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Note: You may wish to read Chiastic Structuring: An Introduction first.

Contents:
Introduction
First chiastic unit
Second chiastic unit
Third chiastic unit
Further comments

1. Introduction
    Gunther Bornkamm, Die Vorgeschicte des sogennten Zweiten Korinthersbriefes (1961), argued that 6.14-7.1 is non-Pauline and its exclusionist outlook shows affinities to the community of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He broke down the letter into four parts as follows:
    1.) 2.14-7.4 (excluding 6.14-7.1), an earlier letter of defense,
    2.) 8, a letter concerning the collection for the saints,
    3.) 9, a second letter concerning the collection,
    4.) 10-13, a later letter of defence.
The study below, on the other hand, suggests that there are emendations to be made to Bornkamm's schema.

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2. The First Chiastic Unit: 1.23-5.1a x 5.1b-7.16

This centring on the resurrection body in this 'mild' defence of Paul's apostleship would appear, perhaps, to be an answer to those who claim that he is mighty in word but puny in body and appearance - cf. 10.10.  As we shall see, 10.l-13.10 also centres on his physical weakness as a 'basket-case', 11.29-33, since God's strength is perfected in human weakness.

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3. The Second Chiastic Unit: 8.1-22a x 8.22b-9.15

Since 8.19-23 is the centre of this chiasm, and a very crucial point for Paul regarding his standing with all the churches, it seems very unlikely that chapters 8 and 9 were ever two separate letters.

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4. The Third Chiastic Unit: 10.1-11.31a x 11.31b-13.10

Notice that the centre of this chiasm is a sworn oath: what Paul will boast of is ignominious weakness. It is possible that at least part of what Paul is combating is the concept of the apostles, of Christ, and of the Christians as being Hellenistic 'divine men', theioi andres, men of autonomous power and stupendous miracles. Paul's answer is to show that the true and proper apostle of Christ is a man whose whole sufficiency is only from God, and that he has nothing of his own to boast about -- except his weakness, for it is in his acknowledged weakness (and that of all people) that God's power is perfected. Above all, he is a 'man for others'.

Thus all three major sections of 2 Corinthians are concerned with the vindication of Paul's apostleship.

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5. Further Comments

On the basis of the foregoing we may set forth the structure of the letter as follows:

• 1.1-22 (non-chiastic) - i.e. added when composite letter was put together; material perhaps from an extant letter.
• 1.23-7.16 (minus 6.14-7.1, a Qumran-type puritanical interpolation)
• 8-9 - as a single chiastic unit, therefore probably a single letter in origin.
• 10.1-13.10
• 13.11-14 (non-chiastic) - i.e. added when composite letter was put together, perhaps taken from an extant letter.

These structures would appear to vindicate the majority of scholars who have held that 2 Corinthians is composed of parts of several letters by Paul.

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