1 Corinthians

By Jesse Higgins

Background:

By the time of Paul’s first visit to “New” Corinth (c.a. 51 AD, See Acts 18:1-2, also Gallio inscription discovered 1908 AD), it had become the provincial capital of Achaia in Southern Greece. Julius Caesar had rebuilt it 100 years earlier (c.a. 46-44 BC), because it held geographical value for trade routes connecting the Ionian Sea to the West and the Aegean Sea to the east. Due to this, Corinth had become a very ostentatiously wealthy port city, and a hub of excess in innumerable forms. For example, it was known as the largest and most organized place for temple prostitution with well over 1,000 prostitutes at the temple of Aphrodite alone. Even to the Greeks, Corinth was regarded as a debauched place and euphemisms like “Corinthian girls,” meaning prostitute, were used all throughout the region.

Initially, the Jews of Corinth became so obstinate and physically abusive, that Paul “shook of his sandals,” declared his duty as a watchman to them complete and sought to leave, but the “Lord spoke to Paul in a vision” and he remained for approximately 18 months… Acts 18-6-11. Thus, Paul “did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I. Introduction and Greeting (1:1–9)

• Greeting:
  • Introduces himself as “called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of GOD…” as well as Sosthenes
  • Addresses the letter to the church in Corinth, “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy”… together with everyone who calls on the name of our Lord.
  • Paul expresses profound gratitude for God’s grace given to the Corinthians, which confirms the apostle’s testimony about Christ as well as their identity in Christ. 

II. Issues reported by the household of Chloe (1:10-6:20)

A. Divisions in the Church (1:10–4:21) 

Paul confronts factions within the church, since members were attributing greater spirituality to all who followed their favored teachers/leaders (Paul, Apollos, etc.) and diminishing or excluding those who didn’t share their contentions. 

• The Message of the Cross: Paul contrasts human wisdom with God’s wisdom, emphasizing that the message of the crucified Christ seems foolish to the world but is God’s power for salvation.
• Spiritual vs. Carnal: He calls them carnal (worldly) and immature for their divisions, urging them to focus on Christ as the one foundation.
• Stewardship: Paul defines his role and Apollos’s as humble servants and stewards of God’s mysteries, accountable only to God. 

B. Immorality and Lawsuits (5:1–6:20) 

Paul addresses critical ethical failures, calling them to live holy lives consistent with their calling. 

• Church Discipline: He instructs the church to confront and discipline a case of blatant sexual immorality (i.e. incest) among them.
• Lawsuits: He condemns believers for taking each other to secular courts, urging them to resolve internal conflicts within the community. (Paul and Sosthenes personal experience in Acts 20:12-17)
• The Body as a Temple: Paul emphasizes that believers’ bodies are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and therefore must shun sexual immorality and glorify God in their bodies. (Contrast cultural backdrop).

III. Issues addressed in letters from Corinthian Christians (7:1-15:58)

A. Guidance on Marriage and Christian Liberty (7:1–11:1)

Paul addresses specific questions they had written, emphasizing devotion to the Lord and consideration of others. 

• Marriage and Singleness: He provides counsel on various aspects of marriage, divorce, and celibacy, noting that both married and single states are valid callings.
• Food Offered to Idols: Paul teaches on the balance between Christian freedom and responsibility, advising believers to limit their liberty if it causes a weaker brother or sister to stumble (love over knowledge).
• Paul’s Example: He uses his own apostolic rights (which he voluntarily waived) as an example of self-denial for the sake of the Gospel and the well-being of others. 

B. Order in Corporate Worship and Spiritual Gifts (11:2–14:40) 

Paul addresses the disorder and misuse of spiritual gifts in their gatherings, focusing on mutual edification and love. 

• Head Coverings and the Lord’s Supper: He provides instructions on proper conduct during worship, particularly addressing social snobbery and disunity during the Lord’s Supper. (Num 5:11-31)
• The Body of Christ: Paul uses the metaphor of the church as a single body with many diverse parts and gifts, all essential and working together.
• The Way of Love: Chapter 13 Love is central, and is the most excellent way and superior to all gifts, as it is other-centered rather than self-aggrandizing; it is not puffed up, keeps no record of wrongs….
• Prophecy and Tongues: He gives specific guidelines for the use of prophecy and tongues, prioritizing orderly worship that edifies the entire community and is profitable (intelligible) to outsiders. 

IV. The Resurrection of the Dead (15:1–58) 

Paul defends the doctrine of the bodily resurrection, which some in Corinth denied. 

• The Gospel’s Foundation: Paul reaffirms the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection with eyewitness testimonies, stating that it is a foundational truth of the Christian faith, against which no other foundation can be made; without it, faith is futile and we remain dead in our sins.
• Hope and Victory: Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of future bodily resurrection for believers, providing hope and eternal victory over death. 

V. Conclusion and Final Greetings (16:1–24)

Paul concludes with practical matters and personal greetings. 

• Collection for the Saints: Instructions for the regular collection of money to help the church in Jerusalem.
• Travel Plans and Exhortations: He mentions his travel plans and provides final admonitions, including the Aramaic phrase “Maranatha!” (Our Lord, come!)