Front cover -- Title page -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- History of Interpretation -- Delimitations of the Text -- Occasion for the Letter -- Events between 1 and 2 Corinthians -- The Opponents -- 1. Method and Perspective -- Method -- Audience Oriented -- The Authorial Audience in Corinth -- The Rhetorical and Heuristic Aspects of the Letter -- The Oral Culture and Setting of Paul's Correspondence -- Chiasmus in Ancient Rhetoric and Literature -- Chiasmus and Interpretation -- Chiasmus in 2 Corinthians -- Chapter Summary -- 2. Chiastic Structures in 2 Corinthians 1:1-6:2 -- Criteria -- Analysis of Structures -- Introduction (1:1-7) -- Greeting (1:1-2) -- Blessing (1:3-7) -- Macrochiasm I (1:8-2:13) -- A. Paul's Suffering in Asia (1:8-11) -- B. Paul's Reason for Writing the Present Letter (1:12-14) -- C. Decision to Change Travel Plans before the Painful Visit(1:15-17) -- D. All Things are "Yes" in Christ (1:18-22) -- C.́ Change in Travel Plans After the Painful Visit (1:23-2:3) -- B.́ The Letter of Tears and the Offender (2:4-9) -- A.́ Paul's Anguish in Troas (2:10-13) -- Overview of Macrochiasm I (1:8-2:13) -- Macrochiasm II (2:14-4:14) -- A. Paul's Qualifications to be a Minister for God (2:14-3:6) -- B. Believers are Gloriously Transformed by Paul's Ministry(3:7-18) -- C. Paul's Gospel is Unveiled (4:1-6) -- B.́ Paul's Mortality Makes Known the Life of Christ (4:7-11) -- A.́ Paul Proclaims his Faith for the Life of the Community(4:12-14) -- Overview: Macrochiasm II (2:14-4:14) -- Macrochiasm III (4:15-6:2) -- A. The Benefit of the Audience and the Glory of God (4:15-18) -- B. Waiting and Groaning in this Earthly Dwelling (5:1-5) -- C. Encouraged and Acceptable While Away from the Lord(5:6-10) -- C.́ An Opportunity for Boasting (5:11-13) -- B.́ Christ Died for All So That All Might Live (5:14-15).

A.́ Now Is the Time: Be Reconciled to God (5:16-6:2) -- Overview: Macrochiasm III (4:15-6:2) -- Chapter Summary -- 3. Audience Response to 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:13 -- Introductory Sections: Greeting and Blessing (1:1-7) -- Greeting (1:1-2) -- Blessing (1:3-7) -- Macrochiasm I: Paul's Defense of His RecentAdministrative Decisions (1:8-2:13) -- A. Paul's Suffering in Asia (1:8-11) -- B. Paul's Reason for Writing the Present Letter (1:12-14) -- C. Decision to Change Travel Plans Prior to the Painful Visit(1:15-17) -- D. All Things are "Yes" in Christ (1:18-22) -- C.́ The Change in Travel Plans after the Painful Visit (1:23-2:3) -- B.́ The Tearful Letter and the Offender (2:4-9) -- A.́ Paul's Anguish in Troas (2:10-13) -- Chapter Summary -- 4. Audience Response to 2 Corinthians 2:14-4:14 -- Macrochiasm II (2:14-4:14): Paul's Defense of His Unveiled Gospel to the Corinthians and a Counter-attack on the Opponents -- A. Paul's Qualification to be God's Minister (2:14-3:6) -- B. Paul's Ministry Makes Known the Glorious New Covenantof Life (3:7-18) -- C. Paul's Ministry Is Unveiled (4:1-6) -- B.́ Paul's Mortality Makes Known the Life of Christ (4:7-11) -- A.́ Paul Proclaims His Faith for the Life of the Community(4:12-14) -- Chapter Summary -- 5. Audience Response to 2 Corinthians 4:15-5:15 -- Macrochiasm III: Paul's Continued Defense and Callto Reconciliation -- A. All Things Are for "Your" Benefit (4:15a) -- B. Grace and Thanksgiving for the Glory of God (4:15b) -- C. Confident While in Decay (4:16a) -- C.́ Daily Renewal of the Inner Self (4:16b) -- B.́ Temporary Affliction Produces Eternal Glory (4:17) -- A.́ Things Seen and Things Unseen (4:18) -- B. Waiting and Groaning in This Earthly Dwelling (5:1-5) -- A. The Spiritual Body That Awaits Believers (5:1) -- B. Desiring Our Heavenly Residence (5:2) -- C. Regaining and Wearing God's Glory (5:3).

B.́ Wishing to Be Clothed (5:4a) -- A.́ That Mortality May Be Swallowed Up by Life (5:4b-5) -- C. Courageous and Acceptable While Away from the Lord(5:6-10) -- A. Courageous Because We Walk by Faith (5:6-7) -- B. Preference to Be Away from the Body (5:8a) -- C. Preference to Be at Home with the Lord (5:8b) -- C.́ Aspiration Whether We Are at Home with the Lord (5:9a) -- B.́ Acceptable Whether We Are Away (5:9b) -- A.́ Before the Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10) -- C.́ An Opportunity for Boasting (5:11-13) -- A. We Are Apparent to God, and Should Be to You (5:11) -- Chiastic Progression from the C Unit (5:6-10) -- B. A Return to Commendation and Boasting (5:12a) -- B.́ Those Who Boast in External Appearance (5:12b) -- A.́ If We Are beside Ourselves,66 It Is for God (5:13) -- B.́ Compelled to Live for the One Who Loved Alland Died for All (5:14-15) -- Chiastic Progression from the B Unit (5:1-5) -- A. Compelled by the Love of Christ (5:14-15a) -- B. Those Who Live (5:15b) -- B.́ Might No Longer Live for Themselves (5:15c) -- A.́ Living for the One Who Died and Was Raised (5:15d) -- Chapter Summary -- 6. Audience Response to 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 -- Paul's Climactic Call to Reconciliation(the A ́unit of Macrochiasm III) -- Chiastic Progression from the A Unit (4:15-18) -- A. Now Those Who Are in Christ Are a New Creation (5:16-17) -- "Now" Is a New Era -- New Creation in Christ -- B. Reconciled into a New Relationship (5:18) -- Reconciliation and the Ministry of the New Covenant -- B.́ God Was Reconciling the World in Christ (5:19-20) -- Not Counting Transgressions -- Ambassadors for Christ -- A.́ Behold: Now Is the Day of Salvation (5:21-6:2) -- Inversion and the Righteousness of God -- The Ambassador's Emphatic Plea -- Behold: Now Is the Day of Salvation! -- Chapter Summary -- 5:16-6:2 as the Close of Macrochiasm III (4:15-6:2).

7. Summary and Conclusions -- Purpose and Method -- Chiasms -- Audience Response to 2 Corinthians 1:1-5:15 -- Greeting and Blessing (1:1-7) -- Macrochiasm I (1:8-2:13) -- Macrochiasm II (2:14-4:14) -- Macrochiasm III (4:15-6:2) -- Audience Response to 5:16-6:2 -- Contributions of This Study to the Interpretation of2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 -- Bibliography -- Back cover.