What Is The Purpose Of The Book Of 1st Corinthians? A Bible Study

Why did Paul write the Book of 1st Corinthians? Are there essentials for us to learn from in this book?

The Author

The Apostle Paul apparently wrote the Book of 1st Corinthians because he opens the letter by writing “Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1st Cor 1:1-2) and it is believed to have been written around AD 55. Paul wanted to address the ongoing sexual immorality in the church and the division that had been problematic with the members there. He reminded the church about the unfaithfulness of ancient Israel in the wilderness and that is the tendencies of all of our hearts. This book seems to be hot off the press and almost as if it was written for the modern era since many of these problems are systemic throughout the churches.

The Purpose of 1st Corinthians

Paul had a lot of issues with the church at Corinth. Paul had heard reports “that there is quarreling among” them (1st Cor 1:11) and some said “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ” (1st Cor 1:12). This really disturbed Paul because Christ’s body is not divided (1st Cor 1:13) as would be any other body since “a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25). It’s in the best interests of the body to be of one mind and one spirit but Paul writes “there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way” (1st Cor 3:3) so Paul asks a rhetorical question, “one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human” (1st Cor 3:4) hoping they’ll realize that it is “only God who gives the growth” (1st Cor 3:7). What Paul was trying to communicate was that we must never look at a man like Paul, Apollos, or Cephas (Peter). We must all follow Christ and take our eyes off of men and the admonition to also stop dividing over non-essentials.

The Need for Purity

In 1st Corinthians 5:1-2 Paul gets right to the point with the Corinthian church; “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” What should they have done about this man living in sexual immorality and still being in the church? Paul tells them they “are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1st Cor 5:5) probably meaning God withdrawing His divine protection from the enemy and Satan could buffet him around some with the express goal of bringing him to repentance and turning away from that sin. Not only that, they were not to even “associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world” (1st Cor 5:-9-10). That’s not a gray area at all that Christians can debate.

The Focus of Love

First Corinthians chapter thirteen is sometimes called “the Love Chapter” and is often used at weddings, and for very good reasons. Paul zeroed in on loving one another by writing “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1st Cor 13:1). The same goes for “prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1st Cor 13:2). Paul says he could even “deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1st Cor 13:3). If there isn’t love in what we do, it’s like we’re playing with Monopoly money; it has no value. Paul’s definition of love is that it’s “patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1st Cor 13:4-7). Love is a verb; it’s what you do, not simply what you say.

Conclusion

Today’s world has never been more dangerous. Terrorist attacks, natural disasters, hostile threats from aggressive nations, refugees, superstorms, disease, and a dozen other foreboding events on the horizon. Is Jesus’ going to return soon? Many believe He is. I don’t know. I know that judgment comes at the time of death (Heb 9:27) or at Christ’s return, so best to know how you might be saved today (Rom 10:9-13) rather than die apart from saving faith in Christ. Please consider it, while it’s still called “today” (2nd Cor 6:2).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.