Resources on 1 Corinthians

I’ve been seriously interested in the scholarly study of 1 Corinthians for a few years now, and engaged in full time research in this area for the past year; so I’ve decided it’s time to share a few ideas on resources.  I’m not going to try to be exhaustive – I’ll just outline a few books of interest if you’re trying to come to grips with the message of this piece of Christian Scripture.

Textual issues:

New Testament Greek Manuscripts, by Swanson: This book gives all textual variants, arranged in relation to the text of 1 Corinthians from Codex Vaticanus.  Our NA27 Greek New Testaments actually don’t give us a lot of textual information, so this sorta thing can be quite handy – it’s easy to follow and allows you to quickly scan all variants of any passage.  It’s boring though – I wouldn’t take it to bed to read.

The Situation in Corinth:

Christianity at Corinth: The Quest for the Pauline Church, edited by Adams & Horrell: This is a collection of important influential essays on the situation in Corinth, by various authors throughout the twentieth century, including selections by Baur, Munck, Schmithals, Barrett, Dahl, Theissen, Thiselton, etc etc etc…  This is an excellent resource if you want an introduction to the search for the Corinthian church.

After Paul Left Corinth: The Influence of Secular Ethics and Social Change, by Bruce Winter:  Here’s an interesting question: How did the Corinthian church develop beliefs and practices that were so fundamentally repugnant to Paul, given that Paul had actually spent significant time with them?  This is a great book, indicating the social factors that may have played a part in the Corinthian church becoming so wacko just a relatively short while after Paul had personally spent 18 months with them.

Patristic Reading of 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians: Interpreted by Early Christian & Medieval Commentators, by Judith Kovacs.  This is a great commentary, giving sizable chunks of reflection on 1 Corinthians by a range of early writers.  It’s a good starting point for finding material of interest, which you can then delve deeper into by consulting the early authors themselves…. well – via their books, not via a medium… come ON!

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: 1-2 Corinthians, edited by Gerald Bray: This is similar to the above volume, but with smaller and different chunks.  Also worthwhile.

Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, by John Chrysostom (in Schaff, NPNF): Chrysostom is probably the best early ‘commentator’ on 1 Corinthians.  His style is pastoral and engaging, and he suggests a number of exegetical directions which are still being recognised as insightful ways forward in relation to difficult interpretive questions.

Argumentation/Rhetoric:

Paul and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation, by Margaret Mitchell: This has been very influential, and you need to engage with it if you want to understand where present 1 Corinthians scholarship is at – it is an application of rhetorical criticism to 1 Corinthians.  Mitchell argues that Paul has blended epistolary and rhetorical genres to create a literary product that evidences “deliberative” rhetoric.  She argues that the main problem in Corinth is disunity, and Paul’s letter is designed to urge the Corinthians to pursue unity as something which is to their advantage.  Personally, I think rhetorical criticism is currently being pushed beyond its usefulness – and Mitchell’s project has been criticised by Stanley Porter, R. Dean Anderson (MacGyver???), and Philip Kern, amongst others.

The Resurrection of the Dead, by Karl Barth: A little book which should not be ignored in considering the rhetoric/argumentation of 1 Corinthians: Barth essentially argues that the book illustrates theological rhetoric, pitting human self-sufficiency against dependence on God.  He sees chapter 15 as the climax and key to the whole letter.  Good stuff – but simplistic and one-sided at times.

Commentaries:

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NIGTC) by Thiselton: Well you could see this one coming: I think this is the best way in to current scholarship on 1 Corinthians – he is a fine exegete, but also incredibly well-read, so this commentary on the Greek text will point you to plenty of other relevant work on 1 Corinthians.  It is thorough, so not for the faint-of-heart.  There are other good recent commentaries on 1 Corinthians in English by Fee and Garland.  Forthcoming commentaries of interest are by Bruce Winter, and Ciampa and Rosner.

Der Erste Brief an die Korinther, by Helmut Merklein (3 Volumes): I like Merklein, and this is a good German commentary to interact with on 1 Corinthians.  Merklein has also done some great stuff on the unity of this letter.  Other good recent German commentaries are by Schrage, Wolff, and Schnabel.

The Most Important Resource on 1 Corinthians:

Check back here in approximately 3 years’ time

Okay – that will do at the moment.  It’s just a very very brief overview of a few resources.  I’m heading off to Wales for a week from this weekend, and then I’m off to London for two weeks.  I’ll try to get online, but it will be less frequent.  When I get back, I’ll do some more detailed/specific posts on 1 Corinthians – specifically, what I think it’s all about… if anyone has particular questions/comments/areas of interest in relation to 1 Corinthians, do mention them, and I’d be happy to engage with them.  Also, feel free to add any other resources you’ve found helpful.

Free Audio Books

I’ve just discovered an internet resource with free mp3 recordings of public domain books, including the Bible, Augustine, and heaps of others: You can even do your own recordings, in any language, and post them for people to download.  I’m toying with the idea of doing my own expressive reading of 1 Corinthians from the Westcott & Hort Greek New Testament… Prepare to feel outrage, despair, hope, and joy, as you listen in on a conversation in Corinth.

But first, I’m planning to download Augustine’s Enchiridion and listen to it on my iPod.

The site is http://librivox.org/ and it looks quite promising.  Let me put in a plug for recording stuff: I have recorded a few things onto tape (the OT, some of the City of God, about half of Calvin’s Institutes), and I’ve found it a good way to impose some order and regularity into my reading – you can’t skip bits when it’s being recorded.  So if you’re thinking of reading something that’s out of copyright, why not record it, both for your benefit and for mine?

XXXIII

Well tomorrow, the 20th June, is my birthday.  I will be turning a very significant age: The same age that a certain historical figure was when, in a showdown with political leaders, he died… following predictions that he would return…

I’m speaking, of course, of David Koresh.  Nah, you know who I’m talkin’ about.

And what will I be doing to celebrate?  Attending a conference at the University of Nottingham on Pope Benedict’s book ‘Jesus of Nazareth’.  This book is an interesting read, going through the life of Jesus from his baptism to the transfiguration (part two, on Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, is yet to be produced).

Ratzinger/Benedict aims to counter a hermeneutical commitment to the sufficiency of the “historical-critical method”, by urging its necessary supplementation with both canonical criticism and ecclesial criticism: A book of the Bible cannot be rightly interpreted without reference to its placement in the canon and its reception by the church throughout the ages.

I think that in practice his approach can perhaps be illustrated by the following quote:

The Our Father has been transmitted to us in a shorter form in Luke, whereas it comes down to us in Matthew in the version that the Church has adopted for purposes of prayer.  The discussion about which text is more original is not superfluous, but neither is it the main issue.  In both versions we are praying with Jesus…  (Jesus of Nazareth, p133)

For Benedict, this seems to be the way history and faith relate: Questions of historicity are not superfluous, but neither are they sufficient.  On the one hand, it’s utterly important to Christianity that the events of Jesus as they are transmitted in the Gospels (virgin birth, life in Galilee/Judea, death, resurrection, ascension) find agreement with the rigorous study of history; but on the other hand, this rigorous historical enquiry itself is not “the main issue”.

I’ll be curious to see how it goes.

Singing Psalms

I have been tagged with a meme, for which the instructions are:

In an effort to keep it simple, short, and easy to follow, I’d like to challenge you to quote one verse (not one chapter). And then say what the Lord has been teaching you in one sentence (not one paragraph). Then tag 5 peeps (you know the drill).

Before I get to my verse, I want to present a challenge of my own – to those who are involved with planning church services: Help your congregation to grow into its identity as the people of Jesus Christ by getting them to say/sing Psalms together.  I think there is real value here: As we say, or preferably sing, certain psalms, we are corporately entering into the experience of the Anointed One, engaging with his alienation and persecution, sharing his hope for vindication, learning his dependence on God, voicing his joy and praise of God the Father…

Growing up, I was scared of praying certain psalms, because they just didn’t sound like things I could genuinely pray: “if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me” etc…  But as Christians, we need to pray these Psalms, conscious that being Christian means being in Christ.  That’s why everything we pray, we pray “in Jesus’ name”.  So as we who are in Christ sing these sorts of Psalms, we are both reminding ourselves of who he is, and reminding ourselves of that to which we are called to conform.

Anyway, with that background, my choice is Psalm 17, verse 8:

Guard me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Sound enticing?  Sing it with the people of God. 

And that’s the way I’d like to pass on this meme: I tag everyone involved in planning/leading church services: Get the people to sing/say a psalm together, and let us know how it goes…

Treasure

“Christ crucified,” Paul says.  What great things does that treasure contain?…  Stay, do not pass on, do not despise, do not insult.  Wait, examine.  There may be something within that will give you much delight.  You may find “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived.”

Augustine, Sermon 160.1-5

Introductions

There are a range of people who occasion this blog, so I thought I’d do some introductions – letting you know about some of the interesting links on my blogroll, as well as some other must-see stuff online:

Mike B has been doing some really interesting thinking about liberation theology, raising the question of how the poorest and dying Christians can (or should be expected to) respond to their plight… along with the question of the role of those who are more affluent.

I have only just discovered James K’s blog Developing Theology.  He has a number of interesting bits n pieces, including links to a new edition of Barth’s Church Dogmatics, and a roundup of discussion about the recent Evangelical Manifesto… There are some interesting views on this by (ex-Nottingham boy) Scot McKnight, and James K. Smith.

I have also recently discovered Matthew M’s (not me!!) blog New Testament Perspectives.  He has some reviews of really interesting resources, including an interview with the author of the recent CD “Sing and learn New Testament Greek” (which can be downloaded onto iPod for only $5!).  If anyone gets it, let me know how it goes.

Dan at Poser or Prophet strikes me as anabaptist-inclined…. which I think of as a good thing.  He has some provocative and worthwhile thoughts about a range of things on his blog, particularly related to his involvement with the marginalised of society.

Theologer is the home of pseudonymous blogger Roger Mugs, whose actual identity is debated the world over… I have my suspicions about where he operates from, but I keep my thoughts to myself.  Mugsie, as I call him, posts genuinely personal engagements with the Bible, amongst other things.

Now for the REALLY good stuff: 

Those who would like a PLENARY INDULGENCE – yup, that means all of your time that’s owing in purgatory removed for free – should click here to read up on what you have to do: The Pope has announced a plenary indulgence for all those who make a pilgrimage to Rome and do the appropriate things…. and you thought you were going to have to be purged the old-fashioned way… sheesh – get into the twenty-first century!  Head to Rome!…  Get going… NOW!  No wait – finish reading my blog first.

And, finally, click here to see the REAL reason I roast my own coffee beans.  It almost seems like a Christian came up with this idea: The vice you have when you don’t really want to have a proper vice…

I might do more little introductions like this from time to time, if anyone happens to find them of interest.

Would I Lie to You?

Having watched a TV show last night called “Would I lie to you?”, I’ve decided to list twenty (20) things about myself, one of which will be a big fat lie.  The person who first guesses which item is the lie will win a Christian/theological book of my choosing, delivered to your door, by the good people at Amazon…  But don’t expect it to be expensive… think cheap… real cheap… no; cheaper than that… yup now you’re in the ballpark.  The offer is only open to residents of the UK, Australia, or the USA.  I will email the winner, and then you can email me back a postal address for your prize.

Okay: Here are twenty (20) things about me… which one of them is untrue???

1. I lived in China for a year as a child
2. I once spent Easter at the home of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
3. I have met the present pope (before he was pope)
4. I used to have long green hair
5. I married my brother
6. I used to be in a death metal band
7. I once hit a golf ball and got an old man in the head
8. I have never tried peanut butter on bread
9. I once gave a cigar to John Milbank
10. I have been threatened with murder by an armed man
11. I hate moths
12. I lost feeling in my finger for a year after snapping a pocket knife shut on it
13. I have been on children’s TV in Australia
14. I used to teach Scripture to primary school children
15. I have never watched the movie Titanic
16. I have a tattoo
17. I once paid $120 USD to get a load of washing done
18. I once recorded the whole Old Testament onto tape
19. My dad and my brother were extras in a Jet Li movie
20. My house was once burgled by my next-door neighbours

Let the guesses commence…

Paul and Politics: From Right to Left?

The political right is well known as having conservative moral concerns.  The political left is well known as having social/welfare concerns.  My rather unsophisticated philosophy has been that if one should be given preference over the other when voting, it’s the latter: Somehow it seems more pressing to care for the poor than to attempt to ensure the conservation of “family values”.

However, my examination of Pauline ethics has got me wondering what Paul would think…

My work on Paul’s ethics involves the contention that the ethical sections of the Pauline literature (including extended sections as well as short vice/virtue lists) often share a certain rhythm: To put it simply, Pauline ethics seems to move from “right” to “left”…

1) Firstly, Paul calls the church to sanctification in terms of issues of sexual immorality, greed, and impurity of bodies.

2) Secondly, Paul calls the church to sanctification in terms of issues of inter-relational issues, calling them to self-sacrificing love within the body of Christ.

If you want to see examples of this, look at Romans 1:24-32; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 5-14; 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 (in which the order is reversed, but still the “impurity, sexual sin and debauchery” are said to have occurred “earlier”); Galatians 5:19-26; Ephesians 2; Ephesians 4-5 (in which there is an alternation between the two themes, without the normal order); Colossians 3:5-17ff; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12… those will do to give an idea…

It seems that Paul thinks that idolatry/godlessness is fundamentally expressed in the moral abuse of human bodies… and Christians are called rather to offer their bodies to God, in his service.  But although this movement – from impurity to devotion – is the beginning, it is not the end-point.  The end goal is that Christians will cohere lovingly in the one body of Christ – giving themselves up for one another, caring for one another, pursuing peace with one another.

Of course, Paul’s summons is to the church… but it does make me wonder whether I should re-think my unsophisticated philosophy that we can effectively pursue care for the poor (which I believe is the glory of any nation) while acting as though people’s personal bodily practices are irrelevant.