2 Corinthians For You, coming from the God’s Word For You series, is just as it sounds, a book helping you understand 2 Corinthians for you. For your life. What does this difficult letter, with talk about Paul’s ministry, giving money to Jews in Jerusalem, and a “foolish” apostle have to do with us?
Gary Miller—Principal of Queensland Theological College—begins by comparing Corinth with Singapore. Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. It is British, Asian, American, and Chinese in its look and function. It has an ancient history but has been reinvented. It quickly became a flourishing financial and trade center. There is a lot of pressure to climb the social and financial ladder. And it is a melting pot, just like Corinth. Corinth was “a city with a Roman face, a Greek heart, a large Jewish minority and a deeply ingrained universal desire to impress” (9). Millar gives a quick history of Paul’s letter writing to Corinth, how Paul both loved the church there and was driven nuts by them, and that this letter was the perfect example and embodiment of “gospel ministry”—“walking with and serving Jesus” (10). It’s what all of us do.
What Kind of Comfort? (1:3)
Millar notes how he has a problem when he reads that text, one that stems from his cultural placement in the UK. The number one fabric softener is called Comfort. Whether one things of soft towels gently brushing up to one’s skin or soft and cushy Labradors frolicking in a sea of softness, we love comfort. Millar writes, “Comfort for us is a warm and fuzzy word… ‘Comfort’ in the New Testament includes everything from an arm round the shoulder to a kick in the pants!” (17). This comfort is one that “strengthens weak knees and sustains sagging spirits so that one faces the troubles of life with unbending resolve and and unending assurance” (from David Garland’s commentary, p.18). Our suffering includes encouragement for each other. When we press on, we are encouraged by our church family, and we can mutually encourage them to stand strong in the Lord too (1:6–7). Paul is asking the Corinthians to stay with him for the long haul as partners in the gospel, not in success-grabbing (1:8–11).
A Clean Conscience (1:12–2:13)
In 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:13, Paul tells the Corinthians church that even though he didn’t come visit them like he said he would, they can trust him. Why? Why should they trust him? Because he is imitating Christ. We are all called to live like Jesus before as others look on. And Millar knows this makes us feel uncomfortable. If our lives were held up to scrutiny, would “Christlikeness” be the first word people thought of (30)? Yet Millar also directs us to the fact that this passage throws us back onto Christ himself. Paul behaves with a sincerity of conscience. His behavioral patterns, while not perfect, reflect God grace in his life to the point where he is “transparently, wholeheartedly sincere” (31).
Death, Life, and Love (5:14–15)
The For You series in a great series because it summarizes the text in a way that doesn’t bog you down while it also provides application and questions for further thinking. In 2 Cor 5:14–15, Paul notes how Christ “died for all, therefore all have died.” That doesn’t mean universalism because of Paul’s next sentence: “And he died for all that those who live [Christians!] Might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (5:15). Rather than getting caught up in the various discussions or controversies here, Millar takes us to what he believes to be the most natural reading: Christ died and rose again for believers. Since this is the case, and we are united to Christ by faith, “the only real option for us is to live for Christ, which… means loving other people” (88).
Wholehearted Giving (8–9)
These chapters could seem difficult because they deal with a specific circumstance, that of the Corinthians giving money to support believers in the Jerusalem church. Millar writes, “Paul gives us a stunning model of applying the gospel to a real-word, real-time situation” (125). These two chapters are “a call to be open-hearted, wholehearted, gospel-hearted followers of Jesus” (125). Millar covers these two chapters in five broad movements:
- Gospel generosity (8:1–7);
- Gospel sacrifice like Jesus (8:8–15);
- Gospel service (8:16–24);
- Gospel integrity (9:1–5);
- Gospel giving (9:6–15).
Paul encourages the Corinthians to give to the Jerusalem church, and later they can fill up what the Corinthians will lack. We can do the same within our own churches. We are to be open and vulnerable, humble enough to ask for help, and generous enough to give. There ought to be an ebb and flow in the church life, where we simply give.
Recommended?
I warmly recommend Millar’s devotional commentary on 2 Corinthians. If I ever get to teach 2 Corinthians again, or if I ever get to share in preaching it, I will definitely use this commentary. His pointers to application are very helpful, his writing style is easy to follow, and he consistently brings glory to God in Christ. This is really a great book. This would be best suited for either devotional use or for a Bible study. Pastors could make good use of this too in their sermon prep.
Other reviews in this series:
-
Hebrews for You — Michael Kruger
Lagniappe
- Author: Gary Millar
- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: The Good Book Company (April 1, 2020)
- Read the Introduction and Chapter One
Buy it on Amazon or from The Good Book Company
Review Disclosure: I received this book free from B&H Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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