A Commentary on the Book of Second Corinthians [Audio Version]

In Paul's fourth letter to the Corinthian church, which was actually the book of Second Corinthians, Paul started the letter by telling the Corinthian Christians that he had not visited them after his third letter because he did not want to strain their already strained relationship. As will be discussed in that opening chapter, he had had a difficult second visit to the church during the early days of his third Bible-recorded missionary trip.

He had then followed that up with a probable stern third letter to them. So because of that, he had not visited them after his third letter because he was trying to give them some space. In the second chapter of this letter, he counseled them on the importance of loving the man in their church upon whom they had carried out church discipline. The reason was because it is needful to forgive those who truly repent and turn from their evil ways.

Next, in the third chapter, he had talked to them about his calling into the ministry and about being equipped for it by the Holy Spirit. As will be noted in that discussion, all Christians are called to a task for the Lord by the Holy Spirit and are then equipped to do that task. After that, Paul spent the rest of the chapter talking about the old covenant and the new covenant. Then in the fourth chapter, he continued talking about his calling into the ministry and compared his ministry to the false ministers of those days.

In the fifth chapter, he talked about leaving this world and being forever with the Lord Jesus. He then talked about Jesus reconciling those, who come to Him to be saved, to God the Father. After that, he shared his many hardships in trying to preach the gospel in the different places where the Holy Spirit had sent him. Then he talked some about the collection for the Christians in Jerusalem and a number of over topics before ending his final known letter to the Christians in Corinth.

There is one note, however, to be made before ending this introduction with respect to the organization of this text. Something that the reader might find useful, in the NON-AUDIO version of this text, is figures throughout that show the different passages that are referenced at the times and in the places where they are referenced.

That way, he or she will not have to jump all over the place or get into or out of the scriptures to locate a particular reference. Hopefully that inclusion will help the reader better understand the various events and to also put them into their right context. It is also hoped that that will make this book easier to read and that the Lord will receive the praise, honor, and glory that He rightfully deserves. Of course, in the AUDIO version of this text, those figures will NOT be used because that would make it an extremely difficult experience for listening to or for trying to understand.