(LOST)
LETTER A FROM PAUL TO CORINTH
It
is equally clear that Paul wrote another letter (Letter A) to the Corinthians regarding
sexual morality and associating with non-believers (1 Cor 5:9). Based on his
recalculated comments in 1 Corinthians regarding this lost letter, Paul seems
to have instructed the church to refrain from associating with any immoral
persons. However, this message was worded, it appears that some members (likely
the libertine faction) ridiculed Paul for that they viewed as an impossible
request. In order to leave immoral people, they argued, they would need to
leave the planet altogether. It is unclear whether Apollos’ arrival to Corinth
had any relation to the need for Paul’s letter or the Corinthians’ subsequent
response to it. What is clear, however, is that some members began to have negative
feelings toward Paul and to rebuke his leadership as unfounded. (Timothy Milinovich,
Beyond What is Written: The Performative Structure of 1 Corinthians [Eugene,
Oreg.: Pickwick Publications, 2013], 21)
