Dispute Resolution, Sexual Ethics, and Moral Accountability: A Socio-Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 6:1–13 and Its Implications for Moral Formation among African Youth
Abstract
This article employs socio-rhetorical criticism to examine 1 Corinthians 6:1–13, focusing on Paul’s engagement with litigation, communal identity, and sexual ethics within the Corinthian church. Employing Vernon Robbins’ socio-rhetorical interpretive framework, the study explores the inner texture (argumentative flow, rhetorical devices), intertexture (Greco-Roman legal practices and moral discourse), and social and cultural textures shaping Paul’s exhortation. The article then brings the Pauline text into critical dialogue with contemporary African contexts, particularly the moral challenges facing youth amid increasing litigation, moral relativism, sexual permissiveness, and weakened communal accountability. The study argues that Paul’s insistence on internal dispute resolution, moral responsibility, and the sanctity of the body offers a robust theological and ethical framework for youth moral formation in Africa. By situating biblical ethics within African communal values, this article contributes to African Christian thought on moral responsibility, character formation, and the role of the church in shaping youth ethics.
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