3:13-15) | 51 | |
| Spiritual Freedom from the Holy Spirit (3:16-17) | 52 | |
| Beholding the Glory of God (3:18) | 53 | |
| Being Changed into Christ's Likeness (3:18) | 55 | |
| 5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) | 58 | |
| Ministry by God's Mercy (4:1) | 58 | |
| A Plain and Open Ministry (4:2) | 58 | |
| Satan Has Blinded Unbelievers (4:3-4) | 60 | |
| Christ, the Glory of God (4:5-6) | 63 | |
| Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7) | 63 | |
| Pressures on Every Side (4:8-9) | 64 | |
| Death in Us, Life in You (4:10-12) | 67 | |
| Faith in the Resurrection (4:13-14) | 68 | |
| Outer Deterioration, Inner Renewal (4:15-16) | 68 | |
| Focusing on Eternal Glory (4:17-18) | 69 | |
| Fix Your Eyes on the Eternal (4:18) | 70 | |
| 6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) | 72 | |
| Earthly Tent vs. Heavenly House (5:1) | 72 | |
| Groaning and Longing (5:2-4) | 74 | |
| Swallowed Up by Life (5:4b) | 75 | |
| Made for Life, Guaranteed by the Spirit (5:5) | 75 | |
| Longing for Home (5:6-8) | 76 | |
| The Problem with the Doctrine of `Soul Sleep' | 77 | |
| Walk by Faith, Not by Sight (5:7) | 78 | |
| Aiming to Please the Lord (5:9) | 79 | |
| The Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10) | 80 | |
| Persuading Men (5:11a) | 81 | |
| Open before You and God (5:11b-12) | 82 | |
| Out of Our Mind? (5:13) | 82 | |
| Christ's Love Compels Us (5:13-15) | 82 | |
| 7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) | 85 | |
| A New Creation in Christ (5:16-17) | 85 | |
| Reconciliation (5:18-19) | 87 | |
| Ambassadors of Reconciliation (5:18-20) | 88 | |
| Substitutionary Atonement (5:21) | 90 | |
| Today Is the Day of Salvation (6:1-2) | 91 | |
| 8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) | 94 | |
| A No-Stumbling-Blocks Policy (6:3) | 94 | |
| Commended by Hardships (6:4-5) | 95 | |
| Commended by a Godly Character and Spiritual Ministry (6:6-7) | 96 | |
| Commended through Paradoxical Ministry (6:8-10) | 97 | |
| Open Wide Your Hearts (6:11-13) | 99 | |
| Don't Yoke Yourselves to Unbelievers (6:14-16) | 99 | |
| You Are the Temple of God (6:16a) | 101 | |
| Old Testament Promises (6:16b-18) | 101 | |
| Let Us Purify Ourselves (7:1a) | 102 | |
| Perfecting Holiness (7:1b) | 102 | |
| What Kind of Separation Is Required? | 103 | |
| A Plea for Open Hearts (7:2) | 105 | |
| Paul Is Encouraged by the Corinthians (7:3-4) | 106 | |
| Fightings Without and Fears Within (7:5) | 106 | |
| The Comfort of Titus' Coming (7:6-7) | 107 | |
| Sorrow that Leads to Repentance (7:8-10) | 107 | |
| Eagerness to Clear their Name (7:11-13a) | 108 | |
| Titus' Good Report (7:13b-16) | 108 | |
| 9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) | 111 | |
| The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches (8:1-5) | 112 | |
| The Grace of Giving | 114 | |
| Match the Macedonians' Generosity (8:6-8) | 115 | |
| Christ's Generosity in Poverty Made Us Rich (8:9) | 116 | |
| Jesus Was Poor Here on Earth | 116 | |
| Christ Humbled Himself | 117 | |
| Complete the Giving You Began (8:10-11) | 118 | |
| Give According to Your Blessing (8:12-15) | 118 | |
| Does the Bible Advocate Socialism or Communism? | 119 | |
| Gathering Just the Amount Needed (8:14-15) | 119 | |
| Representatives Who Will Carry the Offering to Jerusalem (8:16-19) | 120 | |
| We Are Transparent in Financial Matters (8:20-21) | 120 | |
| Show Honor to Representatives from the Churches (8:22-24) | 121 | |
| Boasting to the Macedonians (9:1-4) | 122 | |
| Time to Complete Your Generous Gift (9:5) | 122 | |
| 10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) | 125 | |
| The Law of Sowing and Reaping (9:6) | 125 | |
| A Proverb of Generosity (Proverbs 11:24-25) | 126 | |
| Principles of Blessing and Tithing (Malachi 3:10-12) | 126 | |
| The Result of Failing to Put God First in Giving (Haggai 1:2-11) | 127 | |
| Jesus' Teaching on Giving and Blessing (Luke 6:37-38) | 128 | |
| Freedom and Joy in Giving (9:7) | 128 | |
| God Can Cause You to Abound (9:8) | 130 | |
| The Righteous Man | 131 | |
| God's Supply, Increase, and Enlargement (9:10-11) | 132 | |
| Your Giving Will Prompt Praise (9:12-15) | 133 | |
| 11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) | 136 | |
| A Change in Tone | 136 | |
| Paul's Boldness (10:1-2) | 136 | |
| Spiritual Warfare (10:3-6) | 137 | |
| Paul's Apostolic Authority (10:7-8) | 140 | |
| Forceful by Letter and in Person (10:9-12) | 140 | |
| Paul's Field of Ministry (10:13-15a) | 140 | |
| Led Astray from Pure Devotion to Christ (11:1-3) | 141 | |
| Gullible and Easily Deceived (11:4-5) | 142 | |
| Was Paul an Untrained Speaker? (11:6) | 143 | |
| Paul's Refusal to Ask for Support (11:7-9) | 144 | |
| Full-time Christian Ministry vs. Bi-Vocational Ministry | 145 | |
| Undermining the Claims of False Apostles (11:10-14) | 146 | |
| Foolish Boasting (11:16-21) | 147 | |
| Paul's Jewish Heritage (11:22) | 148 | |
| Paul's Sufferings (11:23-25) | 148 | |
| Dangers from Travel (11:26) | 149 | |
| Depravation and Stress (11:27-28) | 149 | |
| Boasting in Weakness (11:29-30) | 150 | |
| Paul's Escape from Damascus (11:31-33) | 151 | |
| 12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) | 152 | |
| Visions and Revelations in the New Testament (12:1) | 152 | |
| Boasting of Visions and Revelations (12:2-4) | 153 | |
| Boasting of the Truth (12:5-6) | 154 | |
| Paul's Thorn in the Flesh (12:7) | 154 | |
| Was the Thorn a Sickness? | 155 | |
| Is Sickness from Satan? | 156 | |
| My Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:8-9a) | 157 | |
| God's Power in Us | 158 | |
| When I Weak, then I Am Strong (12:9b-10) | 159 | |
| The Signs of an Apostle (12:11-12) | 160 | |
| Expending His Resources for the Corinthians (12:13-15) | 162 | |
| Concern for the Corinthians' Sin and Disorder (12:20-21) | 162 | |
| The Pain of Correction (12:21a) | 165 | |
| Paul's Promise to Set Things in Order (13:1-3a) | 165 | |
| Weakness and Strength (13:3b-14) | 166 | |
| See If You Will Stand the Test (13:5-8) | 167 | |
| Authority for Building You Up (13:9-10) | 167 | |
| Concluding Words (13:11-13) | 168 | |
| Trinitarian Benediction (13:14) | 169 | |
| Appendix 1: Handouts for Group Participants | 172 | |
| Introduction to 2 Corinthians | 173 | |
| 1. The God of All Comfort (1:1-11) | 175 | |
| 2. Tension with the Corinthians (1:12-2:11) | 176 | |
| 3. The Fragrance of Christ's Ministering People (2:12-3:6) | 178 | |
| 4. Being Changed by God's Glory (3:7-18) | 180 | |
| 5. Treasures in Clay Pots (4:1-18) | 181 | |
| 6. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (5:1-16) | 183 | |
| 7. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:17-6:2) | 184 | |
| 8. Hardships, Holiness, and Joy (6:3-7:16) | 186 | |
| 9. Generosity Modeled and Encouraged (8:1-9:5) | 188 | |
| 10. Sowing Generously (9:6-15) | 189 | |
| 11. Paul's Defense of His Ministry (10-11) | 191 | |
| 12. Paul's Vision, Thorn, and Final Words (12-13) | 192 | |
| Appendix 2. A Brief Critique of the Prosperity Message | 194 | |