Corinthians

1
Corinthians

• The Resurrection is Yet to Come!

2
I Corinthians one of five

• one of the four letters Paul wrote to the
  congregation there.
• mentions an earlier letter
• 2nd Corinthians consists of at least two separate
  letters
• early in the year 50 CE, Paul arrived in Corinth
  and preached with power
• a community was formed and Paul stayed for 1½
  years (Acts 1811)

3
Conditions of Writing

• Paul crossed the Aegean to Ephesus where his
  mission prospered (I Cor 169)
• Paul wrote 1 Cor. 53-54 fall or winter

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The City of Corinth

• located 40 miles sw of Athens
• enjoyed great status capital of the Roman
  province of Achaia

Temple of Apollo at Corinth
5
The City of Corinth

• a strategic location on the shoulder of the
  isthmus of the Peloponnese
• commerce benefited from ships portaging goods

Map of Ancient Greece
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Corinth the City

• had been reestablished by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE
• populated by overflow of freedpersons
• reputation for wealth w/o culture or social
  concern

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Corinthian Church

• primarily gentile, some Jews
• neither wealthy nor socially prominent
• some were financially well-off w/high social
  standing
• Crispus (1 Cor 114) had been the head of the
  synagogue (Acts 188)
• Prominent Women Chloe (111)

8
Corinthian Gnosticism?

• Paul addresses various religious excesses and
  extremes
• sometimes described as Gnostic or Proto-gnostic
• attached great importance to the acquisition and
  display of special religious knowledge (gnosis)
• 1 Cor 120-213 318-19)
• tended to equate spirituality with possession of
  more spectacular spiritual gifts (I Cor 12-14)

9
Corinthian Church Problems

• they also seem to dissolve the hope for
  resurrection into pretentious claims about the
  believers present life (48 1512-19)
• Seem to believe they have already experienced the
  resurrection!
• these beliefs contributed to intense competition
  for status and factiousness in the church
• Paul seeks to promote a healthy and theologically
  sound unity

10
The Previous Letter

• the first letter Paul is known to have written
  Corinth is not 1 Corinthians
• Paul refers in I Cor 59-11 of a previous letter
• Paul says it contained instructions, not to
  associate with sexually immoral persons
• Some wonder if 2 Cor. 614-71 was that letter,
  folded into a composite
• Paul urges believers there to separate themselves
  from unbelievers

11
Occasion and Purpose

• Paul writes from Ephesus about 54
• writes to deal with a number of specific problems
  endangering Christian life and witness
• has heard from Chloes people of various groups
  competing for status
• invoking names of luminaries like Paul, Apollos,
  Cephas (111-12)

12
Putting out Fires

• an alarming report a man is living incestuously
  with his stepmother
• disorders during Lords Supper (part of a
  congregational meal) occurring
• has received an official letter of inquiry about
  sex, marriage and divorce
• has heard of disagreement about food sacrificed
  to idols (chs 8-10)
• and the relative importance of spiritual gifts
  (12-14)

13
The Collection of Monies

• Paul had been commissioned to raise money for the
  impoverished believers in Jerusalem
• some uncertainty about the collection has emerged
  (161-4)
• Paul urges them to put a little aside every
  Sunday (1st day)

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Major Themes

• Practical issues are uppermost, yet Paul
  addresses each the same
• based on his understanding of the gospel of
  Christ
• basic ethic is the law of love
• Christian values are shaped by the cross
• the self-giving love of God
• God chose self-giving love rather than violence
• all self-advancement and violence goes against
  the logic of Christ

15
The Wisdom of the Cross

• 118-216
• in the foolishness and weakness of the cross,
• the worlds understanding of wisdom and power has
  been turned upside down.
• wisdom of power are associated with wealth and
  high social status
• Corinthians boasting about special religious
  status and spiritual wisdom
• church venue for seeking power and status

16
The Wisdom of the Cross

• Paul says Gods power and wisdom are disclosed
  at the cross
• this represents the laying askid of all claims to
  status (118-25 21-5)
• in belonging to Christ, they have become the
  recipients of true life and salvation (118-31)
• to belong to Christ is to belong to a believing
  community that has been formed by the Spirit
  (1212-13)
• being continually built up by and in Gods love
  (ch. 13)

17
The Victory of God

• is based on agape self-giving love exhibited on
  the cross
• live out of faith and in love
• but with a sure hope that Gods purpose will
  prevail over sin
• sin and death will be defeated
• ultimately God will be all in all (ch. 15)

18
The Mind of Christ

• in all, Pauls explains how the mind of Christ
  (216) can inform and guide
• in conduct in the church
• and in dealings with the world
• means to allow the logic of Jesus self-giving
  love guide thought and action
• the present form of this world is passing away,
• thus all social institutions have only passing
  importance (729-31)
• they have truest meaning when subjected to God
  through Christ (1528)

19
Remain with God

• Paul summons to remain with God whatever the
  particular circumstances of life (717-24)
• the present and future belong to God (321-23)
• in Christ, believers are claimed for a new way of
  life (69-11)
• finally, everyone is accountable to God (310-17)

20
A New Pathway

• Rather than continue a presumptuous quest for
  spiritual wisdom about God
• Corinthians are challenged to respond in kind to
  the love that constitutes Gods own prior
  knowledge of them (82-3)
• This is the saving power of the cross the
  energy that builds up the community in love
  (81, 1023)
• Let all that you do be done in love (1614)

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Paul and Love I Cor 13

• One of the most famous verse in scripture read
  at 90 of weddings
• exalted hymnic language evident
• Two other noteworthy features
• agape was a rare word in 1st Cen
• eros philia were common, storge less
• Christian meaning a love that confers value on
  an object which may otherwise be unlovable
• Gods love for humanity confers value
• for this reason, it is required by Gods people

22
I Cor 13 2nd Thing about Love

• one can substitute Jesus Christ for love
• to discern the source of Pauls description of
  love
• esp vv. 1-7
• in remainder, Paul compares gift of love with
  gifts the Corinthians value highly prophecy,
  tongues, knowledge
• these belong to the childhood of faith
• Faith, hope and love belong to mature faith
• love is paramount

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Paul and Women

• ch. 14 paul turns to a lengthier discussion of
  gift of tongues
• main point tongues without interpretation is of
  no value
• leads him to comment on the participation of
  women in church (1433b-36)
• he seems to be ordering them to remain silent
  during worship
• chides them for seeking to dominate as though
  they alone had received Gods word

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Two Problems

• until this moment, Paul has not mentioned
  problems concerning women dominating services
• read 114-5 (cf. Rom 161-4, Phil 42-3)
• some have concluded these verses are a later
  interpolation
• Greek text collides with this view
• Greek is an inflected language gender of
  adjectives must agree with the gender of words
  modified

25
Paul on Women in I Cor 14

• In v. 36, the word translated only ones is, in
  the Greek text, masculine!
• this portion is not addressed to women but to
  men!
• The Greek makes clear that it is men who act as
  though they alone should be allowed to speak
• in 1433b-35 Paul is (as is typical) quoting what
  some Corinthians have been saying which he then
  refutes.
• he is not telling women to shut up he has
  already assumed that they in fact speak up!

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What Paul is Saying

• he is telling the men who apparently want to
  restrict women (whom he quotes in 33b-35, that
  such an attitude is not to be tolerated!
• men did not originate Gods word
• they are not the only ones to whom the word has
  come
• they have no right to try to bar women from full
  participation in worship.
• he knows women play important roles in church (as
  Rom 16 confirms)

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II Corinthians

• Pauls 3rd Longest letter
• strong themes of Pauls thinking
• consolation,
• reconciliation
• theology of weakness
• Reveals Pauls deep struggles
• painful conflicts between Paul and communities he
  founded
• his back is against the wall
• their animosity seems aimed at Paul

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Pauline Authenticity

• no doubts that Paul wrote this
• internal unity deeply questioned
• seems to be a collection of several different
  letters
• One section is questioned to possibly not even be
  by Paul
• 616-71 is totally out of joint
• jarring transition
• yet 72 picks up smoothly from 613

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lingering questions

• chs. 8 and 9 look like one or two fund-raising
  letters to encourage generosity for Pauls
  collection for Jerusalem Christians
• chs 10-13 exhibit a different tone of
  defensiveness not present in what went before.
• most scholars believe there has been an editing
  process of different letters
• no agreement on exactly how many or how they are
  combined

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Pauls Other Letters

• Paul alludes in 1 Cor 59 to a previously written
  letter
• so 1st Cor is really the second letter
• Some think that part of 2 Cor is really part of
  that first letter
• he says in 1 Cor 59 they should not associate
  with immoral members
• 2 Cor 614-71 contains such a message!

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Occasion and Purpose

• Some painful incident involving a Corinthian
  occasions the ltr (25-8)
• Perhaps he insulted Paul on his last visit
  giving preference to those Paul calls false
  apostles (113)
• in response, Paul wrote them a tough letter
  (chs. 1013??)
• Now Paul forgives and says they should as well
• at 75-7, Titus has reported that they have said,
  Come back, were sorry.

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