Question 1

One could argue that many, if not all, of Corinth's problems stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the resurrection. Discuss how the Corinthians misinterpreted Paul's teachings on the resurrection and how that misunderstanding led to the various problems in that community.

Accepted Answer

Some of the Christians in Corinth believed not only that they had died with Christ but also that they had been raised with him. Paul, on the other hand, argued that, because Jesus was physically resurrected, his was a bodily resurrection, not a resurrection of the soul. The Corinthians could not have already been exalted with Christ because they remained in their unchanged bodies. Paul maintained that there would be a general resurrection, and at that time Christians would be exalted with Christ. Paul insisted that this exaltation was in the future; it had not yet taken place. This fundamental misunderstanding of the believer's status led to problems in the Corinthian church because these Christians did not take seriously the power of sin in the world.

Question 2

With attention to both 1 and 2 Corinthians, discuss the history of Paul's relationship with the Corinthians.

Accepted Answer

After Paul established the church at Corinth, he left to continue his mission elsewhere and subsequently wrote a letter, no longer extant, dealing with some ethical problems that had arisen in the church. At some point, the Corinthians sent a letter to Paul, either in response to his letter or to ask for more instruction. Paul then wrote 1 Corinthians in which he outlined ethical behaviors and told the community that he hoped to visit them soon. When he returned to Corinth, however, Paul was mistreated, and he left angry. Shortly after his departure, a group of missionaries (the superapostles) arrived and attacked Paul's character. Paul then wrote a third letter (2 Corinthians 10-13) in which he attacked the position of the superapostles and the person who humiliated him. He threatened to visit Corinth again in judgment. The Corinthians apparently heeded Paul's warnings and punished the person who had insulted him. In response to this news, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 1-9, a conciliatory letter in which he reestablished a relationship with his church.

Question 3

According to 1 Corinthians, what are some of the problems that have arisen in the Corinthian community since Paul's departure? How might these problems be related to socio-economic differences in the community? In what ways does Paul deal with these issues?

Accepted Answer

Among the many issues affecting the Corinthian community were claims of spiritual superiority, lawsuits between members in public courts, abuse of the communal meal, and sexual misbehavior. Most of the Corinthian converts were from the lower classes, but at least some of them must have been well-born, wealthy, and educated. Apparently the wealthier ones, without the demands of work, were able to arrive early at communal meals and consume more than their share of the food and drink. The more educated members apparently ate meat offered to idols, which could create confusion within the community. Paul deals with these issues in numerous ways, offering a range of ethical advice. He specifically encourages the consistent practice of love among community members.

Question 4

What are the reasons many scholars believe 2 Corinthians is actually the combination of more than one letter? Where do these scholars usually divide the letter? Do you find this persuasive? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the reasons many scholars believe...

Question 5

The New Testament epistles are arranged _____.
A) by date
B) by popularity
C) by length
D) by importance

Accepted Answer

The New Testament epistles are arranged primarily by length, starting with the longest (Romans) and moving towards the shortest (Jude), though this general principle applies more strictly within the Pauline and General Epistles separately.

Question 6

The church in Corinth had all of the following problems except _____.
A) members were not conducting communal meals properly
B) members were concerned about those who had died
C) members were suing one another
D) a member was sleeping with his stepmother

Accepted Answer

The church in Corinth faced various issues, including improper conduct during communal meals, members suing each other, and a case of incest, but there was no specific concern mentioned about those who had died. This concern is not highlighted as a problem within the Corinthian church in the biblical texts.

Question 7

The Corinthian community was made up of _____.
A) all poor people
B) all uneducated people
C) all wealthy people
D) a mix of poor and wealthy people

Accepted Answer

The Corinthian community, as described in historical and biblical accounts, was diverse in terms of socio-economic status, including both poor and wealthy individuals. This diversity is reflected in the letters of Paul to the Corinthians in the New Testament, where he addresses issues relevant to various social groups within the church.

Question 8

Class differences in the Corinthian church led to all of the following except _____.
A) members not conducting communal meals properly
B) the wealthy asserting a more thorough knowledge than the poor
C) separate churches for the rich and poor
D) differences of understanding related to food sacrificed to idols

Accepted Answer

The Corinthian church did not split into separate churches for the rich and poor. The issues mentioned in the other options (A, B, and D) reflect internal divisions and differing practices within the same church community, not the formation of entirely separate congregations based on class.

Question 9

Paul mentions all of the following things about Jesus except _____.
A) his baptism
B) his teachings on divorce
C) his teachings on paying preachers
D) the institution of the Lord's Supper

Accepted Answer

The answer of Paul mentions all of the following things...

Question 10

Paul says that his primary message to the Corinthians was _____.
A) love one another
B) Christ crucified
C) the virgin birth
D) the sinlessness of Jesus

Accepted Answer

Paul emphasizes that his primary message to the Corinthians was "Christ crucified," as he sought to focus on the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection as the foundation of Christian faith. This is explicitly stated in 1 Corinthians 2:2.

Question 11

The Christians in Corinth appear to have believed that _____.
A) Jesus was not resurrected
B) Jesus did not die
C) they already enjoyed the full benefits of salvation
D) they would not die

Accepted Answer

The Christians in Corinth believed they already enjoyed the full benefits of salvation, which is addressed in Paul's letters to the Corinthians in the New Testament. Paul corrects various misunderstandings and misbehaviors in the Corinthian church, including their overconfidence in having already achieved a full experience of salvation.

Question 12

In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that he learned about some of the problems in Corinth from _____.
A) Chloe's people
B) Timothy
C) Sosthenes
D) Onesimus

Accepted Answer

In 1 Corinthians, Paul mentions that he learned about the issues in the Corinthian church through "Chloe's people" (1 Corinthians 1:11), indicating that members of Chloe's household had informed him of the divisions and problems within the church.

Question 13

Paul taught the Corinthians that the resurrected body _____.
A) was a disembodied soul
B) was an actual body but transformed
C) was the same as the earthly body
D) did not exist

Accepted Answer

Paul taught that the resurrected body was an actual body but transformed, emphasizing a change from mortal to immortal, perishable to imperishable. This concept is discussed in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul contrasts the natural body with the spiritual body to explain the transformation that occurs in resurrection.

Question 14

Paul demonstrates the truth of the general resurrection by appealing to _____.
A) his own resurrection
B) the testimony of the women who found the empty tomb
C) the empty tomb
D) Christ's resurrection

Accepted Answer

Paul demonstrates the truth of the general resurrection by appealing to Christ's resurrection, as seen in his letters in the New Testament, particularly in 1 Corinthians 15, where he emphasizes the significance of Christ's resurrection as the foundation for the hope of the resurrection for all believers.

Question 15

People in antiquity believed any of the following about the afterlife except _____.
A) there was no afterlife
B) the soul left the body
C) they would be divinized and live on Mt Olympus with the gods
D) there was a bodily resurrection

Accepted Answer

The belief in divinization and living on Mt. Olympus with the gods was not a common view of the afterlife in antiquity. Most ancient cultures had varied beliefs about the afterlife, including concepts of the soul leaving the body, bodily resurrection, or no afterlife at all, but the idea of becoming a god and living among them on Mt. Olympus was specific to Greek mythology and not a general belief about the afterlife.

Question 16

Groups within the Corinthian church appealed to all of the following authorities except _____.
A) Paul
B) Apollos
C) Timothy
D) Cephas

Accepted Answer

In the Corinthian church, groups appealed to Paul, Apollos, and Cephas as authorities, but there is no record of them appealing to Timothy in the same way. Timothy was a close associate of Paul and did work in the church, but the factions specifically mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:12 are those of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas.

Question 17

According to Paul, one problem with misunderstanding the resurrection is that _____.
A) people overlook the danger of sin
B) people will die
C) people need to be rebaptized
D) it leads people to worship idols

Accepted Answer

Misunderstanding the resurrection can lead to underestimating the danger of sin, as Paul emphasizes the significance of the resurrection in overcoming sin and death.

Question 18

Paul believed that married people _____.
A) should be celibate
B) should grant one another conjugal rights
C) should get divorced
D) should live in different houses

Accepted Answer

Paul believed that married people should grant one another conjugal rights, as indicated in his letters in the New Testament, specifically in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5. This passage emphasizes the importance of fulfilling marital duties and not depriving one another, except by mutual consent for a time.

Question 19

1 and 2 Corinthians are unique because _____.
A) they represent the only correspondence from a church to Paul
B) they are pseudepigraphic
C) they are written to a church Paul never visited
D) they are the only undisputed letters Paul writes to the same community

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 Corinthians are unique in the Pauline corpus because they are both addressed to the same Christian community in Corinth, showcasing an ongoing relationship and dialogue between Paul and the Corinthian believers. Unlike some other letters attributed to Paul, the authenticity of both 1 and 2 Corinthians as being written by Paul is widely accepted among scholars, making them undisputed in terms of authorship.

Question 20

Many scholars think 2 Corinthians is _____.
A) pseudepigraphic
B) anonymous
C) a combination of several letters
D) a sermon

Accepted Answer

Many scholars believe that 2 Corinthians is not a single letter but rather a compilation of several letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthian community. This view is based on the noticeable shifts in tone and subject matter throughout the text, suggesting it might be a composite of different writings.

Quiz 13: Paul and the Crises of His Churches: The Corinthian Correspondence

One could argue that many, if not all, of Corinth's problems stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the resurrection. Discuss how the Corinthians misinterpreted Paul's teachings on the resurrection and how that misunderstanding led to the various problems in that community.

With attention to both 1 and 2 Corinthians, discuss the history of Paul's relationship with the Corinthians.

According to 1 Corinthians, what are some of the problems that have arisen in the Corinthian community since Paul's departure? How might these problems be related to socio-economic differences in the community? In what ways does Paul deal with these issues?

What are the reasons many scholars believe 2 Corinthians is actually the combination of more than one letter? Where do these scholars usually divide the letter? Do you find this persuasive? Why or why not?

The New Testament epistles are arranged _____.

The church in Corinth had all of the following problems except _____.

The Corinthian community was made up of _____.

Class differences in the Corinthian church led to all of the following except _____.

Paul mentions all of the following things about Jesus except _____.

Paul says that his primary message to the Corinthians was _____.

The Christians in Corinth appear to have believed that _____.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that he learned about some of the problems in Corinth from _____.

Paul taught the Corinthians that the resurrected body _____.

Paul demonstrates the truth of the general resurrection by appealing to _____.

People in antiquity believed any of the following about the afterlife except _____.

Groups within the Corinthian church appealed to all of the following authorities except _____.

According to Paul, one problem with misunderstanding the resurrection is that _____.

Paul believed that married people _____.

1 and 2 Corinthians are unique because _____.

Many scholars think 2 Corinthians is _____.