The Difficult Chronology of Paul's Letters and Visits to Corinth

Paul visited Corinth during his second missionary journey and planted the church (A.D. 50) (Acts 18:1-17).

Paul left Corinth and made his way back to his sending church in Antioch. After being in Antioch for a while, Paul was eventually sent on his third missionary tour and ended up back in Ephesus where he remained for three years (Acts 19; 20:31).

While in Ephesus, Paul heard of severe moral problems within the Corinthian church from Chloe's people and wrote a letter telling them how to deal with it. He referred to this “previous letter” in 1 Corinthians 5:9 (A.D. 55). This letter is a lost letter and is the first letter written by Paul to the Corinthians.

After a season, Paul received a letter from members of the church at Corinth concerning some alarming problems arising (1 Corinthians 7:1). It seems to have been from Chloe's family and Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who eventually came to Ephesus to give Paul the letter detailing the problems over which the church was in conflict (1 Corinthians 1:11; 16:17). In response, Paul wrote what is now known as 1 Corinthians (A.D. 55) and sent it to Corinth in the hands of Timothy (I Corinthians 4:17). 

The 1 Corinthians letter did not bring about its desired effect; the situation instead worsened and the rebellion against Paul's ministry and authority seems to have seriously increased. On hearing the report, Paul made a quick visit to Corinth seeking to resolve the conflict and restore their relationship (2 Corinthians 2:1; 12:14; 13:1-2). Many call this the “painful visit” that broke Paul's heart. 

The conflict eventually reached a near-breaking point when one Corinthian leader defied Paul's authority. The church did not defend or affirm Paul's authority, so Paul left and returned to Ephesus.

In Ephesus, Paul wrote a third letter to the Corinthians “in a spirit of affliction and anguish” (2 Corinthians 2:3-4,9; 7:8,12). This “exceedingly severe letter,” delivered by Titus (2 Corinthians 2:3,13; 7:13), is the letter referred to as the letter of rebuke, and Paul almost regretted sending it. 

Titus went to Corinth with the “rebuke letter” in hand seeking to reconcile relationships. Paul was unable to wait for Titus to return with the news, so he left Ephesus and went to Troas (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:5,13). At Philippi, Paul heard from Titus that there had been a change in spirit toward him. The leader of the rebellion was disciplined and ultimately rejected.

Paul responded by writing 2 Corinthians from Philippi (A.D. 56). 

Paul returned to Corinth one final time (Acts 20:1-3) where his relationship with the church was fully restored, and he received the offering to carry to Jerusalem. It was during this stay in Corinth that Paul likely wrote his letter to the Romans.  

Purpose

The second letter to the Corinthians has one central theme—the relationship between suffering and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul's opponents had argued that Paul had suffered way too much to be a true Spirit-empowered apostle of Jesus Christ. 

Paul, on the other hand, made it clear that his endurance through adversity, his thankfulness in trials, and his ability to comfort others with the comfort he had received from God was evidence Paul was aptly empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Paul's Warning About Rejecting His Apostleship

Because Paul's life and ministry embodied the cross and Resurrection of Christ, he warned that to reject him was equal to rejecting the message of Christ. 

2 Corinthians is divided up quite conspicuously:

• Paul sought to strengthen the faithful majority by defining his faithful past track record (1-7).

• Paul sought to complete the collection for Jerusalem as an expression of their repentance (8-9).

• Paul reached out one last time in mercy to those in rebellious opposition to him, warning of judgment to come on those remaining in rebellion (10-13).