Introduction

Why Was 2 Corinthians written? ("The Letter of Tears")

Paul labored vigorously for the church in Corinth while both present and absent in body.

I understand completely. You need the underlying source code for the markdown table so you can paste it into a simple text environment without the client rendering it first.

Here is the raw markdown text for your chronological outline:

Step	Event	Details	Scripture
1	BIRTH OF A CHURCH	Paul establishes the church ( AD. 50–52 AD).	Acts 18
2	THE SEVERE LETTER	Paul writes an early, non-extant letter (the "Warning Letter").	1 Cor 5:9
3	A BAD REPORT	Paul hears a bad from the house of Chloe, that there are contentions	1 Cor. 1:11
4	1 CORINTHIANS	Paul writes 1 Corinthians (from Ephesus) addressing personal problems in the church and contentions.
5	FAILURE & ESCALATION	Timothy's delivery of 1 Corinthians seems to be followed by escalation of peronsal sins and questions of the Paul's authority. False apostles gain further and not less influence.
6	A PAINFUL VISIT	Paul to abandoned his original travel plans and makes a humiliating "Painful Visit" to Corinth. (sorrowful, grevious)	2 Cor. 2:1
7	LETTER OF TEARS	Determined to not have another "painful visit", Paul writes a tearful letter in which he "made them sorry". The crisis he addressed was a challenge to Paul’s legitimacy and in part a result of during the Painful Visit, an individual publicly "injured or insulted Paul" and the fact the congregation's willingness to follow false apostles who were as well spreading discrediting lies about Paul. This letter is considered Lost. In 2 Corinthians it appears that the "Leter of Tears" had at least partial desired effect.	2 Cor. 2:1-4; 7:8-10
8	2 CORINTHIANS	Paul meets Titus in Macedonia, receives good news of repentance, and writes 2 Corinthians addressing both reconciliation and remaining opposition but most importantly that he still loved them.	2 Cor. 1:14
9	THIRD/FINAL VISIT	Paul makes his final planned visit to Corinth to finalize the collection and restore order.

1. **Arrival and Partnership in Corinth (Acts 18:1–4): **

Paul arrives in Corinth from Athens and immediately meets Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who had recently been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius. Because they shared the trade of tentmaking, Paul stayed with them and worked. He preached every Sabbath in the local synagogue, persuading both Jews and Greeks.

2. **Shift to Gentile Ministry (Acts 18:5–11): **

After Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul intensified his teaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. When the Jews opposed and blasphemed, Paul publicly shook his clothes, declaring, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." He moved his ministry next door to the house of Justus. Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed, along with many Corinthians. The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision, commanding him to speak without fear, promising protection and noting, "I have much people in this city." Paul remained in Corinth for a year and six months, teaching.

3. Legal Confrontation and Departure (Acts 18:12–23):

When Gallio was the Deputy of Achaia, the Jews brought Paul before the judgment seat, accusing him of persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. Gallio refused to be a judge of religious questions concerning "words and names," driving the accusers away. Then, Sosthenes (another chief ruler of the synagogue) was beaten in front of the court. Paul stayed a "good while" longer before leaving for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. He stopped in Ephesus, preached in the synagogue, and promised to return. He then sailed to Caesarea, greeted the church, and traveled to Antioch, before setting out through Galatia and Phrygia.

4. **The Ministry of Apollos (Acts 18:24–28):

A Jew named Apollos, eloquent and mighty in the scriptures, arrived in Ephesus, knowing only the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and expounded "the way of God more perfectly." Apollos then desired to travel to Achaia (the region containing Corinth). The brethren wrote letters supporting him, and he helped the believers greatly, publicly demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

---

2 Co 2:1 ¶ But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

How was 2 Corinthians written?

GOOD or BAD (Christian Behavior: Goodness, Pureness/Cleanness, Holiness)

• Judge of God for every thing done in his body
• Not glorying in appearance but in heart
• Not living unto themselves

2 Corinthians 5:9 &mdahs; Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:11 — Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

2 Corinthians 5:12 — For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

2 Corinthians 5:14 — For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

2 Corinthians 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

2Co 6:1 ¶ We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 11 ¶ O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 7:1 — Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 5 ¶ For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more. 8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 ¶ Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. 13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. 16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.