1 Corinthians Introductions
A. Outline:
I. \\#1:1-4:21\\ In Answer to Chloe’s Report
A. \\#1:1-9\\ Introduction
1. \\#1:1-3\\ Greetings of Grace
2. \\#1:4-9\\ Prayer of Thanksgiving
B. \\#1:10-13\\ The Report of Divisions
C. \\#1:14-4:21\\ The Reasons for Divisions
1. \\#1:14-3:4\\ Misunderstanding of the Gospel Message
a. \\#1:14-17\\ The Gospel Message is not BAPTISM.
b. \\#1:17-2:16\\ The Gospel Message is in the PREACHING.
(1) \\#1:17-22\\ It is not the preaching with wise
words.
(2) \\#1:22\\ It is not the preaching with signs.
(3) \\#1:23-31\\ It is the kind of preaching "we"
do.
(4) \\#2:1-5\\ It is not preaching with "eloquent"
words, "excellency of speech."
(5) \\#2:6-8\\ It is preaching with the wisdom of
Christ.
(6) \\#2:9-16\\ It is preaching anointed with the
Holy Spirit.
2. \\#3:1-4\\ Misunderstanding of the Reader’s Maturity
3. \\#3:5-4:21\\ Misunderstanding of the Gospel Ministers
a. \\#3:5-17\\ God’s Servants Aren’t Competitors but
Co-Laborers
b. \\#3:18-23\\ Seek God’s Wisdom
c. \\#4:1-6\\ The Minister’s Accountability
d. \\#4:7-13\\ The Minister’s Biography
e. \\#4:14-16\\ Paul’s Purpose
f. \\#4:17-21\\ Paul’s Actions
II. \\#5:1-6:20\\ In Answer to Common Reports
A. \\#5:1-13\\ Of Incest
1. \\#5:1-8\\ Deliver the Fornicators for Discipline
2. \\#5:9-13\\ Separate Yourselves from Immoral Believers
B. \\#6:1-11\\ Concerning Litigation Between Believers
C. \\#6:12-20\\ Lessons to the Believers
III. \\#7:1-16:24\\ In Answer to the Church’s Requests
A. \\#7:1-40\\ Counsel Concerning Marriage
1. \\#7:1-9\\ Principles for Married Life
2. \\#7:10-16\\ Principles for the Married Believer
3. \\#7:17-24\\ Principle of Abiding in God’s Call
4. \\#7:25-38\\ Principles for the Unmarried
5. \\#7:39, 40\\ Principles for Remarriage
B. \\#8:1-10:33\\ Meat Offered to Idols
1. \\#8:1-3\\ The Most Important Thing
2. \\#8:4-13\\ Our Actions Should Not Hurt Another
3. \\#9:1-27\\ Keeping Our Rights Should Not Be Our Goal
a. \\#1-14\\ Paul Had Surrendered His Rights
b. \\#15-18\\ Paul’s Point - Voluntary Sacrifice Brings A
Reward
c. \\#19-23\\ Paul’s Reasoning - For the Gospel
d. \\#24-27\\ Paul’s Challenge - It’s the Race That Counts
4. \\#10:1-11:1\\ Eating Meat Offered to Idols Is Idolatry
a. \\#10:1-5\\ All Who Were Blessed Did Not Benefit
b. \\#10:6-14\\ All Who Have Been Taught Did Not Learn
c. \\#10:15-11:1\\ All Who Have Been Warning Have Not
Heeded
C. \\#11:2-16\\ God’s Authority
1. \\#2-3\\ God’s Authority over Others
2. \\#4-6\\ God’s Authority Displayed
3. \\#7-16\\ God’s Authority Explained
D. \\#11:17-34\\ Abuse with the Lord’s Supper
1. \\#17-19\\ Divisions
2. \\#20-34\\ The Lord’s Supper
a. \\#20-22\\ What the Lord’s Supper Is Not
b. \\#23-34\\ What the Lord’s Supper Is
(1) \\#23-26\\ The Lord’s Supper was received of the
Lord.
(2) \\#27,29-30\\ The Lord’s Supper is an offense to
those who show contempt for it.
(3) \\#28,30-34\\So what should the Christian do?
E. \\#12:1-14:40\\ Spiritual Gifts
1. \\#12:1-3\\ Marks of the Holy Ghost
2. \\#12:4-11\\ Lessons about the Holy Ghost
3. \\#12:12-26\\ Believers, like gifts, Are Many, Different,
and One
4. \\#12:27-31\\ See Among Yourselves
5. \\#13:1-13\\ The Better Way
(a) \\#1-3\\ The Missing Ingredient
(b) \\#4-8\\ Characteristics of Love
(c) \\#8-13\\ All Gifts Will Cease
6. \\#14:1-40\\ Tongues Is Not the Best Gift
(a) \\#1-25\\ Prophecy Is the Better Gift
(1) \\#1-4\\ Three Commands, Two Reasons
(2) \\#5\\ Paul’s Conclusion
(3) \\#6-25\\ The Problems with Tongues (as the
Corinthians were practicing the gift)
i. \\#6\\ Tongues did not profit the church.
ii. \\#7-20\\ Tongues had no meaning.
iii. \\#21-25\\ Tongues was for the lost.
(b) \\#14:26-40\\ Tongues Should Be Practices Properly
D. \\#15:1-58\\ Counsel Concerning the Resurrection
1. \\#15:1-11\\ Fact of Christ’s Resurrection
2. \\#15:12-19\\ Importance of Christ’s Resurrection
3. \\#15:20-28\\ Order of the Resurrections
4. \\#15:29-34\\ Moral Implications of Christ’s Resurrection
5. \\#15:35-50\\ Bodies of the Resurrected Dead
6. \\#15:51-58\\ Bodies of the Translated Living
IV. \\#16:1-24\\ Conclusion
A. \\#16:1-4\\ Counsel Concerning the Collection for Jerusalem
B. \\#16:5-24\\ Paul’s Closing
B. History:
Paul came to Corinth on his second missionary journey
\\#Ac 18:1-19\\, staying their 18 months \\#Ac 18:11\\. Although
there was opposition, God had "much people in this city"
\\#Ac 18:10\\ who both helped and protected Paul while he ministered
there.
The city itself was located on an isthmus, a land bridge, connecting
the mainland of Greece to the remainder of Macedonia. The isthmus is
less than 4 miles thick, but by docking on one side of the isthmus,
unloading a ship’s cargo, and hauling it across the isthmus to load
onto another ship, hundreds of nautical miles were saved. This
location gave Corinth ports on two seas, Adriatic and Aegean Seas. It
also made the city a large city, some say five times the size of
Athens (Greece’s capital city) and a very pagan city, home to every
false god that existed. Today there is a canal there, the Corinth
Canal, which can be sailed through in less than one hour.
C. Location
«The first epistle to the Corinthians was written
from Philippi by Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus
and Timotheus.»
Although the subscription to the book states this letter was from
Philippi, most think it was not. Neither did Stephanas, Fortunatus,
Achaicus, or Timothy write this book. Paul alone wrote the book,
although others may have had a part in penning it. These
subscriptions are believed to have been added by a later hand.
Most think that 1 Corinthians was written by Paul while he spend his
two years in Ephesus. While his statement:
1Cor 16:8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until
Pentecost.
does not mean that he was already at Ephesus, it could have. That
along with his intentions of seeing them and staying the winter
1Cor 16:5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall
pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through
Macedonia.
6 And it may be that I will abide, yea, and
winter with you, that ye may bring me on my
journey whithersoever I go.
7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I
trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord
permit.
certainly meant he had not reached them or even Macedonia on his
third missionary journey yet. All of that makes it likely Paul
was still at Ephesus.
D. The Letters:
Paul wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians during his third missionary journey,
probably six months to a year a part (56-58AD). 1 Corinthians was
actually Paul’s SECOND letter to the church at Corinth (the first
being lost); and 2 Corinthians was actually Paul’s FOURTH letter to
them.
In 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul spoke of an earlier epistle:
1Cor 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to
company with fornicators:
In between writing 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, Paul visited
Corinth in what has been termed the “sorrowful visit"
2Cor 2:1 But I determined this with myself, that
I would not come again to you in heaviness.
and wrote to them a lost but painful letter:
2Cor 2:4 For out of much affliction and anguish
of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not
that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know
the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
While writing 2 Corinthians, Paul was planning a third visit to the
city.
2Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to
you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall
every word be established.
But the third visit would be a joyful visit, for Titus had carried
the lost but painful letter to Corinth and returned the good news
to Paul (by then in Macedonia) that the church had repented.
2Cor 7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those
that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of
Titus;
7 And not by his coming only, but by the
consolation wherewith he was comforted in you,
when he told us your earnest desire, your
mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that
I rejoiced the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I
do not repent, though I did repent: for I
perceive that the same epistle hath made you
sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry,
but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were
made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might
receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow
of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye
sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness
it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of
yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what
fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal,
yea, what revenge! In all things ye have
approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
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