Catching up with the Corinthians
Summary of Chapters 1-7
As an expository preacher who prefers to work verse by verse through Scripture, I often feel the tension between faithfulness and pacing. Large sections of Scripture can feel slow if handled without care, so at times I choose to pause, divide a book into sections, and return later with fresh perspective. Last fall, I preached through the first half of 1 Corinthians and then took a break around Christmas.
What follows is a brief overview of the first seven chapters of the letter, written so that those who missed the messages can still grasp Paul’s argument and re-enter the study with clarity.
Introduction to the Book
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around AD 55 while ministering in Ephesus and teaching at the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9–10). He had previously spent eighteen months in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:11). Though many repented and believed, Paul also faced significant opposition. The church that resulted was genuinely converted and richly gifted, yet deeply divided and confused by the surrounding culture.
Major Themes in Chapters 1–7
Unity in the Body of Christ
From the opening verses, Paul grounds the Corinthian church’s identity not in maturity level, giftedness, or personal preference, but in Christ alone. He begins by reminding them who they are:
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together…” (1 Corinthians 1:2, ESV)
Despite real divisions within the church—between newer and more established believers, competing allegiances to leaders, and disagreements over ethical matters—Paul insists that the cross of Christ is the great unifying reality. The gospel, not personality or status, defines the church (1:10–13).
Paul further emphasizes that everything the Corinthians possess spiritually comes by grace:
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…” (1 Corinthians 1:4–7, ESV)
Salvation, sanctification, and spiritual gifts all flow from Christ crucified (1:18–25). Unity, therefore, is not something the church manufactures—it is something the cross creates.
Unity Not Rooted in Leadership
One of the most visible fractures in Corinth was over leadership. Some believers claimed allegiance to Paul, others to Apollos, and others to Cephas (1:12). Apollos, a gifted and faithful preacher, had ministered after Paul’s departure (Acts 18:24–28), but unintended factions formed.
Paul rebukes this mindset by reminding the church that leaders are servants, not saviors:
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed…” (1 Corinthians 3:5, ESV)
Paul and Apollos labored together, but God alone gives the growth (3:6–7). Leaders will be judged by the quality of their work (3:12–15), yet Christ alone is the foundation of the church (3:11).
God’s Wisdom Greater Than Man’s
Underlying many of Corinth’s problems was an infatuation with worldly wisdom. Paul contrasts human wisdom with the wisdom of God revealed in the cross (1:20–24). What the world considers foolish, God uses to shame the wise.
True spiritual maturity is not measured by rhetorical skill or philosophical sophistication but by the Spirit’s work in revealing Christ (2:1–5). As Paul explains, spiritual truths are spiritually discerned (2:14), and growth comes not from boasting but from humble dependence on God (3:18–23).
The Purity of the Church
The Corinthian church existed in a sexually confused culture, and that confusion had crept into the church. Some believers rejected marriage altogether (7:1), while others tolerated serious sexual sin.
In chapter 5, Paul confronts a case of scandalous immorality: a man living with his stepmother—something even pagans found reprehensible (5:1). Rather than mourning over sin, the church had grown proud. Paul commands them to remove the unrepentant man from fellowship (5:5), emphasizing that unchecked sin affects the whole body (5:6–7).
Church Discipline and Holiness
Paul builds on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18 by clarifying the church’s responsibility to guard its holiness. While believers are not called to withdraw from the world, they are called to judge those inside the church who claim Christ yet persist in unrepentant sin (5:9–13).
Church discipline, then, is not about cruelty but about love—love for the sinner’s soul and love for the church’s witness. Holiness matters because the church belongs to God (3:16–17).
Lawsuits Among Believers
In chapter 6, Paul addresses another symptom of Corinth’s spiritual immaturity: believers taking one another to secular courts. These lawsuits involved civil disputes and minor grievances, yet they publicly damaged the church’s testimony (6:1–6).
Paul argues that it would be better to suffer wrong than to dishonor Christ before the watching world (6:7). He reminds them that their identity has been fundamentally changed:
“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…” (6:11, ESV)
Because their bodies belong to Christ, believers are called to flee sexual immorality and glorify God in both body and spirit (6:18–20).
Conclusion: The Remedy for Division
The divisions in Corinth were deep and tangible. They resulted in public scandal, relational fracture, and spiritual confusion. Yet Paul does not offer a new structure or strategy as the solution. Instead, he continually returns the church to Christ.
The answer to Corinth’s problems is found in the love of Jesus displayed at the cross—where He laid aside His rights for our salvation (cf. 1:18; 2:2). That self-giving love is meant to shape the life of the church, calling believers to unity, humility, holiness, and mutual care.
Only when the church centers itself on Christ crucified can it live faithfully as the redeemed and sanctified people God has called it to be.