2 Korintus

Victor Pfitzner dalam buku yang dalam bahasa Indonesianya berjudul Kekuatan dan Kelemahan: Tafsiran atas 2 Korintus mencatat,

Bahkan tanpa pengetahuan yang pasti tentang rangkaian peristiwa-peristiwanya - tentang kunjungan, pesan-pesan dan surat-suratnya - kita tahu bahwa Surat 2 Korintus bukanlah surat kedua yang ditulis Paulus kepada jemaat Korintus. Dan tanpa rekonstruksi historis apa pun, surat ini memberikan kita pemahaman-pemahaman yang mendalam tentang pemikiran rasul tersebut. Seperti surat kepada jemaat di Galatia, surat ini adalah sebuah dokumen yang penuh dengan perasaan yang mencerminkan hampir selalu rentangan emosi manusia. Kita merasakan kasih Paulus, kebanggaannya, kegigihannya bagi orang-orang yang baru bertobat di Korintus. Kita pun merasakan kepedihannya, kecemburuannya, kemarahannya, namun juga kasihnya yang mendalam. Suatu saat ia bersikap lembut, menghibur dan menguatkan, namun pada kesempatan lain ia dengan marah membela dirinya terhadap kecaman-kecaman yang bersifat pribadi atau menyerang mereka yang telah mencaci-maki pelayanannya.
Kita membaca bahwa Paulus berkhotbah, berdoa, menantang, mengeluh dan hampir berang seperti seorang yang bodoh ketika ia memainkan peranan sebagai orang bodoh bagi Kristus. Kita memperoleh pandangan sekilas tentang renungan hati dan pemikirannya; sukacita bercampur dengan kepedihan, rasa khawatir bercampur dengan pengharapan ...

Penulis dan Waktu Penulisan

Paulus, yang menganiaya gereja mula-mula sebelum hidupnya berubah drastis setelah bertemu dengan Yesus yang telah bangkit di jalan menuju Damaskus (lihat Kisah Para Rasul 9:1-31). Paulus pertama kali tiba di Korintus setelah kunjungan yang mengecewakan ke Athena, di mana ia tidak dapat mendirikan gereja (lihat 17:16-34). Di sana ia bertemu dengan dua orang percaya Yahudi dan sesama pembuat tenda, Priskila dan Akwila, dan bersama-sama mereka membentuk sebuah gereja. (Lucado, M; 2018; "Life Lessons from 2 Corinthians: Remembering What Matters"; Nashvillw; Thomas Nelson)

Keberhasilan Paulus di Korintus menuntun orang Yahudi dan non-Yahudi, dari semua latar belakang dan jalan hidup, menerima Kristus dan bergabung dengan komunitas tersebut. Pada gilirannya, hal ini akan menuntun pada tantangan tertentu di antara orang-orang percaya saat mereka berusaha untuk memisahkan diri dari masa lalu mereka dan menjalani kehidupan baru mereka di dalam Kristus, yang akan dibahas Paulus dalam serangkaian surat. Kemungkinan besar Paulus menulis 2 Korintus sekitar tahun 56 M, setahun setelah menulis 1 Korintus, dari Makedonia (seperti Filipi, Tesalonika, atau Berea). Titus, rekan pendeta jemaatnya, menyampaikannya. (Lucado, M; 2018; "Life Lessons from 2 Corinthians: Remembering What Matters"; Nashvillw; Thomas Nelson)

Jemaat perkotaan yang beragam anggotanya.

Pasal 4

Sebab: rahmat Allah, Paulus dkk menerima pelayanan PI ini, akibat: Paulus dkk tidak tawar hati.
tidak licik, tidak memalsukan firman Allah (Taurat, kitab para nabi). Menyatakan kebenaran dan berani dinilai menurut hati nurani semua orang.
injil tertutup (disembunyikan, KJV) bagi orang yang binasa
orang binasa--> dibutakan ilah zaman ini sehingga tidak dapat melihat cahaya. Ilah zaman ini --> ajaran bahwa manusia dapat berhasil atas kemampuan sendiri (dengan self-help, stoikisme, ritual-ritual religi, tips-dan-trik) mengatasi hidup ini. "dibutakan oleh ilah zaman ini" setara dengan "mengucapkan kata-kata kotor" atau "melakukan kekejian di hadapan Allah". Ilah zaman ini --> penguasa kerajaan angkasa. Dosa ini ada sejak permulaan (bahkan sebelum Adam-Hawa).
bukan diri kami yang diberitakan, melainkan Kristus
Allah membuat terang dalam hati kita
Terang itu dalam bejana tanah liat --> kelemahan kita. Supaya nyata Allah yang berkarya. Bukan kita.

Catatan tentang ilah zaman ini.

Donald Guthrie dalam New Testament Theology (Inter-Varsity Press, 1981)

The astuteness of the adversary is brought out in Paul's assertion, mentioned above, that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Since earlier in the same letter the apostle referred to the activity of the god of this world blinding men's eyes lest they should see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4), it is evident that the nature of Satan is darkness and his subterfuge in pretending to be light must be seen against this background. When speaking of the coming lawless one, Paul says he will come 'by the activity of Satan' (2 Thes. 2:9), thus focusing on the future designs of the adversary. Nevertheless Paul is convinced of the ultimate crushing of Satan by God (Rom. 16:20). (p. 141)
From the above evidence we may deduce certain features. (i) The world into which Christ came is seen to be so dominated by demonic agencies that the rulers can only be regarded as their tools. This does not mean to say that Paul was disclaiming the possibility of good rulers. What he is maintaining is that powerful spiritual forces lay behind the 'world' rulers generally. It is significant that Paul describes Satan in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as 'the god of this world', which powerfully brings out the dominant force of evil behind world affairs. (ii) It is implied that dominion belongs to God and can be exercised by man only in a delegated way. If it becomes used by man in an absolute way (i.e. independent of God), it at once becomes a tool of demonic forces. (iii) The only real way out of this stranglehold is through Christ, whose power is greater than the opposing forces. This introduces an aspect of some significance for our understanding of the work of Christ (see pp. 476ff.). It also explains Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 2:8, 'None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."101 Although the political officials (Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas) are primarily in mind, Paul's statement here must be interpreted via 1 Corinthians 15:24, where clearly the underlying spiritual powers are in mind. (iv) Some identify the prin- cipalities and powers with the existing fabric of society and suppose that Christian duty is to avoid weakening that fabric. 102 But Paul's approach seems to suggest that the principalities and powers will continue to be adverse to the Christian church. (v) Paul's view ties in with the extensive emphasis on exorcisms and demon possession in the synoptic gospels. (p.143)
The theological basisBoth in the or and in the NT it is affirmed that man was made in the image of God and this must carry with it certain social implications.problem of man's attitude towards his social environment is coloured by the fact that he has fallen from a state of innocence. A true understanding of the nature of man involves the recognition of three stages: man in his original state of creation, man in his fallen state and man in his redeemed state. The first of these no longer exists except in the perfect humanity of Jesus. His perfection shows the true potential of human nature. A perfect social order could clearly exist if all possessed this kind of perfection. Our previous discussion of the doctrine of man has made clear that no such perfection exists (cf. Rom. 3:10ff.).
It is man in his fallen state which introduces an environmental tension. In the NT this tension is expressed by a number of antitheses. The world is in darkness (Jn. 1:5; cf. 1 Jn. 1:5ff.) It is ignorant of God in the sense of real understanding (Jn. 17:25). Human minds have been blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). Hence a totally alien element has been introduced into the environment in which man is placed. This is in direct contrast to the beneficial elements introduced by the gospel, and gives rise to the tension between light and darkness, truth and error, enlightenment and ignorance, love and hate. The whole of life, both individually and collec- tively, has been affected. It has even affected the family, the most closely knit of all social groups. This explains the remark of Jesus that human parents are 'evil' (Mt. 7:11) by comparison with the pure motives of God. (p. 936)

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