Michael J. GORMAN. 1 Corinthians: A Theological, Pastoral, and Missional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 2025. Pp. xxiii + 453. $39.99. ISBN: 978-0-8028-8266-0. Reviewed by Eric W. HENDRY, Oak Park, IL 60304.
This is a mid-level exposition and commentary stressing the thematic content of Paul in his first epistle to the community at Corinth, with implications for the contemporary theological, pastoral, and missional practices in contemporary church settings. It follows Gorman’s previous commentary on the epistle to the Romans (2022). The author writes as an American and United Methodist layman who holds the Raymond E. Brown Chair of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary Seminary and University, where he served as dean of its graduate Ecumenical Institute from 1995 – 2012, and occasionally team-teaches with his son (Mark).
Gorman’s commentary begins with two introductions: the first, introduces his approach to Paul, his life and ministry, as well as his theology and spirituality; the second, introduces us to the “complex character” of 1 Corinthians as a text focused on theology, pastoral formation, liturgical and missional issues with an eye toward those issues still relevant to the ecclesial life in churches today. A major focus of this intro is articulating contextual themes he sees Paul advocate toward a resurrectional, charismatic cruciformity. Gorman describes Paul’s Jesus, Paul himself, his focus, mission, and advice for this early community as the fruit of this resurrectional, charismatic cruciformity. From both systematic and pneumatological perspectives, these dual introductions are a well-argued “gold mine” of insights building a convincing thematic scope that he will flesh out in the forthcoming sections of the book. I believe Gorman lives up to the high calling that he sets out to accomplish.
Expository Commentary. The author uncovers the subsequent four thematic foci or credal marks – one, holy, catholic, apostolic – as being implicit within the ecclesiology of this Pauline epistle, and develops them chapter by chapter:
- Section One focuses on “unity” (one church) by addressing the divisive ecclesial chaos present in the Corinthian community, with attention toward factions or camps – Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Jesus – and the clear antidote as found in the wisdom and power of the Cross. This first credal section spans across chapters 1:10 – 4:21 of the epistle.
- Section Two focuses on “holiness of life” (one holy church) by addressing the moral chaos present in the community – sexuality in general, marital relations, singleness, eschatological witness, lawsuits between believers – with a “bifocal” realization between the Cross (past) and the Parousia (future). This second credal section spans across chapters 5:1 – 7:40 of the epistle.
- Section Three focuses on the Cross, worship, and salvation open to “all” (one holy catholic church) by addressing any liturgical-sacramental chaos present within the community – meal fellowship, idolatry of meats, Paul’s apostolic rights, his cruciform ministry, the goal of eschatological salvation and koinonia, and the prophetic call of these Corinthian women and men – called out from this chaos to gather for worship as a richly-gifted body reflecting that same cruciform love in how they build each other up practically through “gifts” that lead their assembly to ongoing edification. This third credal section spans across chapters 8:1 – 14:40 of the epistle.
- Section Four is divided into two focal subpoints demonstrating Paul in a legitimate “apostolic” witness as an authority and sent leader (one holy catholic apostolic church) by addressing: first, any theological chaos as a result of his absence e.g.: any doubts on a “general resurrection of the dead” as then corrected by preaching the “resurrection of Jesus,” himself as first born of the dead; second, diffusing any potential chaos that could result toward his immediate future plans e.g.: his approaching departure, trust in Timothy and Apollos, exhortations and final greetings – which will ease the anxiety of the community at Corinth. These separate subpoints make up a fourth and final credal section that spans across chapter 15:1–58 and chapter 16:1–24 of the epistle, respectively.
A major feature of the extensive introductions and especially the four credal sections with their detailed, corresponding subsections, is the extensive summaries, reflections, questions, and further reading lists appearing at nearly two dozen natural breaking points along the text of 1 Corinthians. Each attempt to draw the audience back to the theological, pastoral, and missional themes the author presents in this ongoing “bifocal” analysis of the Cross (past) and Parousia (future) as applied by Paul and proposed toward our contemporary ecclesial issues.
A second major feature is the author’s consistency in viewing each of these subpoints through a thematic lens of a resurrectional, charismatic cruciformity as found within Paul’s text itself. Unlike commentaries that promise a thematic focus, then drift off into tangential minutiae, Gorman keeps his reader’s attention and his resurrectional, charismatic cruciform analysis front and center. I believe he does this in a fairly nuanced and balanced manner.
From both a systematic and pneumatological perspective, he achieves a middle balance between two tendencies in commentaries on 1 Corinthians: one, a shy gloss over or even dismissiveness with regard to tackling the epistle’s probe into the charismatic – and two, commentaries that could step across borders into eisegesis – with obvious presuppositions, bias, or proof texting from a strongly held contemporary ecclesial polity. Gorman’s nuance and subtle balance between resurrectional, charismatic, and cruciform elements seems to keep it refreshingly straightforward, matter of fact, and well-articulated.
It reflects many years of seasoned experience working in the setting of an ecumenical institute!