1 Thess & 1 Corinth

1 Thessalonians: The Earliest Letter of Paul
In all probability 1 Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul’s letters, particularly because the memory of the events that led to
the founding of that congregation are still fresh in the mind of the Apostle.
Therefore, 1 Thessalonians is usually dated sometime around 49 CE, making it the oldest book of the NT.
The letter was written from Corinth. According to 1 Thessalonians 3.2,
Paul had sent Timothy to Thessalonica from Athens during his brief stay
there, had just experienced the delegate’s return, and had received
reports about the congregation to which he is reacting in this letter.
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and
labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1.2-3
According to Acts 18:11, Paul was in Corinth for 18 months. Then verse
12 notes he was brought before Gallio. Paul arrived in early 50 CE, and
left in late summer /early fall of 51 CE.
The now famous “Gallio Inscripton” places him there in 50 or 51 CE.

The City Port of Thessalonica
Thessalonica was founded around 315 BCE by King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of
Therma.
The king named the city after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great.
Thessalonica was an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Macedon until 168 BCE when it became a city of the Roman
Republic.
It grew to be an important trading hub by facilitating the exchange of goods between Europe and Asia.
The city eventually became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.
It had a population of somewhere between 100,000-200,000 inhabitants during Paul’s mission.
This was typical of Paul: as far as we can tell, Paul generally chose to stay and proselytize in major urban areas where he
would have the greatest potential to win over converts.

Preaching the Synagogues of Apostle to the Gentiles?
In Acts, Paul wins converts and makes new contacts by visiting and preaching in Synagogues.
Curiously, Paul says nothing about the Jewish synagogue in his letter; indeed, he never mentions the presence of any Jew
among his Christian converts or their opponents nor does he make any reference to the Jewish scriptures in his letter.
No evidence exists to verify a substantial Jewish population in the city during the time of Paul.
Today about half of Salonica is Jewish. Several scholars (especially those of the nineteenth century such as Lightfoot) argued
that this is proof that the synagogue was thriving and kept on thriving after Paul’s ministry there. But a visit to Salonica
would have saved him [Lightfoot] from this error. The Jews of Salonica speak Spanish as their language, and are descended
from Spanish Jews, expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella.
Some scholars argue for the existence of a Samaritan synagogue with the commercial city center of Thessalonica.
1 After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And Paul went in,
as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer
and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.’ 4Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as
did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the market-
places they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s
house.
Acts 17.1-5

Paul’s Work in Thessalonica
Paul reflects on the time he had spent among the Thessalonians, recalling with great pride how he worked “night and day
so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (2.9).
The Greek literally translates to mean that Paul performed manual labor while in Thessalonica.
Acts indicates that Paul worked with leather goods and was a “tentmaker.”
2There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to
leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers.
4Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
Acts 18.2-4
Perhaps the mission proceeded something like this: Paul and his two
companions arrived in the city and as a first step rented out a room in a
downtown insula.
Insula were ancient equivalents to modern apartment buildings, packed close
together in urban areas.
The Roman Insula

Paul and the Cynic Connection: Proselytizing
Like Philosophers in the 1st century world, Paul and his companions exhorted, encouraged, and pleaded with those who
dropped by, urging them to change their lives and adhere to the Christian message.
Many of the ascetic practices of Cynicism may have been adopted by early Christians, and Christians often employed the
same rhetorical methods as the Cynics.
Some Cynics were actually martyred for speaking out against the authorities.
One Cynic, Peregrinus Proteus, lived for a time as a Christian before converting to Cynicism, whereas in the 4th century,
Maximus of Alexandria, although a Christian, was also called a Cynic because of his ascetic lifestyle.
Christian writers would often praise Cynic poverty, although
they scorned Cynic shamelessness: Augustine stating that
they had, "in violation of the modest instincts of men,
boastfully proclaimed their unclean and shameless opinion,
worthy indeed of dogs."
9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the
gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers.
The ascetic orders of Christianity also had direct connection
with the Cynics, as can be seen in the wandering mendicant
monks of the early church who in outward appearance, and
in many of their practices were little different from the Cynics
of an earlier age.

Cynic Philosophers Influence Christianity
There is little record of Cynicism in the 2nd or 1st centuries BCE; Cicero (c. 50 BCE), who was much interested in Greek
philosophy, had little to say about Cynicism, except that "it is to be shunned; for it is opposed to modesty, without which
there can be neither right nor honor."
However, by the 1st century CE, Cynicism reappeared with full force. The rise of Imperial Rome, like the Greek loss of
independence under Philip and Alexander three centuries earlier, may have led to a sense of powerlessness and frustration
among many people, which allowed a philosophy which emphasized self-sufficiency and inner-happiness to flourish once
again.
None of this meant that the Cynic would retreat from society. Cynics would in fact live in the full glare of the public's gaze
and would be quite indifferent in the face of any insults which might result from their unconventional behavior.
Cynics could be found throughout the empire, standing on street corners, preaching about Virtue.
The ideal Cynic would evangelize; as the watchdog of humanity, it was their job to hound people about the error of their
ways.
The example of the Cynic's life (and the use of the Cynic's biting satire) would dig-up and expose the internal conflicts of the
pretensions that lay at the root of everyday conventions.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou
and preach the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:59-60/Matthew 8:22-23
A little while before Demonax died someone asked, "What instructions have you given about your burial?" "No need to fuss," he said. "The stink will get me
buried."
Lucian

1 Thessalonians: A Letter of Friendship and Encouragement
1 Thessalonians gives expression to Paul’s surprise over the rapid growth of the Christian mission at Thessalonica, which
was achieved despite immediate persecutions from pagan contemporaries.
Paul acknowledged that the successful development had been wrought in the Thessalonians by their own acceptance, fully
recognizing the human frailty of the Apostle, their founder (2:1–12), and not by a mistaken understanding that he himself
was divine.
Paul’s surprise results, therefore, in overwhelming gratitude, and the customary Pauline thanksgivings here exceed the
usual limits. A second reason for this unusually long thanksgiving—which actually makes thanksgiving the theme of the
letter—is Paul’s intent to undergird the encouragement he gives in 4:13–5:11.
After having dwelt so extensively on his being moved by the change in the Thessalonians, Paul continues to state that
therefore they have no reason for giving up faith in the face of the death of some fellow Christians, who had died between
their conversion and the expected imminent return/Parousia of Christ.
6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution
you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became
an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of
the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in
every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no
need to speak about it. 9For the people of those regions report about us what
kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to
serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he
raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Paul’s Apocalyptic Message to the Thessalonians: Keep the Faith
Apparently, the Thessalonians had expected the Parousia and final salvation as the promise of the Christian message to
occur before any of the converts had died.
Paul encouraged his congregation that he had a “word of the Lord” that the dead and the living in Christ will rise together.
“Word of the Lord” could refer to a word of Jesus known to Paul but could instead be a direct revelation to Paul.
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will
bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no
means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command,
with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from
heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will
be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we
will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonian 4:14-17
The Thessalonian passage confirms this point and indeed showed
that Paul believed that it would come either within his lifetime or
the lifetime of the contemporaneous recipients of his letters (“that
we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord”).
That Paul expected an imminent apocalyptic return of Jesus, within the lifetime of his congregation, is evident.

1st Century Jewish Apocalypticism
Decades of Roman domination had worn on the Jews’ independent spirit.
Some at the top of Jewish society did not mind foreign rule, or at least they learned to live with it: they helped the Romans
to administrate and owed their well-being to their imperial overlords.
But many more Jews wished to see the hated Roman regime toppled, some advocating violent means.
Other Jews warned that expelling the Romans would require more power than mortal soldiers could possibly muster, as the
enemy was far mightier than the legions of Rome.
For these Jews, Roman soldiers were but human pawns of a cosmic evil force that controlled the world, an array of demons
led by Satan.
Only a rival cosmic force headed by God could be victorious
Soon, they believed, God would intervene in history and
redeem the world, conquering the ruling powers (and their
Roman deputies); restoring the twelve tribes of Israel; and
replacing death, disease, and famine with life, health, and
abundance.
We cannot readily gauge the popularity of apocalypticism in
the late second temple period, but numerous and unique
Jewish texts, from Daniel (ca. 164 B.C.E.) and a few of the
Dead Sea Scrolls (ca. 150 B.C.E.–70 C.E.) to 1 Enoch (ca. 200
B.C.E.–100 C.E.) and 4 Ezra (ca. 100 C.E.), reflect the belief
that the world as it existed was about to end, setting the
stage for a new chapter in human history.

Paul’s Use of Apocalyptic Language in 1 Thessalonians
It is striking how much apocalyptic imagery Paul uses throughout the letter.
Consider, for example, 5.1-11, where Paul indicates that the end will come suddenly, like a woman’s labor pains, that it will
come like a thief in the night, that the children of light will escape but not the children of darkness, and that the faithful
need to be awake an sober.
All of these images are found in contemporaneous Jewish apocalyptic literature as well.
Many of Paul’s allusive comments throughout the letter only make sense within the Jewish apocalyptic framework: Satan,
the great enemy of God and his people (2.18) and the assurance that the suffering of God’s people is necessary for God’s
people at the end of times (3.3-4).
Thus, it appears that Paul’s proclamations were designed to transform the Thessalonian pagans into Jewish apocalyptics
who believed that Jesus was the key to the end of the world
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not
need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the
day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, ‘There is peace
and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come
upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4But you, beloved, are not
in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5for you are all children of
light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6So then, let
us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7for those who
sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8But since we
belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love,
and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has destined us not for wrath but
for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, so that
whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11Therefore encourage
one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Paul’s Message to the Thessalonian Converts
This appears to have been the core of Paul’s proclamation to his potential converts.
His first step was to have them realize that the many gods they worshipped were “dead” and “false” and that there was only
one “true” living God.
Quite possibly Paul recounted tales of how this one true God had proven himself in the past (using Jewish scripture) and the
present (recounting tales of Jesus and his followers).
Once Paul’s concerts accepted the notion that there was but one true God, he pressed upon them his belief that Jesus was
God’s son.
It is hard to know exactly what Paul preached, but his
letter does emphasize two points about Jesus and his
role as God’s son:
1. A central component to faith in Jesus was
that he died “for them” (5.10)
2. Jesus was raised from the dead (4.14).
From this we can surmise that Paul taught his potential converts that Jesus was a person who was specially connected to
the one true God whose death and resurrection were necessary to put them into a right relationship with God.
9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true
God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
9For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, so that whether we
are awake or asleep we may live with him.

A Letter of Ethical Thanksgiving
In chapter 5 there is further thanksgiving, emphasizing the present gift and power of Christian faith and corporate Christian
life.
This emphasis is linked with ethical applications, with stress on brotherhood, diligence in keeping the faith, and religious
industriousness.
Paul’s real emphasis is more on the actual description of Christian life in the face of coming salvation and vindication than
on the preceding discussion of the fate of those who had died or on the actual circumstances of Christ’s appearance from
heaven.
The encouragement of the Thessalonians was introduced in chapter 4
by a genuinely ethical exhortation to proceed properly on the way to
holiness and sanctification already begun.
12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and
have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them very highly in love
because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, beloved, to
admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of
them. 15See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another
and to all. 16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the
words of prophets, 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every
form of evil.

Paul Arrives in Corinth
As Paul arrived at Corinth in 49 or 50 C.E., he would have seen lots of rock piles, ruins of ancient city walls. Rome had
destroyed the old Corinth in 146 B.C.E. The city Paul entered was therefore young-- not even a century old. In 44 B.C.E. a
decree of Julius Caesar had re-founded Corinth as a Roman colony.
Corinth, the capital of the province of Achaia, was a city of social, cultural, and religious diversity, including Jews. The Jews
living there were more cosmopolitan and multicultural than those in Palestine. Paul's visit came at a significant time for
mission work. In 49 C.E., the Jews were expelled from Rome. A good number migrated to Corinth.
While Paul stayed in Corinth, he met with Jewish refugees from Rome. Paul sought out two of them, Aquila and Prisca,
because they were tentmakers like him. He asked if they could work together as business associates. Aquila and Prisca also
became key leaders of the young Christian church (Acts 18:1-12, 1 Cor. 16:19)
Corinth was prosperous enough to be named as one of the three economic centers of Greece by Plutarch, a writer of the
second century. The historian Strabo wrote, "Corinth is called 'wealthy' because of its commerce, since it is situated on the
Isthmus and is master of two harbors, of which the one leads straight to Asia, and the other to Italy; and it makes easy the
exchange of merchandise from both countries that are so far distant from each other."

An Apostle Chiefly to the Jews or the Gentiles in Corinth?
In Acts, Luke indicates that Paul devoted himself chiefly to evangelizing to the Jews in the local synagogue until he was
dismissed.
Even after leaving the synagogue, according to Luke, Paul principally converted Jews (18.4-11).
Paul’s own letter gives an entirely different impression.
Most of his converts, as one would expect, given his claim to be the apostle to the Gentiles, appear to be non-Jews.
His coverts seem to be a mix of both the lower and upper classes but primarily consisting of lower class individuals.
2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray
to idols that could not speak.
1 Corinthians 12.2
4Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews
and Greeks.5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was
occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was
Jesus. 6When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his
clothes and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From
now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ 7Then he left the synagogue and went to the
house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next
door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer
in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who
heard Paul became believers and were baptized. 9One night the Lord said to Paul
in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; 10for I am with you,
and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city
who are my people.’ 11He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the
word of God among them.
Acts 18.4-11
Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1.26

Paul’s Use of Jewish Scriptures in 1 Corinthians
The Primary importance of Paul’s preaching to the Corinthians was the message of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Jesus died, fulfilling the Jewish scriptures, and resurrected.
From the outset, Paul taught the Corinthians that Jesus’ death and resurrection were both anticipated by the Scriptures;
moreover, throughout his letter he appeals to the Scriptures in order to make his points.
Strikingly, when Paul does so, he emphasizes that the Scriptures were not only written for the Jews of the past, but more
particularly, for the Christians of the present (9.9-10; 10.1-13).
8 Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law also say the same?
9For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is
treading out the grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10Or does he
not speak entirely for our sake? It was indeed written for our sake, for
whoever ploughs should plough in hope and whoever threshes should
thresh in hope of a share in the crop. 11If we have sown spiritual good
among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? 12If others
share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?
1 Corinthians 9.8-12
1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors
were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same
spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from
the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were
struck down in the wilderness.6 Now these things occurred as examples for
us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not become idolaters
as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink,
and they rose up to play.’

Pauls’Apocalyptic Message to the Corinthians
I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who
mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions,
and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
The Corinthian passage obviously tells us that the apostle believed that the time before the return of Jesus is very short.
(“the appointed time has grown short”; “the present form of the world is passing away”)
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
That “we will not all die” means that Paul believed that at least some of the original recipients of his letter would still be
alive at the sounding of the apocalyptic trumpet. Taken together with the passage other two passages we have seen, it is
quite obvious that Paul was expecting the present world order as he knew it to end either within his lifetime or those of his
congregations.
In the couple of verses earlier, Paul had told those who are single not to marry in view of the “impending crisis” so that they
do not experience “distress in this life.”
I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife?
Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life.

I Do or I Don’t
Because Paul expected an imminent Parousia, he suggests in chapter 7 that the unmarried state is the preferable one, but
conceded that marriage can prevent fornication.
He advocated the practice of ascetics living together as “virgins,” male and female, although he took this as a strain that is
hard to bear and thus suggested marriage in unbearable cases.
Not only the imminence of the Parousia but also radical change (“the form of this world is passing away”) caused Paul, on
the whole, to affirm the social status quo—whether it concern circumcision, slavery, or other matters.
Everybody is advised to remain—for the short time ahead—in the state in which he finds himself.
Such eschatological fervor caused Paul to argue against any worldly anxiety, fear, or worries stemming from
them.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26I think that, in view of the
impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if
you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I would spare you that. 29I
mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and those who
mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions,
31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33but the married man is anxious
about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of
the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. 35I say this
for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is well for a man not to touch a woman.’ 2But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man
should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife
does. 5Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan
may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6This I say by way of concession, not of command. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a
particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.
1 Corinthians 7.1-7

Reading Paul as Other than Apocalyptic
It does not make sense if by “the time has grown short” (or “has shortened”) Paul was talking about events thousands of
years in the future. For what is the meaning then of the “impending crisis” and the advice to singles not to marry to avoid
“distress”?
When those who attempt to interpret Paul as a non-apocalyptic try to claim that this “impending crisis” refers merely to
some famine, they are either willfully ignoring, or are ignorant of, the significance of the words Paul is using here. The two
words translated as “crisis” (anagken) and “distress” (thlipsin) by the NRSV are pregnant with eschatological meaning. As
The first word, anagken, is used elsewhere in the NT and OT in an eschatological sense (Zephaniah 1:15; Luke 21:23). The
second word, thlipsin, which can also be translated as “tribulation,” is used very often in an eschatological sense (Daniel
12:1, Habakkuk 3:16, Zephaniah 1:15, Acts 14:22, Colossians 1:24, Revelation 7:14).

The Corinthian (Mis)Interpretation of Paul’s Message
Despite Paul’s protests, the Corinthians came to believe that they had already begun to enjoy the full benefits of salvation in
the here and now, as Christ’s resurrected body.
This passage should be interpreted as a sarcastic echoing of the Corinthians’ view of themselves.
For Paul, the Corinthians’ notion that they were already enjoying an exalted status couldn’t be further from the truth.
In his view, the forces of evil were to remain in power in this world until the end came and Christ returned.
7For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift 8 Already
you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we might
be kings with you!
1 Corinthians 4.7-8
1 Corinthians is the most specifically practical, situation-oriented of Paul’s letters.
The congregation that Paul addresses in the letter appears to have been riddled with problems involving interpersonal
conflicts and ethical improprieties.
His letter indicates that some of its members were at each other’s throats, claiming spiritual superiority over one another
and trying to establish it through ecstatic acts during the course of their worship services (we might label these individuals
“enthusiasts”).
No other Pauline letter is so directly devoted to the consideration of practical and theological problems, many of them
apparently communicated by the congregation through correspondence or by delegations.
The letter, therefore, does not tend to stand as a unit and it is not uniform in its treatment of the varying situations.

1 Corinthians: The Occasion for the Letter
Writing from Ephesus c. 53 or 54 upon hearing from a certain Chloe’s people (probably slaves sent by her to contact Paul)
that the church was rent by party factions, Paul tried to bring unity to the congregation.
Paul also receives a letter from the church directly (7.1) brought to him by three members of the church who awaited Paul’s
reply in person (16.15).
Whether these factions actually represented outside interference (e.g.,
Cephas [Peter], Apollos, or others) or were factions of the congregation
under the influence of a widespread heresy of the time is a question
perhaps best answered by the fact that the factions do not come up
again after 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, and that 1 Corinthians, chapter 3,
reduces the factions to Apollos and Paul, who claims he is head of no
party.
Paul warns that Christians should not fashion themselves into parties under various leaders, because all these leaders are
servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God through whom Christians come to belief.
The Christ “party”—i.e., those who claim no party at all—(1:12; cf. 3:23) may be the only “party” Paul advocated because
Christ is not divided.
The church is not a society with competitive philosophical schools.
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions
among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels
among you, my brothers and sisters.
12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I
belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for
you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you
except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I
did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized
anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not
with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

The Corinthian “Enthusiasts”
The letter is a response to difficulties caused or increased by a relatively strong group in Corinth that may be described as
“enthusiasts.”
This group of enthusiasts may have been proto-Gnostics
The Corinthian enthusiasts did, however, have some characteristics that would later be found in 2nd–3rd-century
Gnosticism: a belief in salvation through spiritual knowledge or wisdom communicated by a revealer (not a redeemer); an
otherworldliness that could lead either to licentiousness (scorn) or asceticism (withdrawal); and a basically dualist and
deliberately syncretistic system of beliefs using the mythical speculations and magical ideas of their time.
The Corinthian problems might well be traced to such enthusiasts. Their gnōsis (“esoteric knowledge”) was a religious
knowledge that gave them the feeling of superiority over more pedestrian Christians.
This gnōsis Paul identified as false wisdom.
In chapter 14 Paul describes the views and related practices of those maintaining that they have spiritual gifts of inspiration,
especially speaking in tongues (glossolalia) and gnōsis.
Such enthusiasts prized eloquent or secret wisdom; they sought a revealer who had come into the world hidden from the
evil powers and known only to those, the pneumatikoi, or the spiritual elite, who recognize him; and they tolerated gross
immorality by claiming anything to be lawful for them (especially their slogan quoted by Paul: “for me all things are lawful”).
These enthusiasts also rejected marriage because it furthered the propagation of the present evil world; they claimed to
possess knowledge that made them indifferent to the world; and they believed that their salvation was guaranteed by ritual
and rites.
Though they prized spiritual gifts, they scorned the ordinary Christian services for the community; and they did not believe
in a future resurrection of the dead, which in their system had no place or was nonsense.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or
teaching? 7It is the same way with lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as the flute or the harp. If they do not give distinct notes, how will anyone
know what is being played? 8And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9So with yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is
not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said?

All You Need is Love
The main Pauline answer (e.g., as emphasized in chapter 13) was that love, namely concern for the building up of the
community, surpasses all knowledge or spiritual gifts and that love is a corrective because it demands service, edification
(i.e., building up) of the church, and involves Christians with one another.
Those Corinthians whom Paul viewed as opponents emphasized
gnōsis over against love.
The discussion of the resurrection in chapter 15 sheds further light
on this.
The opponents did not deny the Resurrection of Jesus Christ about
which there was common agreement, but rather they debated about
the future resurrection of Christians from the dead.
1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my
possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I will tell you
a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on
imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

The Bringers of the Apocalypse: Corinthian Enthusiasts?
Another indication that some Corinthians had no disagreement with tradition but interpreted it too enthusiastically is found
in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11.
The liturgical formula pertaining to the Lord’s Supper is sound:
The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said
“This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
(11:23–25.)
In a discussion of the sacraments in chapter 10, however, the
enthusiasts probably believed in a rather magical efficacy of
Baptism and the Eucharist, though Paul qualified such an
interpretation and took exception to it.
The misunderstanding of the enthusiasts points to a special reinterpretation of Scripture and tradition (which resembles
that of the 1st-century Jewish philosopher Philo and also the later Gnostics)—taking Scripture, tradition, and liturgical
practices as effectively bringing about an otherworldly, spiritual reality immediately for those who really understand (i.e.,
those who have gnōsis).
Discussions about Christian and apostolic freedom (in chapters 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11) and also a discussion about being free to
eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols and leftovers of pagan sacrifices sold in the marketplace were caused by conflicts
with the enthusiasts who paraded their spiritual freedom, strength, and superiority at the expense of their weaker brothers
in the faith, who were not ready for this freedom.
12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No
testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is
faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with
the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to
endure it.

Meaning and Proper Observance of the Last Supper
In chapters 11–14, Paul turned to problems of corporate worship.
In discussion of proper restraint and mutual regard in celebrating the Lord’s Supper, Paul seemed to presuppose a prior
common meal (possibly an agape meal) as part of the eucharistic celebration.
This common meal, however, had apparently been devalued because of the interest of the enthusiasts in the
sacrament itself.
As a result, the communal aspect showed up social differences in the community; and some brought ample food, whereas
others, of lower station, had nothing. In view of this, Paul again used the criterion of love and suggested that people eat
their meal at home and then come together, being sensitive to each other’s needs.
The Lord’s Supper would then be what it is, a proclamation of the death of Christ in anticipation of his return; mutual and
corporate concern and responsibility thus become a part of the Eucharist.
17 Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because
when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
18For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear
that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it.
19Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it
become clear who among you are genuine. 20When you come
together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For when the time
comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and
one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22What! Do you not
have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the
church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I
say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend
you!
28Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement
against themselves. 30For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. 32But when we
are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come
together to eat, wait for one another. 34If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other
things I will give instructions when I come.

The Body of Christ
A shift in the discussion in chapter 12 (the body and its members
are equal in Christ)—from a very speculative idea of the body of
Christ to a more metaphorical one that is reminiscent of Stoic
philosophical ideas about society as an organism—can best be
understood if it is assumed that the enthusiasts actually pressed
for a mythical understanding of Christianity, in which one became
literally incorporated into Christ, otherworldly, and divine.
Permeating all the discussion of individual topics in 1 Corinthians is the theme of Christian unity and edification, a topic
introduced and underscored in the preface and thanksgiving of this letter and in its introduction. Such unity is defended as
being very inclusive, real, and concrete—as over against the enthusiastic attempt to speak in terms of spiritual reality and
achievement, in which the true life of the spirit is only for the few (i.e., the Gnostic elitists).
Paul viewed the necessity of unity in the wisdom of God as it is evinced in the scandal of the cross.
In order to deflate the exalted and to make foolish the destructive (speculative) wisdom established by men, God
showed his wisdom in the “foolishness” of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Here, although hidden, is God’s true wisdom. The opponents hailed their ideal teachers as bringers of hidden
wisdom. To this Paul said that it is Christ who is the Wisdom.
"Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one
soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of
this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things
are the cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous
spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web."
- Marcus Aurelius view on substance (~ 175 CE; Stoic perspective)
20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of
you.’ 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we
clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect…27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of
it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms
of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all
speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12.20-24; 27-31

Proper Conduct Among Believers in Christ
In chapter 9, Paul used his own conduct, in contrast to that of the enthusiasts who flaunted their freedom in such a way
that it often had destructive influences, as a paradigm for an understanding of responsible freedom.
Here he shows by various examples from his own life-style that he had never made use of his rightful privileges
to the fullest, that he has, rather, been guided by what serves the weaker brothers and sisters. It is in this sense
that he subdued his body and that he urged the spiritual “snobs” to imitate him.
The emphasis on the communal aspect of the church is continued in chapter 15.
Paul did not dwell on his own vision of Christ nor on his role in founding the church at Corinth but rather argued for the
resurrection of all as a future experience, not as though each person had already had this experience.
Paul viewed the resurrection as a collective phenomenon in the expectation of an end-time resurrection from
the dead, with Christ as the first fruits of those who have died.
That love is to extend beyond the immediate community and be shared with all the saints (members of the church) is
demonstrated in chapter 16, the closing chapter, by the collection for the Jerusalem church. The keynote might be: “Let all
that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16.13b)
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this so that they may be applied in my case. Indeed, I would rather die than that—no one will
deprive me of my ground for boasting! 16If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do
not proclaim the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18What then is my
reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of
the dead has also come through a human being; 22for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits,
then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler
and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Thess & 1 Corinth

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