The Corinthian Problem
I was reading a part of a chapter in The Act of Bible Reading, edited by Elmer Dyck. The chapter is by NT scholar Gordan Fee who is emphasizing "History as Context for Interpretation." He is trying to provide the proper understanding of the situation at Corinth (dynamics, issues, problems, questions, tensions, etc.) so we can understand what Paul says to them. Also, I would mention that Fee's conclusions about the situation at Corinth is suggested by what Paul says to them in the two letters we have. I thought the following from page 19 was very insightful:
Hopefully the clarity, simplicity, and powerful impact of Paul's message of cross and Spirit will not be wasted on us.
Basically the Corinthian problem seems to be one of a false spirituality, in which they stand over against Paul as to what it means to be people of the Spirit. Their view of spirituality was highly individualistic, nonmaterialistic (i.e., the denial of the physical side of present existence; hence their denial of a future bodily resurrection), and enthusiastic, in which they had come to view the gift of tongues as evidence that they had already attained the spiritual life of the future. Because they spoke the "tongues of angels" (i.e., the language of heaven), they considered themselves already to have attained fullness of spirituality. They simply awaited the shucking off of the body in death, so that their spirituality could be complete. Such a view made them triumphalists (there was no place for the cross or weakness in such a view) who considered themselves already as the angels. Thus some were denying sexual relations within marriage, and by throwing off the customary head coverings they were obliterating sexual distinctions in the present age. For Paul all of this ultimately denies the gospel with its focus on Christ crucified and on the Spirit as enabling one to live in the present simultaneously in weakness and power.I appreciate this interpretation for a couple of reasons. One, it gave me more of a wholistic grasp of the Corinthian material. What I had understood in various related or unrelated pieces began to come together in a new way. Second, Fee's comments help me to bridge the gap from text to application. It seems that there are current reflections of this Corinthian problem in the evangelical church.
Hopefully the clarity, simplicity, and powerful impact of Paul's message of cross and Spirit will not be wasted on us.
1 Comments:
Title: Division, not gifts.
Since I do not have, "The Act of Bible Reading" it is difficult to comment on your post.
I don’t think that we can narrow it down to one single “problem” at Corinth. I like Fee, and agree with him a lot, but sometimes I think he is pretty much “off base.” He allows a lot of his personal beliefs to shine through in some of his commentaries.
As far as the Corinthians are concerned, Paul opens his first letter with:
“4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” NIV
I wonder how many churches today within the Church, Paul could write that about? I think very few. How many churches “do not lack any spiritual gift?” Most mainstream denominations deny at least 1 or 2 spiritual gifts in their doctrine.
Like I said, I would have to read the entire comment by Fee. From the short blurb that you posted, it appears that he focuses mainly on their misuse of a particular spiritual gift as his basis for defining “the problem.”
The “problem” that Paul addresses is simply division within the church. While the people of Corinth had other issues: sexually; spiritually; personally with other members etc…
Paul’s main issue is for unity within the Church. He implores them to mature in their faith, and to make Christ the center. He urges them to come to agreement in all things.
As far as the Corinthians misuse of gifts, Paul urged them to use them (period). He urged them to use them to bring unity to the Church, rather than division. They were misusing them, and being prideful in the fact that they had them. They were abusing the gifts that God had given them, and Paul tells them to stop abusing them, and start practicing them with their God given purpose and intentional use.
As far as Fee, when he says, “they had come to view the gift of tongues as evidence that they had already attained the spiritual life of the future.” I am not sure where he got that idea. Maybe I would need to go back and do an inductive study on the two letters.
I agree that they were prideful in their gifts. Nowhere that I know of ( I will probably be proven wrong here) does wither letter say that spiritually, they “considered themselves already as the angels.”
If they actually did, however, the sin in that is not the use of the gift, but the pride of having the gift.
The Church today has taken on a completely different, an unbiblical approach to many of the same issues. Denominations arose out of division (period). Instead of doing what Paul told the Corinthians, which was to “agree on all things,” we have decided to “agree to disagree” and go our own separate ways.
In doing so, men have looked at the “things” that caused division, and in our own self righteousness decided to suppress them. Many denominations have chosen to exclude, and even deny certain spiritual gifts in order that they may not have to “deal” with them. If we stop practicing certain gifts, we don’t have to disciple them, or bring correction in the use of them.
The Word says in Corinthians 14:39 “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.” But that is exactly what many churches do today. They suppress many gifts, not just tongues.
Okay… in conclusion, what I am trying to say is, Paul did not write that the gifts, or their beliefs of the gifts were the problem. It was the division that their pride in those gifts was causing. Paul’s letters were about bringing unity within the church, and he pointed out the things that were causing the division.
The Church today has division far greater than Corinth could have ever imagined. I don’t know how many different denominations there are, but all denominations go against God’s will for the Church. God’s will is for us to be one house, one Church. Sadly, we all want that, we just pray that God will reveal to everyone else the errors of their ways, and that they might realize His intentions (like we already have them figured out).
If you really want to apply Corinthians to the Church today, we need to look at the division, and segregation of the body, and realize “Wow! We really messed up!” We don’t need to point at the individual acts of sin that the members are committing.
-Matt
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