In this fascinating letter to a multiethnic church, we see some of the everyday problems the early Christians were dealing with. In Paul’s advice on how to handle these problems, we find deep principles that shape his thinking about practical Christian living. These enduring principles—so different from the popular trends of Paul’s time or ours—provide rich guidance for us as we deal with similar problems today. Setting Corinth’s widespread reputation as an important city full of vice was linked to its geography. The city was strategically located on the narrow four- to five-mile-wide isthmus separating mainland Greece from the Peloponnesus (the large southern peninsula). It profited from travelers passing north and south along the main overland route and from those sailing east and west between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. To avoid the stormy hazards of the Mediterranean Sea, especially in wintertime, the owners of small commercial boats sailing between Italy and the eastern Mediterranean often had their boats dragged over the isthmus from one gulf to the other and spent a night or two in Corinth on the way. As a result, Corinth gained the notoriety of a port ci...

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians Purpose To clarify some questions the Corinthian church had raised and to address a series of specific problems that had arisen in the church there Author Paul Date AD 53–56 Setting Written from Ephesus during Paul’s third missionary journey, in response to reports and questions he had received from the church in Corinth (see 1 Cor 1:11; 5:1; 7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1)

1:10 dear brothers and sisters: Literally brothers. This generic, traditional term of affection is used to address members of the same family, both male and female. • I appeal to you: Paul motivates them by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by his own authority. • authority (literally name): In Jewish thought, a person’s name carried the weight of the person’s authority and reputation. • Let there be no divisions: His desire was not simply that they avoid divisiveness, but that they be so filled with the Spirit of Christ that they would be of one mind, united in thought and purpose (cp. Phil 2:2).