Corpus-Paul

[Richard Fellows <rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca>]

Craig wrote:
>In working through 1 Cor in preparation for my classes on it this 
>semester I was struck by the wording of 1 Cor 15:10a (CARITI DE QEOU 
>EIMI HO EIMI). This seems  quite striking -- akin to the divine claim 
>in Ex 3:14 (as a direct translation from the Hebrew rather than from 
>the LXX) -- but it is not really touched by the major commentaries 
>(e.g., Barrett, Conzelmann, Fee). I was wondering what others make of 
>it?

When Paul says "I am what I am" in 1 Cor 15:10a he is, I think, alluding to
his status as an apostle.  The phrase is rather brief, as one would expect,
since it comes in 15:9-10, which is something of a digression from his main
point.  Had he expanded on his point in 15:10 he would have lost his main
thread which he picks up again rather hurriedly in 15:11.  But I think that
with the phrase "I am what I am" he is not only trying to be brief: he is
also pointedly avoiding boasting, for in 15:8-10 he positively oozes
self-restraint. Notice the boasting in weakness in 15:8-9, the double
negative in the middle of 15:10, and the way he qualifies his statement at
the end of 15:10.

The issue in 15:9-10 is the relationship of the Corinthians to the
Jerusalem apostles, on the one hand, and to Paul on the other.  This verse
should therefore be understood in the light of 9:1-6.  Notice also that
there is much in these two passages that corresponds to equivalent
statements in 2 Cor 10-13, especially when the super-apostles (but not the
false apostles) are recognised as the Jerusalem apostles. 

For what it's worth, I believe (for numerous reasons) that the historical
context of 1 Cor 9:1-5 and 15:9-10 is as follows.  Some people received
letters of recommendation from the Jerusalem apostles (2 Cor 3:1) and
visited Corinth.  They promoted the authority of the Jerusalem apostles at
the expense of Paul's authority.  While they were still at Corinth Paul
wrote 2 Cor 10-13 where he referred to them as false apostles.  He sent 2
Cor 10-13 with Timothy via the land route to Corinth and before his arrival
Stephanas and company arrived in Ephesus and Paul wrote 1 Cor.  In that
letter he does not waste energy attacking the Corinthians' visitors since
they had already left Corinth by then, though he probably refers to them in
9:2.  He concentrates on putting right their legacy.

Richard Fellows
rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca