TEACHING NOTES Introduction As we begin an in-depth study of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the first step is to make sure we understand the context in which Paul is writing. So, this session will be an introduction to: Paul and how he wrote his letters, the literary design of this letter, and the cultural context of Corinth. Then we will learn how to read Paul’s introduction in First Corinthians. ‌ Literary Design of 1 Corinthians: This letter has five main sections that are encapsulated by greetings. Each of the main sections focus on the major problems in the church. Within each section, Paul (1) defines the problem, and (2) uses the Gospel to bring solutions. ‌ Opening Greeting (1:1-9) ‌- Paul’s identity, scribe’s identity ‌- Clues for major themes ‌ Divisions in the Church (chs. 1-4) ‌- Fan club divisions ‌- Divisions between Jews and Gentiles ‌- Teachers and leaders are servants ‌ Sexual Immorality (chs. 5-7) ‌- Church member sleeping with step-mother ‌- Lawsuits between church members ‌- Sex and marriage ‌ Food & Idolatry (chs. 8-10) - Food offered to idols ‌- Paul defends receiving financial support ‌- Warnings against idolatry ‌ Church Gathering (chs. 11-14) - Modesty in the church - The Lord’s Supper ‌- Spiritual Gifts ‌- Unity and love in the Body of Christ ‌- Prophesy, tongues, and orderly worship ‌ Resurrection (chs. 15) ‌- The witnesses of the resurrection of Christ ‌- Christ’s resurrection promises our resurrection ‌- The resurrection body ‌ Closing Greeting (ch. 16) - The collection for the Jerusalem church ‌- Paul’s travel plans ‌- Final instructions ‌ 1 Corinthians 1:1 ESV 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, ‌ Paul = Paulos is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Shaul or Saul. Contrary to popular belief, there is no passage saying that God changed his name from Saul to Paul. Paul’s name was simply spelled differently for each language. For example, the former tax collector turned disciple of Jesus has two names: Matthew (Greek) and Levi (Hebrew). ‌ Called by the will of God = The calling of Paul as described in Acts 9 and Galatians 1 is not a conversion from one religion to another. Judaism and Christianity were not two separate religions, but Christianity was understood as a fulfilment of Judaism. Paul describes his calling by using the same words found in the calling of the prophet Jeremiah— “a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:4-5). ‌ An apostle of Jesus Christ = The Greek word apostolos refers to a person who is sent to deliver a message. There are two categories of apostles in the NT: the apostles directly sent by Jesus (the Twelve and Paul), and apostles sent to start churches (similar to modern missionaries). Only the apostles sent directly by Jesus were considered to have authority to write Scripture. ‌ Why would God choose Paul? It would be natural to wonder why God would choose Paul, given that he had hated Christians to the point of hunting them down. But when we learn more about Paul, his calling begins to make perfect sense. Paul was highly educated in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. He was also educated in both Jewish and Greek religion, philosophy, and rhetoric. Since God wanted the Gospel to go out to all the nations and reach both Jews and Gentiles, it makes perfect sense to get Paul in on the mission. Paul had the ability to talk and write to almost anyone in the Roman Empire. He had the ability to debate with Jewish leaders and Greek philosophers and rulers. Paul was actually the best man for the job. ‌ Sosthenes = This is Paul’s scribe or amanuensis, which was a person who specializes in dictation and copying manuscripts. In the ancient world, most people could not read and even fewer could write. If you wanted to send a letter, you would hire an amanuensis to write as you dictated the content. The amanuensis would also make grammatical corrections during dictations. When finished the letter would be read back to you to ensure accuracy. ‌ Paul was highly educated in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and could have written his letters himself. However, Paul had an issue with his eyes, so he often had an amanuensis to assist him. We know about his issue with sight because in Galatians 6:11 Paul says, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” Paul sometimes adds a kind of signature at the end as in 1 Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” And in 2 Thessalonians 3:17 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.” ‌ When Paul first came to Corinth in Acts 18:1-17 we find a Sosthenes mentioned as “the ruler of the synagogue” who was beaten by the Jews, presumably because he was allowing Paul to teach in the synagogue. The leader of a synagogue would be educated and able to write in an official capacity. ‌ List of Paul’s “co-authors”: - Tertius (Romans) - Sosthenes (1 Corinthians) ‌- Timothy (2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, Philemon) ‌- Tychicus (Ephesians) ‌- Silvanus (1&2 Thessalonians) ‌- Luke (1&2 Timothy, Hebrews) ‌ Why is it important to know that Paul used scribes to write his letters? The majority of modern scholars agree that Paul wrote seven letters in the NT, but they doubt or reject the other six that bear Paul’s name. Why? Because the style of Greek is different. The Greek style of some letters are very different than others. However, this problem is void when we realize that Paul used a different scribe or amanuensis to write his letters. This fact also helps explain how the Gospels of Mark and John could have been written by non-elite Jewish men. ‌ What is an epistle? While we often refer to Paul’s writings as letters, they are actually epistles. Epistles were a common genre or style of writing in the ancient world that had a specific format or structure. Usually, epistles are written to a group and not individuals. A few of Paul’s epistles are written to individuals (1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon), but the majority are written to groups of Christians in specific locations. ‌ The Culture of Corinth: Many readers of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians do not consider the cultural context to which Paul is writing. Without the context we are bound to misread or at least miss the impact of what Paul is saying. Before we dig into this letter, we need at least a basic understanding of social, economic, and religious culture of Corinth. ‌ The History of Corinth: Some kind of civilization existed in Corinth as far back as 6500 BC. In the classical period, the Isthmian Games began and were hosted in Corinth (likely why Paul uses athletic language in 1 Cor. 9:24-27). When the Romans rose to power, Corinth was the last city to stand against Rome, but was defeated in 146 BC when the city was completely destroyed. After a hundred years of being deserted, Julius Caesar had the city rebuilt in 44 BC. As a result, Corinth became a major city with a mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews. By the time Paul arrived in Corinth around AD 50, the city had become a large, wealthy, and popular hub for Greco-Roman life and culture. ‌ The Economy of Corinth: By the first century AD Corinth had become the foremost commercial center in southern Greece. Corinth was located in the middle of a major trade route that connected Italy to Asia Minor. In the ancient world, a port city was usually very wealthy and Corinth was one of these port cities. Corinth was known for producing high quality bronze, some of which was used for acoustic applications (likely why Paul mentions “a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal” in 1 Cor. 13:1). ‌ The Religion of Corinth: There were at least 26 temples and sacred places for the Greco-Roman gods and mystery cults in and around Corinth. There was a temple for Aphrodite, who was worshiped by cultic orgies with temple prostitutes. In such a highly pagan city, finding meat that had not been offered to pagan gods would be nearly impossible (1 Cor. 8-10). The religion of Corinth was so sexual that ancient writers even coined the term korinthiazesthai (“to act like a Corinthian” or “to commit fornication”). Plato used the term “Corinthian girl” as a euphemism for prostitution. Strabo writes that the temple of Aphrodite employed as many as 1,000 temple prostitutes (modern scholars believe this number is exaggerated). Morality in Greek cities was defined by indulgence rather than restraint. The highest good in that culture was being able to indulge in every desire to the fullest. ‌ Corinthian Culture & Christianity: Modern readers tend to miss the struggles of becoming a Christian in a place like Corinth. Imagine growing up in a city where religion and sexual orgy is synonomous. After a normal work day a man would stop by the local temple and sleep with prostitutes before going home to his wife, who would consider this normal and required to appease the gods. Pederasty was a sign of high social status and many wealthy men would have a young boy (as young as eight) as a personal sex slave. The famous philosopher Plato argued that the truest form of love is between an adult man and a young boy. This practice likely came about as a result of Greek philosophers like Aristotle who taught that females were merely a birth defect. This view of females as defective or even non-human led to a widespread acceptance of male pederasty throughout Greek and Roman cities. ‌ In that kind of culture, becoming a Christian was a total change of lifestyle. To be a Christian meant that you no longer attend the pagan temples and their feasts. This led many Christians to lose their jobs and social status because everything in the city is connected to the pagan temples. This is why we see so many problems in the Corinthian church. The church was made up of former pagans who were struggling to leave their former life behind. These Christians were entering an entirely new worldview and way of life that was directly opposite of the world around them. That level of change requires a lot of learning and is bound to be messy. ‌ 1 Corinthians 1:2–3 ESV 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ‌ The Church = Grk. ekklesia - gathering, assembly of called out ones. ‌ The church of God in Corinth = Paul first brought the Gospel to Corinth in Acts 18. As was Paul’s usual habit, he began in the Jewish synagogue until the Jews would throw him out. Then Paul would go to the public spaces and preach to the Gentiles. Paul visited Corinth several times and wrote his letter to the Romans while staying in Corinth. ‌ Early Converts in Corinth: - Aquila and Priscilla—a Jewish couple from Rome (Acts 18:1-3) - Titius Justus—a Gentile worshiper of Yahweh (Acts 18:7) - Crispus—ruler/leader in the synagogue (Acts 18:8) - Sosthenes—ruler/leader in the synagogue (Acts 18:16) - Phoebe—a deacon in the church at Cenchreae (Rom. 16:1) - Lucius, Jason, Sosipater (Rom. 16:21) - Tertius—Paul’s scribe (Rom. 16:22) - Gaius—host to the church (Rom. 16:23) - Erastus—the city treasurer (Rom. 16:23; 2 Tim. 4:20) - Quartus—prominent church member (Rom. 16:23) - Apollos, Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus (1 Cor. 16:12, 15-18) ‌ Those sanctified in Christ Jesus = The Greek word for “sanctified” and “holy” is the same word hagiazo, which means “set apart for a purpose.” Paul wants the Corinthian believers to know that in Christ they have been set apart from the rest of the population to live differently. This is a major theme in this letter because the Corinthian Christians were struggling to leave their pagan immorality behind. ‌ Called to be saints together = The Greek word for “called” is kletos or kaleo, which means “to be called into relationship.” The Greek word for “saints” here (hagios) is the same root for “sanctified” and “holy.” Saints are literally “holy ones.” Paul stresses that the Corinthians are called to be saints “together” because this church had become very divided. As a result, Paul is going to write a lot about unity in the church. ‌ Grace and peace to you = This is Paul’s common greeting in most of his letters. ‌ God our Father = In Paul’s writings, the term “God” (Grk. theos) often refers to God the Father, while “the Lord” often refers to Jesus. ‌ The Lord Jesus Christ = Grk. kyrios Iesous Christos. In the Old Testament the name of Yahweh is translated in English Bibles as “LORD.” During the intertestamental period the Jewish people began calling Yahweh “Adonai” which means “the Lord.” The Greek word for the Hebrew Adonai is Kyrios. The reason that Paul assigns “the Lord” to Jesus is because the apostles understood that the visible Yahweh (the Angel of the LORD or God in human form) in the Old Testament was Christ. ‌ 1 Corinthians 1:4–9 ESV 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ‌ I give thanks always for you = Although the rest of this letter reveals that Paul is not pleased with the Corinthian church, he still loves them and prays for them always. Correction and discipline was common in the early church and was not seen as hatred, but was evidence of deep love. ‌ Enriched in him = While Paul is referring to spiritual riches, he is also taking aim at Corinth’s excessive wealth. At this time, Paul was raising money from the wealthy Gentile churches to send to the poor church in Jerusalem. The Corinthian church had been procrastinating in their donation to the Jerusalem church. Part of Paul’s correction to Corinth is that they are wealthy and not generous, while the poorer churches had already given generously. ‌ Speech and knowledge = It’s not a coincidence that Paul is going to correct the Corinthian’s practices of speaking in tongues and prophesy (1 Cor. 12-14). Paul mentions the fact that God has given them gifts of speech and knowledge here in the introduction to show his support of these gifts. Later, Paul will correct their chaotic methods of using these gifts. ‌ You are not lacking in any gift = Paul is commending the use of gifts in the church because they help to confirm the testimony about Christ. Paul is acknowledging the presence of the gifts in the Corinthian church, but is going to make quite a few corrections to how they were practicing those gifts. ‌ As you wait for the revealing of Jesus Christ = Today we like to talk about the “return” or “second coming” of Christ. The apostles like to talk about the apokalypsis or revealing/appearing of Christ. Later in 1 Cor. 15, we learn that this “revealing” of Christ occurs at the final resurrection. However, we will see that there were debates about the resurrection in the Corinthian church. Paul mentions the revealing of Christ here as a kind of nod to those in the church who were teaching that would be no resurrection. ‌ God is faithful = Some in the Corinthian church had strayed from being faithful and had been living in immorality. Paul wants them to remember that God remains faithful and expects us to do the same. ‌ Called into the fellowship of his Son = Paul wants the Corinthians to remember that they have been called to share in relationship with Jesus. The Greek word for “fellowship” is koinonia, which means “to share.” John uses the same wording in 1 John 1:3. Paul will go on to use this concept in his corrections about sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 6:15 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” ‌ Conclusion What does 1 Corinthians teach us? ‌Christians are called out of worldliness to live differently and in unity. ‌ Next Week: Read 1 Cor. 1:10-17