Weakness and Christan Progress
I have been wrestling with D. A. Carson's book on 2 Corinthians 10-13 , a portion of Scripture where the apostle Paul lays himself bare. In these chapters the apostle protects his authority, pleads with the church, utilizes irony, and gives a moving testimony of his own weakness. The Corinthians have been taken in by false brethren, carnal men who are being paraded as super apostles; men who are building the house with worldly means. Carson shows in the introductory chapters that the Corinthian culture was largely influenced by the Sophists. The Sophists were showmen. Triumphalists who strutted their own achievements, knowledge, oratorical skills as a means to gain both a following and credibility to their viewpoints. It was not uncommon for them to begin their letters with long lists of "recommendations" to validate their authority on whatever matter they were addressing. Unsurprisingly the Corinthian church was susceptible to such self-promotional figures because