I Corinthians

Keith Mosher

Introduction

The city of Corinth:

- Capital of the province of Achia

- Great trademark place.
- Southern part of Greece and Macedonia.
- Governor of province lived in Corinth Acts. 18:12
- The city was destroyed in 146 B. C.
- 46 Julius Caesar rebuilt it in white marmor.
- Around 400 thousand people when Paul arrived: 4 th largest: (Rome, Alexandria, Antioch).
- Trade center city: busy seaport.
- Largely Greek population.
- Sinful city.
- Religion: polytheism. Greek
- Aphrodite temple in a hill.
- 1,000 courtesans worshipping that goddess.
- 33 taverns discovered in 100 feet in the old city.
- They had huge public baths for the people, market place: agora.
- A synagogue was there.
- Isthmian games were held in Corinth.
- Corinthianize was used as a synonymous to be depraved.

The determination of Paul to preach here was to speak only Christ. A troubled Church.

There was a third letter that is lost, apparently was not inspired. At Ephesus he received the letter
about the problems that the church Corinth was having. The first letter was that which is not
inspired.

Did Corinth have elders?

- No mention about them and no claim to them to solve the problems.

- There was some kind of organizations.
- Acts 14:33: he appoints elders in every city.

Some passages apparently in contradiction:

- 1 Cor 4:15: call no man father. Paul is not talking about his position but his relationship
with them. Call no man father refers to the spiritual leadership.
- 1 Cor. 2:15: Judge: discerner. He is not talking about a final judge.
- 1 Cor. 7:1: It is not the rule or principle; he is talking about the specific situations.

Major lessons:

- First four chapters: sectarian spirit of the Church: the faith should be placed in God, not
man.
 - It is possible for a Christian to lose his identity as members of the Church, as a follower of
Christ.

Paul:

- Acts 13:9: Saul is Jewish name. Paul was his Greek name used in public: He had both
names all his life.
- Acts 16:37: Jew who is a Roman citizen by birth.
- Paul was sent to Jerusalem by his parents who lived in Tarsus. Learned at the feet of
Gamaliel Acts 22:3.
- Persecutor of the church and Pharisee: legalist sect of the church. Acts 23:1. He thought
that he was doing God’s will. Conscience is not an authority for salvation matters.
- Acts 26:18: Jesus sent him to open the eyes of the gentiles: an apostle sent to the gentiles:
Col. 1:23. He fulfilled his commission
- 16 chapters of acts are devoted to Paul.
- 1 Tim. 1:15: chief of sinners. 1 Cor. 2:2: no message of Paul.
- Acts 9:3-9: Paul saw the risen Lord. (Who art thou, Lord (Sir)? Do not read a confessionin
it, he does not know yet who that voice is): one of the requirements to be an apostle
- He left everything: he was a powerful man: argument for the resurrection.
- Acts 9:19-20: Immediately after he preached Christ.

The establishing of the Church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-8)

Paul would not take support from the Corinthians.

He met Priscila and Aquila and worked with them: Paul preached in the synagogue. After their
rejection he went to the gentiles. However, he baptized the head of the synagogue.

1 Cor. 2:1-5: The church started.

Rom. 16:3: Priscila and Aquila went to Rome.

1 Cor. 16:19: at this point they were with Paul

2 Tim. 4:19

Acts 18:7-11: the first convert was the ruler of the Synagogue. The appeared in vision and
strengthen him.

Problems in the church:

- Divisions (Ch. 1-4).

- False pride (Ch. 4).
- Immorality (Ch. 5).
- Pagan trials (Ch. 6).
- Marriage problems (Ch. 7).
- Idolatry (Ch. 8 and 10).
- Abusing the preacher’s salary (Ch. 9).
- Abuse of Lord’s supper (Ch. 11).
- Miraculous gifts (Ch. 12-14).
 - Denying the resurrection (Ch. 15).

In the middle of these problems there is the greatest chapter about love (Ch. 13).

At the end there is a lesson on giving.

People of the church:

Mostly gentile congregation: some of them were practicing their pagan activities. Most of them
were uneducated and poor and probably slaves.

Rom. 16:23: Gaius was baptized in Corinth. (Acts 18).

Troubled by a civil war and the Jews.

1 Cor. 4:7: they carnal people, not consecrated to the Lord.

Occasions for the letter

- 1 Cor. 1:11: the letter of the house of Chloe

- 1 Cor. 7:1: Many questions from the church to him
- The man living in adultery.

A church member in Corinth: lascivious, spiritually proud and abusing his Christian liberty.

Date:

Around AD 52-54.

The meaning of the Bible’s wines.

- Strong drink: it was not as strong as modern alcoholic beverages.

- Only by natural fermentation.
- There is a difference with the wine: new wine is grape juice (Is. 65:8).
- The Greek word: oinos do not make distinction.
- The wine at the Lord’s table was not fermented.