[ Amplified ]

The First Letter of Paul to the

CORINTHIANS

Introduction: This letter was written by Paul to the church in Corinth probably around a.d. 55. During Paul's extended ministry in Ephesus, Paul sent this letter in response to information received from several sources concerning the conditions existing in the church at Corinth, and in response to a letter from the Corinthian church asking for counsel. The bearer of this epistle may have been Timothy (16.10), or one of the three men mentioned in 16.17.

Located on the Mediterranean Sea, the city of Corinth enjoyed a trade monopoly that made it a wealthy trading center. In Paul's day it was a Roman colony, attracting a cosmopolitan population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews from various points of the Mediterranean world. This changing population created moral conditions that were regarded as inferior even by pagan standards. In a setting like this it is no wonder that the Corinthian church was plagued with numerous problems.

Paul come to Corinth from Athens on his second missionary journey, probably in the fall of a.d. 50, and remained there a year and a half (Acts 18.11). It was during this period that he established this church.

Leaving Corinth, probably in the spring of a.d. 52, Paul was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila to Ephesus. From here Paul went to Palestine (Acts 18.22), may have visited Jerusalem, and then made his final visit to Antioch in Syria; in all likelihood he was back in Ephesus in the fall of a.d. 53. Near the end of his two-year ministry in Ephesus Paul wrote the epistle to Corinth known as 1Corinthians.

Paul discusses a wide variety of subjects in this timely letter: party strife, immorality, lawsuits, marriage, idolatry, pagan customs, the Lord's supper, Paul's ministry, gifts of the Spirit, the resurrection, church finance, and numerous other subjects. The phrase "now concerning" or "now about" at various points in this letter introduces a new subject (7.1,25; 8.1; 12.1; 16.1).

Paul also uses an extensive range of literary devices. These reflect a conversational approach, and may offer some insight into the methods of entreaty, exposition, logic, and scolding he may have used had he been present in person. Throughout his appeal Paul brings to bear the implications of the Gospel for the everyday experiences of life in a pagan society.

Outline:

1. Greetings and introduction - 1.1-9
2. Party strife within the church - 1.10-4.21
3. Immorality, lawsuits, bodily sanctity 5.1-6.20
4. Marriage and celibacy 7.1-40
5. Christian rights and responsibility 8.1-11.1
6. Christians in public worship 11.2-34
7. Place and significance of spiritual gifts 12.1-14.40
8. Resurrection - fundamental to Christian faith 15.1-58
9. Conclusion 16.1-24