Tracing the Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Phrase Diagram

First Corinthians is not a list of unrelated bullet points. It’s not a reference work like a dictionary or an encyclopedia. It’s brilliant literature in which Paul argues. He asserts truths and supports those truths with reasons and evidence. His arguments are always profound and sometimes complex. Connectives such as but, therefore, and because are important to understanding what Paul is arguing. This book traces Paul’s arguments with an argument diagram. An argument diagram graphically displays the text’s logical flow of thought by dividing up the text into propositions and phrases and then specifying how they logically relate to each other. The type of argument diagram in this book is a color-coded phrase diagram. A phrase diagram indents clauses and phrases above or below what they modify and adds labels that explain how the propositions and phrases logically relate. The goal of tracing the argument of 1 Corinthians is to increasingly know and worship God.