Paul corrects the Corinthian church — spiritual gifts, the Lord's Supper, love, and resurrection.
Key themes: unity, love, spiritual gifts, resurrection, Lord's Supper.
| Author | Paul the apostle |
|---|---|
| Date Written | c. AD 54–55 |
| Original Audience | The divided church in Corinth |
1 Corinthians addresses a church in crisis. Corinth was a wealthy, cosmopolitan port city notorious for sexual immorality, and some of that culture had invaded the church. Paul writes to address: divisions and factionalism (chapters 1-4), a case of sexual immorality (5), lawsuits between believers (6), marriage and singleness (7), food sacrificed to idols (8-10), order in worship (11), spiritual gifts (12), love (13), resurrection (15), and the collection for Jerusalem (16). The theological heart of the letter is chapter 13 — the 'Love Chapter' — perhaps the most widely read passage in human literature, read at more weddings than any other text: 'Love is patient, love is kind... Love never fails.' Chapter 15 is the Bible's most systematic treatment of the resurrection of the dead: 'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile... But now Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.' The letter closes with the famous resurrection chapter's triumphant shout: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'
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