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Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.

This month we continue our exploration of Paul’s letters with I Corinthians. Unlike Romans, which was written to a community he had never visited, I Corinthians is written to what some scholars call his “flagship church.” Paul had spent a year and a half in Corinth; this church was near and dear to him. And I Corinthians is probably not the first correspondence between them. Most scholars think the letter, known as I Corinthians, is actually a response to one they had written to Paul. Some even suggest that Paul had previously written to them. In either event, this letter is clearly part of an ongoing conversation between them. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.

The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible Study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.

1 Corinthians

As a city, Corinth had been destroyed in 146 BCE after joining with several other cities to rebel against Rome. It remained desolate for almost a century. In 46BCE, Caesar decided to rebuild the city and gave land in Corinth to his retiring Roman officers for their pension. His plan was so successful that within 20 years Corinth was a thriving city and the capital of Achaia. It didn’t hurt that Corinth was built on an Isthmus and controlled two harbors, one leading directly to Asia and the other to Italy. It was the crossroads for Mediterranean trade going east or west. It was by far easier not to navigate the six-day journey around Greece, but to unload at one of Corinth’s two ports and, literally, carry the merchandise over to the other harbor and reload it onto another ship, or even the same one, since they had a road specifically for dragging ships across the Isthmus.

In addition to its fortuitous location, Corinth was a traditional Roman society, held together by two abiding principles. The first was loyalty to the emperor, and the second was the patronage system. Devotion to the emperor would be demonstrated through massive ceremonies and granting special honors to him. They would have had temples, coins, and statues all honoring the emperor. The patronage, or patron-client, system was predicated upon the inequities embedded in that society. Those with money, especially old money, had position, prestige, and power. Since Corinth was a land of opportunity, many fortunes had been made (and perhaps some had been lost) over the years. The moneyed people were the patrons. It was their job to protect and benefact their clients. They could provide resources, use their influence, donate buildings, and do whatever they thought would bring honor – to themselves. The “clients” were the major source of their popular support. Societal rankings were well defined and well maintained. And let us never forget that at this time they had a highly developed system of slavery. The gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” had never been greater.

According to Acts 18:1-10, Paul spent 18 months in Corinth (ca 50-51). When Paul walked into Corinth, the first people he met were Jews, Aquila and Priscilla (who had been expelled from Rome as a result of Claudius’ decree, ca 49). Paul stayed with them and shared their occupation of tent making. He spent each Sabbath arguing in the synagogue, persuading Jews and Greeks. When he was kicked out of the synagogue, he went next door to the house of Crispus, who had been a leader of the synagogue. But Paul was never a “pie in the sky” kind of guy. He knew that in order to keep on meeting they needed to have a place big enough to accommodate them. He always found someone “of means.” We know that there were some wealthy people in Corinth because they’re in someone’s house. That person has to have a house big enough to accommodate a large group. Not everybody did. The modest people certainly didn’t have living rooms to house 50 people. We know from Romans that the man who owned the house was named Gaius, because in Romans 16:23, Paul says, “Gaius who is host to me and the whole church greets you.”

So the Corinthians are meeting in his house, and this is going to cause some problems. There was a huge difference between the public sphere and the private sphere. Rules were different, and they were especially different for women. The public sphere was everything outside the home; the private was within the home. Here they’re in public in a private home. Men don’t know how to relate to women in the home and women don’t know how to relate to men in the home. The “space” has changed. When they’re in the home, they’re in women’s domain; but now they’re in this public assembly. It might lead to some confusion, and they’re going to have to figure out how to behave. Add to that the fact that if there were 50 people, these would have been people going across all the class lines and then make them male and female on top of it.

We know from Acts 18:1-10 that Paul didn’t have as much trouble from the Jewish authorities in Corinth as he did in some other places, in part because the proconsul, Gallio, pretty much stayed out of religious matters. After 18 months, Paul left, and probably went to Ephesus. I Corinthians is a letter he wrote back to them, possibly 3-5 years after he showed up in Corinth. Scholars, then, date this letter to approximately 54-55 CE. This letter is not an intellectual treatise about ideas; this was addressed to real people at a real point in time for real reasons. If someone wanted to write a subtitle for the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians, they might call it “the problem of factions” or a “treatise on wisdom.”

Paul’s initial greetings are very warm; he praises them for the gifts they have been given. He says they have “been enriched in every way – in all their speaking and in all their knowledge. They do not lack any spiritual gift.” Paul probably really meant this. He knows these spiritual gifts are from God and he is grateful for that. This is a church that is working, at least at some level. And he wants to start at that point, to go forward from there. But in addition to Gaius there were also people in that church, who had no social standing at all, like the slaves. It's not hard to imagine tensions arising between those who were well educated and prosperous, and those who had nothing. People on the lowest end of the spectrum had no privileges, not even any protection or rights in that society. And someone might wonder how everyone was getting along in light of Paul’s teachings that there was unity in diversity and that they were all equal before Christ.

First Corinthians, then, is a fascinating glimpse into a stratified house church. It is reasonable to assume that most of the issues related to the divisions that were inherent in the societal rankings of the group. Most of Paul’s instructions are intended to reduce, if not completely eliminate, their bringing those traditional societal norms into the church community. He really wanted them to feel and treat each other as equals before Christ. One can only imagine how hard that would have been for all members -- both the well educated, who were used to having the power to make all the decisions, as well as the poorer members, who never had any power and never got to make any decisions.

The book can generally be segmented into six sections: 1:1-17 – Greetings and Divisions; 1:18-4:21 – Treatise on Wisdom, Factions in the Church; 5:1-6:20 – Problems of Immorality, Legal Issues, and Prostitution; 7:1-14:40 – Paul’s Responses to Problems in the Worship Service; 15:1-58 – Resurrections Issues and the Christian; 16:1-24 – Final Greetings, Requests.


I – 1:1-17 – Greetings and Divisions

1:1-3		Greetings from Paul Paul’s initial greetings are very cordial

1:4-9		Paul gives thanks for God’s work in their lives They have been enriched in every way; they lack no spiritual gifts

1:10-17		Divisions in the church Paul appeals to them for harmony There are social implications of the four groups -- Paul, Peter, Apollos, Christ Paul – God fearers, gentiles (including women, slaves) Peter – Jewish Christians Apollos – well educated, prosperous members Christ – Perhaps those claiming a special relationship to Christ

II -- 1:18-4:21 – Treatise on Wisdom, Factions in the Church

1:18-2:16		God’s wisdom, not conventional wisdom

		1:18-25 The foolishness of the cross/saving power of God Salvation is through Christ not the wisdom of men “The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” 1:26-31 God chose the “nothings” to shame the “wise” Social implications – “nothings” would be the lowest end of social strata Shames the wise – the wise see how temporary, insignificant are their personal achievements Without God, the “powerful” can do nothing With God, the powerless can do everything 2:1-5 Paul’s preaching is not eloquent His words were a demonstration of Spirit’s power (Perhaps the well educated were embarrassed by its simplicity) 2:6-16 God’s plan of salvation has been revealed to Paul through the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit reveals God’s wisdom and power to those willing to hear All have the “mind of Christ”

3:1-4:21		Factions in the Church

		3:1-4 Paul rebukes their spiritual immaturity They think they’re mature, but they are all infants 3:5-9 Apollos and Paul – not competitors He uses imagery of gardeners They plant and water, but God makes it grow They are both God’s fellow workers 3:10-17 Paul uses metaphor of a builder The foundation has been laid, which is Jesus Christ Workers can only build on that foundation Those who deviate will be judged by God’s fire on the Day of the Lord Christian work will withstand the test of fire and be rewarded All are God’s temple, and the Spirit works through them 3:18-23 People are completely dependent on God Those who think they are wise by human standards should become foolish in order to become wise by God’s standards People cannot put their trust in anything human Things of God are not evaluated according to the rules of the world “You are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” 4:1-5 True servants of Christ and the work of God Paul cares little whether they approve of him or not He is secure in God’s judgment of him; he is accountable only to God 4:6-21 Paul and Apollos are examples of humble servants The Corinthians claim to be spiritually rich, but are filled with pride in their own achievements Paul lists some of his hardships, writes this as a warning to them He uses the analogy of role of father vs. “uncaring instructor” Instructor is only interested in outcomes Father is interested in edification Paul plans to visit them soon – will he come with love or with a stick? He begs them to reform before he arrives

III -- 5:1-6:20 – Problems of Immorality, Legal Issues, and Prostitution

5:1-13		Problem of immorality in the church One member has relations with his stepmother Paul abhors their attitude of tolerance “A little yeast works through the whole batch” He urges them to forego the old leaven of malice and wickedness He adds to this multiple sins that are problematic Church should get rid of such offenders, not associate with them (Rules apply only to fellow church members, not society as a whole)

6:1-11		Problems relating to legal matters Some are in disputes with other members, taking them to court (Only applies to men – women, slaves did not have access to courts) Paul does not want them to take their problems to human courts Paul states the “nothings” should be appointed as judges (Social implications of this are enormous – imagine a slave telling a wealthy member what to do! [Remember this society is based on patron/client relationships] Paul is saying it’s a new world inside church doors.) Implications would be just as dramatic for “nothings” who had never had that sense of importance before Lawsuits, in principle, show their spiritual failures Those who do such wickedness will not inherit the kingdom of God

6:12-20		Problem with prostitution God has prepared their bodies to be united with Christ – not prostitutes (Again, can only be addressed to men; women did not go to prostitutes) Corinthians had written that “everything is permissible” (This was due in part to their sense of superior spirituality) Paul replies that “not everything is beneficial” – including visiting prostitutes Their bodies are the Lord’s temple They should honor God with their bodies

IV -- 7:1-14:40 – Paul’s Responses to Problems in the Worship Service

7:1-16		Obligations re: marriage

		7:1-6 “It is good for a man not to touch a woman” (Coming on the heals of his treatise re: prostitution, scholars think this might have been written by the women who realized they had choices, power over own bodies. Men who had no access to their wives were “forced” to resort to prostitutes.) Paul states both men and women have equal rights and equal obligations. Only by mutual agreement and for a short time should they forego sex to devote themselves to prayer He wishes they could all be “like” him (celibate), but knows that each has his/her own gifts from God 7:8-9 Words to unmarried and widowed Be in control of yourselves or get married “Burning with passion” (consumed with inward desire) means they cannot wholeheartedly serve God 7:10-16 Divorce and separation This is Paul’s own opinion and not from God Women should not separate from husbands; husbands should not divorce (Only men could initiate divorce) If in a mixed marriage, they should stay if at all possible The union might bring blessings to their husband as well as the children But if an unbelieving spouse leaves, they should let him/her go “No one is required to live in bondage; God has called us to live in peace”

7:17-24		Obligations in life People should remain in the place in life to which the Lord has called them They are to live contentedly in whatever state they’re in (Circumcised/uncircumcised; slave/free)

7:25-40		Paul has words of wisdom regarding virgins (not the Lord’s command) They, too, should stay the way they are Time is short; the world in its present form is passing away Unmarried people are freer from the world’s concerns It is better to be undivided in service for the Lord (Has nothing to do with being a more holy state) People who wish to get married should certainly feel free to do so What’s important is the solidarity of the community “Whether one is married or remains single, one must live in a way that is pleasing to God and builds up the community of God’s people.”

8:1-16		Eating meat sacrificed to idols “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” An idol is nothing; there is only one God Some have a greater understanding in knowing the nothingness of idols Those who are strong must care for those who are weak (“Strong” and “weak” could be social categories – only “strong,” i.e. wealthy, would have access to meat outside of temple festivals) Even though the strong might have a clear conscience in exercising their “rights”, they should not do so if it harms another

9:1-18		Paul uses himself as an example as one who has given up his “rights” As an apostle he could expect others to care for him (his apostolic privilege) Yet Paul earned his own living Biblically speaking, Paul uses metaphors from military, agriculture, and OT to show God’s servants have the “right,” the expectation of providing for their needs from the fruits of their labors Yet he chose not to use this right He does not want to do anything that might hinder the gospel

9:19-27		He has no master, but has made himself a slave to all He uses an example of running a race Though there is only one winner, all must train for the prize The whole point is that everyone must keep their eyes on the goal at the end

10:1-13		A warning for the Corinthians Paul uses Israel’s history to make his point God chose the Israelites and brought them out of Egypt They were baptized, ate the same spiritual food and drink Yet, they all died in the desert Christians should be different History of Israelites stands as lessons for others People cannot become arrogant Privileges bring responsibilities; they do not guarantee moral or religious security

10:14-22		Those who attend pagan sacrifices have fellowship with idolatry One cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper as well as a sacrificial meal in a pagan temple One cannot flirt with demons and then sit at the Lord’s Table One must make a clean break; God will not be mocked Christians cannot play fast and loose with loyalties to God

10:23-11:1		Only real freedom is to glorify God Those who boast they are totally free are in danger of enslaving themselves to the practices they are free to do If someone invites them to a meal and they do not know the source, they are free to eat; but if they are told it was sacrificed meat, they should refrain (Only wealthy people would ever be in this situation) Whatever they do should be for the glory of God Their only job is to build up the church, promote the good of others

11:2-14:40		Orderly worship in the church

		11:2-16 The issue of head coverings (addressed to both men and women) Men’s heads should be uncovered; women’s heads are to be covered Both men and women prophesy and pray Typically, important men covered their heads during worship Paul’s decree, then, is meant to be a social leveler Typically, women’s behavior reflected upon their husbands Women with uncovered heads brought shame to their husbands Paul is trying to promote unity, to remove class distinctions and to preserve the distinction between males and females Neither men nor women are independent of each other Woman came from man and man is born of woman Both come from God Each gender needs to fulfill its current roles in society The church was to permeate society, not rebel against it 11:17-34 Problems with the Lord’s Supper Divisions are apparent when they come together for the Lord’s Supper The wealthy probably brought better food for themselves Oftentimes they were done eating before the others (slaves) arrived They are making a mockery out of the notion they are “sharing” a common meal Paul says they’d be better off if they didn’t get together at all Paul reminds them he passed on to them that which he had received They are to remember what they are commemorating, namely, Jesus’ last meal with his disciples The words and symbols proclaim Jesus’ death and anticipate the glorious banquet of the kingdom to come Each one should examine himself before he eats and drinks If they don’t, they only bring judgment upon themselves Each is responsible to all They are to remember that this meal is not about being “hungry” (Though it is possible that for the slaves it would have been their only meal of the day. That made it all the more heinous if the wealthy had eaten all the food before the slaves even arrived.) Decency and orderliness were to prevail 12:1-11 The source of spiritual gifts All spiritual gifts are of the Holy Spirit The Spirit gives each gift for the common good People cannot rank God’s gifts in order of their presumed importance All gifts are needed; diversity is a sign of God’s inspiration 12:12-26 Analogy of the body in the diversity of gifts All were baptized by same Spirit; all were given the one Spirit to drink There is unity in diversity All aspects of the body are necessary In fact, the “weaker” parts are the more indispensable The parts that are less honorable are given the most honor (Again, there are social implications re: the “weaker” and “strong.” It’s akin to saying that God “prefers” and gives special “honor” to the “weak.”) So it is with the body of Christ All parts should have equal concern and consideration for each other If one part suffers, they all suffer; if one part rejoices, they all rejoice 12:27-30 One body of Christ and offices in the church Each Christian has his/her own function within the church body It is God who imparts the offices and gifts Paul lists various offices – apostles, prophets, teachers are first Those speaking in tongues are last on the list Gift is not as important as how it is used – for the edification of all 12:31-13:13 Position of love in the ministry of the church Hymnic masterpiece that is central to Christian living This is the essential nature of love, positioned in the middle of his discussion This hymn speaks to the superiority and necessity of love All spiritual gifts are meaningless without accompanying love Description of love, both positively and negatively Love is patient, kind, without envy or boasting or pride Love rejoices in truth, protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres Description of the enduring, permanent nature of love It will outlast prophecies, tongues, or knowledge Child’s thoughts and speech are inadequate compared to mature adult Analogy for what we have now versus what we will have later Of “faith, hope and love…. The greatest of these is love.” 14:1-25 A commentary on the ranking of gifts mentioned earlier Members highly valued speaking in tongues They thought it indicated close communion with God Paul highly valued prophecy It represented strengthening, encouragement, and comfort for community Speaking in tongues edified the individual; prophesy edified community Paul tells them if there is no interpreter, they should forego tongue speaking If they want to excel in spiritual gifts, they should excel in those that edify the church Paul would rather speak five intelligible words than 10,000 in tongues He invites them to stop acting like children and to think like adults If guests stop by and only see tongue speaking, they will be confused If they hear prophesying, the secrets of their hearts will be laid bare There is no inherent value in the gifts unless the whole community can participate and benefit from them 14:26-40 Orderly behavior during worship All activities must be done for the strengthening of the community If there is no interpreter, the tongue speakers should stay quiet Only two or three prophets should speak They should all prophesy in turn God is not a God of disorder but of peace Women should not speak in church Possibly another quote from the letter (We already know that women are praying and prophesying from 11:3. It could be that women are asking too many questions; men are being shamed by their behavior. Everything should be done for the edification of others. If behavior is shameful or embarrassing or harmful against anyone, it should stop.) Everything should be done in an orderly and fitting way

V -- 15:1-58 – Resurrections Issues and the Christian

15:1-11		The resurrection of Christ Paul reminds them of the history of Jesus Christ – his death and resurrection He lists the people to whom Jesus appeared -- more than 500 in all Paul was the least of all the apostles, but he too was given God’s grace He has preached what he was given

15:12-19		The reality of resurrection Some say there is no resurrection of the dead This would obviate entirety of Christian message If there was no Christianity, they would all still be living in sin Those who have “fallen asleep” would be lost Therefore, Christians would have nothing to hold on to in this life

15:20-28		But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead Christ is the firstfruits of them who sleep In the end, he will hand over the kingdom to the Father The last enemy to be destroyed will be death God has put everything under his feet

15:29-34		Implications of denying Christ’s resurrection If there was no resurrection, all is naught But Christ was raised; people should be baptized They should live with courage and avoid bad company They should stop sinning and return to their senses

15:35-44		Paul describes the nature of the resurrected body He uses an analogy from nature The seed that is planted is different from the fruit that grows All flesh is not the same, nor are the heavenly bodies the same So it will be with the body – sown as perishable; raised as imperishable There is continuity between what is sown and what is raised However, that which is raised will be better

15:45-49		The distinction between the natural and the spiritual bodies Spiritual bodies are from Christ; natural bodies are from Adam Just as we have borne the likeness of the natural man, we shall bear the likeness of the spiritual man

15:50-58		Resurrection will be accompanied by transformation All may not die, but all will be transformed Our earthly bodies cannot experience the heavenly Our mortal natures must take on immortality Ultimately, death will be swallowed up in victory “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” God gives the victory through Christ The final triumph will be over sin and death Always give yourselves over to the work of the Lord; you will not work in vain

VI -- 16:1-24 – Final Greetings, Requests

16:1-4		Mention of the collection They should appoint someone to accompany Paul in delivering it to Jerusalem

16:5-18		Paul’s personal travel plans and requests He might visit them again But for now he will stay on at Ephesus It is a place of great opportunity and great opposition Timothy might come to them; he sends recommendation They are to treat him well Apollos may also visit them soon Whatever they do, they should do in love Greets several people by name

16:19-24		Final greetings Churches of the province and Priscilla and Aquila greet them Paul claims to have written at least this greeting with his own hand (Most likely he dictated the actual letter to his scribe) He ends with a curse and a blessing “If anyone does not love the Lord, he will be cursed.” “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to you all in Christ Jesus.”

After sending this letter, it is believed that the situation between Paul and the Corinthians deteriorated. There is speculation that he might have visited them again, and the visit did not go as planned. This resulted in another letter, possibly chapters 10-13 of II Corinthians. That section of the letter is stern, painful, and has been referred to as Paul’s “letter of tears.” He worried a lot about how that letter would be received by the Corinthians while he continued his travels. Later on in Macedonia, he learned that his “stern” letter had hit its mark. The Corinthians had been convicted by their misbehavior and had embraced his teachings. Paul then wrote chapters 1-9 of II Corinthians, which is more joy-filled and conciliatory. Next month we will explore that letter and put more of the pieces together.

Bibliography

Barrett, C.K. “The First Epistle to the Corinthians.” Black’s New Testament Commentary. London: Hendrikson Publishing, 1968.

Gaebelein, Frank. “I Corinthians.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1985.

Garland, David. “I Corinthians.” Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2003.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995.

Soards, Marion. “I Corinthians.” New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrikson Publishers, 1999.

Witherington, Ben III. Conflict and Community in Corinth; A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans, 1995.