1 Corinthians

1. 1 Corinthians By Robin Ademaj and Devon Castiello

2. Author • One of the 21 Letters written by Paul. • Written around 56 A.D. • Who was Paul? -Jew from Tarsus; born around 10 C.E. -Pharisee who persecuted early Christians -had a dramatic conversion in Damascus -became a missionary, journeyed to foreign lands and wrote letters to the people he visited

3. Corinth • Located on a narrow Isthmus which divide North and South Greece • Twin Seaports (one in East, one in West) making it a center of commerce • Destroyed by Romans in 146 B.C. • Rebuilt in 44 B.C. under Julius Ceaser

4. Corinth Cont’d • Colonists from all over the world were encouraged to settle • Became a mix of many nationalities, religions, and cultures; primarily Hellenistic culture -Temples for Greek gods • Known for its wealth, luxury, drunkenness, immortality, and vice

5. Paul’s Audience Corinthians were first generation Christians • Members of early church had converted from paganism • Carried many pagan practices into Christianity • Intellectuals living unholy lifestyles • Normal behavior included idolatry, sexual immorality, prostitution, and superstition.

6. Why Was It Written? • Paul wrote theses letters to: • Answer the Corinthians questions • Instruct them in several areas • Warned against being influence by world; instead be godly examples in the midst of a immoral society

7. Problems Addressed • Paul discusses: -the handling of disputes (lawsuits) -marriage -worshiping attitude -denial of future resurrection of the dead -divisions in the church -sexual sins

8. Themes • Unity among believers • Spiritual Freedom • Holy Living • Church discipline • Proper Worship • Hope of Resurrection

9. Summary Chapters 1-8

10. Chapter 1 • Begins by giving thanks to God • Addresses divisions in the church -tells them to be united in one mind and purpose. • Speaks about wisdom • Warns against boasting -whoever boast should boast in God

11. Key Verses “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” • Here Paul is telling the Corinthians that God is above all and even at his weakest, he is still stronger than humans could ever dream of

12. Chapter 2 • Continues to speak of the wisdom of God. -faith does not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God -a spiritual person can judge but is not subject to judgment

13. Key Verses “Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age… Rather we speak God’s wisdom which God predetermined before the ages for our glory” • Here Paul again addresses Gods superior wisdom • Our purpose is to do God’s predetermined will for us

14. Chapter 3 • Talks about the importance of ministers • Corrects them for saying “I belong to Paul” or “I belong to Apollos” -As ministers they lay the foundation of faith -But the people belong to God

15. Key Verses “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” • Paul explains that he and Apollos began their faith • God is the root of it • The people grow toward God in faith

16. Chapter 4 • Tells the Corinthians to live by his example • Talks about the almighty power of God

17. Key Verses “We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ.” • We are fools compared to Christ but through Christ we are wise • Through Christ we become strong

18. Chapter 5 • Talks against incest • Gives and example of a man living with his father’s wife.

19. Key Verses “Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough.” • Give up their immoral ways • Renew their spirits in God

20. Chapter 6 • Addresses: • disagreement/lawsuits between one another • Sexual immorality

21. Key Verses “… the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, who you have from God, and that you are not your own?” • Avoid immorality because it is disrespectful to God who created your body and is alive within you

22. Chapter 7 • Gives advice to the married -followed God’s plan -both marriage and celibate single life are good • Live as the Lord assigns • Gives advice to virgins and widows -spouses are bound together as long as both live -if one dies the other is allowed to married (if in the Lord)

23. Key Verses “A wife does not have authority over her own body, but rather her husband, and similarly a husband does not have authority over his own body but rather his wife.” • Telling married people to be one with each other; united “That it is a good thing to remain as he is… but if you marry however you do not sin.” • Virgins stay virgins but if you choose to marriage you are still in God

24. “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, provided that it be in the Lord.” • A married couple is bound till death • After on dies they are free to marry again

25. Chapter 8 • Talks about sacrifices to idols • Reminds the Corinthians that there is only one true God

26. Key Verses “We know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.” • Reminds the Corinthians of their faith in one God • Denies all other idols

27. Works Cited • Barclay, William. The Letters to the Corinthians. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975. Print. • "Bible Gateway." BibleGateway.com- Commentaries. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. • <http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/>. • "Bible Search." Christ Notes: & Bible Commentary. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.christnotes.org/>. • Guideposts. Discovering 1 Corinthians. Guideposts: New York. Print. • HOLY BIBLE: The New American Bible.Wichita,KS: Fireside Bible, 2000. Print. • LeCompte, Teresa. Journey through the New Testament. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Religion, 2006. Print. • Miller, Stephen M., and Paul Gross. How to Get into the Bible. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1998. Print.