Message in the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

It was while Paul was in Macedonia that he met up with Titus. Titus had been to Corinth, and he brought Paul word about how the Corinthians had received his previous letter (2Co 7:6-8). Perhaps Titus was the messenger Paul used to carry that letter. In 2Co 8:6 and 16-17, Paul revealed that he had commissioned Titus to minister to the Corinthians about giving.

Paul believed that this letter was needed for several reasons. First, he used this letter to explain his delay in returning to them as he had promised in 1Co 16:5-9. He didn't want to come to them until all differences were reconciled (2Co 1:23-2:3), and that wasn't complete yet. He wanted the Corinthians to forgive and restore the brother whom Paul said in 1Co 5 to turn over to Satan (2Co 2:5-11).

Paul also defended his apostleship to these Corinthians again (2Co 3:1-3; 4:1-15; 10:10-14; 11:4-6, 13-15; and 13:3). Last, Paul wanted to give further instruction about the collection that was being taken for the poor saints at Jerusalem, lest the Corinthians be embarrassed (2Co 9:1-11)