Corinthians Bible Study

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I Corinthians

Author: Paul
Date: c. A.D. 56

Paul traveled to Corinth on his second missionary journey and spent some time there establishing the church. It was a difficult task, not only because of the opposition that he met, but because of the city itself. Corinth was notorious even in ancient times for being a city of great evil. As a seaport, it attracted all kinds of people who would work their evil, depart without being held accountable, and leave behind misery and distress. When people in that setting became Christians, they were transformed into new creations in Christ. But regrettably, some brought along many of their old habits.

Theological Themes in the Epistle of I Corinthians

It is important to remember that when we believe, we are not usually transformed instantly into something totally other than what we were before. We are new creations, but we need to "grow in grace" with the power that God gives us. It is the power of God that makes the difference, and it is there if we will avail ourselves of it. Some of the Corinthian Christians did, but many did not.

A large portion of this epistle is devoted to Paul's responding to questions put to him by representatives from Corinth. They cover a spectrum of theological and practical problems. First, Paul dealt with the relationship of faith to life, showing that faith is the essence of Christian existence. It might seem foolish to some, but it is in fact the only way to live a life that is pleasing to God. Paul continued by discussing how we are then to work this out and what rewards we will receive. In a metaphorical description of judgment (3:10-15), Paul showed that some of our acts will not survive the test. But some will, and, like precious stones, will shine forever.

A very important passage about living non-judgmentally opens Chapter 4. We are not to pass judgment on each other; only God can do that. Paul then took up a series of problems--lawsuits, personal grievances, immorality, issues related to marriage, eating food that had been sacrificed to idols, human freedom to act as we please; then he went on to discuss the Lord's supper, spiritual gifts, and the doctrine of the resurrection.

Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts is especially important. Three chapters outline how our gifts are to be exercised (Chapters 12-14). Here is a partial list of the gifts that the Spirit distributes among believers and the constructive use of them. Paul stressed the motive that should underlie the use of anything God gives us: love (Chapter 13). If we possessed all the brilliance or strength in the world and did not live lovingly, we would be nothing at all.

The discussion on the resurrection (Chapter 15) is equally important. It is not just today that people are inclined to doubt the truth of what Christians say about Jesus' coming back from the dead. It was also true in Paul's day. He found it necessary to defend the doctrine of Christ's bodily resurrection. It is the foundation of the Christian faith that Jesus died and rose again. Based on that, we have eternal hope.

Paul concluded his letter with a series of greetings and an exhortation to make a contribution to the church in Jerusalem. That might sound like a small matter, but in fact it was very important to Paul. He wanted the early Christians to recognize their dependence on one another. The gospel had come from Jerusalem and had been a spiritual benefit to the Corinthians. They, in turn, were to accept some responsibility for those who were suffering there. In that way both groups would recognize the oneness they had in Christ. If more of this spirit were evident today, we would have far fewer problems.

Outline for the Epistle of I Corinthians

1.The glorious gospel of Christ I CORINTHIANS 1:1-3:23
2.The apostles' lives I CORINTHIANS 4:1-21
3.Personal problems discussed I CORINTHIANS 5:1-6:20
4.Problems in marriage discussed I CORINTHIANS 7:1-40
5.Problems in Christian life discussed I CORINTHIANS 7:1-40
6.Spiritual gifts discussed I CORINTHIANS 12:1-14:40
7.The resurrection of Christ I CORINTHIANS 15:1-58
8.Closing greetings I CORINTHIANS 16:1-24

II Corinthians

Author: Paul
Date: c. A.D. 57
Content

This letter was written by the apostle Paul shortly after he wrote I Corinthians. He had received word from Corinth about how the first letter had been received and was responding to that. It is probably the most personal and emotional of his letters.

The first thing he wanted to do was to reestablish his place as apostle to the Corinthians. Some persons were attacking his authority; others were fragmenting the church. Paul wanted them to realize that he had nothing personal to gain by preaching to them; what he was doing was for their good. Not only that, he did it at great cost to himself. He listed some of the things he had gone through (6:3-10; 11:23-29), including beatings and imprisonments. His desire to have authority was not for his sake, but theirs. They needed someone to lead them through the darkness into the light. As for those who were splitting the church, a simple look at the results would show they were on the wrong track. Strife and discord are never the result of the work of God's Spirit, only of selfish people.

Theological Themes in the Epistle of II Corinthians

Paul made a special point of emphasizing Christ's death for us and the glory of salvation. Our helpless condition resulted in God's sending his Son to save us. It was God's love that moved him to help us and that moved Paul to preach the gospel (5:14). The work that Christ did on the cross was world-changing. He did not die simply to be an example of dedication to a cause, but to reconcile the world to God. We had gone astray in error and sin. It required that a drastic step be taken to bring us back, and that was taken by Jesus as he died for our sins (5:19). Now, if we believe in him, we may become part of the new creation, renewed in Christ (5:17). The offer has been made; the right moment to accept it is the moment it is understood; later might be too late (6:1-2).

A good part of this letter is devoted to living the Christian life. This material is not found in one place, as is the case in some of Paul's other letters, but is scattered throughout. Paul again made mention of sexual irregularities and the necessity to keep ourselves only for God's use; that means solely for our marriage partners. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and ought not to be abused (6:14-7:1). We are also to support those who minister to us. Paul had earlier used an ox grinding out the grain as an example. The Old Testament forbade the muzzling of an ox while it was working, because it needed nourishment to continue. If God cares for oxen, does he not also care for human beings who give unselfishly of themselves for the benefit of others?

Finally, Paul spoke of some of his own struggles. He hinted at his physical problems only in one other place (Gal. 4:12-15), but here he went into some detail, explaining how he had begged God for healing but did not receive it (12:1-10). He did receive something even more important, however--a meeting with God that made him a stronger person. He learned how to achieve through suffering, rather than flee the suffering and live apart from it. There is a great mystery in this, but it is often only when we willingly accept our burden, whatever it is, that we grow to maturity and overcome it in the end. Paul learned that our weakness is the opportunity for God's strength to manifest itself.

Outline for the Epistle of II Corinthians

1.Salutation II CORINTHIANS 1:1-11
2.Paul's plea to the Corinthians II CORINTHIANS 1:12-3:18
3.The nature of Paul's ministry II CORINTHIANS 4:1-7:16
4.Responsibility to those who serve II CORINTHIANS 8:1-9:15
5.Defense of apostleship and concluding remarks II CORINTHIANS 10:1-13:14

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