Recent scholars have tended to interpret 2 Corinthians 12:1–10 as an attempt to belittle ecstatic experiences, such as Paul’s ascent to paradise, in favor of suffering in the service of the gospel. This study offers an alternative. An analysis of ascent traditions in the Greco-Roman and Jewish worlds investigates ascent as both a literary motif and a religious practice. This analysis probes several issues relevant to 2 Cor 12:1–10, including dynamics of ascent and suffering. The study turns next to religious experiences Paul believes he and his communities have undergone. A pattern emerges in which extraordinary experiences provide the basis for suffering and service. Moreover, Paul expects his communities to have had experiences similar to, if less dramatic than, his ascent to heaven. The author argues that in its context in 2 Corinthians, Paul’s ascent should be understood as an encounter with Christ that transcends human language and endows Paul with divine power, which must be refined through suffering. With the help of four premodern interpreters, the study further explores the theological relevance of Paul’s ascent. For Paul, mystical encounter with Christ forms the precondition for suffering and service because it enables self-transcending love for God and neighbors.

2 Corinthians is part of The Christian Standard Commentary (CSC) series. This commentary series focuses on the theological and exegetical concerns of each biblical book, while paying careful attention to balancing rigorous scholarship with practical application. This series helps the reader understand each biblical book's theology, its place in the broader narrative of Scripture, and its importance for the church today. Drawing on the wisdom and skills of dozens of evangelical authors, the CSC is a tool for enhancing and supporting the life of the church.

This book attempts to investigate two strands in a single work: ‘apocalyptic Paul’ and ‘intertextuality’. First, what does ‘apocalyptic Paul’ mean? Is it synonymous to eschatology as a theological notion, or the end-time mystery? Many seminal works have delved into the intriguing yet unorganized notion of the ‘apocalyptic’. Instead of attempting to provide a universal definition of the ‘apocalyptic’, the author presents his understanding of the phenomenon, particularly in the cultural realm. The author contends that ‘apocalyptic’ is neither all about the end-time event nor merely a literary genre, but an interpretive lens to understand the world and social phenomena—one that is shaped and developed through culture and society. Accordingly, the term ‘apocalyptic Paul’ implies how Paul views and understands the world, history, and supernatural phenomena through interaction with his cultural texts and context. Second, the author also suggests that ‘intertextuality’ is not only about comparative literature study. Rather, intertextuality refers to cultural semiotics: a sign system to deliver the meaning of text. Based on this notion of intertextuality, the author interprets how Paul envisages multiple phenomena (heavenly ascent, resurrection, afterlife, the origins of sin, and two ages) within his cultural context.

In this monograph, Alex W. Muir shows how Paul and Seneca were significant contributors to an ancient philosophical and rhetorical tradition of consolation. Each writer's consolatory career is surveyed in turn through close readings of key primary texts: chiefly Seneca's three literary consolations and 'Epistles'; and Paul's letters, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, and Philippians. A final comparative dialogue highlights the pair's adaptations and innovations within this tradition.

Speculation around the health of Paul the Apostle has been present since soon after his death. Recently scholars have understood Paul to be disabled but have been wary of isolating precisely what his disabilities may have been or whether they are important for understanding his writings. This book is the first full-length study of Paul the Apostle and disability. Using insights from contemporary disability studies, Isaac Soon analyses features of Paul's body in his ancient Mediterranean context to understand the ways in which his body was disabled. Focusing on three such ancient disabilities--demonization, circumcision, and short stature--this book draws on a rich variety of ancient evidence, from textual sources and epigraphy, to ancient visual culture, to analyze ancient bodily ideals and the negative cultural effects such 'deviant' persons generated. The book also examines Paul's use of his own disabilities in his letters and shows how disability is not subsidiary to his thought but a central aspect of it. This book also provides scholars with a new method for uncovering previously unrecognized disabilities in the ancient world. Last of all, it critiques the latent ableism in much New Testament scholarship, which assumes that the figures of the early Jesus movement were able-bodied.

Leading biblical scholar Thomas Schreiner provides an easy-to-navigate resource for studying and understanding the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Letters. This accessibly written volume summarizes the content of each major section of the biblical text to help readers quickly grasp the sense of particular passages. This is the first volume in the Handbooks on the New Testament series, which is modeled after Baker Academic's successful Old Testament handbook series. Series volumes are neither introductions nor commentaries, as they focus primarily on the content of the biblical books without getting bogged down in historical-critical questions or detailed verse-by-verse exegesis. The series will contain three volumes that span the entirety of the New Testament, with future volumes covering the Gospels and Hebrews through Revelation. Written with classroom utility and pastoral application in mind, these books will appeal to students, pastors, and laypeople alike.

Travel and pilgrimage have become central research topics in recent years. Some archaeologists and historians have applied globalization theories to ancient intercultural connections. Classicists have rediscovered travel as a literary topic in Greek and Roman writing. Scholars of early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been rethinking long-familiar pilgrimage practices in new interdisciplinary contexts. This volume contributes to this flourishing field of study in two ways. First, the focus of its contributions is on experiences of travel. Our main question is: How did travelers in the ancient world experience and make sense of their journeys, real or imaginary, and of the places they visited? Second, by treating Jewish, Christian, and Islamic experiences together, this volume develops a longue durée perspective on the ways in which travel experiences across these three traditions resembled each other. By focusing on "experiences of travel," we hope to foster interaction between the study of ancient travel in the humanities and that of broader human experience in the social sciences.

Christopher G. Foster identifies Jewish mystical elements in the Dead Sea Scrolls and compares them with analogous features in the Corinthian correspondence to illuminate through differences and similarities how Paul advocates a mystical and communal participation in the Spirit. After defining early Jewish mysticism and introducing the method of heuristic comparison, Part I identifies and investigates mystical elements in Dead Sea Scrolls. Part II compares these findings with corresponding aspects in 1 and 2 Corinthians to demonstrate the largely corporate tenor of participation and transformation in and by the spirit for Paul.

In 2 Cor. 10–13, as in the entire Pauline corpus, the use of the first person plural is surprising. Paul oscillates between singular ('I') and plural ('We'), sometimes within the same sentence. While this literary feature has never been seriously explored, this study undertakes in the first part an investigation of the meanings of 'we' in ancient Greek texts through several literary genres, from Homer to the Hellenistic period. The second part, devoted to 2 Cor. 10–13, shows the neat architecture of these chapters, and the way the key theological message about weakness (ἀσθένεια) and power (δύναμις) is delivered. Also the occurrences of 'We' and 'I' throughout the text reveal a further underlying theology of authority. En 2 Co 10–13, mais aussi dans l'ensemble du corpus paulinien, l'utilisation de la première personne du pluriel est surprenante. Paul passe souvent du 'je' au 'nous', et inversement, parfois dans la même phrase. Ce trait littéraire n'ayant pas encore été examiné de manière approfondie, la présente étude commence par une enquête sur les sens du 'nous' dans plusieurs genres littéraires – dont le genre épistolaire – d'Homère jusqu'à l'époque hellénistique. La seconde partie, consacrée à 2 Co 10–13, montre l'architecture soignée de ces chapitres ainsi que la manière dont Paul communique le message théologique sur la faiblesse (ἀσθένεια) et la force (δύναμις). L’alternance des 'nous' et des 'je' exprime en outre une véritable théologie de l'autorité apostolique.

One can hardly ignore the significance of suffering in Paul's letters. Respected scholars (e.g., Scott Hafemann, Christiaan Beker, and Ann Jervis) have demonstrated the indispensable role of suffering in Paul's teaching. Despite that, the topic does not often "hit the headlines" in Pauline studies. Meanwhile, Christians around the world testify to the encouragement and comfort Paul gives them in times of pain and distress. The purpose of this book is to arouse interest in Pauline scholarship on the topic and provide a resource for educators, theological students, and thoughtful pastors. New Testament scholars in five countries across three continents contribute to this volume. They study the texts, intertexts, and the language of suffering in Paul. They explore the notion of participation in Christ's suffering and glory, and examine the significance of identity formation and solidarity in the Christ community. In addition, the authors reflect on the implications for the church today from different social locations and cultural backgrounds. The result is an exegetical and critical reflection that invites the church to seriously engage with Paul on the topic. Contributors: Sunny Chen, Roy Ciampa, Timothy Gombis, Sanyu Iralu, Haley Goranson Jacob, Kar Yong Lim, David Starling, Sean Winter, Siu Fung Wu, and Xiaxia Xue.