8.25.2021 August Reading Report

Preaching requires reading. Of course, we must first and always feed upon God’s Word. Regularly reading the Bible for spiritual nourishment, growth, and maturity. Beyond that preaching is a passion which burns like a hungry fire. You have to keep shoving the fuel in to create the heat and light the congregation needs so that it too is nourished and advances toward maturity. 

Consequently, my reading report for August is all about what I am reading in preparation for my next sermon series: 1 Corinthians:  Embracing Hope by Eliminating Avoidable Errors. This will be a 13-week detailed exegetical series. I have been working on the Bibliography and background for about 6 weeks and am trying to tie together the preliminary research during the next 10 days. During this time I am also completing a writing project of my own which is due at the publisher around Sept 1. Things are really busy. Let me state it again however if you are too busy to read. You are too busy to preach. If you find yourself in that situation, you might want to read last week’s blog. 

(Setting the)Stage.

Commentaries

During the preliminary stage of research for this series, one of my primary tasks has been to go through the introductory sessions of the commentaries I have for this series. The following is a small selection of what I have read.  It is in alphabetical order but my comments specify the utility of that particular commentaries introduction. 

Barrett, C. K. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. Black’s New Testament Commentary. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.

Barret was one of the British traditions best commentators in the twentieth century. His contribution to 1 Corinthians does not disappoint. He deals with the critical questions in a satisfactory fashion though I would not say he breaks any new ground. Always lucid and a pure pleasure to read.

Blomberg, Craig L. 1 Corinthians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1994.

Brief but helpful.

Dunn, James D. G. 1 Corinthians. T & T Clark Study Guides. London ; New York: T&T Clark International, 2003.

Though brief this work was eye-opening. He does a wonderful job of clarifying and distilling the issues without getting bogged down. Highly recommended. I started here and have not regretted that decision as his arguments and presentation are perfect for framing the issues in a systematic fashion which made the process of going through the other commentaries even more helpful.

Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1987.

Well read. Detailed. Very good bibliographic tools. His commentary is highly rated and his introductory approach seems to set the table well for the exegetical discussions to come.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A., ed. First Corinthians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. The Anchor Yale Bible v. 32. New Haven ; London: Yale University Press, 2008.

Immense and well-organized introduction. His general bibliography is huge. He has specific bibliographies for each subsection of his introduction. Wow does not even begin to describe what I thought as I read this introduction. 

Gardiner, George E. The Corinthian Catastrophe. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1974.

An older book that I first read in college. His arguments are good, but he does not “show his work”, instead he presents his conclusions. Not very artful but effective. 

Hays, Richard B. First Corinthians. Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville, Ky: John Knox Press, 1997.

Good but not earth-shaking.

Thiselton, Anthony C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000.

Not finished with Thiselton yet. Very good detailed introduction so far. A very good compliment to Fitzmeyer.

Reference Materials

Beyond commentary introductions, I have gone through the information in the following New Testament Introductions and dictionaries.

Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament. 1st ed. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. New York: Doubleday, 1997.

Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. Second edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005.

Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Holladay, Carl R. A Critical Introduction to the New Testament: Interpreting the Message and Meaning of Jesus Christ. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction. Very Short Introductions 229. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Martin, Ralph P., and Peter H. Davids, eds. Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Pride of Place

Engels, Donald W. Roman Corinth: An Alternative Model for the Classical City. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1990.

I am in the middle of this one as well but can confidently state that this book has helped me to envision the social, economic, cultural, entice, and religious background of Corinth better than any resource I have used. Most of the larger academic commentaries freely quote Engels and after his first three chapters, I understand why. His explanation of Roman Corinth as a service-driven economy was an eye-opener with repercussions for the study of all of the Pauline epistles. His primary value has been in showing just how closely our contemporary post-modern, narcissistic culture mirrors the culture of Corinth. This is a theme that Thiselton also develops. He states the case eloquently as a pastoral issue but much of the groundwork for his analysis comes from Engel's work.

That's a wrap for this week. If any of you would like a full copy of my 1 Corinthians bibliography drop me a line in the comments, shoot me an email, or hit me with a text. Until then, preach the word.