1 Cor 1-4 - Wisdom of God and Factionalism

7/30/2019 1 Cor 1-4 - Wisdom of God and Factionalism

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The Wisdom of God and Factionalism:

1 Corinthians 1-4John B. Polhill

The first four chapters of 1 Corinthians form an appropriate introduction tothe letter. The problems of factionalism treated in them are at the center of thecongregational difficulties which surface in the rest of the epistle.

Factions, however, usually form around ideas. They have their pet watchwords and slogans. This explains why in the first four chapters Paul interweaves a discussion of wisdom with his treatment of the Corinthian factions.The problem of congregational divisions which center around various leaders isintroduced in 1:10-17. It is seemingly interrupted by a contrast between humanand divine wisdom in 1:18-2:16. Then Paul turns to the subject of the manner inwhich the Corinthians should regard their leaders (chap. 3) and rounds off thesection with some biting irony which castigates the seeming wisdom of theCorinthian factions (chap. 4). The key to Paul's interplay between these twinthemes of faction and wisdom is his conviction that the Spirit unites (see chap.

12). Where the Spirit of God is present, who alone reveals the divine wisdom,there can be no factions. Consequently, Paul does not tackle the ideas of thevarious Corinthian groups—they will always remain something of an enigma forus. For him, the very existence of division was proof that their ideas stemmedfrom human and not divine wisdom. He lumps them all together and chastisesthem all alike. Were the wisdom of God really among them there would be nodissensions, and they would be united in mind and judgment (1:10).

Epistolary Introduction (1:1-7)Paul's address to the Corinthians follows the mode of personal letters for

his day: A to B, greeting. Paul uses an expanded form of this typical greeting.

As in most of his letters, he makes personal reference to his apostolic calling(1:1). For Paul his calling was a direct commission from the risen Christ. This ismost forcibly treated in Galatians. There, facing an attack on his apostolicauthority and the implication that he was inferior to the Jerusalem apostles,, heinsists that his apostleship came directly from Christ and not through anyhuman agency (Gal. 1:1). The same is implied in 1 Corinthians. His calling is"through the will of God." When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, he did not seem to beaware of any direct attack on his authority from any segment in the congregation. The situation changed radically by the time he wrote 2 Corinthians, muchof which is devoted to the defense of his apostleship.

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Paul often mentions a co-worker in the addresses of his letters. It is Timo

thy and Silas* for example, in the Thessalonian letters and Timothy alone inPhilippians and Colossians. Here Sosthenes is mentioned. This may be the sameSosthenes whom Luke mentions as the ruler of the Jewish synagogue whenPaul was taken before Gallio (Acts 18:17). If so, his subsequent conversion isimplied. Sosthenes, however, is not an uncommon name, and the identity of thetwo is not certain. It has been argued that Paul's inclusion of a co-worker in thegreeting designates him as the amanuensis of the letter. This is not likely, as theone certain reference to an amanuenis (Ttertius, Rom. 16:22) occurs at the endand not at the beginning of the letter. It is probably better to view Sosthenes asa co-worker at Corinth whose mention would strengthen Paul's identity with

the congregation.Paul addresses the Corinthians as the church (ekklèsia), sanctified in Christ

(hëgiasmenos), called (kistos) to be saints (hagioi). All four terms refer to thesame—the Christian community is a people set apart, God's people in the midstof the world. Paul's letters generally use the word church to refer to the localcongregation. Bphesians is an exception, where the reference is to the universalchurch, to the worldwide body of all who call upon the name of Christ. Here inVerse 2 universal and local may be combined in the reference to "all who callupon the name of the Lord Jesus in every place." "All in every place" are not tobe seen as recipients of the letter along with the Corinthians, but are joined to

them as those who are "called to be saints." It is a reminder to the Corinthiansthat they are only one part of a much larger body of Christ. Some of the morefactionalistic Corinthians may have had the delusion that they were the centerof the Christian universe.

Verse 3 rounds off Paul's greeting in his characteristic form. For the customary Greek greeting, "hail" (chaire), Paul substitutes the similar soundingbut distinctively Christian word grace (charts). He also includes the distinctiveJewish wish for peace (shstöm) for the well-being of a life ordered under God.

In verses 4-9 Paul continues to follow the customary Greek letter form of following the greeting with a word of thanks to the gods for the well-being of the

recipient. Again, Paul's thanksgiving is greatly expanded and thoroughlyChristianized. It is not merely perfunctory, since there are hints of subjectswhich will occupy him later in the letter, such as his gratitude at their beingmade rich in Christ in all speech and knowledge (v. 5). This could be taken asirony, for l:18ff. hints that the Corinthian knowledge was all too worldly, andchapters 12-14 testify to the abuse of gifts of speech. It is probably best,however, to see Paul here as first approaching the subject positively. There aregifts (charismata, v. 7) which the Spirit bestows on the congregation, but theyare just that— gifts. They are endowments from God, not self-attained, and thusno cause for pride or basis for factions (see 4:7). The reference to the Day of Judgment in l:7b-8 is perhaps also a subtle reminder. The overestimation of spiritual gifts ran the danger to which later Christian Gnosticism succumbed



The Wisdom of God and Factionalism: 1 Corinthians 1-4Review and Expositor

namely, a fully "realized" eschatology so engrossed in the present experience of

the Spirit that it left no room for the future. This sort of ecstatic religion easilylent itself to a perfectionism which saw the adherent as completely fulfilled inChristian experience and left no room for further development. In short, therewas no future. One "had it all" now. Paul combats notions of this sort in 4:8ff.,and the moral aberrations of 5:lff. and denial of the bodily resurrection treatedin chapter 15 may testify to such ideas being afoot at Corinth. Paul's referenceto the Day of the Lord serves to remind them that there is a future for Christians and that they have not yet experienced it all.

The Crux of the Corinthian Crisis (1:10-17)At verse 10 Paul moves into the main body of the epistle, beginning with an

appeal for unity. Literally, he exhorts them to be "made complete in the samemind and conviction." He does not mean that they are to think alike on all issuesbut rather that they are to share the same basic Christian conviction and to beat one with the purposes and goals of the congregation. That such unity isabsent at Corinth has been indicated to Paul by "Chloe's people." The phrasedenotes slaves of a women named Chloe. Whether she was a Christian orwhether only her slaves were Christians is uncertain. Nor is it clear whethertheir residence was in Corinth or Ephesus. In any event, they were one source of information for Paul about Corinth along with the letter the Corinthians hadsent him (7:lff.) and three laymen from the church, who were probably theofficial bearers of that letter (16:17f.). For the first four chapters there is noreference to the letter, and Paul's source of information was such word-of-mouthreports.

In 1:10 Paul refers to the Corinthian divisions as schismata. The Greekword means literally a tear or a crack, a division but not a break. It is not asstrong as the English schism. The word used in 1:11 is erides, which meanscontentions or quarrels. There thus does not seem to have been an actualbreakup of the congregation along party lines. It was more the case of a dividedcongregation with factions forming around favorite leaders. These Paul enumerates in 1:12. There is no indication that the leaders themselves endorsed thegroups which hoisted the banner behind them. Paul makes it clear that he hadno more patience with those who claimed to be "Paul's people" than the Apollosor Cephas groups, and the same was probably true of the other two. There is noevidence Peter had been to Corinth (1 Cor. 9:5 notwithstanding), and Paul'sdiscussion in chapter 3 of his relationship with Apollos gives no hint of competition between them.

There is no clear evidence as to the actual theological stances of thesevarious groups. Onecan conjecture from the names involved.

1Those claiming to

belong to Paul would espouse his law-free "gospel for the Gentiles." The Cephasgroup would hold a more Jewish-Christian perspective, and the Apollos groupmay have been impressed by the erudition and eloquence of the Alexandrian

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Christian (ci Acts 18:24ff.). The perplexing question is the identity of the"Christ group." It is possible that Paul is being ironical. "Everyone claims ahero—does anyone claim Christ?" The phrase "I am of Christ," however, is instrict syntactical parallel with the other three and is best seen as a reference toan actual group which rallied behind a slogan of Christ as their leader. One canonly speculate as to what such a group espoused. Perhaps they represented the"spiritualist" position already mentioned. This is possibly confirmed by Paul'simpassioned defense against a group which called itself "Christ's" and hadlaunched a personal assault against Paul in the interval between the writing of 1and 2 Corinthians (2 Cor. 10:7). Indeed, this group may have been Paul's mainCorinthian headache, and the listing of the other groups may only have been a

diplomatic means of avoiding direct focus upon them.

The thought of the "Christ people" prompts Paul's ironic remark, "HasChrist been divided?" (v. 13). Has he been apportioned to one group? Surely thevery existence of such groups is evidence of division in the body of Christ. TrueChristian faith is in Christ alone and not in any human leader or group. Baptismwas the outward sign of their inclusion in the people who call upon Christ andclaim him solely as Lord. To place allegiance in leaders like Paul, even in thosewho first acquainted them with Christ and led them to the commitment of baptism, was to confuse the proclaimer with the one proclaimed. Paul's ironicquestion about baptism into his name and his seeming uncertainty about whom

he had baptized in Corinth (w. 13b-16) emphasize the relative unimportance of the one who performs the act in comparison with the faith and commitment toChrist which the rite represents. In the background here may have been thepractice in the Greek cults of considering a person who led another through theinitiatory rites as that person's "father" in the cult. In any event, Paul wants toeliminate any occasion for diverting the primary commitment from Christ tosome human leader. One cannot take pride in being baptized by Paul One cantake pride in being baptized into the body of Christ. Verse 17 emphasizes thiswith its reference to the apostle as a proclaimer and serves as a transition toPaul's long contrast between the wisdom of the gospel and the wisdom of the

world (1:18-2:16).Wisdom: Wise and Unwise (1:18-2:16)

First Corinthians 1:18-2:16 is built around the subject of wisdom and can bebroken down into four sections. The whole is marked by quotations and allusions from the Old Testament and may be Paul's adaptation of a sermon he hadpreached. Verses 18-25 form the first section, a contrast of human-centeredwisdom with God's revealed wisdom. That Gods wisdom contradicts humanstandards of wisdom is then illustrated in two sections. First, God's calling of the Corinthians contradicted human expectations (1:26-81). Second, Paul's initial preaching at Corinth scarcely met with human rhetorical standards (2:15).

The final section (2:6-16) returns to the subject of the divine wisdom and itslocus of revelation in the Spirit.328



The Wisdom of God and FactionnaMsm: 1 Corinthians 1-4Review and Expositor

The Foolishness of God (1:18-25)

In this section Paul contrasts human with divine wisdom. To follow hisargument it is necessary to note the constant shift in meaning of the wordwisdom. When used of human reason apart from God it has a negative connotation, mere "wisdom of this world." When used of God it has positive force,referring to divine revelation and being virtually equivalent to "God's wise plan,of salvation«" Finally, since God's plan of salvation is ultimately revealed in thecross of Christ, the word is personified. Christ, particularly Christ on the cross,is the ultimate wisdom of God.

The contrast is thus between wisdom as human intellectual striving toattain the ultimate and wisdom as revelation, as God's gift. The threat Paul is

attacking is the substitution of human wisdom, philosophy, and rhetoric for thedivine plan of salvation in Christ. The basic question is the locus of salvation. Isit to be found in human wisdom and accomplishment, or does it he with Godalone?

The cross is the basic divider separating those on the way to salvation fromthose on the way to perdition (1:18). It divides the one who would attain fromthe one who experiences salvation by receiving God's revelation in the word of the cross. It is as if God deliberately chose it so, since salvation by a cross isillogical by all standards of human reason and thus becomes God's final "no" toall human attempts at self-salvation.

In a series of quotes and allusions from Isaiah (1:19-20), Paul establishes hisbasic premise that God has rendered worthless all human-centered attempts atsalvation. Human wisdom has failed in its quest for God (1:21). Perhaps at thispoint Paul had in mind something like his argument in Romans l:18ff. thathumanity had distorted the divine revelation in nature, perverting it into idolatry and worshiping creation rather than creator. God did not merely reject thefruitless striving of human wisdom; He chose a means of revelation actuallycontradictory to that wisdom—the foolish proclamation of a crucified Savior(1:21b). lb the Greeks with their high standards of intellect, the idea was follyThe Jews were no better off, for their quest for signs scarcely differed from the

Greek love of wisdom. The demand fora sign is a request for an observable proof from God which serves as a confirmation to reason. It too becomes an attemptat salvation by human achievement. God rejects both wisdom and sign andsubstitutes the foolish insignificance (by human standards) of the cross. Those,however, who are set apart as God's own by their response in faith to the gospelare able in that faith to discern that Christ is the ultimate wisdom and power of God (1:24).

Paul rounds off the section with a seemingly proverbial saying about thefoolishness of God being wiser than humanity and the weakness of God beingstronger (1:25). Paul, however, is not making a general statement about God's

poorest being superior to humanity's best. The verse is closely connected with

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the context which has just stated that the word of the cross, God's ultimateword of salvation, is foolishness and weakness by human standards. That sameword, however, is God's ultimate wisdom and power. The cross thus stands asthe final negation of all human attempts to attain to God. Its truth cannot be

achieved through the best of human intellect and strength but must be received as a gift in the humble submission of faith and trust.

Somebodies Who Were Nobodies (1:2&31)

The Corinthians were themselves a living testimony to how God's standards contradict human standards. They came from the ordinary ranks of society, but God chose them. In Paul's day, as in the present, it was the wise, the

powerful, those from influential families, who had status in society. Such standards are amply illustrated, for example, in Phflostratus* biography of Apollonius of Tyana, a popularly acclaimed Cynic philosopher two generations afterPaul. The very words Paul uses in this passage are used to describe Apollonius'accomplishments. He was wise (sophos), having mastered not only the Greekphilosophers but the mystics of India and Egypt as well. He was powerful(dunatos). Philostratus delights in relating Apollonius

5personal charisma as

well as the many miracles he was reputed to have worked. He came fromprominent blood lines (eugenes); indeed, there were even stories of his relationship to the gods. This was the sort of person one could admire. The Corinthianscould boast of none of these things. And yet, God called the Corinthians, not the

Apolloniuses. This was another way of God's rejecting the self-attainments of humanity and speaking his "no" to human standards.

The capstone of Paul's argument is 1:29: God chose the nobodies of theworld "so that no one might boast before God."

2There is no human ground for

boasting before God. The only human ground for boasting is in God himself (1:31). He alone is our wisdom, righteousness (virtually, salvation), and sanctification (grounds for belonging to the saints, his people). All of this comesthrough belonging to Christ, who became (in his death and resurrection) theultimate wisdom of God (1:30), the ultimate disclosure of God's provision forsalvation.

It is hard not to see our own reflection in Paul's admonitions to the Corinthians. Like them, the world's standards allure us. No one wants to be a nobody. If one cannot have the status of wealth or boast of noble "roots," at least one canbecome a professor and boast of intellectual achievements, l b take pride in Godalone seems hardly sufficient. There are too many ordinary people who can dothat. But that is precisely Paul's point. With God, these human symbols haveno value; in fact, they become an actual stumbling block to the humble submission of faith which is the sole legitimate basis for our relationship to God.

The unimpressive Paul (2:1-5)

As a final demonstration that God's standards are not human standards,Paul reminds the Corinthians of his first preaching among them. He did not

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come preaching the mystery (or witness) of God with a superiority in speech orwisdom (2:1).

8Rather, it was with fear and trembling that he first proclaimed

the gospel to them (2:3). He demonstrated no persuasive powers or rhetoric(2:4)

4 but preached only the "foolish" message of the crucified Christ (2:2). ThatPaul's speaking presence was not particularly impressive is borne out by comments he makes elsewhere (2 Cor. 10:10; 11:6). His reference to weakness (2:3)may possibly refer to a chronic physical ailment besetting him on his first visitto Corinth. In any event, it was not the power of Paul's argumentation or theforce of his speaking gifts which the Corinthians witnessed in his first preaching. Power was present, but it was again the power of the gospel itself (2:4). Paul

is almost saying that the Corinthians were not persuaded by his preachingabilities but in spite of them. This he welcomed, lest the speaker get in the wayof the gospel message with its own unique power of persuasion.

When Paul says in 2:4 that there was a demonstration of Spirit and power inhis initial Corinthian visit, he probably is not referring to his working anymiracles or demonstrating any charismatic gifts. The emphasis on his weaknessin the context bespeaks the opposite. More likely the reference is to the convicting power of the gospel. It is this power which led to their response of faith, afaith in the gospel alone and not in the abilities of the messenger (2:5).

A Wisdom Not of This World (2:6-16)

In 2:6 Paul returns to the subject of wisdom begun in l:18ff. Paul does havea wisdom to share with mature Christians. It is a hidden wisdom, a mystery(2:7). In Paul's writings the word mystery does not refer to esoteric rites anddoctrines as it did in the mystery religions. The background for his usage isJewish apocalyptic, where mystery refers to the hidden counsels of God whichcan only be received through divine revelation. That this is the meaning here isindicated by Paul's statement that this mystery was ordained by God beforethe ages (2:7b).

5Here Paul does not define the content of this mystery, but in

Colossians and Ephesians the term refers to God's plan of salvation, particularly the inclusion of the Gentiles and the final goal of summing up all things in

Christ (Eph. 1:9-10; Col. l:26f.; Rom. 11:25-32). Something on this order mayhave been in Paul's mind here. Paul does not seem, however, to be speaking of an

additional wisdom to that discussed in l:18ff. There the divine wisdom refers toGod's redemptive act in the cross, the gospel message of the crucified Savior.Likewise here, the primary mystery is God's redemptive work in Christ, theultimate wisdom of God. Paul is not reversing himself after having rejectedspeculative wisdom in l:18ff. The "wisdom for the mature" is the full implications of the gospel, the ultimate dimensions of God's purposes in Christ. Paulhad not expounded these in his first preaching at Corinth. The basic gospelmessage of God's revelation in Christ was enough. The full ramifications of that

could be unfolded later when the Corinthians attained greater maturity asChristians. That Paul was wise in holding back is attested by their tendency topursue a speculative wisdom, as is implicit in l:18ff.



Three points should be noted regarding Paul's "wisdom for the mature."

First, it serves as an antidote to the misinterpretation of l:18ff. in terms of Pauline anti-intellectualism. Paul was not anti-intellectual, as the intricatereasoning of his epistles amply attests . What Paul rejected was an anthropocen-tric theology through which the mind seeks to attain to God through reason.Paul was convinced that God could be known only through his own self-disclosure, not through human achievement, and further, that his ultimate self-disclosure had taken place in Christ. For those, however, who have responded tothat revelation in faith there is a challenge to understand the full ramificationsof the divine act in Christ.

A second observation about Paul's wisdom for the mature is that it treats

the cosmic dimensions of the gospel; this is indicated by his reference to the,"rulers of this age" not recognizing the Lord of Glory (2:8). This is a specializedphrase which refers not merely to human leaders but to spiritual forces whichinfluence human affairs and decisions. Paul's point here is that even suchspiritual powers did not know God's hidden purposes in Christ; otherwise, theywould not have allowed his crucifixion. If these powers are seen as thoseopposing God, this passage would reflect the Christus Victor theme: theirseeming victory in crucifying Christ is turned into their final defeat. Whetherthis particular idea is presented or not, the cosmic dimensions of Paul's treatment are clear. The wisdom for the mature expounds the gospel in its ultimatedimensions of God's purpose for the universe.

A final observation about the wisdom for the mature involves the role whichthe Holy Spirit plays, as set forth in 2:10-16. The Spirit comprises an element inChristian wisdom which was not explicit in l:18ff. The wisdom for the mature isnot human reflection on the gospel but, like the gospel itself, only comes asrevelation, as a divine gift. The agent of this revelation is the Spirit of God(2:10). Just as an individual alone knows what is on his or her own mind, soGod's Spirit alone knows the thoughts of God.6 Thus, only the Spirit can revealthe secret counsels of God and impart this wisdom for the mature (2:1If.). Thosewho are in Christ have received the Spirit and thus arereceptive to its revelation(2:12). It is through the Spirit that Paul teaches, and only those enlightened bythe same Spirit are able to understand the teaching (2:13).7 Thus, there is aradical dichotomy within humanity. Those who are "natural" (psychikos), whoUve on a wholly human level with no relationship to God, are incapable of understanding the lessons of the Spirit. Lacking the guidance of the Spirit, thedivine revelation appears foolish to them (2:14). Here Paul has come full circleand completed the thought begun in l:18ff. From a worldly viewpoint, the waysof God are foolishness. For these who have received the Spirit, there is adifferent way of viewing reality. What appears foolish to the world is seen in itstrue light as God's ultimate wisdom. For them, a transformation has takenplace; they no longer Uve and think on a purely natural level but are guided and

enUghtened by God's own Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 5:161).




With their emphasis on judging, 2:15f. are transitional verses. Paul willrefer expUcitly to attempts at judging him in 4:lf. In the background probablylurks the Corinthian factionaUsm. There is much judging going on. This leaderis superior to that one, this idea to that. Paul states that the truly spiritualperson is able to make proper judgments in all respects. Such a one, guided byGod's Spirit, is not really subject to human judgment. Paul's impUcation maybe that the Corinthian factions' propensity to judge may bespeak their lack of the Spirit.

Nowhere in the long discussion of wisdom which began at l:18ff. does Pauldefine the Corinthian "wisdom" which accompanied the factions. Nor does he

define the content of the wisdom for the mature in 2:6ff. It is not to his purposesto do so. Indeed, it would sidetrack his whole argument. His whole purpose is tobring the Corinthians back to the only wisdom which counts, the wisdom of thecross. Likewise, he would lead them to a fuller experience in the Spirit, the Spiritthat unites. Were the cross central, with its wisdom which negates all humanvalues, the pet ideas of their cUques would cease to be a source of pride. Were theSpirit present, their vision would be clearer, and the factions would vanish.

The Proper Regard for Leaders (3:1-23)At l:10ff. Paul began his discussion of the Corinthian factions by pointing

to their tendency to rally behind individual leaders. He returns to this in

chapter 3, using himself and Apollos as examples and discussing the interdependence of their ministries under various metaphors.

The opening section of the chapter (3:1-3) is transitional, building upon thetreatment of wisdom for the mature in 2:6-16. Paul had not yet shared this withthe Corinthians because they were not yet mature but only infants in Christ(3:1). Paul nourished them with the basic milk of the gospel and refrained fromthe more mature meat of the gospel's further ramifications (3:2).

8The jealousy

and rivalry which accompanied the congregational factionaUsm was evidence of their immaturity (3:3). Paul uses two forms of the same word to describe theirimmaturity: sarkinos (made of flesh) in 3:1, and sarkikos (belonging to the realm

of flesh) in 3:3. In this context the two scarcely differ and refer to the Corinthians' manner of deportment. The realm of the flesh is the world apart from God,the whoUy "secular" lifestyle. It is opposed to the world of the Spirit, whichmarks one's relationship with God. Living in the world, the Corinthians werebeing controUed more by the world's values than by the Spirit. As such, thereference to the Corinthian "fleshliness" is to be distinguished from the purely"natural" (psychikoi) of 2:14. Those on the natural level have no awareness of the Spirit and no relation to God in Christ. The Corinthians do, having responded to the gospel and received the Spirit. They have, however, failed tonurture that relationship and grow into Christian maturity.

Verse 4 moves to a specific example of this "worldliness"—the rallyingbehind various leaders. The selection of ApoUoa as an example need not indicate



that he had a particular role in the factionaUsm. It may evidence the opposite,Paul's choosing one with whom he had a harmonious relationship to avoidfocusing on those most culpable. In any event, Paul decries any attempt to raUybehind ApoUos or himself. Both are to be seen as servants (diakonoi) of Christ,and the ministry of each depends on that of the other. It is a mutual, not acompetitive, ministry. Neither can boast, for ministry is itself a gift of God (3:5).

Paul illustrates this interdependence with three metaphors. The first (3:6-8)depicts the Corinthians as the farm of God. As the one who first brought themthe gospel, Paul is the sower of the seed. As the one who continued the work at

Corinth after Paul had left (see Acts 18:27-19:1), Apollosis the cultivator whowatered the field. A successful harvest depended on the faithful work of both;but neither could lay claim to it, for the miracle of growth was the gift of Godalone (3:7). Each worker depended on the other, ApoUos on Paul's sowing, Paulon ApoUos' cultivation. They were one in their goal of a fruitful harvest. Ultimately, however, each was responsible for his own work (3:8). To this Paul wiUreturnin3:12ff.

Verse 9 provides a transition to the metaphor of architecture (3:10f.). TheCorinthians are likened to a building, with Paul as the layer of the foundationand ApoUos the builder of the superstructure. For the mature church, pioneer

"church planters" like Paul are necessary to bring people to faith with thefoundation of the gospel. Just as important are the "builders" like ApoUos whoundertake the long-term task of building the congregation. Here Paul is sidetracked into a specific appUcation of the metaphor—for the church, Christ is thesole foundation (3:11). In the Galatian congregation, Paul had reason to suspecta foundation other than Christ was being laid (Gal. l:6ff.), and he may havefeared that the Corinthian wisdom would lead to the same result.

At 3:12 Paul shifts metaphors again, this time to that of the materials usedin buüding. The point also shifts. Paul no longer speaks of the interdependenceof ministries but of the minister's responsibiUty for his workmanship (cf. 3:8). A

workman can use materials of varying value and permanence—anything fromgold to straw (3:12). It is a strange Ust, a mixture of materials noted for value orpermanence with those known for their high combustibihty. Paul is thinkingahead to his next point, the work of each minister facing the testing fire of divine

judgment (3:13). The description of judgment in terms of fire is a commonbibUcal metaphor and apt for Paul's point here. Fire gives off Ught, and thisshows up workmanship as it is, soUd or shoddy. Fire also consumes, burning upshoddy impermanent workmanship. StiU, the salvation of the workman is not inquestion, even though his shoddy work be burned to a crisp. He wiU be saved,but only as if by rushing out of ̂a flaming buüding with aU his hair singed (3:15).

This last metaphor raises aU sorts of questions. For one, the passage hasbeen used to support a doctrine of purgatory. It does not; it has nothing to dowith the purging of the workman's sins but only with the loss of his workman-




ship and his reward. Again, the reference to the workman's salvation has beenused to support the doctrine of the security of the behever. The question here isnot whether one can lose salvation but what happens to a ministry built withworthless materials. Only indirectly does the question of security apply here.Paul certainly impUes that the minister's salvation depends like everyone's on abasic faith in Christ; that is not questioned here; the quaüty of ministry is. ForPaul, ministry could never be a basis of salvation, for that would be salvation byworks. StUl less is it a question here of "backsUding." Not one's moral deportment but his or her service for Christ is the sole issue in this context.

A final question revolves around Paul's mention of a reward (3:8, 14).

Rewards are difficult to square with a doctrine of salvation by grace and caneasUy become the back door for a theology of works. Both Jesus and Paul,however, speak of rewards for faithful service. It is best to avoid seeing this interms of graduation in heavenly rank or in materialistic terms such as varioustypes of heavenly real estate. It is more likely that both Paul and Jesus hadsomething in mind like the Lord's commendation, "WeU done, good and faithfulservant" (Lk. 19:17).

Thinking about shoddy workmanship leads Paul to a further thought in3:16-1?. Use of poor materials can lead to use of destructive materials. It is onething to serve the church with a poor ministry that leads to no real development.

It is another to minister in a manner which damages faith and undermines thegospel There is a difference between the poor leader and the false teacher. Thelatter wiU not escape the fire but wiU suffer inevitable destruction for suchdestructive ministry.

Paul concludes the chapter with a section which brings together the twinproblems of the Corinthian wisdom and their preference for various leaders(3:18-23). Verses 18-20 reiterate the theme of wisdom and fooUshness. Paulrounds off that discussion with OldTestament texts which Ulustrate the foUy of human wisdom in God's eyes. Once more Paul exhorts the Corinthians to seetheir wisdom for the f oUy it reaUy is and calls them back to the foolishness of the

cross, the true wisdom. He likewise admonishes them to cease their boasting inhuman leaders (3:21). They had done so for recognition and status but seemedblind to the one relationship that gave them everything, their relationship toChrist. Their boast should not be in belonging to Paul, ApoUos, or Cephas; thesewere Christ's servants on their behalf, who thus belonged to them. They had noneed to seek for recognition or security in any wisdom or relationship other thanin Christ. In Christ alone they had the ultimate acceptance and security whichcomes from God (3:23).

The Reigning Corinthians and Their Suffering Apostle (4:1-21)

In chapter 4 Paul addresses the factionalism on a more personal level

First, he rejects any judgment they may have levied upon him (4:1-5). Then,with irony he berates the false sense of achievement fostered by their group



mentaUty (4:6-13). He concludes with the promise of a personal visit and athreat to discipline the offenders (4:14-21).

Verses 1-2 serve as a transition, linking the discussion in chapter 3 of theministers' interdependence with the new subject of the congregation's judgingthem. Paul had already broached the latter subject in 2:15. He returns to it witha flat rejection of any judgment the Corinthians might pass on him. This is thefirst hint in the Corinthian correspondence that the factionaUsm may haveinvolved a personal attack on Paul. At this point it is only implicit. Later itdeveloped into a bitter challenge of Paul's apostolic authority, as 2 Corinthians

attests.In chapter 3 Paul depicted himself and ApoUos as God's servants. Now he

argues that servants are accountable to the one they serve. The Corinthiansbelong to God, and Paul is a steward of that possession. Consequently, hisaccountabiüty is to God, the possessor, and not to the Corinthians, the possession. Ultimately, he is not even accountable to himself. There is nothing on hisconscience impugning the trustworthiness of his ministry, but even such self-acquittal is of no consequence (4:4). Paul's language is that of the law courts.The choosing of leaders by the Corinthian factions is a human judgment, as isthe self-scrutiny of the conscience. The Christian minister, however, faces a

divine judgment and is ultimately accountable to God alone (4:5). As in 3:14ff. itconcerns whether one wiU be found faithful in the quaUty of one's workmanshipand receive a reward of praise from God (4:5b).

One must not take Paul's rejection of human judgment as a blanket bibUcalinjunction against all attempts at judgment. There is a difference betweenmaking condemnatory judgments and the necessary appUcation of discrimination. Paul is constantly calling upon his congregations to make such discrimination, even as here he exhorts them to acknowledge the foUy of their worldlywisdom and divisive factionaUsm. Likewise, Paul does not reject the importance of the conscience. He would, of course, argue that the Christian conscience

is the more certain guide as it is enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The questionhere is neither the importance of others' opinions nor of one's conscience. It is,rather, the authority of such human judgments to pass a final verdict on thevaUdity of one's ministry. For Paul, the minister is ultimately accountable toGod alone.

Verses 6-7 provide a transition to Paul's final rebuke of the CorinthianfactionaUsm. He has used himself and ApoUos as an illustration of the generallesson the Corinthians need to learn (4:6a).

9What f oUows in the text is obscured.

Paul seems to say that the Corinthians must learn "not to go beyond scripture,in order that you not become puffed up one on behalf of one against the other"

(4:6b). The drift is clear. The Corinthians are to drop their factional spirit, not tofavor one leader or feUow member over another. The problem is the seemingreference to the Scriptures. Rendered UteraUy, it reads, "That you may learn the




meaning of the phrase 'not beyond what stands written.' "10

As Paul has notappealed.to any particular scripture here, it is difficult to determine his references. Is he referring to scriptures he has previously used, such as 1:19 and 31,2:9 and 16, 3:9 and 20? Those texts mainly apply to God's wisdom, and it isdifficult to see how they would relate to the subject of Corinthian favoritism. IsPaul picking up a slogan from one of the Corinthian groups which urged itsmembers to go beyond the Scriptures? This would assume a group of "super-spirituaUsts" who claimed an enlightenment taking them beyond the writtenword. Such could be tied in with the passage immediately f oUowing where Paulchastises the Corinthian feeling of having arrived, but it is difficult to see why

Paul would not have attacked more directly such a flat rejection of scripturalguidance. The passage remains difficult at best. Perhaps it harks back to anearUer conversation Paul had with the Corinthians, which they understoodreadily but which is no longer accessible to us.

Verse 7 provides an apt transition to the biting irony of 4:8-13: "Whatmakes you so special? What do you have that you did not receive (as a gift)?" Inthe group spirit at Corinth there was a sense of status and self-achievement, of having the better leader or espousing the finer wisdom. Once more Paul remindsthem that aU they have as Christians is a gift of the divine grace and no groundfor human boasting.

The Corinthians, however, are boasting. They have arrived, entered intotheir kingdom, and have it aU—and aU this without Paul (4:8). Paul uses bitingirony to contrast the Corinthian smugness with his own trials as an apostle. Hewould give up those trials and join them, if only they did reign. His ownexperience has scarcely been that of a reigning monarch. It has been a spectacleon the earth's stage, entertaining human and spiritual beings alike (4:9). He hasplayed the fool, weak and dishonored. The Corinthians have played the king,wise, strong, and respected. Paul drops the contrast and concentrates on hisown trials in the Lord's service—hungry, thirsty, Ul-clad, knocked about, homeless, paying his own way with manual labor (4:ll-12a). Playing the fool, he has

accepted humiliation, blessing when abused, not retaliating when persecuted,speaking a good word for those who slandered him (12b-13a). In the world's eyeshe has been the scum of the earth, the very dregs (4:13)." But the Corinthians—ah, the Corinthians—there they sit on their thrones.

The sense of arrival which Paul mocks here is evidence of a gnosticizingtendency among some of the Corinthians. In the Corinthian correspondencethere is no evidence of the cosmologica! myths which marked later Christian

337



gnosticism. The tendency, however, is there, in the fuUy realized eschatology,the sense of spiritual fulfillment, of having already reached perfection. Paulbalances this with constant reminders of the final judgment and with a theologyof the cross which views suffering as a mark of Christian existence. It is suchsuffering which has accompanied Paul's own experience. The sharp contrastwith that of the Corinthians indicates something is awry in their theology.

In verses 14-16 Paul appeals to the parent-child relationship he has with theCorinthians, calling upon them to imitate him. It is obvious from his discussionof his own experience in 4:1 Off. that he is calling them away from their theology

of glory to a theology of the cross.Verses 17-21 go into Paul's plans to visit the Corinthians and contain a

threat to confront the problems face-to-face, if necessary. Paul has already sentTimothy as his personal representative. Timothy does not seem to be the bearerof the letter, as 16:10 points to Paul's expectation that the letter would reachCorinth before Timothy. Paul hopes to come soon himself (4:19), and the tone of his visit wiU depend on their willingness to straighten themselves out. Evidently some are boasting that Paul lacks courage to face them. If necessary, hewiU chaUenge this in person and determine how much of the Spirit's power Uesbehind their words (4:19-20). As their father in Christ, shaU he come with a rod

to punish them or in a loving spirit of gentleness (4:21)? The choice is theirs.Paul's threat to punish the Corinthians and his reference to those who

haughtily oppose him are the clearest indication in 1 Corinthians that theCorinthian factionalism involved some degree of personal attack on Paul'sauthority. Evidently some of the Corinthians did not heed his warning, and hissubsequent visit to them was marked by bitter confrontation. This can beinferred from his comments in 2 Corinthians, but that story must be left to theexposition of that epistle.

ConclusionThe church in every age has suffered a bit of the Corinthian syndrome. In a

real sense, the Corinthian groups are the forebears of Christian denominational-ism.

12 The division evidenced there has only intensified in ensuing centuries.Paul's words become a chaUenge to contemporary Christians to accept ourvariety and seek a oneness in basic commitment and goals (1:10). On a lessecumenical level, the Corinthian problems have resurfaced in the general humantendency to line up behind favorite leaders—in convention raUies behind candidates who express the "right" view in the "right words/' in the local churchwhere members pit one pastor or staff member against another, in the individual minister who seeks to emulate the style of some popular preacher orpreaches only from the sermons of some homiletical patriarch of a day long

past. It is easy to substitute a human leader or human style or human idea forthe gospel. When this happens factions develop, and the wisdom of this world issubstituted for the gospel



The Wisdom of God and Factionalism: 1 Corinthians 1-4Review anoTLxpositor

It is the old problem of the church in the world. Because it exists in the

world, the world's values are constantly creeping in. Paul's antidote is simple,but not easy. It is humble submission to God by accepting the "foUy" of thegospel message and incorporating it into our very being, to Uve a life undergrace with the constant awareness of having nothing which we did not receive,to carry out a ministry under grace where our only boast is in God and ourultimate accountabiUty is to the prospect of his "well done." This is what marksus off as Christians. This is where our real wisdom and power and unity rest.

ISuch conjectures are numerous, grouping around various combinations and modifications of F.

C. Baur's Judaizing theory and the Gnostic view more recently in vogue. For a useful summary of

the various suggestions see W. G. Kümmel, Introduction to the New Testament, trans. H. C. Kee(17th rev. ed.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975), p. 273.

* The whole of 1:26-31 is based on Jer. 9:23f., which is directly quoted in 1:31. Indeed, 1:18-31may be an adaptation of a synagogue sermon with Jer. 9:23f. as the prophetic text. See C. K. Barrett,The First Epistle to the Corinthians (London: Adam and Charles Black, 1968), p. 51.

* The mss. are divided in having mystery (musterion) or witness (marturion). Both make sense inthe passage, and a choice between them does not substantively change the meaning.

4Another significant textual problem, with a number of variants. The best solution seems to be

that Paul coined the adjective peithos (persuasive) and that the variants are scribal attempts atcorrection.

* 2:6-8 are a key for those who see Paul fighting a Gnostic aberration at Corinth. Important is theconcentration of terms like teleios, sophia, andmusterion and the idea of a "hidden Messiah" in v. 8.There is, however, no clear evidence of a Gnostic myth in 1 Corinthians; the Corinthian tendency isbest described as pre-gnostic or incipient gnosticism, not a developed Gnosis. See Hans Conzelmann,1 Corinthians, trans. J. W. Leiten, Hermeneia (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975), pp. 57-63.

• In 2:11 Paul uses the term pneuma in two senses, for the human spirit(mind) and for the HolySpirit. The distinct meanings make the analogy somewhat strained.

7The translation of 2:13b is difficult, sunkrino having distinct meanings of combining, compar

ing, and explaining. Pneumatikos is equally ambiguous (either spiritual things or persons). Thetranslation followed here is "explaining spiritual matters to spiritual persons."

• It is interesting to note how Paul, often accused of chauvinism, here depicts himself with theimage of a nursing mother.

• MetaschWmatizein often has the meaning "to disguise." If that is taken strictly here, Paulwould imply that the real culprits are other than himself and Apollos and that he has deliberatelydisguised his attack. It should probably be taken in a broader sense here, "touse as an illustration."

10

The most intriguing solution to this crux is that of the Dutch scholar Baljon, who translatedthe phrase, "the me~ has been written above the alpha," seeing it as an incorporated scribal glosswhich originally explained the position of the negative (me) in his ms. See Jean Hering, The First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, trans. A. W. Heathcote and P. J. Allcock (London: EpworthPress, 1962), pp. 28f.

IIThere is some evidence for the wordsperikatharma andperispsema being used in the classical

period of Athens for a practice of sacrificing socially undesirables as scapegoats believed to benefitthe city. This usage does not seem current in Paul's day, and no idea of Paul's trials being a sacrificeor ransom is present in the context. See Archibald Robertson and Alfred Plummer, A Critical and

Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians, International CriticalCommentary (New York: Scribner's, 1916), p. 88.

11For a discussion of the ecumenical application of 1 Corinthians 1-4 see William Baird, The

Corinthian Church—A Biblical Approach to Urban Culture (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1964), pp.29-60.

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^ s

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1 Cor 1-4 - Wisdom of God and Factionalism

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