This research project began nearly ten years ago during my first year (Spring 2012) as an M.Div. student at Asbury Theological Seminary in Dr. Ruth Anne Reese’s exegesis class on 1 Corinthians. In this course, I became enamored by the issue of how 1 Cor 15 relates to everything else in 1 Corinthians. I explored this topic in my final research paper for the class, and I was especially struck by Karl Barth’s (The Resurrection of the Dead) and N. T. Wright’s (The Resurrection of the Son of God) takes on the issue, that 1 Cor 15 was the climax. However, I very much wanted to understand ancient rhetoric and how that might help me more fully understand this whole question. I dabbled in some rhetoric at that time, but it was not until the next semester (Fall 2012) when I sat in on Dr. Ben Witherington III’s doctoral seminar on Romans that I began to understand ancient rhetoric and its aid in interpreting the NT. In this seminar, I learned about insinuatio for the first time, and wondered if it might be in play in 1 Cor 15. It was a walking conversation after class across campus where Dr. Witherington confirmed my suspicions about 1 Cor 15 being an insinuatio. I remember his response as clear as day reverberating across the campus: “Oh, that’s exactly what Paul is doing there. You are absolutely right!” And thus, my dissertation was conceived, though its birthing took seven years (I defended in March 2019) and publication another three years.
So, first, I want to thank Dr. Ruth Anne Reese for helping me in the initial stages of this research and urging me to take Dr. Witherington’s class on Romans, without which this book would never have been written. I especially want to thank Dr. Ben Witherington III, my Doktorvater, for his help in formulating not only my dissertation, but in educating me in ancient rhetoric and its application to the NT. I am also grateful to Dr. Joe Dongell who provided stimulating feedback on my dissertation when I defended and who encouraged me to keep pressing forward when I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am also very thankful to Dr. Duane F. Watson for being my dissertation examiner and for his expertise on this topic. I am very grateful for his input, scholarship, and critical feedback on this research project.
I also want to thank my friend, Todd A. Adams. Not only has he been my prayer partner and Christian brother for nearly fifteen years, but Todd was the person who introduced me to biblical scholarship and taught me how to research and write. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been such an amazing encouragement to me and my family during this journey. Their support is a large reason that this book has come into existence.
Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Paige, and our children without whom I could not have completed this book. They have been my support and have kept me grounded and focused. They sacrificed much and put up with all the challenges and demands that a Ph.D. program puts on a family, and they have supported me as I transitioned my dissertation into this book. Thank you for believing in me, encouraging me, and allowing me to follow my passion and calling in Christ.