How do we reconcile the apostle Paul's suffering with his role in mediating the Spirit to his churches? From the beginning of his ministry, Paul's oppo-nents argued that his constant suffering called into question his legitimacy as an apostle.

Shedding new light on the way Paul defended his apostleship, Scott Hafe-mann offers a careful, detailed study of II Corinthians 2:14-3:3 in connection with other key passages throughout I and II Corinthians. These seven verses, Hafemann contends, constitute the heart of Paul's twin-pillared self-defense: both his suffering and his ministry of the Spirit vindicated him as an apostle of Christ.

Demonstrating the unity and coherence of Paul's argument in this passage, Hafemann shows through lucid and precise exegesis that Paul's suffering, in his own view, served as the vehicle for revealing God's power and glory through the Spirit.