More Information
ISBN: 9781839739392
Imprint: Langham Academic
Format: Paperback
Dimensions (mm): 229 x 152 x 10
Publication Date: 30/09/2024
Pages: 174
Series: Studies in New Testament
Language: English

Wisdom According to Paul in Relation to the Corinthian Problems

A Sociological and Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 1–4

£15.99

The problems of boasting, division, and human wisdom are apparent in 1 Corinthians 1–4. Addressing their interrelated nature, Dr. Richard Rojas argues they are rooted in a false understanding of wisdom. He skilfully explores how Paul’s response to the issues is found in his wisdom teaching, especially the meaning and significance of “Christ, the wisdom of God.” In this detailed study, Dr. Rojas presents a sociological and rhetorical analysis of 1 Corinthians 1–4 that brings a fresh perspective on Paul’s response to church tension with important truths for churches today. Pauline scholars and church practitioners alike will find in these pages a rich resource on 1 Corinthians and Paul’s teaching.

Author Bios

Richard C. Rojas
(By)

RICHARD C. ROJAS has a PhD in biblical studies from the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines in partnership with Asia Graduate School of Theology Philippines. He is an ordained minister of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines Inc. and has been in pastoral ministry for almost thirty years. He was a member of the faculty of the International Graduate School of Leadership from 2010 to 2014, and currently serves as the president of Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary Inc., Philippines.

Endorsements

This solid study of 1 Corinthians 1–4 will orient you to the options that exist in our world: to pursue wisdom on our own, to focus on signs, or to see things as God does through his spirit, where real wisdom lies. Using both rhetorical and sociological analysis of the text and working through the passage carefully, this book reflects solid engagement with the biblical message. I commend it to you.

Darrell Bock, PhD
Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Hendricks Center,
Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies,
Dallas Theological Seminary, Texas, USA


Dr. Richard C. Rojas’s positioning of Paul’s understanding of wisdom, and in particular, “Christ, the wisdom of God” in 1 Corinthians 1:24, becomes a heuristic tool for examining the argumentative interconnectedness of the problems in the church at Corinth that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 1–4. This work of critical scholarship is recommended for all specialists and non-specialist students of Saint Paul.

Kenneth A. Fox, PhD
Visiting Professor of New Testament,
Alliance Graduate School and Asia Graduate School of Theology, Philippines


Accurate interpretation of 1 Corinthians requires understanding both the social context of the church in Corinth and the rhetoric of Paul’s response to the church’s problems. Rojas’s judicious and painstaking sociological and rhetorical analysis of 1 Corinthians 1–4 shines a light not only on the exegesis of the letter but also on boasting, divisions, and following Jesus Christ in every age.

Brian S. Rosner, PhD
Principal,
Ridley College, Australia


Dr. Rojas’s book is worth reading for its detailed explanation of the social context and rhetorical situation in the church in Corinth, but more than that, it is worth reading for the way in which it challenges our own false sense of superiority and our own failure to seek after the wisdom of God.

Joel F. Williams, PhD
Professor of New Testament Studies,
Biblical Seminary of the Philippines

Table of Contents

  1. Acknowledgements
  2. Abstract
  3. Abbreviations
  4. Chapter 1 Introduction
    1. 1.1 State of the Question
    2. 1.2 Research Problem
    3. 1.3 Methodology
    4. 1.4 Overview of the Study and Application of the Method to the Study
  5. Chapter 2 The Social Context of the Corinthian Church
    1. 2.1 The Social Profile of Roman Corinth
    2. 2.2 The Social Structure in Roman Corinth
    3. 2.3 Patronage in Roman Corinth
    4. 2.4 Sophistic Movement in Roman Corinth during the First Century
    5. 2.5 Summary
  6. Chapter 3 Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 1–4
    1. 3.1 The Rhetorical Unit
    2. 3.2 The Rhetorical Situation
    3. 3.3 Species of Rhetoric and Stasis Theory
    4. 3.4 Invention, Style, and Arrangement
    5. 3.5 Summary and Evaluation of Rhetorical Effectiveness
  7. Chapter 4 Paul’s Wisdom Teaching and the Problems in 1 Corinthians 1–4
    1. 4.1 Paul’s Wisdom Teaching
    2. 4.2 Paul’s Wisdom Teaching and Its Relation to the Corinthian Problems in 1 Corinthians 1–4
    3. 4.3 Summary
  8. Chapter 5 Conclusion
    1. 5.1 Contribution of the Study
    2. 5.2 Relevance of the Study to the Context of the Christian Churches in the Philippines
    3. 5.3 Areas of Further Research
  9. Bibliography
3