Semănătorul (The Sower)
September 2023, Volume 4, Number 1
THE ABA’ STRUCTURE OF PAUL’S ARGUMENTATION IN 1 CORINTHIANS. LOVE AS A UNIFYING THEME
CORIN MIHĂILĂ
ABSRTACT
It is well known that the letter of 1 Corinthians is peculiar in the sense that it deals with several issues in the Corinthian church, apparently unrelated to each other, except that all the problems were found in the same church. While the purpose for which Paul wrote the letter was that of creating unity, the way he seeks to motivate towards unity is by calling for self-sacrifice, restraining one’s liberty, giving up one’s rights, ultimately by calling the believers to love. This becomes clear by noting the structure of Paul’s argument in dealing with each individual issue in the letter. The sandwich (ABA’) structure reveals that at the heart of each of Paul’s arguments is a call to self-sacrifice. This is strengthened by noting that Paul begins and ends his epistle with the two most significant redemptive events—the cross and the resurrection.
KEY WORDS: Corinthians, sandwich structure, ABA’ structure, love, gospel, cross, unity, theme
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58892/TS.swr4140