Biblical Theology XLII: 1 Corinthians

The First Epistle to the Corinthians is written by the apostle Paul through an amanuensis named Sosthenes (1:1-2) in order to correct a false view of what Christian spirituality/maturity looks like. It is likely written in the mid to late 50's during Paul's third missionary journey while he was at Ephesus. Because the theology and ethics of 1 Corinthians are so interwoven together, I am going to combine the two in our discussion of it.

Theology and Ethics: It is clear from the letter that the Corinthians had adopted a Greek/pagan view of spirituality and had syncretized their pagan ideas concerning the mind/spirit and body with Christianity.

In the Greek/pagan view of spirituality, deep philosophy (i.e., sophia) is to be pursued since it builds up the mind, and gives direction for all of life. Paul counters this by saying that man's wisdom cannot obtain the things of God, especially the gospel. It seems foolish to them. What is necessary instead is to pursue the wisdom provided by the Spirit of God, who gives knowledge for the purpose of salvation and edification. The cross, i.e., the gospel, is what the Spirit uses to show His power over human experience and inference. Divisions based on philosophical teaching is misguided. Paul, Peter, Apollos should all be teaching the same thing if they stay on what the Spirit has revealed. If anyone teaches otherwise, he teaches man's wisdom and his works of teaching will be burned up, even though he will be saved. Christ, therefore, is not divided up, and there is no room for arrogance or lifting one Christian teacher up over another. All are servants of Christ and it is God who is doing the work through them (Chapters 1-4).

 Much of the theology of 1 Corinthians is wrapped around the spirit/body dichotomy, where the body in Greek thought is seen as irrelevant to true spirituality, as it is something that will one day be discarded. What remains is the spirit, which therefore is eternal and much more important. Paul combats this false view throughout the letter by arguing that the physical bodies of believers are a part of Christ's body and will be raised to life for eternity. He gives a robust theology of the resurrection of the body at the end of the letter reinforcing this as well. It is the physical resurrection of the body that is joined to Christ both now and in eternity that gives a completely different perspective concerning how one thinks about his or her body and what one does in the body right now.

Hence, because Christ has been physically raised as the firstfruits representing the larger crop, all who are joined to Him will also be physically raised as He was (Chapter 15). This will occur at the very end when Christ has put all other enemies at His feet. The physical resurrection will put an end to the final enemy which is physical death. If believers are still alive at that time, their bodies will be transformed from mortal to immortal, perishable to imperishable. Hence, the physical body of a believer is an eternal part of him because it is eternally connected to Christ its federal head. What belongs to Christ is redeemed with Him. Nothing is lost. Therefore, the idea that the body is less important than the spirit is not a Christian idea.

Because of their false views of spirit and body, the Corinthians have confused views about sexuality, marriage, foods, and gender when it comes to the body, as well as confused views about spirituality when it comes to their consideration of one another, particularly in worship. 

The resurrection of the physical body, and therefore, its eternal union with Christ, means that sexuality must be seen as worship to Christ and not as something to be done in disregard of God's will for it (Chapters 5-6). It means that it is not to be seen as dirty when it is within the context God has willed for it in marriage. It means that marriage, and sex within it, is not to be pursued unless it is in God's will, so it has something to say about the divorce and remarriage issue (Chapter 7). It means that gender and gender roles are very much a part of the human individual and should not be discarded as primitive or base. And it also means that all created things, like sexuality and food should be used in a true spiritual manner, i.e., in a mature Christian way for the salvation and edification of others.

What this all comes down to, according to Paul, is that Christian maturity is actually about love (Chapter 13). It is using all things to love the brethren and glorify God. Hence, it is using one's words/teachings, sexuality, gender, food, privileges, and gifts for the edification of others for the love of Christ and to the glory of God.

Hence, worship is the use of one's gifts to exalt God's truth so that the congregation is built up in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ (i.e., edification). Gifts themselves are not a sign of spirituality/maturity (Chapters 12-14). In fact, the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit and all of his signs and wonders is not a confirmation that the community is pleasing to God at all, as the example of Israel in the wilderness bears witness (10:1-13).

Hence, instead of looking to be puffed up in human wisdom, seeking personal satisfaction in sex and unlawful marriage in disregard of God's will and the good of the community, suing one another because one is concerned more for self than the other person and the peace of the community, distorting gender roles that provide foundational creational issues that order the community, using freedoms in Christ at the cost of one's brother, taking communion for oneself in disregard of God's will and others, and seeking spiritual gifts as a way to edify oneself instead of others are all condemned by Paul as forms of pagan religion that have nothing to do with true Christian spirituality which is wrapped up in the love of Christ and His people. If anyone does not love Christ, therefore, Paul concludes at the end of the letter, he is anathema.

It is love, therefore, that the Corinthians should be pursuing, and their bad theology and ethics that have come from secular and pagan Greek thought, and have ironically led to their immaturity, need to be abandoned if they are to love Christ and glorify God as mature Christians.