1 Corinthians
Correcting sin under the lordship of Christ
First Corinthians addresses serious failures of conduct in a church that possessed many spiritual gifts. Divisions, immorality, lawsuits, the misuse of liberty, disorder in worship, and errors concerning resurrection required correction. Paul relates each problem to Christ, the cross, and the congregation’s identity as God’s people. His rebukes call the church to repentance and orderly Christian conduct. Love, holiness, and the edification of the whole body must govern the use of knowledge, liberty, and spiritual gifts.
- Verses
- 437
- Words
- 9,489
Key word frequency
- Lord69 occurrences · In 59 verses
Writer: Paul
Written: About AD 55–56, during Paul’s later Ephesian ministry
Name: The first canonical letter to the believers in Corinth.
History and setting
Corinth was a wealthy commercial center in Achaia, exposed to international trade, idolatry, and sexual immorality. Paul writes while planning further travel.
The church of God at Corinth.
Dispensational context
Paul corrects a church already formed among Gentiles while addressing divisions, worship, gifts, resurrection, and bodily holiness. Instructions respond to real Corinthian problems in the church age.
1 Corinthians 1:10–17 · 1 Corinthians 12:1–31 · 1 Corinthians 15:1–28
Interpretive issues to watch
- Separate the issue Paul is answering from a general rule; a statement quoted from Corinth may be challenged in the next sentence.
- Read the gifts and resurrection chapters in their whole arguments before isolating a phrase for a present practice.
Key passages
1 Corinthians 1:30–31
Christ is the believer’s wisdom and righteousness, excluding self-glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Every part of life is to be directed to God’s glory.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
The gospel centers on Christ’s death for sins, burial, and resurrection.
Key chapters
13
Charity tests spiritual claims and exposes service performed without love.
15
Christ’s resurrection establishes the believer’s resurrection hope.
Outline
1–4 · Division and human wisdom
The cross corrects party spirit and boasting in men.
5–7 · Holiness and relationships
Church discipline, personal purity, and marriage require obedience to Christ.
8–10 · Liberty governed by love
Rights are surrendered where their use would harm others or hinder the gospel.
11–14 · Order in the assembly
The Lord’s supper and spiritual gifts must edify the church.
15–16 · Resurrection and responsibility
Future bodily resurrection supports present steadfastness and practical giving.
Historical application
- Paul addresses reported problems and questions arising in a young church situated within a strongly pagan culture.
- The letter belongs to his ministry at Ephesus; its plans connect with the journeys recorded in Acts.
Doctrinal application
- Christ’s lordship governs the church’s doctrine, discipline, worship, and conduct.
- Bodily resurrection is essential to Christian hope; it cannot be removed without emptying the gospel of its meaning.
Devotional application
- Test a permitted activity by its effect on self-control, conscience, others’ growth, and gospel witness.
- Love is a necessary measure of maturity. Possessing knowledge or a prominent gift does not excuse pride or disregard for others.
Study notes
- Paul’s descriptions of Corinthian conduct frequently form part of his rebuke. The distinction between the practices he reports and the instructions he gives is essential to interpreting the letter.
- The discussion of gifts reaches its practical goal in orderly edification.
- The church must confront serious sin while remaining accountable to the Lord who judges his servants.
Charity tests claims of spirituality
Chapter 13 belongs to the discussion of spiritual gifts in chapters 12–14. It establishes charity as necessary to the value of both spiritual abilities and acts of sacrifice. The surrounding chapters apply this principle to the use of gifts for the edification of the congregation.
1 Corinthians 12:27–31 · 1 Corinthians 13:1–7 · 1 Corinthians 14:1–5
Liberty must be examined by its effects
Paul evaluates the exercise of liberty by its consequences for self-control, edification, conscience, and the reception of the gospel. These considerations make the welfare of other people part of the believer’s responsibility. The discussion concludes by directing every action to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 6:12 · 1 Corinthians 8:7–13 · 1 Corinthians 10:23–33
The doctrinal significance of resurrection
Chapter 15 examines the consequences of denying the resurrection of the dead. Christ’s resurrection is essential to the truth of apostolic preaching, the forgiveness of sins, and the believer’s future hope. The concluding exhortation to steadfast labor follows from the assurance that service in the Lord has enduring significance.
1 Corinthians 15:12–20 · 1 Corinthians 15:51–58
Spiritual gifts and Christian maturity
The divisions and self-satisfaction at Corinth show that spiritual ability does not establish Christian maturity. Paul begins his correction with the wisdom of God in Christ and applies it to moral, household, social, and congregational conduct. The discussion of spiritual gifts must be understood within this sustained correction of the church’s disorder.
1 Corinthians 1:26–31 · 1 Corinthians 3:1–7 · 1 Corinthians 4:8 · 1 Corinthians 14:26–40
An earlier letter to Corinth
The title First Corinthians identifies the first Corinthian letter preserved in the New Testament. Paul’s reference to an earlier letter in 5:9 shows that his correspondence with the congregation was already underway. His clarification in 5:9–13 explains the intended scope of that earlier instruction and distinguishes the church’s responsibility for its own members from its dealings with people outside.
The body belongs to the Lord
Paul answers sexual sin by insisting that the body is for the Lord, has been purchased with a price, and is destined for resurrection. The chapter’s argument joins present conduct to the future raising of the body. It also prevents a false division between religious life and bodily life in the Corinthian church.
The Lord’s supper and the gathered church
The disorder at Corinth’s common meal humiliates poorer members and obscures the meaning of the Lord’s supper. Paul recounts the words received concerning the bread and cup, then calls the assembly to examine itself and wait for one another. The passage treats remembrance of Christ’s death and care for the church as connected obligations.
Chapter guide
1–4 · Divided loyalties corrected
Following favored personalities reveals misplaced confidence in human wisdom and a failure to understand ministry.
5–6 · Holiness in the body
Discipline, disputes, and sexual conduct are addressed in light of belonging to Christ.
7 · Marriage and calling
Paul answers practical questions about marriage and singleness while directing attention to faithfulness in one’s calling.
8–10 · Liberty governed by love
Knowledge, conscience, apostolic restraint, and Israel’s warnings establish responsible freedom.
11–14 · The gathered church ordered
The Lord’s supper and spiritual gifts require discernment, charity, intelligibility, and peace.
15 · Resurrection defended
The reality of Christ’s resurrection establishes both future hope and the significance of present labor.
16 · Giving and partnership
Practical instructions about the collection, travel, and fellow workers conclude the correction with shared responsibility.
Canonical context
The letter applies doctrine to the congregation’s divisions, sexual conduct, worship, giving, and understanding of resurrection.
Romans establishes the doctrinal foundation; First Corinthians exposes the disorder that results when a church fails to live under it.
Second Corinthians shows the personal cost, sorrow, restoration, and grace involved in bringing correction to a troubled congregation.
Christ’s wisdom and lordship govern the church, and charity directs the use of spiritual gifts and Christian liberty toward the good of others.
Connections
Acts · Acts 18–20 supplies Corinthian and Ephesian background.
2 Corinthians · The follow-up letter reveals responses to correction and the cost of ministry.
Romans · Romans supplies the doctrinal foundation that Corinth’s conduct should have expressed.