Wisdom According to Paul in Relation to the Corinthian Problems

This solid study of 1 Corinthians 1-4 will orient you to the options that exist in our world: to pursue wisdom on our own, to focus on signs, or to see things as God does through his spirit, where real wisdom lies. Using both rhetorical and sociological analysis of the text and working through the passage carefully, this book reflects solid engagement with the biblical message. I commend it to you. Darrell Bock, PhD Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Hendricks Center, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, Texas, USA Dr. Richard C. Rojas's positioning of Paul's understanding of wisdom, and in particular, ""Christ, the wisdom of God"" in 1 Corinthians 1:24, becomes a heuristic tool for examining the argumentative interconnectedness of the problems in the church at Corinth that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 1-4. This work of critical scholarship is recommended for all specialists and non-specialist students of Saint Paul. Kenneth A. Fox, PhD Visiting Professor of New Testament, Alliance Graduate School and Asia Graduate School of Theology, Philippines Accurate interpretation of 1 Corinthians requires understanding both the social context of the church in Corinth and the rhetoric of Paul's response to the church's problems. Rojas's judicious and painstaking sociological and rhetorical analysis of 1 Corinthians 1-4 shines a light not only on the exegesis of the letter but also on boasting, divisions, and following Jesus Christ in every age. Brian S. Rosner, PhD Principal, Ridley College, Australia Dr. Rojas's book is worth reading for its detailed explanation of the social context and rhetorical situation in the church in Corinth, but more than that, it is worth reading for the way in which it challenges our own false sense of superiority and our own failure to seek after the wisdom of God. Joel F. Williams, PhD Professor of New Testament Studies, Biblical Seminary of the Philippines