SUMMARY
Using an intense experience of affliction to depict how the gospel can only be imparted as we rely not on ourselves, but on God’s power to raise the dead, PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More presents his second hope for the letter—that his readers will not only contribute to the collection for Jerusalem, but will do so out of their poverty rather than abundance.
ANALYSIS
Paul describes an intense experience of suffering that he experienced in Asia. We do not know what this experience was—whether it was, for example, a physical or mental illness, or something others did to him. However, we do know that it was something that made him despair, so crushing him with a “hyperbole” (huperbolē) of power that he questioned whether he should go on living (2 Corinthians 1:8).
Feeling like he had received a death sentence in this experience, Paul was put in a situation where he realized that he could no longer rely on his own human capacities, which are ultimately impotent in the face of death. Instead, he found himself wholly trusting in God, the one who creates something out of nothing and thus also raises the dead. In a fashion that echoes the way the people of Israel continually returned to the story of Exodus to remind themselves that God continually liberates by creating new life amid death, suffering, and oppression, so Paul affirms his trust that God will continue to rescue him—in the midst of whatever threats and dangers he might be facing.
This leads to Paul’s second hope for the letter—that God will continue to rescue us in times of distress, a hope that anticipates the section in the letter dealing with the collection for Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:10). Paul’s hope for this collection is not just that the Corinthians will fulfill their commitment to donate funds for Jerusalem, but that they will do so out of their poverty instead of their abundance, drawing on the examples given by the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1-2) and especially by JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More the MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified... More (2 Corinthians 8:9). In this way, they will enter into a partnership with the many “faces” (prosopon) who, in the Messiah’s “face” or presence (2 Corinthians 4:6) not only provide for one another, but also pray for one another, giving thanks to God for the material and spiritual gifts they share with one another (2 Corinthians 1:11).
RELATED PASSAGES
Exodus 6:1-8 — The Lord Promises to Rescue the People from Egyptians
Deuteronomy 32:36-40 — The Summons to Rely on God, Not Idols
2 Samuel 22:1-51 — David’s Song of Thanksgiving for God’s Help in Distress
IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More 49:7-15 — The Lord Rescues ZionZion originally referred to a mountain near Jerusalem where David conquered a Jebusite stronghold. Later the term came to mean a number of other things like the Temple, Jerusalem, and even the Promised Land. More
Jeremiah 26:7-15 — Jeremiah’s Sentence of Death
Psalm 88:1-18 — Prayer for Help in Despair
Job 6:11-13 — Job’s Complaint in Despair
Proverbs 3:5-7 — Trusting in the Lord, Not One’s Own WisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... More
1 Corinthians 15:12-22 — The Resurrection of the Dead in Christ