Aroma Of Life & Death
Moses (who had been captured by God) was the reluctant but commissioned leader whose authority was forever being misunderstood and undermined. The book of Exodus in various ways defends his commission by showing us in the early chapters, for example, that he had to be "bullied" into the job by God when he resisted the call. In the concluding chapters it "tediously" repeats that the Tabernacle was built in accordance with the commands God had given Moses (nine times in chapter 39 alone).
The narrative of Numbers reflects the same situation even more clearly. Miriam and Aaron accuse Moses of hogging authority (chapter 12). The Korah incident (chapter 16) is so like the Corinthian situation. He and his group accuse Moses of lording it over the people (16:3,13--compare 2 Corinthians 1:24) and of making promises he didn't keep (16:14--compare 2 Corinthians 1:15-18) as well as taking it on himself to bring them out of Egypt (16:13,28--at times it seems clear they thought Moses himself had come up with the scheme to depart from Egypt and establish community rules).
The Korah incident as described in Numbers 16 & 17 has numerous terminological connections with 2 Corinthians. For example, there is "separation" and "don't touch", there's being "sent", there's "death" and "life", there's "incense" that burns among the living and the dead and there's "perishing" and "glory" (see 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 and 6:14-17).
Beyond the terms there is the whole drift of the section that parallels 2 Corinthians. God's sent men (compare Numbers 16:28 and 2 Corinthians 2:17) are opposed by people who incite the people of God against the true "apostles" and there's the notion that those who oppose the true apostles are opposing God himself. Numbers 16-17 is an especially important section that points out the danger of arrogating authority to oneself and the danger involved in undermining the work of God in a duly commissioned servant. (Numbers 16:15 might give us some insight into Paul's refusal to take money from the Corinthians.)
It's in this context (if the above has any merit) that Paul goes into speaking about letters that establish authority (2 Corinthians 3).
2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.