The First Epistle to the

CORINTHIANS

Revised Edition

GORDON D. FEE

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 1987, 2014 Gordon D. Fee

All rights reserved

First edition 1987

Revised edition 2014

Published 2014 by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 / P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fee, Gordon D.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians / Gordon D. Fee.—Revised Edition.

pages cm.—(The New International Commentary on the New Testament)

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 978-0-8028-7136-7 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. Bible. Corinthians, 1st—Commentaries. I. Title.

BS2675.53.F44 2014

227´.2077—dc23

2014002598

www.eerdmans.com

The New International Commentary on the New Testament

General Editors

Ned B. Stonehouse

(1946–1962)

F. F. Bruce

(1962–1990)

Gordon D. Fee

(1990–2012)

Joel B. Green

(2013–)

For

Wayne Kraiss

with appreciation

Contents

General Editor’s Preface

Editor’s Preface to the First Edition

Author’s Preface to the Revised Edition

Author’s Preface to the First Edition

Abbreviations

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

I. THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE

II. THE CHURCH AND ITS APOSTLE

A. The Problem

B. A Proposed Reconstruction

1. The Occasion of 1 Corinthians

2. The Opposition

3. The Point(s) of Contention

4. The Source of Their False Spirituality

III. SOME CRITICAL QUESTIONS

IV. THEOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

A. Eschatology

B. The Gospel and Ethical Life

C. The Church

TEXT, EXPOSITION, AND NOTES

I. INTRODUCTION (1:1–9)

A. Salutation (1:1–3)

B. Thanksgiving (1:4–9)

II. IN RESPONSE TO REPORTS (1:10–6:20)

A. A Church Divided—Internally and against Paul (1:10–4:21)

1. The Problem—Division over Leaders in the Name of Wisdom (1:10–17)

2. The Gospel—A Contradiction to Human Wisdom (1:18–2:5)

a. God’s Folly—A Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

b. God’s Folly—The Corinthian Believers (1:26–31)

c. God’s Folly—Paul’s Preaching (2:1–5)

3. God’s Wisdom—Revealed by the Spirit (2:6–16)

4. On Having the Spirit and Being Divided (3:1–4)

5. Correcting a False View of Church and Ministry (3:5–17)

a. Leaders Are Merely Servants (3:5–9)

b. The Church Must Be Built with Care (3:10–15)

c. Warning to Those Who Would Destroy the Church, God’s Temple in Corinth (3:16–17)

6. Conclusion of the Matter—All Are Christ’s (3:18–23)

7. The Corinthians and Their Apostle (4:1–21)

a. On Being a Servant and Being Judged (4:1–5)

b. The Marks of True Apostleship (4:6–13)

c. Appeal and Exhortation (4:14–21)

B. Immorality and Litigation: Test Cases of the Crisis of Authority and Gospel (5:1–6:20)

1. The Case of the Incestuous Man (5:1–13)

a. Paul’s Judgment—He Must Be Expelled (5:1–5)

b. Argument by Analogy—The Passover (5:6–8)

c. Correcting a “Misunderstanding” (5:9–13)

2. A Case of Litigation (6:1–11)

a. Shame on the Church (6:1–6)

b. Shame on the Plaintiff and Warning against the Wrongdoer (6:7–11)

3. On Going to the Prostitutes (6:12–20)

III. IN RESPONSE ...