Introduction to the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians First
Corinthians was written to address serious problems in one of the churches founded by
the Apostle Paul.
The letter is called First Corinthians because a second letter was written to
follow up on this one.
Many of the problems in the church were compounded by its location in the thriving
seaport city of Corinth in Greece.
For example, pagan worship fostered prostitution in the name of religion.
So widely known had the immorality of Corinth become that the Greek verb to
Corinthianize came to mean to practice sexual immorality.
Surrounded by corruption and every imaginable sin, the believers in Corinth
felt the pressure to conform.
Paul heard of their struggles and wrote this letter, probably in A.D.
55, to address their problems, heal their divisions, and answer their
questions.
Paul confronted the Corinthians' sins and showed them their need to take corrective
action and to revitalize their commitment to Jesus Christ.
As you listen, notice how timely this letter is for the church today,
both to instruct and to inspire.
Most of the questions and problems that trouble the church at Corinth are the same
challenges the church today must face.
Problems like immaturity, instability, divisions, jealousy and envy, lawsuits,
marital difficulties, sexual immorality, and the misuse of spiritual gifts.
Yet in spite of this concentration on problems, the book contains some of the
most familiar and beloved passages in the Bible, such as chapter 13 on love and
chapter 15 on resurrection.