1 Corinthians Chapter 1 Summary

In the book of 1 Corinthians, which was written by Apostle Paul, the issues that the Corinthian believers deal with are addressed and solutions to these issues are proposed. The city of Corinth that Paul writes to was known for wealth without culture and was also known for mistreating the poor. The intention of Paul’s letter was to convince the Corinth believers to become monotheistic and work as a group of followers instead of continuing their lives as individual believers. In the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul starts with describing what the problems are in the Corinth community. One of the problems he discusses is how divided the people are in the city of Corinth. He says to them in chapter 1, verse 10, “now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose” (NISB p. 2039). Paul wants them to be a group of believers and not as individual believers. He says this because when they make their
He says these issues arise because the people of Corinth began claiming to be wiser than others and let their pride get in the way. Paul mentions, “in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (NISB p. 2040). Paul makes it known to them that they have no room to boast unless they are boasting about God. The Corinthians were placing their faith in the wisdom of men and not in the wisdom of God. As a result of this division, the people of Corinth had become immature. Paul says to them in chapter 3 verse 1, “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ” (NISB p. 2041). To Paul they are not behaving as mature believers and are babies who need “milk” instead of being able to take “solid