Lectionary Year A
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 20, 2002
1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Step II: Disposition
A. Genre

(JFC) Here, Paul begins admonishing the Corinthians. He tells them how to reform and he reports what he has heard about their conflicts and he offers some rather hypothetical and rhetorical (Kenneth Foreman, in LBC, calls them "sarcasm") questions. Then he reminisces with a point about baptism and contrasts it to Christ's calling him to preach more/rather than to baptize much. Finally, he focuses on the message of the cross. For Paul's style, it is almost logical progression from subject to subject, with the obvious interruptive element of his baptizing in Corinth. This passage does have several dependent clauses, etc., as expected from this author.

B. Personal Interaction

(JFC) Are those named as parties to/with whom the Corinthians link themselves important enough to be concerned about, re: the significance of this passage among the whole of the Epistle? And, is Paul's memory, re: forgetting whether he baptized others?, a question worthy of discussing? Is the cross' message accurately called "foolishness" to those perishing? And, too, are the perishing, the non-believers? Why doesn't he say so? And, is the tense of the final state of action verb (sw|zome,noij) problematic?

C. Organization

(JFC) The different loyalties are listed in verses 12f. Paul's failing memory is alluded to in verse 16. The use of the word, "foolishness" comes in the last verse of this lection as does the verb for "being saved".

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