Suffering and Reconciliation

Introduction

            Portions of Paul’s letters can be challenging to interpret because they are often “task-oriented.”[1] In other words, Paul’s intention was not necessarily to present a systematic theology, instead he wrote to confront certain moral and spiritual issues in the church. Paul’s task-oriented theolgy is front and center when he tackles the subject of “reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-21). The Apostle’s appeal to reconciliation is much more than a request to “be reconciled to God,” it is an appeal to be reconciled to the Apostle’s authority and message. Paul’s argument in 5:17-21 is explicit, in the Apostle’s mind reconciliation with God is only possible when those that oppose his authority are willing to re-align themselves with his apostleship.[2]

The Backdrop of Paul’s Task

            The city and the people of Corinth “combined to create a diverse public life that pulsated with all the ancient world had to offer.”[3] Corinth was a melting pot of people, religions, traditions, and philosophies. It is estimated that the city had a population of approximately 750,000 people.[4] In many ways it resembled the modern pluralistic society that we are accustomed to in our western culture, it was in a sense the “young and prosperous |metropolis| of the ancient world.”[5] Materialism and self-interest were the dominant forces in the life of the everyday Corinthian citizen. The social identity of the church in Corinth is no less Corinthian than the city itself. “Thus, both in founding the church and in pastoring thereafter, Paul had to deal head-on with the social identity that Corinth’s history had created.”[6] Pride of identity and intellectual superiority are just some of the characteristics that were infiltrating the Corinthian church. Their struggle with social status and intellectual superiority is apparent when Paul reminds them that they should not boast about who has baptized them because after all, it was Christ that was crucified for them (1 Cor. 1: 12-14). Likewise, when it comes to intellectual superiority, whatever knowledge they have can be attributed to Christ because he is the one that has “enriched” them, “in all speech and knowledge” (1 Cor. 1:5 ESV).

The Breeding-Ground of Opposition

            The influence that the Corinthian society was exerting in the church contributed to a fertile breeding ground for ministerial opposition. Paul calls the men that oppose him, “false prophets, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:9 NASB). The false prophets were undoubtedly “capitalizing on the Corinthian “middle class” love of money and prestige.”[7] Driven by their self-aggrandizing motives the false prophets were in effect preaching what amounts to a modern-day prosperity gospel. Consequently, the Corinthian church had turned their ears to a gospel they wanted to hear, and one that was not in line with the gospel they had first believed (2 Cor. 11:4). Subsequently, the Corinthian church becomes a battleground for the authenticity of true apostolic authority. Ultimately the church has two options, follow the pseudo-prophets “who promise them deliverance from suffering and a steady diet of spiritual experiences”[8] or follow the Apostle who demonstratively models a life of faith, love, and godly suffering.

The Opponents Portrayal of Paul

            With so much at stake for Paul’s opponents it easy to see why there was such fierce opposition to his authority as an Apostle. If the pseudo-teachers are going to maintain control of their influence, they must find a way to invalidate the ministry of Paul. The primary tactic used by his opponents is to affirm their own apostleship by proposing a rhetorical and charismatic superiority.[9] In addition to the prideful self-evaluation of their rhetoric and spirituality they also “trumpet their ethnic heritage as Jews”[10] and seem to in some way to connect their ministry to that of Moses[11] (2 Cor. 3:3-18). While there are still those in the church who view Paul’s apostleship in a positive light, the attacks are taking a toll on the apostle, and causing a significant membership in the church to question the authority of the Apostle. When Paul finally addresses the church, his apostolic authority is no longer common ground, and the church is divided over his apostleship.[12]

The True Mark of Apostleship

            Paul sufferings for the gospel is inarguable, and it was a suffering he readily accepted as part of his divine mandate (Acts 9:16). Indeed, it is his suffering that is called into question by his opposition. “From the perspective of his opponents, Paul…suffered too much,”[13] and to his enemies this made him look weak. Paul counters these attacks by insisting that it is in his suffering that he truly bears the marks of apostleship. He masterfully redirects their accusations and questions the genuineness of their ministry. From his perspective they have not suffered enough, suffering does not “sufficiently permeate their ministry.”[14] Although Paul’s challengers may be able to boast about their rhetoric and spiritual manifestations, it “is clear that his opponents cannot match his record of sufferings for the gospel.”[15] Because suffering is scantly evident in the ministry of his rivals Paul questions whether they even preach the same Christ[16] Furthermore, suffering is seen by Paul as the way in which God demonstrates His love and power.[17] If his opponents have not suffered then how could there be any demonstrable evidence of their apostleship? Paul, on the other hand, understands that God has sent him into the world to “suffer as an apostle of the crucified Christ.”[18]

The Framework of Reconciliation

            Paul understands that suffering is not merely a by-product of apostleship, instead, Paul understands suffering as the vehicle that God uses to reconcile a dying and lost world. “In a radical contrast to his earlier days of persecuting the church, Paul now willingly suffers for those whom he once persecuted.”[19] This radical reversal is a result of the Christ who suffered for him, “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11). If it is through the suffering of Christ that God was able to reconcile the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:18-19), then as agents of Christ suffering should likewise be a means by which God administers reconciliation. In Paul’s estimation suffering is the “embodiment of the crucified Christ, the very instrument God uses to display his resurrection power.”[20] The Apostle is asserting that he is willing to suffer, if it means that those who are in opposition to his message will be restored to right relationship. Far from showing weakness, Paul implores his opposition to not only “be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20), but to be reconciled to him, God’s divine agent.[21] In no certain terms Paul is asserting that reconciliation to God is only possible after they re-align themselves with his authority.

Suffering and the Spirit

As a corollary to suffering Paul suggests that suffering is the very process where God can demonstrate His creative power. Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17), he is implying that it is through the vicarious suffering of Christ, that God can create the new creature. Paul reminds us that it was in the anguish of death when the Spirit energized and resurrected the suffering Christ (Romans 8:11). Likewise, the same effectual power of resurrection is promised to the child of God (Romans 8:11). Suffering is seen then as the seedbed of God’s creative and regenerative power. Suffering is to be understood as Paul understood it, “whenever God’s people endure the same sufferings to which Paul was called as an apostle, they too manifest the power and glory of God in the midst of their adversity.”[22] Simply put, suffering and God’s demonstrative power work hand in hand. Suffering becomes the fertile ground of the Spirits work.

Reconciliation and Enemies

            The enemies that were assaulting Paul’s apostleship and causing much of his suffering were the same ones that he was demanding to be reconciled to God. In Paul’s estimation, the only avenue of restoration between him and the faction that opposed him would be a transformative event. Indeed, the necessity of this transformative event is what is driving Paul’s concept of reconciliation. Paul’s perspective is based on his understanding of “how God restored broken relationships with sinners.”[23] In his use of the word reconciliation (katallasso) he draws on a term that in effect denotes the repairing of broken relationships.[24] Interestingly, in the case of the Corinthians, they had already been reconciled to God. The fact that Paul is calling them to reconciliation again reveals Paul’s belief that they are not only his enemies, but they are essentially become enemies of God. In an unimaginable turn of events, those who were formerly brethren have now become enemies of the cross. Contextually, it easy to see why Paul is willing to suffer, the unresolved conflict has cosmic implications (Phil. 3:18-19). Ironically, the oppositions hope of reconciliation is dependent on the Apostle’s willingness to suffer for them despite their unfounded attacks against him.

The Task of Reconciliation

            The Apostle Paul attributes the task of reconciliation as the gift and work of God when he states, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us unto Himself through Christ…” (2 Cor. 5:18 NASB). Reconciliation requires the divine intervention of God; Paul sees himself as God’s agent of intervention. If the Corinthians reject Paul’s appeal to reconciliation, they reject the Lord’s intervention. Just as the work of a new creation (2 Cor, 5:17) “is not of any human doing,”[25] likewise the work of reconciliation is a divine work (2 Cor. 5:18). Paul is willing to be longsuffering with the faction partly because he understands that it is a carnal regime (2 Cor. 3:1-18) that has influenced them, and partly because he sees the call to reconciliation as God’s divine initiative. “The issue at stake, therefore, is a struggle for the lives of those who appear to be Christian outwardly, but whose hearts are far from the Lord.”[26] Like Christ, Paul’s love is on full display, at this point he is unwilling to give up on those who need reconciliation. Again, Paul exhibits a spirit of longsuffering, compelled by his love for the Corinthians, believing that the need for reconciliation is more important than his own status as an Apostle. Paul’s task then is to persuade the faction of their own plight, provide them an opportunity of repentance and be willing to suffer as God’s chosen agent.

Eschatological Ramifications of Reconciliation

“It quickly becomes clear that the center of Paul’s formulation of the gospel in 5:18-19 is the concept of reconciliation.”[27] In Paul’s mind reconciliation and new creation are co-dependent. The new creature has been reconciled to God, and the old creature remains an enemy of God. The new creature in Paul summation now enjoys the privilege of a new eschatological experience, what Keener calls the “new creation era.”[28] In the new era, reconciliation affords God’s people the privilege of encountering His presence without fear of destruction, and likewise, His presence continues to transform them, from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18)[29]. Paul writes that God has reconciled the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19) yet the world has not become a new creation.[30] Although the world awaits transformation (Rom. 8:23) it does not negate the fact that the new creature (the new man) is living with a “new dynamic nature of righteousness.”[31] . Hence the present eschatological experience that reconciliation ushers in is not yet available to the world, but “only to those who accept the message and its agents (5:17-20).”[32] Rejection of God’s agent it akin to rejecting God. In the “ancient Mediterranean culture…friendship included accepting the friend’s friends as one’s friends and his enemies as one’s enemy. How then can the Corinthians be reconciled to God if they mistrust his agent?”[33] Therefore, to reject the agent is to reject the God of the agent and walk away from the present eschatological benefits of reconciliation.

Conclusion

Pastors and churches would do well to consider Paul’s theology of reconciliation when dealing with internal and external strife. Paul was able to maintain his theological position amidst the suffering because he valued God’s people as well as God’s truth. The hope of reconciliation should be a driving force within the ethos of the church. Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians reminds us that, “it is never too late to return to God.”[34] Like the apostle, there should be a willingness on the part of apostolic leadership to suffer in order to foster an environment of restoration.. Paul’s struggle with Corinthian opposition reminds us of the value he placed on the holy community. Paul’s willingness to suffer and reconcile with his detractors on God’s terms speaks volumes of his commitment to godly relationships. Reconciliation begins by placing an immense value on relationship. Paul understood that the sacrifice of Christ was far too valuable to allow the wayward brethren to walk away. The same held true for the community because they were at risk of losing the relationship they had fostered with their Apostle. Like Paul, the modern pastor must place high value on relationships, and the sacrifice that made those relationships a reality. Pastor’s need to value the brethren and teach them with a spirit of longsuffering. The local church community should also place a high value on the Pastor that God has placed in their lives. Reconciliation encompasses not only a right relationship with God it assumes a right relationship with The Man of God.

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[1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014. 90.

[2] Ibid., 285.

[3] Ibid., 23

[4] Barnett, Paul. The Message of 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988. 18.

[5] Hafemann, Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 30.

[6] Ibid., 31

[7] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 32.

[8] Ibid., 33.

[9] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 145.

[10] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 34.

[11] Ibd.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Hafemann, 274.

[14] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 146.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 146.

[17] Hafemann. 31.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid., 276.

[20] Ibid., 39.

[21] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 144.

[22] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 39.

[23] Baker, William, Ralph P. Martin, and Carl N. Toney. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians. Vol. 15. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Barton, Bruce B., and Grant R. Osborne. 1 & 2 Corinthians. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1999. 2 Cor. 5:18.

[26] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 273.

[27] Ibid., 281.

[28] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 186.

[29] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 288.

[30] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 186.

[31]Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 292.

[32] Keener, Craig, S. New Cambridge Bible Commentary: 1-2 Corinthians. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005, accessed May 1, 2018, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost. 186

[33] Ibid., 186.

[34] Hafemann Scott, J. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 305.