“For before indeed He loved us when hating Him, and reconciled us who were His enemies; but henceforth He wishes to love us as loving Him. Let us then continue to love Him, so that we may be also loved by Him.”[1] – St. John Chrysostom
In this new series, we will be looking at the benediction which closes the book of 2 Corinthians. If you’ve read any of 1 and 2 Corinthians, you know that Paul’s history with this troubled church was nothing if not tumultuous. And it is that very struggle which makes this verse so beautiful and rich, and a powerful reminder of the love of the Triune God for us.
Before we launch into the passage itself, let’s do a little background work. Following is an overview of Paul’s history with the church in Corinth.
First, Paul wrote them an initial letter which we don’t have—although some scholars believe this letter, known as the “previous letter,” is contained in 2 Corinthians 6:13-7:2. An interesting possibility.
He then received news in response to his first letter that matters in the church were not going well at all. And so, he wrote them another letter, which is what we know as the book of 1 Corinthians. When you read 1 Corinthians, you realize that things in Corinth were bad.
Now, as a result of 1 Corinthians, things got even worse. Rather than repent, it seems they dug in their heels and became even more obstinate against Paul and his authority. So, Paul decided to pay them a visit. But not only did his visit not rectify the situation, it in fact exacerbated the already bad situation there and made things, yet again, EVEN WORSE.
Next, Paul wrote them what he called a “severe letter,” which many scholars believe is our 2 Corinthians 10-13. He wrote this letter out of severe anguish of heart and mind (2 Corinthians 2:4, 7:8). He was extremely anxious to know how this letter would be received, and he set out to meet Titus (who had delivered it) to see what the Corinthians’ response was.
Paul was relieved to hear that the letter had had the intended effect of bringing repentance and humility to the Corinthian church, and he then wrote his final correspondence to them, what we know as 2 Corinthians 1-9.
That’s a lot of background, but it’s important that we understand the literary and situational context in which Paul penned his benediction. Most likely, it was placed at the end of the “severe letter,” meaning he desired the blessing of God upon this church who had become, for all intents and purposes, his enemy. And in this, Paul reflects the nature and character of Jesus who commanded His followers to love our enemies.
When we consider his desire for our Lord’s grace to be with them, he was writing out of the anguish of his spirit, sincerely wishing them to know and understand Jesus’ grace. What a heart of humble, others-centered love! And that love, which can only be the result of God’s work in the human heart, is what we will look at over the next few posts.
“After the severity, the struggle and the debate, there comes the serenity of the benediction. One of the best ways of making peace with our enemies is to pray for them, for it is impossible to hate people and pray for them at the same time.”[2] – William Barclay
Check out the Bible Project’s videos on 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians!
[1] John Chrysostom, “Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Second Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians,” in Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, ed. Philip Schaff, trans. J. Ashworth and Talbot B. Chambers, vol. 12, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series (New York: Christian Literature Company, 1889), 419.
[2] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, 3rd ed., The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 317.