A guide to the study of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament. Apostle

In the ninth chapter, the holy Apostle continues to develop the same idea about the rational use of Christian freedom, about the need to limit it in the name of higher goals. Here he speaks of his right to receive sustenance from the believers he converts, based on the ancient institution: "Those who serve the priests eat of the sanctuary, and those who serve the altar take a portion of the altar" (v. 13). But he himself voluntarily renounced this legal right in order "not to put any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ" (v. 12). He served everyone and always unselfishly, adapting himself to the needs and condition of everyone and denying himself what was necessary, solely for the sake of the success of the gospel preaching (vv. 15-23). "Unto the Jews I was as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; He was as one under the law, that he might gain those under the law; to those who are strangers to the law, as a stranger to the law, not being a stranger to the law before God, but subject to the law of Christ, that he may gain those who are strangers to the law; He was as a weak man to the weak, that he might gain the weak. I have become all things to all, that I might save at least some" (vv. 20-22) — this is the exemplary rule of the so-called "pastoral application," which was widely used by the Apostle Paul, condescending to the infirmities of all classes and conditions of contemporary society in order to save at least some. All of the above the holy Apostle then applies to the Corinthians. Having pointed out within himself an example of how to abstain from personal desires and needs, for the benefit of one's neighbors, the holy Apostle wants to persuade the Corinthians to do the same. To do this, he uses the well-known image of runners on the lists (Corinth was famous for the Isthmian Games) and wrestlers who, in order to receive perishable crowns, "abstain from everything" that can make them fat and thus relax their bodies. "So flee that ye may receive," exhorts the Apostle (vv. 24-25). Here again the Apostle cites himself as an example, saying that he does not run as if he were unfaithful, and that he does not strive "only to beat the air," that is, not in vain, not without purpose, not like the wrestlers who exercise, who, in the words of Blessed Theodoret, "when exercising, instead of the enemy against the air, set their hands in motion," but inflicts real blows on the enemy the devil. To achieve the goal, he "subdues and enslaves his body," "lest, while preaching to others, he himself remain unworthy." Here is the law of Christian asceticism: without curbing the needs of the body, it is impossible to eradicate sinful passions, it is impossible to succeed in the spiritual life. Its main idea is that those who partake of things sacrificed to idols partake of the demonic meal. At first, the holy Apostle frightens the Corinthians with cases of God's terrible judgment for deviating from idolatry from the Old Testament history of the Israelites. Here the parallel between the Israelites and the Christians is important at the beginning: "Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea," the passage through the Red Sea was a type of baptism, and Moses was a type of Christ. "And they all ate the same spiritual food; and they all drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank from the spiritual stone that followed; and the stone was Christ" (vv. 1-4). Spiritual food is manna, which prefigured the Body of the Lord, and spiritual beer is water, miraculously flowing from stone, which prefigured the blood of the Lord. The idea is that the Giver of grace-filled gifts to people, both in the Old and in the New Testaments, was one and the same Christ. This passage from the Epistle is read on Theophany at the great blessing of water. Having enumerated the cases of the moral fall of the Israelites and God's punishment for them, the Apostle warns the Corinthians against the danger of succumbing to temptation from pagan temptations if they take part in a meal with the Gentiles: "Whosoever thinks that he is standing, take heed lest he fall" (vv. 5-12). From verses 15-22 the Apostle inspires that eating things sacrificed to idols is communion with demons, as a participation in the table of demons, for "the Gentiles, when they offer sacrifices, offer to demons, and not to God" (v. 20). First of all, he repeats the idea of chapter 6 of verse 12, saying: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable," for the Corinthians quietly participated in pagan meals, relying on the right of Christian freedom, abusing it. these things sacrificed to idols, then do not eat, for the sake of Him who declared to you, whether he is a Christian or a pagan: in the first case, so as not to offend him, and in the second, in order to protect his Christian dignity from the tempter. The Apostle covers all considerations with a universal rule: "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (v. 31) — the glory of God is dearer to us than anything else, and it is this that we must always keep in mind first of all on all occasions of our lives. 1) the non-covering of the heads of wives in church, and 2) unworthy behavior at the supper of love.The essence of the first instruction is that at public church meetings, women should be present with their heads covered, and men with their heads open. St. John Chrysostom explains this instruction by the fact that in Corinth "women with open and naked heads both prayed and prophesied, and men grew their hair, like those who studied philosophy, and covered their heads when they prayed and prophesied, adhering to the pagan law in both." The holy Apostle, finding this unseemly for Christians, demands of wives that they cover their heads as a sign of their subordinate position in relation to their husbands. In addition, in those days, pagan women went to their temples openly for impure purposes, and the baring of the head for a woman was considered a sign of her shamelessness. A profligate woman was punished for debauchery by taking off her hair, which is why the Apostle says: "If a woman will not cover herself, let her cut her hair" (vv. 1-6). "First the husband," says Bishop. Theophanes the Recluse, "in the image of God, and then, as it were, in the image of a man, a woman from him, who "is therefore the image of the image, or is a reflection of the glory of the husband." Wherefore the woman shall have on her head the sign of authority over her, for the angels" (v. 10). "If you," says St. John Chrysostom, "pay no attention to your husband, then be ashamed of the angels." This covering of the wife is thus a sign of her modesty, obedience, and submission to her husband. But in order for the husband not to exalt himself over his wife and not to abuse his headship, the Apostle further says: "Nevertheless, neither is the husband without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord; for as the wife is from the man, so is the husband through the wife; all things are from God" (vv. 11-12). "Does not nature itself teach you that if a husband grows his hair, it is a disgrace to him?" – these are the words that sectarians like to use against Orthodox priests who wear long hair. But here we are not talking about priests, but about ordinary believers, and we are talking about the generally accepted custom, by virtue of which only women grow their hair, and men cut their hair. At the same time, sectarians forget that, by the command of God Himself, men who had taken a vow to become Nazarites had to grow their hair (Num. 6:5 [1]). The growing of hair among modern Orthodox priests and monks has exactly the same idea of Nazariteism, that is, dedication to God.From verses 17 to 34, the holy Apostle denounces the disorders that took place among the Corinthians at the supper of love. As in the first Christian community in Jerusalem everything was common, and all the faithful came together to eat at a common table, so this custom was still preserved and maintained for a long time in all ancient Christian communities. At the end of the service and the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a common meal was arranged for all, and the rich brought viands, and the poor, who had nothing, were invited by them and thus ate food all together. These were the so-called "love suppers". The Apostle accuses the Corinthians first of all that when they gather in church, "there are divisions among them," that is, that they are divided into groups, either according to families or according to acquaintances, forgetting the poor, which destroyed the very purpose of establishing these "supper of love." Disposing to reverent participation in the supper of love, the holy Apostle speaks in vv. 23-32 about the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the celebration of which usually preceded the supper of love. This place is supposed to be read at the Liturgy of Great Thursday according to the rule. Here the words are especially important for us: "Whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty against the Body and Blood of the Lord." These words are remarkable for their dogmatic importance: bread is the true Body of Christ, and wine is the True Blood of Christ, and not only symbols, as extreme Protestants and sectarians impiously teach. That is why the Apostle goes on to say: "Let a man examine himself, and thus let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup" – that is, he who wishes to receive Communion must prepare himself for this by examining his conscience and removing obstacles to worthy communion. For this purpose, the Orthodox Church established communion and confession before communion. This is absolutely necessary, for "whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation to himself, without considering the body of the Lord" (vv. 27-29). In conclusion, in verses 33-34 [2], the Apostle exhorts that at the supper of love "wait for one another," that is, eat food in order, without rushing greedily and anticipating others. "I will arrange the rest when I come" (v. 34) – this is important: everything is from the Apostles – all the rules in the Church are established by them, although not everything is set forth in the Holy Scriptures. until the days for which he has consecrated himself as a Nazarite to the Lord, he is holy: he must grow the hair of his head. ^Therefore, my brethren, when you gather together for supper, wait for one another. And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not be gathered together for condemnation. I'll arrange the rest when I come. ^

Part V

The twelfth chapter speaks of spiritual gifts in the Church. A distinctive feature of the life of the Church of Christ in the Apostolic Age was the extraordinary manifestation of God's grace in the form of spiritual gifts possessed by the faithful. The Apostle enumerates here the following spiritual gifts: the gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracle-working, prophecy, discernment of spirits, the gift of tongues, and their interpretation. These gifts were supposed to contribute to the success of the Gospel preaching among unbelievers. But among the Corinthians, many began to look upon these grace-filled manifestations of the Holy Spirit as a reason for vanity and arrogance. In an attempt to possess a more astounding gift, some even fell into self-deception, and not possessing any gift, they went on a rampage, uttering inarticulate and incomprehensible words, and sometimes, in the darkening of their minds and hearts, they shouted blasphemous thoughts, pronouncing, for example, an anathema against Jesus. This was due to the influence of pagan soothsayers in the family of Pythia or Sibylla. In artificially induced false inspiration, they foamed at the mouth, with loose hair, shouted out incomprehensible or ambiguous utterances and made a strong impression on people who persistently demanded answers from them. Such, for example, are the modern sectarians – the Khlysts, the Pentecostals.The Apostle warns Christians against a pagan view of spiritual gifts and attitudes towards them. He explains that all spiritual gifts in the Church are the works of the One Spirit of God (vv. 3-11). Therefore, just as one who is under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit cannot utter blasphemy against God, so there should be no rivalry between those who have different spiritual gifts. Just as the human body consists of different members, and each of them has its own specific purpose, and there can be no rivalry between them, so in the Church there can be no rivalry between Christians, who make up the one Body of Christ, in which each is entrusted with his own special ministry: some are apostolic, others prophetic, others teacher, some have received the gift of wonderworking, others have received the gift of healing, assistance, administration, different languages (vv. 12-30). The Apostle advises the Corinthians to be zealous for "great gifts." The greatest of all grace-filled gifts is the gift of love. The thirteenth chapter is rightly called by some "a wondrous hymn of Christian love." Love alone gives true meaning and true value to human spiritual gifts and feats. Without love, a person can speak with all the tongues of men and even angels, but his speech will be "sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Without love, a person is nothing, even if he has the gift of prophecy and knows all the mysteries, and has all the knowledge and all the faith that would move the mountains. Without love, even such feats of self-denial as the distribution of all one's possessions and the surrender of one's body to be burned have no meaning. 4-7 [1] are devoted to the characteristics of love. The properties of love are such that it is truly the fulfillment of the whole law, according to the expression of the holy Apostle Paul in Rom. 13:10 [2]. These are long-suffering, mercy, the absence of envy, boasting, pride, the spirit of disorder, unselfishness, non-anger, forgetfulness of offenses and insults, lack of joy in the misfortunes of others, love of truth, full faith, firm hope, and readiness to endure all sorrows. Preaching, the gift of tongues, and knowledge are only temporarily necessary gifts, but love will remain forever, it "never fails" (vv. 8-10). This may be called the babbling, thoughts, and reasonings of a child, and love is the property of a perfect man, when he sees God, not as through a glass darkly, not divinationly, but face to face, and knows Him not in part, but completely, just as man is now known, v. 11-12 [3]. "And now abide these three: faith, hope, love; but love is the greatest of these" (v. 13) — these are the highest gifts, but love is the highest of all, because, as St. John Chrysostom says, "faith and hope cease — when the good things that are the object of faith and hope appear" (that is, in the age to come). "In the future life faith is superfluous," says Bl. Theodorite, "when the very things are made manifest" (i.e., when the object of belief will be revealed with one's own eyes). Hope is also superfluous there. But love is all the more powerful when the passions are at rest, the bodies are made incorruptible, and the souls do not choose one thing today and the other tomorrow."In the fourteenth chapter the holy Apostle speaks of the use of two spiritual gifts: the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues. First in verses 1-25 he reveals the superiority of the first gift over the second, then in verses 26-38 he instructs how both gifts are to be used in the church, and finally, in verses 30-40 he draws a final conclusion about these two gifts, emphasizing that everything in the church should be "in good order and order." The superiority of the gift of prophecy over the gift of tongues is that whoever prophesies, that is, clearly pronounces the will of God not only about the future, but also about the past and the present, speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation, and no one understands the one who speaks an unknown language, except those who know this language. For those who do not understand this language, to say so is to "speak to the wind". (An excellent quote to confirm the use of the Russian language in worship! Excessive enthusiasm for the gift of tongues is a kind of infancy and childishness, unworthy of perfect Christians. Therefore, the Apostle exhorts: "Do not be children in mind: be babes in evil, but be of full age in mind" (v. 20). The meaning of this instruction is the same as in the words of Christ: "Be ye wise as serpents, and simple as doves" (Matt. 10:16), that is: know not malice as infants, but be of full age in mind. Such an infantile infatuation with the gift of tongues is both a contempt for believers (v. 22 [5]) and an occasion for ridicule from unbelievers (v. 23 [6]). The general rule for all possessors of extraordinary gifts of grace is: "Let all these things be for edification," that is: all things should be for general edification (v. 26). If there are speakers of foreign languages, then they should not speak all at once, but separately, and one should explain; those who prophesy also teach in turn, and immediately cease the word when others receive revelation, so that there may be no disorder in the church, for "God is not a God of disorder, but of peace" (vv. 27-33). "Let your wives be silent in the churches" (v. 34) – teaching women modesty and obedience to their husbands, the holy Apostle forbids them not only to teach in church, but even to ask about anything: "For it is unseemly for a woman to speak in church" (v. 35). In conclusion, the Apostle proposes to be zealous for the gift of prophecy, but does not forbid speaking in tongues, reminding that the main thing in the church is decency and order: "everything must be decently and orderly" (v. 40). It must be assumed that among the Corinthian Christians, under the influence of pagan philosophers, doubts arose about the great truth of the resurrection of the dead. When the Apostle Paul began to speak of the resurrection of the dead in Athens, some mocked him (Acts 17:32 [7]). Similar philosophers, to whom the resurrection of the dead seemed improbable, could have been found in Corinth. Some, apparently, completely rejected the resurrection of the dead, others said that it should be understood allegorically and that it had already happened, since by it it should be understood the purification of the soul. In his Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:17-18 [8]), St. Paul called this impious teaching gangrene (cancer) and indicated its propagators – Imenaeus and Philetus, who said that the resurrection had already taken place. Some only wondered how the dead would rise and in what body. First of all, the holy Apostle proves the truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, referring to the appearances of the Risen Christ to Peter (Cephas), the twelve Apostles, the 500 brethren, the Apostle James, all the other disciples of Christ, and, finally, to the Apostle Paul himself (vv. 1-8). From the truth of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Paul then deduces, as an inevitable consequence, the truth of the general resurrection of all at the time predestined by God, for by His resurrection Christ also laid the foundation for our resurrection, as "the firstfruits of them that slept" (v. 20 [9]). And this denial overthrows all Christianity, for "if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain" (v. 14). Meanwhile, the preaching of the Apostles was accompanied by such striking signs and such wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit, that none of the prudent people would dare to call it in vain. "But if Christ is not risen, then your faith is in vain: you are still in your sins" (v. 17), "therefore also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished, and if we hope in Christ in this life alone, we are more miserable than all men" (vv. 18-19). For on what is the belief in the remission of sins based? That Christ, having died on the cross, offered an atoning sacrifice for them, and that this sacrifice was accepted, this is evidenced by His resurrection. If He is not resurrected, then His sacrifice is not accepted, and His death is an ordinary human death, which cannot have a redemptive significance. Then those who died in the faith and suffered martyrdom for Christ are nothing more than unfortunate and lost people. Then Christians in general turn out to be the most miserable of people: here they are deprived of everything, being persecuted and limiting themselves, and there, in the future life for which they hope, they will receive nothing. Then there is no point in being guided in life by moral rules and struggling with one's sinful inclinations. Then it will make more sense to be guided by the rules of the pagan school of the Epicureans: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (v. 32). Further, the Apostle deduces from the truth of the resurrection of Christ the truth of the universal resurrection of the dead, for Christ is the ancestor of mankind renewed by Him, the New Adam: "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive" (vv. 20-28). Further, the Apostle says that the denial of the truth of the resurrection of the dead would lead to the recognition of the aimlessness of baptism, which would have no meaning, all the labors and feats of the Apostles would then be in vain, and all morality would be overthrown (vv. 29-32). Wishing to warn the Corinthians against harmful communion with the pagans, who, apparently, infected them with unbelief in immortality, the Apostle uses the ancient proverb: "evil associations corrupt good morals" and shames them that they "do not know God," that is, in a pagan way, they do not imagine the omnipotence of God, which powerfully resurrects the dead (vv. 33-34). First he decides how the bodies of the dead will be resurrected, that is, by what power (vv. 36-38), then in what form they will be resurrected (vv. 39-50), and finally how the resurrection itself will take place (vv. 51-53). The Apostle solves the first question by comparing the human body to grain. Just as grain must first undergo decay in order to sprout, so the corruption of the bodies of dead people cannot be considered as an obstacle to their resurrection by the power of God. To the second question the Apostle replies that the bodies of the resurrected people will be different from the coarse bodies of today: they will be "spiritual" bodies, like the body of the Risen Christ: they will be incorruptible, for "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption" (v. 50), and therefore: "we will not all die, but we will all be changed" (v. 51), that is, those who Those who are still alive at the moment of the general resurrection will be instantly changed, and their bodies will also become spiritual and incorruptible. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (v. 53). All these spiritual bodies will be glorious in varying degrees, according to the moral perfection of each person (vv. 39-49). The holy Apostle concludes his thoughts on the resurrection of the dead with the solemn words of the prophets Isaiah that one day "death shall be swallowed up forever" and Hosea: "Death! Where is your sting? hell! Where is your victory?" (Isaiah 25:8 [10] and Hosea 13:14 [11]) and thanksgiving to God, who gives us victory over death, after which he inspires us to be firm and immovable in the Christian faith and life, knowing "that your labor is not in vain in the sight of the Lord" (vv. 54-58). He asks him to receive Timothy in a friendly manner, again inspires him to be vigilant, to stand courageously and firmly in the faith, he conveys greetings from the churches of Asia, from Aquila and Priscilla and all the brethren, and to those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, he proclaims "anathema, maran-afa," which means: "Let him be excommunicated until the coming of the Lord." This is the justification for the "anathema" that is proclaimed in our churches on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love is not envious, love is not exalted, is not proud, does not riot, does not seek its own, is not irritated, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ^Love does no harm to one's neighbor; Thus, love is the fulfillment of the law. ^When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; but when he became a man, he left the things of a child. Now we see, as it were, through a dim glass, divinationly, then face to face; now I know in part, and then I will know as I am known. ^And soulless things that make a sound, a pipe or a harp, if they do not produce separate tones, how can we recognize what is played on a pipe or a harp? And if the trumpet makes an indefinite sound, who will prepare for battle? ^Tongues, then, are a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers; prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for believers. ^If the whole church comes together, and all speak with unknown tongues, and those who do not know or do not believe come in to you, will they not say that you are possessed? ^When some heard of the resurrection of the dead, they scoffed, and others said, "We will hear you about this at another time." ^and their word will spread like cancer. Such are Imenaeus and Philetus, who departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection had already happened, and destroy the faith in some. ^But Christ rose from the dead, the firstfruits of them that slept. ^Death will be swallowed up for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and will take away the reproach from his people in all the earth; for thus saith the Lord. ^From the power of hell I will redeem them, from death I will deliver them. Death! Where is your sting? hell! Where is your victory? I will not repent of this. ^

2 Corinthians

Reason for writing

Before going to Corinth, the holy Apostle Paul wanted to know what impression his first epistle had made there. In addition, he wanted to give Timothy, who had been sent there earlier, the opportunity to complete the collection of alms for the Christians of Jerusalem (1 Cor. 4:17 [1]). At the same time, he intended to tarry in Ephesus, so that when he had finished his mission there, he might be able to devote more time to the Corinthians. However, the indignation of Demetrius the Silversmith forced the Apostle to leave Ephesus immediately. It would have been too early to go straight to Corinth, for Timothy and his alms could not yet be there, and most importantly, the Apostle did not know what the results of his first epistle were. Therefore, he sent another of his disciples Titus to Corinth, and he himself went to Troas, instructing Titus to return to him there with the collected information about what was happening in Corinth. The anticipation of the Apostle's condition in Troas was so intense that he, having no rest in spirit, as he himself expressed (2 Cor. 2:12-13 [2]), went to Macedonia in order to meet Titus as soon as possible. The meeting with Titus in Macedonia calmed the holy Apostle Paul. Here he also met Timothy, who was just on his way to Corinth. Titus told the holy Apostle Paul many joyful things about the effect that his first epistle had produced on the Corinthians, but at the same time something unpleasant. All these tidings, received by the holy Apostle Paul from Titus, about the situation in Corinth, served as a pretext for him to write the second epistle. This is clearly seen from the very Epistle of Chapter 7, verses 6-16.St. Titus informed the Apostle that after the first Epistle the Corinthians were greatly "grieved for God's sake," and this sorrow led them to repentance, aroused the fear of God and the desire to reform, inflamed indignation against the incestuous (2 Cor. 7:11 [3]) and aroused disgust for everything unclean — pagan. But, on the other hand, Saint Titus also informed the Apostle how his stubborn opponents were trying with all their might to shake his apostolic authority among the Corinthians. Not being able to accuse the Apostle of anything clearly reprehensible, they tried to attach some extraordinarily important importance in the eyes of the Corinthians, for example, to the fact that the Apostle had several times changed his plan regarding his visit to Corinth (2 Cor. 1:16 [4]; 1 Cor. 16:3 [5], 6-7 [6]). From this, they apparently wanted to conclude that the Apostle's mood was fickle, changeable, and therefore his very teaching, as a frivolous and frivolous person, could not be trusted. They tried to interpret Paul's humility and his extraordinary modesty and unselfishness, shown during his stay in Corinth, as signs of his weakness and cowardice. "In the epistles he is strict and strong," they said, "but in private presence he is weak, and his speech is insignificant" (2 Cor. 10:10). This could not but disturb the Apostle, for it cast a shadow not only on him personally, but also on the teaching he preached, which is why he considered it necessary to explain to the Corinthians all the groundlessness of the rumors spread about him. Titus also mentioned that not all the Corinthians had come to their senses, that some, deeply hardened in impurity, fornication and lewdness, did not think of reforming themselves (2 Cor. 12:20-21 [7]). It was necessary to induce them with special force to repentance, so that, as the holy Apostle expresses it in the 2nd Epistle, "in the presence of the Apostle they should not use severity according to the authority given to me by the Lord to build, and not to destroy" (13:10). I boasted beforehand of their charity (2 Cor. 9:4 [8]).All these motives served as the occasion for writing the second Epistle to the Corinthians.For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. ^When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, although the door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there; but, having taken leave of them, I went to Macedonia. ^For the very fact that you were grieved for God's sake, see what zeal it produced in you, what apologies, what indignation against the guilty, what fear, what desire, what jealousy, what chastisement! In all things you have shown yourselves to be clean in this matter. ^and through you to go to Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come to you again; and you would accompany me to Judea. ^When I come, I will send those whom you choose with letters to bring your alms to Jerusalem. ^Perhaps I will live with you, or spend the winter, so that you may accompany me where I go. For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay with you for a while, if the Lord permits. ^

^and lest, when the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we shall not be ashamed, — I do not say "you" — having boasted with such confidence. ^

Time and place of writing

In the course of the matter it is evident that this epistle was written in the same year 58 or 59 as the first epistle. And the place of writing was undoubtedly Macedonia, most likely the city of Philippi, as is evident from the epistle itself (2 Cor. 2:12-13 [1]; 7:5-7 [2]; 8:1-2 [3]; 9:2-4 [4]). The epistle was sent with Titus and another brother, "praised for the gospel" (2 Cor. 8:18 [5]), apparently by Luke. but, having taken leave of them, I went to Macedonia. ^For when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were oppressed on every side: attacks without, fears within. But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his arrival, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted for you, telling us of your zeal, of your weeping, of your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more. ^We inform you, brethren, of the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, 2 for they abound in joy in the midst of the great trial of tribulations; and their deep poverty abounds in the riches of their hospitality. ^for I know your zeal, and I boast of you before the Macedonians, that Achaia has been prepared since last year; and your jealousy has encouraged many. And I have sent the brethren, that my praise of you may not be in vain in this case, but that you, as I have said, may be prepared, and that when the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we may not be ashamed," I do not say "you," having boasted with such confidence. ^With him also we sent a brother, who is praised in all the churches for preaching the gospel. ^

Content and composition of the Address

The second Epistle to the Corinthians contains only 13 chapters and is divided into the following sections, or parts: The Introduction, which, together with the inscription, contains the usual greetings and good wishes — 1:1-11; The theoretical part, where the holy Apostle sets forth the reasons why he could not come to Corinth (1:12-2:11), then discusses the loftiness of the teaching he preached (2:12-7:1), and, finally, returning to his former speech, expresses the joy given to him by the return of Titus and by all that he saw and met in Corinth (7:2-16); the practical part is devoted to discussions about the collection of alms for the brethren of Jerusalem — chapters 8 and 9; the defense part is devoted to the Apostle's defense of his preaching activity and his high apostolic dignity — chapters 10-13:10; The conclusion of three verses 13:11-13 contains the admonition of peace and unanimity, greetings and blessings from the Apostle.

Exegetical analysis