Preaching Second Corinthians

Most scholarly work on 2 Corinthians concentrates on the historical setting behind the letter: who Paul's rivals were and how the document came together. Far fewer studies connect that close reading of the text to the work of preparing a sermon. The question of what makes ministry genuine runs through this letter, and it bears directly on churches that are unsure of their own identity today. Paul meets rivals who measure his work by worldly yardsticks, and he answers with a vision of ministry rooted in the cross. The book treats this as a window into both the calling of pastors and the purpose of the church, and it sets ancient Corinth beside modern congregations to show where their circumstances overlap.

The exegetical chapters identify the passage's chief concern and present it as the foundation for a preaching text. Throughout, the author engages current scholarship on 2 Corinthians, and he offers guidance on interpreting the letter and on shaping a sermon from it.