Reading Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians (Reading the New Testament Commentary)
Overview
Paul's letters to the Christians in Corinth portray a young church struggling to live out the demands of the gospel amid the life of a thoroughly urban setting. Biblical scholar, Charles Talbert helps his reader to grasp what was at stake in the conversations between Paul and the Corinthians. What we find there is not only a word for the struggling faithful in Corinth, but an always truthful word for the church today. In studying Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Talbert draws our attention to what is said and how it is said. The first letter to the Corinthians is largely deliberative, that is, it aims at producing a decision about future action; whereas the second letter is mainly judicial, in that it seeks to bring about a judgment of past events.
Top Highlights
“Gifts reflect the activity of Jesus; fruit reflect the character of Jesus.” (Page 108)
“There was the beginner (ho archomenos); there was the one who was making progress (ho prokoptōn); and there was the mature or perfect person (ho teleois). The terminology used by the Corinthians and Paul for the first and third stages was (1) men of the flesh (sarkinois), babes in Christ (nēpiosis en Christō), natural man (psychikos anthrōpos); and (3) the mature (teleios), the spiritual man (ho pneumatikos). Paul’s practice is to teach this wisdom only to those in stage three, to the mature or the spiritual.” (Page 18)
“Since the Corinthians who acted as if they had not died to sin were not spiritual, Paul could not teach them matters that are only spiritually discerned.” (Page 18)
“The secret wisdom that Paul did not teach the Corinthians dealt with the gifts of the Spirit.” (Page 18)
“From 11:16, it appears that the general practice in the Pauline churches was for women to keep their heads covered during worship. To cover the head was an act attesting a woman’s sexuality. To remove the head covering, moreover, was a social symbol of one’s transcendence of her sexuality.” (Page 88)
Talbert's successful experience as a teacher and pastor provides focus for his commentary so that he fulfills admirably the design of this volume, appealing to the nonspecialist, the informed lay person, the college or seminary student. To these audiences I would heartily recommend Reading Corinthians as a reliable guide to understanding Corinthians.
—Catholic Biblical Quarterly
This excellent piece of work should be of great value to undergraduates and seminarians as well as pastors and professors.
—Religious Studies Review
- Title: Reading Corinthians
- Author: Charles H. Talbert
- Series: Reading the New Testament Commentary Series
- Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
- Publication Date: 2002
- Pages: 238
Charles H. Talbert is Distinguished Professor of Religion at Baylor University. He is the General Editor for Reading the New Testament Commentary and the author of several other editions in the series. He received a B.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He has written many articles, reviews, commentaries and books, including Reading the Sermon on the Mount. He has the distinction of being the only person to serve as president of both the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and the Catholic Biblical Association.