About This Book

2 Corinthians is one of Paul’s most personal letters, written to a church he loves deeply and has laboured for at great cost. The relationship has been strained by misunderstanding, sin, and the influence of persuasive voices who belittle Paul and distort what faithful ministry should look like. Paul writes to comfort the wounded, to restore trust where repentance has begun, and to steady the church under the gospel, so that its life, leadership, and mission are shaped by Christ rather than by appearance and performance.

The movement of the book is a blend of encouragement, explanation, and earnest appeal. Paul begins with the God who comforts sufferers and with the integrity of his ministry (chs.1 to 2), then opens up the nature of new covenant proclamation, where treasure is carried in weak jars and the aroma of Christ is spread through costly service (chs.3 to 6). He then presses for reconciliation and holiness, rejoicing in the Corinthians’ repentance while urging renewed affection and practical partnership (chs.7 to 9). The closing chapters confront those still resisting Paul’s authority, exposing counterfeit apostles and boasting only in weakness under the grace of Christ (chs.10 to 13). The spiritual burden is clear, a church must learn to recognise the voice of the true Shepherd in the pattern of cruciform ministry, and to live as reconciled people who are freed to give themselves away.

2 Corinthians trains the church to trust Christ’s power in weakness, and to measure ministry by faithfulness rather than by flair.

Preach this book as a pastor to pastors and to congregations, keep showing how the cross shapes both the messenger and the message, and be patient with the emotional turns, because Paul is shepherding hearts as well as correcting ideas.

Structure of the Book

This outline is intentionally high level. It is designed to keep sermon planning tethered to the flow of the book.

1. Comfort in affliction and integrity in ministry
   God’s comfort, Paul’s sufferings, changed travel plans, and the aim of restoring joy and trust, chs.1 to 2
2. The aroma and triumph of gospel proclamation
   The ministry that spreads the knowledge of Christ, with sincerity before God, ch.2
3. New covenant glory and transformed hearts
   Life in the Spirit, unveiled beholding, and the surpassing glory of gospel ministry, ch.3
4. Treasure in jars of clay and the hope of resurrection
   Weakness, perseverance, and eternal perspective in suffering, chs.4 to 5
5. The message of reconciliation and the call to holiness
   Ambassadors for Christ, the day of salvation, then practical separation from defilement and wholehearted devotion, chs.5 to 7
6. Joyful repentance and renewed affection
   Paul’s comfort in their repentance, the restoration of relationships, and the strengthening of the church’s love, ch.7
7. Grace shaped generosity
   Giving as worship, the example of Christ’s self giving, integrity in collection, and confidence in gospel fruit, chs.8 to 9
8. True apostleship and boasting only in Christ
   Spiritual warfare, exposing false apostles, Paul’s sufferings, thorn, and final appeals toward restoration, chs.10 to 13

Key Themes

• God’s comfort in suffering, the Father meets his people in affliction, equipping them to comfort others with the comfort they have received.
• Gospel integrity, Paul’s conscience is tethered to truth before God, refusing manipulation and insisting that love and clarity belong together.
• New covenant ministry, the Spirit brings life, opens blind eyes, and writes God’s law on hearts, so that the church grows through gospel proclamation.
• Power in weakness, the pattern of Christ’s death and life marks Christian service, so frailty becomes a stage for divine strength.
• Reconciliation, God reconciles sinners through Christ, then forms a reconciled community that pursues peace, forgiveness, and restored fellowship.
• Holiness as wholehearted devotion, separation from idolatry is not withdrawal from the world, but a clean heart set apart for God.
• Generosity as grace, giving is framed as participation in God’s kindness, shaped by Christ’s self giving and aimed at thanksgiving to God.
• Discernment about leaders, the church must learn to recognise true shepherds, not by outward impressiveness but by Christlike faithfulness and suffering love.
• Spiritual warfare, the battle is fought with gospel truth and humble boldness, taking thoughts captive to obey Christ.

Recommended Commentaries

Recommendations are grouped to help you build a working shelf. A top choice aims to serve as your primary companion for preaching and teaching. A strong recommendation provides a second trusted voice that complements your main volume. A useful supplement helps with structure, background, or a particular angle, without demanding more time than it is worth.

• The Second Epistle To The Corinthiansby Paul W. Barnett, Score: 9.0

  A profound and pastorally wise exposition of one of Paul’s most challenging letters.

• The Second Epistle to the Corinthiansby Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, Score: 8.7

  A thoughtful and pastorally weighty evangelical exposition of 2 Corinthians that continues to serve the church well.

• 2 Corinthiansby Simon J. Kistemaker, Score: 8.4

  A thoughtful, well-shaped exposition that opens up Paul’s pastoral heart with clarity and balance.

Browse all 2 Corinthians reviews

An extra voice is often most helpful in chs.1 to 7 where the emotional and pastoral flow can feel complex, and in chs.10 to 13 where the tone sharpens and the arguments about apostleship and authority need careful, humble application.

Preaching and Teaching Helps

2 Corinthians rewards slow, pastoral exposition, especially because Paul’s argument is woven through travel updates, personal appeals, and theological reflections.

• Keep the storyline in view, remind hearers of the strained relationship, the pain, the repentance, and the aim of reconciliation, so individual passages land with their intended weight.
• Teach the shape of true ministry, chs.2 to 6 are foundational for leadership culture, guard against celebrity instincts by showing that gospel ministry looks like weakness, endurance, and openhearted love.
• Handle separation and holiness carefully, passages in chs.6 to 7 can be misused, keep them tethered to idolatry, covenant identity, and the call to clean devotion.
• Preach generosity as grace, in chs.8 to 9 make giving concrete and cheerful, connect it to Christ’s self giving, and stress integrity and transparency as part of discipleship.
• Approach chs.10 to 13 with humility, Paul’s boldness is pastoral, not self protective, show how he confronts to restore, and how boasting is redirected to Christ alone.
• Lean into comfort for the weary, suffering saints, discouraged servants, and strained relationships are common in every congregation, this letter gives language for hope that does not deny pain.

This Book in the Story of Scripture

2 Corinthians stands in the era of the new covenant, where the risen Christ gathers and sanctifies his people through the ministry of the word and the power of the Spirit. The letter shows what it looks like for the gospel of reconciliation, accomplished at the cross and vindicated in the resurrection, to shape the church’s relationships, leadership, worship, and mission. Paul’s weaknesses, sufferings, and endurance are not accidental details, they display the pattern of the crucified Messiah whose strength is made perfect in weakness.

For the church today, 2 Corinthians deepens assurance by locating confidence in God’s promises rather than in outward success. It shapes holiness by calling believers to clean devotion, and it strengthens mission by teaching the church to speak and live as ambassadors who plead with sinners to be reconciled to God. It also reforms our instincts about ministry, reminding us that faithful service is often costly, frequently misunderstood, and always sustained by grace that will not let Christ’s servants go.

The gospel reconciles us to God through Christ, forms us into reconciled people, and sends us out with hopeful obedience sustained by grace.