In my monograph Paul and Death: A Question of Psychological Coping, I explored Paul’s attitude toward death as a process of transformation. The study provided the opportunity to investigate the historical situations in which people close to Paul died or were thretened by impeding death. Especially the situation in 1 Corinthians 11.14-37 caught my eye: How can the scholarly assumption that some of the rich had died stand without challenge? Is it not more likely that some of the poor had died? I decided to explore this particular question more in depth, and the result is: “Who had died? The Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.17-34.”
There is an unfailing tendency among humans to heed the needs of in-group people, and this is exactly what Paul is dealing with here. He wants to make the rich and well-provided for to share their means – in this case food supplies – with the …show more content…
Paul wants the divided church of Corinth to cooperate and remember the very reason for their gatherings, namely the executed and risen Christ. In this context, Paul emphasizes that Jesus died, which may be an indication that exposed and vulnerable may be in God’s favor. John Chrysostom describes vividly how the hearts of the wealthy Corinthians must have been made soft as wax by Paul’s rhetoric. Chrysostom himself assumes that some of the poor had died, and that Paul tells the story of Jesus being persecuted just after himself sharing generously as an excellent means to effect change in the ways of the rich and the poor.
Thank you for taking time to read the submission. I believe that “Who had died? The Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.17-34” can contribute to the scholarly discussion about this particular passage. I would appreciate any commentary that you are able to provide that might improve the study further, and of course I would be more than happy to answer any questions.
Kindest regards,
Linda
There is an unfailing tendency among humans to heed the needs of in-group people, and this is exactly what Paul is dealing with here. He wants to make the rich and well-provided for to share their means – in this case food supplies – with the …show more content…
Paul wants the divided church of Corinth to cooperate and remember the very reason for their gatherings, namely the executed and risen Christ. In this context, Paul emphasizes that Jesus died, which may be an indication that exposed and vulnerable may be in God’s favor. John Chrysostom describes vividly how the hearts of the wealthy Corinthians must have been made soft as wax by Paul’s rhetoric. Chrysostom himself assumes that some of the poor had died, and that Paul tells the story of Jesus being persecuted just after himself sharing generously as an excellent means to effect change in the ways of the rich and the poor.
Thank you for taking time to read the submission. I believe that “Who had died? The Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.17-34” can contribute to the scholarly discussion about this particular passage. I would appreciate any commentary that you are able to provide that might improve the study further, and of course I would be more than happy to answer any questions.
Kindest regards,
Linda