Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Mar 1998 by Peterman, G W

Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians. By Ben Witherington, III. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995, 492 pp., $34.99 paper.

Among commentaries on 1-2 Corinthians, Witherington's is unique for its gathering of Greco-Roman background material relevant to the exegesis of the letters. I can highly recommend it for the pastor interested in gaining easy access to such material. It is a gold mine.

The standard format of a commentary is followed: introduction, bibliography, comments on the text, indexes. The bibliography, however, is anything but standard. It is extensive and annotated, a real plus. Especially enlightening are Witherington's digressions called "A Closer Look." Titles for these include "Pagan Views of Salvation"; "Rhetors, Teachers and Imitation"; "Honor and Shame in the Roman World"; "Dining in Roman Corinth"; "Headcoverings and Religion in Roman Cities." These, as well as other background information brought in at the appropriate point, provide the reader with a wealth of useful information.

These comments show the strengths of this commentary. The background materials are well chosen, well presented and very interesting. Most pastors will find that the social backgrounds Witherington mentions will help them in transferring the message of the passage to their social context.

Some weaknesses of Witherington's work are as follows. First, though Witherington provides exciting and enlightening background, he does not always make clear how it helps or changes our interpretation or application of texts. Perhaps he does well not to display the dogmatic certainty of some exegetes. Unfortunately, however, I often found his conclusions vague or ambiguous.

Second, and related to the above, since Witherington's purpose is to provide a background commentary of two letters in one volume, he is not able to take the space necessary for extended theological reflection or for lengthy interaction and wrestling with the actual text of Scripture.

Third, since this socio-rhetorical commentary seeks to demonstrate how Paul used or rejected the rhetorical practices of his day, it needs to be especially clear on what Paul meant when he said he did not preach with eloquence or with persuasive words (1 Cor 2:1, 4). Unfortunately, Witherington is unclear in his answer.

The question is, Did the apostle reject rhetoric? Witherington says no, he only rejected sophistic or ornamental rhetoric in his preaching (pp. 121, 125). Sophistic rhetoric emphasized eloquence over content (p. 103). Instead, Paul deliberately chose to present the gospel in an unpolished manner (p. 124). He did so in order not to distract his audience from the power of the gospel message (p. 123). "Thus, it is not merely skill in rhetorical form that is at issue, but also the content of wisdom" (p. 104). In his letters, however, the apostle crafted passages of "real rhetorical skill and polish" (p. 123). Furthermore, Witherington sees that each letter follows the classical rhetorical pattern: exordium, propositio, narratio, probatio and peroratio. Witherington demonstrates that Paul does not sacrifice content when he uses real rhetorical skill and polish in his letters. If this is so, it seems reasonable to assume that Paul felt written rhetorical polish did not necessarily distract his audience from the power of his letters' message. On the other hand, it logically follows that Paul did not have to sacrifice content in order to use real rhetorical skill and polish in his preaching. So, the question is, What rhetorical practice did Paul reject and why? Witherington's answer needs more clarity.

In summary, Witherington's commentary is a quite valuable and useful addition to Corinthian commentaries. When read in conjunction with others (such as Fee on 1 Corinthians and Barrett on 2 Corinthians), it provides much needed insight into the social context of these letters.

G. W. Peterman

Osceola Evangelical Free Church, Osceola, IA