The Greco-Roman Rhetoric Background of Sophia in 1 Corinthians 1-4

Abstract

It seems that the Corinthians appreciated rhetorical eloquence and had therefore esteemed their teachers according to their rhetorical abilities. This could be the root problem behind dissensions as they are confronted by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1-4. This hypothesis is one among other proposals for the background behind the concept of sophia, however, it is both the oldest and the most recent one at the same time. It is assumed by most recent commentators and seems to make the most sense in the context of these beginning chapters of 1 Corinthians. Nevertheless, the concept of sophia in 1 Corinthians 1-4 allows for at least two senses: the means by which one knows God and persuasive speech. It is against the second understanding of sophia that Paul presents his theology of preaching in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and it is this second sense that constitutes the cause of the dissensions in Corinth.

Keywords

• sophia
• sophists
• corinthians
• rhetoric
• eloquence
• persuasive speech
• dissensions
• apollos
• paul