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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of First Epistle to the Corinthians

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of divided by 3


3-1

1 Salutation (1:1-9)
  2 Divisions in the church (1:10-17)
    3 Christ the power and wisdom of God (1:18-31)
      4 Proclaiming Christ crucified (2:1-16)
        5 On divisions in the Corinthian church (3:1-23)
      6 The ministry of the apostles (4:1-21)
    7 Sexual immorality (5:1-13)
  8 Glorify God in body and spirit (6:1-20)
9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Salutation (1:1-9)
1:2 to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (1:2)
God has called9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
7:15 If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to peace.(7:15)
2 Divisions in the church (1:10-17)
1:11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you. (1:11)
Rivalries in the community8 Glorify God in body and spirit (6:1-20)
6:1 How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones?(6:1)
3 Christ the power and wisdom of God (1:18-31)
so that no human being might boast before God. (1:29)
Dont boast7 Sexual immorality (5:1-13)
Your boasting is not appropriate. (5:6)
4 Proclaiming Christ crucified (2:1-16)
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. (2:1)
The mysteries of God6 The ministry of the apostles (4:1-21)
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (4:1)

3-1-1

1 Salutation (1:1-9)
  2 Divisions in the church (1:10-17)
    3 Christ the power and wisdom of God (1:18-31)
  4 Proclaiming Christ crucified (2:1-16)
5 On divisions in the Corinthian church (3:1-23)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Salutation (1:1-9)
see 5-1
see 5-15 On divisions in the Corinthian church (3:1-23)
see 5-1
2 Divisions in the church (1:10-17)
see 5-1
see 5-14 Proclaiming Christ crucified (2:1-16)
see 5-1

3-1-2

5 On divisions in the Corinthian church (3:1-23)
  6 The ministry of the apostles (4:1-21)
    7 Sexual immorality (5:1-13)
  8 Glorify God in body and spirit (6:1-20)
9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
Former halfRelationLatter half
5 On divisions in the Corinthian church (3:1-23)
see 1-1-1
see 1-1-19 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
see 1-1-1
6 The ministry of the apostles (4:1-21)
see 1-1-1
see 1-1-18 Glorify God in body and spirit (6:1-20)
see 1-1-1

3-2

9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
  10 The life that the Lord has assigned (7:17-24)
    11 The unmarried and the widows (7:25-40)
      12 Food offered to idols (8:1-13)
        13 The rights of an apostles (9:1-27)
      14 Warnings against idolatry (10:1-22)
    15 Do all to the glory of the LORD (10:23-33_11:1)
  16 Head coverings (11:2-16)
17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
Former halfRelationLatter half
9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
see 1-1
see 1-117 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
see 1-1
10 The life that the Lord has assigned (7:17-24)
see 1-1
see 1-116 Head coverings (11:2-16)
see 1-1
11 The unmarried and the widows (7:25-40)
see 1-1
see 1-115 Do all to the glory of the LORD (10:23-33_11:1)
see 1-1
12 Food offered to idols (8:1-13)
see 1-1
see 1-114 Warnings against idolatry (10:1-22)
see 1-1

3-2-1

9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
  10 The life that the Lord has assigned (7:17-24)
    11 The unmarried and the widows (7:25-40)
  12 Food offered to idols (8:1-13)
13 The rights of an apostles (9:1-27)
Former halfRelationLatter half
9 Directions concerning marriage (7:1-16)
7:1 Now in regard to the matters about which you wrote: "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman," 7:2 but because of cases of immorality every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband. (7:1-2)
Marriage13 The rights of an apostles (9:1-27)
Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Kephas? (9:5)
10 The life that the Lord has assigned (7:17-24)
Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God's commandments. (7:19)
Meaningless for us12 Food offered to idols (8:1-13)
Now food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do. (8:8)

3-2-2

13 The rights of an apostles (9:1-27)
  14 Warnings against idolatry (10:1-22)
    15 Do all to the glory of the LORD (10:23-33_11:1)
  16 Head coverings (11:2-16)
17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
Former halfRelationLatter half
13 The rights of an apostles (9:1-27)
9:4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?(9:4)
Eating and drinking17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
11:22 Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you. (11:22)
14 Warnings against idolatry (10:1-22)
10:15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. (10:15)
Judge for yourselves16 Head coverings (11:2-16)
11:13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled?(11:13)

3-3

17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
  18 Spiritual gifts (12:1-31a)
    19 The gift of love (12:31b-13:13)
      20 Gifts of prophecy and tongues (14:1-25)
        21 Order of meeting (14:26-40)
      22 The resurrection of Christ (15:1-11)
    23 The resurrection of dead (15:12-30)
  24 The body of resurrection (15:31-58)
25 Final messages and greetings (16:1-24)
Former halfRelationLatter half
17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
The other matters I shall set in order when I come. (11:34)
Paul's visit25 Final messages and greetings (16:1-24)
I shall come to you after I pass through Macedonia (for I am going to pass through Macedonia), (16:5)
18 Spiritual gifts (12:1-31a)
12:1 Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware.(12:1)
Spiritual gifts24 The body of resurrection (15:31-58)
15:45 So, too, it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a life-giving spirit.(15:45)
19 The gift of love (12:31b-13:13)
13:2 And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. (13:2)
Nothing23 The resurrection of dead (15:12-30)
15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. (15:14)
20 Gifts of prophecy and tongues (14:1-25)
14:19 but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, so as to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. (14:19)
Words of Paul22 The resurrection of Christ (15:1-11)
15:1 Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand.(15:1)

3-3-1

17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
  18 Spiritual gifts (12:1-31a)
    19 The gift of love (12:31b-13:13)
  20 Gifts of prophecy and tongues (14:1-25)
21 Order of meeting (14:26-40)
Former halfRelationLatter half
17 The Lord's supper (11:17-34)
see 1-1-2
see 1-1-221 Order of meeting (14:26-40)
see 1-1-2
18 Spiritual gifts (12:1-31a)
see 1-1-2
see 1-1-220 Gifts of prophecy and tongues (14:1-25)
see 1-1-2

3-3-2

21 Order of meeting (14:26-40)
  22 The resurrection of Christ (15:1-11)
    23 The resurrection of dead (15:12-30)
  24 The body of resurrection (15:31-58)
25 Final messages and greetings (16:1-24)
Former halfRelationLatter half
21 Order of meeting (14:26-40)
see 5-5
see 5-525 Final messages and greetings (16:1-24)
see 5-5
22 The resurrection of Christ (15:1-11)
see 5-5
see 5-524 The body of resurrection (15:31-58)
see 5-5

Citations of the Bible are from New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible.

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Literary Structure of the Bible by Hajime Murai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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