Historical Background

Not the first letter Paul send to the Corinthians (5:9)

Roman colony with Roman gods

The unknown letter was written when Paul. was in Ephesus for 3 years

1 Corinthians was written in response to these problems

Who is the Author?

1:1, the Author is Paul, along with Sosthenes
Often stern tone from Paul (4:18-21; 5:2; 11:17, 22; 15:36)
~~Paul's response to the Corinthian's problem and judgement fluctuates between rebuke (5:2; 6:1-8), appeal (16:10-11), and exhortation (6:18-20, )~~

Audience

1:2, to the Church in Corinth
Immature (3:1-4)
Believers, "the Spirit dwells in you" (3:16)
There are some arrogant people that is causing division (4:19)
Chiefly Gentiles though there are some jews (12:2, 13)
Some are arrogant (4:18; 5:2, 6), to the point of judging Paul (4:1-5, 9:1-18)

Paul found out that his first letter was misunderstood and the church was plagued with problems of division, sexual immmorality, and social snobbery (1:10, 5:1, 11:18)

1:10-12, 5:1, 7:1, 7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1, 16:12

1:17

Paul does not preach through elegance of speach, becasue it would empty the cross of its power

Roman 1:16

1:18-31 Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1:20-25

It pleases God to use what's foolish to the world to shame the strong. The cross is the power of God to those who are called.

Paul states that the Corinthian's wisdom stands in contrast to the Gospel

2:6-13

The mature gets the wisdom of God, which is not the wisdom of man. But it is Spiritual truth that can only come from the Spirit of God

2:14-16

The natural person (unregenerated?) does not accept this wisdom because it is folly to him

3:1-4

Paul goads the Corinthians for being 'the natural person' because of their division. They are not acting like Christians who have the Spirit

do not act as those that don't have the Spirit

3:5-9

Apollos and Paul are just servants of God. Who both works to build God's church.

The Corinth's quarelling is apartly due to the misunderstanding of the nature and function of the Leaders
Both Paul and Apollos are working toward a common cause, though their task differ
Everything and everyone belongs to God, the church, the servants, the growth

Chapter 1-6

The Problem of Division in the church (1:10-4:21)
The problem of the Incestuous man (5:1-13)
The problem of lawsuits among believers (6:1-11)
The problem of sexual immorality (6:12-20)

Chapter 7-16

about behavior within marriage(7:1-24)
about virgins (7:25-40)
avout food sacrificed to idols (8:1-11:1)
the covering of women's heads in worship (11:2-16)
an abuse of the Lord's Supper (11:17-34)
about spiritual gifts (12-14)
the bodily resurrection of believers (15:1-58)
about the collection 16:1-11)
about the return of Apollos (16:12)
concluding exhortations and greetings (16:13-24)

2:1-5 Proclaiming Christ Crucified

Paul's own example with the Corinthians supports his claim, he didn't try to preach using elegant speech but only the crucifiction of Christ so that the Corinthian's faith does not rest on Paul's elegance but only in the power of God

There seems to be division among people with regards to leaders ("I follow Paul, I follow Apollos") (1:12)
on who had baptized them? (1:13-15)

They are puffed up

Bad blood between the church and Paul (4:1-5, 18-21)

division not just of them preferring Appolos over Paul but being opposed to Paul

1:18-19

Because the Cross is folly to the world, but it is the power of God

1:26-31

No one would have chosen you guys through worldly wisdom. In fact, God chose you because He uses the weak and the dispised to shame the wise and strong of the world. Therefore, all glory to God

A more direct argument against the division problem

4:8-13

The Corinthians are in much better place than the Apostles

There seems to be some irony used here

4:14-21

Paul writes this to encourage, and asks them to imitate him.

3:16-17

You too are God's temple, and God will judge you on how you have built His temple

"You" referring to the Corinthian Church. The Corinthian church are to display an alternative life style in Corinth as the people of God against all other temple in the city
By their division they are destroying God's temple, and God will judge those that destroys His temple

4:1-5

You should regard Apostles as servant of Christ to the mystery of GOd

4:6-7

Paul has lived this out as an example to the Corinthians. So that they may not be prideful, because everything they gotten is a gift

Logical Outline

1:1-9 Greeting

Mention of gift in v.7

Purpose and Occasion of the Book?

Division (1-4)
Sexuual Immorality (5-7)
Food Offered to Idols (8-10)
Spiritual Gifts (12-14)

Christ's Crucifixion/The Cross = Power of God

God's weakness is stronger than men
God's foolishness is wiser than men

Theme

3:18-23

Do not be decieved by worldly wisdom, do not boast in leaders (God gave them for you benefit) but know that you belong to God

3:10-15

Paul carefully builds on top of God's foundation (Christ), because one day it will be tested.

Church (Building, crop), Paul/Appolos (servant, builder), God owns the field, building
Paul is making a different point now, build with care
those who build the church need to build with care because God will judge them based on how well they have build (not talking about individuals building their life on Christ)

1:10-17 Divisions in the Church

The church of God should be united and not divided because Christ is not divided

Report from Chole's people that there is quarreling among the members (v11)

"Wisdom"

It seems the Corinthians were in division in the name of Wisdom

God has used what is foolish to the world to shame the wise

The Cross
The choosing of the Corinthians
The weakness of Paul's teaching

The Corinthians misunderstood the function and nature of leadership in the church (3:5-23)
~~They have misunderstood the nature of the Gospel ~~
They are wrong in their judgement of Paul and need to reevaluate their relationship to him (4:1-21)

Hot spot for travelling professional orators, that would require a fee to see their performance in rhetoric, and lesson on how to improve one's life socially