PAUL AND THE RHETORIC OF REVERSAL: KERYGMATIC ...

You together 18 are the body of Christ [ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ], and individually parts of
it. (12:27)
And if… I do not have love [ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω], I am nothing. (13:2)
Let everything be done for the sake of building up [πρὸς οἰκοδομήν]. (14:26)
2 Corinthians 12:20-21
In this vice list, there appears to be a conscious distinction between the two areas that have
been identified, although here they occur in the reverse of the usual order:
2 Corinthians 12:20: Theme II: strife, zeal, evil speech, etc.
For I fear that when I come I might not find you as I wish to find you, and that you
might not find me as you wish – that there might be strife [ἔρις], zeal [ζῆλος], 19 anger
[θυμοί], squabbles [ἐριθεῖαι], slander [καταλαλιαί], gossiping, pride, and disorder.
2 Corinthians 12:21: Theme I: (former) impurity, sexual immorality, debauchery
I fear that when I come, my God might humble me and that I might have to mourn
over many who had sinned previously and not repented of the impurity [τῇ
ἀκαθαρσίᾳ] and sexual immorality [πορνείᾳ] and debauchery [ἀσελγείᾳ] which they
had practised.
17 The textual variants at this point do not jeapardise the point that this verse evidences a
summons to acknowledge the corporate body. It seems that ἀναξίως and τοῦ κυρίου are later
clarifying additions, brought in from 11:27.
18 This translation attempts to communicate the corporate nature of the plural indicative.
19 I consider that these two nouns (ἔρις, ζῆλος) are better taken as being singular (as in 1
Corinthians 3:3); and that the plural variants arise from scribal conformation to the other plural
nouns in context.
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