Read 1 Corinthians 8, Using the index and reference sections, complete Exegesis of passage using Three Worlds of the Text Scaffold.

1. The World Behind the Text
2. The World of the Text
3. The World in Front of the Text

Citing Sources:

A source may be physical or electronic content (e.g. article, video, sound recording, image) or a person, a book, scholarly articles etc.

When citing your sources, you need to:

1. Identify the source i.e. who or what is the source and how can I find them? (Book name, URL, person’s name and where they are from, e.g. John Smith, Minister at New Life Christian Church)

2. Establish the credibility or authority of the source i.e. Who is the publisher? What are their qualifications? What community or tradition are they part of? What is their place in their community? (e.g. Joe has a degree in History and has been a minister for five years).

1. The World Behind the Text

Answer the following question in the quiz.

• Open your Study Bible to the Introductory Notes for the 1 Corinthians that you are studying. 

1. What was the city of Corinth like in the time of Paul (political systems, cultural life and customs of the time) 
2. What made ‘eating meat sacrificed to idols’ relevant to the church in Corinth?

2. The World of the Text

• Using the reference and index sections, what information did you find that will help you answer the following questions:

1. What is the genre and purpose of this text?
2. Write out in your own words the issue that Paul is addressing with audience of the day.

• What does it mean that “not all men have this knowledge”?
• What does it mean that their conscience is defiled?
• What does it mean that there are many “gods and lords”? Does this mean there are many gods, but for believers we just choose and worship one?
• Locate specific passages in the Old Testament and New Testament that provide meaning to these passages. List them below.
• Locate at least 2 different biblical tools that could be used to understand this passage. List them below.
• Read the following article: Food Sacrificed Idols. Outline how this has shed light on the meaning of this passage.
• Locate at least 2 other relevant sources that could be used to understand this passage. List them below.
  1. Acknowledge the sources that you have used by referencing them below.
  2. Summarise what each source is saying about this passage.
  3. Comment on the relevance of this source in understanding this passage.
• Summarise in your own words what the current theological views about this passage are.

3. The World in Front of the Text

• What could be the ancient reader’s response to this passage?
• What might this passage be saying to church?
• What does it teach me about God and about Jesus? What does it teach me about humanity? What is it saying to me personally?
• Identify a contemporary issue that these responses or insights may apply to.
• Explain how these insights and responses relate to the issue you have identified.
• Was this approach helpful in helping in interpreting the passage? Which biblical tool did you find most useful?