Shalom! My dear friends, by the grace of God, we are going to start right now with the study of the book of 2 Corinthians. And I would like you all, please, to open your Bibles to the 2 Corinthians, wherever you are right now. If the Lord is enabling you to sit and open the Word of God, I would like you to turn with me to the book of 2 Corinthians. And with the help of the Lord, I would like to introduce this new study of the book of 2 Corinthians. And with the help of the Lord, by the grace of God, we will look over this very interesting second letter that the Apostle Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

It had been said that the study of the book of 2 Corinthians is not very easy to study or to put together with a good outline. But the Spirit of the Spirit of God is our guide and the Spirit of God, Ruach Ha'elohim, Ruach HaKodesh. The Holy Spirit of God is able to help us as we study together this new book of the second letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian assembly. I would like to begin by reading the first eleven verses of 2 Corinthians chapter one. And so, beloved friends, I'm reading verse one. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Messiah, of Christ, abound in us, so our consolation also abound by Christ, by Mashiach. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, inasmuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and thus deliver us, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us. Ye also, helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf." This is a very interesting introduction, beloved brothers and sisters, to the second letter that the apostle Shaul Paul has written to the Corinthians.

Thank the Lord for these instructions that we have in the epistles, in the letters that Paul wrote, that we have them as part of the canon of the Word of God in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant, the New Testament. And every one of the letters that was written, were written as a corrective ministry by the apostle. Whether it was the apostle Paul, or whether John in his letters, Yohanan, or Shimon Petros in his letters, or Yehuda, Jude, or Yaakov, James, or whoever wrote these letters to the various assemblies, or even to individuals, like Paul wrote to Timothy and to Titus. All these letters were written in order to help us continue on to follow the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in our day-by-day living individually, but also collectively among the people of God in the local congregation, local kehilot, local church, local assembly.

Now, it is very interesting that we do have some assemblies that needed a second letter to be written unto them. Specifically in the case of the Corinthians, the apostle Shaul Paul had already written to them one letter. And now he is writing to them a second letter, beloved brothers and sisters. Like the Thessalonians, there was a letter that was written by the apostle Shaul Paul to the Thessalonians in Thessalonica, in Thessaloniki. But a second letter was needed to be written unto them. Interesting to see this. Well, specifically to the same assembly, to the same local congregation. Now the apostle Shaul Paul is providing for us the second letter that was directed to the believers in the very same local assembly to whom he had already written earlier in the first letter to the Corinthians.

Let me just remind you, as we are introducing the letter, the epistle of 2 Corinthians, that during Paul's second missionary journey, he arrived to the city of Corinth according to the book of Acts in chapter 18. You remember what we read in Acts chapter 18, verses 1 to 18. I just want to highlight a few verses there. There we read, beloved brothers and sisters, after these things, Paul departed from Athens. And then he came to Corinth, and he found a certain Jew by the name of Aquila, born in Pontius. Lately he came from Italy with his wife Priscilla. He found them at Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla, two Jewish individuals who became believers and came to minister there in the city of Corinth.

We continue to read that they came to this city of Corinth because of the persecution of the Jews, because all the Jews had to depart from Rome, because Claudius had commanded that all the Jews would depart from Rome. So they came into the city of Corinth, and the apostle Paul met them there. Now, as the apostle Paul came to the city of Corinth to remind you that he was the apostle to the uncircumcision, to the Gentiles, and he was reaching out with the message of the gospel there in Asia Minor and in Europe. He was presenting the message of the gospel wherever he has gone.

And now in this second missionary journey, he is arriving there to Corinth. And we find him doing the very same thing that he has done everywhere he went. He went to the Jew first. Remember Romans 1 and verse 16. We read, Paul said, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also unto the Greek. Romans 1 and verse 16. So what does he do according to Acts chapter 18 and verse 4? He is going first of all to the synagogue to Beit HaKneset where his Jewish brethren were there on a Shabbat day.

And he is persuading his Jewish brethren concerning the person of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Apparently there were some Greeks, God-fearers, Greeks, who have come among the Jewish people in the synagogue in Beit HaKneset. Well, he sought to present before them the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. But apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul was not received by all. And as we read here in verse 5, that he sought that Paul was pressed in the spirit. And he testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ, that Yeshua was Hamashiach, the Messiah. Well, they opposed them. And then Paul said to them that he shook his raiment and he said unto them, God shall be upon your own head.

I am clean from henceforth and I will go unto the goyim, unto the Gentiles. So he departed. But he didn't go too far because he went and he entered into a man's house by the name of Justus. One that they have already worshiped God. Whose house was joined unto the synagogue. To remind you that Beit HaKneset, the synagogue, the Jewish community lived around the synagogue. And very much connected to the Beit HaKneset, to the gathering center, which was in the synagogue. Well, apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, eventually, Paul have gone beyond the synagogue. He went to the Gentiles and he began to present before them the message of the gospel.

We do read there that many of the Corinthians hearing believed. They believe in the message that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, is the Redeemer, the Savior. They were identified with his death, burial, and resurrection in being immersed and being baptized. In Hebrew, we call it lehitavel tevila. And then the apostle Shaul Paul received an encouragement from the Lord himself who told him, "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace, for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." Apparently, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friend, the Lord knew whom he will lead to himself.

And he will use the apostle Paul to bring to himself many in Corinth and to establish a local assembly in the city of Corinth. And apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle Shaul Paul spent one year and six months, 18 months in the city of Corinth, as it says here in verse 11 of Acts chapter 18. And he continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God among them. So, beloved brothers and sisters, the Lord used the apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, to establish a local assembly in the city of Corinth, which was a composition of mostly Gentiles believers, but some Jewish believers that have come to know, to acknowledge the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Well, when Paul had arrived to Corinth, he served there for these 18 months, and then he's sharing God's word, and then he established a local assembly in the city of Corinth. Well, it says in verse 18 of Acts chapter 18 that Paul, after this, he tarried there, yet for a while, and then he said then took his leave of the brethren, apparently there were already brethren in the local city of Corinth, and he sailed hence thence to Syria, and with him was Priscilla and Aquila, having shone his head in Senchera, for he had the vow. And then eventually, beloved brothers and sisters, according to verse 19, he came unto the city of Ephesus, and he left them there.

And again, we learn that when he arrived to Ephesus, he himself entered into the synagogue, and he risen with the Jewish, with his Jewish brethren, according to the flesh. That was his custom, but he had established, beloved brothers and sisters, the local assembly in the city of Corinth, and it was entirely the grace of God that he used the Apostle Paul to establish this assembly in Corinth. Now, we have already learned so much about this assembly from the first letter, but just to be reminded as we are entering into the second Corinthians, second letter that the Apostle Paul wrote, we learned that after Paul left Corinth, he went to Ephesus, but he heard of the sad condition that existed in this local assembly.

And to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, apparently the Corinthians were worshipping idols, and it didn't take too long. There was much immorality there, and apparently, after Paul left Corinth, he heard of the sad condition that existed in the local assembly there in Corinth. It didn't take too long, and Satan, as you know, had influenced the believers at Corinth. And what we learned from 1 Corinthians 5:9, we learned that Paul heard about the immorality that existed in Corinth. So we read in 1 Corinthians 5:9, "I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators." Apparently, there were some within the local assembly that committed fornication. There was sexual immorality.

There were many things that we have learned about the situation in Corinth as we studied the first letter. But Paul wrote them a letter, and apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, this particular letter that he had already written to them, because we do read in 1 Corinthians 5:9, "I wrote unto you." In other words, there was another letter that he wrote before 1 Corinthians. That letter apparently was lost. It was a letter that is not found, and Scripture does not tell us about this letter, but he had written to them a previous letter which was not part of the canon of Scripture. So by writing to them the previous letter, before 1 Corinthians was written, he was challenging the Corinthians to deal with that sin that existed in their midst.

Well, as Paul waited to hear what was going on in Corinth, and he was serving the Lord in the city of Ephesus, ministering the Gospel and being used by the Lord to establish another local assembly in the city of Ephesus, he heard additional information about the situation that existed again in the city of Corinth. We are still introducing 2 Corinthians, but it's so much connected with the first epistle, because according to 1 Corinthians 1:11, Paul, we read, "For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Ekelohe, that there are contention among you." In other words, Paul had also heard that there is not only immorality in the city of Corinth, but there were also divisions there.

And the reason that he wrote to them the first epistle is because he was responding to that which was written unto him, according to 1 Corinthians 1, the house of Ekelohe, that there are contention there. He heard about the immorality that was there. He wrote to them a previous letter, and that letter was lost, and he then had to write to them the first letter that we know as the letter of 1 Corinthians. Well, if you remember, in addition to the fact that he heard about the situation in Corinth, by Kelohe's family house, we also understand that the Corinthians wrote, and they wanted to know a certain answer to some problems that existed.

And according to 1 Corinthians chapter 7, the Apostle Paul also responded in the first epistle to some of the questions that they have had. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 1, we read, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me." You notice, here we find out that the Corinthians also wrote a letter to Paul in chapter 7 and verse 1. From chapter 1 and verse 11, we find out that the house of Kelohe came and told him what's going on in Corinth. So, Paul was responding in the writing of the first letter to the Corinthians as a response to what he heard, both by letter and both by coming of the house of Kelohe, from chapter 1 and verse 11.

Well, beloved brothers and sisters, now that he had already written to them the first epistle, so we learn so far now that he wrote one letter that was lost, which was not included in the canon of Scripture. Then he wrote the second letter, which is 1 Corinthians, the whole letter that he wrote to them as a corrective ministry. Now, as he remained at Ephesus, additional time, what we find out that he wanted to know what's going on there at Corinth, so he sent Timothy to the city of Corinth to find out what is going on there. And if you remember, beloved brothers and sisters, as he sent Timothy to Corinth, he wanted to know what is going on now at Corinth.

Did they correct all the things that he wrote them in the first letter in 1 Corinthians? Did they correct all the issues that existed there? How are they doing? And he really longed to know what was going on there with their brothers and sisters in that city of Corinth. I'm just going to read also 1 Corinthians chapter 4, just to read a verse there. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, we do read in verse 17, "For this cause I have sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord. He shall bring you into remembrance of my ways, which be in Christ as I teach everywhere and in every church." So Timothy apparently went, and he most likely took along with him that letter, the first letter to the Corinthians, and shared this with the Corinthians.

And he was waiting to see what will happen when Timothy will come, what answer he will give the apostle Paul. In chapter 16 of 1 Corinthians, which we have already studied together, we read in verse 10, "Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do." In verse 11 he said, "Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me." He was waiting for Timothy, "For I look for him with the brethren." So when we have concluded, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul also wrote another letter. After hearing what is going on, he wrote to them another letter, and in that letter, he wrote to them a letter that was very, very strong.

And in that letter, he wrote to them another letter. And in that letter, he wrote to them a letter that was very, very strong. And in that letter, he wrote to them a letter that was very, very strong. And in that letter, he wrote to them another letter, and Paul, he wrote to them another letter. And in that letter, he wrote to them a letter that was very, very strong letter. And Paul, he wrote to them that strong letter that he felt like he have offended them and harmed them or hurt them, but Paul knew that he needed to write to them this strong letter because of the fact that there were things so much in this order, in this local assembly.

And therefore, Paul had to write them apparently a third letter. And in that third letter, the apostle Paul is mentioning that he was heavy in what he heard about them. And so he wrote them another letter, which also apparently this letter is not, is not included in the canon of scripture, but now beloved brothers and sisters, he's writing to them the second inspired letter that is known to us as the, the book of the letter of second Corinthians. So Paul heard the news from Timothy later on about additional problems at Corinth, of some false apostles that have arrived at Corinth, teaching them false doctrine, also swaying the Corinthians to turn against Paul.

So Paul opened his heart to share his suffering for the gospel sake and for the Corinthians sake, as he's presenting the second epistle, the epistle that you and I know it as the second Corinthians beloved brothers and sisters. This is so interesting to understand. Notice what we read in second Corinthians chapter two and verse three. And I wrote this same unto you, lest when I came, I should have sorrow from, uh, them of whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you that my joy is the joy of you all. Notice how he mentioning that I wrote unto you. And then verse four, a for out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears.

So apparently he wrote another letter. And this letter apparently was a very strong letter with much affliction and much anguish. He wrote with many tears. And now that he was waiting to hear about the situation at Corinth. He loved the Corinthians. And beloved brothers and sisters, here we learn how the second epistle came about. It came about out of the burden that our pastor Paul had to for the believers at Corinth, because now they were not only having all the divisions among themselves. They had all the immorality among themselves. They were taking each other to court. And they were all had all sorts of problems that we have dealt with when we studied together the first letter that he wrote to the Corinthians.

But now in the second letter that he's writing to the Corinthians, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is really disclosed before the Corinthians, the state of his suffering and physical weakness and the worriness and pain that he experienced as he served the Lord. While false apostles have crept in to the assembly at Corinth and swayed the Corinthians even to turn against the apostle Paul, who was used by the Lord to establish the local assembly at Corinth. That's why we read in second Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 23, where Paul is saying, Are they ministers of Christ of the Messiah? I speak as a fool. I am more in labors.

More abundance in stripes above measure in prisons. More frequent in death of the Jews five times receive I forty stripes save one. A thrice was I bitten with rods. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I have been in the deep. In journey often in peril of waters. In peril of robbers. In peril by my own countrymen. In peril by the heathen. In peril in the city. In peril in the wilderness. In peril in the sea. In peril among false brethren. In weariness. And in painfulness. In watchings. Often in hunger. And in thirst. In fasting often. In cold and nakedness.

Beside all things that are without. That which cometh upon me daily. The care of all the churches. The kehilot. The assemblies. So beloved brothers and sisters. What we really learn. As we are going to study together. The second letter. That Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. That here. The apostle Paul. Is opening his heart. Before the Corinthian believers. And he is sharing with them. Of the comfort that he received. From the Lord Jesus. From God the Father. That give him the grace. And the ministry. That God is providing. Providing for him. As well. And for all. Those. That belong. To the Lord Jesus. And therefore.

The theme. And the lesson. That we will learn. As we study these letters. Is very. Very important. Beloved brothers and sisters. So Paul. Of course. Is the writer. Of this letter. As we read. In 2nd Corinthians. Chapter 1. God. Paul. An apostle of Jesus Christ. By the will of God. And Timothy. Our brother. Unto the church of God. Which is at Corinth. With all the saints. Which are. In all. Achaia. So the author. According to. 2nd Corinthians. Chapter 1. In verse 1. And 2nd Corinthians. Chapter 10. In verse 1. Now I. Paul. Myself. Beseech you. By the meekness. And gentleness. Of Christ. Who. In. A presence. And base. Among you.

But. Being. Absent. And bold. Towards you. So the author. Is. Shaul Paul. Who is writing. As a servant. Of the Lord. To the believers. In the. City. Of. Coen. While. The first letter. To the Corinthians. Were written. At about. 53. 54. A.D. The second letter. To the Corinthians. Were written. At about. 55. 56. A.D. And this. Second letter. Was written. For. The purpose. Of. Speaking. To the Corinthian. Believers. In the local. Assembly. Who were. The recipients. Of this. Of this. Who. The apostle. Paul. Sought. To minister. And to. Who needed. Additional. Correction. But on the other hand. He wanted. To open. Before them. His heart. Of love.

How much. He cared. For them. And he loved. Them. And he. Really. This is one of the. The only letters. In which. The apostle. Believers. In. The assembly. At Corinth. So. The recipients. According. To verse. One. We also. Learn. Paul. An apostle. Of Jesus Christ. By the will. Of God. And Timothy. Our brother. Timothy. Is. Including him. As one. That was part. Of the writing. Of this letter. Is writing it. Unto the church. Of God. Which is. At Corinth. To the church. The assembly. Of the believers. There. The word church. In the Greek. Ekklesia. Called out. Once. He's writing. To the believers. In this city.

Of Corinth. And then he says. With all. The saints. Which are. In all. Achaia. Achaia. Is a Roman province. Which the city. Of Corinth. Were part. Of this province. And you notice. Once again. Beloved. Brothers. And sisters. Although. There were. So many. Problems. In the city. Of Corinth. Among. The believers. There. Yet. Once again. Shaul Paul. Is calling them. Saints. Saints. You notice. This interesting. Word. Saints. And we know. That the word. Saints. In the. Greek. Is. Hagios. In Hebrew. Kedoshim. Or. Mekudashim. There. Were. Saints. Positionally. We've. Already. Learned. That. From. Chapter. One. And. Verse. Two. Of. The. First. Epistle. Unto. The. Church. Of. God.

Which. Is. To. Them. That. Are. Sanctified. In. Christ. Jesus. In. The. Messiah. Saints. With. All. That. In. Every. Place. Call. Upon. The. Name. Of. Jesus. Christ. Our. Lord. Both. Theirs. And. Ours. Here. The. Same. Thing. Second. Corinthians. Chapter. One. And. Verse. One. Which. Are. In. All. The. Roman. Provence. Of. Achaia. So. The. Recipients. Were. The. Very. Same. Local. Assembly. That. Received. The. First. Epistle. That. Paul. Have. Already. Wrote. A. Few. Years. Earlier. Well. In. This. Letter. That. The. Apostle. Paul. Was. Writing. Is. Really. Disclosed. Before. The. Saints. Before. The. Believers.

Corinth his state of suffering you will notice beloved brothers and sisters that much of the letter here in this second letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians Paul disclosing before the believers at Corinth his suffering you would find him many times he's speaking about his suffering notice in verse 8 for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were pressed out of measure above strength inasmuch as we despaired even of life Paul is mentioned here to the Corinthians in chapter 4 of the second epistle he continued to mention to them in verse 8 concerning the trials and the trouble that he experienced we

have this treasure in earthen vessels and then in verse 8 we are troubled on every side and yet he says yet not distressed we are a perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed he's opening his heart before the Corinthians throughout this second epistle beloved brothers and sisters and in sharing his heart with the Corinthians who were now influenced by false apostles false brethren who claim to be messengers of the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and sway the Corinthians against the apostle Paul who was used by the Lord Jesus to establish this local assembly in second Corinthians chapter 6 we read in verse 4 but in all things approving

ourselves as ministers of God in much patience in affliction in necessities in distresses and we can continue on in stripes in imprisonments in tumulets in labors in watching and in fasting and and so on and so on he's giving a list beloved brothers and sisters and dear friend of the suffering that he as a servant of the Lord as an apostle as a shalich apostolos as he served the Lord Jesus the Messiah and he continue in chapter 11 and there in verse 23 he's mentioning this again beloved brothers and sisters he continue in verse 23 said are they ministers of christ of christ of the messiah in other words speaking about those are false apostles

i speak as a fool i am more in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in death often and he continued to give us this list of suffering that he has experienced he mentioned it in chapter 1 and more in detail in chapter 4 and in chapter 6 and in chapter 11 the apostle apostle shaul paul has suffered for the name of our lord yeshua jesus the messiah and for the sake of the believers the various believers in various cities in europe and asia minor and he was called by the lord if you remember beloved brothers and sisters to call to go out to all the nations of the world and

to preach the message of the gospel and you remember what we read what we read act chapter 9 where shaul met the messiah on the way to damascus and how hanania was told by the glorified christ the glorified messiah he said to hanania for he is a chosen vessel unto me verse 15 of act chapter 9 to bear my name before the gentiles and kings and kings and the children of israel for i will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake and so beloved brothers and sisters what a lesson we will learn as we will learn as we will learn as we study together the second letter to the corinthians

and with the help of the lord we will go through one chapter at a time and one verse at a time and trust that the lord will help us to understand this letter the spirit of god is able to help us to understand what paul was seeking to convey to the corinthians and to you and me as we experience sufferings and trials here in this world before the lord yeshua jesus the messiah left and have gone to die on that shameful roman cross he said to the disciples in the city of yerushalayim there as he celebrated pesach passover with them and then introduced what is known the lord's table and the lord's supper and then

he introduced the new covenant with the giving of his body and his blood that will be shed and it's symbolized by the matzad the unleavened bread and by the fruit of the vine where he says this is my body which is given for you this is the blood of the new covenant which is shed for you you remember he said to them at the end he said in this world you shall have tribulation before he left the disciples in jerusalem but be of good cheer i have overcome the world in this world that reject god and god's ways though that we follow the god and father of our lord yeshua the messiah will experience trials

and tribulation here in this world so now beloved brothers and sisters as we continue in the introduction i would like to mention the division of this book of second corinthians in chapter one from chapter one verse one all the way to chapter seven there at the end of the chapter verse 16 the apostle shaul paul is explaining to the corinthians the service the ministry that the lord have called him to and he's explaining to the corinthians what he is doing in his ministry as the lord have called him to this ministry then in chapter eight verse one and to chapter nine and verse 15 these two chapters seems to be kind of out of place

in the second epistle that deal with the sufferings and the trials and the need for comfort from god in the midst of trials the apostle shaul paul is encouraging the corinthians in their generosity apparently they have seen the need as the apostle paul have shared with them concerning the people in judea the jewish people who were suffering in judea and so in chapter eight and nine the apostle paul was instructing corinthians and other local churches in asia minor to collect funds in order that they will bring it into the in the jewish believers in judea and he tell them in chapter eight verse one more of a brethren we do you to wit of the

grace of god bestowed on the churches of macedonia how that in great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality in other words he is speaking there of the fact that the believers in corinth and in the churches the local assemblies in macedonia they were faithfully raising support and funds for the people in judea who were suffering for the name of yeshua the messiah and then in chapter 10 11 12 and 13 these final four chapters the apostle paul is specifically enforcing he's enforcing his apostolic authority now to remind you beloved brothers and sisters that because false apostles came to the city of corinth

the apostle paul is showing to the corinth is showing to the corinthians that he is indeed an apostle it was a apostolos was sent by the glorified christ the glorified messiah and he's really enforcing his apostolic authority and and showing to the corinthians that he is indeed an apostle of our lord yeshua jesus the messiah and that they should recognize that then instead of listening to the false apostles as we read in chapter 11 where he's mentioning concerning the false apostles where he said are they ministers of christ i speak as a fool this is verse 23 of chapter 11 i am more in other words if they claim to be ministers servants of christ

even i am more because i was sent by the lord jesus the messiah and he sent me to be the apostle to the gentiles to the nations of the world and so this is a amazing beloved brothers and sisters so the reason that we have this writing in this second letter is that the apostle paul is seeking to present his heart for the believers at corinth he wrote in chapter 4 and verse 1 2 corinthians 4 and verse 1 he said therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have this ministry as we have received mercy we faint not notice verse 6 of 2 corinthians 4 for god commanded the light to shine out of

darkness has shined in our in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ in other words the same god that said let there be light is the same god that said let there be light is the same god that says let there be light is the same god that have used us that we he shone in our hearts in order that we will be used by him to give the light of the knowledge of the grace and the glory of god in the face of jesus christ in other words the theme of this chapter i should say of this book of this letter

is the god's encouragement god's encouragement and as paul was opening his heart to the corinthian explaining his ministry commanding them for the giving for the generosity and enforcing his apostolic authority his apostolic authority he was encouraging the believers at corinth and to understand the blessing that they have been brought into and that the apostle paul loved them and he sought to minister to them even in the way in which he was correcting them by writing to them his first letter and now his second letter so as we are just concluding with the introduction the reason for the writing of this letter is that the apostle paul wanted the corinthian also beloved brothers and sisters to

learn to forgive and to comfort one another and apparently if you remember that in the first epistle he told them in chapter five that they are to put out a person that doesn't judge sin in his life and continue with habitual and ongoing sin in his life in the second letter the apostle paul is seeking to instruct the corinthian to forgive the one that have repented now and to receive him back to the assembly according to the assembly according to second corinthian chapter two we read in verse six sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many this particular person this particular person that have sinned and didn't judge himself the

local assembly at corinthian had to put him out in judgment because he didn't confess and didn't change his way now that he apparently have repented changed his manner then the apostle paul is writing this letter to help the corinthian to restore a brother that have gone astray secondly beloved brothers and sisters paul is explaining also in this letter that he had to change his plan he was intending to come to them but apparently he delayed and he didn't come so in second corinthian chapter one and verses fifteen to the end he's explaining to the corinthian that he had in mind to come but plans have changed we read in verse fifteen and in this confidence

i was mindful to come to you before that he might have a second benefit and to pass by you into macedonia and to come again out of macedonia unto you and of you to be brought on my way to judea when i therefore was thus minded did i use lightness so in other words here something happened that caused him to not be able to come to have a visit with the corinthian and so as we are studying as we are going to study this very interesting letter we will notice that apostle paul has a reason as to why he is writing this letter to the corinthians one more point before we are going to close

in this introduction paul often time in writing this second epistle he is mentioning the word comfort in the greek is paraklesis in hebrew is nechama paraklesis or comfort or consolation the word is mentioned quite a few times in this letter and the lesson that we will learn beloved brothers and sisters that the apostle paul is emphasizing that through suffering when a person is going through trials and suffering in his or her life they are in a need of god's comfort god paraklesis god's nechama god's consolation god's encouragement god's comfort god's comfort and this is a need that exists in the life of every believer and you and i know it very well when we are

going through trials in our life how much we long for some comfort and god is a god of comfort he is the one that provides comfort to his own people and paul specifically who opened his heart before the corinthians in this second letter he himself needed this for his own life he needed comfort he needed nechama he needed paraklesis from the lord who is the abba the god of comfort and he mentioned the word comfort quite a few times beloved brothers and sisters in fact if you remember that the holy spirit of god is also called by the lord as the comforter the paraklesis according to john 14 and verse 16 yeshua said i will

pray the father and he will give you another comforter and he will give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever what we learn beloved brothers and sisters that the lord jesus the messiah is a comforter a paraklesis a nechama from john 14 and verse 16 i will pray the father and he will give you another of the same kind another comforter of the same kind another comforter i am your comfort now but i would pray the father and he will send you another comforter which is the holy spirit even the spirit of truth john chapter 14 and verse 17 so it's not only the the son the messiah was the comforter it

is also the holy spirit of god that was given unto us he is our nechama our peraklesis our comforter but in the gospel of john he spoke yeshua of himself and of the holy spirit but here beloved brothers and sisters we learn in second corinthian chapter one that it is also the father of mercy who is the god of all comfort that we will read in verse three blessed be god even the father of our lord jesus christ the father of mercies and the god of all peraklesis the god of all comfort the god of all in hebrew nechama the god of all comfort beloved brothers and sisters the apostle shaul paul will provide for

us a key word in second corinthian the word peraklesis comfort nechama and that is the one that is our consolation notice that let me just read this for you in chapter one and verse three blessed be god even the father of our lord jesus christ the father of mercy and the god of all comfort verse four who comforteth us in all our tribulation verse five in the middle so our comfort also our consolation the same word abound by christ verse six whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation for your comfort and then in verse seven he mentioned it again at the end there so shall ye be also of the consolation of the

comfort amazing truth we learn here beloved brothers and sisters in chapter seven we learn of second corinthian chapter seven and verse four we read again great is my boldness of speech toward you great is my glorying of you i am filled with comfort great is my glorying of you i am filled with comfort and he continued to mention comfort as well in verse seven and in verse 13 how wonderful therefore we were comforted in your comfort verse 13 of second corinthian chapter seven so beloved brothers and sisters we find out that the key word in the book of second corinthian is the word of comfort peraklis is in the english come to more than one

word comfort encouragement consolation but it comes from the very same greek word which simply is peraklis is or peraklitos peraklitos is what we learn concerning the holy spirit of god in john 14 and verse 16 well beloved brothers and sisters this is just by way of introduction in the will of the lord in our next message together we will continue with second corinthian chapter one and we will begin to deal with the verses one verse at a time from verse one onward well until the next time beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends god bless you and we say to you shalom shalom