Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians [Paperback]

Tom Wright (Author)

Book Description

Series: For Everyone | Publication Date: January 1, 2004

This work captures the liveliness of cosmopolitan Corinth, and shows the wisdom and challenge of Paul's writing, bringing out the pastoral sensitivity and insight that makes this letter one of Paul's crowning achievements.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

N.T. (Tom) Wright is the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. He is a prolific author and noted New Testament scholar, and was named by Christianity Today in 1999 as one of the world's top 5 new theologians. He has written over thirty books, both at the scholarly level (including Jesus and the Victory of God, The Resurrection of the Son of God, and The Meaning of Jesus) and for a popular audience (including The Meal Jesus Gave Us (WJK) and Who Was Jesus?).

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664227910
• ISBN-13: 978-0664227913
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

N.T. Wright is Bishop of Durham and was formerly Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey and dean of Lichfield Cathedral. He taught New Testament studies for twenty years at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities. Wright's full-scale works The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God, and The Resurrection of the Son of God are part of a projected six-volume series entitled Christian Origins and the Question of God. Among his many other published works are The Original Jesus, What Saint Paul Really Said and The Climax of the Covenant. He is also coauthor with Marcus Borg of The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions and the volume on Colossians and Philemon in The Tyndale New Testament Commentary series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!, January 8, 2006

By 

Carl A. Dixon (Bradenton, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (Paperback)

I have read a lot of N T Wright but never a commentary. I purchased this little commentary on 1 Corinthians for a series I am teaching through the book using very technical commentaries. I feel like I have found a real treasure. Wright is a world class scholar but this series is written for anyone - even a brand new Christian - to understand. I am sure I will purchase all of this series. No one will be disappointed if they invest in Wright's successful attempt to explain the Bible in a way that anyone can understand and enjoy. Practical, easy to understand, true to the text, but still exposing the profound message of Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the complex stuff simple., December 18, 2006

By 

DarrenGJohnson "DarrenGJohnson" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (Paperback)

The Everyone Series once again stays true to its name with this work on First Corinthians by Tom Wright. Tom give his translation, followed by an antecdote of some kind that illustrates the point, and then he gets down to interpretation. The entire commentary was good, but the strongest section for me was his work on the resurrection of Jesus in chapter 15. He also has interesting insight into the meaning of more complex issue like the role of women in the church and the Lord's supper. I am a Pentecostal and was worried that Wright might take a harsh view against speaking in other tongues, but he does not at all do so. This is the type of commentary that a pastor could recommend to his congregation to read without the worry of tough technical language or complex phillosophical discussions. Wright keeps it simple and interesting throughout.
There is also an excellent glossary of terms at the back of each of these books that can be really helpful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Insights on 1 Corinthians, May 3, 2010

By 

D. S. Bornus (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (Paperback)

For those unfamiliar with Wright's "______ for Everyone" series, they are a series of commentaries on the New Testament books by Bishop Wright based on his extensive historical scholarship. He provides his own translation (based on his study of the source languages) which is a very engaging paraphrase. The text is divided up into chronological topic-based segments, followed by a 2-3 page sermonette/commentary based on that section.

In this volume, Wright gives interesting background about what Paul faced in dealing with the Corinthian church and the issues that were going on at the time. For instance, Wright points out clues in the text that suggest that Corinth was going through a famine and that many in that church were in poverty. There is also a possible indication that Paul was a widower. Wright's discussion of the text provides a helpful exposition of many important passages such as Paul's instructions about marriage, men and women in the church, communion, church fellowship, and the resurrection.

Wright begins each segment with an interesting illustration or parable-like story. These illustrations are entertaining and enjoyable in their own right.