"As babes in Christ" - Some proposals regarding 1 Corinthians 3.1-3

For a discussion see N.A. Dahl "Paul and the Church at Corinth according to 1 Cor.1-4" in Christian History and Interpretation Studies for J. Knox, Cambridge 1967, pp.313-335. Also W.G. Kummel Introduction to the New Testament London 1966, p.202ff; A.C. Thiseleton "Realised Eschatology at Corinth" N.T.S. 24 (1977-78), 510-526.

So R. Schnackenburg "Christian Adulthood according to Paul" C.B.Q. 25 (1963), 354-370, esp. p.359.

Dahl "Paul and the Church at Corinth" p.332; G. Bornkamm "On the Understanding of Christian Worship" in Early Christian Experience London 1969, pp.161-179, esp. p.166.

So many commentators ad loc. See also W. Grundmann "Die NHΠIOI in der urchristlichen Paränese" N.T.S. 5 (1958-59), 188-205.

For examples see J. Weiss Erster Korintherbrief Gottingen 1925, p.xviiiff, p.72ff; T.D.N.T. 1 p.646 "γάλα" (Schlier); cf J. Dupont Gnosis Louvain 1949 pp. 151-152; W.L. Knox St. Paul and the Church of the Gentiles Cambridge 1939 p.111. For the use of the imagery in Philo see R.A. Horsley "How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Spiritual elitism at Corinth" Novum Testamentum volxx fasc.3, 203-231.

B. Sanh. 19b, cf 99b; Quintillian Institutio Oratoria Book 2 ix.iff. See also generally T.D.N.T, 1 p.646ff, C. Montefiore and H. Loewe A Rabbinic Anthology London 1938, pp163-164, 180-190 ; cf Odes of Solomon xix.lff. At Qumran we find the image of nurse and father combined where the Teacher (presumably) regards himself as father and nurse and the community as his children, 1QH 7.20-21.

"Die NHΠIOI" p.190.

"Die NHΠIOI" p.191.

"Die NHΠIOI" p.201.

See particularly R.P. Martin "The Composition of 1 Peter in recent study " Vox Evangelica 1962, 29-42; J.H. Elliott "The Rehabilitation of an Exegetical Step child: 1 Peter in recent research" J.B.L. (1976), 243-54.

"Baptism and Maturity" Interpretation 17 (1963), 387-401.

"Baptism and Maturity" p.396.

Trajectories through Early Christianity Philadelphia 1971, p.40.

Erster Korintherbrief p.74

See Schnackenburg "Christian Adulthood" p.356ff.

"Christian Adulthood" p.357; see also P.J. du Plessis Teleios Kampen 1959, p.184.

Erster Korintherbrief p.71

See J.N. Sevenster Paul and Seneca Leiden 1961, p.144ff.

It is doubtful if a firm distinction can be maintained here between σαραινoις (vl) and σαραιαoί (v3). See C.K. Barrett First Corinthians (2nd edition) London 1971, p.79, H. Conzelmann Erster Korintherbrief Gottingen 1969 , p.89. J.B. Lightfoot remarks that " σαραινoς implies more of a rebuke though the less strong word in itself". Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul London 1895, p.185. Thus Paul in moving from his description at the time of evangelisation refers to the current situation in v3ff and hence σαραιαoι is a heightening of σαραινoις. Contrast J. Weiss Erster Korintherbrief p.89-90.

First Corinthians p.34; see also H. Conzelmann Erster Korintherbrief p.89-90.

"Die NHΠIOI" p.191.

Das Ethos des Urchristentums Gutersloh 1949, p.132.

"Christian Adulthood" p.358.

Erster Korintherbrief p.72; "Paulinische Probleme ii" T.S.K. 69 (1896) 7-33, esp. pp,14-15; The History of Primitive Christianity London 1937, ii, pp. 468-469. Equally at 4.17 "in the Lord" with reference to Timothy as Paul's child could also be used in "non mystical" fashion, but as we have argued the concept and context of "child" here differs from that of

contd. "babe".

cf Epictetus Discourses II xvi, 25 "Children indeed when they cry a little because their nurse has left forget their troubles as soon as they get a biscuit. Would you have us resemble children? No, by heaven! For I claim we should be influenced in this way not by a biscuit but by true judgements" ; Discourses III xix, 1 " --- For it is being a child to be unmusical in things musical, to be unlettered in things literary, to be uneducated in life."

FirstCorinthians p.81.

Play on "beget"/"build" is common in Jewish literature. See T.D.N.T. iv "λίϑoς" (Jeremias), p.270; J.M. Ford "Thou art 'Abraham' and upon this Rock --- " Heythrop Journal 6 ( 1965) 289-301, esp. p.296ff; J.D.M. Derret "The stone the builders rejected" Stud. Evang. 4, 180-186.

St. Paul and the Church of the Gentiles Cambridge 1939, p.111ff.

A. Robertson and A. Plummer First Epistle to the Corinthians Edinburgh 1911, p.52ff. Quintilian in keeping with his view of the necessity of a sound education criticises any tendency to "wean" a pupil too early - "Nay, I would urge teachers too like nurses to be careful to provide softer food for still undeveloped minds and to suffer them to take their fill of the milk of more attractive studies." Institutio Oratoria Book 2, iv.5).