<p>11:2<em> Now I praise you who remember me in all things- </em>This reflects the wide range in the church at Corinth. There were those who were obedient to the commands and teaching Paul gave, and at the other extreme, there were those who worked as and made use of church prostitutes. The way the more spiritual remained within such an apostate community is a challenge to us all, not least to those who insist on leaving any community which has the slightest apostasy.</p><p><em>And hold fast the traditions, as I delivered them to you-</em> This suggests there was a specific body of practical teachings which Paul gave to his converts; and he frames his language in terms of Moses giving the law to Israel. It was expected that the disciples of rabbis memorized their teaching, and there's no reason to doubt that the Lord's disciples, both those who immediately heard Him and those who subsequently became disciples of their invisible Heavenly rabbi, would likewise have memorized the gospel records of His words. This would account for the way they are arranged Mark especially as series of 'pericopes', small bite-sized sections which lend themselves to memorization. This would explain how Paul can use technical terms for handing on a tradition (<em>paradidomi</em>, 1 Cor. 11:2,23) and receiving it (<em>paralambano</em>, 1 Cor. 15:1,3; Gal. 1:19; Col. 2:6; 1 Thess. 2:13; 4:1; 2 Thess. 3:6); and of faithfully retaining the tradition (<em>katecho</em>, 1 Cor. 11:2; 15:2; <em>krateo</em>, 2 Thess. 2:15); matched perhaps by John's insistence in his letters that the converts retain that teaching which they received &quot;from the beginning&quot;.</p>