2 Corinthians 4-7 is actually a continuation of Paul’s expression of true love to the Church at Corinth. The Apostle is serving the Corinthians by sacrificing his worldly fame to tell the whole truth of the Gospel. As many commentators before me have already said the message of the Cross of Christ is a paradox. Jesus told the brothers James and John in the presence of their Mother that Greatness in Heaven is obtained via becoming a servant. Jesus ushered in his Kingdom, by becoming a servant obedient to a death of crucifixion. God’s love for the world is his good news.
Good news or glad tidings is the commonly accepted short definition for the word Gospel. Strong’s concordance and Thayer’s Lexicon go on to further define the origins of the English word Gospel as follows:
1. to bring good news, to announce glad tidings
2. used in the OT of any kind of good news of the joyful tidings of God's kindness, in particular, of the Messianic blessings
3. in the NT used especially of the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ, and of what relates to this salvation
4. glad tidings are brought to one, one has glad tidings proclaimed to him
5. to proclaim glad tidings
6. instruct (men) concerning the things that pertain to Christian salvation
When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds abiding in the field, he said, “I bring you good tidings, of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
The same angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph explaining that Mary had conceived a child of the Holy Ghost. This angel of the Lord goes on to say, Mary will bring forth a son and they shall call his name Jesus. “for he shall save his people from their sins.”
All that is certainly “Good News”! Unfortunately many of the Corinthians and some teachers in their time thought salvation didn’t require repentance. Evidently some in the Corinthian church must have thought salvation was a license to sin. True Gospel preaches like Paul are left to set the record straight.
The angel said Jesus “shall save his people from their sins,” not in their sin! Preaching/teaching like this didn’t make Paul anymore popular 2000-years ago, than it does for ministers today. Even though the Grace of God unto salvation abounds “God forbids” true Christians from “continuing in sin” as Paul also told the Romans.
Here is an excerpt from Matthew’s Gospel of how Jesus himself explains it:
Matthew 7:14 KJV: Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
My song title conclusion and summary for this part of 2 Corinthians is from the 1973 BTO/Randy Bachman penned song and album, Takin Care of Business.
“Takin Care of business, it’s as easy as fishing.” NOT!