The Book of 1 Corinthians

In the year 55 AD, Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church because the body was in disarray.  Schisms permeated their thinking and their action, immorality was prevalent, and the influence of the culture seeped into the church such that the message of the cross was nullified by many.  Therefore, Paul wrote to unify the people in the isthmus city around the cross both in how they think and how they act (1:10).  For without love, their existence and spiritual efforts means nothing (13:1-3).  False doctrine was embraced by some and included the teaching that there is no resurrection from the dead.  So the author found it necessary to combat this teaching and thus to encourage them to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (15:58).

After his customary prayer and thanksgiving (1:1-9), Paul responds to the state of the church (1:10-6:20).  Next, he takes the questions that were addressed to him and responds to the prevailing ideas and actions of the Corinthian body (7:1-16:4).  His conclusion (16:5-24) brings the letter full circle around unity of the faith and love of the brethren.  Throughout the entirety of the letter, Paul demonstrates that his chief concern in ministry is unity around the cross.  He is not about promotion of self through oratory prowess.  He is about boasting in the cross.  Likewise, he desires for the Corinthians to do the same (4:16).  Sexual immorality (5; 6:12-20), lawsuits against each other (chapter 6), focusing on differences instead of love (12-14) and improper views of marriage (chapter 7) militates against the calling of the Christian.  Arrogance refuses the resurrection (15:12-19), but the one boasting in Jesus embraces the message and meaning of His victory over death (15:56).