Author : Keith Sharp
Author
The apostle Paul wrote the book of First Corinthians with the help of Sosthenes as his scribe (1:1; 16:21).
To Whom Written
The apostle wrote the letter to the church in Corinth (1:2).
Where Written
He penned it while he was in Ephesus (16:8-9,19).
When Written
Paul wrote First Corinthians during his third journey of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, shortly before he left Ephesus, ca. A.D. 55 or 56 (16:8-10; cf. Acts 19:1-10,21-23; 20:1).
The City of Corinth
Corinth is located on a narrow isthmus joining the Peloponnesus, i.e., lower Greece, with Northern Greece. Because of this strategic location and because it had two harbors, Cenchrea on the east opening toward the Aegean Sea and Lechaeum on the west opening to the Adriatic, Corinth was the center of travel for Greece in all directions. An 1800 foot rock behind the city served as a natural fortress.
Corinth was an ancient city. The Isthmian Games, a Greek athletic contest in honor of the gods, second in popularity only to the Olympic Games, was held outside the walls of Corinth every other year.
Corinth was destroyed by the Romans ca. 146 B.C. Julius Caesar rebuilt the city in 46 B.C. and made it a Roman colony. Thus, it was ruled by a Roman proconsul.
In Paul’s day the Greek and Jewish population of the city outnumbered the Roman. Corinth had a population of over half a million. It was both the political and commercial capital of the Roman province of Achaia.
The city prided itself in intellectualism, but it was actually dominated by shallow sophism, the use of clever but fallacious argumentation, rather the pursuit of truth and learning. The city shared with the rest of Greece the love of philosophy and speculation.
Corinth was infamous as a center of immoral pleasure. To “live like a Corinthian” was proverbial for a dissolute life. The city was devoted to Venus, the pagan goddess of love and fertility. Its temple employed a thousand sacred prostitutes in her worship. Paul was in Corinth when he composed his list of the vices of the Gentiles (Romans 1:21-32). It was the Sodom of Greece. But the Lord potentially had many people in this cess pool of immorality (Acts 18:10).
Beginning of the Church in Corinth
Paul began the church in Corinth during his second journey to the Gentiles (Acts 18:1-18).
History of the Church in Corinth
Paul was in Corinth on his second journey for at least a year and a half (Acts 18:11,18).
The apostle at first supported himself by making tents in the house of Priscilla and Aquilla (Acts 18:1-3). The Greeks considered working with their hands degrading. Thus, Paul was in fear of being rejected (2:3).
At first Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue (Acts 18:4). When Timothy and Silas joined him, he boldly proclaimed Christ to the Jews (Acts 18:5; 2 Corinthians 1:19).
At this time the apostle began receiving support from other churches (2 Corinthians 11:8). He always refused to accept support from the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:9-10).
When the majority of the Jews rejected the gospel, he turned to the Gentiles and began preaching in the house of Justus (Acts 18:6-7). Paul did convert the ruler of the synagogue and many others (Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:14-16; 16:15).
In view of the many persecutions Paul had endured already at the hands of unbelieving Jews, the Lord reassured him in a vision (Acts 18:9-10). Indeed, when the Jews tried to have the authorities arrest Paul, their plot backfired (Acts 18:12-18). After this Paul left Corinth to return to Antioch of Syria (Acts 18:19-22).
Apollos succeeded Paul in Corinth and had great success (Acts 18:24 – 19:1; 1 Corinthians 3:6). Then Apollos left for Ephesus (16:12), bringing Paul news about the condition of the church. Paul had come to Ephesus earlier than Apollos (Acts 19:1).
At some time Paul wrote a letter to Corinth before First Corinthians, which may be preserved in part of First Corinthians (5:9). Paul also received news from the family of Chloe of more church problems (1:11; 11:18). Paul then sent Timothy and Erastus to Corinth (4:17; Acts 19:21-22). Then another letter reached Paul, reporting more problems and asking questions (7:1; 16:17-18). Thus, before Timothy had arrived in Corinth, Paul sent the First Corinthian letter to them (16:10).
Problems in the Church in Corinth
Here is a list of problems in the church in Corinth: division (1:10-13), carnality (3:1-4), love of human wisdom (3:18-20), glorying in men (3:21; 4:6), pride (4:7-10), harboring sexually immoral (chapter 5; 6:15-20), lack of discipline (chapter 5), going to law with each other (6:1-8), various forms of immorality (6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 12:21), marriage problems (chapter 7), abuse of liberty (chapter 8), sharing in idol worship (10:14-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1), lack of subjection of women (11:2-16), abuse of Lord’s Supper (11:17-34), misuse of spiritual gifts (chapters 12 – 14), lack of love (13:1-7), denial of general resurrection (15:12), acceptance of false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:3-4,19-20), and church squabbles (2 Corinthians 12:2).
Theme
The theme of First Corinthians is Division in the Local Church. This theme is stated in First Corinthians 1:10.
Outline
I. Introduction – 1:1-9
A. Greetings – 1:1-3
B. Thanksgiving – 1:4-9
II. Theme: Division in the Local Church – 1:10-17
III. The Causes of Division: Local Church Problems – 1:18 – 15:58
A. Human Wisdom (Preaching the Cross) – 1:18 – 2:16
B. Carnality – 3:1-4
C. Following Men – 3:5 – 4:5
1. The Place of Preachers – 3:5-15
2. Defiling the Temple of God – 3:16-23
3. Preachers as Stewards – 4:1-5
D. Pride – 4:6-14
E. Paul’s Apostolic Authority – 4:15-21
F. Immorality – 5:1 – 6:20
1. Incest (Church Discipline) – 5:1-13
2. Christians Going to Law with Each Other – 6:1-8
3. Sexual Immorality – 6:9-20
G. Marriage Problems – 7:1-40
H. The Abuse of Liberty – 8:1 – 11:1
1. Eating Things Offered to Idols – 8:1-13
2. Paul’s Rights as an Apostle – 9:1-23
3. The Danger of Apostasy – 9:24 – 10:13
4. Eating in the Idol’s Temple – 10:14-22
5. Principles Concerning Liberty – 10:23- 11:1
I. Woman’s Headcovering – 11:2-16
J. Problems with the Worship Assembly
1. Abuse of the Lord’s Supper – 11:17-34
2. Abuse of Spiritual Gifts – 12:1 – 14:40
a. Source of the Gifts – 12:1-7
b. The Gifts Enumerated – 12:8-11
c. Purpose of the Gifts: Unity – 12:12-27
d. Order of Importance of the Gifts – 12:28-31
e. Love: That Which Controlled the Use of the Gifts – 13:1-7
f. Duration of Spiritual Gifts – 13:8-13
g. Regulation of Spiritual Gifts in the Public Worship Assembly – 14:1-40
K. Denial of the Geberal Resurrection – 15:1-58
IV. Collection for the Needy Saints in Jerusalem – 16:1-4
Conclusion – 16:5-24
