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Written by Paul
16 chapters · 125 min read
~55 AD
The church in — a messy, divided congregation in a notoriously wild city
To address divisions, moral failures, and theological confusion in the Corinthian church
First Corinthians is Paul writing to a church in serious trouble. They are splitting into factions, tolerating immoral behavior, suing each other, and becoming confused about spiritual gifts. Paul must serve as both pastor and mediator. This letter contains the renowned love chapter (13) and the definitive argument (15).
Paul called out a church that had split into fan clubs — 'I follow Paul,' 'I follow Apollos' — insisting that no human messenger should ever replace the message itself.
1 Corinthians 1 — The Church That Couldn't Stop Fighting
Paul deploys full-force sarcasm — 'Oh, you're already kings!' — then drops the act to describe apostolic life: hunger, homelessness, and being treated like the world's garbage.
1 Corinthians 4 — Servants, Not Celebrities
Paul openly distinguished which instructions came directly from the Lord and which were his own trusted counsel — a level of intellectual honesty most teachers never show.
1 Corinthians 7 — Stay Where You Are
The moment you think you're above falling is exactly when you're most vulnerable — Paul says overconfidence is the most dangerous posture, not the strongest one.
1 Corinthians 10 — Freedom Has a Limit
The minimal facts argument — built entirely on data points that skeptical historians accept.
You've never met a mere mortal. Every person you've ever talked to is an eternal being. Lewis thought that should change how you treat them.
A handful of historical facts about Jesus that almost every New Testament scholar accepts — including the atheists. The only question is what explains them.
We can map every neuron in the brain. We still cannot explain why anyone is 'home' inside it.
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You can speak in angelic languages, move mountains, even die as a martyr — without love, Paul says it all amounts to zero.
1 Corinthians 13 — The Only Thing That Lasts