An Atheist Explores the Bible Part 221: Spiritual Constipation and Unspeakable Gifts (2 Corinthians 6-10)

2 Corinthians 6-10
Spiritual Constipation and Unspeakable Gifts.

Welcome to another instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Bible version).

In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the King James Bible, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.

For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/2F8f9JT

For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP

And now:

2 Corinthians 6

“Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.”

The Corinthians are spiritually constipated, according to Paul. This is a lengthy exhortation about the trials and tribulations of the ministry, where Paul artfully mixes and matches a long list of opposites – “By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true” and so on, which, I think, essentially means that a Christian is a Christian no matter what the circumstances are at the time. There are other parallels drawn – personal poverty but helping to enrich others, for example (I assume “spiritual” riches, but maybe Paul means financial charity, or both).

After this, Paul again tells the Corinthian Christians not to mingle with unbelievers and the unrighteous – “for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”. As before, this seems counter to Jesus hanging out with the various low-life characters because they were the ones most in need of saving. I suspect that Paul, here, feels that the Corinthians, far away as they are from the church hierarchy, are more prone to end up being converted to heathen ways than they are to converting the heathens.

2 Corinthians 7

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Paul now addresses the Corinthians and the evident effect of his last message. He is sorry (not sorry) if the last letter upset them, but considers it a good thing if it led them to repent of their errors and sins. Paul knows of this because a certain Titus visited him in Macedonia, after first meeting with the Corinthians and being met “with fear and trembling”. It seems that censure by Paul is a very frightening thing to these Corinthian Christians.

2 Corinthians 8

“Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.”

Look, if anyone can make head nor tail of this chapter, please help me. What does that sentence even mean? Maybe it’s too late in the day and I need to read this with fresh eyes, but it’s just a word salad as far as I can tell. Most of the chapter is, really, Paul recommending Titus to the Corinthians and asking them to welcome him. But there’s a lot of doublethink here as well, of the “war is peace” type stuff –“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality”, and how Christ was rich but became poor so that the worshippers could become rich, and that they should become poor so that other people can become rich, etc.

Okay, that last bit, I think I got it – charity extends itself. But the rest … ouch.

2 Corinthians 9

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully”

Paul says to the Corinthians, “Look, I’ve told the Macedonians that you are very advanced in your faith, and I’m confident that you are, but I’ve sent along some advisors so that I don’t get caught in a lie in case the Macedonians find you wanting”. Which is quite amusing. Philosophically the meat of this chapter is encapsulated in the quote, about reaping what you sow. It isn’t clear here exactly what Paul is talking about, but it seems to be both material (giving to charity, and giving generously) and spiritual (possibly acting with charity and compassion, but also possibly “spreading the word”). Depending on your reading of this you could end up thinking that the most righteous act is to go out and tell everyone the gospel, or it could be to perform deeds and be kind to people. Or both. Personally I think the latter is probably the more useful to all concerned.

I liked the final verse – “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”, which I guess means a gift that cannot be adequately put into words, but it would double well as an ironic statement concerning something that you didn’t want. Maybe God gave Paul a really rubbish home-knitted sweater?

2 Corinthians 10

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

I’m not sure how to read this chapter; it seems like some humble-bragging on behalf of Paul, probably because he uses the first person throughout, both singular and plural, eg “such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present”. Initially it appears that he seems to be comparing his written words with his personal presence, where some people are saying that he is more intimidating by letter than he is in person “For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible”, and trying at the same time to not boast and yet to try to refute this. He then shifts to “we”, which comes across as him trying to expound upon general Christian virtues for all. The message seems to be that having authority to speak of and for God is something that should at the same time be considered humbly as a gift, but also considered proudly for the same reasons.

I think.

Although I’m not supposed to according the quoted verse. Thinking and imagining anything other than God is a bad thing, apparently.