School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses


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Date of Award

3-29-2006

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

School of Theology and Seminary

First Advisor

Charles A. Bobertz

Second Advisor

Vincent M. Smiles

Subject Categories

Religion

Abstract

It is an exegetical study of Paul's views on cultic dinners in 1 Corinthians 8:1- 11 :1, 17-34. I argue that in chapter 8 Paul does not agree with the Corinthians' participation in pagan temple cultic dinners. Paul rejects the notion that the Corinthians have attained knowledge but still refers to their so-called knowledge as a rhetorical strategy. Paul implicitly condemns the Corinthians' eating of idol food in 8:7 and 8:10. 4 In 1 Cor 10 it becomes evident that the pagan ritual with the food brings people into communion with demons (v. 20) but if the Christian buys food at the market, which was most likely sacrificed at the temple, Paul believes it is acceptable to eat the food outside of the ritualistic context (v. 26). The demons do not remain beyond the ritual. At the Lord's Supper, Christ is truly present and physically interacts with the community, particularly, by inflicting illness and death to the individuals who participate unworthily. What matters to Paul is praxis (participating in the pagan ritual/treating well our Christian brothers and sisters at the Lord's Supper) not our noetic capabilities. Against the scholarly consensus, I argue that Paul does not accept the notion that in principle it is permissible to participate in pagan rituals; he rejects such behavior as idolatry and we cannot be in communion with demons and Christ at the same time (10:20-21).

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