Introduction to Christianity (1 Corinthians)

Funneling→splitting off at random points in Christianity

a letter Paul wrote to early Christians (protoChristians) about beliefs while in Corinth
lots of diff ideas about Christ and Paul (and his students) was really important b/c wrote a ton of stuff that made it into the Bible
did a ton of interpreting
said to be a human instrument of God in helping to shape Christianity
nonbelievers- a ton of texts that 1 guy shaped, he could have messed stuff up; a human development→maybe an accident, trying to fulfill a need present and ended up creating a branch of Abrahamic religions
originally a Jewish Roman (Saul) persecuting Christians→ blinded for 3 days while on the side of the road→ had this conversion and became Jesus’ top student b/c struck w/ understanding→ sight restored→ said Jesus was the son of God (not everyone agreed w/ this early on)→ called Jesus messiah, prophesied to come up and help Jesus

some important “facts” about Jesus, abt his wisdom in adolescence and piety are things that were written abt Buddha, Apollonius of Tyana, Dionysus
these ideas central to a belief system were not necessarily things particular to Jesus
Jesus crucified→ died→ resurrected→ goes back into heaven→ becomes messiah→ idea of possible salvation for humans if they believe in the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection→ will go to a paradise-like afterlife
not really an emphasis on negative things if you don’t belief yet
Cristos= anointed, happened to prophets+kings → Christ seen as king of Jewish tradition which was not that diff from Jewish traditions yet, they saw themselves as Jews that believed the messiah had come when other Jews did not
also believed that anyone who lived and died b/4 Jesus could not be saved
Paul believed in second coming of Christ and an ushering in of Kingdom of God and all faithful would benefit and that this would happen in the present generation (that ppl who had lived at the time would see it b/4 they died) but this didn’t happen
wants sex practiced only w/in marriage so if you think you need it then get married, didn’t think anyone needed to have it really, didn’t worry about reproduction and stuff b/c thought they wouldn’t need another generation
ethics questions and answers very similar to other philosophical texts but ultimate aims are different

Written around 56 CE- Jesus lived the first 30 years of CE
25ish years after he dies, his teachings start to really spread
although he had followers, there were no texts written about him until 30 years after his death
this text was written down b/4 previous books, which are actually the biography of Jesus Christ
Paul was one of the very 1st adherents, founded a lot of churches trying to establish people’s conversion in Corinth- an isthmus in Greece w/ a lot of trade, known as a place where ppl of every background came together and had a lot of vices, crazy place to try to do this
originally, congregations met in private spaces, like ppl’s houses, not churches like today
ppl had asked Paul a bunch of questions and this was his response
seems to be a part of this letter event that he didn’t write
- seems to be favorable towards women, say they’re part of church worship but then later parts say they shouldn’t be able to talk during worship and they should be subservient→ seems to be a part he didn’t write but could have
- this part taken as more important than a lot of his writing