NE506
Spittler
NE506: 1 CORINTHIANS. Russell P. Spittler.
DESCRIPTION:
- This course carries a double aim: (1) to enhance understanding and
interpretation of 1 Corinthians and (2) to increase facility in using the
Greek New Testament. This should allow students to perfect their own exegetical
method by applying it to a biblical book of high contemporary
relevance.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- A study of 1 Corinthians shows how one of Paul's congregations met
with problems that have a decidedly modern ring: divisiveness, ministerial
favoritism, moral failure, spiritual elitism, charismatic excess, theological
heresy, failed financial pledge. Using the Greek text should help make the
Greek New Testament a life-long professional companion.
COURSE FORMAT:
- The course will meet twice weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays at
8:00-9:50 p.m. Usually, the first hour will be devoted to the Greek text and
the second to an exposition of the letter.
REQUIRED READING:
- Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The New
International Commentary on the NT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987. Recent,
readable, thorough.
- Nestle, Erwin and Kurt Aland et al. Novum Testamentum Graece. 27th
edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1993. The teacher will use this
edition ("Nestle-Aland") primarily.
- Rienecker, Fritz. A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (one
volume edition). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980. (Compare a similar aid: Max
Zerwick, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament. Revised, 1
vol. edition. Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981.)
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Aland, K.; M. Black; C. Martini; B. Metzger; and A. Wikgren, eds.
The Greek New Testament (="GNT"). 4th ed. (revised). United Bible
Societies, 1993. An aim of the course will be to understand the differences
between "Nestle-Aland" and the "GNT," which now have the same text.
- Aland, Kurt and Barbara Aland. The Text of the New Testament. Trans.
Erroll F. Rhodes. 2nd edition, revised and enlarged. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1989. See especially chapter 5, "Introduction to the Use of the Modern
Editions."
- Bauer, Walter, W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker. A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature. 2nd edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. A
third English edition may be a year away. See Louw-Nida below.
- Louw, Johannes and Eugene Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament Based on Semantic Domains. 2 vols. New York: United Bible
Societies, 1988. Students should master the differences between Bauer and
Louw-Nida.
- Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. 1 Corinthians. New Testament Message, vol
10. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1979. A fresh, brief Roman Catholic
treatment.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Weekly written assignments or quizzes over such matters as Greek
vocabulary, principal parts, and edition features; and a 10-15 page exegetical
paper on any brief section (two or three verses) of 1 Corinthians, selected by
the student.
PREREQUISITES:
- LG512, NE502, and NS501.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
- Meets M. Div. core requirement in New Testament Exegesis (NTE).
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.