StandUp2 Corinthians 1
- 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints throughout Achaia:
Since we aren’t the church in Corinth, reading this is like we’re snooping through someone else’s mail. And you should see their utility bill!
Most of the New Testament was written as personal letters to ancient, specific communities. Since none of these texts were originally addressed to us, how do we determine what is relevant to our lives today?
- 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul sends greetings of peace from God. Which is ironic, since his whole religion is based on God letting his kid get violently murdered—and calling it Good Friday.
A foundational promise of Christianity is divine peace, yet its central event is the violent execution of Jesus. How does the supreme violence of the cross logically or spiritually translate into peace for humanity?
- 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Paul talks about Father God, but never mentions Mother Mary, who by this time was probably a functional alcoholic.
Scripture falls silent on the later years of Mary's life. What do we imagine her daily life was like twenty years after the death of Jesus?
- 1:4
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Paul could’ve said, “Who comforts us so that we may comfort others.” But instead he makes it greatly a lot much more way wordier.
Paul is notoriously wordy and complex in his arguments. How does this occasional lack of clarity affect how we interpret his theological points?
- 1:5
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
This must’ve infuriated Jesus: No one in Corinth shared in his painful death on the cross. Or, worse, had to repeatedly explain parables to illiterate fishermen with ADHD.
Paul speaks of sharing in the sufferings of Christ. What exactly does it mean to share in those sufferings, and how does that connect to the physical suffering we see Jesus endure in the Gospels?
- 1:6
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
Paul takes martyrdom to a whole new level: “I suffer, you win”—an idea he got from his girlfriend.
Paul frames his personal hardships as directly beneficial to the Corinthians' salvation and endurance. What are the psychological and relational dynamics of a leader positioning their own suffering as a spiritual gift to their followers?
- 1:7
Our hope for you is steadfast, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
One of their sufferings is having to endure 2 Corinthians.
Paul expresses confidence that sharing in suffering guarantees sharing in comfort. How does this reciprocal theology of suffering help a high-conflict or persecuted community rationalize ongoing hardship?
- 1:8
We do not desire you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so heavily crushed that we despaired of life itself.
Those Asians can be pretty mean if you don’t believe in STEM Christology?
Paul mentions being so overwhelmingly crushed in Asia that he "despaired of life itself." Why would Paul choose to reveal such extreme vulnerability and despair to a church that was already questioning his strength and authority?
- 1:9
Yes, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
All of life’s pain and suffering has a purpose: To make you completely dependent on an invisible man in the sky, who when you call on him, can’t even turn on his camera.
Paul argues that feeling sentenced to death was designed to force reliance on God rather than self. What are the ethical and theological implications of claiming God intentionally drives people to total desperation to gain their reliance?
- 1:10
He who delivered us from so deadly a peril will continue to deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again,
God needs to stop letting Paul almost get murdered every Tuesday.
Paul expresses confidence in God's continuous physical deliverance despite facing constant, repeated life-threatening hazards. How does Paul maintain this claim of divine protection when he continues to suffer so much?
- 1:11
as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many may give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Paul didn’t ask for much—just survival, prayers, and a Corinthian VRBO not infested with demons.
Paul links his survival to the collective prayers of the Corinthian community. How does the concept of intercessory prayer function here to build shared accountability and community investment in Paul's ongoing mission?
- 1:12
Now this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: We have behaved in the world with holiness and godly integrity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God—and all the more toward you.
Paul has a clear conscience because God doesn’t count the 97 Christians he murdered pre-Damascus.
Paul boasts in his clear conscience and "godly integrity," downplaying human wisdom. How does a leader's appeal to an interior "godly integrity" function when defending against concrete external criticisms?
- 1:13
For we write you nothing other than what you can read and understand; I hope you will understand until the end,
Despite what Paul says, his writings are not easy to understand. Unfortunately, there’s no epistle entitled “Paul for Dummies.”
Paul insists that his letters are direct and easy to understand. Given the dense arguments and long sentences characteristic of his epistles, why would he claim his writings contain no hidden or complex meaning?
- 1:14
as you have already understood us in part—that on the day of the Lord Jesus we are your boasting even as you are our boasting.
It’s not clear what Paul means by “the day of the Lord Jesus,” but you have to assume Jesus hates Fridays.
Paul envisions a mutual "boasting" between himself and the Corinthians on the "day of the Lord Jesus." What does this concept of "the day of the Lord Jesus" refer to in early Christian theology?
- 1:15
Since I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might benefit twice.
Paul originally planned to visit them twice. But as he became more Christ-like, he decided to delay his second coming.
Paul originally planned to visit Corinth twice, but later changed his mind. How does changing travel plans open a leader to accusations of unreliability, and why did Paul place so much value on a physical visit?
- 1:16
I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.
Instead of traveling all over the place, Paul should’ve just worked out of the Vatican.
Paul details a complex travel route through Macedonia to Judea. What does this constant, wide-ranging mobility reveal about the logistical demands and administrative structure of early Christian expansion?
- 1:17
Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?
Paul was never ambiguous when it came to his travel plans. He saved that for less important matters—like his Christology, eschatology, and sexuality.
Paul defends himself against charges of fickleness and saying "yes" and "no" at the same time. Does changing practical travel plans impact a religious leader's credibility regarding their spiritual claims?
- 1:18
But as surely as God is faithful, our word to you was not “Yes and no.”
God is faithful to you, but only because the girl next door is Muslim.
Paul appeals to the faithfulness of God to defend his own reliability. What does it actually mean for God to be "faithful" to a person, especially when their circumstances remain difficult or unpredictable?
- 1:19
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”
It is hard to imagine Jesus is a “yes man” when all of his teaching is “no fun.”
Paul asserts that Jesus Christ is never a combination of "yes and no," but always a definitive "yes." How does this claim of divine certainty contrast with the ambiguities and tensions present in Jesus's recorded teachings?
- 1:20
For in Christ every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” Therefore it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God.
This sounds optimistic until you realize one of God’s promises is to burn you alive if you get drafted by another team.
Paul claims that every one of God's promises finds its "yes" in Christ. How does this sweeping claim reinterpret Old Testament promises through a strictly Christocentric lens?
- 1:21
Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us.
It sounds great to be in the same boat as Paul until you’re shipwrecked off Malta.
Paul asserts that God has "established" and "anointed" both him and the Corinthians together. How does Paul use shared spiritual identity to bridge the deep interpersonal divide between himself and this church?
- 1:22
He also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
Down payment? God’s the richest guy in the world and he’s buying us on a monthly installment plan?
Paul uses commercial language, describing the Holy Spirit as a "seal" and a "down payment" (earnest money). What does applying financial and legal metaphor to divine experiences reveal about early Christian theology?
- 1:23
But I call on God as witness against me: I did not come again to Corinth in order to spare you.
This is exactly why no one in Corinth wanted to hang out with Paul: He’s that dork who subpoenas God to verify his alibi regarding his vacation itinerary.
Paul calls God as a solemn witness against his own soul, claiming he canceled his trip specifically to "spare" the Corinthians severe discipline. Does framing a canceled visit as an act of mercy function as an exercise of apostolic power?
- 1:24
We do not control your faith; rather we are fellow workers with you for your joy, for you stand firm in faith.
Paul doesn’t control your faith. It’s your fault for being a pagan Presbyterian.
Paul clarifies that he does not "lord it over" or control their faith, but works alongside them for their joy. How does Paul balance this democratic assertion of partnership with the stern authority he exerts throughout the letter?