Friday, November 17, 2023

Timothy Milinovich: 1 Corinthians 5:9 is a Reference to a Lost Letter from Paul to the Corinthians

  

(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)