💠 The Book of 1 Corinthians 🌿

The Book of 1 Corinthians — Unity, Purity, and Power in the Body of Christ

Overview

Author

Apostle Paul

Date Written

Around AD 55

Place

Ephesus, during Paul's third missionary journey

Audience

The Church in Corinth, a wealthy but morally corrupt Greek city

Purpose

To correct divisions, immorality, and disorder in the church, and to teach how believers should live in love, unity, and holiness

Key Verse

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

— 1 Corinthians 1:18

About the City of Corinth

A large commercial city in Greece, known for wealth, philosophy, and sexual immorality.
Hosted the Isthmian Games (similar to the Olympics).
The temple of Aphrodite (goddess of love) had 1,000 prostitutes — immorality was rampant.
The Church was spiritually gifted, but divided and immature.

Structure of 1 Corinthians

Section	Chapters	Focus	Theme
1. Divisions in the Church	1–4	Unity under Christ	Christ, not man, is the foundation
2. Moral Problems	5–6	Purity and discipline	The Church must remain holy
3. Marriage & Relationships	7	Christian marriage and singleness	Honor God in relationships
4. Christian Liberty	8–10	Use freedom wisely	Love limits liberty
5. Public Worship	11–14	Order and reverence	Spiritual gifts in harmony
6. The Resurrection	15	Hope beyond death	Christ's resurrection = ours
7. Practical Matters	16	Giving, ministry, and greetings	Faithfulness in service

1️⃣ Unity in the Church (Ch. 1–4)

Problem	Paul's Correction
Divisions ("I follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas…")	Christ is not divided — we are one body.
Pride in human wisdom	True wisdom comes from the Spirit.
Boasting in leaders	All glory belongs to Christ alone.

"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." — 1 Cor. 1:31

2️⃣ Purity and Discipline (Ch. 5–6)

A case of immorality was tolerated in the church.
Paul commanded church discipline: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."
Believers must not go to worldly courts for disputes.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

"You are not your own; you were bought with a price." — 1 Cor. 6:19–20

3️⃣ Marriage and Relationships (Ch. 7)

Marriage is good, but singleness can be a gift for serving God.
Husbands and wives must care for one another equally.
Divorce should only occur under extreme, biblical circumstances.

"Let each remain in the calling in which he was called." — 1 Cor. 7:20

4️⃣ Christian Liberty and Conscience (Ch. 8–10)

Believers have freedom, but must not cause others to stumble.
Eating food offered to idols isn't sin itself — but leading others into confusion is.
Paul used his freedom to serve others, not himself.

"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Cor. 10:31

5️⃣ Worship and Spiritual Gifts (Ch. 11–14)

Topic	Teaching
The Lord's Supper	Must be taken with reverence and self-examination.
Spiritual Gifts	Many gifts — one Spirit (prophecy, tongues, healing, wisdom, etc.).
Love is the greatest gift	Without love, all gifts are meaningless (Ch. 13).
Order in worship	God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.

"Let all things be done decently and in order." — 1 Cor. 14:40

6️⃣ The Resurrection of Christ and Believers (Ch. 15)

Christ's resurrection is the foundation of our faith.
Without it, preaching and faith are empty.
The resurrection body is glorious and eternal.

Type	Description
Adam	Natural body — perishable
Christ	Spiritual body — imperishable

"Death is swallowed up in victory!" — 1 Cor. 15:54

7️⃣ Practical Living (Ch. 16)

Paul encourages generosity, faithful service, and love among believers.
He greets leaders and house churches in Corinth.

Final blessing: "Let all that you do be done in love."

Themes of 1 Corinthians

Theme	Description	Key Verse
Unity	One Church, one Lord, one Spirit.	1:10
Holiness	God calls His people to moral purity.	6:19
Love	The greatest virtue — above all gifts.	13:13
Resurrection	Hope for eternal life.	15:20
Spiritual Gifts	Used to edify, not divide.	12:7
Self-Control	Run to win the spiritual race.	9:24–27

Famous Verses

"The cross is the power of God."

1 Cor. 1:18

"You are God's temple."

1 Cor. 3:16

"God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear."

1 Cor. 10:13

"Love is patient, love is kind…"

1 Cor. 13:4–8

"Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

1 Cor. 15:58

Timeline Summary

AD 51

Paul founds the church in Corinth (Acts 18)

AD 54

Paul receives reports of divisions

AD 55

Paul writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus

AD 56

Sends Timothy and Titus to assist

Spiritual Lessons from 1 Corinthians

The Church must stay united in Christ, not divided by pride.
Purity and love protect the witness of believers.
True freedom is guided by love and conscience.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts for service, not self-glory.
Christ's resurrection guarantees our eternal hope.

Problems in the Corinthian Church

Divisions in the Church (Ch. 1–4)

The believers were divided into groups — "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," "I follow Christ."

Paul's Solution: Christ is not divided — all ministers serve one Lord.

"Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?" — 1 Cor. 1:13

Immorality and Lack of Church Discipline (Ch. 5)

A man was living with his father's wife — shocking even to pagans!

Paul's Solution: Remove the unrepentant man until he repents.

"A little leaven leavens the whole lump." — 1 Cor. 5:6

Lawsuits Among Believers (Ch. 6:1–11)

Christians were suing one another in pagan courts.

Paul's Solution: Settle disputes within the church.

"Why not rather be wronged?" — 1 Cor. 6:7

Sexual Immorality (Ch. 6:12–20)

Some believers continued engaging in sexual sin.

Paul's Solution: Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit — flee immorality.

"You are not your own; you were bought with a price." — 1 Cor. 6:19–20

Marriage and Divorce Issues (Ch. 7)

Confusion about marriage, celibacy, and divorce.

Paul's Solution: Honor both marriage and singleness; stay faithful to your calling.

"Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." — 1 Cor. 7:2

Food Offered to Idols (Ch. 8–10)

Debate over eating food sacrificed to idols.

Paul's Solution: Love limits liberty — don't cause others to stumble.

"Whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Cor. 10:31

Disorder in Worship and Head Coverings (Ch. 11:2–16)

Disrespect in public worship, especially regarding authority and modesty.

Paul's Solution: Maintain reverence and God-ordained order in worship.

"The head of every man is Christ… and the head of the woman is man." — 1 Cor. 11:3

Abuse of the Lord's Supper (Ch. 11:17–34)

The wealthy believers were eating and drinking selfishly before others arrived.

Paul's Solution: Examine yourself, wait for one another, and remember the Lord reverently.

"Whoever eats unworthily eats judgment upon himself." — 1 Cor. 11:29

Misuse of Spiritual Gifts (Ch. 12–14)

Competition and confusion over spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecy, etc.).

Paul's Solution: All gifts come from the same Spirit; love is greater than gifts.

"Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am nothing." — 1 Cor. 13:1

Lack of Love (Ch. 13)

The church operated in power without love.

Paul's Solution: Love is the supreme virtue — patient, kind, and eternal.

"Love never fails." — 1 Cor. 13:8

Denial of the Resurrection (Ch. 15)

Some denied that believers would rise again.

Paul's Solution: Christ's resurrection guarantees ours.

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain." — 1 Cor. 15:14

Summary of Problems and Solutions

#	Problem in the Church	Paul's Solution	Scripture Reference
1	Divisions among believers (following Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Christ)	Focus on Christ as the only foundation, not human leaders. Unity through the cross, not personality.	🕊 1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 3:6–11
2	Immorality tolerated (man with his father's wife)	Remove the unrepentant sinner to preserve holiness; discipline in love so that his spirit may be saved.	⚖️ 1 Corinthians 5:1–7
3	Lawsuits among believers	Handle disputes within the Church. Believers should rather be wronged than damage the Gospel's witness before unbelievers.	⚖️ 1 Corinthians 6:1–7
4	Sexual immorality and misuse of the body	Flee sexual sin. Remember: your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit — bought with a price.	💀 1 Corinthians 6:18–20
5	Marriage, celibacy, and divorce confusion	Stay faithful to your calling; both marriage and singleness are God's gifts. Keep purity and peace in relationships.	💍 1 Corinthians 7:7–17
6	Eating food offered to idols	Freedom must be guided by love. Don't cause others to stumble — do everything for God's glory.	🍞 1 Corinthians 8:9, 10:23–31
7	Disorder in worship and head coverings	Maintain respect and proper order in worship; honor the divine structure God has established.	⛪ 1 Corinthians 11:2–16
8	Abuse of the Lord's Supper	Examine your heart, wait for one another, and treat the Lord's Supper as sacred remembrance — not a common meal.	🍷 1 Corinthians 11:27–34
9	Misuse of spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecy, etc.)	All gifts come from one Spirit; use them to edify others. Let worship be done decently and in order.	🔥 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 14:26–33
10	Lack of love among believers	Love is the greatest virtue. Without love, gifts and works are meaningless. Practice patience, kindness, and humility.	💖 1 Corinthians 13:1–8,13
11	Denial of resurrection	The resurrection of Christ is the core of the Gospel. Because Christ rose, believers will also rise.	🌅 1 Corinthians 15:12–22, 51–57

Summary

1 Corinthians teaches how to be the Church in a corrupt world.

Paul calls believers to holiness, humility, and harmony.

The letter ends with the triumphant truth: "Love never fails."

Key Verse

"Let all that you do be done in love." — 1 Corinthians 16:14

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