The Theology of the Corinthian Letters

I. The Apostle Paul was born as Saul approximately within a decade of Jesus’ birth in the city of Tarsus, the chief city of the Roman province of Cilicia.[1] Saul was converted to Christianity and changed his name to Paul on his Road to Damascus experience. As the “apostle to the Gentiles,” the theological content in scriptures contributed by Paul is immense.[2]

II. The center theology of Paul revolves around his eschatological urgency for Gentiles to repent and receive the kingdom of God.[3] Also center to his theology is salvation history, in which there is an old and new history, divided by the central character, Jesus Christ.[4] Paul always calls attention to the centrality of Christ in his theology and directs his readers to this focus. Elwell says, “Eschatology, the doctrine of the end times, is the center of the Apostle Paul’s thought, beginning with his presupposition of the two-age structure.”[5]

III. Corinth was a cultural crossroads that contained immorality at every level. Corinth was located in an area where a funnel effect was created when different cultures passed through on journeys, making it easy for men to gain fortune. Paul began his ministry in Corinth on his second missionary journey in A.D. 50-51, (1 Cor. 1:13-17; 2:1-5)[6] Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus, while on his third missionary journey in A.D 54-55 in response to the questions of Chloe.[7] 2 Corinthians was written from Macedonia after leaving Ephesus around A.D. 56.[8]

IV. 1, 2 Corinthians are divided in the following ways. Ralph P. Martin breaks 1 Corinthians into 1:10-6:20, which is the first major section of this letter.[9] In this section, Paul addresses the wisdom of the world versus God’s wisdom.[10] In the Hellenistic culture that the Corinthians lived in, it was easy to be infatuated with wisdom, status, and prosperity. Paul also corrects the believers in their divisions of the church, lawsuits, and sexual immorality. The next section is 7:1-16-12, in which Paul addresses the more recent issues concerning the Corinthian believers such as marriage, food sacrificed to idols, the Lord’s supper, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection of Christ. 2 Corinthians is broken into three main groups, chapters 1-7 in which Paul explains his conduct; 8-9 when he encourages them to help the believers in Jerusalem, and 10-13 where he defends his apostolic authority.[11]

V. A key theological theme in the Corinthian letters is the Christology expressed by Paul. Paul is constantly pointing back to the grace of the cross of Christ, reversing the value system of the non-Christian Corinth, which is obsessed with wealth and status.[12] Paul also calls the Corinthians to be imitators of him, as he is of Christ when he sacrifices his own rights to build up others in faith, (1 Cor. 9:15-16)[13] The resurrection of Christ contains a three-fold meaning in 1 Corinthians 15: no one can conclude there was no resurrection, Christ’s resurrection is the “first fruits” of what will happen, and Christians live in “between” Christ’s resurrection and their own.[14] Paul also uses an eschatological theme when he implies that the Corinthians have reached an overrealized eschatology. They believe that because they have spiritual gifts, they are saints and the eschaton has already arrived, (1 Cor. 4:5-8)[15] In 2 Corinthians, “comfort in the midst of affliction” is the major theme of the first section (1-7), as it develops our character, makes us trust God, and identifies us with Christ.[16]

Further in 2 Corinthians, there are themes of the death and resurrection of Christ (11:23-29), the two covenants (3:7-18), evangelism of Paul (5:11-21), and holiness of life (6:14-7:1).[17] In the final chapter, Paul is presented as a pastoral father, with the characteristics of adaptability, jealousy, devotion, affection, and fear.[18]

VI. There are some key words and phrases that are repeated in the Corinthian letters, such as “Christ,” “wisdom,” “grace,” “cross,” “comfort,” “Kingdom of God,” “boast,” and “resurrection,” all of which are used to support Paul’s central theological ideas of salvation history, grace and the cross of Christ, and eschatology.

VII. The literary structure of Paul’s letters is as follows: introduction, proem, body and conclusion.[19] Paul begins both letters by introducing himself as an apostle called by the will of God and then adds the name of either Sosthenes or Timothy. Then Paul addresses to whom the letters are written, “to the Church of God which is at Corinth” and “grace to you and peace.”[20] Then Paul gives thanks to God the Father, followed by the core contents of the letters and the conclusion.[21]

Bibliography

Koester, Craig. “Paul’s Second Journey,” http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Paul/journey2/Map.htm

Lorin L. Cranford, “Epistolary Divisons in Paul’s Letters,” http://www.cranfordville.com/R314frame.htm last revised 04/30/02.

Lorin L. Cranford, “Paul’s Relation to the Corinthian Believers,” http://www.cranfordville.com/R314frame.htm last revised 10/27/02.

Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. The Theology of the Second Letter to the Corinthians. Volume in New Testament Theology series. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

New International Version. Nashville, TN: Cornerstone Bible Publishers, 1999.

Ralph P. Martin, “1 Corinthians,” Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1993.

T. Desmond Alexander, “Paul” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 2000.

The Holy Bible : New Century Version , Containing the Old and New Testaments. Dallas, TX: Word Bibles, 1991.

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1982.

The Revised Standard Version. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1971.

Walter A. Elwell, “Paul,” Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Publishers, 1996.

[1] Walter A. Elwell, “Paul,” Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Publishers, 1996), 590.

[2] T. Desmond Alexander, “Paul” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 2000), 136.

[3] Ibid, 137.

[4] Ibid, 138.

[5] Walter A. Elwell, 118.

[6] Lorin L. Cranford, “Paul’s Relation to the Corinthian Believers,” http://www.cranfordville.com/R314frame.htm last revised 10/27/02.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ralph P. Martin, “1 Corinthians,” Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1993), 165.

[10] Ibid.

[11] T. Desmond Alexander, 306.

[12] Ibid, 297.

[13] Ralph P. Martin, 166.

[14] Ralph P. Martin, 167.

[15] Walter A. Elwell, 119.

[16] T. Desmond Alexander, 307.

[17] Ibid, 308.

[18] Ibid, 310.

[19] Lorin L. Cranford.

[20] Lorin L. Cranford.

[21] Ibid.