Paul wrote this letter to the new congregation at Corinth shortly after he wrote the first one. He wrote it in the middle of his third missionary journey in 56 AD while residing in the Roman province of Macedonia. Paul wanted to visit Corinth to the south again, but had not done so and thus explains and apologized for his delays.
Verses 21 and 22 are moving. God makes me “stand firm in Christ. He anointed (me), set his seal of ownership on (me), and put his Spirit in (my) heart as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” God’s grace is wonderful and precious.
I am not the one who does any of this. God does it all. I am weak in faith and my actions prove it. Yet God in his grace makes me stand firm in Christ.
When I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and asked him to take full control of my life God anointed me with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit entered me. It was something entirely new to me. It was pleasant, loving, powerful, and warm. I was anointed.
Seals of ownership are used to this day. A rancher’s seal of ownership is called a brand. He or she puts the brand on a metal plate. The plate is heated and pressed against the steer hide. This burns the brand on the steer. The brand is a claim of ownership.
God burned his brand on my hide. This is what happened when I first believed. God branded me with the Holy Spirit. Now when the Holy Spirit moves in my spirit just as he did the day I first believed, I know that I am his and he is mine. I feel his guarantee of what is to come. These movements are small in comparison to what is to come. With them, I am encouraged to continue in troubles and hardship just as Paul did.