The Structure and Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Biblical/Jewish Approach (original) (raw)

2006, New Testament Studies

This article argues that when the fundamentally Jewish character of 1 Corinthians is recognized, a clear structure and argument emerges. The order of the material reflects Paul's own agenda seen in patterns elsewhere in his letters. While unity is clearly a significant issue, Paul's main concern is with the purity of the church and the glory of God. The Corinthian church is part of the fulfillment of the OT expectation of worldwide worship of the God of Israel, and as God's eschatological temple they must act in a manner appropriate to their holy status by shunning pagan vices and glorifying God under the lordship of Christ. 205 1 A. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000) 36-7, mentions the partition theories of J. Weiss (who suggested there were two or three underlying letters), W. Schmithals (three), K. K. Yeo (four) and R. Jewett (five). See H. Merklein, 'Die Einheitlichkeit des ersten Korintherbriefes', ZNW 75 (1984) 153-83; and M. M. Mitchell, Paul and

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