Introduction

Paul's correspondence with the Corinthians is well known for its unravelling of misconduct among his converts. The apostle considers his recent converts to be in need of instruction on matters such as sexual misbehaviour, lawsuits among the believers, marriage, food sacrificed to idols, seemly behaviour in the church, spiritual gifts and the future hope of resurrection. Four passages in 1 Corinthians show a special concern for food and matters related to it: 6:13–20; 8:1–11:1; 11:17–34; 15:29–34. It is essential to note this emphasis on food matters in order to understand the Corinthian situation. It is, therefore, quite natural that this letter should be read anew in the light of the material on the belly-topos as presented hitherto in this study. Furthermore, we have observed that both 1 Cor. 10:7 and 15:32, although they are Old Testament quotations, have predecessors in traditions about proverbial gourmandizers and pleasure-seekers such as Sardanapalus. This was rooted in the critique of Epicurean hedonism. This observation stimulates a re-reading of these passages in their Pauline context.

The chapter starts with a presentation of 1 Cor. 15:32 in its immediate context. It will be argued that the text provides an Epicurean framework which makes it meaningful to look for analogical ways of expressing belly-worship in the Corinthian texts. At end of the chapter our findings will be viewed in the light of Pauline texts on the body elsewhere in this epistle.