2 Corinthians 8-13

Notes compiled from my BSF group


2 Corinthians 8:1-5 talks about the "grace of giving" of the Macedonian churches, which includes churches in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.


In Philippi (Acts 16:11-40):
Lydia and her household converted.


Paul and Silas were flogged and imprisoned for casting an evil spirit from a girl medium by her owners. However, as they praised God, a violent earthquake destroyed the jail and freed them. Through this incident, the jailer and his family were converted.


In Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9):
Some of the Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women were converted.


In Berea (Acts 17:10-15):
The Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11).




2 Corinthians 8:1-5
The generosity of the Macedonian churches includes their overflowing joy despite facing the severest trials; them giving as much as they were able to, despite being extremely poor; them doing not just what is expected of them but giving themselves first to the Lord.




2 Corinthians 8:6-15
Paul’s purpose in writing to the Macedonians was to encourage the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving. Paul applauded them for being the first to give but also to have the desire to do so. However, Paul then went on to encourage them to finish the work, to continue their excellence in the grace of giving.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* 2 Co 8:5 they gave themselves first to the Lord. The true basis of all Christian giving. God's grace makes a difference in the lives and attitudes of his people - a central theme of this letter (cf. 12:9-10).


* 2 Co 8:6 we urged Titus. The collections had been started in Corinth under the direction of Titus during the previous year (see v. 10; 9:2) but had slowed down or come to a standstill. Paul is now sending Titus back to them, bearing this present letter, for the purpose of completing this "act of grace."


* 2 Co 8:8 I am not commanding you. True charity and generosity cannot be commanded. sincerity of your love. They can prove this by giving selflessly and spontaneously. earnestness of others. The remarkable example of the Macedonian churches (vv. 1-5).


* 2 Co 8:12 according to what one has. See v. 11. What matters is the willingness, no matter how small the amount that can be afforded (see Mk 12:41-44 and note on 12:42).


* 2 Co 8:13-15 Paul's desire is that believers throughout the whole Christian community share what they have with believers who are in need so that a measure of equality is maintained within the church - so that, as with Israel in the desert (see Ex 16:18 and note), there would be none who has "too much" and none who has "too little" (v. 15).


* 2 Co 8:16-17 Titus has established a relationship of trust and affection with the Corinthians (see 7:6-7, 13-15). He had organized the collection when it was started the previous year (see note on v. 6).




2 Corinthians 8:21
Paul wanted to make sure the Corinthians were following God’s Will in terms of the use of funds but also doing it right in the eyes of men.




2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6, Proverbs 11:24, Galatians 6:7).


God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).


"He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever" (2 Corinthians 9:9, Hosea 10:12).


God promises that we will be under His grace and have the things we need at all times. This is God’s gift to us. We are taught to love, and we should therefore give out of love and not out of duty or grudge. God is selfless in His giving, and we, being His children, should also give selflessly.


Paul reminds the Corinthians that whoever sows generously will also reap generously, telling us all that we should share our blessings from God with others and benefit from the blessings God has given to others. Furthermore, when we give, we are not only helping those in need but are also expressing our thanks to God.


God placed us on this earth to be His witnesses. Everything that we have, we have because of the opportunities given to us by God. And because we are blessed by God, we have the ability to pass our blessings on to those who are in need. Paul told us that God loves cheerful givers. Therefore, when we give to others, we are showing God how we appreciate His gift to us.


The key point here is that we need to give from our heart and not out of obligations or grudge. A lot of times, people give because “they are supposed to.” This is an example of giving out of obligation. This would NOT be an example of a cheerful type of giving. A cheerful type of giving is the kind that people just give because they just want to help. They seek nothing in return; they are thinking only of the people in front of them and how they can help make others better.


When we give as Jesus gave, we are cheerful givers. And how did Jesus give? He gave SELFLESSLY. He gave not for Himself, not to elevate Himself above others, but to help others. Such giving is the only giving that shows our appreciation of God’s grace and blessings.




2 Corinthians 10:1–11:15
Paul told us that we demolish arguments against the knowledge of God and by being obedient to Christ. This is why memorizing Scripture is helpful. When our minds are attacked by evil thoughts, or when we face temptations that we cannot overcome by ourselves, we can go to the Scriptures for wisdom, guidance, and comfort (2 Timothy 3:16).


When we feel we are being beaten down physically or spiritually, prayers are also helpful because we know that God protects us from everything. When we are walking His Way, He hears our prayers. And since we have the faith that God hears us, we know that when we need Him, He will provide (1 John 5:14-15).


Philippians 4:6-7
"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


Ephesians 6:10-17: The Armor of God
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."




2 Corinthians 11:13-15
This is how Paul described Satan, his demons, and his followers:


“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)




1 Peter 5:8
Satan has one goal and one goal only: Defeat God so that the rest of the world will worship him.


Satan has only one enemy: God. Anyone who sides with God therefore becomes Satan’s enemy.


The reason we need to be on our guard against Satan is because he has powers that we do not have, and he is deceitful and manipulative. These are dangerous combinations to fight against if we are not guided by God and protected by God's authority.


Look what happened to Adam and Eve when they decided to ignore God and choose for themselves. Satan won the title deed to the Earth because he easily defeated Adam and Eve when they chose to turn their backs on God.


We should never forget that Satan is a powerful enemy who is looking for ways to destroy God and His plans. The Book of Revelation tells us that Satan will eventually be defeated. But until then, he will try his best to win. And if Satan’s going to try his best to win, we definitely need to stand on our guard and be ready for his attacks.


The following are examples of Satan and his deeds:


Luke 4:1-2, 13
Satan will tempt you when you are at your weakest.


Luke 13:16
Satan has kept Israel bound for years. That is, Israelites remain blind in part because they have fallen to Satan's deceptions!


Luke 22:3
Satan can have control over us if our commitment to God is not strong.


Luke 22:31-32
Satan will test followers of Christ, hoping to ruin our faith. Why? So that he can claim our souls for his glory!


John 8:44
Satan is a murderer and the father of lies. Note that: Satan is the father of lies. This is a title given to Satan. Therefore, do NOT take Satan's deceptions lightly.


John 12:31; 14:30
Satan (the prince of this world) has no hold on Jesus and will be driven out of this world when the time comes. However, Satan does have a hold over us because of our fallen nature. Therefore, when we are in Christ, Satan will no longer have a hold over us, because Jesus will defeat Satan when the time comes.


Revelation 12:9-11
Satan (the ancient serpent, the devil) leads the whole world astray. Satan is the accuser of followers of Christ. But as Christians, we have overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus Christ and by the word of our testimony.


Revelation 20:2
Satan will be bound for a thousand years and then be destroyed. This prophesy clearly marks the end of Satan. As I have been stressing throughout my blog, we are in the middle of a war, and we can choose only one of two sides: God's side or Satan's side. There is no in-between, because if we're not on God's side, if we choose to be "neutral," to be on our own side, then we will ultimately fall into Satan's side by default. And if we already know the end does not look good for Satan, our choice is pretty clear cut.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Luke 22:3 Satan entered Judas. In the Gospels this expression is used on two separate occasions: (1) before Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus (here), and (2) during the Last Supper (Jn 13:27; see note there). Thus the Gospel writers depict Satan's control over Judas, who had never displayed strong commitment to Jesus (see Jn 13:2; see also note on Jn 17:12; 1Co 15:2). called Iscariot. See Jn 6:71 and note.


* Luke 22:31 sift you. See NIV text note. Satan wanted to test the disciples, hoping to bring them to spiritual ruin.


* John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil. Jesus warned his Jewish opponents of the reality of Satan's murderous and deceitful influence. Since "salvation is from the Jews" (4:22, see note there), Jesus' words to not apply to the Jewish people as a whole. His warning should caution both Gentiles and Jews to follow Abraham's example (vv. 39-40; cf. Ro 4:16). you want. Points to determination of will. Their problem was basically spiritual, not intellectual. Being oriented toward Satan, they were bent on murder (v. 37) and eventually would succeed (v. 28). truth. Foreign to Satan and those who are his (see 14:6 and note).


* John 12:31 judgment on this world. The cross was God's judgment on the world.prince of this world. Satan (see 16:11). The cross would seem to be his triumph; in fact, it was his defeat. Out of it would flow the greatest good ever to come to the world.


* John 14:30 prince of this world. See note on 12:31. has no hold on me. Satan has a hold on people because of their fallen state. Since Christ was sinless, Satan could have no hold on him.


* Revelation 20:2 dragon. See note on 12:3. ancient serpent. See 12:15; Ge 3:1-5.thousand years. The millennium (from the Latin mille, "thousand," and annus, "year").


It is important to understand that these verses aren’t talking about a “personal devil” or a "metaphorical devil."


The Scripture is very clear that Satan exists as its own entity. He was an angel who chose to rebel against God, taking 1/3 of all angels with him, now know as demons.


These verses are therefore all talking about Satan.


It is critical for us to realize that Satan is the ruler of this world, and his main goal is to pull souls away from God, because he wants those souls to worship him. Satan will therefore deceive anyone so that he can pull them away from God. When we fall away from God, we join Satan in Hell. This is why it’s important for Christians to know about Satan’s plans, so that we can ready for his attacks.




2 Corinthians 11:2
God is the Truth. For God to see His children fall away from the truth and embrace lies and deceptions spread all over the world by Satan, He is sad for His children. God’s jealousy isn’t the jealousy that we think of when we envy things that other people have that we don’t. God’s jealousy is the type of jealousy that occurs when His righteousness and perfection are abandoned by His children. When we turn our back on God to go after worldly values or worldly objects, God gets jealous. God gets jealous because He cannot bear that His children throw away the Truth to go running after Satan’s deceptions and lies.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* 2 Co 11:2 godly jealousy. Paul cannot bear the thought that there might be any rival to Christ and his gospel. I promised you to one husband. As their spiritual father (cf. 6:13), Paul has promised the Corinthian believers to Christ, who is frequently depicted in the NT as the bridegroom, with the church portrayed as his bride (see Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29 and note; Eph 5:23-32 and notes; Rev 19:7-9; 21:2). pure virgin. Undefiled by the doctrines of false teachers (see vv. 3-4).




2 Corinthians 11:16–12:10
Paul gladly boasts about his weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on him (2 Corinthians 12:9).


The boasting of fools boasts about worldly things, such as their place in society and the amount of work they have done or the amount of suffering they have had to endure.


Children of God, like Paul, do not boast in such things. They boast of things that show their weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:30). This is because through their weaknesses, God’s love and power are revealed. What is so amazing about things that we can accomplish on our own? God can help us accomplish things that we think are impossible. That is true amazing. For example, Paul was about to be arrested in Damascus, but God helped him escape. God helped Paul do what Paul could not have done on his own. Children of God boast about these things. Children of God boast not about themselves but about the glory of God.


My pastor shared a good thought a few days ago. He said that we should truly thank God for everything. EVERYTHING. And he knows that by saying this, a lot of successful people would complain to him and say, “Well, why? I did all of this by myself. I didn’t need God’s help. I never asked for God’s help, and look how successful I am.”


And my pastor said something that was really inspiring. He said, “Well, God gave you the brains. God gave you the opportunities. What you call luck, it is blessings from God.”


Paul is a great example of how Christians should live. We live for God. Everything we do, we do with our mind on God. Therefore, even when we boast, we boast about God!


Paul is especially focused on weaknesses, because it is through weaknesses that we see ourselves. Weaknesses reveal us and allow us to realize that without God, we would be hopeless. And this is why if we have anything to boast, it isn’t about us. Because no matter how great we are, we still fail at things. But God never fails. And so, if we have anything to boast, we boast about God. Through God, we, too, will never fail.




Paul wrote 2 Corinthians about the period of time of Acts 22. Paul's experiences recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:24-33 occurred prior to Acts 20:


2 Corinthians 11:25
Acts 16:22
"Three times I was beaten with rods"


2 Corinthians 11:25
Acts 14:19
"Once I was stoned"


2 Corinthians 11:25
"Three times I was shipwrecked" 
This could have happened in Acts 9:30; 11:25-26; 13:4, 13; 14:26; 16:11; 18:18-19, 21-22.


2 Corinthians 11:26
Acts 14:24
"... in danger from bandits"


2 Corinthians 11:26
"... in danger from own countrymen"
Acts 20:3
"... in danger in the city"


2 Corinthians 11:27
Acts 18:3
"I have labored and toiled"


2 Corinthians 11:32
Acts 9:24
"In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me."


2 Corinthians 11:33
Acts 9:25
"But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands."


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* 2 Co 11:24-25 lashes...rods. Eight floggings are mentioned here, five at the hands of Jewish authorities (cf. Dt 25:3; Mk 5:15 and notes) and three at the hands of Roman authorities. On these occasions the Romans used rods (see Ac 16:22). The three beatings with rods took place despite the fact that Paul, a Roman citizen, was legally protected from such punishment (cf. Ac 16:37; 22:25 and notes).


* 2 Co 11:25 stoned. A traditional manner of Jewish execution (cf. Jn 8:59; Ac 7:57-59; 14:19-20). shipwrecked. Only one shipwreck is recorded in acts, but it took place after the writing of this letter (Ac 27:39-44). The three shipwrecks referred to here could have taken place during the voyages mentioned in Ac 9:30; 11:25-26; 13:4, 13; 14:26; 16:11; 18:18-19, 21-22.


* 2 Co 11:26 in danger from bandits. See note on Ac 14:24.
Ac 14:24 Pisidia. A district about 120 miles long and 50 miles wide, north of Pamphylia (13:13-14). Bandits frequented the region (see perhaps 2Co 11:26).


These experiences of Paul were not mentioned prior to Acts 20:


2 Corinthians 11:25
"Three times I was shipwrecked."


2 Corinthians 11:26
"I have been in danger from rivers... in danger from Gentiles... in danger in the country... in danger at sea... in danger from false brothers"


2 Corinthians 11:27
"I have often gone without sleep."
"I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food."
"I have been cold and naked."


2 Corinthians 11:28
"Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all churches."




2 Corinthians 11:28–12:6
Humans have the tendency to be prideful. We always want to be bragging about something. We always want to be better than other people at something. This isn’t surprising.


Think back to the very beginning. Why did Adam and Eve fall? Because of pride. Satan tempted them with the knowledge of God and told them that they could be just like God if they ate from the Tree of Knowledge. And because Adam and Even wanted to be gods, they ate the apple. And ever since then, pride has been the number one reason for the downfall of nations.


The story of the Tower of Babel is also about pride. People thought again that they could be gods and started building their way to Heaven.


The entire Book of Isaiah talks about how pride is the biggest reason why Israel fell. So, it is not difficult to see how we like to brag. We like to be proud. We like to think we’re better than everyone else.


But, as Paul shared, everything we have, we have from God. So, what is there to boast? God made this world. HE MADE IT OUT OF NOTHING. Can we do anything like that? It takes us months to just build a house! And where do we get the materials for the house? From Earth. We certainly can’t make wood out of nothing. And who made Earth? Not us. God made Earth.


But, a lot of people don’t like this idea that everything we have, we have from God. They get insulted and want to claim their success as their own glory. They get insulted because of pride. The get insulted because they want to be the ones who are better than everyone else. They want the credit. But, they never stop to think, "I had this opportunity to succeed. What gave me this opportunity? I was able to be here today to learn about this. Who gave me such intelligence?" They never think, "If I wasn’t born with the abilities that I have today, I would not have been able to do the things I have done!"


If we’re smart, it’s because God made us that way. We didn’t make ourselves smart.


So. Really. Everything we have, we have from God. Boasting about ourselves is an act of pride. Boasting about the glory of God is an act of humility, the realization that we would be nothing without our Father.


Paul came from a distinguished family and had a stellar education. Yet, he was grounded and not conceited because he was humbled by Jesus: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)


In Acts 9, Paul (at the time, Saul), was blinded for 3 days after Christ confronted Paul about persecuting His people. This was a magnificent turning point for Paul, because Paul went from a murderer of Christians to one of the most influential Christians in history. However, Despite regaining his vision, Paul’s eyes never got better. It is thought that this is the “throne in my flesh” that Paul is talking about.


The throne in Paul’s flesh has a 2-fold meaning. The first one is the literal one, which is that his eyes never fully recovered. He never saw as well as he used to after that incident.


The second one is the metaphorical one, which represents the guilt that Paul feels for committing the horrible sin of murdering hundreds of God’s people before he came to Jesus. Both of these meanings plague Paul daily. His eyes physically remind him of the sins he has committed, and his guilt emotionally reminds him the sins he has committed.
And because Paul could never truly get over that guilt (and it is a very big guilt!), he asked God 3 times to take it away from him. But what did God say? God encouraged him. God taught Paul that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”


What God is saying is that through Jesus ALL sins are forgiven. ALL. Do not hold on to the guilt, but let go and place our trust in God. Trust that through Him, all is made righteous. Christ did ALL the work on the Cross! There is nothing more we need to do! So, just trust Christ! Place our burdens on Christ, and move forward, walking together with God. Understand that we are sinful, but because of Jesus, we are made righteous. Do not let the guilt of our sins weigh us down, but let God’s grace bring us up to be better Christians.


Again, our weaknesses reveal who we are. It is through weakness that we can best see the power of God.




2 Corinthians 12:11–13:14
Paul treats the Corinthians like his children. He rebukes them for the wrong things they have done, but he is gentle with them, just like how a loving father would discipline his children.




2 Corinthians 12:20–21
Because Paul loves the Corinthians as his children, he is fearful that they will continue to sin and not repent. To see fellow Christians lose their way grieves Paul and breaks Paul’s heart.




2 Corinthians 13:2–10
Jesus lives by God’s power, just like the apostles serve in God’s power.


On Paul's return to Corinth, he will not spare those who sinned earlier. This is to show that God is not weak in dealing with sinners, but is powerful among them.