The agonies and anxieties inflicted on Paul by the Corinthian church led him to focus fiercely on the most crucial tenets of a Christian's life and faith. The opposition Paul faced, both insidious and confrontative, forced him to take uncomfortable positions and reveal personal and spiritual experiences that he would not normally have exposed for public scrutiny.

Today's reading from 2 Corinthians finds Paul in the midst of just such an uncomfortably combative debate with those who opposed his words and questioned his authority to speak them. Instead of trying to intimidate these disruptive factions with his impressive credentials of faith and service, Paul takes a different debating tack.

Beginning in chapter 11, Paul flexes his considerable rhetorical skills. Through an astonishing use o…