2Cor021 Heavenly Courage

As Paul winds down one portion of his argument for his ministry boldness, he spotlights, a significant source of that boldness, heavenly courage. Two times in three verses, Paul uses a powerful word for courage, to make it emphatic what drives him. This courage however is not a mental trait or a sate of mind generated by human means. By connecting 5:6 to the preceding context, specifically to 5:5, through the word "therefore," Paul shows that his courage is rooted in the work of the Spirit of God who has given courage to him and to all Christians. This courage then does not need to be acquired, it merely needs to be exercised, whether in the midst of fiery afflictions or as Christians face the prospect of bodily death.