Table Of Content
T P N T C
HE ILLAR EW ESTAMENT OMMENTARY
General Editor
D. A. CARSON
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 of False Wisdom: The Wisdom of this World,
1:18–2:5
1. Denunciation of Human Wisdom: The Message of a
Crucified Christ, 1:18-25
a. The Cross Divides the Human Race Absolutely, 1:18-21
b. The Cross Outsmarts Human Wisdom and Overpowers Human
Strength, 1:22-25
2. Reminder of God’s Unexpected Choice of the Lowly in
Corinth: Worldly Wisdom in the Light of Divine Election, 1:26-31
3. Reminder of Paul’s Ministry Strategy: Worldly Wisdom in
the Light of Paul’s Unimpressive Preaching in Corinth, 2:1-5
a. Paul’s Humble Demeanor Suited His Message, 2:1-3
b. Paul’s Plain Speech Suited His Message, 2:4
c. Paul’s Purpose Was That the Corinthians’ Trust Would Be in
God’s Power and Not in Human Wisdom, 2:5
C. Affirmation of True Wisdom: The Wisdom of the Cross and the
Spirit, 2:6–3:4
1. Theme Statement: “We Speak Wisdom among the Mature,”
2:6a
2. Exposition of “Wisdom”: Source and Revelation, 2:6b-12
a. The Source of This Wisdom Is God, 2:6b-7
b. The Revelation of This Wisdom Came to the Apostles and
Prophets through the Holy Spirit, 2:8-12
3. Exposition of “We Speak”: Words of the Spirit, 2:13
4. Exposition of “the Mature”: The Spiritual Person, 2:14-16
a. The Reception of This Wisdom Is Not Possible for the Person
without the Spirit, 2:14
b. The Reception of This Wisdom Is Possible for the Person with
the Spirit, 2:15-16
5. Rebuke for Immaturity: The Worldliness of the Corinthians,
3:1-4
D. Reflections on the Nature of Christian Leadership, 3:5–4:17
1. Metaphors for the Church and Its Leaders: God’s Garden
Temple, 3:5-23
a. The Corinthians Are God’s Cultivated Field, 3:5-9
b. The Corinthians Are God’s Building, 3:10-15
c. The Corinthians Are God’s Garden-Temple, 3:16-17
d. Reprise and Summary: All Things Belong to God, 3:18-23
2. Application: The Apostles as Models of the Wisdom of the
Cross, 4:1-17
a. Regard Ministers as God’s Servants and Estate Managers, 4:1-
5
b. The Corinthians Are Exalted While the Apostles Are Abased,
4:6-13
c. Paul Admonishes Them as Their Father and Model, 4:14-17
III. “Flee Sexual Immorality” and “Glorify God with Your Bodies,” 4:18–7:40
A. Condemnation of Illicit Sexual Relations: “Flee Sexual
Immorality” (and Greed), 4:18–6:20
1. A Stern Warning: Paul’s Impending Visit, 4:18-21
2. A Virulent Ruling: The Case of Incest, 5:1-13
a. The Corinthians Should Remove the Immoral Man, 5:1-2
b. Paul’s Authority Stands behind the Expulsion, 5:3-5
c. The Metaphor of Yeast Validates the Expulsion, 5:6-8
d. The Corinthians Should Separate from Immoral Believers, 5:9-
11
e. The Corinthians Should “expel the wicked person,” 5:12-13
3. An Exasperated Rebuke: Civil Litigation in the Family of
God, 6:1-11
a. The Corinthians Should Settle Their Own Disputes, 6:1-6
b. The Corinthians Should Be Willing to Suffer Wrong, 6:7-8
c. The Corinthians Should Suffer Now and Inherit Later, 6:9-11
4. A Firm Correction: Temple Prostitution, 6:12-17
a.The Bodily Resurrection of Christ Underscores the Sanctity and
Future of the Believer’s Body, 6:12-14
b. Union with Christ Excludes Union with a Prostitute, 6:15-17
5. A Strong Admonition: The Incongruence of Sexual
Immorality and Christian Identity, 6:18-20
B. Affirmation of Sexual Purity: “Glorify God with Your Bodies,”
7:1-40
1. Counsel concerning Various Marital Statuses, 7:1-16
a. For the Married: Maintain Sexual Relations, 7:1-7
b. For Widowers and Widows: Stay Unmarried, 7:8-9
c. For Christian Married Couples: Do Not Divorce, 7:10-11
d. For Christians Married to Unbelievers: Stay Married, 7:12-16
2. Exposition of the Principle of Remaining as You Were When
Called (Illustrated by Circumcision and Slavery), 7:17-24
a. Analogy of Circumcision/Uncircumcision, 7:17-20
b. Analogy of Slavery/Freedom, 7:21-23
c. Enunciation of the Principle, 7:24
3. Counsel for Single Adults, 7:25-38 Stay Unmarried:
a. Because of the “Present Crisis,” 7:25-28
b. Because of the End of the World, 7:29-31
c. Because of the Distractions of Married Life, 7:32-35
d. With the Proviso of Freedom to Choose, 7:36-38
4. Counsel for Wives and Widows, 7:39-40
IV. “FLEE IDOLATRY” AND “GLORIFY GOD” IN YOUR WORSHIP, 8:1–
14:40
A. Condemnation of Idolatrous Practices: “Flee Idolatry” (Food
Offered to Idols), 8:1–11:1
1. Instructions concerning Subjective Idolatry and the
Downfall of “the Weak” in Corinth, 8:1-13
a. Love Must Take Priority over Knowledge, 8:1-3
b. Christians (unlike Pagans) Acknowledge Only One God and
One Lord, 8:4-6
c. Subjective Idolatry Is Still a Danger for Some Christians, 8:7-8
d. The Corinthians Should Forego Their Rights to Avoid
Destroying Other Believers, 8:9-13
2. Exposition of Paul’s Example: Waiving Rights for the Sake
of the Gospel, 9:1-23
a. Paul Enjoys Elite Apostolic Status and Freedom, 9:1-2
b. Paul Has a Right to Support, 9:3-14
c. Paul Refuses to Exploit His Right to Support, 9:15-18
d. Paul Refuses to Exploit His Apostolic Status and Freedom,
9:19-23
3. Warning regarding Objective Idolatry and the Downfall of
“the Knowledgeable” in Corinth, 9:24–11:1
a. Athletes Who Lack Self-Restraint Do Not Receive the Prize,
9:24-27
b. The History of Israel Shows That Those Who Lack Self-
Restraint Are Condemned, 10:1-13
