II Corinthians 11.1-15: Paul seeks to defend himself against the false teaching of his opponents. His purpose is to uphold the gospel. The temptation he fights is for us to seek status more than Christ. This temptation is constant in our world, but the true gospel guides us to proper humility and true trust in Christ.

II Corinthians 9.6-15: As the apostle Paul encourages us to generous living, we are reminded that God works through our obedience to produce a bountiful harvest of righteousness. We first must be reminded of God's generous nature toward us and trust that our generous acts toward others will contribute to God's grand plan of his good kingdom.

II Corinthians 7.2-16: Paul shows us how to live in the spiritual tension of sin and the pursuit of righteousness. We cannot find peace through a therapeutic glossing over of sin, both individual and societal. We must face sin in ourselves and in the world. But we confront it in ourselves through our salvation in Christ. And we confront it in the world through the ethic of love, as we seek to model God's righteousness and teach it. Our world seeks comfort by denial of sin. We seek comfort by addressing it through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 6.3-13: Paul models for us a life that is authentic and whole. He does not seek to make himself seem better, but fully puts himself out there in his weaknesses. He lives his life out of the fulcrum of Jesus' death and resurrection. It is this path that guides us to unity in our soul, a unity of purpose toward serving Christ and seeking his glory.