Corinthians

From the Bible Dictionary:

Pauline Epistles. Paul’s 14 epistles found in our present N.T. were written to members of the Church who already had some knowledge of the gospel. They are not evangelistic; rather, they are regulatory in nature. The arrangement is neither chronological, geographical, nor alphabetical, but by length, in descending order form the longest (Romans) to the shortest (Philemon). This is the case except with the epistle to the Hebrews, which was placed last because some have questioned whether or not it was written by Paul. The dating and chronological grouping of the epistles as presented below is approximate, but seems consistent with the known facts.

An advantage in studying the epistles in chronological order is that the reader sees the differences in the types of problems the Church encountered as the years passed and circumstances changed. Early membership was mostly Jewish, and problems included questions about the law of Moses. Later, when the gentile membership had increased, problems involved items of Greek philosophy. Early persecution was from the Jews and the Judaizers. Later persecution came from the Roman government. These things are visible in the epistles not by sharp distinction, but by the gradual shift of emphasis.

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Epistles to the Corinthians. Corinth was the meeting point of many nationalities because the main current of the trade between Asia and western Europe passed through its harbors. Paul’s first visit lasted nearly two years; his converts were mainly Greeks, men gifted by race with a keen sense of the joys of physical existence, with a passion for freedom and a genius for rhetoric and logic, but reared in the midst of the grossest moral corruption, undisciplined and self-conceited. Some time before 1 Cor. was written he paid them a second visit (2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1) to check some rising disorder (2 Cor. 2:1; 13:2), and wrote them a letter, now lost (1 Cor. 5:9). They had also been visited by Apollos (Acts 18:27), perhaps by Peter (1 Cor. 1:12), and by some Jewish Christians who brought with them letters of commendation from Jerusalem (1 Cor. 1:12; 2 Cor. 3:1; 5:16; 11:23).

Analysis of 1 Corinthians

1. Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1–9).

2. Rebuke of the Corinthian Church for lack of unity (1:10–6:20).

a. The spirit of partisanship and insubordination (1:10–4:21).

b. The case of impurity (5:1–13; 6:9–20).

c. The lawsuits (6:1–9).

3. Paul’s reply to inquiries made by them as to

a. Marriage (7:1–40).

b. Meat offered to idols (8:1–11:1).

c. The order of worship, with special reference to the Lord’s Supper and the use of spiritual gifts (11:2–14:40). This section contains (12:31–13:13) a magnificent description of love, the greatest in the trio of things that abide forever.

4. Doctrine of the resurrection—

a. Of Christ (15:1–19).

b. Of the dead (15:20–34).

c. Degrees of glory (15:35–58).

5. Directions about a collection for the Christian poor at Jerusalem; information about Paul’s, Timothy’s, and Apollos’s plans; final exhortations and salutation (16:1–24).

Soon after writing the first epistle Paul was driven from Ephesus by a riot (Acts 19). In Macedonia he met Titus (2 Cor. 7:6), who brought him news from Corinth that his letter had been well received and had produced the desired effect; the Church had cleared itself of all complicity in a sexual offense and had excommunicated the offender (2:5–11). But Paul found that a personal coolness had sprung up between himself and his converts (7:2; 12:15), which unscrupulous opponents were turning to their own account.

Analysis of 2 Corinthians

1. Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1–11).

2. Personal, arising out of the report of Titus.

a. His own movements and feelings toward the Corinthian Church (1:12–2:17).

b. The characteristics of the Christian ministry as exemplified by true apostles (3:1–6:10).

c. An account of the impression produced on his own mind by the report of Titus (6:11–7:16).

3. Welfare collection for the churches of Judaea (8:1–9:15).

4. Assertion of his own position as an apostle (10:1–12:10).

5. Conclusion (12:11–13:14).