An Introduction and Commentary
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Volume 7)

CONTENTS

General preface
Author’s preface to the first edition
Author’s preface to the second edition

Introduction
Background
Paul at Corinth
Paul’s subsequent relations with the church at Corinth
The occasion and purpose of 1 Corinthians
The authenticity of the Epistle
The date and place of origin

Analysis
Commentary

Fig. 1 The Asclepion at Corinth
Fig. 2 The dining rooms of the Asclepion
Fig. 3 A typical villa at Anaploga, in Corinth

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From the Author’s prefaces:

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

It is no new observation that the letters of St Paul are not easy reading (2 Pet. 3:15f.), but for him who is prepared to take time and trouble their study is immensely rewarding. Not least is this the case with 1 Corinthians, a letter arising out of the practical difficulties besetting a far-from-ideal first-century Greek church. Here we have a typical Pauline letter. The apostle praises his correspondents for their Christian virtues, and rebukes them roundly for their many failings. He adds to their knowledge with some great passages, notably his discussion of love in chapter 13 and of the resurrection in chapter 15. Whatever he touches he deals with in the light of great Christian principles. He sees things temporal always in the light of things eternal. What he writes has relevance to our own, in many ways very different, needs. He shows us how to take our problems back to the light shed upon them by the great Christian verities. We cannot fail to profit as we ponder his words.

In writing this commentary I have been greatly indebted to very many. Notably is this the case with regard to the commentaries to which I have referred in the notes. I have endeavoured to indicate my many indebtednesses in specific matters, but I have learned more from my predecessors than I can sufficiently acknowledge. I have also found some modern translations very helpful, for what are translations but compressed commentaries?

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The call for a new edition of this commentary has given me the opportunity of working through the material again, with the help of much that has been written in the years since the first edition appeared. I have been grateful for the commentaries to which I have referred, and especially to those by Barrett and Conzelmann. The change from the Authorized Version to the New International Version as the base has meant many small alterations, and I have gone further and rewritten the whole. It is essentially the same commentary, though here and there the reader may notice a change of emphasis and even sometimes of opinion.

It may help the general reader if I point out that all cross references have been checked against the Greek text; a reference to the English translation will not always make this clear. For example, I speak of Paul’s calling himself a ‘slave of Christ’ and refer to Romans 1:1. Now NIV has there ‘a servant of Christ’ and the English reader may wonder a little about the accuracy of the reference. But ‘servant’ translates doulos, which means ‘slave’. Despite NIV, Paul really did call himself ‘a slave of Christ’. It would have taken up a lot of space to make this sort of thing clear on every occasion, so I have often simply given the reference. But, as I have said, on every occasion the reference has been checked against the Greek.

It remains only for me to express the hope that in its new format this commentary will meet a continuing need. …

Leon Morris