2 Corinthians: several Letters?

There is general agreement that 2 Corinthians was genuinely written by Paul. Experts are divided though about whether the text was originally one unit. It is also possible that the letter was compiled by a later editor using two, three, four or even five letters which Paul would have written to the Corinthians.

The Various Parts

There are various parts of 2 Corinthians which could have been independent letters:

2 Corinthians 1:1–2:13 and 7:5-16;
2 Corinthians 2:14–7:4;
2 Corinthians 8:1-24;
2 Corinthians 9:1-15;
2 Corinthians 10:1–13:13.