2 Corinthians (A Pentecostal Commentary)

2 Corinthians is the most personal of all Paul’s letters in which he had to defend his apostleship and the gospel message itself from ‘false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ’ (2 Cor 11:13). Paul emphasizes that what distinguishes him from these false apostles, is his suffering for the sake of the gospel (11:23–28). It is within this context that Paul asked the Lord three times to take away the ‘thorn in the flesh.’ In the Lord’s answer, Paul learned a profound truth: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (12:9). I reviewed the earliest Pentecostal writings and found that in reflecting on themes such as ‘power in the midst of weakness and suffering,’ ‘a heavenly treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor 4:7),’ ‘a new creation,’ and ‘ambassadors of a message of reconciliation,’ 2 Corinthians provided comfort and direction.