The Structure of Second Corinthians

Hiramatsu Kei examines the literary structure of 2 Corinthians, and how it can illuminate our understanding of this Pauline letter and its intended message. He explores the theoretical foundations of Inductive Bible Study as an approach which focuses on the meaning of biblical passages to the original audience, and how this can inform meaning for readers today; while using readers’ perceptions of the meaning of the biblical text in its final form as a starting point, he also prioritizes the literary context as consequential evidence for interpretation. Hiramatsu proposes that 2 Corinthians consists of seven major segments which coherently develop Paul’s discourse pertaining to ministry, and he argues that there are two major components of the literary structure: the division of the letter into the seven parts and the identification of major structural relationships between the divided parts and the letter as a whole. He discusses the theological implications that arise from a literary investigation, illustrating that an inductive and integrative approach not only presents a more suitable and helpful literary structure for 2 Corinthians but also demonstrates the relevance of studying the literary structure when seeking to gain understanding of the theological implications of this Pauline letter.