John Dominic Crossan in In Search of Paul writes “At the very start of that second Corinthian letter Paul counterpoints two themes, affliction/suffering and consolation, repeating them over and over like drumbeats, the former seven times, the latter ten times in five verses….The more the Corinthians boast of their accomplishments, the more Paul counterboasts or antiboasts of his suffering, because they exalt God’s power and allow him to participate here and now in Christ’s death…Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus” or “in Christ Jesus our Lord” so often that you can hardly keep counts. Even if we lose count, we must take it very seriously, because he intends that word in more organically then we can ever imagine. For Paul, being “in Christ” is not just metaphorical trope, but mystical identity.”
John Dominic Crossan in In Search of Paul writes “At the very start of that second Corinthian letter Paul counterpoints two themes, affliction/suffering and consolation, repeating them over and over like drumbeats, the former seven times, the latter ten times in five verses….The more the Corinthians boast of their accomplishments, the more Paul counterboasts or antiboasts of his suffering, because they exalt God’s power and allow him to participate here and now in Christ’s death…Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus” or “in Christ Jesus our Lord” so often that you can hardly keep counts. Even if we lose count, we must take it very seriously, because he intends that word in more organically then we can ever imagine. For Paul, being “in Christ” is not just metaphorical trope, but mystical identity.”
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