A tense, personal letter defending Paul's authority and honesty.
Second Corinthians is written after a painful conflict between Paul and the Corinthian church. It mixes relief at partial reconciliation with a sharp defense of his conduct against rival teachers.
Paul writes with evident emotion about a strained relationship, a letter he regretted sending, and a messenger's report that the Corinthians had responded well. He frames the whole episode in terms of comfort received in distress and forgiveness offered to an offender.
Two chapters encourage the Corinthians to finish gathering money they had pledged for poorer believers in Jerusalem. Paul presents the collection as a matter of fairness and goodwill between distant communities rather than an obligation.
In the closing chapters Paul answers rivals he sarcastically calls super-apostles, listing his hardships - beatings, imprisonments, shipwreck - rather than his achievements, and describing a mysterious personal affliction he calls a thorn in the flesh.