Where it fits

First Corinthians is the seventh book of the New Testament, with 16 chapters. Paul wrote it from Ephesus around AD 55 to the church he had founded in Corinth, a busy Greek port city where many cultures and religions mixed. Travelers, traders, and new ideas passed through constantly, and the church lived at that crossroads. Read straight through, it takes about 45 minutes.

Who, to whom, and why

Paul had heard about quarrels in the church from members of Chloe's household (1:11), and the church had also written him a list of questions (7:1). The letter works through these problems one at a time.

In chapters 1 to 4, Paul tackles the church's divisions, with people lining up behind favorite leaders, and points to the cross as God's wisdom. In chapters 5 to 7 he addresses moral and relational problems, including a case of immorality the church was ignoring, lawsuits between believers, and questions about marriage and singleness. Chapters 8 to 14 deal with life together and worship: food offered to idols, abuse of the Lord's Supper, the gifts of the Spirit, and the way of love. Chapter 15 gives a long defense of the resurrection, and chapter 16 closes with practical news, including a collection for the church in Jerusalem.

Three ideas to hold on to

1. The cross overturns human ideas of wisdom and power. To many, a crucified Messiah sounded foolish, but Paul says God's “foolishness” is wiser than human wisdom (1:18–25).
2. The church is one body with many members. Every person has a role (12:12–27), and without love even the most impressive gifts are empty (13:1–3).
3. The resurrection is the foundation of everything. Paul says that if Christ has not been raised, the faith is worthless (15:14, 17), and that Christ's resurrection guarantees ours (15:20–23).

Passages people ask about

• 1 Corinthians 1:18–31. The message of the cross, and God's choice of the humble and overlooked.
• 1 Corinthians 8–10. Food offered to idols. A case study in how to love people whose conscience is more sensitive than yours.
• 1 Corinthians 11:17–34. The Lord's Supper. The church's meal had become a place where the rich shamed the poor, and Paul recalls what Jesus did on the night he was betrayed.
• 1 Corinthians 13. The love chapter, written to a church fighting over spiritual gifts.
• 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 and 14:34–35. Passages about head coverings and women in worship. They are among the hardest in the letter, and Christians read them in different ways. They reward careful study of the setting in Corinth.
• 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. One of the earliest summaries of the gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to many. Many scholars think Paul is passing on a statement he received very early.

How it points to Jesus

Paul preaches “Christ crucified” (1:23) and says the Lord's Supper proclaims his death until he comes (11:26). In chapter 15 he calls the risen Jesus the firstfruits of those who have died (15:20) and sets him beside Adam: in Adam all die, and in Christ all will be made alive (15:21–22). That connects the letter to Genesis and to the hope of a new creation.

A common misunderstanding

Many people picture the early church as a golden age of perfect Christians. Corinth shows otherwise. This church had factions, lawsuits, and an abuse of the Lord's Supper. Yet Paul still calls them God's church and says they were made holy in Christ (1:2). The church was never made of perfect people, and God's grace works in messy communities.