2 Corinthians Exposition
An exposition of 2 Corinthians by Doug Van Meter.
Future Life (2 Corinthians 5:1–5)
About 35 years ago, theologian Don Carson was visiting Leon Morris, another well-known and accomplished theologian. Morris was a prolific commentator, well-known for his writings about the cross of Jesus Christ. Morris was no longer active in the ministry because of...
When the Day Dawns (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Few would describe the world in which we live as one of harmony or hope. Discord, rather than peace, seems to be the order of the day. Alienation is far more evident than reconciliation. Conflict screams louder than harmony. Humans are at war with humans and...
Dying to Live (2 Corinthians 4:13–18)
As you read the Gospels, it becomes evident that the Lord Jesus never spoke of his death without also speaking of his resurrection. He was, we might say, always dying to live. Paul lived the same way. He realised that God’s power was revealed through the weakness of...
Clay Pots and God’s Power (2 Corinthians 4:7–12)
Pastor Douglas Kelly tells of the time he was in university and “he was taken aback when he heard pastor William Still stop in the middle of a sermon, and in a loud voice cried out, ‘Christ is in you, and is shouting “I want out!”’” Kelly goes on to say, “That is the...
Faithful Gospel Ministry (2 Corinthians 4:1–6)
Many pastors are familiar with Charles Spurgeon’s lecture, “The Minister’s Fainting Fits,” in which he addressed discouragement in gospel ministry. Spurgeon writes,Passionate longings after men’s conversion, if not fully satisfied (and when are they?), consume the...
The Hope of Holiness: The Glory of the Christian (2 Corinthians 3:16–18)
In his essay, “The Weight of Glory,” C. S. Lewis writes, “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be...
The Glory of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 3:7–18)
The title of this study applies to every passage from here through 7:1. Paul is contrasting his authentic gospel ministry with false gospel ministries. He is defending the integrity of his message and hence ministry. He does this for the welfare of the church at...
An Accredited Ministry (2 Corinthians 3:1–6)
Paul has just written that he did not play fast and loose with Scripture. He refused to adulterate the gospel of God. He refused to water down the truth of God in order to make it more palatable. Had he done so, he, like the false apostles, would have been recommended...
Gospel Triumph (2 Corinthians 2:12–17)
I recently spent two days with over fifty pastors at a retreat centre in New Hampshire, USA. These were gospel-faithful brothers, seeking to lead gospel-faithful churches. Each has a story of sorrow. Each has lost church members for seemingly silly reasons. Probably...
Moving Beyond the Pain (2 Corinthians 2:5–11)
As we are seeing in our study of this letter, the themes of affliction, suffering, and pain—particularly relational pain—loom large. But so do the themes of comfort (1:3, 4, 5, 6, 7; 2:7; 7:4, 7, 13; 13:11) and restoration. Restoration is the theme of the passage...
Comfort for the Committed (2 Corinthians 1:3–11)
When I was in university, I memorised 2 Corinthians 1:3–7. The words are some of the most loved by Christians, for they speak of God’s promised comfort for his children. I have often found my faith strengthened by these verses, but only recently have I come to...
Introducing 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:1–2)
Church life is not all sunshine and roses. Because churches comprise sinners reconciled to God, reconciliation remains a major theme. And reconciliation, by nature, implies alienation, or at least tension. So it was with the church at Corinth and the apostle Paul....
Spiritual Benefits of Suffering (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)
Second Corinthians 12 records Paul’s famed thorn in the flesh, which he pleaded for God to remove three times, but each time received a resounding no. He records some of...
Weak Weeks and a Strong Year (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)
Browse the self-help section of any bookstore and you will discover that being “strong” and “assertive” is all the rage. I can’t recall ever seeing a best-seller promoting...
What Your Afflictions Are For (2 Corinthians 1:3–11)
When we experience painful affliction, we often ask, why? At other times, we just give up in despair. Paul felt all this as he wrote to the also troubled Corinthian church....
In Christ Alone (2 Corinthians 4:1–6)
It is nigh impossible to state any of the five solas in isolation. After all, if we hold to Scripture alone as our final and all-sufficient authority for all that...
Affirming Our Cause (2 Corinthians 13:14)
We have spent some time over our last few studies considering BBC’s new church covenant, and with this study we come to the end of our consideration. We have seen what it means to affirm our conversion, our calling, our care, our confession, our commitment and our...
Affirming Our Commitments (2 Corinthians 1:24)
When one studies the Old Testament it becomes quite apparent that whenever God's people experienced a reformation they subsequently affirmed their covenant with God as well as with one another. And without exception there were three strands to this covenantal...