This study shows that the common view of 1 Corinthians as mainly about "ethics" and therefore of little importance for "theology" needs correcting. Many other studies of the letter focus mainly on the details of the Corinthian situation and the moral teachings Paul conveyed to his congregation. While not ignoring these, Furnish's primary aim is to explore and clarify the theological orientation of 1 Corinthians, and what it can contribute to an understanding of Paul as a theologian. Furnish concludes that 1 Corinthians is important for both ethics and theology.

In this expanded and updated third edition of an important work, respected Pauline scholar Victor Paul Furnish presents an analysis of some of Paul's most famous yet often misunderstood ethical teachings.
Dr. Furnish enriches his discussion of key Pauline topics including: sex, marriage, divorce, homosexuality, women in the church, and the Church in the world. He pays particular attention to the socio-cultural context of Paul's ministry, the complexity of his thought, the character of his moral reasoning, and the way his thought and reasoning may inform and challenge us today.
Victor Paul Furnish is University Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Emeritus at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and general editor of the Abingdon New Testament Commentaries.

Paul's letters are the earliest surviving Christian writings and therefore the earliest documentary evidence for what Jesus' followers knew and said about him. The present volume deals with questions frequently asked about Paul, examines what can be known about Jesus from Paul's letters, and enquires how Paul himself interpreted Jesus' significance. A closing chapter considers how several writers in the Pauline tradition variously continued and altered the apostle's views about Jesus.

First published in 1968--and out of print since the 1980s--Victor Paul Furnish's treatment of Paul's theology and ethics has long been regarded as the key scholarly statement and most useful textbook on Paul's thought. Now, "Theology and Ethics in Paul" is available once again as part of the Westminster John Knox Press New Testament Library. Featuring a new introduction from Richard Hays, this timeless volume is as relevant in this century as it was in the last.

The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.

This study shows that the common view of 1 Corinthians as mainly about "ethics" and therefore of little importance for "theology" needs correcting. Many other studies of the letter focus mainly on the details of the Corinthian situation and the moral teachings Paul conveyed to his congregation. While not ignoring these, Furnish's primary aim is to explore and clarify the theological orientation of 1 Corinthians, and what it can contribute to an understanding of Paul as a theologian. Furnish concludes that 1 Corinthians is important for both ethics and theology.