Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians

By Tom Wright

What is Christianity? A philosophy? A set of ideas? A path to spirituality? A rule of life? Is it even a political agenda?

Christianity is none of these things, yet it includes and, indeed, gives energy to them all. Christianity is a way of life. It is rooted in the good news revealed by an event that rocked the world. And those who believe this good news and live by it experience deep and lasting change.

This is Paul's message to the Corinthians - and to us today.

Making use of his true scholar's understanding, yet writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Tom Wright captures the dauntless power of these letters. They were written by Paul while in prison facing the possibility of imminent death, yet burn with undimmed passion. Paul seeks to help direct the growing faith where his influence might prove crucial, and writes a very personal letter to a slave-owner on behalf of a runaway.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SPCK
• Release date: Mar 21, 2003
• ISBN: 9780281062713

Tom Wright

Tom Wright is Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. His previous books include Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope, Simply Jesus, God in Public, The Day the Revolution Began, Spiritual and Religious, Paul: A biography and (With Michael F. Bird) The New Testament in its World (all published by SPCK).

Reviews for Paul for Everyone

[poodlequest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a part of Tom Wright's "For Everyone" series of New Testament commentaries (there is an accompanying series of Old Testament commentaries "For Everyone" written by John Goldingay). Specifically it is part of the "Paul For Everyone" subset.

Here, Wright pulls together the apostle Paul's letter to the Galatians and links it to the two letters to the Thessalonians. The rational for this (since they don't sit next to each other in the New Testament) is that they are the three earliest of Paul's letters and so, presumably are coming from a similar theological place. The commentaries on Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, which sit between Galatians & Thessalonians in the New Testament, appear in a separate volume of "Prison Letters".

The "For Everyone" tag line, as well as the informal author name (Tom Wright rather than N T Wright), tells you who this is aimed at. Although he is a respected theologian who has contributed much to New Testament thought, here Tom Wright is writing for the ordinary reader, for those who don't have a theology qualification.

The style is friendly and informal includes a complete translation of the letters (written in a similarly friendly and informal style). After each section, Wright then comments and looks at the issues raised, usually beginning with a sermon illustration-type story.

For me, the style is almost too informal and slangy. Not that I think it should be overly ponderous and respectful, but just that it would probably sound better being read out loud than written down. The overall impression is of a friendly vicar paraphrasing the reading before launching into a short homily on it. But that, I suppose, is the point.

[deusvitae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An entry-level commentary on Galatians and 1/2 Thessalonians.Wright's commentary, as in all the "for everyone" series, remains excellent. He provides a understandable (if not quite British) translation of the text in sections, followed by some illustration and commentary for each section. The commentary demonstrates the major theme of each letter and concisely sets forth Paul's primary meaning in context to those to whom he is writing. Application is made when appropriate.An excellent resource for understanding Galatians and 1/2 Thessalonians.