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Exegesis of the Book of 1 Corinthians

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus around the time of Passover during his third year there, likely in A.D. 57 or 58 [6, 8]. The letter responds to multiple crises: reports of factionalism from members of Chloe's household [3, 6], news of sexual immorality [4], and a written inquiry from the Corinthians themselves on disputed matters [6]. The epistle addresses a congregation Paul himself had planted during his eighteen-month stay in Corinth [2, 6], though some now questioned his apostolic authority [11].

Occasion and Structure

The letter opens with Paul identifying himself as "an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God" alongside Sosthenes [7], addressing "the church of God which is at Corinth" and "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" [2]. This salutation establishes both Paul's authority and the universal scope of his instruction—what applies to Corinth applies wherever Christ is named [2, 11].

The first major section (chapters 1–4) confronts divisions within the church. Paul had learned that the Corinthians were aligning themselves with different teachers—"I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Cephas" [3, 9]. This factionalism prompted Paul's extended discourse on the nature of apostolic ministry and the foolishness of worldly wisdom compared to the testimony of Christ [1, 9]. He deliberately avoided "excellency of speech or of wisdom" when declaring "the testimony of God," instead determining to know nothing among them "save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" [1].

Moral Disorders

Chapter 5 addresses a scandal so egregious that Paul declares it "not so much as named among the Gentiles"—a man living with his father's wife [4]. The Old Testament explicitly prohibited such unions [4], yet the Corinthian church had grown "puffed up" rather than mourning [12]. Paul orders the congregation to deliver this man "unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved" [12], employing the metaphor of Passover leaven to urge them toward purity: "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" [5].

The exhortation to "keep the feast" draws on Exodus 12–13 and Deuteronomy 16 [5], transforming the annual Passover observance into a continuous Christian ethic. Paul extends this principle by commanding the Corinthians to avoid even ordinary association with professing believers who persist in notorious sin [12].

Theological Method

Paul's exegetical approach throughout 1 Corinthians interweaves Old Testament citation, apostolic testimony, and practical application. When addressing idol meat, marriage, spiritual gifts, or resurrection, he grounds his arguments in Scripture while adapting them to Gentile contexts unfamiliar with Jewish law. The cross-references in chapters 1–2 link Paul's preaching method to prophetic precedent—Moses' self-described lack of eloquence, Jeremiah's protest of inadequacy [1]—establishing continuity between Old Testament prophetic witness and apostolic proclamation.

The epistle's influence on early Christianity appears in Clement of Rome's letter to the Corinthians (c. A.D. 96), which addresses renewed schism in the same congregation and explicitly references Paul's earlier correspondence [10]. Clement's salutation echoes Paul's structure, indicating that 1 Corinthians had already achieved authoritative status within decades of its composition [10].

Paul's stated intention to visit Macedonia before returning to Corinth [6] situates the letter within his third missionary journey, when Ephesus served as his base for evangelizing Asia Minor. The bearers of the letter were likely Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus [8]—members of the Corinthian delegation who had visited Paul and perhaps delivered the congregation's written questions. This personal connection underscores the pastoral urgency driving Paul's response to a church facing both doctrinal confusion and moral compromise.

Sources

  1. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 Corinthians 2:1 cross-references: Exodus 4:10, Isaiah 8:20, Jeremiah 1:6, Acts 18:1, Acts 20:21, Acts 22:18, Romans 16:18, 1 Corinthians 1:6, 1 Corinthians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 2:4, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 2 Corinthians 11:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Timothy 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:8, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 5:11, Revelation 1:2, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 19:10”
  2. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 Corinthians 1:2 cross-references: Genesis 4:26, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:4, Psalms 45:11, John 17:17, Acts 7:59, Acts 9:14, Acts 9:21, Acts 10:36, Acts 15:9, Acts 18:1, Acts 18:8, Acts 22:16, Acts 26:18, Romans 1:7, Romans 3:22, Romans 10:12, Romans 14:8, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Galatians 1:2, Ephesians 5:26, Philippians 2:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 1 Timothy 3:15, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 2:11, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 13:12, 1 Peter 1:15, Jude 1:1”
  3. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 Corinthians 1:11 cross-references: Genesis 27:42, Genesis 37:2, 1 Samuel 25:14, Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 18:6, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 11:18, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:15, Galatians 5:20, Galatians 5:26, Philippians 2:14, 1 Timothy 6:4, 2 Timothy 2:23, James 4:1”
  4. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 Corinthians 5:1 cross-references: Genesis 35:22, Genesis 37:2, Genesis 49:4, Leviticus 18:8, Leviticus 20:11, Deuteronomy 22:30, Deuteronomy 27:20, 1 Samuel 2:24, 2 Samuel 16:22, 2 Samuel 20:3, 1 Chronicles 5:1, Jeremiah 2:33, Ezekiel 16:47, Ezekiel 16:51, Ezekiel 22:10, Amos 2:7, Acts 15:20, Acts 15:29, 1 Corinthians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Corinthians 7:12, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Revelation 2:21, Revelation 21:8”
  5. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 Corinthians 5:8 cross-references: Exodus 12:15, Exodus 13:6, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:16, Deuteronomy 16:3, Deuteronomy 16:16, Joshua 24:14, Psalms 32:2, Psalms 42:4, Isaiah 25:6, Isaiah 30:29, Matthew 16:6, Matthew 16:12, Matthew 26:4, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1, John 1:47, John 18:28, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 8:8, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Ephesians 4:17, Ephesians 6:24, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 4:2, 1 John 3:18”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Corinthians, First Epistle to the — Was written from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:8) about the time of the Passover in the third year of the apostle's sojourn there (Acts 19:10; 20:31), and when he had formed the purpose to visit Macedonia, and then return to Corinth (probably A.D. 57). The news which had reached him, however, from Corinth frustrated his plan. He had heard of the abuses and contentions that had arisen among them, first from Apollos (Acts 19:1), and then from a letter they had written him on the subject, and also from some of the "household of Chloe," and from ”
  7. I Corinthians “I Corinthians 1:1 (BBE) — Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Sosthenes the brother,”
  8. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Corinthians, First Epistle To The — was written by the apostle St. Paul toward the close of his nearly three-years stay at Ephesus, (Acts 19:10; 20:31) which, we learn from (1 Corinthians 16:8) probably terminated with the Pentecost of A.D. 57 or 58. The bearers were probably (according to the common subscription) Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus. It appears to have been called forth by the information the apostles had received of dissension in the Corinthian church, which may be thus explained:--The Corinthian church was planted by the apostle himself, (1 Corinthia”
  9. 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 1 (introduction): This chapter contains the general inscription of the epistle, the usual salutation, and a special thanksgiving for blessings received; after which the apostle intimates the occasion of his writing, the divisions about their ministers, which gives him an opportunity of discoursing concerning the nature, end, use, and efficacy of the preaching of the Gospel. The inscription is in Co1 1:1, in which an account is given of the persons concerned in this epistle; and first of Paul, the only inspired writer of it, who is described by his name, by which he w”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. I.--THE SALUTATION. PRAISE OF THE CORINTHIANS BEFORE THE: BREAKING FORTH OF SCHISM AMONG THEM. THE Church of God which sojourns at Rome, to the Church of God sojourning at Corinth, to them that are called and sanctified by the will of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from Almighty God through Jesus Christ, be multiplied. Owing, dear brethren, to the sudden and successive calamitous events which have happened to ourselves, we feel that we have been somewhat tardy in turning”
  11. 1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 1:1: We have here the apostle's preface to his whole epistle, in which we may take notice, I. Of the inscription, in which, according to the custom of writing letters then, the name of the person by whom it was written and the persons to whom it was written are both inserted. 1. It is an epistle from Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, to the church of Corinth, which he himself had planted, though there were some among them that now questioned his apostleship (Co1 9:1, Co1 9:2), and vilified his person and ministry, Co2 10:10. The most faithful and useful minister”
  12. 1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 5 (introduction): In this chapter the apostle, I. Blames them for their indulgence in the case of the incestuous person, and orders him to be excommunicated, and delivered to Satan (Co1 5:1-6). II. He exhorts them to Christian purity, by purging out the old leaven (Co1 5:7, Co1 5:8). And, III. Directs them to shun even the common conversation of Christians who were guilty of any notorious and flagitious wickedness (Co1 5:9 to the end).”
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