Corinthian Rhetorical Analysis

INTRODUCTION When a child misbehaves, loving parents discipline the child in a way that corrects their behavior. God the Father is no different, “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives… For what son is there whom his Father does not discipline?” Though Christians aspire to be perfect and they are commanded to pursue excellence and Christlikeness, they are not without blemish. In 1 Corinthians 5:6, Paul questions the Corinthians rhetorically, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” Because Christians, the members of the Church, are not perfect, measures must be taken to ensure the purity of the church is protected. While this letter was written close to 2000 …show more content…
After his departure from Corinth, Paul traveled to several areas around Ephesus before staying in Ephesus for a “period of three years (Acts 19; 20:31).” Here, Paul received word from Chloe’s people that the church of Corinth was involved in abominable acts that were separating them from God (1 Cor. 1:11). This situation was detestable according to Paul, who claimed that their practices were “of a kind that is not tolerated even among the …show more content…
Because of the prideful turn from what they were originally taught, several issues arose within the Corinthian congregation, the first of which Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 5. In the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing the conflict that he heard was taking place within the Corinthian church and seeking to refocus the Corinthians on the message of the cross. In chapter 1, Paul is reminding the Corinthians that it is because of God that they are “in Christ Jesus, who has become for [them] wisdom from God…” Calvin contends that the issue of detestable fornication in chapter 5 is a direct result of their “pride and excessive self-confidence” and then asserts that Paul intentionally addresses their vices “which ought to have been humbling