The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (177 page)

15:21 They shall see:
A reference to Is 52:15. • Paul cites the beginning of Isaiah's vision of the Suffering Servant, an oracle that forecasts the rejection and death of the Messiah (Is 52:13-53:12). News of this was expected to startle many nations, opening their eyes and ears to God's message. 
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15:24 Spain:
Generally considered the western limit of the Roman world. Although not mentioned in the NT, Christian tradition holds that Paul preached the gospel to the western extremity of the ancient world before his martyrdom in the mid 60s.
See note on Acts 28:30
. 
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15:25 aid for the saints:
A collection was taken up among Gentile churches on Paul's third missionary journey (2 Cor 89). This was an expression of both charity and solidarity between believers of different nationalities.
See note on 1 Cor 16:1-4
. 
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15:31 delivered:
Paul was warned of dangers awaiting him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23; 21:10-11). 
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15:33 The God of peace:
A familiar designation in Paul's letters (2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 5:23). 
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16:1-27
Some scholars question the authenticity of chapter 16 and consider it a later addition to Romans. This is because the oldest surviving manuscript of Romans places the final doxology (16:25-27) after 15:33 and because shorter editions of the letter are reported to have circulated in Christian antiquity (missing chaps. 15 and 16). Scholars of this opinion regard Romans 16 as an independent letter of recommendation for Phoebe (16:1) or a letter originally sent to the Church at Ephesus. Textual criticism gives little support to the hypothesis and at present accepts the authenticity of Romans 16 as an integral part of the epistle. If shorter editions of Romans did exist, they were probably abridgments of the book adapted for liturgical use. 
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16:1 our sister Phoebe:
Possibly the carrier of Paul's letter.
deaconess:
The Greek
diakonos
can refer to an ordained minister of the Church (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8) or to a "servant" or "assistant" more generally (Rom 13:4; 15:8). Deaconesses in the early Church assisted with the baptism of women and similar tasks. • According to the Council of Nicaea in
A.D.
325, deaconesses are counted among the laity, not among the ordained clergy (can. 19). 
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16:3-23
Paul addresses 26 Roman Christians by name, the longest list of greetings in the NT. The etymology of the names reveals a diverse background of believers, including Greeks, Latins, and Jews. 
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16:3 Prisca and Aquila:
A Christian couple who worked closely with Paul (Acts 18:2; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19). 
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16:5 the church in their house:
The earliest Christians met together in private homes to pray and worship (Acts 2:46; 12:12; 1 Cor 16:19). This reflects the similar practice of Jews before separate synagogue buildings were in widespread use. 
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16:7 Junias:
The Greek is feminine, suggesting to many that Junias is a woman and possibly the wife of Andronicus. It could also be a shortened form of the Latin name
Junianus
and thus refer to a man.
among the apostles:
This can be understood to mean that
(1)
Andronicus and Junias were apostles in the broader sense of the word (messenger, Phil 2:25; 2 Cor 8:23), or that
(2)
they were esteemed by the original apostles. Either way, they were Jews who became Christians before Paul. 
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16:13 Rufus:
Possibly mentioned in Mk 15:21 as the son of Simon of Cyrene. Note that Paul and the evangelist Mark were both writing to Roman Christians. See introduction to Mark:
Destination.
 
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16:16 a holy kiss:
An expression of fraternal love in the primitive Church (1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pet 5:14). 
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16:18 their own appetites:
These troublemakers may be
(1)
some of the "strong" Christians in Rome who were more willing to define the kingdom of God by foods than by harmony with others (14:17; 15:1), or
(2
)those who practiced some form of Christianity in a vain and self-serving way (Phil 3:19). 
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16:20 crush Satan under your feet:
Paul desires the Roman Christians to understand the true difference between "good" and "evil" (16:19) and so share in Christ's victory over the devil (1 Jn 3:8). • Paul is alluding to the first biblical prophecy, Gen 3:15, which promises that a Redeemer will trample the satanic serpent underfoot. Paul extends this prophecy about the Messiah to the entire messianic people. 
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16:21 Timothy:
A longtime companion of Paul (Acts 16:14) and the recipient of two NT letters, 1 and 2 Timothy.
Jason and Sosipater:
Possibly those mentioned in Acts 17:5 and Acts 20:4. 
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16:22 Tertius, the writer:
Tertius was the secretary who wrote the letter at the dictation of Paul. 
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16:23 Gaius:
One of the first baptized Christians in Corinth (1 Cor 1:14). He graciously opened his home to Paul and other visitors.
Erastus:
Although a common name, probably the figure in Acts 19:22 and 2 Tim 4:20. 
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16:25 the mystery:
Jesus Christ fulfilled the plan of God hidden away in the Scriptures (16:26; 1:2). See word study:
Mystery
at Eph 3:3. 
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16:26 the obedience of faith:
The expression stands at the beginning (1:5) and end of the letter (CCC 143, 2087).
See note on Rom 1:5
. 
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INTRODUCTION TO

Author and Date
 Two times the Apostle Paul identifies himself as the author of this letter (1:1; 16:21). Testimony from the Church Fathers as early as St. Clement of Rome (
A.D.
95) supports the claim, and modern scholarship has never seriously contested the tradition. Indeed, 1 Corinthians is full of valuable information about Paul that both corroborates and enhances our knowledge of his ministry from the Book of Acts.

According to 16:8, Paul wrote the epistle while staying in Ephesus in Asia Minor (located in what is modern Turkey). This stay most likely corresponds to the apostle's third missionary journey from
A.D.
53 to 58, when he spent more than two years instructing the young Church in that city (Acts 19:1-10). Because Paul was writing in anticipation of coming to Corinth after his stay in Ephesus (1 Cor 11:34), we can date its composition during the second part of his third mission, probably in the spring of
A.D.
56.

Destination
 The city of Corinth was a flourishing commercial center of the Mediterranean world. It was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia (southern Greece), and its location between two seaports made the city an ideal trade link between Italy in the west and Asia in the east. History tells us that Corinth attracted droves of entrepreneurs and tourists who wished to benefit from its economic prosperity and enjoy its numerous pagan shrines, its gladiatorial contests, and the popular Isthmian Games held there every two years. Like many cosmopolitan centers, however, Corinth had a reputation for shameless immorality and a ruthless spirit of competition. The Book of Acts informs us that Paul himself planted the young Church there about
A.D.
51, but he stayed only long enough to get things up and running (Acts 18:118). The social make-up of this budding community emerges from the letter itself: some were wealthy (11:22), others poor (1:26), and others slaves (7:21). Ethnically, the Corinthian Church was mixed, having a strong presence of both Gentile (8:7; 12:2) and Jewish believers (7:18-20).

Purpose
 Nearly five years had elapsed between Paul's founding of the Church in Corinth and the arrival of this letter. During his absence the community had fallen prey to a number of vices that were beginning to fracture its unity and drag members away from the faith. Although Paul planned to visit Corinth to disentangle these problems in person (see 11:34b), he sent the letter we know as 1 Corinthians to hold things together until his arrival. His instructions were tailored to address the information he had received about their struggles.

Paul was first informed that a crisis was brewing in Corinth through delegates of a woman named Chloe (1:11; 11:18). Their disturbing report included news of internal divisions (1:12-15), a case of incest (5:1-5), sexual immorality (6:12-20), multiplying lawsuits (6:1-8), and outspoken denials of the Resurrection (15:12). Liturgically, the Corinthians were becoming careless in their celebration of the Eucharist (11:17-34), and some were exercising charismatic gifts in a manner more disruptive than edifying (14:1-40). Paul confronted these problems by censuring the Corinthians' immorality and calling them back to the basics of Christian doctrine.

Paul also gave personal responses to select questions asked by the Corinthians. In a letter unknown to us, the young Church had written to Paul asking for spiritual direction on various matters, such as marriage, celibacy, and food offered to idols (7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1). Much of 1 Corinthians consists of Paul's addressing these issues one by one.

In the end, Paul was deeply concerned for this troubled Church. His pastoral guidance is that of a spiritual father aiming to restore peace and unity among children by fortifying their commitment to Jesus Christ (4:14-15).

Themes and Characteristics
 First Corinthians reveals more about the struggles and conditions of a young, apostolic Church than any other NT letter. It gives a clear picture of the wide range of pressures that the earliest Christians had to face, pressures both from within their communities and from their surrounding pagan environment. Paul shows himself sensitive to these challenges throughout the letter and offers spiritual direction that is sometimes bold and confrontational but always full of charity and fatherly wisdom. Because the problems in ancient Corinth are problems that plague the Church in every age, this letter was the most widely cited of Paul's epistles in early Christianity and continues to speak to our situation today.

The leading themes of the letter follow the doctrinal and moral issues that Paul was forced to address, especially those related to immorality, arrogance, liturgical abuse, and erroneous opinions about death and resurrection. These problems shook the local Church in Corinth down to her foundation and made the community look more at times like a pagan society than a spiritual family. To reverse this trend, Paul takes aim throughout the letter at two vices that underlie the Corinthians' multiple struggles: pride and selfishness.
(1)
Pride
manifested itself among the Corinthians in the form of intellectual arrogance that paid more respect to human knowledge and eloquence than to the humble message of the gospel (1:18-25; 3:18-21; 8:1-3). Paul takes occasion to reprimand their attitude of superiority by appealing to the warnings in Scripture (1:19, 31; 3:19-20) and reminding them that true "wisdom" is imparted through the gospel of the Cross (1:18; 2:6-10). In the apostle's mind, there is no room among believers for arrogance or boasting, because every good thing they possess is a gift from God (4:6-7).
(2)
Selfishness
manifested itself in various ways among the Corinthians. Lawsuits among believers were a growing problem (6:18); certain believers asserted their freedoms in a reckless way (8:1-13); some were guilty of discrimination toward the poor (11:21-22); and some exercised spiritual gifts as a way of attracting attention to themselves (14:1-40). Paul's prescription for each of these ailments is a return to Christian charity (14:1; 16:14, 22). Only God's love within us "builds up" (8:1) the Church in a way that glorifies Christ. Chapter 13 is the most beautiful in the letter, portraying love as patient, caring, and oriented toward others. This is the supreme law of the New Covenant (Rom 13:8-10) and the crown jewel of the Christian virtues (1 Cor 13:13). For Paul, only the divine love that we receive from Christ can deliver us from the chains of self-centered living and carry us into eternity with God (13:8-12).