Just as we open our letters today with the conventional "Dear John," so Paul begins his letters in the way that was characteristic of the casual Greek letter of his day: A to B, greetings. How he elaborates this typical opening provides us with insight into his uppermost concerns at the time of writing (see the introduction). In 2 Corinthians Paul's concerns are three in number: (1) his apostleship, (2) God's ownership of the Corinthian congregation and (3) the church as the family of God.