Christian Stettler, «The 'Command of the Lord' in 1 Cor 14,37 – a Saying of Jesus?», Vol. 87 (2006) 42-51
In 1 Cor 14,37 Paul mentions a “command of the Lord”. The language Paul uses
indicates that he is not referring to his own apostolic authority but to a saying of
Jesus. The context in 1 Corinthians 12–14 makes clear that the principle he has in
mind is mutual love. Therefore he must be referring to the summary of the law
given by Jesus in the love commandment which Paul primarily interprets in the
sense of mutual love among Christians. Like John 13,34 he calls this commandment
a command of Jesus. Moreover, Paul knows a tradition similar to Matt 7,21-23.
AN I MADVE R S I O N E S
The “Command of the Lord†in 1 Cor 14,37 –
a Saying of Jesus?
The “command of the Lord†in 1 Cor 14,37 is generally understood as
referring not to a saying of Jesus, but to Paul’s apostolic exhortations in the
authority of the risen Christ (1). There are only very few exceptions to this
view: W.D. Davies counts the passage among Paul’s explicit references to
Jesus tradition (2); more specifically, B. Gerhardsson and P.J. Tomson think of
an agraphon about the silence of women (cf. 1 Cor 14,34-35) (3). A.
Lindemann remains undecided whether Paul is referring to his own authority
or somehow to Jesus tradition (4); A.C. Thiselton’s commentary does not
discuss the question at all (5).
In this article I will argue that in 1 Cor 14,37 kurivou ejntolhv (6) is best
(1) J. WEISS, Der erste Brief an die Korinther (KEK; Göttingen 1910) 343; A.
ROBERTSON – A. PLUMMER, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of
St Paul to the Corinthians (ICC; Edinburgh 21914) 327; J. HÉRING, The First Epistle of
Saint Paul to the Corinthians (London 1962) 155; A. SCHLATTER, Paulus, der Bote Jesu.
Eine Deutung seiner Briefe an die Korinther (Stuttgart 41969) 390; C.K. BARRETT, A
Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (BNTC; London 21971) 333-334; F.F.
BRUCE, 1 and 2 Corinthians (NCB; London 1971) 136; W.F. ORR – J.A. WALTHER, I
Corinthians (AB 32; Garden City, NY 1976) 314; C. SENFT, La première épître de Saint-
Paul aux Corinthiens (CNT[N] 2,7; Neuchâtel 1979) 183; W.A. GRUDEM, The Gift of
Prophecy in 1 Corinthians (Washington 1982) 51–52; D.E. AUNE, Prophecy in Early
Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (Grand Rapids, MI 1983) 221; L.
MORRIS, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (TNTC; Leicester – Grand Rapids, MI
1985) 198; F. LANG, Die Briefe an die Korinther (NTD 7; Göttingen 1986) 201; D.A.
CARSON, Showing the Spirit. A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12–14 (Grand
Rapids, MI 1987) 132; G.D. FEE, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT; Grand
Rapids, MI 1987) 711; S.J. KISTEMAKER, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians
(NTC; Grand Rapids, MI 1993) 516; R.B. HAYS, First Corinthians (Interpretation;
Louisville, KY 1997) 244; W. SCHRAGE, Der erste Brief an die Korinther Vol. 3 (EKK 7/3;
Neukirchen-Vluyn 1999) 459, n. 556; R.F. COLLINS, First Corinthians (Sacra Pagina 7;
Collegeville, MN 1999) 522; C. WOLFF, Der erste Brief des Paulus an die Korinther (THK
7; Leipzig 22000) 347; as possibly referring to Paul’s authority H. CONZELMANN, 1
Corinthians (Hermeneia; Philadelphia 1975) 246.
(2) W.D. DAVIES, Paul and Rabbinic Judaism. Some Elements in Pauline Theology
(Philadelphia 41980) 140-141.
(3) B. GERHARDSSON, Memory and Manuscript. Oral Tradition and Written
Transmission in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI – Livonia, MI
1998) 306; P.J. TOMSON, “La première épître aux Corinthiens comme document de la
2
tradition apostolique de halakhaâ€, The Corinthian Correspondence (ed. R. BIERINGER)
(BETL 125; Leuven 1996) 466.
(4) A. LINDEMANN, Der erste Korintherbrief (HNT 9/1; Tübingen 2000) 322.
(5) A.C. THISELTON, The First Epistle to the Corinthians. A Commentary on the Greek
Text (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, MI – Carlisle 2000).
(6) For an evaluation of the different textual variants see WOLFF, 1 Korinther, 347, n.
572; SCHRAGE, 1 Korinther, III, 460, n. 558; COLLINS, 1 Corinthians, 522.
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