Corinthian Correspondence n One lost letter (1 Cor 5:9) n Some scholars believe that 2 Corinthians is composed of two or more letters n Corinthians also write to the Apostle n Corinth: A city famous for prosperity, trade, materialism and a libertine attitude (e.g. sexual ethics [1 Cor 5:1-13; 7:1-40])

1 Corinthians n Chps 1-6: The futility of false wisdom and human competitiveness (theology of the cross) n Chps 7-15: specific questions and problems n Social stratification in the community: the problem of division (1 Cor 1:26-28) n Crispus (1 Cor 1:14) identified in Acts as a leader of local synagogue (Acts 18:8)

1 Corinthians n Erastus the city treasurer (Rom 16:23; Acts 19:22) n Upward mobility: members of the Household of Caesar (Phil 4:22) n Social status as a threat to unity (1 Cor 1:8- 10; 11: 17-34) n Caring for weaker members of the body (e.g. food, 1 Cor 8; 1 Cor 10)

1 Corinthians n 1 Cor 7: Paul’s advice on marriage and celibacy in the context of an imminent Parousia n 1 Cor 11:2-16: Distinctions between male and female in a new age (see 1 Cor 16:19) n 1 Cor 12-14: The body and the gifts of the Spirit

1 Corinthians n 1 Cor 15:1-58: The relationship between Adam and Christ n Bodily resurrection: Paul retains his Hebraic conviction that human beings cannot exist without a body. Concept of bodily resurrection (not simply a “spirit”) central to the early church from the beginning