I.　Being constituted by and with the Lord as the life-giving and transforming Spirit through sufferings, consuming pressures, and the killing work of the cross:

A.　Comforted by God in all their affliction that they may be able to comfort others in every affliction for the building up of the Body of Christ—2 Cor. 1:3-4.

B.　Pressed down unto despair in their environment that they might learn not to trust in themselves but in the God of resurrection—vv. 8-10.

C.　Keeping their hearts turned to the Lord with an unveiled face to behold and reflect the glory of the Lord for their continual transformation into the image of the resurrected and glorified Christ—3:16-18.

D.　Being consumed in their outer man but being renewed in their inner man day by day by being nourished with the fresh supply of the resurrection life—4:16.

II.　Conducting themselves in the grace of God—1:12:

A.　Grace being Christ Himself as the embodiment of the processed Triune God for our enjoyment—1 Cor. 15:10; cf. Gal. 2:20.

B.　Enjoying Christ as their all-sufficient grace through sufferings:

1.　Receiving transcendent revelations from the Lord—2 Cor. 12:7a.

2.　Being given a thorn in the flesh to be kept from being exceedingly lifted up and kept in a position of humility to enjoy Christ as grace—v. 7b.

3.　Christ as grace becoming power tabernacling over them, overshadowing them, in their weaknesses to become their dwelling place to sustain, support, maintain, protect, and keep them in their sufferings—vv. 8-10.

4.　Being weak in their old being but powerful in the overshadowing Christ—v. 10.

III.　Living, walking, and acting in their spirit by the Spirit as the consummation of the processed and consummated Triune God—2:13-14; 4:13:

A.　Doing everything in the person of Christ, the face of Christ, the presence of Christ—2:10; 4:6.

B.　Living out the changelessness of Christ—1:17-20.

C.　Entreating through the meekness and gentleness of Christ—10:1.

D.　The truthfulness of Christ being in them—11:10.

E.　Being a man in Christ—12:2a.

F.　The grace of Christ being transmitted to them—13:14.

G.　Speaking in Christ and Christ speaking in them—2:17; 13:3.

IV.　Five significant and expressive metaphors illustrating how the ministers of the new covenant and their ministry were constituted, how they behaved and lived, and how their ministry was carried out:

A.　Captive in a triumphal procession for the celebration of Christ's victory—2:12-14a.

B.　Incense-bearer to scatter the fragrance of Christ—2:14b-16.

C.　Letters written with Christ as the content—3:1-3.

D.　Mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of Christ in order to be transformed into His glorious image—3:18.

E.　Earthen vessels to contain the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure—4:7.

V.　Being ambassadors of Christ:

A.　Not living by what they are or can do but by the immortal life, Christ Himself—5:4.

B.　Determined to gain the honor of being well pleasing to Christ—v. 9.

C.　Constrained by the love of Christ—v. 14.

D.　Knowing others according to Christ in the spirit—v. 16.

E.　To reconcile the believers to God and betroth them to Christ—v. 20; 11:2.

VI.　Being co-workers of God:

A.　Working together with God—6:1-2.

B.　Commending themselves as ministers of God by an all-fitting life—vv. 3-13.

C.　Being lovers of the church—11:28-29; 12:15.

VII.　Enjoying the Divine Trinity in full by participating in the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit—13:14.