The Body Of Christ: I Corinthians And Galatians

Trouble sometimes plagued Paul’s various communities. Paul addressed serious problems within these communities through occasional letters in which he utilized his theological concept of “the Body of Christ.” Paul uses this concept to encourage community and love. I Corinthians and Galatians characterize this approach. The major problems pervading Corinth and Galatia and Paul’s subsequent response illuminates how he employs the “Body of Christ” to solve such problems. Corinth faced a host of problems. First and foremost, division riddled the Corinth church. People quarreled and claimed, ““I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ”” (I Cor 1:12). Each sect promoted a different leader and competed

Mark wrote his Gospel sometime around 70 CE during the Jewish war with Rome and around the time the Romans destroyed the Temple. Jews and Christians alike suffered and died at the hands of Roman rule. As such, Mark’s gospel focuses on a suffering and dying messiah – an image to which much of Mark’s audience could relate as they suffered under the Romans. Mark’s imagery of suffering and death enabled his audiences to endure Roman occupation. Jesus, the Messiah, suffered and died before resurrecting to join His kingdom. Likewise, first century Jews and Christians interpreted the Gospel of Mark to manage their own suffering. They believed that if Jesus Christ suffered and died before reaching eternal life, then they too, as His faithful followers, will be redeemed if they suffer now. Indeed, they saw Roman occupation as the forces of evil controlling the present age. But Mark’s gospel encouraged them to believe that suffering now was just the first step; God and the forces of good would come soon to redeem them and their suffering. Thus, the Gospel of Mark characterizes the use of apocalypticism to empower Jews and Christians to handle life under Roman

We must ask historical questions of the New Testament to understand first century Christianity because history explains why authors wrote as they did and how certain events affected early Christians. The Gospel of Mark exemplifies the importance of asking historical questions. Mark focuses on a suffering and dying Jesus. Today, it might be hard to imagine God suffering and dying. But this image of Jesus is rooted in history. Mark wrote as the Romans destroyed the Temple and persecuted Jews and Christians. These events influenced Mark’s image Jesus as suffering and dying messiah. This inspired early Christians to endure suffering in hopes of resurrection. Historical questions cause us to scrutinize the gospels to understand first century Christianity more fully. These historical questions provoke us to explore events that shaped early Christian writers and audiences and how they interpreted