Background

• Corinth’s Reputation - City of Sin

  • Sexual promiscuity

• Cenchreae - Allowed for it to become a trade hub

• Cosmopolitan

• Congregation - mostly poor, mostly Gentiles, though two wealthy Jewish leaders converted, but fairly diverse

• Paul, Silas, Timothy - make tents in the city to become a part of their culture and city

  • Stayed 18 months

• 1 Corinthians was actually the second letter written

• Written in response to -- Chloe’s people and churches’ questions

• Purpose - Provide guidance to issues and problems threatening the unity of the church

Critical Issues: Four Letters

• “Lost Letter” - first letter to the Corinthians

• 1 Corinthians

• 2 Corinthians

• “Painful Letter” - lost or in 2 Corinthians

Themes: Spiritual Elitism

• Cliques - by leader (Paul, Cepheus, Apollos)

• Temple - everyone in the temple is important and all need to do their job

• Spiritual Infants - Not firm enough in their faith to be spoken to with the hardness of Christianity and didn’t act mature enough to admit their downfalls

• Christ Crucified - focused too much on Christ exalted, so Paul tries to draw them back to Christ crucified

Themes: Resurrection

• Some felt that the resurrection had already happened

• Paul argued against his by presenting:

  • While Jesus conquered Death, Evil is still being conquered

  • The dead had not perished, but are waiting to be risen up again

  • Exchange of perishable bodies for imperishable bodies in the resurrection

Themes: Communion

• Problem - didn’t know how to deal with meals together and manage meals/drinks together

• Liturgy - Earliest and most laid out story of the Last Supper

• Examine Yourselves - do not partake without the right heart and mind

• Grace - We are all equal at this table and working together, noticing our own faults and extending grace to others

Themes: Sex & Excommunication

• Immorality - some immorality needs severe punishment (man with stepmother)

  • Harsh punishment was meant to take away the protection of the church and bring them back in a roundabout way

• All Things Lawful? - Corinthians believed that “freedom in Christ” meant freedom to do all things

• Celibacy? - A good option if you can stick with avoiding passions; though marriage was not a bad option

Themes: Meat Sacrificed to Idols

• Sacrificed Meat - cannot eat because sacrificed to demons

• Demons - Roman Gods

• Purchased Meat - Marketplace sold unclean meat; but as long as you didn’t know if it was sacrificed it was okay to eat

• Weaker Members - Do not eat sacrificed meat in front of people that would take offense to it (Jewish Christians)

Themes: Spiritual Gifts

• Spiritual Gifts - wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, teaching, etc.

• Glossolalia - Speaking in tongues

  • Acts - Glossolalia used when extended to new groups

  • 1 Corinthians - Glossolalia used in worship (and addition of interpreters)

• Problems - boasters (saw it as a special gift), disrupted service, put off other members

• Paul’s Admonitions - Gifts should be used for love, Gifts should be used for unifying the church

Themes: Love (Agape)

• 1 Corinthians 13 - Love Chapter

• Agape - Noble love (closely with respect)

• Phileos - Friendly love

• Eros - Erotic love (between a husband and wife)