Episode 9
2 Corinthians — Read the NT in 90 Days
What if true strength isn’t about power, but about embracing your own weakness? In this episode of Seek Go Create, Tim Winders dives into 2 Corinthians, Paul’s most personal and vulnerable letter, written to a church wrestling with doubt, division, and new challengers. Discover how Paul redefines power and leadership by boasting in his hardships instead of his achievements, sharing how the upside-down logic of the Kingdom finds strength in weakness. If you’ve ever questioned what real spiritual resilience looks like, you won’t want to miss this deep and relatable exploration of reconciliation, suffering, and hope.
“Strength through weakness does not make sense in the world system—but in this new kingdom, there is strength in weakness.” - Tim Winders
Access all show and episode resources HERE
Episode Resources:
- NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Paul's Painful Visit and Reconciliation
00:21 Introduction to the New Testament Reading Plan
01:04 Overview of Second Corinthians
01:47 Historical Context and Setting
02:57 Paul's Response to False Apostles
06:22 Reading Plan for Second Corinthians
06:43 Setting the Scene for Second Corinthians
07:19 Paul's Vulnerable Letter
Resources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:
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Transcript
Paul opens his heart to a suspicious church after a painful
Speaker:visit and a severe letter.
Speaker:Reconciliation is finally happening.
Speaker:But false apostles have infiltrated and Paul's response is surprising.
Speaker:He boasts in weakness.
Speaker:This is Seek, go create.
Speaker:Welcome.
Speaker:You're listening to Read The New Testament in 90 days, 27 books in order in context.
Speaker:We're walking through the New Testament, the way it was written so you can hear
Speaker:it the way the first churches did.
Speaker:This is so powerful.
Speaker:We have just done first Corinthians.
Speaker:And we're gonna be moving to Second Corinthians today, but a quick
Speaker:reminder, make sure if you haven't done it, to go get your reading
Speaker:plan, check out all the resources at K two M Foundation slash NT 90.
Speaker:There should be links down in the, the notes area if you're listening to
Speaker:this on the podcast or watching it on YouTube, K two M Foundation slash NT 90.
Speaker:Lot of great stuff that'll support what we're doing again today.
Speaker:Stop.
Speaker:Second Corinthians.
Speaker:Paul's kind of most.
Speaker:Personal letter and, here's some key facts.
Speaker:This author, no doubt is Paul.
Speaker:We believe this was dated in around ad the first century, 55, 56, sometime
Speaker:in that arena, The audience, once again, is the church in Corinth.
Speaker:They're still recovering.
Speaker:From the first letters confrontation.
Speaker:There was a lot going on there.
Speaker:We should have just finished reading that the setting about
Speaker:26 years post resurrection.
Speaker:Paul is writing from Macedonia and it's all about tension.
Speaker:Reconciliation.
Speaker:Here's some historical context.
Speaker:Nero still on the throne.
Speaker:The Roman Empire is at peace.
Speaker:The temple in Jerusalem is still intact.
Speaker:About 14 years from now, from the time that we, as this audience
Speaker:received this letter, it'll be destroyed and, but we don't know that.
Speaker:We now know that because we can look back on it.
Speaker:About 14 years that the temple has left before it is gone.
Speaker:The church, this group that we're sitting with, this group that we're trying to
Speaker:gain context from being in there after First Corinthians, and it wasn't earmarked
Speaker:First Corinthians at that time, by the way, it was probably a letter from Paul.
Speaker:We call it First Corinthians.
Speaker:Things got worse after that first letter.
Speaker:Oh my goodness.
Speaker:Uh, before they got better, there was an emergency visit, a public confrontation,
Speaker:and then a wounded departure.
Speaker:Here's the tension.
Speaker:A severe letter was sent via Titus months of anxious waiting.
Speaker:Finally.
Speaker:Good news, they repented.
Speaker:But now, something else has come.
Speaker:False apostles have arrived.
Speaker:Why now?
Speaker:Why is this letter being written now?
Speaker:Paul writes to celebrate reconciliation and reveal what real.
Speaker:Power looks like, you know, just to connect it back in Mark, we looked
Speaker:at, you know, the first shall be last.
Speaker:The last shall be first.
Speaker:Paul applies that when he talks about his weakness in comparing himself to,
Speaker:what's going on with the other teacher preachers that people are comparing him
Speaker:to and what they're saying about him.
Speaker:He talks about what real power looks like, why it matters.
Speaker:Resurrection redefines power overcoming death.
Speaker:Paul's opponents boast in credentials and impressive experiences.
Speaker:Paul boast in beatings, shipwrecks, and a thorn in the flesh.
Speaker:Why?
Speaker:Because resurrection power.
Speaker:Doesn't need impressive packaging.
Speaker:The same God who raised Jesus from the dead works through
Speaker:broken and weak vessels.
Speaker:We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing
Speaker:power belongs to God and not to us.
Speaker:That's the upside down logic of the kingdom.
Speaker:The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Speaker:What you'll encounter Second Corinthians is raw.
Speaker:And vulnerable.
Speaker:Paul opens his heart.
Speaker:You'll hear about comfort in affliction.
Speaker:Not really what a lot of Christians wanna hear about the God of all
Speaker:comfort, who comforts us so we can comfort Others new covenant ministry,
Speaker:not of the letter, but of the spirit.
Speaker:Glory that doesn't fade.
Speaker:Treasure.
Speaker:In jars of clay, we carry the gospel in extremely fragile vessels.
Speaker:Reconciliation, this word's gonna come up again.
Speaker:In some other writings of Paul, God was in Christ reconciling the world.
Speaker:To himself, the severe letter Paul's anguish and relief when they repented.
Speaker:And then of course there's the false apostles, the super
Speaker:apostles who preach credentials.
Speaker:Paul preaches the cross boasting in weakness.
Speaker:We talked about this earlier, beatings, shipwrecks, sleepless
Speaker:nights, the thorn in the flesh.
Speaker:You'll hear about all of that here in second Corinthians.
Speaker:And then of course, my grace.
Speaker:Is sufficient power made perfect in weakness?
Speaker:The upside down logic of the kingdom, strength through weakness
Speaker:does not make sense in the world system, in the kingdom of Rome.
Speaker:And really it doesn't make sense in the Jewish temple structure, but in
Speaker:this new kingdom that Jesus Christ has brought that has its foundation in
Speaker:the resurrection, there is strength.
Speaker:In weakness.
Speaker:That's one of the key messages of second Corinthians.
Speaker:So, enjoy this reading.
Speaker:This is second Corinthians.
Speaker:You're gonna read second Corinthians over the next six
Speaker:sessions, a few chapters a day.
Speaker:Have fun with it.
Speaker:Next woo.
Speaker:We get to the power of Romans.
Speaker:Arguably, Paul's most.
Speaker:Famous letter and there's a lot going on with the letter
Speaker:that he writes to the Romans.
Speaker:all right, before you read, now, let's set the scene for second Corinthians.
Speaker:Uh.
Speaker:A 56.
Speaker:Paul is in Macedonia.
Speaker:When he finally exhales Titus brought the news.
Speaker:He'd been desperate to hear the Corinthians repented.
Speaker:The breach is healing, but there's a new problem.
Speaker:Smooth talking.
Speaker:Teachers have arrived in Corinth, flashing credentials
Speaker:and questioning Paul's authority.
Speaker:They call themselves apostles.
Speaker:They boast in visions and power.
Speaker:Paul picks up his pen.
Speaker:What follows is his most vulnerable letter?
Speaker:He'll open his heart, he'll catalog his sufferings, and he'll make a
Speaker:claim that would've baffled any Roman power is made perfect in weakness.
Speaker:Now, let's read.
