But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" - 1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (ESV)

1 Corinthians was written by Paul during his missionary journeys as the gospel spread beyond Judea and Samaria in the first century after Christ. Paul answers various questions the Corinthians had sent him in addition to some concerns that they didn't write about but which he has heard. Paul urges the Corinthians to unity and love with Christ as the unifying factor for all even as he alternatively rebukes and commends them in various areas. Paul is concerned that the Corinthians unite around Christ and not certain leaders, that they abstain from sexual immorality, that they not sue each other, that they protect each others' consciences, that they flee idolatry, that they properly order their worship, and that they remember the resurrection as motivation for faithfulness now. We need to hear all the same things today. We are not in Corinth but all the concerns need to be taken to heart by us.

The Big Idea of 1 Corinthians

I have taught the big idea of 1 Corinthians as the following: Grow up into Christ and stop acting like spiritual babies. This letter is a frank challenge to the Corinthians’ immaturities from Paul’s perspective. Paul chides the Corinthians for still being “in the flesh” and not yet ready for “solid food”. As Paul challenges the Corinthians throughout the letter, his overarching goal is that they would mature and grow as they have been called in Christ. 

An Outline of 1 Corinthians

Chapters 1-4 - Divisions and Defense

Paul opens the letter with an expression of greetings and thanksgiving for the Corinthians, but then quickly jumps to his reasons for writing. There is division among the Corinthians that reflects a party spirit that ought not to be. Paul admonishes them to agree and be united in the same mind and judgement. Paul’s reasoning is that the Corinthians have the same wisdom as the apostles, a wisdom that God first revealed to the apostles who then communicated it to the Corinthians. The Corinthians are not “natural” people who cannot accept the Spirit’s teachings (2:14), yet they are acting like spiritual babies who still need the most basic nutrition and are not yet ready for more solid spiritual food (3:1-3). Paul exhorts them to remember that they are God’s temple and they have no reason to boast (3:16-23). Paul defends himself to the Corinthians by not defending himself at all, since he is not beholden to them. He is happy to be a fool for Christ’s sake, but they are wrong to think of him that way. He is their spiritual father by virtue of being the one who first presented the gospel to them. He wants to come to them in gentleness and not with a rod of discipline, but they need to humble themselves.

Chapters 5-7 - Morality and Marriage

Paul shifts from defense to offense in chapters 5-7. Paul expresses shock at the lack of a decisive response to gross sin among them, reminding them that loving sinners and accepting blatant sin among them are two very different things. Paul goes on to censure the Corinthians for suing one another in court. Paul argues that Christians are not like they were, but have been washed and sanctified in Christ. They should be able to settle petty issues among themselves without resorting to pagan solutions for Christian problems. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to free sexual immorality and to pursue sexual purity. He describes how this purity can look for people in various states relative to marriage —unmarried, married, divorced, etc. 

Chapters 8-10 - Idols and Idolatry

Chapters 8-10 focus on idols and idolatry. In chapter eight, Paul addresses the issue of whether it is right to eat food offered to idols. Paul argues that idols have no real existence, so it is acceptable to eat food offered to them. He will not eat, however, if someone is with him whose conscience is bothered by it. In chapter nine, Paul resumes his defense of himself and others in his position. He argues that it is right and reasonable to expect wages for the work he does. Just like those who serve in the temple eat from the offerings that are brought to it, so Paul can expect to subsist off the work that he does in his ministry. Paul warns the Corinthians against idolatry in chapter ten, reminding them of the power and goodness of God that so many Israelites experienced upon leaving Egypt, only to die in the wilderness. He returns to the theme of eating food offered to idols, telling the Corinthians to eat what they buy without the burden of having to know whether their meat had been sacrificed to an idol. 

Chapters 11-14 - Worship and Service

Paul focuses on the themes of worship and service in chapters 11-14. He reiterates what he says he told them before, namely, that Christ is every man’s head and a wife’s head is her husband. Paul emphasizes the fact that woman came from man and not the other way around. Paul goes on to discuss spiritual gifts in chapter twelve, emphasizing the need to be informed about them, especially that all of them come from the same Spirit and are intended to contribute to the health and flourishing of the church in general rather than individuals in particular. Chapter thirteen is famous for Paul’s exposition of love, which is aimed at guiding the Corinthians in their behavior toward one another, especially with regard to how they think of their spiritual gifts. Paul reinforces this in chapter fourteen when he describes for them how worship should be ordered. Love for another must be part of the foundation of their worship.

Chapters 15-16: Resurrection and Instructions

Chapters 15-16 remind the Corinthians of the gospel that Paul had preached to them. Paul rehearses the fact that Christ died in their place and was raised again. The resurrection is crucial, since there is no hope for the future without it. All believers will be raised to eternal life and will receive immortal bodies. Paul concludes the letter by organizing a collection to be made for the church at Jerusalem, informing the Corinthians of his travel plans, sending final greetings, and reminding them to remain firm in their faith. 

Benefits of 1 Corinthians

First Corinthians is full of instruction and benefit for the church today. Chapter thirteen is perhaps one of the Scriptures most often cited out of context, since it provides such apt material for wedding ceremonies. But the fact that such a beautiful and challenging description of love should be penned to guide life together in Christ with the church should reinforce for us the importance of how we conduct ourselves toward one another.

First Corinthians explodes the idea that church is to be a consumeristic enterprise, with churches acting like so many franchises and pastors as CEOs of companies aimed at providing a product to the customer base. Paul is not interested in allowing the proverbial tail to wag the dog. He is interested in the formation and development of the church. Paul fights to lead and direct the Corinthians in love. He specifically does not allow the Corinthian believers to dictate for him how church should work. He pleads, teaches, instructs, corrects, reproves, exhorts, and encourages the Corinthians toward godliness, purity, love, wisdom, humility, and faithfulness.

First Corinthians can serve to recalibrate our expectations and hopes for how the church should function together. We should love one another, following Paul’s example as he followed Christ’s. We should seek to stand firm in the faith, leveraging our differences to grow together rather than allowing them to divide us. We are united in Christ, in whom we have the hope of the resurrection and for whom we eagerly wait.