Paul’s Visit and the Context of the Letter
Paul had visited Corinth on his second missionary trip (Acts 18:1–18). In Acts, we hear of his trip there and the friendship he develops with Priscilla and Aquila. Since then, he has moved along and now, while in Ephesus, he gets news that there is a division in the church (1 Corinthians 1:11). Before we get to the division he was addressing, let’s understand what the church is, what was causing the division, and the danger it posed. Most importantly, let’s consider this from the perspective of our modern lives.
What is the Church?
When we think of churches, I imagine we all have an image in mind. It may be the stained glass windows in a cathedral we attended as a child, a lonely building on a hill with a steeple, or something more urban. Those are all examples of buildings called churches. The true church, though, is the people inside those structures (1 Corinthians 3:16). You and I are the church. Therefore, when there are outside influences in the society we live in, they often become part of the challenge in maintaining a functioning church body.
Corinth: A City of Influence and Temptation
To understand the problems Paul was addressing, we need to know about the city of Corinth. It was a good-sized seaport with some unique characteristics. The city’s most important characteristic was its location on an isthmus. This was a narrow strip of land, only three and a half miles wide, lying between two seaports. One facing the west serving places like Greece and Italy, the other to the east serving Asia and the Middle East. This made it a very busy and prosperous city (1).
With ships bringing goods in from one side, having them transported across the isthmus and loaded on other ships to carry them along, this meant a lot of sailors, who were always a rowdy bunch. Reportedly, Corinth had over a thousand prostitutes. The larger problem for the churches was all the different idols that were worshipped. It was a city with the temple of Aphrodite watching over it. The Pan isthmus Games, a precursor to the Olympics, made sporting events popular. So imagine an active seaport, filled with sailors and prostitutes all worshipping different gods and goddesses while enjoying sports—that was Corinth.
Division in the Church
In the chaos, the church was trying to stay grounded. Because of so many cultural influences, it was falling apart. The people were spending more time arguing over non-salvational ideology, and harmony was missing. Paul, therefore, is telling them to focus on the points that matter (1 Corinthians 1:10–13).
It wasn’t about who was the most eloquent speaker, or greatest philosopher. Those were human strengths, but God uses our weakness to highlight His strength (1 Corinthians 1:27). Paul himself was shaky and trembled when he preached to them (1 Corinthians 2:3).
The Power of God, Not Man
The power was not in the man behind the pulpit, but in the God inside the man (1 Corinthians 2:5). We learn through this writing that when we count on our strength, it will only lead to failure. In Christ is where we need to be. Otherwise, nothing will make sense. We cannot understand the thoughts of God unless we are in God and He is in us (1 Corinthians 2:14–16). Therefore, we must have God indwell our hearts so that we will know His heart. The rest is just an illusion.
Milk Before Solid Food
The opening chapters of these epistles are a great time to ask yourself: does Christ dwell in you? Do you understand the Gospel, or is this all confusing? It is all right to admit confusion. We all begin at this point. It is important to start on the milk of the gospel message and get a full grasp on that; otherwise, nothing else we may learn will matter (1 Corinthians 3:2).
Do you understand the basics of your faith in Jesus? I have known many people who believe because they were told to believe. When I ask them what they believe, they aren’t able to explain it. We all need faith, not answers, but faith should drive us to learn the answers so that we may give a defense for that faith (1 Peter 3:15).
Building on the Foundation
We must not try to jump ahead. It would be like building a house without first setting the foundation. The house may look good at first, but when we inspect it closer, we will see the walls are uneven. Without a solid foundation, nothing will stand for long. To have a lasting faith, we must build upon Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Tomorrow, we will read 1 Corinthians 5-8.
Footnotes
- Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, St. Paul’s Corinth: Texts and Archaeology (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2002).