7 - Inheritance in 1 Corinthians and Colossians

Summary

Having considered the uses of inheritance in Romans and having then compared these with the use of the word in Galatians, I propose in this chapter to ask how the term should be understood in 1 Corinthians, the only other undisputed Pauline letter where the word occurs, and also in Colossians, a letter whose authorship is contested. Once more the focus of this chapter is determined by the findings from the study on Romans, where themes of earthly renewal, universal sovereignty, and self-sacrifice were shown to be closely associated with the language of inheritance. When the word is used in 1 Corinthians and Colossians, to what degree are these themes similarly evident and to what extent do they challenge the reading of inheritance proposed above? To ask these questions is to seek both support and critique for the proposed understanding of inheritance and to allow the different subject matter of these letters to bring further clarity to how inheritance is conceptualized.

The primary question which needs to be addressed with regard to inheritance in 1 Corinthians is whether Paul is thinking in spiritual, non-material terms when he uses the word or whether he is intending it in this-worldly, corporeal terms.