ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος: A Historical Critical, Literary Critical and Future-Oriented Hermeneutical Study of the Role of πνεῦμα in 2 Corinthians, as a Letter of Reconciliation, with 2 Cor 13:11-13 as the Starting Point

This research aims to study the role and significance of πνεῦμα in 2 Corinthians, as a letter of reconciliation, with 2 Cor 13:11-13 as the starting point. The Pauline letter endings are claimed to
have been very thoughtfully and purposefully composed, hence 13:11-13 as the letter ending of 2 Corinthians holds the keys to the interpretation of the letter it concludes. One such key is the unique Pauline extension ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος found only in 2 Corinthians. Thus, there arises the question why Paul added πνεῦμα to the grace benediction of 2 Corinthians and what role and significance πνεῦμα plays in understanding the entire letter - which is the purpose of this project.The thesis consists of four parts. The first part will present a brief overview of the literary-critical debate on 2 Corinthians in general and on the place of 13:11-13 in 2 Corinthians by the proponents of the compilation and unity hypotheses. The second part will engage in the comparative study of the letter endings of the undisputed Pauline letters and in the exegesis of 13:11-13. The third part will examine πνεῦμα in all the proto-Pauline letters starting from 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Corinthians, Romans and culminates with 2 Corinthians. The final segment will study πνεῦμα in 2 Corinthians in the light of the normativity of the future approach and infer its implications to the interpretation of the role and significance of πνεῦμα in 2 Corinthians as a letter of reconciliation, in an eschatological perspective.