Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians: Paul, Stoicism, and Spiritual Hierarchy

A bold new reading of 1 Corinthians in light of Greco-Roman philosophy The First Letter to the Corinthians begins with Paul admonishing his addressees over their internal division and reliance on human wisdom. But what exactly occasioned Paul's warning? Many New Testament scholars have asserted that Paul disapproved of the Corinthians' infatuation with rhetoric. Yet careful exegesis of the epistle problematizes this consensus. Timothy A. Brookins unsettles common assumptions about the Corinthian conflict in this innovative monograph. His close reading of 1 Corinthians 1-4 presents evidence that the Corinthian problem had roots in Stoicism. The wisdom that Paul deprecates is not sophistry, he argues, but a Stoic-inspired understanding of natural hierarchy, in which the wise put themselves above believers they considered spiritually underdeveloped. In effect, Paul's followers saw themselves as a philosophical school in rivalry with other Christians, engendering divisions in the church. Combining scriptural exegesis and investigation of Greco-Roman philosophical culture, Brookins reconstructs the social sphere of Corinth that Paul addresses in his letter. His skillful analysis provides much-needed clarity on the context of a major epistle and on Pauline theology more broadly.

About the Author :
Timothy A. Brookins is professor of early Christianity at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research interests include the Pauline epistles and the Greco-Roman philosophical and rhetorical traditions. He is the author of Reading 1 Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary and Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul's Letters

Review :
"[Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians] is an outstanding monograph with which scholars of 1 Corinthians must wrestle. It is certainly a technical work, suitable for advanced students and professors, although all research languages are translated." --Religious Studies Review "Timothy Brookins makes his most robust case yet for the 'Stoic thesis' to explain the situation and the habitus reflected in 1 Corinthians 1-4 and thus, essentially, the rest of the letter. All who are seriously interested in 1 Corinthians must wrestle with his detailed exegesis and with his comprehensive proposal concerning the Christ-believing, 'sub-Stoic school' of the wise and spiritual in Corinth--its identity, origin, convictions, and relation to Paul." --Michael J. Gorman St. Mary's Seminary & University, Baltimore "In Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians, Timothy Brookins presents a forceful case for seeing the divisions described in 1 Corinthians 1-4 as resulting from Stoic commitments by some Corinthian Christ followers. Brookins presents his argument with a refreshing combination of detailed attention to the text, encyclopedic knowledge of scholarship, fresh engagement with Greco-Roman philosophical schools, and a pacey forward movement throughout. This is an important and enlightening contribution." --Bruce Longenecker Baylor University "Timothy Brookins's Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians is an amazing achievement! It is historical-critical scholarship at its best and will undoubtedly revive current debates on the identity of the wisdom group at Corinth for years to come. Here Brookins makes the persuasive case not only that the source of Corinthian wisdom and the habitus of the Corithian wise find their philosophical roots in Stoicism, but also that in their interactions with Paul's gospel the wise have 'subordinated' major Stoic tenets to their Christ-faith. The reader will find invaluable Brookins's history of research on the origins of Corinthian wisdom; his rigorous methodological approach; his epitomes of Stoic teachings on reason, virtue, the material universe, human nature, and πνεῦμα as the 'stuff' which holds it altogether; and most of all his larger discussions on the philosophical Paul. Every scholar who does research on the Corinthian letter correspondence must engage with Brookins's fine and brilliant work." --Max Lee North Park Theological Seminary