A G K Y R A

I’ve been meaning to share these links for some time. The Warring States Project at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has some fun and helpful advice for students and scholars, and some methodological tidbits for historians.

The Project itself has to do with research in ancient Chinese history, but the historical methodological tidbits are fun reading for any kind of historical work.

Their page of advice to students has helpful and witty tips for junior scholars as well.

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Just last night, I finished a paper on the historical situation behind 1 Corinthians 1-4 and how Paul deals with it in those chapters. The problem, you may recall, is that divisions have sprung up in the church:

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Cor. 1:10-17, ESV)

Interpreters have mostly agreed that the cause of these divisions was that the Corinthians became preoccupied with “wisdom” of one form or another and formed factions according to whether they judged Paul or Apollos to be the wiser. A recent trend in interpretation is to view these chapters as Paul’s attempt to undermine or depreciate Apollos’ influence over the Corinthians.

Not likely. If you’re interested, you can download and read my paper, “The Church of Paul and Apollos in Corinth.”

My theses are:

1. that the genesis of divisions in Corinth lies with Paul’s converts, who introduce the sayings or slogans of 1:12 in response to a second wave of converts from Apollos’ preaching;
2. that the sayings of 1:12 do not indicate the presence of factions or parties in any sense, but rather classes of individuals who distinguish between themselves on the basis of which apostle baptized them;
3. that accordingly, there may be instigators of this divisive practice, but there are no faction leaders;
4. that Paul urges concord between all Corinthian Christians with the example of concord between himself and Apollos, who are equal co-workers in the service of God to the Corinthian church.

Could this be the starting point for my dissertation proposal? Maybe, maybe …

Technorati Tags: corinth corinthians 1+corinthians first+corinthians paul st+paul st.+paul saint+paul apollos