Mission and Ethics in 1 Corinthians: Reconciliation, corporate solidarity and other-regard as missionary strategy in Paul

Abstract

In this article the dynamic relationship between mission and ethics in contexts of conflict and change in the Corinthian correspondence was investigated, and the role Paul played as reconciling leader, examined. The early Christian writers like Paul wanted to instruct and shape communities of faith. Paul was especially concerned with the maintenance and growth of his congregations and also with the social and ethical boundaries between the community of faith and the 'world'. In the article it was illustrated that within the Corinthian congregational context there existed several conflict situations, and that much of it was a result of diversity within the congregation. Diversity is a fact of life and reality of the church. In Paul's vision for unity and reconciliation, and in his attempt to address the factionalism in the Corinthian congregation, he would in all cases, ground his practical solution in a theological identity construction. Paul focuses on corporate solidarity and unity and urges the congregation to find their fellow brothers and sisters in times of conflict by means of ethical reciprocity and other-regard, a matter in which he is also an example, typical of other philosophers of his time -but with a significant difference. At the end it becomes clear that Paul's ethical advice has a missional dimension, in the sense that the conflict management should take place in such a way that God is honoured and that both Jews, Greeks and fellow believers will see that the way this community handles conflict, is different to the way the 'world' would do it, and that in the process, even more might be saved.

A comparison between James and Philodemus on moral exhortation, communal confession and <i>correctio fraterna</i>

“…cf. also Thaetus 146D; Kok 2012). Plutarch, (according to Glad 1995:29) in his How to tell a flatterer from a friend (52 FAB;51 D) refers to the flatterers who can associate with all and go to great lengths to imitate those they wants to impress:…”

“…It was important for people to be steadfast and honest and not to change whenever they needs to please people, making them servile and inconsistent flatterers -sycophants (Glad 1995:16;Kok 2012). The idea of the sycophant appears as early as Homer's Odysseus, referring to the polytrophic man of many turns (πολύτροπος), and in an etymological study of the term, it becomes clear that, in the 5th century BCE, it referred to people who often changed their character, who were unprincipled and unscrupulous (Glad 1995:19;Kok 2012). In the ethical interpretation of that time, Odysseus became the archetype of the deceitful homo duplex (πολύτροπος), and Achilles became the candid homo simplex (ἁπλοῦς) who reveals his true motivations and intentions (Glad 1995, 19; cf.…”

The <i>imago Dei Weltanschauung</i> as narrative motif within the Corinthian correspondence

“…Perhaps, in them attempting to resolve some of the matters in the church, they resorted to worldly standards instead of seeking guidance from the apostles' doctrine (Ac 2:42). Kok (2012) also notes that:…”

An exploration of fresh expressions as missional church: Some practical-theological perspectives

“…8 Hays (1996:3-7) proposes a fourfold task for New Testament Ethics. Firstly, the descriptive task which is exegetical and is concerned with reading the text carefully; secondly, the synthetic task which aims to place the text in a canonical context and seeks to find coherence between different texts by means of using focal images; thirdly, the her meneutical task that entails relating the text for our situation and 8 Some more recent research on the relationship between the New Testament documents and the missional nature of the churches has been undertaken by Kok (2011Kok ( : 2012 lastly, the pragmatic task that seeks to find ways in which Christian communities can live out the text. In the synthetic task Hays (1996:187-206) proposes three images that give a focus to the New Testament witness, namely community, cross and new creation.…”