1. The Story-Line of Christian Precreation Rhetorolect LESSON 4: CHRISTIAN PRECREATION RHETOROLECT IN 1 CORINTHIANS 1 Corinthians, an undisputed or “genuine” letter of Paul, contains Christian precreation rhetorolect that focuses on Christ as the wisdom of God.  Click to read about precreation rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians.

2. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 1-4: CHRIST IS GOD’S WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul speaks of a “mature” wisdom. This wisdom includes Christian precreation rhetorolect about God’s “secret and hidden” wisdom, which God defined “before the ages.” Resources for Paul’s Christian precreation rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians lie in Isaiah, Job, and the Psalms.  Click to read resources for Paul’s precreation rhetorolect in Isaiah.

3. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD’S AMAZING WISDOM in Isaiah Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden. Isaiah 64:4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.  Click to continue with resources for Paul’s precreation rhetorolect in Isaiah.

4. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD’S AMAZING WISDOM in Isaiah cont. Isaiah 40:13 Who has directed the Spirit of Adonai, or has taught him as his counselor? 40:14 Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?  Click to read resources for Paul’s precreation rhetorolect in Job.

5. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD’S UNSEARCHABLE WISDOM in Job Job 5:8 But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God, 5:9 who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvelous things without number; 5:10 who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields; 5:11 so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.  Click to continue with resources for Paul’s precreation rhetorolect in Job.

6. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD’S UNSEARCHABLE WISDOM in Job cont. Job 5:12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise. 5:13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong. 5:14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night. 5:15 But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty. 5:16 So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.  Click to read resources for Paul’s precreation rhetorolect in Psalm 94.

7. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD’S PRECREATION WISDOM in Psalm 94 Psalm 94:8 Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise? 94:9 He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see? 94:10 He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows. 94:11 Adonai knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.  Click to read about Christian precreation rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 1-4.

8. CHRISTIAN PRECREATION RHETOROLECT IN 1 CORINTHIANS 1-4 PRESENTS CHRIST AS GOD’S WISDOM, SECRET AND HIDDEN, WHICH GOD DEFINED “BEFORE THE AGES”  Click for next slide.

9. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 1: GOD’S SECRET AND HIDDEN WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1:21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. 1:22 For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Click to continue 1 Corinthians 1-2 on precreation wisdom.

10. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 1-2: GOD’S SECRET AND HIDDEN WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES 1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 2:6 We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing. 2:7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God predefined before the worlds for our glory,  Click to continue 1 Corinthians 2 on precreation wisdom.

11. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 2: GOD’S SECRET AND HIDDEN WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES 1 Corinthians 2:8 which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory. 2:9 But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.” 2:10 But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 2:11 For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God’s Spirit.  Click to continue 1 Corinthians 2 on precreation wisdom.

12. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 2: GOD’S SECRET AND HIDDEN WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.” 1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?  Click to continue 1 Corinthians 2 on precreation wisdom.

13. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians 2, 4: GOD’S SECRET AND HIDDEN WISDOM BEFORE THE AGES 1 Corinthians 2:14 Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2:15 But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one. 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.  Click to read a summary.

14. Good Work! In this lesson you have learned that: In 1 Corinthians, a “genuine” or undisputed letter of Paul, the apostle answers the question, “Why does the story of Christ look foolish, rather than wise, and look weak, rather than strong.” In other words, Paul faces the problem that the “gospel” story he tells about God’s Messiah is that “God’s Messiah came to earth and was killed.” He should be able to say, instead, that God’s Messiah came to earth, destroyed all of God’s enemies, and established Jerusalem as a place where all nations worship God.  Click to continue the summary.

15. Excellent! Paul’s answer to the question about the “foolish and weak” story he tells presents Christian precreation rhetorolect. According to Paul, God defined a “secret and hidden” wisdom “before the ages” and created the world through this divine wisdom. Instead of looking wise, divine wisdom looks foolish; instead of looking strong, divine wisdom looks weak. In other words, behind the “visible” appearance of the story of God’s Messiah (the crucifixion) lies an “invisible” divine wisdom.  Click to continue the summary.

16. Summary cont. Divine wisdom, Paul asserts, chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise and what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:27). Resources for Paul’s Christian precreation rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians lie in Isaiah, Job, and the Psalms. These writings in the Hebrew Bible contain statements that God will “frustrate the wisdom of the wise,” because the wise become confident in themselves, rather than remaining focused on God.  Click to continue.

17. Summary cont. Christian precreation rhetorolect in 1 Corinthians presents Christ as God’s wisdom, which was “predefined” before the creation of the world. In other words, Christ is a “visible” presentation of God’s “invisible” divine wisdom. This wisdom is so difficult to understand, Paul says, that only those who are instructed by the Spirit of God can understand it. Who is this Spirit of God? It is the wind/spirit/breath that “moved over the face of the waters” in Genesis 1:2, “searching everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10).  Click to continue.

18. Summary cont. Only the Spirit of God, which knows everything about God, is able to teach humans this divine wisdom (1 Cor 2:10-13), which “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor human heart conceived” (1 Cor 2:9). In Paul’s Christian precreation rhetorolect, then, God’s hidden wisdom becomes “Christological,” In Paul’s Christian precreation rhetorolect, then, God’s hidden wisdom becomes “Christological,” namely it is informed by “the story of Christ’s death,” rather than “the story of the famous men of Israel” (Sirach 44-50) or “the story of wisdom’s guiding of Israel’s history” (Wisdom of Solomon 10-11). Paul’s “Christological” divine wisdom is so difficult to understand that he says only the Spirit of God is able to teach it.  Click to continue.

19. Congratulations!!!! THIS WAS THE FOURTH LESSON on the Christian Precreation Story-Line. The next lesson turns to Christian precreation rhetorolect in Colossians and Ephesians, which are two later Pauline letters listed among the disputed letters of Paul. These letters describe both God and Christ with more detailed Christian precreation rhetorolect, and they explain the relation of believers, and especially Gentiles, to it. Great job!