DISCERNMENT IN FIRST CORINTHIANS: AN ESCHATOLOGICAL CALLING INTO THE WISDOM OF GOD A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 James Dominic Romano This research was carried out at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 4! Declaration and Copyright Statement ............................................................................... 5! Dedication ............................................................................................................................. 6! Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................ 7! The Author ........................................................................................................................... 8! List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 9! Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study .............................................................................. 14! Orientation to the Study ................................................................................................ 14! Discernment in Recent Literature ................................................................................ 18! Assumptions and Further Methodological Considerations ....................................... 43! Approach of the Study ................................................................................................... 47! Outline of the Study ....................................................................................................... 48! PART I: DISCERNMENT AND THE MIND OF CHRIST: FUNCTIONAL WISDOM AS A FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPT WITHIN THE ἘΚΚΛΗΣΊΑ ........... 50! Chapter 2: In the Same Mind and in the Same Judgement (1 Cor 1:1–4:21) .............. 50! Introduction .................................................................................................................... 50! Paul’s Potential Thesis Statement for First Corinthians ............................................ 51! The Superiority of Wisdom from Above ..................................................................... 53! The Mind of Christ ........................................................................................................ 59! Revelation ....................................................................................................................... 67! Discernment as an Interpersonal and Spiritual Concern .......................................... 71! Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 78! PART II: DISCERNMENT FOR LIVING IN THE WORLD ...................................... 80! Chapter 3: Exercising Discernment in Moral and Ethical Matters (1 Cor 5:1–7:40) . 81! Introduction .................................................................................................................... 81! Judgement over Immorality in the Ἐκκλησία (1 Cor 5:1–5) ...................................... 81! Judging Immorality as Leaven in the Christ Passover (1 Cor 5:6–8) ....................... 86! Mixing and Purity in the Ἐκκλησία as a Matter for Discernment (1 Cor 5:9–13) ... 87! The Community Court (1 Cor 6:1–11) ......................................................................... 91! Personal Decisions about Marriage (7:25–40) ............................................................. 97! Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 106! Chapter 4: Discerning Interrelationships within the Surrounding Culture (1 Cor 8:1– 11:1) ................................................................................................................................... 108! Introduction .................................................................................................................. 108! Idolatry and the Christian .......................................................................................... 109! The Proper Use of Freedom ........................................................................................ 114! Judge for Yourselves .................................................................................................... 117! Coherence with the Surrounding Context ................................................................. 123! Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 127! PART III: DISCERNMENT AND THE GATHERED, WORSHIPPING ἘΚΚΛΗΣΊΑ ............................................................................................................................................ 129! Chapter 5: Discerning within the Gathered Ἐκκλησία (1 Cor 11:2–11:34) ................ 130! Introduction .................................................................................................................. 130! Demeanour in Worship: Judge for Yourselves ......................................................... 131! 2 Tradition and Understanding ..................................................................................... 132! Understanding Distinctions ......................................................................................... 134! Understanding Leads to Judgement .......................................................................... 138! Summary ....................................................................................................................... 143! Discerning in and through the Lord’s Supper (11:17–34) ....................................... 143! Situating the Lord’s Supper ........................................................................................ 144! Judgement at the Table ............................................................................................... 149! Discerning the Body and Divine Judgement ............................................................. 152! Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 160! Chapter 6: Discernment of Spirits (1 Cor 12:1–13:3) ................................................... 162! Introduction .................................................................................................................. 162! Discernment of Spirits among Other Gifts ................................................................ 163! The Terminology of “Spirituals” ................................................................................ 166! Discernment of Spirits ................................................................................................. 170! Spirits and Ontology .................................................................................................... 177! Discernment of Spirits as a Functional Necessity ..................................................... 185! Discernment of Spirits as Analogy ............................................................................. 190! Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 192! Chapter 7: Discerning in the Context of the Prophetic (14:1–14:40) .......................... 194! Introduction .................................................................................................................. 194! Pauline Characterization of Prophecy in the Corinthian Community ................... 195! Who Discerns Prophecy? ............................................................................................ 203! Discerning Prophetic Utterances ................................................................................ 211! Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 222! PART IV: CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 223! Chapter 8: Conclusion, Contribution, and Areas for Further Research .................... 224! APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................................................... 232! APPENDIX 2 .................................................................................................................... 234! BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 240! Final word count including footnotes: 79,980 3 Abstract This thesis investigates the conceptual use of discernment in First Corinthians. As a motif, discernment spans many issues in the epistle while forming a key element in Paul’s understanding of the eschatological people of God in Christ and his expectations for them to emerge through the renewing process of the Gospel into their new identity. This identity has its type in the Wilderness Tradition of Israel, with the literary influences of 2TJ Wisdom and the OT scriptures undergirding Paul’s conceptualization in an intertextual matrix. Paul develops the motif through an open, subtle intertextuality that does not rely primarily on overt citation, but reflects a conceptual/theological movement from text/history/type to existential