Book of 2 Corinthians Quiz: Suffering, Ministry, and Apostleship

1. What is the opening theme of 2 Corinthians 1, and what does Paul say about suffering and comfort?

1. 'I do not want you to be unaware of the trouble we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure'
2. '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'
3. Paul opens with a rebuke — he immediately addresses ongoing divisions in Corinth before saying anything positive
4. Paul opens with his travel plans — he explains why he changed his itinerary and what he hopes to accomplish on his next visit

2. What does Paul mean in 2 Corinthians 1:17-20 when he says God's promises in Christ are 'Yes'?

1. 'For no matter how many promises God has made, they are Yes in Christ. And so through him the Amen is spoken by us to the glory of God.' God's character is not 'yes and no' — every divine promise is fully ratified in Christ, and believers' 'Amen' in worship participates in that affirmation
2. Paul argues that OT promises are cancelled by the new covenant — the new covenant is the 'Yes' that replaces the 'No' of the law
3. Paul is defending his decision to change travel plans by saying flexibility is a virtue — the 'yes and no' problem was a misunderstanding about scheduling
4. Paul says his word is perfectly reliable — unlike ordinary people, apostles are incapable of saying one thing and meaning another

3. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 about the aroma of Christ?

1. 'But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing: to the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life'
2. Paul says the aroma metaphor means Christians should be culturally attractive — if the church seems offensive, they are failing their evangelistic calling
3. Paul says the gospel is fragrant only to believers — outsiders find it offensive and Christians should keep it private to avoid needless conflict
4. The aroma of Christ refers to the incense of the temple — Paul is calling the church to restore elaborate liturgical worship

4. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 3 about the new covenant ministry compared to the old?

1. 'He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' The old covenant ministry came with a fading glory; the new covenant ministry has surpassing and lasting glory through the Spirit's transforming work
2. Paul argues the new covenant supersedes the old entirely — the old covenant had no glory at all, only condemnation with no redemptive value
3. Paul says the old and new covenants are essentially identical — the only difference is that the Messiah has now been revealed as the one to whom both point
4. The new covenant is superior because it is written on tablets of stone — permanent and unchangeable unlike the oral tradition of the old covenant

5. What is Paul's famous 'jars of clay' teaching in 2 Corinthians 4?

1. 'But we have the mind of Christ — this is the clay jar in which divine wisdom is deposited. We are charged to guard it from corruption'
2. 'The outward body is the clay jar — it perishes. The inner spirit is the precious treasure God preserves for eternal life'
3. 'We are unworthy vessels, suitable only for common use. God has chosen the cracked and broken ones who know their need'
4. 'We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed'

6. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 about the unseen and the seen?

1. 'Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal'
2. Paul argues Christians should pursue physical health and prosperity — the outer body being renewed is a sign of God's blessing in this life
3. Paul says the body does not matter at all — only the unseen soul has any significance before God
4. Paul urges withdrawal from the world — since what is seen is temporary, Christians should minimise their engagement with visible, material reality

7. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 about new creation and reconciliation?

1. 'All this is from God, who has set us apart from the world. We are a new creation in our inner self while our outward body still belongs to the old creation until the resurrection'
2. 'The new creation is the church — the community of believers who have collectively replaced the old Israel in God's redemptive purposes'
3. 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation... We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us: Be reconciled to God'
4. 'We implore you: do not receive God's grace in vain. For he says, In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you'

8. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 about the urgency of the gospel?

1. 'As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain... For he says, In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favour; now is the day of salvation'
2. Paul argues that salvation is available only during the apostolic period — once the last apostle dies, the day of salvation is closed
3. Paul says the day of salvation has already passed — those who rejected the first preaching are permanently excluded
4. Paul says the day of salvation refers to the millennium — the future 1,000-year reign of Christ is the true day of salvation

9. What does 2 Corinthians 7:10 say about godly sorrow versus worldly sorrow?

1. 'Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.' Paul distinguishes between grief over sin that leads to change and grief that is merely regret over consequences
2. Paul says all sorrow is sinful — believers should be perpetually joyful and any grief is a sign of weak faith
3. Paul says both godly and worldly sorrow produce repentance — the difference is only in the motivation, not the outcome
4. Paul says worldly sorrow is actually more productive than godly sorrow — emotional pain motivates behavioural change more effectively than theological conviction

10. Who are the 'super-apostles' in 2 Corinthians, and how does Paul respond to their criticisms of him?

1. The super-apostles were Apollos's followers — his sophisticated teaching had created a competing faction claiming superiority over Paul
2. The super-apostles were the Jerusalem apostles — James, Peter, and John — who had sent letters criticising Paul's authority at Corinth
3. They were rival teachers who boasted in letters of recommendation, eloquent speech, and dramatic experiences — criticising Paul as unimpressive in person. Paul responds with ironic 'fool's boasting' — listing his sufferings, visions, and weakness as the true marks of apostleship
4. They were the Twelve — Paul argues his direct revelation from Christ on the Damascus road gives him equal or greater authority than those who knew Jesus in the flesh

11. What is Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' passage in 2 Corinthians 12, and what does God say about it?

1. 'There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Paul then says: 'I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me'
2. Paul reveals the thorn is a spiritual temptation — God allows Satan to test him with sinful desires to keep him humble
3. Paul reveals the thorn is opposition from the super-apostles — God has promised to remove them from Corinth
4. Paul tells of a vision of paradise before mentioning the thorn — the two experiences are unrelated

12. What does Paul say about generous giving in 2 Corinthians 9?

1. '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. 'Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly — but be careful not to sow so much that you have nothing left for your own family'
3. Paul commands a specific proportion — every Corinthian must give a tenth of their income to the Jerusalem collection
4. Paul says the collection for Jerusalem is optional — he does not want anyone to feel pressure and will not mention it again

13. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 about boasting?

1. 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends'
2. 'May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world'
3. 'Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding'
4. 'So then, let no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God'

14. What personal suffering list does Paul give in 2 Corinthians 11, and why?

1. 'Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked... in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles... I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst'
2. Paul lists his academic credentials and training to prove he is more qualified than the super-apostles who have infiltrated Corinth
3. Paul lists miracles he performed — signs, wonders, and healings that prove his apostolic authority beyond any reasonable doubt
4. Paul lists the churches he founded — proving that his missionary achievement exceeds that of all rival apostles combined

15. What does 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 say about being 'yoked together with unbelievers'?

1. 'Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?'
2. Paul is addressing business partnerships only — the 'yoke' metaphor refers specifically to commercial contracts requiring participation in idol feasts
3. Paul is addressing interfaith marriage exclusively — the passage has no application beyond the question of whom believers should marry
4. Paul is addressing the question of attending the synagogue — believers must separate from Jewish worship because the two communities now represent opposed covenants

16. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 about being 'at home in the body' and 'away from the Lord'?

1. 'Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord'
2. Paul argues that believers are fully in the presence of the Lord in this life — the Holy Spirit's indwelling means there is no sense in which believers are separated from Christ
3. Paul expresses anxiety about death — being 'away from the body' is a frightening prospect that believers should prepare for through ascetic disciplines
4. Paul says the present life and the next are essentially the same — there is no meaningful distinction between being in the body and being with Christ

17. What does 2 Corinthians 8:9 say about Christ becoming poor, and how does Paul use it?

1. 'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich' — Paul cites the incarnation as the theological motivation for the Corinthians' generosity toward the Jerusalem church
2. Paul cites Christ's poverty as evidence that Christians should take a vow of poverty — the apostolic model is one of radical material renunciation
3. Paul cites Christ's poverty to prove that Paul himself is not interested in money — the super-apostles were motivated by financial gain, but Paul is following Christ's example of self-impoverishment
4. Paul uses Christ's poverty to argue that wealth is spiritually dangerous — the Corinthians should give away all their possessions to the poor before Paul's next visit

18. What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians 12:1-5 about his vision of paradise?

1. 'I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know — God knows. And I know that this man was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.' Paul speaks of himself in the third person to avoid appearing to boast
2. Paul claims to have visited heaven visibly and physically — he saw its streets, gates, and throne with his physical eyes
3. Paul identifies the vision as the Damascus road experience — the 'third heaven' is his poetic description of the blinding light he encountered on the road to Damascus
4. Paul says the vision was a dream — God speaks through dreams and the paradise vision is the source of his theological understanding

19. What does 2 Corinthians 13:5 say about self-examination, and what is its context?

1. 'Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?'
2. Paul calls elders to examine their theological credentials — only those who pass the test of right doctrine may lead the congregation
3. Paul calls the Corinthians to examine their financial giving — whether they are contributing generously enough to demonstrate genuine faith
4. Paul says God will examine each believer at the final judgment — believers do not need to examine themselves now since Christ has taken the examination on their behalf

20. What is the closing Trinitarian blessing of 2 Corinthians, and why is it significant?

1. 'Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age'
2. 'Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will'
3. 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all' — one of the earliest explicit Trinitarian formulas in the NT, grouping all three persons in a single blessing
4. 'To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord'