From the second century to the present, 2 Corinthians offers its riches grudgingly,if at all; and even then it demands only the most careful and attentive inquiries. The Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series provides compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theological students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other religious leaders. In addition to providing basic information about the New Testament texts and insights into their meanings, these commentaries are intended to exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical biblical exegesis. "2 Corinthians is a treasure hidden in a thorny thicket. It is so rich, so full of theological insight, so packed with hope and possibility, so aware of dark human tendencies and human vulnerability, and so radical in its reevaluation of what is true and real." From the Introduction From the second century to the present, 2 Corinthians offers its riches grudgingly,if at all; and even then it demands only the most careful and attentive inquiries. Sundet Professor of New Testament and Christian Studies, Department of Classical & Near Eastern Studies, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Pheme Perkins is a professor in the Theology Department at Boston College, specializing Johannine materials, Paulline Epistles and Gnosticism. She is a member of and leader in several professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Bible Association, the Society of New Testament Studies, and the Association of Theological Schools. Recent publications include: Gnosticism and the New Testament (Fortress Press), Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church (Fortress Press), Ephesians: Abingdon New Testament Commentary (Abingdon Press), Abraham's Divided Children: Galatians and the Politics of Faith (Trinity Press International). Emory University Moody Smith, a George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament at The Divinity School, Duke University. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: 2 Corinthians By Calvin J. Roetzel Abingdon Press Copyright © 2007 Abingdon Press All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-687-05677-4 Contents Foreword, Preface, List of Abbreviations, Introduction, Commentary, Select Bibliography, Scripture Index, Subject Index, CHAPTER 1 Commentary A Letter of Appeal for the Offering (8:1-24) Introduction Before Paul responded in an earlier letter to Corinthian questions about the offering (1 Cor 16:1-11), there was a long prehistory. Already in Gal 2:1, 2, and 6-10, Paul wrote of an agreement he made with the Jerusalem apostles to promote the offering for the Jerusalem "poor." In exchange for the endorsement of his Gentile mission by the "pillar apostles" (Peter, James, and John), Paul eagerly agreed to "remember the poor" in Jerusalem (Gal 2:10). More than a quid pro quo, this gesture had a strong eschatological warrant from the prophets who envisioned a procession of Gentiles with offerings brought and confessions made to Israel's God in the last days. Paul obviously saw in the conversion of Gentiles to the Jesus movement and their reception of the spirit being poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28-29) a premonitory sign of the approaching end when Jew and Gentile would be gathered together as Abraham's children. Since the Corinthians certainly knew about the offering, Paul hardly needed to describe or defend the project in his earlier letter (1 Cor 16:1-11). Nevertheless, his subsequent push to complete the project begun "last year" hints that the Corinthians were lukewarm and dilatory about the effort (2 Cor 8:10-11; Hurd 1965, 202). Their tepid response moved Paul to lay out a strategy for its completion. Embedded in this strategy was much more than a relief effort, though it was that; it was a witness to God's reconciling action that is either stated or implied throughout 2 Corinthians. Each Sunday they were to set aside what they could so that when he arrived a sizeable token would be ready (1 Cor 16:1-3). His vigorous promotion of the collection, however, raised eyebrows. Being victimized by scam artists dressed up as teachers, the mostly poor Corinthians were rightfully suspicious. Might Paul be just another huckster breezing into town, collecting money for "the poor among the saints" hundreds of miles away in Jerusalem, and then lining his own pockets with ill-gotten gain? Did they suspect Paul of duplicity as he, on the one hand, refused their support with a claim to high-minded self-sufficiency while, on the other hand, was taking money from the Philippian church (Phil 4:15, 16, 19)? Were they simply insulted that he would accept gifts from Macedonia but refuse them from Corinth? The sting of those allegations lingered and provoked Paul's defiant defense of his integrity