An Interpretation of 1 Corinthians : A Moral and Theological Clarification of Paul to the Ecclesiastical Discrepancies

The book is meant to give a literal exposition of 1 Corinthians and its author, i.e., Paul the Apostle. The specific and the supporting arguments of each unit vividly depict the corrupted religious life setting of the Corinthian congregation and Paul's indication of the irregularities both in terms of their social and religious life and for a holy living.

Though the present work is not a verse-by-verse exposition of the text, the author has artistically addressed the different matters of concern that Paul stated in his letter which he faced in the church, and has given an extensive and profound elucidation about it. A careful reading of the present work will help everyone to understand its original background and to be away from any kind of interpretational misconceptions. Most importantly, the book is a helpful guideline to draw applications to deal with the present perils of the church coherently. There is no doubt that the author could successfully explicate the sound doctrinal regulations Paul gives to the Body of Christ.

Jojan Jose has received Master of Theology in New Testament from Hindustan Bible Institute & College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong, Meghalaya. He is a gifted preacher and teacher of the Word of God. He is the author of `The Concept of God in James-Importance and Implications: A Contribution to the New Testament Theology' (Notion Press, 2017). He is married to Jaimol. They have been working as missionaries in North India and are members of the resident faculty at Mission India Theological Seminary, Nagpur, Maharashtra. They have a son, Joash J. Jojan and a daughter, Janice Jemi Jojan.

The first epistle to the Corinthians is one of the finest artistic compositions of Paul. The complex argumentations of the book, the raw display of the disposition of the church, and the sincere concerns of Paul are explicit in this letter to the Corinthians. Paul, the pastor of the church had addressed many issues of the church in this letter. In chapters 1-4, he tackled the problem of disunity in the church based on leadership issues. In 5:1-13, he exhorted about the incest matter. In 6:1-11, he wrote about the problem of lawsuit while in 6:12-20 he penned about the problem of prostitution. In chapter 7, he exhorted the church believers to remain in the condition that they were called. In chapters 8-10, he encouraged the strong people in the church to consider the weak in the area of eating food offered to the idols. In chapter 11, he discussed about the issues of head-covering and Holy Communion in the communal gathering. Similarly, in 12-14, he addressed the concerns of the proper use of spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, and prophesy. In chapter 15, he clarified the misunderstanding about the resurrection. Therefore, in First Corinthians, Paul deals with varied number of issues, which only display the immediate need for the epistle, and the concerns of Pastor Paul in addressing these issues.

The breadth and depth in addressing these issues are also varied that in some instances Paul used extensive materials with exemplifications and self- exemplifications in his exhortation (for example in chapters 8-10) while in some instances he just completed the discussion in just few verses (6:1-11). In some instances, Paul explicitly mentioned the problem (as in 5:1-13) but in some instances, he was more subtle (as in chapters 1-4). In some instances, he expressed his deep emotions (as in 5:1-13 and 11:17-34) while in some places he commended the church for their good behaviors (as in 11:2-16). Therefore, First Corinthians is a complex literature which demands careful reading and intuitive exposition.

Apostle Paul's writing in the New Testament is a unique contribution, as each of his letters addresses different aspects that are closely related to the early Christians with regards to their socio-political and religious life. All these writings are considered to be written for the purpose of reading aloud in the common gatherings of the early Christians. Thus, 1 Corinthians is also written to be read aloud in the congregation.

This book is reckoned under the undisputed letters and the first of the three major epistles (1 & 2 Corinthians, and Romans) of Paul. Though I Corinthians is primarily written to the church at Corinth, the content of the letter such as corrections, exhortations, warnings, guidelines regarding true Christian living, the hope of a Christian etc., are applicable for the 21" century churches all over the world. First Corinthians is known as, the letter of correction, which is very much evident from the content of the letter.

After the first Jerusalem council held in A. D. 48 (Acts 15), Paul began his second missionary journey (A.D. 49-52) to visit the churches in Asia Minor. On his way, he reached Corinth and stayed there with Aquila and Priscilla and taught and preached in the synagogues for eighteen months (Acts 18:11). Gradually, many people accepted the truth of the gospel of Christ. Many Corinthians, including the diaspora Jews accepted Jesus as their Lord, and the church was established. Until Jewish opposition became stronger, Paul stayed in Corinth, and then went to Ephesus.

**Contents and Sample Pages**