Power and Peril in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 10:1-33, and 11:17-34 as Temple Discourse Público
Suh, Michael (Spring 2018)
Abstract
This study argues that 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 can be read as a cohesive and coherent set of passages that parallel temple discourse found throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. Important themes such as the language about power and spirit, the exodus tradition, the ritual of meal eating, consequences of misbehavior, and Christological connection tie these sections of Paul’s letter together. Moreover, discussions about accessing the divine and partaking of sacrificial foods are similar to the concerns found in other temples and sanctuaries in the Greek, Roman, and Jewish contexts. By including material culture in this discussion, which reflects on-the-ground perspectives of religious adherents—over against a purely literary focus, which are often distillations of thought from the socio-economic elite—this project aims to provide a thick description of how Greeks, Romans, and Jews understood temples and maintained boundaries and rituals tied to these sanctuaries. This background allows a better reading of how Paul appropriated the concept of temple in his exhortation to the Corinthian assembly, which he calls “the temple of God” in 1 Corinthians 3:16.
Chapter 1 provides the history of interpretation of the three passages in question and suggests the way forward that allows the three texts to be read in conversation. This discussion includes the methodology used throughout the rest of this dissertation. Chapter 2 is a close reading of 1 Corinthians, giving particular attention to important themes that cut across all three sections of Paul’s letter. Chapter 3 is a survey of Greek and Roman communal activity in sacred spaces. This includes discussions about divine power, participation in ritual, and penalties for transgression. Chapter 4 engages in a similar analysis but focuses on Jewish contexts, including the Hebrew Bible, other Second Temple writings, Philo, Josephus, Qumran, and other non-literary evidence from material culture. Chapter 5 returns to 1 Corinthians, bringing to sharper relief the distinctive qualities of Paul’s views about the Corinthian assembly.
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations -- v
(CHAPTER ONE): Power and Peril in Corinth -- 1
I. Introduction -- 1
II. History of Interpretation -- 6
A. 1 Corinthians 5:1–13 -- 7
B. 1 Corinthians 10:1–33 -- 11
C. 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 -- 15
D. Bridging 1 Corinthians 5, 10, and 11-- 19
III. Avenues of Approach -- 23
(CHAPTER TWO): A Close Reading of 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 -- 31
I. Reading 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 in Literary Context -- 31
II. Reading 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 in Conversation -- 35
A. The Exodus Tradition and Christological Connection -- 36
1. Exodus 12–13 in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13 -- 37
2. Exodus 13–17 in 1 Corinthians 10:1–33 -- 44
3. Exodus 24 in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 -- 48
4. Exodus in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 -- 49
B. Power and Spirit in 1 Corinthians -- 51
1. Power and Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 -- 56
2. Power and Spirit in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13 -- 58
I. Excursus: Early Christian Interpretation of τὸ πνεῦμα in 1 Corinthians 5:5 -- 66
3. Power in 1 Corinthians 10:1–33 -- 87
4. Power in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 -- 96
5. Power and Spirit in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 -- 99
C. Death and Destruction in 1 Corinthians -- 100
1. Death and Destruction in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13 -- 101
2. Destruction in 1 Corinthians 10:1–33 -- 109
3. Illness and Death in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 -- 113
4. Death and Destruction in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 -- 119
III. A Synthetic Summary of 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 10:1–33, and 11:17–34 -- 119
(CHAPTER THREE): Transgressions in Greek and Roman Contexts --124
I. Transgressions in the Greek Context -- 125
A. Prescriptions Regarding the Sacred -- 126
B. Powers of Benefit or Harm -- 132
C. Participation in Rituals -- 135
D. Penalties for Transgression -- 141
II. Transgressions in the Roman Context -- 150
A. Descriptions and Proscriptions of Divine Power -- 151
B. Participation in Rituals -- 165
C. Excursus: Aelius Aristides and Divine Power -- 168
III. Summary of Evidence from the Greek and Roman Contexts -- 173
(CHAPTER FOUR): Sacred Spaces in Jewish Contexts --177
I. Hebrew Bible and Other Writings -- 177
II. Material Culture -- 190
III. Qumran -- 193
A. Purity and Impurity of the Temple -- 198
B. Maintenance of Membership -- 202
C. Excursus: “Spirit” in the Qumran Community -- 206
D. Penalties for Transgression -- 213
IV. Summary of Evidence from Jewish Contexts --216
(CHAPTER FIVE): Return to 1 Corinthians -- 220
I. Broad Outline -- 220
II. Specific Issues -- 224
A. Location of the Community: The City -- 225
B. Exclusive Community -- 228
C. Divine Spirit and Power -- 230
D. Use of Scripture -- 234
E. Punishments and Warrants -- 237
F. Christological Connection -- 241
III. Summary -- 243
IV. Conclusion -- 245
Bibliography -- 248
I. Primary Sources -- 248
II. Commentaries -- 256
A. Ancient to Pre-Modern -- 256
B. Modern -- 257
III. Secondary Literature -- 260
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