Persuasion in 1 Corinthians 1:1–9
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Original Research Persuasion in 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 Author: Andries H. Snyman1 ABSTRACT In this article, 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 is analysed from a perspective that differs from the typical Affiliation: approach of researchers, who tend to force ancient rhetorical categories on the letter. The analysis 1New Testament is done in terms of what is called a ‘grounded theoretical approach’. This approach is briefly Department, University of summarised, followed by a description of the rhetorical situation of the letter and a systematic the Free State, South Africa analysis of these nine verses. It will be argued that these verses are an integral part of Paul’s rhetorical strategy, constructed from the text itself and aimed at persuading the Corinthians to Correspondence to: accept his authority as apostle and to follow his instructions in realising their new life in Christ. Andries H. Snyman The conclusion is that a text-centred approach with its focus on the functional aspects of the text provides a better understanding of Paul’s rhetorical strategy than a typical rhetorical analysis, e-mail: with its focus on the formal aspects of the text. [email protected] Postal address: INTRODUCTION Posbus 28304, Danhof, 1 Corinthians has been the subject of much discussion among New Testament scholars, who base 9310, South Africa their analyses upon the Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition. Although they use the same tradition, they differ with regard to the dispositio of the letter and its rhetorical genre. As to the dispositio, Keywords: Mitchell (1991), Schrage (1991) and Witherington (1995) agree that the thanksgiving in 1:4–9 forms a persuasion; Corinthians; rhetorical exordium, which leads to the propositio in 1:10, followed by the narratio in 1:11–17. They differ, grounded theoretical however, with regard to the demarcation of the probatio. Mitchell (1991:xi) ends her probatio with the approach; Paul’s rhetorical conclusion of the deliberative argument in 15:58 while Witherington extends it to 16:12. There is also strategy; New Testament no consensus as to the closing of the letter. hermeneutics With regard to the rhetorical genre of 1 Corinthians, scholars generally accept that it is an example Dates: of deliberative rhetoric (Mitchell 1991; Schüssler-Fiorenza 1987; Witherington 1995). The classicist Received: 22 Mar. 2009 Kennedy, however, is of the opinion that the genre of 1 Corinthians is best understood as ‘largely Accepted: 10 June 2009 deliberative, although it contains some judicial passages’ (1984:87). Wuellner (1979:177–188) again, Published: 04 Sept. 2009 who relies on Perelman and Olbrecht-Tyteca’s redefinition of the epideictic genre, argues that 1 Verbum et EcclesiaVerbum et Corinthians is epideictic. The variety of these interpretations casts serious doubt on the theoretical How to cite this article: justification for applying categories of classical rhetoric to Paul’s letters. Article #57 Snyman, A.H., 2009, ‘Persuasion in 1 An interesting feature of rhetorical analyses of 1 Corinthians is the tendency to analyse individual Corinthians 1:1–9’, Verbum chapters in the letter, arguing that each of them displays the traditional dispositio and represents et Ecclesia 30(2), Art. #57, a specific rhetorical genre. Examples include the analyses of Smit (1993:211–230) of 1 Corinthians 6 pages. DOI: 10.4102/ 12–14 and those of Bünker (1984:59–72), Shaw (1995) and Watson (1993:231–249) of 1 Corinthians ve.v30i2.57 15. Bünker, for example, argues that 1 Corinthians 15 is judicial while Watson and Shaw regard it as a piece of deliberative rhetoric. It is probably assumed that these chapters could be analysed as This article is available speeches in 1 Corinthians while the letter as a whole could also be analysed in terms of the same at: rhetorical categories. Porter (1997:554) is correct in asserting that the value of such analyses is http://www.ve.org.za difficult to determine, in so far as they reveal the profitable use of ancient rhetorical categories in the interpretation of these chapters. As a result of these and other concerns (such as the mixing of epistolary and rhetorical categories), New Testament scholars started analysing Paul’s letters without using ancient rhetorical categories. They began to apply modern rhetorical theories, or they analysed the arguments in a letter in terms of a text-centred approach, whereby the letter itself serves as starting-point for analysis. Examples of the latter are the analyses of Anderson (1999) of Galatians 1–5:12, Romans 1–11 and 1 Corinthians, as well as the works of Kern (1998) and Tolmie (2005) on Galatians. The purpose of this article is to study persuasion in 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 in terms of Tolmie’s proposal for rhetorical analysis. His proposal will be summarised, followed by an analysis of these nine verses. I hope to prove that a text-centred approach, aimed at reconstructing Paul’s rhetorical strategy from the text itself, provides a better understanding of his rhetoric than using ancient rhetorical categories from outside. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS FROM A TEXT-CENTRED PERSPECTIVE A text-centred approach is exactly what it says: It involves an analysis of the rhetoric of the text that focuses primarily upon identifying and describing the rhetorical strategies from the text itself instead of making the text fit into a preselected rhetorical model. Scholars opting for this approach regard it better to let the text ‘speak for itself’ or to ‘trust in the text and in its internal logic’ (Meynet 1998:177). Tolmie’s (2005) proposal represents one way of describing the persuasive force of Paul’s letters from such a perspective. It has proved fruitful in analysing other letters of Paul and will be © 2009. The Authors. used to describe persuasion in the first nine verses of 1 Corinthians. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work Since it is impossible to analyse a text in a totally objective way, Tolmie (2005:27–30) gives an is licensed under the explanation of the approach that he used in analysing the letter to the Galatians. His purpose is not Creative Commons to prescribe a fixed methodology, but to provide a general guideline for analysis. After constructing Attribution License. the rhetorical situation or context, that is, the broad outline of what Paul wants to achieve in the letter http://www.ve.org.za Vol. 30 No. 2 Page 1 of 6 Verbum et Ecclesia 1 (page number not for citation purposes) Original Research Snyman as a whole, he formulates his ‘minimal theoretical framework’, of the Corinthians, Paul was not well qualified in terms of consisting of the following aspects: pneumatic competence. The apostle must somehow have learnt • The identification of the dominant rhetorical strategy in this and in order to convince them to accept his interpretation, a particular section by answering two questions: ‘How he had to argue why they should follow his instructions and can one describe Paul’s primary rhetorical objective in not those of the other missionaries. In the process of persuasion, this section?’, and ‘How does he attempt to achieve this Paul presented himself as the sole founder and father of the objective?’ church in Corinth who must be obeyed and not as one apostle • The analysis of the section by focusing on the types of among others. argument Paul uses and why they are effective or by describing the manner in which he argues to persuade his Whether one accepts this specific reconstruction or not, the audience. Exegetical issues are discussed, especially when broad picture remains the same: The letter is dominated there is not agreement on the meaning of a specific phrase by Paul’s attempt to persuade the Corinthians to accept his or expression of rhetorical significance. authority as apostle (including the truth of his message) and to • The identification of the rhetorical techniques Paul uses to follow his instructions in realising their new life in Christ. He enhance the impact of his communication. is not addressing a single subject but a wide variety of issues, • A description of the way in which the argument in the letter using a variety of arguments and persuasive techniques. To as a whole has been organised. Of course, this aspect can examine these in the first nine verses of the letter is the aim of only be addressed once the analysis of the whole letter has this paper. been completed. (See Tolmie 2005:122–123 for his description of the argument in Galatians.). ANALYSIS OF 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1–9 Introduction RHETORICAL CONTEXT Two issues need attention before analysing Paul’s persuasive The rhetorical situation or context in which Paul wrote this strategy in these nine verses: letter might be conceived as follows: • Scholars who follow Betz in his approach to rhetorical analysis define 1:1–3 as the epistolary prescript and ‘Those of Chloe’ in 1:11 supplied him with oral information 1:4–9 as the exordium of the letter (Mitchell 1991:192– about the situation in Corinth. Most probably they also 197; Witherington 1995:78–94). The primary aim of the presented him with the letter referred to in 7:1 (Schüssler- exordium was to prepare the audience psychologically for Fiorenza 1987:395). From these two sources Paul learnt, first the speaker and his case. As Lausberg (1960:180) puts it, of all, about the divisions and partnership in Corinth, which ‘Ziel des exordiums ist es, die Sympathie des Richters (oder im had implications for his apostolic authority. It is unlikely that a weiteren Sinn: des Publikums) für den (parteimässig vertretenen) group of anti-Pauline agitators were causing these problems, as Redegegenstand zu gewinnen.’ Marshall (1987:23–27) argues. The difficulties were essentially • In line with this definition, Watson (1988:62) highlights internal and resulted in divisions among the Corinthians three functions of the exordium: ‘…to obtain audience themselves (Pogoloff 1992:237; Schüssler-Fiorenza 1987:397–398; attention, receptivity and goodwill’.