Table of Contents

Foreword by Steve Walton
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Abbreviations

Chapter 1
Fellowship Meals: Practices in the Ancient World
Introduction
Fellowship Meals in the Ancient World
Fellowship Meals in the Greco-Roman Milieu
Fellowship Meals in Different Settings
Fellowship Meals Customs and Practices
Moral and Social Response
Fellowship Meals in the Jewish Context
Fellowship Meals in the OT
Intertestamental Period
Eschatological Judgement and the Messianic Banquet
Conclusion

Chapter 2
Fellowship Meals: Their Roles and Functions in the Ancient World
Introduction
Communal Bonding
Communion with the Gods
Social Division and Status
Social Identity
Morality and Ethics
Egalitarianism
Social Politics
The Sacred and Secular Dimensions
Judgment Motifs and Fellowship meals
Divine Judgment
Human Judgment
Greco-Roman Influences and Judeo-Christian Meal Practices
Conclusion

Chapter 3
Fellowship Meals in Corinth: The Abuse at the Lord's Supper
Introduction
The Christian Community in Corinth
Fellowship Meals in the Early Church
Fellowship Meals in Corinth
Analysis of the Corinthian Situation
Identity of the Groups
Paul's Response to the Corinthian Situation
Paul's Interpretation of the Lord's Supper Tradition
The Antecedent of the Lord's Supper
The Saying over the Bread (v. 24)
The Saying over the Cup (v. 25)
The Proclamation at the Lord's Supper (v. 26)
Conclusion

Chapter 4
Judgment at the Lord's Supper in Corinth
Introduction
Judgment in Corinth
Judgment in the Lord's Supper
(Non-alphabetical characters)
(Non-alphabetical characters)
Causality and the Lord's Supper
Meal Traditions and Judgment in the Lord's Supper
(Non-alphabetical characters), (Non-alphabetical characters), and (Non-alphabetical characters)
Restricted or Universal Judgment
The Lord's Supper and Final Judgment
Repentance and the Lord's Supper
Ordinances for the Lord's Supper
(Non-alphabetical characters) (v. 28)
(Non-alphabetical characters) (v. 29)
(Non-alphabetical characters) (v. 31)
(Non-alphabetical characters) (vv. 33-34)
Conclusion

Final Conclusion

Bibliography
Index of Modern Authors
Index of Ancient Sources

About the Author

Lanuwabang Jamir is an Assistant Professor of New Testament and the Dean of Graduate Studies at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India.

Reviews

"A scholarly and fresh examination of the roots of the Lord's Supper in Corinth which has great relevance to issues that face us today. A book not only for the scholar, but also for the pastor and lay person who wish to study 1 Corinthians in greater depth."
- George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, 1992-2002

"This thorough study is as fascinatingly illuminating of a whole range of socio-cultural practices around fellowship meals in the ancient world as it is exegetically sure-footed and discerning in its handling of the biblical text. Lanu Jamir brings the world of Paul's troublesome young church in Corinth vividly to life against a well-painted background. At the same time, we are led through some challenging theological and ethical insights into what it means to belong to those who share the privilege and the responsibility of eating and drinking at the table of the Lord."
- Christopher J.H. Wright, Director of International Ministries, Langham Partnership

"This study tackles a highly debated, contentious and difficult subject with integrity and careful consideration. By placing it solidly within the socio-historical context of the ancient world and against multiple functions of the meals in the societies, this research offers a fresh look at 1 Cor. 11.17-34. ... This is a study worth reading."
- Svetlana Khobnya, Journal for the Study of The New Testament: Booklist 2017, Volume 39.5, August 2017