The closing verses betray no trace of the passionate anxiety, the mingled self-abasement end self-assertion, which have marked the preceding Chapter s. Their precepts appear to be addressed to a people among whom calm has been established, and so to belong more naturally to chs. 1- 9, the last of Paul's letters to the Corinthians. [107]
[107] 2 Corinthians 2:3 seems to presuppose 2 Corinthians 13:10; 2 Corinthians 1:23 looks back to 2 Corinthians 13:2; 2 Corinthians 2:9 and 2 Corinthians 7:15 reflect 2 Corinthians 10:6. Similarly 2 Corinthians 3:1 is explained by 2 Corinthians 11:18 and 2 Corinthians 12:11, and 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 2:1 show how and why he had decided against the visit promised in 2 Corinthians 12:14; 2 Corinthians 13:2 (2 Corinthians 12:20 and 2 Corinthians 13:10 leave room for reasonable delay). On the other hand, it is only fair to say that Bernard in EGT gives a list of passages in chs. 10- 13 which he thinks presuppose chs. 1- 9. A. J. G.l.