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What, has Pastor Grant succumbed to heresy?
The King James Version, along with the New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, and the rest of the hundreds of English translations, only list 1 and 2 Corinthians.
Correct, I agree.
But in 1 Corinthians 5:9, we read. . .
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people (ESV).
According to this verse, there must have been a letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians before writing 1 Corinthians — so now we have 1 Corinthians (which we don’t have) and 2 Corinthians (which is the 1 Corinthians that we have in all English translations).
Are you confused? Please keep reading to muddle matters even more.
In 2 Corinthians 2:4, Paul mentions another letter. . .
For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you (ESV).
This letter has become known as the “letter of tears” with many scholars believing our Bible’s 1 Corinthians doesn’t read strong enough to be the letter written from “much affliction and anguish of heart.”
Back to counting epistles to the Corinthians:
- 1 Corinthians which we don’t have
- 2 Corinthians which is our 1 Corinthians
- 3 Corinthians or the letter of tears, which we don’t have
- 4 Corinthians which is our 2 Corinthians
Agreed, the title of this Interruption: Reading 1, 2, 3, & 4 Corinthians, can be misleading, as we realize that 1, 2, 3, & 4 Corinthians were written, but only two of them can actually be read. However, the next time that you play Bible trivia, ask this question. . .
What book in the Bible is 2 Corinthians? (Answer: 1 Corinthians)
When someone answers, “You are a dork. The book of the Bible that is 2 Corinthians is 2nd Corinthians.” Then, after telling them what I’ve just written, everyone in the room will proclaim your Biblical intelligence.
There are other lost letters, too. Paul writes in Colossians 4:16. . .
And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea (ESV).
We have a Letter to the Colossians in our New Testament but not a Letter to the Laodiceans which we know existed at one time. And Paul wrote other letters that we don’t currently have. . .
When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:3, NASB).
When the Apostle Peter mentions many letters of Paul in 2 Peter, we assume that we don’t have all of them. . .
Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters (2 Peter 3:15b-16a, ESV).
Missing books of the Bible — can we trust it? Certainly, because the books of the Bible, inspired by the Spirit, were also collected into our Biblical canon (list) under the guidance of the Spirit.
I will eventually read 1st Corinthians (we don’t have it now) and 3rd Corinthians (not this one either), but they can be found online in heaven.