The First Letter to the

CORINTHIANS

Roy E. Ciampa

and

Brian S. Rosner

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2010 Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner

All rights reserved

Published 2010 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.

www.eerdmans.com

and in the United Kingdom by

APOLLOS

Norton Street, Nottingham,

England NG7 3HR

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ciampa, Roy E., 1958–

The first letter to the Corinthians / Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner.

p. cm.—(The Pillar New Testament commentary)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-8028-3732-5 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. Bible. N.T. Corinthians—Commentaries.

I. Rosner, Brian S. II. Title.

BS2675.53.C53 2010

227′.207—dc22

2010034444

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Apollos ISBN 978-1-84474-484-8

Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE: TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of The Zondervan Corporation and Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Contents

Editor’s Preface

Authors’ Preface

Chief Abbreviations

Select Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

I. The Church in Corinth

A. Roman Corinth

B. The Church “Belonging to God”

II. The Identity and Aims of the Apostle Paul

A. Paul the Jew

B. Paul the Roman Citizen

C. Paul the Follower of Jesus

D. Paul the Eschatological Herald

E. Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles

1. The Dynamics of Pagan Sin—Romans 1

2. Gentile Conversion—1 Thessalonians 1:9–10

3. Paul’s Missionary Agenda—Romans 15

III. The Interpretation of 1 Corinthians

A. The Structure of 1 Corinthians

B. The Argument of 1 Corinthians

C. The Biblical-Theological Framework of 1 Corinthians

1. Two Key Old Testament Texts

2. Four Key Themes

D. 1 Corinthians in Recent Research

1. Biblical and Jewish Background

2. Greco-Roman Foreground

3. The Social Sciences

4. Classical Rhetoric

5. Theology and Exposition

E. Some Features of This Commentary

1. The Use of Greek and the Question of Verbal Aspect

2. The Format of Major Sections

3. The Value of 1 Corinthians

4. A Biblical/Jewish Approach to the Letter

COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS

I. Letter Opening, 1:1–9

A. Salutation, 1:1–3

1. The Sender(s): Paul, Apostle of Jesus Christ (and Sosthenes), 1:1

2. The Addressees: The Church in Corinth as God’s Holy People under the Universal Lordship of Christ, 1:2

3. The Greeting: Divine Eschatological Blessing, 1:3

B. Thanksgiving, 1:4–9

1. For the Grace of God Already Received in Christ, 1:4–6

2. For the Gifts of Grace Which Sustain Us Until Our Anticipated Approval by God on the Day of the Lord Jesus, 1:7–9

II. True and False Wisdom and Corinthian Factionalism, 1:10–4:17

A. Request for Unity, 1:10–17

1. Initial Request, 1:10

2. Report of Factionalism, 1:11–12

3. Reminder of Believers’ Identity in Christ, 1:13–17

B. Condemnation ...