Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians
The Transformative Function of Strength in Weakness
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: IVP Academic (InterVarsity Press)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Paul's Theology of How Christ Transforms Weakness Into Resurrection Power What is God doing in our weaknesses? The world may say "nothing," but the apostle Paul says "everything." The theological wellspring in 2 Corinthians is often overlooked, yet this letter may be one of the apostle's richest and most pastorally attuned writings. At the heart of 2 Corinthians lies a paradox about power that defines Paul's life and theology and challenges the Corinthian community to align their ethics with the death and resurrection of Christ. In Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians, B. G. White explores how Paul uses the motif of "strength in weakness" and what that means for our own theological understanding of the paradox of pain. White argues that the key to interpreting 2 Corinthians is the community's experience of pain and how Paul, in response, presents his experience of Christ's resurrection power as a paradigm in which the Corinthians learn how Christ transforms their struggles. Rather than shying away from the paradox, White suggests that the genius of Paul's message lies in the exegetical and theological nuances of the apostle's proclamation of "strength in weakness." This model resists both the fear of suffering and the belief that suffering is inherently good. What you'll find in Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians: An original perspective on Paul's use of "strength in weakness" and what this means for our understanding of suffering. Insightful illumination of how pain is part of God's vision for power. Practical ministry implications drawn from White's biblical exposition. Aboutthis Edition Revised and expanded from its original publication, this edition features new reflections and pastoral implications at the end of each chapter designed to help academics, pastors, and students alike apply insights from 2Corinthians into the life of the church, preaching, and theological inquiry.
Endorsements (4)
“This book is creative and courageous. From its pages there emerges a passionate biblical theologian who is capable of investing familiar concepts with new meaning in order to illuminate Paul's paradoxical conception of strength and weakness in the life of Christian believers. I do not know of a young New Testament scholar who gives evidence of contributing more to the future of Christian theology. His work has a great future in the academy and the church.”
“In this model of attentive, theological exegesis, B. G. White opens up the riches of 2 Corinthians. By recovering the historical context of the letter in the pain both of Paul and of the Corinthians, he rediscovers the potential of Paul's 'strength in weakness' paradox to heal the life of the church, both in first-century Corinth and today. This revised, more accessible version of White's fine research is timely and enormously welcome.”
“B. G. White's reworking of his monograph on 2 Corinthians is a rare achievement and a hopeful sign for the future of Pauline scholarship. It combines rigorous, attentive scholarship with a genuinely pastoral sensibility, without diluting either. As for academic vibrancy, this book represents one of the most significant recent contributions to the study of 2 Corinthians and, by extension, to Pauline theology more broadly. White effectively recenters the letter's theological and pastoral logic, moving beyond readings that treat it primarily as an exercise in apostolic self-defense. The result is a recalibration of how we read 2 Corinthians as Scripture for the church. But this is also why his project lends itself so well to pastoral adaptation. The natural integration of careful academic argument with reflective, discipleship-oriented reflections is something I hope will become more common in the future. In that sense, this book is also something of a flagship example of the kind of scholarship our churches and seminaries urgently need: intellectually serious, theologically alert, and pastorally wise.”
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