| Preface | 4 | ||
| Introduction to 1 Corinthians | 16 | ||
| The City of Corinth | 16 | ||
| Founding of the Corinthian Church | 17 | ||
| Situation at the Time of the Letter | 18 | ||
| Tone of the Letter | 19 | ||
| Groups within the Church at Corinth | 19 | ||
| Date and Place of Writing | 20 | ||
| I. Healing a Divided Church (1 Corinthians 1-4) | 21 | ||
| 1. Healing Church Divisions (1:1-17a) | 22 | ||
| Paul and Sosthenes (1:1) | 23 | ||
| Sanctified Saints (1:2) | 23 | ||
| Thanksgiving for the Corinthians (1:4-7) | 25 | ||
| Assurance of God's Care (1:8-9) | 27 | ||
| Divisions in the Church (1:10-17) | 28 | ||
| Focusing on the Gospel (1:14-17a) | 31 | ||
| 2. Human vs. Spiritual Wisdom (1:17b-2:16) | 33 | ||
| Greek Wisdom and Philosophy | 33 | ||
| Greek Rhetorical Style | 34 | ||
| The Message of the Cross (1:17-18) | 34 | ||
| The Wisdom of the Wise (1:19-20) | 36 | ||
| Preaching Christ as Crucified (1:21-25) | 37 | ||
| Christ, our Wisdom (1:26-31) | 40 | ||
| Preaching with the Spirit's Power (2:1-5) | 41 | ||
| Declaring the Mysteries of God (2:6-8) | 43 | ||
| The Spirit Searches All Things (2:9-11) | 43 | ||
| The Essential Holy Spirit (2:12-15) | 44 | ||
| The Spirit Communicates to Us the Mind of Christ (2:16) | 46 | ||
| Opening Your Spirit to the Mind of Christ | 47 | ||
| 3. Building a Healthy Church on Christ's Foundation (3:1-23) | 49 | ||
| Worldly vs. Spiritual Believers (3:1-3) | 49 | ||
| The Essential Unity of God's Fellow Workers (3:4-9) | 51 | ||
| Building God's Temple, the Church (3:9b-15) | 52 | ||
| Christian Workers Are Responsible for their Work (3:12-15) | 53 | ||
| Rewards for Christian Workers (3:14-15) | 54 | ||
| God's Spirit Lives within the Church -- God's Sacred Temple (3:16) | 57 | ||
| Warnings about Doing Harm to the Church (3:17) | 57 | ||
| Worldly Wisdom Is an Illusion (3:18-20) | 59 | ||
| All Things Are Yours! (3:21-23) | 60 | ||
| 4. The Struggles and Joys of Christian Leaders (4:1-21) | 62 | ||
| Servants Entrusted with God's Message (4:1-2) | 62 | ||
| Christian Servants Can Be Accurately Judged Only By God (4:3-5) | 64 | ||
| The Foolishness of Sectarian Pride (4:6-8) | 66 | ||
| The Suffering of Christ's Apostles (4:9-13) | 67 | ||
| Your Father through the Gospel (4:14-16) | 69 | ||
| Sending Timothy to Remind You (4:17) | 70 | ||
| Arrogance Will be Confronted by Paul in Person (4:18-21) | 71 | ||
| II. A Christian View of Sex and Marriage (5:1-7:40) | 74 | ||
| 5. Confronting Immorality in a Cleansed Church (5:1-13) | 75 | ||
| Sexual Morals in First Century Corinth | 75 | ||
| Pride over Tolerance of Immorality (5:1-2a) | 76 | ||
| Excommunication of Unrepentant Sinners (5:2b-5) | 78 | ||
| Dealing with Arrogant Tolerance of Sin (5:6-8) | 81 | ||
| Christ, Our Passover Lamb (5:7-8) | 83 | ||
| Associating with Non-Believers and Unrepentant Believers (5:9-10) | 83 | ||
| 6. An Exhortation against Sexual Sin (6:1-18) | 89 | ||
| The Church Should Judge Civil Cases between Members (6:1-8) | 89 | ||
| New Appreciation for the Local Church | 92 | ||
| The Wicked Don't Inherit the Kingdom (6:9-11) | 93 | ||
| Countering Corinthian Justifications for Going to Prostitutes (6:12-13a) | 99 | ||
| The Essential Unity of Body and Spirit (6:13b-18) | 100 | ||
| 7. Marriage and Divorce at the End of the Age (7:1-40) | 106 | ||
| Marriage and Celibacy (7:1-2) | 107 | ||
| Mutuality in Marriage (7:5-6) | 108 | ||
| Celibacy as a Gift (7:7) | 111 | ||
| Instructions to the Unmarried and Widows (7:8-9) | 112 | ||
| Instructions for Married Believers (7:10-11) | 113 | ||
| Instructions for Believers Married to Unbelievers (7:12-16) | 115 | ||
| Abandonment Constitutes a Cause for Divorce | 118 | ||
| Don't Be Quick to Change Your Status in Life (7:17-24) | 119 | ||
| Example of Circumcision (7:18-20) | 120 | ||
| Example of Slavery (7:21-24) | 120 | ||
| Instructions Regarding Virgins (7:25-28a) | 122 | ||
| Don't be Distracted from the Coming Kingdom (7:28b-31) | 125 | ||
| The Distraction of Domestic Concerns (7:32-35) | 126 | ||
| Back to Instructions for Virgins (7:36-38) | 128 | ||
| The Permanence of the Marriage Bond (7:39-40) | 130 | ||
| III. Idolatry and Christian Freedom (8:1-10:33) | 132 | ||
| 8. The Case for Spiritual Purity (chapters 8 and 10) | 133 | ||
| PART A (chapter 8) | 134 | ||
| Pride in Knowledge (8:1a) | 134 | ||
| An Idol Is No Kind of God (8:4-6) | 135 | ||
| Confusion and a Weak Conscience (8:7-8) | 136 | ||
| Don't Let Your Knowledge Cause a Weak Brother to Stumble (8:9-13) | 137 | ||
| PART B (1 Corinthians 10) | 139 | ||
| God's Wasn't Pleased with the Israelites (10:1-5) | 139 | ||
| Learn from the Israelites' Punishment for their Sins (10:6-11) | 140 | ||
| Standing in Temptation (10:12-13) | 141 | ||
| Flee from Idolatry (10:14) | 145 | ||
| Eating the Lord's Supper Is Participating in Christ's Death (10:15) | 145 | ||
| The Cup of Blessing (10:15a) | 146 | ||
| We Partake of the One Loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17) | 146 | ||
| Participation, Communion, Koinonia (1 Corinthians 10:16) | 147 | ||
| Eating a Portion of the Sacrifice for Sin | 148 | ||
| Sharers in the Altar (10:18) | 149 | ||
| Sharers in the Cross | 150 | ||
| Eating Food Sacrificed to Idols Is Participating with Demons (10:19-21) | 150 | ||
| Beware of Offending the Lord (10:22-23) | 151 | ||
| Practical Counsel about Eating Meat (10:24-27) | 152 | ||
| Abstain to Keep from Hurting the Weaker Brother (10:28-30) | 152 | ||
| Seeking the Good of Others in Our Actions (10:31-11:2) | 153 | ||
| 9. Understanding a Leader's Passion (9:1-27) | 156 | ||
| Paul Defends His Apostleship (9:1-2) | 156 | ||
| Paul Defends His Right to Material Support in His Ministry (9:4-12a) | 157 | ||
| Why Paul Doesn't Receive Support from the Corinthians (9:12b-18) | 160 | ||
| Preaching Is Paul's God-Given Duty (9:15-18) | 162 | ||
| Paul Becomes All Things to All Men (9:19-23) | 166 | ||
| Fellow Participants in the Gospel (9:23) | 169 | ||
| Isthmian Games | 170 | ||
| IV. Public Worship and Its Worthy Conduct (11-14) | 176 | ||
| 10. Worship and Communion in the Early Church (11:1-34) | 177 | ||
| Paul's Example and Teaching (11:1-2) | 177 | ||
| Traditions Regarding Head Coverings (11:3-10) | 178 | ||
| 1. The Argument from Headship (11:3-6) | 179 | ||
| 2. The Argument from Order of Creation (11:7-12) | 180 | ||
| Authority on Her Head (11:10) | 181 | ||
| 3. The Argument from Nature (11:13-15) | 183 | ||
| 4. The Argument from Established Practice (11:16) | 183 | ||
| Disorder in Corinth Regarding the Lord's Table (11:17-22) | 184 | ||
| The Words of Institution of Lord's Supper (11:23-26) | 185 | ||
| Passing on a Tradition (11:23) | 186 | ||
| Body and Blood (11:23b-25) | 186 | ||
| Christ's Death Is an Atoning Sacrifice | 187 | ||
| The New Covenant in My Blood (11:25b) | 188 | ||
| Proclaiming the Lord's Death (11:26) | 190 | ||
| Self-Examination and Confession at the Lord's Table (11:27-32) | 191 | ||
| Sinning against the Body and Blood of the Lord (11:27) | 191 | ||
| Examining Our Hearts (11:28) | 192 | ||
| Discerning the Body (11:29-30) | 194 | ||
| Judging Ourselves (11:31-32) | 195 | ||
| Practical Advice (11:33-34) | 196 | ||
| 11. Diverse and Unifying Gifts in the Church (12:1-31) | 198 | ||
| Spiritual Gifts and Spirituality (12:1) | 198 | ||
| Discerning the Spirit (12:2-3) | 199 | ||
| Origin Spiritual Gifts (12:4-6) | 200 | ||
| The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts (12:7) | 201 | ||
| Numbering the Spiritual Gifts | 202 | ||
| Words of Wisdom and Knowledge (12:8) | 203 | ||
| Gifts of Faith, Healing, and Miracles (12:9-10a) | 204 | ||
| Prophecy, Discernment of Spirits, Tongues, and Interpretation (12:10b) | 206 | ||
| The Spirit Gives Gifts (12:11) | 208 | ||
| Many Parts, One Body (12:12) | 210 | ||
| Baptized by the Spirit into Christ's Body (12:13) | 210 | ||
| The Body Is Made Up of Many Essential Parts (12:14-17) | 211 | ||
| Each Part is Needed in the Body (12:18-25) | 211 | ||
| If One Part Suffers, All Suffer (12:26-27) | 212 | ||
| Examples of Gifted Members of the Body (12:28-30) | 213 | ||
| Transition (12:29-31) | 216 | ||
| 12. Love -- A More Excellent Way (13:1-13) | 219 | ||
| The Importance of Love over Every Spiritual Gift (13:1-3) | 220 | ||
| Agape Love | 222 | ||
| Love Is Patient and Kind (13:4a) | 223 | ||
| What Love Is Not (13:4b-6) | 223 | ||
| Love Always.... (13:7-8a) | 226 | ||
| Spiritual Gifts Are Temporal (13:8b-10) | 228 | ||
| Childhood, Maturity, and Bad Mirrors (13:11-12) | 229 | ||
| Seeing Him Face to Face (13:12) | 230 | ||
| Full Knowledge (13:12b) | 231 | ||
| Faith, Hope, and Love Are Eternal (13:13) | 232 | ||
| Excursus on the Meaning of "That Which Is Perfect" (13:10) | 234 | ||
| 13. Prophecy and Ministry by the Holy Spirit (14:1-39) | 237 | ||
| Love and Prophecy (14:1) | 237 | ||
| The Value and Content of Tongues (14:5) | 240 | ||
| Flutes, Harps, and Bugles (14:6-9) | 241 | ||
| Gifts that Build Up the Church (14:10-12) | 242 | ||
| Pray to Be Able to Interpret (14:13) | 243 | ||
| Praying and Singing in the Spirit and with the Mind (14:14-15) | 243 | ||
| Tongues as a Language of Thanksgiving (14:16-19) | 244 | ||
| Grow Up! (14:20) | 246 | ||
| Argument from the Babylonian Captivity (14:21-22) | 246 | ||
| The Impression on Unbelievers (14:23-25) | 247 | ||
| Guidelines for a Meeting (14:26-32) | 248 | ||
| Guidelines for Tongues with Interpretation in a Meeting (14:27-28) | 249 | ||
| Prophecy in a Church Meeting (14:29-33a) | 249 | ||
| How Can Everyone Prophecy? | 250 | ||
| Guidelines for Prophecy in a Meeting (14:29-33a) | 251 | ||
| Bringing Gentle Discipline When Needed | 253 | ||
| Women to Remain Silent in a Meeting (14:33b-35) | 254 | ||
| Rebuke and Warning (14:36-38) | 256 | ||
| Summary (14:39-40) | 256 | ||
| V. The Resurrection and Conclusion (15-16) | 259 | ||
| 14. Resurrection and the Coming of Christ (15:1-58) | 260 | ||
| A Reminder of the Gospel (15:1-2) | 261 | ||
| The Basics of the Gospel (15:3-8) | 262 | ||
| Paul's Strange but Effective Apostleship (15:8-11) | 264 | ||
| Contradictions If the Dead Are Not Raised (15:12-19) | 265 | ||
| Blessings of Christ's Resurrection from the Dead (15:20-24) | 267 | ||
| The End Will Come (15:24-28) | 267 | ||
| The Implications of Resurrection for Believers (15:29-32) | 271 | ||
| Baptism for the Dead (15:29) | 272 | ||
| Bad Company Corrupts Good Character (15:32b-34) | 274 | ||
| The Nature of the Resurrection (15:35- 50) | 275 | ||
| The First Adam and the Second Adam (15:45-49) | 278 | ||
| Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God (15:50) | 279 | ||
| We Shall be Changed (15:51-52) | 280 | ||
| At the Last Trumpet (15:52) | 281 | ||
| Death Is Swallowed Up in Victory (15:53-54) | 283 | ||
| A Call to Faithfulness Because of the Resurrection (15:58) | 285 | ||
| 15. Giving and Personal Matters (16:1-24) | 289 | ||
| Arrangements for the Collection for the Poor in Jerusalem (16:1-4) | 289 | ||
| Planned, Proportional Giving (16:1b-2) | 290 | ||
| Trusted Financial Officers (16:3-4) | 292 | ||
| Paul's Travel Plans (16:4-8) | 292 | ||
| Opportunities and Opposition (16:8-9) | 295 | ||
| Regarding Timothy (16:10-11) | 296 | ||
| Regarding Apollos (16:12) | 297 | ||
| Exhortation (16:13-14) | 298 | ||
| The Household of Stephanas (16:15-18) | 298 | ||
| Greetings from Ephesus (16:19-20) | 300 | ||
| Concluding Words (16:21-24) | 301 | ||
| Appendix 1. Participant Handout Guides | 304 | ||
| Appendix 2. The Author's Personal Experience | 305 | ||
| Appendix 3. Tentative Chronology of Paul and the Corinthians (50-56 AD) | 306 | ||