Reading 1 Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary

"As a letter directed not to a universal, much less a modern, audience but to a specific church in a specific place with a specific set of problems, 1 Corinthians requires the interpreter to take careful consideration of the letter's ancient milieu and the circumstances that precipitated its composition. This commentary aims to offer a culturally informed interpretation of the letter in light of a hypothetical reconstruction of the problems that lay behind it. In offering such an interpretation, the commentary offers not a word-by-word analysis but broad exposition of the text focused on the structure of Paul's argument in each of the letter's main units. Preliminary to interpretation, it is necessary to consider certain background issues relating to the historical context in which the letter was written, the identity of the audience and author, and the unique features of the letter as a literary composition"--