II Corinthians

This is a complicated letter, showing several sides of Paul’s turbulent personality.  At times it is so discontinuous that several commentators have thought that it consist of fragments from a number of different letters.

1.      Accused of breaking his word by not visiting Corinth when he promised. Paul launches into a long justification of his own integrity, rather than simply apologizing.

2.      He comes close to apologizing for his "stern" letter, which he "did not send to make you grieve."  We do not have the letter as such -- I Corinthians hardly fits the bill -- but some have suggested that an excerpt from it is contained in chapters 10 to 13.

3.    A long essay on the way Moses' face "shone" as he came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments is used to suggest that the Mosaic Law has become obsolete. Paul describes the law as a "ministry of death" -- a phrase hardly likely to endear him to the church in Jerusalem, whose leader, James, was famous for his obedience to the Law.

4.    What is the relationship of the soul to the body?  Paul talks of our "treasures in a clay pot", and also describes us as tent-dwellers longing to live in a heavenly house.  This may have been a local reference since tent "cities" were erected at Corinth every four years for the Isthmian Games.

5.    A major task of ambassadors was to “reconcile” conflicts between nations.  Paul uses this image for Christians – making their peace with God.