Ridley Hall, Cambridge

Resources: Biblical Studies Bulletin 21

Issue 21: Sept 2001

Book Review

Anthony C Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NIGNTC; Grand Rapids & Cambridge/Carlisle: Eerdmans/Paternoster, 2000) xxxiii + 1446pp, £49.99, ISBN 0-85364-559-0.

When one of the most influential hermeneutical theorists in the world writes a commentary on a biblical book, we do well to pay attention to it. Reading the publisher's blurb on the flyleaf you would think that the kingdom has come. It hasn't; this massive work does not displace old favourites as the place to go for a quick, succinct answer to your questions. However, Professor Thiselton's tome does offer a fresh, nuanced translation, full bibliographies, extensive discussions that summarize both ancient and modern interpreters' views, together with word for word exegesis of the Greek text. It's a book by a great scholar, in a series largely for scholars.

Thiselton sees a 'postmodern mood' at Corinth that put local preference over traditions shared by other Christians, obsession with success over against truth, and social recognition and manipulation by persuasion against rationality. He has not moved far from his view published in 1978 (in New Testament Studies 24, pp 510-26) that the unifying issue in 1 Cor is that of an overrealized eschatology, although he acknowledges that such a reading is disputed. At the same time, he has taken on board a number of insights from scholars who have shown how much Corinthian Christianity was shaped and seduced by its 'secular' culture.

His conclusions on some difficult texts may give something of the flavour of the book. The 'Christ party' of 1.12 most likely refers to superspiritual pneumatics. The 'rulers of this present world order' (2.8) are 'sociopolitical powers in a structural collectivity that transcends given human individuals'. 1 Cor 2.9 is probably 'a pastiche of biblical allusions' (quoting R F Collins) rather than a quotation from an apocryphal source. He translates 2.13 as 'we communicate not in speech taught out of mere human cleverness, but in language which the Spirit teaches, interpreting things of the Spirit to people of the Spirit'. In 4.6, 'nothing beyond what is written' refers to the gospel of the cross, interpreted within the framework of biblical tradition. 1 Cor 5.5 refers to exclusion from the community for the purpose of the salvation both of the community and of the individual who is excluded. The lawsuits in ch 6 refers to legal action by the socially influential as an abuse of power; 6.9 probably refers to active and passive homosexual roles, and the catechetical setting of the passage 'makes this an even more important and foundational passage than Romans 1for an evaluation of the ethical contrasts entailed.'

Agreeing with the NRSV, Thiselton translates 7.1b as a quotation from the Corinthians, and in 7.6 the concession refers specifically to 7.5b, i.e. permitting temporary abstinence. 1 Cor 7.15 may or may not leave room for remarriage after divorce (he fudges a bit here). 1 Cor 7.36 refers to engaged couples; 'head' in 11.3 connotes 'preeminent' (of Christ and God) and 'foremost' (of man). 1 Cor 11.10 should be translated, 'a woman ought to keep control of her head, on account of the angels'. 'Body' in 11.29 is neither the bread nor the congregation, but the passage connotes 'recognize what characterizes the body as different', 'i.e., be mindful of the uniqueness of Christ , who is separated from others in the sense of giving himself for others in sheer grace' (his italics). Tongues constitute a negative sign in 14.22 in their effect of 'generating barriers and alienation inappropriate for believers' (his emphasis); and 14.34f refers to the sifting or weighing of words of prophets, when women effectively acted as judges, possibly over their own husbands' words.

The writing style is not easy, with long sentences and heady vocabulary. For instance, 'Concerns about self-promotion, the psychological insecurity generated by status inconsistency, competitive pragmatism, and the radical pluralism which we have identified with David Harvey's "postmodern mood" of the social construction of a "virtual" reality, all encouraged concerns about "high status" as "people of the Sprit who were gifted" within a Christian subculture with its own autonomous value system' (p 40; his italics). Unpacked and read slowly that sentence makes sense; readers will find this work, like Professor Thiselton's other books, challenging but rewarding for those who persevere. A very thorough table of contents reveals his analysis of the structure of 1 Cor and helps readers find what they are looking for.

I will refer to this book often when I prepare lectures for my course for ordinands on 1 Corinthians, and it should be in the library of everyone who studies the Greek text. Most preachers will continue to be well served by Fee, Hayes and Barrett, but future significant popular commentaries will rightly lean heavily on Thiselton.

Letters to the Editor

Revd Dr Ian Paul, Managing Editor of Grove Books, sends the following open letter to Richard Briggs, author of this month's Biblical series book.

Dear Richard, thank you for your very interesting booklet, Gender and the New Testament. It is a helpful guide to the key areas of disagreement, and a timely reminder that there are no 'quick fixes' to resolving the arguments, on either side of the debate. I'd like to come back to you with three questions.

1. Exegesis and Interpretation. You rightly make the point that there is a limit to what can be done with exegetical argument alone. I think the phrase 'Did anyone say "Only 2,336?"' (page 13) should be pinned up in every New Testament scholar's study! But this shouldn't make us take exegesis any less seriously. Basic exegesis is often overlooked on both sides of the argument.
   
   Many on the 'liberal' side simply dismiss the difficult texts, and on the 'conservative' side, some crucial facts aren't noted. I have recently read in two different places comment on 1 Tim 2.13 by influential people in the UK Anglican scene which make no mention of the uncertainty of authenthein [Ed: the word often translated, 'to have authority over'] or the exegetical possibility of Paul's injunction being local, based on the grammatical point noted by Fee. This is extraordinary, given the prominence this text has within conservative arguments. In relation to 1 Cor 11, whatever the 2,336 examples of kephale [Ed: 'head'] mean elsewhere, here Paul is using the argument in order to protect women's public role of praying and prophesying, something quite 'liberal' and rarely noted by 'conservatives'.
    
2. Divergence and Disagreement. You comment that 'individual Bible passages can be made to defend a vast range of conceivable theological positions' (page 19) and most of us are now aware of the difficulty of claiming that the Bible 'clearly states' anything when in debate with others who disagree. But I am not sure how quickly we need to search for factor 'X'; rather, we need to go back and debate a little more.
   
   Very often, the reason why people can use the Bible in the way they do is that they have not talked about it with others of different opinions. It is striking to see how evangelicalism in the UK has fragmented in the last 20 years, and very often the different groupsconservative, charismatic, open, and so onkeep themselves to themselves and fail to discuss with others. It seems we are all gripped by an urgency to call the church back to what we know to be true, or perhaps are weighed down by apathy, either of which means little dialogue with those who diverge. In recent discussions on this gender issue, I've put forward what have been the key arguments in shaping my own thinking. What's surprised me is that the person of the other opinion has never heard these arguments, let alone developed a reasoned response to them. Perhaps factor 'X' is conversation with others?
    
3. Interpretation and the People of God. You are right to suggest that we need a more developed hermeneutic when reading for gender. But here is the dilemma. Even amongst evangelical scholars, hermeneutical thinking is getting more and more sophisticated, yet this is happening at a time when knowledge of the Bible amongst evangelicals (and others) is in marked decline, with no obvious sign of a change. (And if recent reports are to be believed, even the most basic of moral absolutes appears to have gone too, perhaps as a result.)
   
   With biblical understanding declining, but biblical interpretation becoming more complex, how can we close the gap?

We'll do our best to print responses from Richard and any readers who care to join in on the discussion, in the next issue of BSB.

Tim Partridge, Rector of Bugbrooke with Rothersthorpe, writes in response to Annabel Bristow's joke in the last issue:

It is a fascinating insight that when this joke circulated in England some fifteen years ago the protagonists were a doctor, a town planner and the final one was a politician. Do the Australians have more respect for their politicians than we do?! I appreciate Biblical Studies Bulletin, it is an enormous help when there seems so little time to keep abreast of Biblical Studies. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Tim. Annabel has sent more humour, including some church bulletin bloopers:

Sermon Outline:

I. Delineate your fear
II. Disown your fear
III. Displace your rear

If you choose to heave during the Postlude, please do so quietly.

Hymn: 'I Love Thee My Ford'

Newsletters are not being sent to absentees because of their weight.

The Advent Retreat will be held in the lover level of St. Mary's Cathedral.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget all His benefits.

For the word of God is quick and powerful...piercing even to the dividing asunder of soup and spirit.

Comments on Commentaries

An assessment of commentaries and other works on books of the Bible to keep you up to date with what will help in preaching and teaching in the local church.

NT: 1 Peter

1 Peter has been characterized as 'one of the most pastorally attractive and vigorously confident documents in the NT'. It was a favourite book of the reformers, making Luther's short list of 'desert island' books, and continues to be a cherished source for preachers and parishioners alike. The past two decades has seen a flurry of work on the letter, and a steady flow of new commentaries.

The best contemporary scholarly commentaries are those by P J Achtemeier (Hermeneia; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996), J R Michaels (WBC; Waco, TX: Word, 1988), and J H Elliott (Anchor Bible; New York: Doubleday, 2000). Of these three, Achtemeier nudges out the others as the most consistently careful exegete. He joins other recent commentators (Elliott and L Goppelt) in stressing the importance of social identity and social ethics in the epistle. Michaels is sound and capable with details, but lacks any real vision for the epistle as a whole. Elliott's commentary is the culmination of a life's work, and it shows; at nearly a thousand pages (150 for bibliography), it wins points for thoroughness, but is no friend to the tree lover. In his important A Home for the Homeless (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981), he developed a 'socio-scientific' methodology, studying how 1 Peter functions to strengthen the 'sectarian' Christian communities addressed. He adopts this approach in the commentary, and aside from a few key places where things are squeezed into his sociological mould, it is a sound, clear commentary. All of these commentaries assume the letter to be pseudepigraphic. (See J N D Kelly for a good summary of the issues at hand.)

The scholarly commentary of E G Selwyn (London: MacMillan, 1947²; often still available second-hand) has yet to be equalled for its sensitivity to the text and overall import of the letter. While his form-critical analysis (summarized in 'essays' following the textual commentary) seems dated, his exegesis and introductory comments are still well worth reading. J N D Kelly (BNTC; London: Black, 1969) deserves mention as a very careful and readable commentary, sure-footed in its judgments and sensitive to the letter's significance for the Christian life. Also in this category are the works by P H Davids (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), whose desire to defend evangelical doctrines tends to override exegesis, and L Goppelt (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), who has a particular interest in the social ethics of the epistle as addressed to Christians living in a non-Christian society. F W Beare (Oxford: Blackwell, 1970³), while famous for endorsing the now passé interpretation of 1 Peter as a 'baptismal homily', is strong on the ethical implications of conversion and baptism. Though interesting at points for exegetical nuggets, C Bigg (ICC; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1908) is long overdue for a replacement.

At the next tier are commentaries shorter in length, which are aimed at sound exegesis with some level of applicability to the church today. Of all these the volume by I H Marshall (IVPNTCS; Leicester: IVP, 1991) consistently succeeds on both fronts, and is the best commentary of this class. It is careful exegetically, bringing in important points as necessary, and is well attuned to the aims and purposes of the letter. Along similar lines, W Grudem (TNTC; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988) is a good bet as well (with a serviceable response to pseudepigraphic arguments). The commentary by E Boring (ANTC; Nashville: Abingdon, 1999) is good for its practical bent and his important emphasis on the narrative logic of the letter's theology. If you can manage to find it, the little commentary by C E B Cranfield (London: SCM, 1950) is a gem for its clear explanations and pastoral tone. Also in this category are respectable commentaries by N Hillyer (NIBC; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992) and D Horrell (EC; Peterborough: Epworth, 1998). Although I have never had a chance to look at it, presumably the commentary from S McKnight in the NIV Application series (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) is rich in contemporary application. Finally, the volume in the Ancient Christian Commentary series (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000) is a good collection of illustrative quotations from commentators of ages past.

Summing up, Achtemeier and Selwyn share top honours in the upper echelons, with Elliott and Kelly close behind. Of the more compact commentaries, Marshall and then Grudem are ideal places to begin.

(Jeff is currently completing a Cambridge PhD on 1 Peter under the supervision of Professor Graham Stanton)

Computer Corner

• The best software for bible study just got better. Version 5.0 of Accordance for the Apple Mac is now out, and a new feature is the ability to create your own user tools by importing any text; the text is then indexed for easy, very fast searches. Given the increasing range of texts now out in the public domain, this represents a major upgrade. For more information go to http://www.oaksoft.com
  
  A source for downloadable user tools (including the Common Worship Sunday Lectionary) is http://homepage.mac.com/accordanceexchange
• Revd Dr Philip Jenson (Lecturer in Old Testament at Trinity, Bristol) writes, 'One of the fascinating possibilities that the web now makes possible is the ability to explore the history of biblical interpretation, both through literature and through commentaries and other Jewish and Christian writings. But perhaps I should first mention a book. D L Jeffrey, ed, A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993) lists where biblical figures and books occur in the literary tradition, both ancient and modern. Many of these citations can be found in the classic texts available at http://www.promo.net/pg/index.html . The Gutenberg project provides 'plain vanilla' ascii files that are out of copyright and may be downloaded. Note particularly Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. Other valuable sites include: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall , a massive collection of texts, with links to many others, and http://www.ccel.org , a large Christian library, including the full downloadable text of Matthew Henry's commentary.
• Victor Perry observes that the British Library catalogue is accessible via the Cambridge University Library site ( http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk ). He also commends Still Waters Revival Books ( http://www.swrb.com ).
• The text of the UK Christian Handbook is now available online ( http://www.ukch.org.uk )