Apostle Pauls stated that All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Everything that is written in the Christian Scriptures between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21 are the Word of God and everything is equally important. Therefore, every word Apostle Paul said or wrote is important and nothing can be taken out of it as not so important because they are all inspired by God. So, it is not right to say some parts of the Scripture are more important than the other parts. Yet, what we are trying to state here as major teachings are those topics about which Apostle Paul discussed a little more than the others. In the light of this, we will be focusing a number of those topics as major teachings for our study purpose:

Righteousness of God and Wretchedness of Humankind

God is righteous (Psalm 119:137; 145:17) and humankind is sinful (Psalm 14:2-3; 53:2-3; Romans 3:10-12, 23). So, a sinful person cannot approach the holy and righteous God (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:20). The Scripture states that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Thus, the sin we humans committed (or keep on committing) must be atoned for before we can approach the throne of Grace, where the holy and righteous God is seated. God, being compassionate and loving, did not forsake sinful humanity in our fallen situation rather he prepared a way for us to repent and return to Him with integrity of heart. The solution God planned and executed was that God made him [His One and only Son] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; also refer to John 3:16). God sent His Son to die on behalf of all humanity, so that we will be spared from eternal condemnation and death. Thus, the meeting point of the righteous God and the sinful humanity is Christ and His death on the cross.  It is here where a sinful individual either accepts the offer of God and is reconciled with the holy God and made perfect again or a sinful individual rejects the offer of God and continues in their sinful situation and will be condemned forever.

Christ, being in very nature God, humbled and emptied Himself, took the form of a human being (a servant), and submitted to the will of God by becoming obedient to the Father (Philippians 2:5-11) who made him to be sin for us: As the disobedience of one man (Adam) impacted the whole of humanity (in a wrong way) the obedience and righteousness of one Man (Jesus Christ) also impacted the whole of humanity (in a right way). While, Adam’s actions brought death on all humanity, Christ’s actions brought life to all humanity (Romans 5:12-21).

• Those who are in Christ will be declared as righteous and those who are not in Christ will be condemned as sinners;
• Those who are in Christ are saved and those who are not in Christ are not saved;
• Those who are in Christ are the children of God and those who are not in Christ are not the children of God;
• Those who are in Christ will receive eternal life and those who are not in Christ will be condemned for eternal punishment;
• Those who are in Christ will inherit heaven and those who are not in Christ will be thrown into hell.

Generosity in helping the Needy

Since God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, He owns everything that is in the universe, including you and me; and He is the one who provides us with everything that we need to live on in this world (Genesis 1:1-2:25; Philippians 4:19). According to Genesis 24:35, God blessed Abraham with sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys, and he became very wealthy. Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no sorrow with it. Thus, the Scripture talks a lot about wealth and riches, poor and the rich, and so on, and both the Old Testament and the New Testament talk about helping the poor and the needy with one’s riches (Deuteronomy 15:4, 7, 11; Psalm 9:18; 41:1; Proverbs 14:21, 31; 19:17; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:12-14; Galatians 2:10). Jesus preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the poor (Luke 4:18; also refer to Matthew 25:40, 45; Luke 6:20). On one occasion, John the Baptist told the tax collectors who came to him not to collect more than they were required to collect (Luke 3:12-13), and, on another occasion, Levi (also called Matthew) the tax collector left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:27-28). Money is good if one uses it wisely and for noble purposes, if not, it can destroy one’s soul and body. We need money just for our day-to-day living: Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy that:

… Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:6-11)

Thus, money is good and needed for our use but love of money can bring disaster in one’s life (Mark 10:17-22; Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 John 3:16-18).

In the light of our above-discussion, let us clarify ourselves the fact that whatever blessings (such as, wisdom, knowledge, honor, spiritual blessings, material blessings, and so on) we have is given by God (2 Corinthians 9:10 [2 Chronicles 1:12; Ecclesiastes 6:2]). King Solomon stated that … when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God (Ecclesiastes 5:19). King David testified before the whole assembly of Israelites about God’s blessings and provision in their life in connection with the gifts collected for the building of the Temple of God: Wealth and honor come from you [God]; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all … Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand … Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you (1 Chronicles 29:12-16). When God blesses someone, He blesses them generously and He does not  add sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22). Thus, the Lord God is the one who ultimately provides for those in need.

Generosity was one of the key themes we can find all across the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, particularly in chapters eight and nine. The purpose of Apostle Paul’s teachings on generosity to the believers in Corinth was to teach them the importance of helping others who are in need, and to encourage them to share their spare or available material blessings with those who are in desperate need. Although the newly founded church at Corinth was not very rich with its resources, we can understand that the believers had sufficient resources to survive and some to spare because the city of Corinth was significantly resourceful as it is one of the most popular commercial hubs and sought-after cities in Greece with its ports connected directly with two other dominant regions in the Roman empire, which are Italy and Asia Minor. Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth about the willingness of the Macedonian church to help the needy:

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us (2 Corinthians 8:2-5)

Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth to share their material blessings with those who do not have enough to survive, and whatever they give ought to given cheerfully, not reluctantly or under compulsion. He also encouraged them to give beyond their ability to give to the needy. He wrote:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:6-8; also refer to Deuteronomy 16:17)

Proverbs 19:17 states that Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender. The promise to the cheerful giver is that the Lord will bless them and reward them with a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, as Jesus stated: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matthew 6:38; also refer to Luke 6:38). Apostle Paul reminds the believers that those who willfully and sparingly share the blessings with others, especially those who share cheerfully, will be enriched every way: You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11; also refer to Proverbs 3:9-10).

We, as the followers of Christ Jesus who willingly helped the needy at any given context, are called to help the needy and the helpless:

• We ought to separate and keep some money to help others (1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
• We are called to help the needy (2 Corinthians 8:3-4)
• We must not limit our helping attitude to only those in our known circles (2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15)
• We ought to exceed the expectation of others in giving (2 Corinthians 8:5)
• We ought to excel in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7)
• We must try to give according to our means (2 Corinthians 8:11)
• We ought to give beyond our financial abilities (2 Corinthians 8:3)
• We are given to give generously (2 Corinthians 9:5a)
• We must not give unwillingly or grudgingly (2 Corinthians 9:5b)
• We ought to give sparingly to anyone who is need (2 Corinthians 9:6)
• We must not give reluctantly (2 Corinthians 9:7a)
• We must not give under pressure or compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7b)
• We ought to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7c)
• We must not make false pledge regarding giving (2 Corinthians 9:5 [Zechariah 8:17; Matthew 5:33])

Suffering for the Cause of the Gospel

Apostle Paul said that we are called not only just to believe in Him but also to suffer for Him, as it is mentioned : For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him (Philippians 1:29). Apostle Peter said: To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21); and he continued saying: if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name (1 Peter 4:16). Due to their faith in Jesus Christ, the believers in the early church were facing problems and persecutions from every side, that is, from within their believing groups (from the Jews [within the community] as well as from the false teachers and their followers [within the believing community]) and from outside (from the pagan people [in general sense] and from the Roman rulers and officials [in particular sense]). Apostle Peter urged the believers that Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19).

Apostle Paul stated that In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). Apostle Paul was called not only to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, but also to suffer for the sake of Christ, as Jesus stated to Ananias about Paul: This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name (Acts 9:15-16).  Regarding the sufferings of the believers, Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)

In addition, Apostle Paul gives a brief account of some of the difficult situations and persecutions he endured for the sake of his faith in Jesus Christ as well as for the gospel of Jesus Christ:

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

Apostle Paul also discussed the torment he went through because of the thorn that was given in his flesh:

… In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

Apostle Paul testified about the faithfulness of His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that the Lord saved him from all the troubles and persecutions he went through as a follower of Christ:

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them (2 Timothy 3:10-11)

Apostle Paul stated that he has been constantly on the move, he has been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers, and so on (2 Corinthians 11:26); and he willfully endured all the troubles he faced and suffered much persecution for his love for God his Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed his life from eternal condemnation, and the Holy Spirit who comforted Him in and through all his life-situations.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

When he realized that he has come to very last days of his life on earth and his time was drawing closer for his departure from this world, he stated:

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

On the topic of persecution, Jesus said:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12)

Below mentioned are some of the unfavorable situations (trials and persecutions) Apostle Paul went through for the sake of the gospel. Before Paul became the follower of Jesus Christ, he persecuted the church so severely (Acts 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1-2, 13-14, 21; 22:4-5; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13, 23; Philippians 3:6; 1 Timothy 1:13), but when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, he suffered for the sake of the gospel of Christ much more than he persecuted the church (Acts 9:15-16; 20:1-28:31; 1 Corinthians 15:30-32;  2 Corinthians 4:8-12; 6:4-5; 2 Timothy 3:10-12). The below mentioned list of Paul’s sufferings is absolutely based on 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 and are written in Paul’s words:

• I have worked much harder (11:23a)
• I have been in prison more frequently (11:23b)
• I have been flogged more severely (11:23c)
• I have been exposed to death again and again (11:23d)
• I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one five times (11:24)
• I was beaten with rods three times (11:25a)
• I was pelted with stones once (11:25b)
• I was shipwrecked three times (11:25c)
• I spent a night and a day in the open sea (11:25d)
• I have been constantly on the move (11:26a)
• I have been in danger from rivers (11:26b)
• I have been in danger from bandits (11:26c)
• I have been in danger from my fellow Jews (11:26d)
• I have been in danger from Gentiles (11:26e)
• I have been in danger in the city (11:26f)
• I have been in danger in the country (11:26g)
• I have been in danger at sea (11:26h)
• I have been in danger from false believers (11:26i)
• I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep (11:27a)
• I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food (11:27b)
• I have been cold and naked (11:27c)
• I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (11:28)

Strength in and through Weakness

Strength in and through weakness is also one of the topics Paul stressed over and over again in his writings. In addition to the persecution Paul faced for the sake of the gospel during his life and ministry, Paul wrote about his own physical illness and the Lord’s response to his prayer for healing:

… But he [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10)

During all such weak situations (whether due to persecutions or his own physical illness), Apostle Paul found strength through his relationship with the Lord. His personal experience is that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, is the One who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort others who are going through difficult situations in their life, as it is mentioned in his writings:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Paul also recognized the ministry of the Holy Spirit, in his own personal life and ministry, who enabled him to live a life that is worthy of God’s calling and to carry out the ministry he was called to (2 Corinthians 3:6). His understanding about saved-life had much deeper meaning than about a life lived in sin. He believed that through the death of Christ our outstanding debts were forgiven.  And because Christ gave up His life to give us life and we who were dead in our sins were made alive in Christ Jesus, the life that Jesus gave up passed on to us, as he stated: We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:10).

Ministry of Reconciliation

Biblical reconciliation begins with God who reconciled us and the world to Himself in and through Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Reconciliation is nothing but restoring estranged relationships between two individuals or groups. When God created human beings, there was no division between God and man, rather they maintained a good relationship between each other. However, when human beings disobeyed God’s command and rebelled and sinned against Him (as per Satan’s tactical intervention), the sinful man got separated from the holy God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 3:1-24). Prophet Isaiah stated in connection with the Israelites that: Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things (Isaiah 59:2-3; also refer to Genesis 3:8-11). Although time to time God reconciled some individuals or groups to Himself, He did not reconcile all of humanity to Himself until Christ Jesus came down to this earth and gave His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). When Christ took upon Himself the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24) and paid off the penalty of our sins in full by laying off His very life (1 Peter 3:18), we are declared free (John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17) and everlasting life is restored for us (John 10:28). Apostle Paul stated: While we [the humanity] were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8; also refer to John 3:16). As of now, God does not count humanity’s trespasses or offenses against us, rather He has reconciled humanity to Himself in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Since God is the one who reconciled us to Himself through Christ Jesus, He gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). God did His part of reconciling us to Himself through Christ Jesus, and now we are called to reconcile ourselves with others who are not in good terms with us – whoever it might be – whether it is a fellow believer or a nonbeliever. Following that, we are to invite the nonbelievers to reconcile with God. Let us take note of an example from the Old Testament here: reconciliation that took place between God and Jacob and Jacob and his brother Esau. When God reconciled Jacob to Himself (Genesis 32:22-32), Esau reconciled himself to Jacob (Genesis 33:1-4). Before the reconciliation took place between God and Jacob as well as Jacob and his brother Esau, Jacob was afraid and restless that his brother Esau would attack and kill him and his family (Genesis 32:3-11) but after the reconciliation took place there was peace and happiness between God and Jacob as well as between Jacob and his brother Esau for the rest of their lives (Genesis 33:1-16). Jesus said: If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-24). Jesus continued saying: Settle matters [in other words, reconcile] quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison (Matthew 5:25). In the light of this, we can understand that reconciliation with one another is the first thing one needs to do in the process of restoring estranged relationships. As the Lord God Almighty reconciled us and the world to Himself in Christ, He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are responsible to carry out the ministry of reconciliation to which we are called to and we need to invite and prepare the world to reconcile with the Lord God Almighty. As the ministers/agents of God in this world, we are His ambassadors. As ambassadors of Christ, we do not work for any other kingdom but the Kingdom of God. We are appointed to promote the Kingdom values, not our passions and desires. Our ministry is to care for God’s people and negotiate with the nonbelievers and bring them under His loving grace. Apostle Paul stated: We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Paul commissions all who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ to receive from the Lord the ministry of reconciliation.