Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

Richard, here are a few more thoughts:

> It is noteworthy that there is very little mention
> in 2 Cor 10-13 of Paul's
> 'sorrowful' visit to Corinth.  

Nevertheless, there is mention of it, while there is
no mention of it at all in I Corinthians. On the other
hand, I Corinthians is loaded with allusions to the
first ("evangelical") visit in 50-52: I Cor. 2:1-5;
3:1-3,6,10; 11:2,23, etc. The more we distance II Cor.
10-13 from II Cor. 1-9 -- or the more we distance the

former letter from I Corinthians -- the more awkward
the results. In each pair, one is a "sequel" of sorts
to the other. 

> There is a further reason to dissociate 2 Cor 10-13
> from the sorrowful
> visit. It is clear from 2 Cor 2.5-11; 7.8-12 that
> (at least by the time
> that the tearful letter arrived) the guilt lay
> largely with a single
> individual and the majority of the Corinthians were
> innocent. Yet 2 Cor
> 10-13 shows few signs that Paul was singling out an
> individual: he seems to
> be concerned about the whole community. How do we
> explain this apparent
> discrepancy?

Only by the time Paul wrote II Cor. 1-9 had he learned
from Titus that the controversy over the rival
influencers had been fomented by a particular
ringleader (II Cor. 7:12). Paul does not regret having
chastised the entire church in the tearful letter
(7:8), because his admonishments "led to the members’
repentance" and put them back on track again (7:9),
and they now stand "guiltless in the matter" (7:11).

> If Paul had first-hand
> knowledge of the situation,
> he would not have made a mistake in assuming
> widespread involvement of the
> entire community in the matter. 

This was not a "mistake". There was widespread
involvement -- at least, in the sense that many were
being influenced by those alluded to in II Cor. 11:22.

Loren Rosson III,
Nashua, NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com

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