1 Corinthians Introduction

Corinth was an important city in ancient Greece notorious for its immorality. Greek plays of the day normally depicted Corinthians as drunk and unruly. There was even a Greek word for their behavior- korinthiazomai or "acting like a Corinthian." (F.F. Bruce. The Book of the Acts) High above the city stood the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Thousand of priestesses, who acted as sacred prostitutes, came down every night and plied their trade in the streets of Corinth.

The apostle Paul founded this church on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-18). Paul spent one and half years in Corinth (he spent three years in Ephesus). At the time Paul writes this letter (54 or 55 A.D.), the church at Corinth was in serious trouble. Paul had just received disturbing letters from two members. The first was a report from the household of Chloe that detailed the divisions and immorality in the young church. (1 Cor. 1:11) The second was a set of questions raised by a group that included Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus about things like marriage and Christian liberty. Paul attempts to answer both of these letters and to provide additional Christian instruction.

Paul had left the Corinthian church under the leadership of Aquila and Priscilla in the spring of 53 A.D. It seems that the young Corinthian church had failed to protect itself from the decadent culture of the city, and that the immaturity of the Corinthians had given way to sectarian divisions. Members were dragging into court to sue each other rather than settling their disputes within the church.

Other issues that necessitated this letter are spelled out in Chapters 5 through 15 – a case of immorality, marriage, celibacy, food offered to idols, worship, spiritual gifts (especially speaking in tongues), and bodily resurrection. The letter contains some of the earliest Christian teaching regarding the resurrection (see chapter 15) and the Lord’s Supper (see chapter 11) and one of the most beloved chapters in all the New Testament – Paul’s hymn to Christian love (chapter 13).

The early Christian movement struggled with people making the transition from pagan religions to becoming faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Old behaviors, habits, and understandings were often difficult to change. 1 Corinthians, more than any other letter, reveals the broken humanity that filled early Christian churches. (Many of the problems and questions the Corinthian church was dealing with are still present in the church today).

Here's something to consider in light of today's readings from the first chapter. During the time Paul was writing this letter there was a bumper crop of false Messiahs. Many of them tricked people into accepting them by the promise of wonders and miracles. The Jews expected big signs. In Jesus they found someone who was meek and lowly, one who avoided the spectacular, one who served and one who ended up on death row and the cross. It seemed an impossible picture of the Chosen One of God.

To the Greeks, anyone who died crucified on a cross was considered weak, not someone to be admired or worshipped. In Paul’s day, there were those who hailed man’s intellect and accomplishments, finding little to no use for the preaching of a crude cross and a crucified Messiah. This crowd considered followers of Jesus to be “foolish.” (And does that sound familiar?)

But to the Jews who believed in Jesus, they found their true Messiah to be far greater than they had ever dreamed. And to the believing Greeks, wisdom far superior to all their ideas of truth. In every way, God is superior to man!

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things o the world to shame the things which are strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Robert Prater