14 - 1 Corinthians

Question 1

greek corinth

Answer 1

• destroyed in 146 bc
• refounded by romans in 44 bc

Question 2

strategic geographic location 4

Answer 2

• on an isthmus (narrow piece of land) connecting achaia and macedonia with the peloponnesus
• commercial: shipping and manufacturing
• political: emperor claudius made it capital of the province of achaia
• cultural: it was for example the site of the Ishmian games (second to olympics)

Question 3

ethnic diversity 3

Answer 3

• indigenous greek population with hellenistic history and continuing influence
• roman colonists (often veterin soldiers)
• significant jewish community

Question 4

religious options 4

Answer 4

• greek dieties
• roman emperial cult
• egyptian cults
• jewish synagoge-based community

Question 5

jewish community 3

Answer 5

• likeley among earliest colonists in 44bc
• enlarged with the expulsion of Jews from Rome under claudius
• philo cites corinth as having a jewish settlement

Question 6

corinth as a city overall

Answer 6

remarkably cosmopolitan, with diverse socio-economic and religious-cultural composition would have had a great impact on Paul’s mission and ministry

Question 7

paul’s first visit to corinth 4

Answer 7

• during 2nd missionary journey
• supported by many there
• there for 18 months
• after leaving, apollos arrives and becomes a sig fig in the church

Question 8

paul’s corinthian correspondence 4

Answer 8

• an earlier letter
• 1st cor
• a tearful letter
• 2nd cor

Question 9

church socio-economic diversity 3

Answer 9

• lowest strate, tradesmen, well-positioned (everything)

Question 10

division in the church 5

Answer 10

• paul, apollos, peter
• gentile spiritual enthusiasts
• jewish christians
• zealous jewish-christians
• gnostics

Question 11

paul’s response to report from chloe’s people 2

Answer 11

• these people possibly servents of a chloe who is a member of the corinthian church
• possibly sent to ephesus to report to paul ab the division in the church

Question 12

paul’s response to letter from corinthian church 2

Answer 12

• responding to letter from corinthian chruch, perhaps delivered by those mentioned above
• possibly responding to issues raised in this letter such as marriage, food offered to idols, worship, resurrection, etc

Question 13

greeting 3

Answer 13

• conventional, but stressing God’s call
• paul has been called as an apostle
• the believers in corinth have been called together and form part of the expanded church of God

Question 14

thanksgiving

Answer 14

anticipates some of the issues he’ll take up later in the letter

Question 15

situation in cornith 3

Answer 15

• division within corinth seems centred on certain factions claiming to patter themselves after certain leading figures, distorting the gospel in at least 2 key aspects:
• focus on who baptized them rather than Jesus who died for them
• they value eloquent wisdom rather than the straightforward presentation of the gospel

Question 16

greco-roman wisdom 3

Answer 16

• closely related to philosophy and rhetoric
• at their best, focussed on human ideals such as self-sufficiency, reason, virtue, eloquence
• at their worst, selfishly and fatalistically focussed on living for 1self, here and now with little though for others nor eternity

Question 17

jewish wisdom

Answer 17

• indebted in ot wisdom lit and intertestamental texts
• closely associated with the fear of the LORD

Question 18

paul’s response to wisdom 6

Answer 18

• paul reminds the corinthians that formerly they were not wise or powerful by mere human standards
• God nevertheless called them and Christ became their wisdom
• power-in-weakness of God-in-Christ
• reminds them that in proclaiming gospel to them he was not eloquent, but rather relied in the Spirit
• contrasts the wisdom of the now revealed mystery of God-in-Christ
• only mature understand God’s wisdoms, that is those focussed on the cross, dependent on the Spirit, and motivated by love