Paul, Scripture and Ethics: A Study of 1 Corinthians 5-7

by Brian S. Rosner

Paul, Scripture and Ethics evaluates the widely held view that Scripture did not play an important role in the formation of Paul's ethics by investigating 1 Corinthians 5-7. It concludes that in spite of the relatively few quotations of Scripture and other indications to the contrary, Scripture is nevertheless a crucial and formative source for Paul's moral teaching. The major lines and many of the details of Paul's ethics in these chapters are traced back into the Scriptures, in most cases by way of Jewish sources. The conclusion is drawn that the Scriptures were for Paul not only "witness to the Gospel" but "written for our instruction". The work has considerable implications for the study of Christian origins, the interpretation of the New Testament and for the question of Paul and the Law.

Genres: Theology

264 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1994

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent exegetical analysis of I Corinthians 5-7. Rosner argues that Paul's ethical standards (for example, his reasons for excommunication in I Cor. 5) are informed by, dependant on and derived from, the Old Testament. This is an important contribution to the debate about where Paul got his ethical principles from. What underwrit them, and what motivated him.

Of particular interest for me (and, for the paedobaptist) was his discussion of I Cor. 5 - the excommunication passage. Rosner argues, convincingly in my opinion, that Paul's discourse in ch. 5 is informed by the Old Testament notion of expulsion from the visible covenant people of God.

Brian Rosner offers an exegetical case for the function the Old Testament scriptures played in forming the theological presuppositions which under gird and inform Paul’s approach to the scandal the Corinthian church was going through in the “ongoing sexual relationship of a member of their congregation with his unbelieving stepmother” (Rosner, p.61). Paul’s response is that the Corinthians should, “Purge the evil person from among you” (I Cor. 5:13). Why does Paul say this? How does he view the Corinthian church in relation to the Old Testament church? Why does Paul’s comment echo the expulsion formula found in the Old Testament? Is this all Paul links to from the Old Testament? Rsoner attempts to answer questions like these.

There are at least three features in I Corinthians 5:1-13 which, taken together, “suggest a link between 1 Corinthians 5 and Pentateuchal teaching on community exclusion” (Rosner, p. 64). Pentateuchal teaching on community exclusion was nothing other than covenant exclusion. The three features Rosner mentions are (1) the handing of the man over to Satan for his destruction, (2) the verbal form of the Greek word for “destruction” (also in 5:5), and (3) the quotation of Deuteronomy in 5:13. Rosner notes that in (1) we have a “devotion” comparable to the Old Testament curses (Deut 7:26; 13:14-18; Ex. 22:19; Josh. 6:18; 7:12; Is. 43:28; Jer. 25:9; Zech. 14:11; Mal. 3:24). Contact with the “devoted things” would spread throughout the community. In (2) the verbal form of oleqroV (“destruction“) is used four times in the Septuagint to translate “cut;” which is a “prominent term in the teachings of the Scriptures on community exclusion.” And (3) is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 17:7.

The reasons or motives for exclusion in the Old Testament are categorized by Rosner as falling under three motifs: (1) the covenant motif, (2) the corporate responsibility motif, and (3) the holiness motif (Rosner, 65). Rosner demonstrates that these themes are found all over I Cor. 5.

Not only are those motifs present, Rosner piles on top of that argument more linkage with the OT. He has us note that the specific incident being spoken of is immorality, but there are five other vices Paul lists which, if practiced without repentance, call for the exclusion of the violator. From does this list derive? Does Paul reach into a hat and pick at random from a couple hundred vices? Rosner cites David Prior’s insight “that the sins to which the formula ‘drive out the wicked from among you’ is connected in Deuteronomy form a ‘remarkable parallel to the particular sins mentioned in I Corinthians 5:11.’” How remarkable? The sexually promiscuous in Deuteronomy 22:21 can be linked to Paul’s “fornicator;” idolatry in 17:3, 7 hooks up with Paul’s “idolater;” malicious false testimony in 19:18-19 is linked with Paul’s “reviler;” the drunkard in 21:20-21 with Paul’s “drunkard;” and theft in 24:7 with Paul’s “thief.”

With all these direct links we must agree with Rosner that the “five correspondences are difficult to pass off as coincidental” (Rosner, 69). In every one of the Deuteronomic verses which correlate to the ones Paul uses (the 5 above), the phrase “you must purge the evil from among you” is found. Notice too that the idea of covenant breaching is involved. For example, the idolater in Deuteronomy 17 is said to have “transgress[ed] the covenant” (v.2), and so must be “purged from amongst [their] midst” (v.7). Not only is the idea of covenant breaching involved, the corollary of the covenant motif is found. As argued above, a person was expelled from the community so that further breach of covenant was halted. We notice here the idea of corporate solidarity in the supposedly more individualist New Covenant age. The sinner is to be expelled so his sin doesn’t infect the entire community. Paul tells the Corinthians in 5:6 that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”


I've just offered something of a highlight of Rosner's argument. If he is correct, and some of my tweaking is right on (my "tweaking" is missing from this review), then I think we have extremely good evidence that the notion of an continued external aspect to, or historical administration of, the covenant is alive and well in the New Testament. This provides a link in the chain for paedobaptist arguments. But, I have also been on record as saying that to simply establish the existence of an external covenant, where the non-elect can be said to be members of, is not enough, by itself, to establish paedobaptism - contrary to what many of my paedobaptist (and baptist) friends think.

[Erik Sasue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good job

[Joost Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very toothsome, like a good loaf of artisan bread. The crust crackles when your teeth break through, and the interior gives your jaw muscles a work out. But very, very satisfying. Rosner is unafraid to follow the text of Scripture where it leads. Very refreshing.

Try toasted, with peanut butter.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author argues from a study of passages in 1 Corinthians 5-7 that Paul was indebted to Scripture for his ethics, even though he may not have directly quoted Scripture.

The book is a revision of Rosner's PhD dissertation and the discussion will probably be a bit esoteric for the non-academic.