1 Corinthians Part 1
Learning to be the Church in a Pagan Society
The Corinthian correspondence provides a massive source of information about the church in the Apostolic Agen It provides the earliest description of a communion service (I Corinthians Chapter 11 verses 17 to 33) and tells us of things nowhere else recorded (e.g., I Corinthians Chapter 15 verse 32, Paul fighting off wild beasts in Ephesus) and the problems of the early Gentile Church.
Input
Paul ‘planted’ the church in Corinth (Acts, Chapter 18 verses 1 to 18) and his relationships with that church can be filled out as follows:
1.-He had already written to Corinth a letter we do not have. (I Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 9)
2.-There was a letter from Corinth to Paul asking him some vital questions.
(I Corinthians Chapter 7 verse 1)
3.-His reply was our I Corinthians, which upset them a great deal.
4.-Paul made a brief ‘painful’ visit which made things worse. (II Corinthians, Chapter 1 verse 23 to Chapter 2 verse 4)
5.-This stimulated Paul to write a ’severe letter’, which we do not have, in which he felt he had perhaps “gone over the top”.
6.-Then news from Corinth via Titus that the situation had been resolved and that he was now back ‘in favour’.
7.-He then wrote II Corinthians.
A simple outline of I Corinthians divides it into 2 parts:
Part I
Paul rebuking the Church for its quarrels and unchristian behaviour (Chapters 1 to 6)
Part 2
Vital questions which the Church put to Paul (Chapters 7 to 16)
Output
A Divided Church (Chapters 1 to 4)
The sinful stupidity of cliques-Chapter 1 verses 10 to 17 and Paul’s answer
The heart of the Gospel-Chapter 1 verse 18 to Chapter 2 verse 5
Question – In what sense could a helpless, lonely, murdered Messiah
be “The Power and Wisdom of God?”
Chapter 2 verse 6 to Chapter 3 verse 23-Paul’s Diagnosis – “Immaturity”
Paul’s Prescription – “Grow Up!”
Mature leadership is teamwork-Chapter 4
(Don’t miss the picture of the Christian Leaders being like gladiators in the arena and the Corinthians sat in the Royal Box as spectators!)
Question – Was Paul a bit heavy-handed in his treatment about Christian divisiveness?
The Crunch Case
Sex Scandal-Chapter 5
The Greek culture of broadmindedness was prepared to overlook immoral sexual issues. Not Paul.
Question – Is the modern Church now facing the same problem?

Then “take it to the Lord in prayer”.

Optional Reading for Next Session
Chapter 6 shows more of this dilemma and Chapters 7 to 10 continues the clash of cultures.

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