NT2213 The Pauline Tradition: 1 & 2 Corinthians
 Mary E. Hinkle
Associate Professor of New Testament
Luther Seminary
Fall 2004

Week 5 | Oct 4-11

Week 5 To Do List

  1. Read this web page and 1 Cor. 1-4 in at least one English translation.
  2. Read 1 Cor. 1:26-2:5 meditatively (more…).
  3. Read Hays commentary on passages in 1 Cor. 1-4 that you're most interested in (pp 1-79).
  4. Blog on a Week 5 topic or another related issue. See "Conversion of the Imagination" and "Praying Scripture" for blogging ideas.

1 Cor. 1-4: A Congregation Unraveling

(Note: If the Greek on this page is not showing up correctly on your computer, you can download the free "Greek" font. Instructions and download link for Greek font here. For help writing in this font, see the Greek Keyboard Layout.)

Here are some notes for the longer portion of 1 Corinthians you will read this week. Pay special attention to (1) the way Paul speaks of power and status, contrasted with how the Corinthians apparently understand these and (2) the way Paul proclaims and apocalyptic eschatology as he writes to the Corinthians.

Power & Status Transformed

When Paul writes 1 Corinthians, people in his church (or several house churches) in Corinth are in danger of coming apart at the seams. Already in the first chapter we hear the reports: "I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 1:12). The fact that Corinthians are aligning themselves with certain leaders is just the first of many intra-church conflicts we hear about in this letter. In addition to division over leaders, the Corinthians are also dividing themselves along lines of "haves" and "have nots." Some have more material resources than others. Some have a greater measure of spiritual gifts than others. Some have a stronger conscience than others. On and on it goes. 

In the early chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul plays with his hearers' status markers and reverses them by speaking of Christ as crucified (2:2) and speaking of himself and the other apostles as rubbish and "the dregs of all things" (4:13).

The figure at the left is William, our slightly nearsighted bookworm. "I've been considering Lasik," William says, "but my HMO is balking." William will occasionally appear to offer reading tips.

Reading Tip: When you are reading 1 Corinthians 1-4, look for places where Paul makes explicit a reversal that has happened. Often Paul uses this sort of language when he talks about what God has done or chosen. If you're having trouble finding one, start with 1 Cor. 1:26-29.

Apocalyptic Eschatology

In the Week 2 background page, I mentioned four dualisms that are associated with apocalyptic eschatology. As you read 1 Cor. 1-4, look for these features of apocalyptic thought.

Social Dualism

Sometimes in apocalyptic literature, a distinction is drawn between the righteous and the unrighteous. In 1 Cor. 1, Paul speaks of "those who are perishing" and "we who are being saved." He speaks in 1 Cor. 3:1ff of the difference between "spiritual people" and "fleshly people."

Cosmic Dualism

Sometimes this is a distinction between heaven and earth. My reading of 1 Cor. 1-4 does not reveal references to cosmic dualism. If you see something that might fit into this category, let me know.

Temporal Dualism

Look for the places where Paul speaks of "this age," especially "the rulers of this age," or "the debater of this age." What is different about "this age" and "the age to come?" Using your concordance to look up occurrences of aijwvn [aiōn, #172] will be helpful here.

Epistemological Dualism

This is the one that has to do with how anyone knows anything. Look for where Paul speaks of knowledge that had been "secret and hidden" but is now revealed. Your concordance can help you here, too. Look for the words ajpokaluvptw (apokalptō [#636] and ajpokavluyi" ([#637]) in 1 Cor. 1-4.

Possible Blog Topic: Conversion of the Imagination

Richard Hays says that one of Paul's goals in working with the Corinthians is a conversion of the imagination. "[Paul] invites them to see the world in dramatically new ways, in light of values shaped by the Christian story" (11).

  • Given what you know about them from 1 Cor. 1-4, what do you think the Corinthians will have to imagine differently?
  • Do we experience analogous failures of imagination today? If so, what are they, and what might you offer to convert the imaginations of the people among whom you minister?