1 Corinthians: A Shorter Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary

by Anthony C. Thiselton

Anthony Thiselton's lengthy New International Greek Testament Commentary volume The First Epistle to the Corinthians (2000) has become a standard work on 1 Corinthians. In this "shorter" commentary Thiselton draws on his excellent exegesis from that volume but combines it afresh with keen practical and pastoral application for readers at all levels. Thiselton delves deeply into the context and text of Paul's first Corinthian letter as he suggests, section by section, how the book applies to pastoral and practical issues. He draws vivid parallels between the growing church in Corinth and the twenty-first-century church, demonstrating that today's church also faces a seductive culture of competition and consumerism. The church in Corinth preferred its self-centered theology to the Christ-centered gospel of the wider apostolic church. Paul's response in 1 Corinthians, amplified by Thiselton's commentary, becomes a living, practical, transforming word from God for Christians today.

Genres: Reference, Theology, New Testament

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Anthony Charles Thiselton is emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham and a fellow of the British Academy. His recent publications include Approaching Philosophy of Religion, Discovering Romans, Systematic Theology, The Holy Spirit, and The Last Things.

Reviews

[John Pawlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Thiselton’s shorter commentary that went along with it, it dealt with more pastoral issues and ethics for the church based on his readings from the larger one. It’s funny how different this commentary is from the other one and yet how good this one is too! If you are looking for a shorter 1 Corinthians commentary I would definitely recommend it, but be prepared to address the larger commentary for places in it where the size limits the ability to flesh out all the possibilities!

[Jim Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Thiselton has a revered name in the scholarly world. Among his many works, he is, perhaps, best known for his well-received NIGTC on 1 Corinthians. At first glance, you would assume this newer work on 1 Corinthians, described as “a shorter exegetical and pastoral commentary”, would merely be an abbreviation of the earlier, massive commentary. It’s not. In the preface, he carefully describes what this book is. He wrote it after five additional years of reflection and has written the work here with less scholarly interaction and more straightforward delineation of his own thoughts with additional pastoral and practical help. Neither work precludes the value of the other and this would be one of the rare cases where you really need two works by the same author on the same book of the Bible.

If you, like me, have used his earlier commentary and remember it’s thorough introduction, you will be impressed that he could also write something as accessible, clear, and helpful as he did in this 27-page introduction. Many writers could do one or the other, but few could pull off both with such success. The first section of the introduction covers the city and the culture of Corinth, which succinctly reviews what would be found in any introduction. The second section on the ethos that permeated the church was particularly enlightening. From there, he got into rhetoric and archaeological information and finished with a discussion of the writing of the epistle itself. A few helpful pictures were thrown in as well.

The commentary proper was to the point yet distilled the heart of the matter nicely. In the preface, he described how difficult the section on suggestions for possible reflection for every passage was to put together. While, perhaps, not as valuable as the commentary itself, these reflections are worth scanning for the pastor preparing messages. The tone is not that of heavy scholarly interaction, but it’s clear great scholarship stands behind what’s presented.

This book isn’t part of a series and might be easily overlooked. Look it up. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Brandon Current · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and Keep as Resource. This is a simplification of Thiselton's major commentary aimed at helping the pastor preach from 1 Corinthians. It is well organized and the right depth and breadth for the intended purpose. However, some of his positions seem overly complex and struck me as unlikely agreeing with Paul's flow of thought. Too much reliance on historical and linguistic arguments rather than the internal logic of the work. Many modern commentaries suffer from this. However, it really isn't fair to judge the simplified versions of the argument without reading the larger work, which I haven't.

[Mike Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read a commentary from beginning to end, but this one was assigned to me so I did. Thiselton can be quite dry, but not in this volume. He still provides a good exegetical and theological analysis. He's able to present multiple viewpoints on a controversial or confusing passage while not advocating strictly for one position. His footnotes are lined with all kinds of great resources for deeper study. The pericopes were appropriately lengthed for preaching or small group studies, the questions were generally practical and helpful, if not a bit abstract.

[Richard Myerscough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a model shorter commentary. Yes, you might quibble with the odd interpretative decision here or there (and Thiselton occasionally disagrees with himself in his longer, earlier work) but not only is he clear and concise, simulating further thought, his pastoral reflections on each section are outstandingly helpful. Unlike some works where such comments rarely rise above the mostly obvious, Thiselton shows deep pastoral sensitivity, wisdom and compassion, and an acquaintance with the complexities of the lives of Christians and churches.

[Douglas Domer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional commentary from an author who wrote a much larger volume on 1 Corinthians. The page count is very manageable for a in-depth study of Paul's book. This book includes: A Bibliography of Works Cited, Index of Names, Index of Subjects, and Index of Biblical References. Ligonier Ministries has highly recommended the larger volume and refers to this as a somewhat abridged form of that. This smaller volume is excellent for a person without a Greek background.

[Joshua Reitano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid exposition, if a little dry.

[Steve Hemmeke · Rating 3 out of 5]

75% verse by verse exegesis. 25% suggested questions for application.
Decent exegesis. Application was spotty - sometimes insightful.