Names of the Book
| English: | 1 Corinthians |
| Greek: | 1 Κορίνθιος |
| Transliterated: | 1 Korinthios |
| Other names: | Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians |
Who
| Wrote the book: | Paul |
| Are the key people: | Paul, Timothy, Chloe's household |
| Is it written to: | Believers in Corinth |
What
| Congregational problems and Paul's correction (1 Corinthians 1:1-6:20) |
| Congregational questions and Paul's answers (1 Corinthians 7:1-16:24) |
When
| Was it written: | c 55 CE |
| Did the events occur: | c 55 CE |
| Was it canonized: | c 70-170 CE |
| (see the Timeline of the First Century) | |
Where
| Was it written: | Ephesus |
| Did the events occur: | Corinth |
Why
| 1 Corinthians was written to inform us that: |
| Messiah should be our focus... not our congregational leaders. |
| Immorality must be dealt with by the community. |
| We have freedom in Messiah Yeshua. |
| Worship should be orderly. |
| Messiah was resurrected which gives us hope for our own resurrection. |
Introduction
Known for its high degree of sinful activity, the city of Corinth was the home of a Messianic community founded by Paul that stumbled and struggled in the midst of a sea of sexual immorality, idolatry, and corruption. Paul's first letter to the believers in Corinth addressed many of the practical questions that arose in the midst of such sin. By establishing standards of behavior for the believers in Corinth, Paul sought to avoid division and error in the community. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be faithful to G-d, to be faithful to each other, and to focus on G-d's work. Paul expresses his hope to return to Corinth to stay with the believers for an extended period of time and concludes his letter by saying, "be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
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