Overview of the Book of Corinthians
Introduction
The book of Corinthians is located in the New Testament section of the Bible. It comprises what we know as Paul’s first and second letters to the Church in Corinth.
However, despite Paul writing four letters to this church, only the two that survived were included in the New Testament as the First and Second Corinthians. This is because Paul wrote a letter preceding what we know and refer to as 1 Corinthians (5:9-11). And, thereafter, he wrote another tearful, severe letter mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:3-4. This severe letter is the letter that preceded what we know as 2 Corinthians.
Furthermore, some scholars opine that 2 Corinthians is made up of two (2) different sections: chapters 1-9, which Paul wrote in a conciliatory tone, and chapters 10-13, which were part of the painful letter he had written before the former section. Thus, these scholars hold that a part of Paul’s third letter survived and was incorporated into what we know as 2 Corinthians.
First and Second Corinthians
Nevertheless, Paul’s two letters to the Corinthians are the seventh and eighth books of the New Testament respectively. They are also the forty-sixth and forty-seventh books of the Bible respectively.
Scholars opine that Paul’s correspondence with the Church in Corinth was the most extensive correspondence with the New Testament churches. This makes sense because Paul encountered more problems at the church in Corinth than in any of the other churches he ministered to.
Time (Date) of Writing
Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, during his third missionary journey from Ephesus in the mid-50s (1 Corinthians 16:8 and 19). He wrote this letter to respond to the issues that plagued the church and had been raised by its members well after he had departed from them. These issues included but were not limited to: coalescing around teachers, sexual immorality, improper conduct at fellowships, and the resurrection of the dead.
Thereafter, Paul wrote his second letter from Macedonia a year after writing his first as a result of a report from Titus. He defended his ministry, expressed his thanksgiving, and encouraged the Corinthians to complete the Jerusalem collection, among other issues.
Paul, therefore, aimed to restore the members of the church of Corinth to their foundation, Jesus Christ.
Background
The City
Corinth was an important port city during Paul’s day. It lay on a narrow strip of land located between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf.
Consequently, Corinth was the capital of the Roman province known as Achaia and part of an important ancient trade route because of its strategic location in southern Greece. This ensured Corinth’s commercial prosperity.
Not only was this Roman colony wealthy (some scholars have suggested that it was the most prosperous city in all of Greece), but it also brought together different people from different backgrounds – it attracted people from throughout the Roman Empire. These people brought their different customs from the surrounding world to the city.
Therefore, Corinth was cosmopolitan and the home of Romans, Greeks, Orientals, and a sufficient number of Jews. These, under the trade that thrived, made Corinth a center of materialism, intellectualism, religious diversity, and sexual immorality.
The Church
Consequently, the church that Paul planted in Corinth (Acts 18) existed under the aforementioned influences. And these influences affected the church that Paul had planted in his second missionary journey through his Sabbath-day preachings in the synagogue.
The church reflected its surroundings (society)
Normally, a church reflects the society in which it exists, even if it is to some extent. This is because believers that form it originate from the same. And this was no different with the church at Corinth.
Therefore, the numerous problems that the church in Corinth faced and reported to Paul, had their origins in the life of the city of Corinth. For example, sexual looseness which manifested as gross, unashamed immorality, was considered normal in city life of the Corinthians. That is, strict morality was foreign (new) to the Gentiles in the city. To them, immorality was a virtue, not a sin.
Additionally, their idolatry was closely linked to their immorality. They worshipped many gods that were equal to the many temples that dotted Corinth, and their worship ceremonies involved the practice of sexual rites, which fueled sexual immorality.
Idols were significant in the economic and social lives of the people of Corinth. It is therefore no wonder that meat from the animals sacrificed to these idols was not only consumed by the priests but was also sold in markets and eaten during feasts in the temples.
Finally, some Christians instituted lawsuits against their fellow Christians. And their Grecian outlook affected their view of resurrection and the holiness of their bodies.
Paul’s ministry in Corinth
In spite of the numerous problems that were in the Corinthian church, Paul remained there for a year and a half and enjoyed a fruitful ministry while supporting himself through tentmaking. And when he left, he concluded his second missionary journey.
Summary
In summary, the Book of Corinthians
