Bullet Point Bible - 2 Corinthians 1

Apostolic Greeting

¹ From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia.² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul immediately establishes his divine authority as an apostle "by the will of God."
Timothy, a close companion and fellow worker, is included as a co-sender, lending support.
The letter is addressed not only to the specific church in Corinth but broadly to all believers ("saints") in the Roman province of Achaia.
The standard Pauline greeting "Grace and peace" combines Hellenistic (*charis*) and Hebrew (*shalom*) concepts.
Grace (God's unmerited favor) and peace (wholeness, well-being, reconciliation with God) originate from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, highlighting Christ's divinity.
This opening sets a formal and theological tone for the letter.

The God of All Comfort

³ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.⁷ And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

Paul begins with a *berakah*, a Jewish form of blessing or praise directed toward God.
God is described with titles emphasizing His compassionate nature: "Father of mercies" and "God of all comfort."
A key theological principle is introduced: God comforts believers *so that* they can comfort others. Comfort is not merely personal but communal and missional.
The Greek term for comfort, *paraklesis*, encompasses encouragement, consolation, and exhortation.
Suffering is framed positively as sharing in "the sufferings of Christ," linking believers' trials to Christ's own experience.
Paul connects his own afflictions and comfort directly to the Corinthians' spiritual well-being ("for your comfort and salvation").
There's a reciprocal relationship: Paul's suffering and comfort benefit the Corinthians, and their endurance confirms Paul's hope for them.
This section introduces major themes of the letter: suffering, comfort, ministry, and the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians.

Deliverance from Deadly Peril

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.⁹ Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.¹⁰ He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again,¹¹ as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.

Paul shares a specific, severe trial ("affliction") experienced in Asia (likely near Ephesus), emphasizing its intensity ("burdened excessively," "despaired even of living").
The exact nature of the peril is unspecified, but it was life-threatening, leading Paul to feel a "sentence of death."
Theological purpose of the suffering: To shift reliance from self to "God who raises the dead," highlighting God's ultimate power.
Paul expresses confidence in God's ongoing deliverance based on past experience ("He delivered us... he will deliver us... he will deliver us yet again").
He explicitly links his deliverance to the Corinthians' intercessory prayers ("as you also join in helping us by prayer").
Corporate prayer leads to corporate thanksgiving when God answers, demonstrating the interconnectedness of the body of Christ.
This personal testimony serves to illustrate the theme of suffering and comfort, and perhaps counter accusations of weakness.
Sharing this vulnerability fosters connection and underscores his dependence on God and the community's support.

Defense of Sincerity and Changed Plans

¹² For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God -not by human wisdom but by the grace of God-we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.¹³ For we do not write you anything other than what you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely¹⁴ just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.¹⁵ And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us,¹⁶ and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you.¹⁷ Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time?

Paul defends his integrity, stating his "boast" is a clear conscience regarding his conduct.
He characterizes his behavior by "simplicity" (or holiness) and "godly sincerity," contrasting it with manipulative "human wisdom."
His actions, especially towards the Corinthians, were guided by God's grace.
He asserts the clarity and honesty of his communication ("we do not write you anything other than what you can read and also understand").
Paul expresses hope for mutual understanding and pride between himself and the Corinthians on the day of Christ's return.
He addresses the issue of his changed travel plans, explaining his original intention to visit them twice (before and after Macedonia) for their "benefit."
He directly confronts the accusation that changing his plans demonstrated fickleness or unreliability ("according to the flesh," saying "Yes, yes" and "No, no").
This section begins Paul's defense against criticisms that undermined his authority and trustworthiness.

God's Faithful "Yes" in Christ

¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No."¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us-by me and Silvanus and Timothy-was not "Yes" and "No," but it has always been "Yes" in him.²⁰ For every one of God's promises are "Yes" in him; therefore also through him the "Amen" is spoken, to the glory we give to God.²¹ But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us,²² who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

Paul grounds his own reliability in the faithfulness of God ("As God is faithful...").
He insists that his preaching, like Christ Himself, was consistent and definite, not contradictory ("not 'Yes' and 'No'").
Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy are mentioned as co-preachers, reinforcing the consistency of the message delivered.
Christ is presented as the embodiment of God's "Yes," the absolute affirmation and fulfillment of all divine promises.
Believers respond to God's "Yes" in Christ with their "Amen" (meaning "so be it" or "truly"), affirming God's faithfulness and bringing Him glory.
Paul highlights God's actions in securing believers:
These divine actions underscore the certainty and security believers have in Christ, contrasting with the accusations of inconsistency leveled against Paul.

Motive for Delay: Sparing the Corinthians

²³ Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.²⁴ I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.

Paul makes a solemn oath, calling God as a witness to the truth of his statement, indicating the seriousness of the matter.
He reveals the true reason for delaying his visit: "to spare" the Corinthians, implying that an earlier visit would have necessitated painful discipline or confrontation.
This reframes his change of plans not as indecisiveness, but as pastoral sensitivity and a desire for reconciliation rather than rebuke.
He clarifies the nature of his apostolic authority: not domineering ("rule over your faith") but cooperative ("workers with you for your joy").
He affirms their spiritual standing ("by faith you stand firm"), acknowledging their relationship with God while still addressing issues needing correction.
This explanation aims to rebuild trust and sets the stage for addressing the underlying problems in the Corinthian church more directly.
It balances Paul's authority with a humble posture focused on the Corinthians' spiritual well-being and joy.

The Bullet Point Bible

2 Corinthians 1