The Book of 1 Corinthians
Paul's practical wisdom for a gifted but divided church, anchored in the cross.
Written around AD 54-55 to a talented but deeply divided congregation, 1 Corinthians finds Paul addressing factions, lawsuits, sexual immorality, and confusion over spiritual gifts one issue at a time. Across 16 chapters he keeps returning to the same anchor: the crucified Christ. Begin reading at 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
About 1 Corinthians
First Corinthians is the forty-sixth book of the Bible, written by the apostle Paul around AD 54-55 from Ephesus to the troubled church in Corinth, and spanning 16 chapters. The church at Corinth was gifted but deeply divided and morally compromised, struggling with factions, sexual immorality, lawsuits between believers, questions about marriage and singleness, the eating of food offered to idols, the proper conduct of worship, and the misuse of spiritual gifts. Paul addresses each problem in turn with pastoral wisdom and theological grounding, anchoring all his instruction in the gospel of the crucified Christ. Major themes include the centrality of the cross and the foolishness of worldly wisdom, the unity of the body of Christ, sexual ethics, the proper ordering of worship and spiritual gifts, the resurrection as the foundation of Christian hope, and love as the supreme Christian virtue. Key chapters include 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter), 1 Corinthians 15 (the resurrection chapter), and 1 Corinthians 1 (the foolishness of the cross). Famous verses include 1 Corinthians 13:13 -- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love -- and 1 Corinthians 15:55 -- Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? First Corinthians KJV Bible reading remains one of the most practically applicable letters in the New Testament. Read the Book of 1 Corinthians online here in full.