Paul's Hello (1-3)

The accusation against Paul was that he had suffered too much to be a true apostle, so Paul first established himself as Christ's apostle by God's will not only to Corinth but also to all of Achaia (1). Then Paul greeted the Corinthians and all of Achaia, extending grace and peace to all before he jumped into the subject at hand (2-3).  

Suffering Proved Paul's Authority (4-11)

1. He Was Made a Greater Comforter (4-7) 

   He explained to the Corinthians how God had responded to his suffering by comforting him and then causing his suffering to benefit them by allowing him to extend the same comfort with which God had comforted him (4).   

   Paul made one point of theology very clear: “We share abundantly in Christ's sufferings so we can abundantly share His comfort” (5).  

   Paul saw suffering in a very specific way: if he suffered and endured the suffering, he would become a comforter to others suffering, so they would be able to endure as he became a comforter to them (6-7).  

2. He Was Made a Greater Truster (8-9)

   Paul then gave the Corinthians a bit more detail of just how severely he had suffered in Ephesus. His suffering did not prove God had abandoned him, but rather how, through suffering, God had empowered him all the more to comfort others. His suffering was so severe he had been out of strength and thought for certain he was going to die (8). The whole experience taught him not to depend on himself but on God, who would get him through times when he was certain he was at a dead-end (9).  

3. He Was Taught a Greater Lesson (10)

   During this severe bout with persecution and suffering, Paul had learned one essential lesson:

   “God delivered ... He will deliver ... He will deliver again …” This was all part of God’s teaching Paul not to rely on himself (10).  

4. He Was Taught the Importance of Prayer (11)

   It was during these times that Paul was taught how prayer was so integral to discovering God's blessing in tough times (11). 

Conscience Proves Paul's Authority (12-14) 

Next, Paul gave us insight into his concept and importance of conscience. While others were condemning Paul for his delay in coming, Paul asserted that his delay in coming to them was right in line with his conscience. He was not trying to figure out what was best for him (earthly wisdom) but he was seeking to be directed by God's grace and his own conscience (12). Paul assured them that he would not write a letter that was over their heads and difficult to understand (13). He instead wrote in a way where they would boast in Paul for his honesty in Christ and for the openness in which he communicated with them (14).  

Travel-Planning Ethics Prove Paul's Integrity (15-22)

Paul then took a moment to explain the sequence of events that led him to change his mind about not coming to them. Paul assured the Corinthians that he had not misled them as some were accusing him, and neither was he vacillating. Paul was not a carnal planner (15-16). 

Paul did not say “yes” while meaning “no,” and neither would he say “no” when he meant “yes” (17-18). Paul told the Corinthians that he made decisions the same way he preached Christ and the same way he responded to the promises of God: “Yes, I will believe; yes, I will obey” (19-20).  

Paul continued with his logic: God had anointed him and he was able to consistently serve God, the promises, and the gospel by the power of that anointing (21). It was God who had put the seal of His favor on him by guaranteeing him Holy-Spirit-power to endure when death would have been otherwise certain (22).  

The Reason Paul Changed His Mind (23-24) 

Then he revealed the cause of his divinely inspired change of plans—mercy. Christian leadership was never heavy-handed and always sought to help all to stand firm in the faith (23-24).