1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Lesson 314
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
"The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians"
Authorship:
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), wrote 1 Corinthians in AD 55-56 during his third missionary journey as his three-year
visit to Ephesus was nearing its end (1 Corinthians 16:8). It was written to the church in Corinth and all Christians (1:2)
eighteen months after Paul wrote Romans and twelve months before he wrote 2 Corinthians.
Paul/Saul was born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth. He was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. From the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1), Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), a strict Pharisee (Acts 26:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). He gladly hunted down believers, beat them, and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (22:4). Paul went from city to city chasing Christians and forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). After his conversion to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours, and he wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured many privations and hardships during the decades he traveled spreading the Gospel, all the time supporting himself on donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was whipped five separate times, beaten with rods three times, and was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). He was arrested (Acts 16:23-24), and as a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and lost at sea (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and from brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was without a home and often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, and cold. He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years waiting for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Purpose and Theme:
First Corinthians is a pastoral letter to the church in Corinth. It is about the temptations and problems that Christian's face. The city of Corinth was wealthy, corrupt, and so decadent that its very name became a synonym for sexual immorality. The pagan temple of Aphrodite (the goddess of love and fertility) in Corinth had over a thousand male and female prostitutes available for a religious donation. With great difficulty, Paul founded the church in Corinth in AD 50 during his second missionary tour (Acts 18:1-8). Two years after leaving Corinth, word of growing problems in the young church reached Paul (1:11; 5:1). The temptation to sin was everywhere in Corinth, and Christians found it hard to live as believers. Plus, disagreements over ministers, the role of women in the church, spiritual gifts, meat being offered to pagan idols, abuses of the Lord's Supper, marriage, and heresies about the resurrection threatened to divide the church into factions.
In this epistle (letter), Paul challenges the Corinthians not to succumb to these problems. He tells them where they failed, encourages them, and offers solutions. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses false teachings and encourages believers to lead a Christian life. He explains Christian doctrine and urges the struggling converts in Corinth to reject sin and live for Jesus Christ. "Although the major thrust of this epistle is corrective of behavior rather than of doctrine, Paul gives seminal teaching on many doctrines that directly relate to the matters of sin and righteousness. In one way or another, wrong living always stems from wrong beliefs. Sexual sins, for example, including divorce, are inevitably related to disobeying God's plan for marriage and the family (7:1-40). Proper worship is determined by such things as recognition of God's holy character (3:17), the spiritual identity of the church (12:12-27), and pure partaking of the Lord's Supper (11:17-34). The church can't be edified faithfully and effectively unless believers understand and exercise their spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40). (From "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, pages 1562-1563).
In summary, First Corinthians tells the story of human weakness. In a world filled with doubt, corruption, dissension, infighting, jealousy, conflict, and sexual permissiveness, Paul's straightforward advice on Christian living is as relevant today as when it was written.
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), wrote 1 Corinthians in AD 55-56 during his third missionary journey as his three-year
visit to Ephesus was nearing its end (1 Corinthians 16:8). It was written to the church in Corinth and all Christians (1:2)
eighteen months after Paul wrote Romans and twelve months before he wrote 2 Corinthians.
Paul/Saul was born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth. He was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. From the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1), Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), a strict Pharisee (Acts 26:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). He gladly hunted down believers, beat them, and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (22:4). Paul went from city to city chasing Christians and forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). After his conversion to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours, and he wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured many privations and hardships during the decades he traveled spreading the Gospel, all the time supporting himself on donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was whipped five separate times, beaten with rods three times, and was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). He was arrested (Acts 16:23-24), and as a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and lost at sea (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and from brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was without a home and often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, and cold. He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years waiting for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Purpose and Theme:
First Corinthians is a pastoral letter to the church in Corinth. It is about the temptations and problems that Christian's face. The city of Corinth was wealthy, corrupt, and so decadent that its very name became a synonym for sexual immorality. The pagan temple of Aphrodite (the goddess of love and fertility) in Corinth had over a thousand male and female prostitutes available for a religious donation. With great difficulty, Paul founded the church in Corinth in AD 50 during his second missionary tour (Acts 18:1-8). Two years after leaving Corinth, word of growing problems in the young church reached Paul (1:11; 5:1). The temptation to sin was everywhere in Corinth, and Christians found it hard to live as believers. Plus, disagreements over ministers, the role of women in the church, spiritual gifts, meat being offered to pagan idols, abuses of the Lord's Supper, marriage, and heresies about the resurrection threatened to divide the church into factions.
In this epistle (letter), Paul challenges the Corinthians not to succumb to these problems. He tells them where they failed, encourages them, and offers solutions. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses false teachings and encourages believers to lead a Christian life. He explains Christian doctrine and urges the struggling converts in Corinth to reject sin and live for Jesus Christ. "Although the major thrust of this epistle is corrective of behavior rather than of doctrine, Paul gives seminal teaching on many doctrines that directly relate to the matters of sin and righteousness. In one way or another, wrong living always stems from wrong beliefs. Sexual sins, for example, including divorce, are inevitably related to disobeying God's plan for marriage and the family (7:1-40). Proper worship is determined by such things as recognition of God's holy character (3:17), the spiritual identity of the church (12:12-27), and pure partaking of the Lord's Supper (11:17-34). The church can't be edified faithfully and effectively unless believers understand and exercise their spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40). (From "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, pages 1562-1563).
In summary, First Corinthians tells the story of human weakness. In a world filled with doubt, corruption, dissension, infighting, jealousy, conflict, and sexual permissiveness, Paul's straightforward advice on Christian living is as relevant today as when it was written.
First Corinthians is broken down into six parts:
1) Chapter 1:1-9 - Introduction.
2) Chapters 1:10-4:21 - Dissension in the Church. Christians in Corinth suffer conflict, infighting, and friction. Paul calls for Christian maturity and harmony among believers.
3) Chapters 5:1-6:20 - Immorality, fornication (5:1-13), fighting, and lawsuits plague Corinth (6:1-11). Corruption is everywhere, and believers struggle (6:12-20).
4) Chapters 7:1-11:1 - Paul's solutions. Christians face problems concerning marriage (7:1-40) and knowing what is expected of them (8:1-11:1).
5) Chapters 11:2- 15:58 - Paul addresses doctrinal questions, spiritual gifts, the roles of men and women, pride, love, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
6) Chapter 16:1-24 - Conclusion and benediction.
1) Chapter 1:1-9 - Introduction.
2) Chapters 1:10-4:21 - Dissension in the Church. Christians in Corinth suffer conflict, infighting, and friction. Paul calls for Christian maturity and harmony among believers.
3) Chapters 5:1-6:20 - Immorality, fornication (5:1-13), fighting, and lawsuits plague Corinth (6:1-11). Corruption is everywhere, and believers struggle (6:12-20).
4) Chapters 7:1-11:1 - Paul's solutions. Christians face problems concerning marriage (7:1-40) and knowing what is expected of them (8:1-11:1).
5) Chapters 11:2- 15:58 - Paul addresses doctrinal questions, spiritual gifts, the roles of men and women, pride, love, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
6) Chapter 16:1-24 - Conclusion and benediction.
Study Tip:
Think up chapter titles to describe the main topic in each passage.
Think up chapter titles to describe the main topic in each passage.
