11.09.

11

The Letter of 1st Corinthians

55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

General Overview: The Apostle Paul wrote this letter of correction to the Christians in Corinth somewhere around a.d. 5354, while in Ephesus (see 16:8). The traditional title of the letter means that it is the first of two canonical letters by Paul to the Corinthians, not that it was Pauls first letter to them. 1 Corinthians is the most difficult of the New Testament letters to summarize, because Paul deals in turn with no less than eleven different issues, sometimes in a length similar to some of his shorter letters (2 Thessalonians, Titus). Some items (on divisions and on wisdom, 1:104:21; on incest, 5:113; on litigation, 6:111; and on going to prostitutes, 6:1220) are in direct response to reports from members of Chloes household (1:11, probably an Ephesian Christian whose servants have been in Corinth on business). This may very well be true of the head covering of women in 11:216 as well and is almost certainly true of the Lords Table correctives in 11:1734. The rest is in response to the Corinthians letter to him mentioned in 7:1, where he starts by taking up the question of sex and marriage (7:124). At 7:25 the formula Now about *virgins+ occurs, repeated in 8:1 (Now about food sacrificed to idols); 12:1 (Now about spiritual gifts); 16:1 (Now about the collection); and 16:12 (Now about our brother Apollos). Most of these are in direct response to behavior that is being embraced by some or most of the believers in Corinth; in each case Paul is correcting them, not informing them about things they do not yet know (notice how often he prods them with Dont you know where the implication is that they do in fact know; see 3:16; 5:6; 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19; 9:13, 24). The only issue raised that is not behavioral is the bodily resurrection of believers in chapter 15, and here Paul specifically says that some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead (v. 12). 1 Pauls basic response to all of this is to remind them that the gospel has a crucified Messiah, risen from the dead, at its very heart, and thus he bookends the letter with these two basic theological realities (the cross, 1:172:16; the resurrection, 15:158). Everything else in the letter must be understood in light of these; indeed, the most crucial role of the Spirit is to reveal the cross as the key to Gods wisdom (2:616). Feeling Pauls Emotion when Reading the Letter: Because such serious Christian thinking and living matters are at stake (especially because of the Corinthians rejecting/distorting the centrality of the cross and resurrection in Christian living), you will find his moods to run a wide gamut of emotion which is
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Emphasis of the Letter: a crucified Messiah as the central message of the gospel; the cross as Gods wisdom and power; the importance of Christian love and unity; Christian behavior that conforms to the gospel; the true nature of life in the Spirit; the future bodily resurrection of the Christian dead

Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. K. (2002). How to read the Bible book by book : A guided tour (304305). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.

reflected in his divers literary styles confrontation (4:1821; 9:112; 14:3638), appeal (4:1516; 10:3111:1), sarcasm (4:8; 6:5, the wise arent wise enough to settle disputes!), irony (1:2628, no one in the name of wisdom would have chosen them to be Gods people!), eloquence (13:18), and rhapsody (15:5157)but there is very little joy or pleasure to be found currently in his relationship with this church (and 2 Corinthians tells us it gets worse before it gets better).
Questions: Background Information: Why are so many churches marked by To read 1 Corinthians well, you need some understanding of the city where conflict and animosity? the Corinthian believers lived. The famous Greek city of Corinth, renowned Why is Christian unity so important? for its artistry in bronze, its wealth, its populous, its athletics, and its Why is the doctrine of Christs bodily gratuitous sexuality, was destroyed in 146 b.c. during a war with Rome. After resurrection so important? lying dormant for nearly a hundred years, Corinth was re-founded by Julius Why is the doctrine of our bodily Caesar in 44 b.c. as a Roman colony. Because of its strategic location for resurrection so important? commerce both north-south and east-west, by the time of Paul (one hundred years later) it had become the largest city in Roman Greece. By ancient standards it was a relatively new city, but it had quickly become cosmopolitan (having attracted people from all over the empire) and full of the nouveau riche (i.e., new money). It was also very religious (all of the immigrants brought their deities), while at the same time morally decadent. So those who had become believers were from among this diverse population, both slave and free, Gentile and Jew (12:13), who brought a lot of their prior baggage with them to the Christian faith.2

The Conflict and Divisions within the Church of Corinth:

1. Division because of spiritual immaturity manifested in following men instead of Christ (3:1-4:21). a. They followed individuals because of spiritual immaturity (3:1-4). b. God causes the growth; all are servants of God (3:5-15). c. You are Gods temple (3:16-17). d. Dont deceive yourselves; dont boast in men; boast in God (3:18-23). e. Think of ministers as servants of God; Pauls personal defense (4:1-21). 2. Division because of spiritual apathy manifested in allowing sin to run rampant in the church (5:1-6:20) a. The sin of the immorality (5:1-13) b. The sin of unresolved conflicts and unforgiveness (6:1-11). c. The sin of sexual immorality prostitutes (6;12-20). 3. Division because of spiritual arrogance regarding doctrinal matters (7:1-) a. Marital conflict because of over-realized eschatology (7:1-40). b. Arrogant disregard for weaker brothers regarding meat offered to idols (8:1-11:1) 1). On food offered to idols (8) 2). Pauls personal defense of apostleship (9) 3). Do everything to the glory of God (10:23-11:1). c. Conflict over male/female roles in worship (11:2-16). d. Conflict between rich and poor: spiritual elitism in Lords Supper (11:17-34) e. Conflict over view of spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40). f. Conflict over view of resurrection (15:1-58). 4. At the root of all conflict is sin whether sins of ignorance or sins of arrogance (James 4:1-4). Christians are united by the foolish message of Jesus Christ crucified as revealed by the Holy Spirit. 1. The message of the cross is foolishness (1:18-25). 2. You were nothing; therefore, you cannot boast in self (1:26-31). 3. The proclamation of Christ crucified is in the power of the Spirit, not in eloquence, that your faith may rest in God, not man (2:1-5). 4. The wisdom of God is revealed by the Spirit (2:6-13). 5. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit (2:14-16). Christians who are united by the gospel should be marked by love. 1. 1 Corinthians 13 2. When we are marked by love, we will be of one mind (1:10)

Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. K. (2002). How to read the Bible book by book : A guided tour (325326). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.