A Contrast Between Glory and Shame in Corinthians

I have recently begun to wonder why Paul was inspired to emphasize a glory/shame or power/weakness dichotomy in his letters to the Corinthians. The examples are numerous:

"And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another." (1 Corinthians 15:40 NET)

"It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power" (1 Corinthians 15:43 NET)

"But if the ministry that produced death - carved in letters on stone tablets - came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective)" (2 Corinthians 3:7 NET)

"through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true" (2 Corinthians 6:8 NET)

Also see 2 Cor. 3:18; 12:9, 10; 13:4.

Joseph A. Fitzmyer: (1 Corinthians, Anchor Bible Commentary

It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in splendor. Whereas the earthly human body is subject to atimia, “dishonor,” the second quality of the risen body is doxa, “splendor, glory, radiance.” See Note on 2:7. The human body, thus sown, “has lost all rights of citizenship (atimia), and, excepting decent burial, all rights of humanity” (Robertson-Plummer, 1 Cor, 372). Recall how Paul contrasts “decay” (phthora) with “splendor, glory” (doxa) in Rom 8:21, a slightly different consideration. Cf. also Rom 9:21; Phil 3:21. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. Whereas the earthly human body is powerless, subject to frailty and weakness (astheneia), the third quality of the risen body is dynamis, “power.” It thus shares in the power given by the Creator. The same contrast is found in 2 Cor 12:9; 13:4.