1 Corinthians

David Lull has expanded and revised William Beardsley’s earlier commentary, following his death in January 2001. Beardsley explicitly requested this revision, which has been undertaken, Lull tells us, in the light of revised scholarship. Nevertheless, it remains one of the many shorter commentaries “written for the general reader.” The revision is not clearly distinguished from the original work of the first author. Both of them owe something to the influence of John B. Cobb Jr. and process theology. Lull is at pains to point out that we hear directly only Paul’s side of the conversation with the church in Corinth. Indeed, he consistently avoids the term church because of its modern institutional connotations, calling it throughout “the assembly in Corinth.” In his introduction he recognizes that Corinth is a Roman colonia founded on Greek soil and that many people in Corinth were socially unimportant but sought to be “important.” The assembly met in private houses, which gave some status to more aristocratic or wealthy hosts within the community. Lull discusses the historical background and previous letter (1 Cor 5:9), Paul’s appearance before Gallio (Acts 18:12), dated in 51 or 52 C.E., and Paul’s subsequent ministry in Ephesus. [Full Review]