Beginning with God as a compassionate Father over His children, Paul moves to sufferings incurred for the sake of Christ and the Gospel, especially his own experience of 'so great a death', and its spiritual purpose - that of delivering him from self-trust.

An insight into Paul's deep sense of the priesthood of all believers. Shared intercession comes first (he needs them), then shared sincerity, then a shared anointing (not just the preacher), finally shared proving of the Lord (the local church needs no external oversight).

Despite Satan's drive to establish a hold over God's people, the Corinthian church purges out grievous sin (here are the purposes of discipline), achieves restoration for the offender, proves its obedience to the Lord, and defeats Satan's devices (these being named and described here).

Paul reveals his great anxiety for the Corinthians, but hastens to show how he looked also at the overall scene and God's ceaseless blessing in opening doors and making Paul and others the savour of Christ everywhere; truly a model life for us all.

Learning from contrasts, including that between the law written on stone, and conversion written in the heart; the ministry of the the letter and that of the Spirit; the old and the new covenants; the administration of death and of the Spirit, with the unique glory of the latter.

The apostle shows where false teachers (promoting Jewish views) went wrong, explaining the veil over their minds and hearts. Then he advances the liberty of true conversion, and here are its components. Finally the question is answered - how does beholding Christ lead to sanctification and glory?

The glorious nature of Gospel ministry burdens preachers and witnessing believers to reach every form of unbelief and rebellion against God.  Here are more forms.  Here too is Satan's chief objective - the obscuring of Christ, and the necessity of the Spirit's illuminating work in salvation.

The mighty, glorious paradox of the witnessing Christian life is here seen - in weakness, Christ makes us strong; in hindrances and hardships, He provides the escape; when at the end of our resources, He supplies - a lifelong proving of His power and faithfulness to us.