Author
Paul
Apostle
Written
c. 53–54 AD
Chapters
16
Audience
The church in Corinth, Greece
Paul rebukes the church for divisions and contrasts worldly wisdom with the wisdom of the cross
Chapter 1 → Chapter 4Read in Bible
Paul confronts sexual immorality, church discipline, lawsuits among believers, and the sanctity of the body
Chapter 5 → Chapter 6Read in Bible
Paul addresses questions about marriage, celibacy, and remaining in one's calling before God
Chapter 7Read in Bible
Paul discusses food sacrificed to idols, the limits of Christian freedom, and the call to seek others' good
Chapter 8 → Chapter 10Read in Bible
Paul corrects abuses related to head coverings and the proper observance of the Lord's Supper
Chapter 11Read in Bible
Paul teaches on the diversity and unity of spiritual gifts, with love as the supreme gift and guiding principle
Chapter 12 → Chapter 14Read in Bible
Paul defends the bodily resurrection of Christ as the foundation and guarantee of Christian hope
Chapter 15Read in Bible
Paul gives instructions about the collection for Jerusalem, travel plans, and closing exhortations
Chapter 16Read in Bible
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
1 Corinthians 15:3-4"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
1 Corinthians 10:13"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
1 Corinthians 1:18Paul writes to the divided and morally troubled church at Corinth to address a wide range of problems including factions, sexual immorality, lawsuits, idol food, worship disorders, and misuse of spiritual gifts. He grounds his ethical instruction in the gospel of the crucified Christ and culminates the letter with a powerful defense of the bodily resurrection as the foundation of Christian faith. The letter is theologically significant for its teachings on the body of Christ, spiritual gifts, the Lord's Supper, and the supreme importance of love.