NICNT Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The

This excellent commentary on 2 Corinthians by Paul Barnett illumines the historical background of the church at Corinth and clarifies the meaning of Paul’s passionate letter both for those first-century Christians and for the church today.

Assuming the unity of the letter, for which extensive argument is offered, Barnett takes the view that Paul is, in particular, addressing the issue of triumphalism in Corinth. This triumphalism is expressed by the newly arrived missioners who portray Paul as inferior to themselves; it is also endemic among the Corinthians.

According to Barnett, the recurring theme of the letter is power-in-weakness, based on the motif of the Resurrection of the Crucified, which lies at the heart of the gospel of Christ. Also fundamental to the letter is the theme of fulfilment of the promises of God by Christ and the Spirit under the New Covenant.

Begun in the late 1940s by an international team of New Testament scholars, the NICNT series has become recognised by pastors, students and scholars alike as a critical yet orthodox commentary marked by solid biblical scholarship within the evangelical Protestant tradition.