So Paul is writing this part of the letter to convince the Corinthians that the death of Christ has abolished the old standards for what counts as power and persuasiveness. That is to say, the standards for knowing rightly have been transformed by the cross. And in light of these new standards — in light of the New Creation that God has brought into being — the Corinthians should stop their rivalry and boasting and conflict. They should be reconciled to Paul and to one another…

Paul is not just saying, “Look at me, my sins have been forgiven, and so I’m now a new creature.” He is saying that the whole world is being made new by the cross and resurrection and that all our relationships have to be re-evaluated in light of that transformation. -Richard B. Hays, “The Word of Reconciliation“