The First Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Greek Testament Commentary)

Description

This superb volume in the New International Greek Testament Commentary series provides the most detailed, definitive, and distinctive commentary on 1 Corinthians available in English to date. One of the world's most respected Christian theologians, Anthony Thiselton here provides in-depth discussion of the language of 1 Corinthians, presents his own careful translation of the Greek, traces the main issues of interpretation from the church fathers to the present, and highlights topics of theological, ethical, and sociohistorical interest today, including ethics and "rights," marriage, divorce and remarriage, "headship," gender, prophecy, and many others. No other commentary on 1 Corinthians embodies the wealth and depth of detail presented in Thiselton's work, which takes account of nearly all scholarly research on 1 Corinthians and incorporates substantial bibliographies throughout. In his commentary Thiselton indeed addresses virtually every question that thoughtful, serious readers -- scholars, students, pastors, teachers -- may wish to ask of or about the text of 1 Corinthians. His work truly offers a fresh, comprehensive, and original contribution to our understanding of this major epistle and its contemporary relevance. CORINTHIANS CONTENTS III. Moral Issues Which Demand a Clear-Cut Verdict FOREWORD PREFACE ABBREVIATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY I. COMMENTARIES II. SELECT GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY Introduction I. ROMAN CORINTH IN THE TIME OF PAUL: GEOGRAPHY, ARCHAEOLOGY, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, PROSPERITY, AND CULTURE OF PRAGMATIC PLURALISM A. Geography, Commercial Prosperity, and Roman Foundation B. Archaeological Evidence of Extensive Trade and Cosmopolitan Pluralism C. Status Inconsistency, Self-Promotion, Recognition, II. THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN CORINTH: BEGINNINGS, NATURE, AND RELATIONS WITH PAUL A. The Strategic Importance of Corinth for Paul and the Gospel and Paul’s Strategy of Proclamation B. Debates about the Socioeconomic Status of III. THE OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE: DATES, REPORTS, LETTERS, AND INTEGRITY A. Dates of Paul’s Ministry in Corinth and of the Writing of 1 Corinthians B. Oral Reports and Letter from Corinth: C. Controversy about the Integrity of the Epistle: IV. ARGUMENT AND RHETORIC: DOES PAUL AS LETTER WRITER, THEOLOGIAN, AND PASTOR USE RHETORICAL FORMS AND STRUCTURES? A. The Need for a Balanced Assessment: Types and Levels of B. The Decline and Rebirth of Rhetorical Approaches: I. Address, Greeting, and Thanksgiving (1:1-9) A. ADDRESS AND GREETING (1:1-3) Bibliography on Opening Letter Forms and Greek Epistolography Select Bibliography on Language about God and Christ Bibliography on the Church as God’s Holy People Select Bibliography on Christ as Lord 1. Sender(s) (1:1) 2. Addressees (1:2) 3. Greeting (1:3) B. THANKSGIVING (1:4-9) 1. Paul’s Expression of Thanks for the Readers’ Gifts (1:4-6) 2. Paul’s Thanksgiving: The Eschatological Focus (1:7-9) Bibliography on Paul’s Eschatology of Fulfillment and Waiting” Bibliography on Koinonia (See Overlapping Bibliography under 10:14-22) A. REPORT OF THE SITUATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS (1:10-17) Bibliography on 1:10-12 1. The Nature of Paul’s Parakald Request (1:10) 2. The Report and the Slogans (1:11-12) THE FOUR SO-CALLED GROUPS (1:12) The Apollos Group The Paul Group The Peter Group The "Christ" Group 3. Further Explanations: The Splits Are Incompatible with Christology and the Centrality of the Cross (1:13-17) Wisdom, Rhetoric, Preaching, and the Cross Baptism and Its Possible Relation to “Households” B. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN HUMAN WISDOM AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE CROSS AS GOD’S WISDOM (1:18-2:5) Bibliography on 1:26-31 THE POSTHISTORY, INFLUENCE (WIRKUNGSGESCHICHTE), AND RECEPTION OF CHAPTER 1 1:18-25 1:26-31 3. The Issue Demonstrated in Paul’s Own Experience of PAUL'S USE OF THE TERM TtkEXOq THE MEANING OF "THE RULERS OF THIS WORLD ORDER" THE INTEGRITY OF THE TEXT OF 2:6-16 THE POSTHISTORY, INFLUENCE, AND RECEPTION OF 2:6-16 Summary D. THE APPLICATION OF THESE ISSUES TO THE CHURCH MINISTERS, AND MINISTRY (3:5-4:21) 1. Three Explanatory Images: God’s Field, God’s Building, and God’s Holy Shrine (3:5-17) Bibliography on 3:5-17 2. The Limitations of Merely Human Assessments of Ministry and of Manipulative Attitudes (3:18-4:5) Bibliography on 3:18—4:5 The Earlier Patristic Writers: Ministry and Faithfulness and the Spirit The Later Fathers: Origins of Speculation on the "Fire" of Purgatory The Medieval Period The Reformation Era: Ministry and Authenticity The Enlightenment and Modern Period Bibliography on 4:6-21 Hence we translate, I have allusively applied all this to myself and to Apollos PAUL'S "CATALOGUE OF AFFLICTIONS" AND ITS RHETORIC (4:8-13) MIMESIS AND ALLEGED PATERNAL AUTHORITARIANISM (4:15-16) III. Moral Issues Which Demand a Clear-Cut Verdict (5:1-6:20) A. A CASE FOR MORAL DISCIPLINE (5:1-13) Bibliography on 5:1-13 1. The Problem of the Incestuous Relationship (5:1-8) 2. Further Reflection on the Holiness of the Congregation and B. A SECOND EXAMPLE OF ETHICAL FAILURE LINKED WITH SOCIAL STATUS AND DIVISION (6:1-20) 1. Legal Action by the Socially Influential as an Abuse of Power (6:1-11) Bibliography on 6:1-11 VICE LISTS, CATECHESIS, AND THE HOMOSEXUALITY DEBATE (6:9-10) The Status of So-Called Catalogues of Vices in Paul The Relevance of the OT and Theology Thereby Entailed The Translation of Controversial Terms and Some Brief Starting Points toward a Hermeneutic JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE IN 6:11 AND IN THE EPISTLE Bibliography on 6:12-20 MAJOR THEMES FROM THE POSTHISTORY, INFLUENCE, AND RECEPTION OF CHAPTERS 5 AND 6 The Body "Pure" Church or Mixed Church Nature and Effects of Sin Christ Our Passover (5:7) IV. Response to Inquiries about Marriage and Related Issues and about Associations with Idols (7:1-11:1) A. DOMESTIC ISSUES: MARRIAGE, STATUS, CELIBACY, AND WIDOWS (7:1-40) Summarizing Note: An Overview of the Chapter, 1. Marriage and Marital Intimacy (7:1-7) 2. Marriage for the Unmarried? (7:8-9) NOTE ON THE POSTHISTORY AND RECEPTION OF 7:14 CONTROVERSY ABOUT DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE FOR CHRISTIANS 5. Divine Calling or Improved Status? (7:17-24) Supplementary Bibliography on 7:17-24 SLAVERY IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD OF THE FIRST CENTURY423 Becoming a Slave Huge Variations in Role and Status Slave Families, Property, and Funereal Inscriptions Manumission of Slaves Historiography and Hermeneutics THE LANGUAGE OF "ESCHATOLOGICAL IMMINENCE" (7:29-30) "PARTHENOS" AND "HYPERAKMOS" THE MEANING OF WrCpGUqiOg 7. Widows and Remarriage (7:39-40) B. QUESTIONS ABOUT MEAT ASSOCIATED WITH IDOLS AND THE PRIORITY OF LOVE OVER “RIGHTS” (8:1-11:1) (ii) The Scope of the Corinthian Catchphrase: (3) GVVE\br\G\q: CONSCIENCE OR SELF-AWARENESS? TWO THEMES IN THE POSTHISTORY AND RECEPTION OF CHAPTER 8 (a) On Creation and the One God (8:4-6) (b) On Food Offered to Idols in Patristic Thought 2. Second Part of Paul’s Response: A Personal Example of Subordinating “Rights” for the Good of the Whole (9:1-27) SOME MISLEADING FACTORS IN THE HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION OF "APOSTLE" Bibliography on 9:4-18. See also further list at 9:19 on vv. 19-23, where PAUL'S USE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN 9:8-9 3. Third Part of Paul’s Response to Questions about Meat Bibliography on 10:1-13 PAUL'S ALLUSION TO THE "ROCK WHICH WENT WITH THEM" THE CUP OF BLESSING (10:16) THE SEMANTICS OF "ONE BREAD .. .ONE BODY"(10:17) Supplementary Bibliography on 10:23-11:1 (For Most Works, see under 8:1-13 and 10:1-13) Bibliography on 11:2-16 KE(|>aXt1 AND ITS MULTIPLE MEANINGS 1. Authority, Supremacy, Leadership 2. Source, Origin, Temporal Priority 3. Synecdoche and Preeminence, Foremost, Topmost Serving 4. Summary and Conclusions THE TRANSLATION OF KOTO KE^oXlfe E/WV: COVERED HEAD OR LONG HAIR? (11:4) HEAD COVERING (HOODS), GENDER IDENTITY, AND SHAME OR RESPECT (11:5-6) tyvoiq: NATURE? CUSTOM? ORDERING OF HOW THINGS ARE? (11:14) Bibliography on 11:17-34. See also other works listed under 10:14-22. WAS THE LAST SUPPER A PASSOVER MEAL? SIGNIFICANCE FOR EXEGESIS Main Bibliography on 12:1-11 and 14:1-32 1. All Christians “Spiritual”: The Christological Criterion (12:1-3) "PROPHECY": A FIRST NOTE IN THE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 12 (12:10) "SPIRIT-BAPTISM" IN RELATION TO 12:13 IN PENTECOSTAL TRADITIONS Transitional Verse (12:31) (31) Continue to be zealously concerned about the “greatest” gifts. Yes, an even greater way still I am going to show you. Bibliography on 13:1-13 6. Love for the Other and Ordered Differentiation Supplementary Bibliography on 14:1-40. (For the Main Bibliography on 12:1-14:1-32, See Also at 12:1.) PROPHECY: A SECOND NOTE IN THE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 14 (1) Seven Distinctions Which Shape Interpretative Frames of Reference (2) Building Up, Encouraging, and Bringing Comfort (3) Creative Reinterpretation of Scripture? (4) "Spontaneous" or Also Involving Rational Reflection? (5) Is Prophesying Limited to Addressing Fellow Believers or THE "INTERPRETATION" OR "ARTICULATION" OF GLOSSOLALIA? "TONGUES" AND COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE Our translation, Thank God, I am more gifted in tongues than any of you, HERMENEUTICAL METHOD IN THESE VERSES WHICH WOMEN? WHAT KIND OF SILENCE? WHAT KIND OF INTERROGATION? (14:33B-35) (1) A Non-Pauline Interpolation? (2) Does Paul Quote a Corinthian View Which He Rejects? (3) Paul's Use of Contextual Terms: (4) Residual Issues: A Pre-Pauline Rule? Relation to 11:5? (5) What Kind of Interrogation? (14:35) VI. The Resurrection of the Dead (15:1-58) Main Bibliography on 15:1-58 A. The Reality of the Resurrection of Christ (15:1-11) "HE WAS RAISED ... HE APPEARED .. DAWN OF FAITH OR ALSO AN EVENT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN? Supplementary Bibliography on 15:12-34 MULTIPLE INTERPRETATIONS OF "BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD" AND OUR CONCLUSION Our Conclusion C. HOW CAN “THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY” BE INTELLIGIBLE AND CONCEIVABLE? — SECOND REFUTATIO AND CONFIRMATIO (15:35-58) Supplementary Bibliography on 15:35-58 (Additional to Bibliographies at 15:1 and 15:12) THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION "BODY" (15:44) THE POSTHISTORY, IMPACT, AND ACTUALIZATION OF CHAPTER 15 (1) The Second Century (2) The Third Century (3) Trajectories in the Fourth Century VII. Further Matters of Concern (16:1-24) A. THE COLLECTION FOR GOD’S PEOPLE (16:1-4) B. TRAVEL PLANS (16:5-12) C. CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS AND GREETINGS — PERORATIO (16:13-24) Supplementary Bibliography on 16:13-24 Index of Subjects Index of Modern Authors Index of Ancient Sources