1 Corinthians: An Introduction

Corinth was an important city that controlled land and sea trade routes. In addition, it hosted athletic games that were second in popularity only to the Olympics. As such, it experienced a great deal of trade traffic and a large number of visitors. It was well known for its lax morals and scandalous lifestyles that created challenges for the believers who lived there.

Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians on his third missionary journey seven years after he founded the young church. The letter was triggered by a verbal report from the family of Chloe on developments and issues in Corinth about which they were seeking his advice and instruction.

It is important for us to study this letter because it is one of the most practical of Paul’s letters that addresses a multitude of issues that face many churches today, almost 2,000 years later. In your own church community, can you relate to any of the following topics?

• Division in the church
• Discipline
• Marriage and divorce
• Doctrinal disputes
• The understanding and use of spiritual gifts
• The role of women
• The importance of the Lord’s Supper
• The centrality to the faith of the Resurrection

If so, stay tuned because we will be looking at Paul’s perspective and instruction to the young church at Corinth in our next few devotionals.