Dealing with a Dysfunctional Church
St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians
Fall, 2009
Pohick Episcopal Church

The Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD

Twenty-first century Christians routinely presume that “the Church” of our period represents the epitome of dysfunction. Yet even a cursory review of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians reveals an early congregation second-to-none in this regard: members openly quarreled with one another, with some dragging fellow members into civil court; one man brazenly slept with his stepmother, while others solicited temple prostitutes; still others routinely became drunk in the middle of Sunday services! Throughout 1 Corinthians, the Apostle deals one-by-one with such outrageous behaviors, alternately chastising, commending and proclaiming. In this class, we will explore these and other dysfunctions prevalent in the Corinthian church, along with Paul’s apostolic response. Through an examination and discussion of this most earthy of the Pauline epistles, participants will potentially gain some new insights into dealing with analogous dysfunctions in our time.

Outline of Class Meetings

October 11 Overview: A God’s Eye View of First-Century Corinth

October 18 The Dysfunction of Discord: 1 Cor 1-4, 6:1-8 Discussion Questions

October 25 The Dysfunction of Sexual Immorality: 1 Cor 5, 6:9-20

November 1 The Dysfunction of False Holiness: 1 Cor 7

November 8 The Dysfunction of Libertinism: 1 Cor 8-11:1

November 15 The Dysfunction of Drunkenness and Excess: 1 Cor 11:2-39

November 22 The Dysfunction of Spiritual Pride: 1 Cor 12-14

November 29 The Core Dysfunction: A Mistake in Time: 1 Cor 15

Recommended Resources:

The Bible. Our primary source, in various English translations: NRSV, NIV, ESV, etc.
Please read the above cited passages prior to their discussion in class.

Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians. N. T. Wright. London: Westminster, John Knox Press, 2004.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians. Gordon D. Fee. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1987.

All classes will be held in the Parish House Annex during the Sunday School Hour, 10:15–11:05 am.