Second epistle to the corinthians

Pierre-Étienne Monnot: Statue of Saint Paul in the Archibasilica of Saint John Lateran.

The second epistle to the Corinthians is a writing that belongs to the New Testament, the most recent part of the Bible. The set of documents that make up the New Testament were written in the first century. It is a letter written by Paul of Tarsus to the Christian community in Corinth.

Shortly after writing his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul left Ephesus to reach Macedonia. Written around the year 57, its purpose is the apologetics of Paul's apostolic ministry.

After observing the fruit of his first epistle with the creation of new Christian communities, the second letter addresses these converts again, who are treated with great affection: "You are our letter, written on our hearts."

Content

Chapter 11

• 2 Corinthians Paul reminds the Corinthians that his sustenance was given by the brothers of Macedonia, that is to say, by the community of Philippi, as follows from PhilippiansThat they were never burdened and that their preaching was free.

• 2 Corinthians It is one of those passages of arduous and controversial tone in which Paul defends his preaching work and his apostolic condition, spreading in a detailed account of the sufferings and sufferings endured.

• 2 Corinthians In verse 22, Paul reaffirms his Jewish origin by saying of his enemies: Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they Abraham's descendants? Me too.. Since Paul defended a relaxation of Jewish law for the Gentile Christians, the Jewish sector of the communities accused him of being Little Jewishespecially when he was from Tarsus, that is, a Diaspora Jew. Paul stood up saying Me more, that is, I am as Jewish as the most and when I persecuted the church I was his most zealous persecutor.

• 2 Corinthians In verse 23, Paul continues the same argument to defend himself from another of the accusations made to him. Paul was considered a minister of Christ by virtue of his encounter with him in Damascus. In all his epistles he remembered that his apostolate was of divine origin and did not accept that he had it for less apostle than others. That's why he said:

Are they ministers of Christ? Me more. In jobs, more. In stings, more. In dangers of death, more.

• 2 Corinthians In this passage Paul begins a story of his misfortunes.

Chapter 12

• 2 Corinthians Paul says of himself:

I've been given a sting in the flesh, so I wouldn't get fat..

The thorn in the flesh can refer to a physical ailment or a spiritual malaise. Even though it could be a physical illness, Paul interprets it as a spiritual effect that counterbalances the pride that could come over him due to the unique excellence of his spiritual experiences. This thorn could be the same disease that came upon him while preaching to the Galatians (Galatians 4:13-15).