The Wisdom of the Cross : Exploring 1 Corinthians

The apostle Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians is often regarded as his makeshift response to random problems in a messy church. This stimulating volume argues for, and undertakes, a more coherent reading of the letter, in the hope of providing a more compelling and theologically rich interpretation and a clearer apprehension of its relevance to the church today. Brian Rosner begins by putting the case for a holistic approach to studying the theology and ethics of 1 Corinthians. The following nine chapters cover, first, Karl Barth’s classic treatment, which underscores the letter’s coherence (Keith Condie); next, the major topics of holiness (Bill Salier), the cross (Philip Kern), sexual ethics (Roy Ciampa), spiritual gifts (David Peterson), eschatology (Bruce Winter), ethics (Michael Jensen), and the glory of God (Matthew Malcolm); and, finally, preaching 1 Corinthians (Brian Rosner). The chapters cohere around the themes of Paul’s pastoral practice and the wisdom of the cross of Jesus. The volume, based on the 2010 Moore College School of Theology, reflects the contributors’ common interest in theological interpretation that acknowledges the text as the word of God and seeks to serve the interests of the contemporary church.