Part II, Week 2 - Chapter 14 - The Corinthian Letters

The long-established Greek city of Corinth was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. (the same year that Thessalonica became the capital of Macedonia). The city was ordered reestablished by Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., with a new population hailing from the various parts of the Empire. The result seems to have been an ancient city with a heterogeneous and upwardly mobile populace seeking to sink roots in a new land of opportunity, profiting from a strategic location on the Isthmus of Corinth, a place where the well off were “nouveaux riches” who sought to outdo one another in giving public evidence of their beneficence to the community, and a place where the concepts of honour and shame exerted a powerful influence.

1 Corinthians is a lengthy and complex epistle, dealing with many issues which were brought to Paul’s attention by reports from at least two different sources. The issue of itinerant preachers recurs (although probably not the Judaizers of Galatians). Some of these men were apparently flashier and put on a better “show” than Paul, and his ministry suffered by comparison. De Silva indicates that, in accordance with the traditional concepts of honour and patronage, various factions in the Church had picked out their favourites and “boasted” of the support they gave to them. The preachers were thus receiving support from the Christian community, which Paul pointed out that he had eschewed. Paul had to persuade the community that his refusal to join in this competition for favour from patrons, his sincerity and lack of flashiness were all evidence that he was truly an emissary from the Lord. Paul then addressed the question of women’s participation in church services, the ongoing issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols, the continuing social distinctions marring the Lord’s Supper, unequal distribution of certain “divine gifts,” Christians suing other Christians in secular courts, and ongoing problems of sexual immorality (which had originally been the subject of an earlier letter which has not survived).

Paul again raises the issue of the collection for the poor in Judea. The collection appears to have been a strenuous effort in which Paul was engaged over a number of years. I can’t help but wonder if Paul had gained the endorsement of the Jerusalem pillars for his efforts among the Gentiles at least in part by proposing this fundraising effort. In one place (I think in de Silva) I read that this collection was considered by Paul a fulfillment of the OT prophecy that the wealth of all the nations would flow into Jerusalem. Then when Paul established the new churches in Asia Minor and Greece, in addition to conveying the saving message of the Gospel, he exhorted the brothers to generously share some of their surplus wealth with the poor in Judea. Now, turning to the issue of the itinerant preachers, I suspect that they may have benefited not only at Paul’s expense but at the expense of some of what had been intended to be included in that collection. Regardless, when Paul raises the issue of the collection in both Corinthian letters, he makes a persuasive theological/moralistic argument in favour of sharing blessings among the churches – material benefits flowing to the churches who needed them, with spiritual blessings being returned and thus a mutuality of benefits being shared so that all benefited and none were taken advantage of.

It was after his second visit to Corinth, during which Paul was confronted by an “offender,” and dispatching another epistle (the “tearful letter”) which has not survived, that 2 Corinthians was written. There is serious disagreement as to whether 2 Corinthians is one unified epistle, or whether a later editor “sliced and diced” at least two – or perhaps up to five – different letters, combining them into one. The main support for that is considered to be some rather abrupt changes of tone and subject matter. The arguments against this are the fact from antiquity the letter has been known only in its current form, the fact that there are problems of rough transitions and incongruity of vocabulary in the hypothetical reconstructions, the fact that other ancient letters have been found which also contain abrupt changes in tone, and that the overall themes really do form a logical whole. De Silva again does a good job of presenting the arguments for and against the different views, but it seems that on balance in the absence of some compelling evidence, the letter probably appears today as it was written by Paul.

In the Corinthian letters, in addition to his exhorting and chastising the sometimes wayward Christians, Paul provides them with some of his most inspirational and comforting spiritual assurances. Thus these letters find continuing relevance both because of the problems of factionalism and (im)morality which are still widespread today and because of the depth and sincerity of the spiritual nourishment Paul provides to the community.