2 Corinthians

2 Cor 12:11 I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. Once again, the "eminent apostles" spoken of by Paul are the false teachers. Paul feels that he was compelled to foolishly boast on himself because they compelled him into it. The Corinthians were being swayed by these false teachers with a bad message and false credentials.

2 Cor 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Cor 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds. False apostles and Satan can all disguise themselves as apostles of Elohim. How can we distinguish between true messages and false ones? Elohim tells us how to spot a false prophet. It is one who tells us not to walk according to His Torah. Deut. 13:1-5 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4“You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5“But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.

2 Cor 7:4 Great is my confidence in you, great is my boasting on your behalf; I am filled with comfort. I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. 2 Cor 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. 2 Cor 7:6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 2 Cor 7:7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. When Paul and Timothy came into Macedonia, they were surrounded by conflict and affliction. Elohim comforted them by sending Titus with his report that the assemblies in Macedonia had zeal for them and desired to see them.. 2 Cor 7:8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it-- for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-- 2 Cor 7:9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. This is likely not a reference to the letter of 1 Corinthians as we know it. There were probably four letters written to the Corinthians of which this is the fourth. It is likely that this reference to a letter is a reference to his third letter, which produced sorrow. It was apparently a letter to them that chastised them for their sin in breaking Torah and the laws of cleanliness. This letter led to be sorrowful repentance which was the purpose of the letter. 2 Cor 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Cor 7:11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. Sorrow that is according to the will of Elohim will lead to repentance to salvation. Sorrow for sin that causes repentance turns a person to obedience to the Torah of Elohim. This is a positive result from sorrow. The type of sorrow produced by the world only leads to isolation and death. The sorrow for sin in Corinth has produced fear along with indignation and longing against sin. However, we do not know the particular instance of which Paul is speaking. Whatever the instance is, the assembly in Corinth is pleading innocent in the matter.

2 Cor 6:1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain-- How would we receive the grace of Elohim in vain, or "for nothing"? When we receive the grace of Elohim, we will be faithful to follow in His righteousness. Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Prov. 3:1-4 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2For length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you. 3Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 2 Cor 6:2 for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU"; behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION"-- Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 and states that this is the acceptable time and this is the Day of Salvation. Why is now the Day of Salvation? Keep in mind that Paul has been speaking of the New Covenant with Israel in the previous chapters. This is the time of the New Covenant where Elohim puts His Spirit is within His people. Jer 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34“And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Ezek.36:25-27 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. This is what Paul meant by "Now is the day of salvation." He means the New Covenant is drawing His people near to Him and will make all things new. Therefore, he warns the people to avoid sin.

2 Cor 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are not adequate in anything coming from themselves. Our adequacy comes from the sacrifice of Yeshua who is the Mediator of the New Covenant. With the New Covenant, the Spirit of Elohim writes His word on our hearts and minds. This is a very misinterpreted passage by many theologians and many preachers. Paul is not saying that we should follow our hearts instead of following Torah as some teach. When Paul says, "the letter kills," he is saying that Torah without the Spirit of Elohim in our hearts means death. The Spirit of Elohim in our hearts gives us life and the desire to please Him.

2 Cor 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. He said “I will put My Spirit within them and cause them to walk in My laws. statutes and ordinances”. If the Spirit is in us, we will walk in obedience to Torah. It’s a pledge, a pledge to what? The resurrection, you will be a part of the resurrection. It’s a pledge to His people. Ezek 36:27 “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.