New Testament · Letter · book 46 of 66 · 1 min read
The book of 1 Corinthians
A letter answering a list of problems in a church that was spiritually impressive and socially disgraceful, and the reason the love chapter exists.
“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”
At a glance
- Chapters
- 16
- Author
- Paul
- Written
- Around 54 AD, from Ephesus
- Written for
- A gifted, divided, badly behaved church in a port city
- Themes
- division, the cross, gifts, resurrection
What it is about
Corinth was a wealthy port and its church had absorbed the city's habits. The letter answers a series of reported problems and written questions: factions built around favourite teachers, a lawsuit between members, a sexual scandal the church was proud of tolerating, disorder at communal meals where the rich ate first and the poor went hungry.
The chapters on spiritual gifts sit in that context, which is what most people miss about chapter 13. The love passage read at weddings is not a wedding text; it is the middle of an argument with a congregation whose gifts had become a status competition.
Chapter 15 is the earliest written account of the resurrection appearances, predating the gospels by some years.
Where to start
Chapter 13, but read chapters 12 and 14 around it. The famous passage is an intervention in a dispute and reads completely differently in place.
The chapters worth knowing
- 1 Corinthians 1 — The message of the cross as foolishness, aimed at a church impressed by cleverness.
- 1 Corinthians 13 — The love chapter, sitting between two chapters about spiritual gifts being used competitively.
- 1 Corinthians 15 — The earliest written account of the resurrection appearances, predating the gospels.
What people get wrong about it
That chapter 13 is about romantic love. It sits between two chapters about spiritual gifts and is addressed to people using their gifts to rank each other.
From this book
- 1 Corinthians 13, and the argument it was written intoLove is patient, love is kind is read at weddings. It sits between two chapters about spiritual gifts, addressed to a church using them to rank each other.
- Bible verses about temptationTen passages on temptation and the way out, with notes on what each says — including why 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises an escape rather than an absence.
Questions
What problems does 1 Corinthians address?
Factions, a lawsuit, sexual immorality, food offered to idols, disorder at communal meals, competition over spiritual gifts, and confusion about the resurrection.
Is 1 Corinthians 13 a wedding reading?
It is commonly used as one, but its setting is a dispute about spiritual gifts in a divided church. Read in place it is considerably more pointed than it sounds at a wedding.