Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:3 (Sep 2023)
Article: Reading 1 Corinthians In Dialogue With The Apostles’ Creed
Author: Brian Jones

JETS 66:3 (September 2023) p. 509

Reading 1 Corinthians In Dialogue With
The Apostles’ Creed

Brian Rosner

And

Mark Simon*

^* Brian Rosner is Principal of Ridley College, 170 The Avenue, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Mark Simon is Lecturer in New Testament and Research Associate, Ridley College, 170 The Avenue, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. He may be contacted at [email protected]. Ridley College is an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology.

Abstract: As a modest exercise in theological interpretation, this article explores the extent to which the Apostles’ Creed is congruent with the theology of 1 Corinthians. Congruence is established if there are (a) explicit lexical parallels in 1 Corinthians, (b) the presence of related lexical terms or theological motifs, or (c) intertextual clues, in particular, texts in 1 Corinthians that point to a shared theological motif. The article-by-article analysis of the Creed indicates that the majority of its theological affirmations are supportable from 1 Corinthians. Four elements are not explicitly present in the text (Jesus’s conception, birth, suffering under Pontius Pilate, and his descent to the dead). Patristic writers provide points of contact in 1 Corinthians even for these elements. First Corinthians is, therefore, a thoroughly doctrinal document, in which Paul drew on early Christian traditions and his own theological vision to show how Christology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, and eschatology are vital for faithful Christian living then and now.

Key words: Apostles’ Creed, 1 Corinthians, doctrine, Trinity, Christology, rule of faith

To what extent is there congruence between the theological claims of the Apostles’ Creed and the theology of 1 Corinthians? The following exploration of 1 Corinthians in dialogue with the articles of the Apostles’ Creed is a modest exercise in theological interpretation. It is focused on the theological affirmations found in the letter, read as canonical Scripture—a text that is intended to shape its audience as a Christian community to take part in the divine drama. The research focus advances theological interpretation in two areas. First, several biblical scholars characterize 1 Corinthians as an occasional letter in which Paul theologizes in an “ad hoc” manner.1 If, however, 1 Corinthians reflects a number of (what later emerged as) creedal Christian beliefs, then Paul’s theological framework is not so ad hoc after all. Second, if a substantial number of the articles of the Apostles’ Creed are congruent with (even su...