My 1 Corinthians Course (in Portland, OR)
Last week (Sept 3-6, 2024), I taught a course for Northern Seminary here in Portland, Oregon for the Master of Arts in New Testament. Ten students came from all over the US and we had a blast learning about 1 Corinthians and exploring Portland in our free time.
The class was small enough that we could meet in my house. One day, a local Northern Seminary student (Ben) came in and made lunch for the whole crew (he’s a professional chef, yum!). Another day, I made Indian food in the Instapot. In the early mornings, I would send students out to some of our best coffee shops to have discussions about the textbooks.
Speaking of textbooks: here they are.
Richard Hays, 1 Corinthians (Interp)
I wanted a good theological commentary that would address both exegetical issues and preaching notes, not too long, and not boring. This was perfect! It’s a bit old/outdated, and I don’t love the cover, but affordable and Hays is one of the best out there.
Paula Gooder, Body: Biblical Spirituality for the Whole Person
First Corinthians deals a lot with matters of the body (e.g. 1 Cor 6-11) and Gooder is so good at these short, thematic topics.
Lucy Peppiatt, Women and Worship at Corinth
Last, but not least, we read Peppiatt’s ground breaking work on 1 Cor 11 (headcoverings), and her theory that this is a back-and-forth between the Corinthians’ errant theology and Paul’s responses/corrections.
BONUS: We had Dr. Michael Gorman zoom in for an hour to talk about his 2025 Eerdmans commentary on 1 Corinthians. It was great to ask Gorman questions and hear about his process. Definitely pre-order Dr. Gorman’s commentary, it is going to be my new go-to for this letter.
Highlight! Trip to The Bible Project
One of the highlights of the week was a trip to the Bible Project HQ where we got a private guided tour from two Northern students who work there: Anna and Renjy. Renjy is the Dean of Scholarship at the Bible Project; he told us all about their process. Anna (who works with the Classroom) gave us a sense of the whole process from idea conception to the final product on Youtube. We also met with one of the artists who gave us insight into the creative process.
Here we are in the Bible Project lobby. It was an amazing tour!
And last, but not least, here we are on the last day having a farewell lunch at the legendary “Hawthorne” food trucks pod. Beautiful weather, great food, an inspiring week of learning, gorgeous greenery, and rich fellowship. We were sad to part ways, but it was truly a week to remember and appreciate!
PSA
Hey, if you read through this post and are drooling at the idea of taking advanced courses in biblical studies (like exegesis of 1 Corinthians), and you want a gracious and warm community of co-learners, and you want to be pushed (and equipped) to read challenging academic material, why not check out an MA or grad certificate at Northern Seminary?
Man, now I wish even more that I was there, but the timing just didn't work out. A great time with a great group!