Corinthian Columns

Synopsis

Phillip McFadyen provides us with a series of imaginary interviews with Paul the Apostle about his second letter to the people of Corinth.

The text of the Epistle, split into five sections, is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. This is then followed by popular newspaper style columns of quiestions and answers between the 'Editor' and Paul, giving him the opportunity to explain himself further and to defend himself against his critics, and to draw out similarities of life in first century Corinth and in our world today.

Extract (Introduction)

Paul tells us in this letter that he writes 'nothing other than what you can read and also understand' (II Cor I. I 3). His letter is an open book and there is no hidden meaning. He wants his readers to understand exactly what it is he has to say and there will be no need to decode or read between the lines.

Why then is there a need for a commentary or even notes? The problem is that we have forgotten how to read scripture as it was meant to be read, i.e. aloud and continuously. Silent reading is a fairly recent innovation largely practised in the affluent west. Fortunately, some cultures do still read aloud so that the words take on a life of their own. The only occasion when most of us venture to read in the hearing of others is in church. Then we read only 'extracts', taken out of context, and usually without comment or explanation.

Paul would be horrified by what we do. Firstly, he would be amazed to discover that his letters had become 'sacred scripture'. The only sacred scripture he knew was that of the Hebrew Bible and even that had not reached an agreed 'canonical' form in his day. Secondly, he meant his recipients to sit down together and listen to what he had to say as their pastor and leader. The letters only exist because Paul was such a restless traveller and evangelist that he was unable to be with his people in person. When problems arose he had to deal with them at a distance and by letter.

Unfortunately, we have only his correspondence and not the replies. Reading his letters today is like overhearing one side of a telephone conversation. We have to infer what is being said at the other end. However, it is possible with the aid of these letters to deduce a good deal of the situation that caused Paul such anguish.

What was it that Paul wanted from all this correspondence? To answer that question we have to return to the verse with which we began (II Cor 1.1 3-14).

'I hope you will understand until the end - as you have already understood us in part - that on the day of the Lord Jesus we are your boast even as you are our boast.'

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Published by: Canterbury Press, 1997
ISBN: 028105147X
Price: £2.99
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