These are notes for a study on 1 Corinthians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this opening section of the letter, Paul greets and recognizes the Corinthian church. Paul names Sosthenes as a co-author of the letter. Sosthenes could be the person referred to in Acts 18:12-17<\/a>, which recounts events that occurred when Paul was first in Corinth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat [in Corinth], saying, \u201cThis fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.\u201d And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, \u201cIf it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.\u201d And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue [in Corinth], and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It appears from Acts 18 that some members of the synagogue in Corinth became irate because of Paul\u2019s teaching about Jesus and then resorted to violence against a synagogue leader they considered too tolerant when they could not get the civil authority to intervene. If this is the case, Sosthenes may have accompanied Paul after he left Corinth, or Paul could have been in contact with Sosthenes in Corinth about the contents of the letter before it was delivered. Other scholars think this is not the same Sosthenes who was the ruler of the Corinthian synagogue mentioned in Acts 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul\u2019s greeting in verses 1-3 is theologically rich. In verse 1, Paul says he is \u201ccalled to be an apostle of of Christ Jesus by the will of God.\u201d An \u201capostle\u201d is a messenger, a person sent on a mission. Paul\u2019s status as a messenger of \u201cChrist Jesus,\u201d he claims, comes from being \u201ccalled . . . by the will of God.\u201d These are extraordinary claims!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In verse 2, Paul identifies his audience as \u201cthe church of God that is in Corinth.\u201d We hear the word \u201cchurch\u201d and we think of a denomination and a building, but the word ekkl\u00e9sia<\/em> has a richer meaning not necessarily tied to one building or place. Paul then offers some attributes of the ekkl\u00e9sia<\/em>: its members are \u201csanctified in Christ Jesus\u201d and \u201ccalled to be saints.\u201d \u201cSanctified\u201d and \u201csaints\u201d are part of the same group of words meaning \u201choly\u201d or \u201csacred\u201d (hagios<\/em>). Paul further extends the greeting of this letter beyond the ekkl\u00e9sia<\/em> at Corinth: \u201ctogether with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.\u201d Paul thereby unites the ekkl\u00e9sia<\/em> at Corinth with a broader concept of an ekkl\u00e9sia<\/em> that goes beyond any one place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In verse 4-9, Paul gives thanks for the Corinthians and notes that they have been \u201cenriched [in Christ], in speech and knowledge of every kind\u201d and \u201cnot lacking in any spiritual gift.\u201d But as we\u2019ll see in a moment, Paul will soon criticize the Corinthians for abusing their speech, knowledge, and gifts. This part of the introduction might serve at least two purposes: it may \u201cbutter up\u201d the Corinthians a bit for the criticism that will follow; but it also may suggest that what the Corinthians need to heal their divisions is already present within them (see verse 8: \u201cHe will also strengthen you to the end. . . .\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some discussion questions on this section:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting in verse 10 Paul turns to his appeal for unity. Paul has heard \u201cfrom Chloe\u2019s people\u201d \u2014 probably servants (slaves) of a wealthy woman who was one of the leaders in the Corinthian church that had been dispatched to visit Paul in Ephesus \u2014 about divisions and quarrels in Corinth. In the Introduction<\/a> to our study we noted the conflicts Paul was facing with Peter (Cephas) and Apollos. Paul says he does not want to be the leader of a faction, which is backed up by the fact the he did not personally baptize any of the Colossian church members except Crispus and Gaius \u2014 but then he also recalls he baptized the household of Stephanas and maybe some others. Some commentators suggest that Paul is being intentionally dismissive here \u2014 \u201cwho cares who I <\/em>baptized, that\u2019s not what I <\/em>care about, it\u2019s not about me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1:17-25, in the context of disputing claims of the various Corinthian factions to superior knowledge, Paul offers an extraordinary epistemology \u2014 an understanding of \u201cknowledge\u201d \u2014 centered in Christ. He couples this epistemology with a vision of community rooted not in power but in weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verse 18 says \u201cthe message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.\u201d (NRSV). As the NRSV correctly translates, the words \u201cperishing\u201d and \u201csaved\u201d here are in the \u201cmiddle\u201d or passive voice. The action is occurring to the subject now, not something that happened in the past, nor something that will happen only in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where the NRSV and NIV use the word \u201cmessage\u201d here, the Greek word is logos<\/em>. For those of you who were part of our Gospel of John Bible study, this word should resonate! Paul is not directly paraphrasing John 1<\/a> here, but it\u2019s fair to see a common theological theme present in Pauline and Johanine literature, even if there was no actual cross-fertilization within these texts. The logos<\/em>, the \u201cword\u201d that causes everything to be, the logic of all of creation, is Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul says \u201cit is written\u201d that God \u201cwill destroy the wisdom of the wise\u201d and thwart \u201cthe discernment of the discerning.\u201d (1:19). This is a reference to the Greek version of Isaiah 29:14<\/a>. This text in Isaiah speaks of God renewing Israel by raising the humble and destroying the proud:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Appeal: 1:10-16<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Epistemology and Community of the Cross: 1:17 to 2:5<\/h3>\n\n\n\n