...how the use of the body metaphor in the ancient world impacts interpretation and application of Paul’s body of Christ motif in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, proposing at least one implication for the church today. Word Count: 1500 Contents Introduction 3 Historical context of Paul’s writings 3 Why Paul wrote his letter to the Church of Corinth 4 Body metaphor in the Ancient World 5 Interpretation, application and implication of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 6 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 8 Introduction “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Cor 12:12). This essay will explain how Paul’s body of Christ motif was informed by the body metaphor in the ancient world. It will also explore how it was applied to the church of Corinth and understood by them in their contemporary cultural setting. Furthermore, it will examine the reason for Paul writing this epistle at the time, focusing on his desire to cultivate a more Christocentric community in Corinth. Lastly it will draw on the ancient texts that influenced Paul’s writing on the body of Christ and look at the implications of this for the Church today. Historical context of Paul’s writings Paul was an outstanding leader of the early Church and a person of many gifts. He was the leading missionary and theological teacher of his time and through his letters was the most prolific contributor to the writings in the New Testament. He exercised apostolic...
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...trying to do in his work, “The Theology of the First Letter to the Corinthians,” which challenges a number of common views regarding New Testament literature. The piece of this book that I will analyze deals with 1 Corinthians specifically. In this section, Furnish challenges the common belief that Paul’s theology is most evident in Galatians and Romans, while his apostolic self-understanding and views on ethical and moral issues are found primarily in 1 and 2 Corinthians. He believes this is inaccurate, and that 1 Corinthians is also, a profoundly theological letter. The approach used in arguing this claim is a very historical one. There are many references to historical texts in addition to the biblical discussion found throughout. As a guide, the four traditional doctrinal topics will be summarized and analyzed in order to better understand the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians, specifically regarding their respective views. These topics will include Christology, soteriology, eschatology, and ecclesiology. The first topic discussed is Christology. This is the field of study included in Christian theology primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the epistles of the New Testament. First off, when reading 1 Corinthians there are various images that seem to stand out. Maybe the most obvious or compelling visual we see is the Christological image in the beginning of this letter where Paul draws the picture of Christ...
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...other offerings were excepted. With the arrival of Christ some people continue to question how His fulfillment of the law impacts the instructions of the tithe and giving found in the Old Testament. Some will look at the Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians as examples of a new rules for Christian giving. Was it Paul’s goal to abolish the concept of tithing or was he referring to some other form of offering? Using Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians this paper will argue that the New Testament offers new paradigm for giving separate from the Old Testament commandment to tithe. Historical Background Paul writes his second canonical letter to the church at Corinth in response to the report of Titus’ visit. Paul had spent a large portion of his ministry at Corinth, but in recently the relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth had been strained. After his departure from Corinth some problems and conflicts began to arise. In response to this Paul writes his first letter which was non-canonical to the Church at Corinth. During his ministry in Ephesus Paul heard of more difficulty and received a letter from the church in which they sought clarification to his instructions resulting the the letter now known as 1 Corinthians. Paul’s letter resolved some of the issues, however a new threat began to develop. Certain teachers calming to be apostles from Jerusalem started teaching and began to draw people away from Paul and the truth of the Gospel. This treat resulted...
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...The new testament has a number of thirteen letters dedicated to paul and his findings. Most scholars today agree that paul has forsure wrote 7 out of the 13. The six other letters credited to paul were probably not physically written by him. The scholars came to this conclusion by evaluating the different styles in the letters and the anachronisms described in the rejected batch of letters. The 7 authentic letters are the earliest christians documents to survive, which shows their importance. Another big importance is that we actually know that paul is the author of at least 7 of these letters, which is hard to say about any other scripture in the bible. The 6 “pseudepigraphical” letters also have an importance because it sheds light on the...
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...understanding that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 is an interpolation. Based on this affirmation, chapter one investigates both the meaning of vv. 34-35 within the context of Paul’s first extant letter to the Corinthians, and the original message of chapter fourteen without vv. 34-35. Chapter one also offers the most compelling reasons why a scribe would choose chapter fourteen as the place to insert an interpolation against women’s speech in the church. Finally, I examine the parallels between 1 Cor. 14:34-35 and 1 Tim. 2:9-15. Chapter two summarizes the argument that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 is an interpolation. In this chapter, first I investigate the issue of interpolation in ancient literature. Then, I present the arguments based on internal evidences that are both for and against the interpolation of 1 Cor. 14:34-35. Next, I provide a section on external evidences supporting a case of interpolation of vv. 34-35. In this final section we will investigate scribal awareness of multiple readings in Codex Vaticanus, Fuldensis and Ms. 88, which can be observed in some sigla left by the copyists of these texts. Chapter three examines the identity of the author(s) and the date of composition for both the interpolation in Corinthians and the Pastoral Epistles. Chapter three provides a survey on the role of women in the churches under Paul’s personal supervision. It also examines the ancient view of the role of women in the Greco-Roman society and how it impacted the deutero-Pauline understanding...
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...1. Know the things that Jews were looking for at the time of Jesus. Messiah/ Davids King Prophet like Moses New Exodus Coming of Elijah God to come to his temple God to pour out his spirit over all flesh All Nations to worship on God’s holy mountain God’s kingdom to fill the whole earth 2. Know the differences between the beliefs and practices of the people groups of Jesus’ day A. Sadducees Believed in the 1st 5 books of the OT Did not believe that God still preformed miracles or that man would rise from the dead Were influential because they had control of the Jewish temple Disbanded after the temple was destroyed B. Pharisees 1. Believed whole OT was authoritative 2. OT Law to changing circumstances of everday life 3. Believed God still preformed miracles C. Essenes 1. 4000 people 2. withdrew from society (communal living) 3. Thought Pharisies and sadducess were corrupt so they did not offer sacrifices at the temple 4. Helped to preserve scruipture by copying it. 3. Know the difference different approaches to Bible translations covered in Class (For example- Formal Equivalent, Functional Equivalent, etc.). Formal Equivalent- (literal)- keeping orginal words, word order, and grammar. The problem is different word order can make sentecnes awakward and slightly change...
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...The Letters of Paul Apostle Paul is very unique with his writings to the people. Paul made his letters real as they could get and they dealt with life and death issues. The letter structure of was highly important part of the ancient letter, as compared to the Hellenistic letter with those in Paul’s letter to Philemon. The whole anatomy of Paul’s letters was special because they all had structure. Paul has several sections in his letters: salutation, thanksgiving, the body, the closing, and the conclusion. The salutation was the most stable elements during the ancient period. The form is rather precise unlike today were we use the sender and recipient, as well as a greeting in the letter. I saw how Paul molds us in his letter to Philemon. During the time of this letter, Paul was in prison, he was addressing the master of Onesimus, which was a runaway slave who has sought refuge with Paul. Meanwhile, Onesimus was converted this set the stage for this letter. In this letter, Paul reminded Philemon that his apostolic mission gave him a prior claim on Onesimus. Paul treated Onesimus as if he was his own brother. Earlier during the beginning of the salutation, Paul identifies himself as a “prisoner for Christ Jesus.” Thus, this condition keys around Paul’s plea for leniency to Onesimus surfaces in the beginning of the letter. In Romans, we see how Paul’s original version of the conservative letter opening. His writings were to the church, one that he never been to before nor...
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...discriminative. I grow up in a culture were women are not allowed to be ministers. The cultural influence of many individuals in my country is the leading factor to a lot of negative views on women. The interpretation of scripture was highly baize when it comes to issues concerning women. Most women in country are looked down upon and view as objects with no authority. In the mist of all the cultural influences, having a feminist mom was very difficult for me. I was trying to follow my mom’s perspective on women, yet at the same time trying to obey a culture which defined who I am. The only way I was able to build my own perspective was to seek answers from the Bible. For many people who think women are not allowed to be ministers, 1 Corinthians 14:34–35, which states “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church” is often used as a major argument...
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...Apostle Paul forms the main character in relation to examining the respective entities attached to the issue. He was charged with three different assignments which were; preaching the gospel to the gentiles, providing the church leaders with the biblical instructions and encouragements, and lastly to teach the Christian community ways to live righteously in an unsaved world. Through endless efforts and dedication, Paul was able to accomplish these tasks via his ongoing missionary journeys plus the letters he wrote to various churches. It is evident that while Jesus’ life and teachings tend to offer Christianity with the required foundation, the letters that Paul wrote availed the structure on the foundation. However, the Gentiles urgently embraced the message of salvation, the conflicting ideas on how to live righteously altered their faith. The complexity of the cultural differences however, didn’t stop Paul from managing to address some of the areas of contention using the letters that he wrote to the Romans. The assumptions...
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...Romans and the World View By Randy E Brown Bible 425 Prof. Jerry Hall Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va Date: Introduction The Christian Life and World View according to Romans, should not be based on condemnation for those who are not in Christ Jesus. Based on the fact through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (verse1-2).In the early Christian Practical Issues, The Apostle Paul forms the main character in relation to examining the respective entities attached to the issue. He was charged with three different assignments which were; preaching the gospel to the gentiles, providing the church leaders with the biblical instructions and encouragements, and lastly to teach the Christian community ways to live righteously in an unsaved world. Creation Romans on creation depicts that “for since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities such as the external power and the divine nature can easily be witnessed as also understood from what has been made. This reflects on the essence of creation as it presents God’s internal power and divine power. In Romans 5, those that place their trusts in Christ become “brad new creature” with the old things passing away where everything becomes new. Sin The consequences of sin according to the Romans are vast in relation to undermining ability to effectively interact with others. In Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God...
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...This apparent antagonism existed among Paul’s opponents. The super apostles that invaded the Corinthian church, in an attempt to gain honor operated from an agonistic framework. These super apostles legitimized themselves and their ministry by delegitimizing the man and the ministry of Paul. Paul Barnett writes, “One thing is clear. For their part, these newcomers legitimated their ‘ministry’ in Corinth – over and against Paul – by ‘commending themselves’, by boasting’. . . of their achievements, and by classifying (and) contrasting (10:12) their strengths with his perceived...
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...David Trobisch and David Parker on the Origin of the New Testament, the Historical Jesus, and How Manuscripts Can Reveal What Texts Conceal Tom Dykstra I grew up with a picture of Paul traveling through Asia and Europe, founding congregations, counseling and teaching the men and women who had given their life to Jesus. If he could not visit them, he sent letters. When Paul died, his letters were kept as treasures. Each church that had received one of his letters saved it, had it read during worship services, and exchanged copies of the letter with other congregations close by. Later the congregations tried to complete their collection. But this view does not match the uniformity of manuscript evidence. --David Trobisch 1 It is even more remarkable that attempts to reconstruct the supposed document 'Q' (the lost collection used by both Matthew and Luke postulated by those who argue that Matthew and Luke are independent) use text-critical terminology to describe their activities. However, since all they are doing is making selections from a twentieth-century printed text, which does not even presume to provide confidently the text of the four-Gospel collection, never mind that of the independent first-century texts, this use of language must be dismissed as illusory. --David Parker 2 Modern scholarship has produced detailed biographies of Paul, massive multi-volume inquiries into “the historical Jesus,” and mountains of exegetical literature that claims to extract the author’s...
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...that were inextricably tied to intense emotion, the Stoics believed themselves to approach the wisdom of the sage and achieve a life more in accordance with nature (Esler). Letters of consolation further exemplify the Stoics’ dedication to the rejection of impassioned emotion. When writing to Titius in the wake of his sons deaths, rather than expressing a sense of understanding for the man’s loss, Cicero implores Titius to cease his mourning as engaging in such behavior would undermine the virtue of moderation as well as question his status as a man (Wilcox). Cicero does not do so to bluntly dominate Titius in a time of weakness. Cicero’s actions, instead, display his commitment to a genuine belief in emotional restraint and that intense...
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...we see that he learned to be zealous for God and that he persecuted the followers of Jesus. The Bible then tells us of how Jesus interrupted Paul’s life. Paul chronology in the Bible only contains a few markers but without external evidence of Paul’s chronology they are still useless. The most important external evidence of Paul’s chronology is the Gallio Inscription which gives us an estimate of when Paul appeared before Gallio in Acts 18:12-17. After Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 Jesus sends him to Damascus to receive his sight back and receive instruction. Acts 9:20 says, immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” Then it seems that after his conversion he went to Jerusalem three years later, and then again eleven years later. The importance of Paul’s conversion in Galatians 1 signifies that the conversion is the reference point for all dating. Paul began in Damascus proclaiming in the synagogue, Acts 9:19 says …for some days. After which he went to the Nabataean kingdom, possibility to meditate and hammer out his theology. Almost immediately Paul’s life was in danger and many tried to silence Paul either through death or imprisonment, only God managed his escape. Carson speculates that Paul ministered in Tarsus for nearly 10 years before he and Barnabas went to Antioch. He cites 2 Corinthians...
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...In 2 Corinthians the church Paul had founded contradicts his authority and teachings. After he composed 1 Corinthians, several tensions arose that jeopardized his relationship with the church. In the last several chapters of the book of 2 Corinthians, Paul writes a passionate defensive letter to his audience to prove his apostolic authority (Harris, 2014). In chapters 10-13, Paul uses rhetoric devices to topple his opponents’ assertions of superiority. Unfortunately, scholars do not know the exact identity of Paul’s opponents. However, Paul assumes they were Jewish Christians who proclaimed another God and spirit different from his teachings (Harris, 2014). In opposition, Paul’s critics questioned his credentials as a Christian leader because...
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