1Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6There are various kinds of workings, but the same God who works all things in all. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. 11But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
12For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. 16If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? 18But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. 19If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20But now they are many members, but one body. 21The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” 22No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty, 24while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, 25that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.
The Apostle Paul identifies himself as the writer of 1 Corinthians twice within the epistle (1:1-2; 16:21). Pauline authorship of 1 Corinthians is almost unanimously accepted throughout Biblical scholarship. Clement of Rome (ca. A.D. 95), one of the earliest Church Fathers, confirmed Paul's authorship in his To the Corinthians (ch. 47). Pauline authorship was also confirmed by Polycarp, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. 1 Corinthians was one of the most quoted of Paul's epistles in the writings of the early Church Fathers.
Paul probably wrote 1 Corinthians while ministering at Ephesus during his third missionary journey. In 1 Corinthians 16:8 Paul says that he would remain in Ephesus until Pentecost. This, coupled with Acts 20:31, indicates that the time of writing was in the last year of his three-year stay in Ephesus. That would place the date of the epistle in the spring of A.D. 55/56. Most likely, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus carried the epistle from Ephesus to Corinth (see 1 Cor 16:18). The church would have been about four to five years old when they received the first Corinthian letter (see "Church at Corinth" for founding date).
Paul had left Corinth with Aquilla and Priscilla in the spring A.D. 53 to continue his second missionary journey. On his third journey, during his stay at Ephesus, he received word from the Corinthian believers. Paul's main purpose in this first letter to the Corinthians was to respond to the two pieces of correspondence he had received from the people of Chloe's house and from the church.
First, Paul had received a disturbing report from the household of Chloe (1:11). The report centered on divisions and on immorality in the church. These problems arose because the young Corinthian church had failed to protect itself from the decadent culture of the city. The immaturity of the Corinthians had given way to sectarian divisions. Believers rallied under the names of men in factions rather than uniting under the name of Christ (3:1-9). The pride that characterized Corinth had seeped into the church and divided it because men and their wisdom had been exalted over God's (3:18-23).
Chloe's household had also reported to Paul that the Corinthian believers were dragging each other into the pagan courts to settle their disputes (6:1). The arguments grew from their immature divisive spirits, while their desire to settle differences in pagan courts instead of the church illustrated their inflated estimation of human wisdom. Paul also confronted the sexual immorality that had grown in the church. Paul in a previous letter (not preserved by God for the church) had warned the believers to deal strongly with fornicators in their midst (5:9-11), but evidently the church had not corrected their negligence.
Second, Paul answered inquiries delivered from Corinth by Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus (16:15-18). The believers had questions concerning several practical issues and on proper worship. Paul first dealt with obligations of marriage and singleness (7:1-40). He emphasized the importance of each one being content to live in the state that God had called them. Paul then developed a lengthy section (8:1-11:1) to answer concerns about Christian liberty in a depraved culture. Paul purposed not to strangle their liberty, but to protect them from falling back into idolatry. His guiding principle for liberty was God's glory. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (10:31).
Following this, Paul gave the Corinthians principles for orderly worship. Paul taught the believers concerning women's decorum in worship services whenever they would participate in public prophesying and praying (11:2-16) and then reminds his readers of the solemnity which ought to characterize the observance of the Lord's supper (11:17-34). Paul closes the section with an extended discourse on the place of spiritual gifts in the church. Though the church had been considerably gifted, their immaturity and pride caused many abuses of their gifts. Paul reminds them that their spiritual gifts came from God (12:11) and that they ought to serve to unify and edify His body (12:24-25; 14:1-4). Within this section, Paul wrote the great love chapter (ch. 13). The attitude behind the exercising of spiritual gifts was to be love, the fruit of the Spirit, which, in turn, was generated by the filling of the Spirit.
Before Paul closed his letter, he corrected a doctrinal matter within the church by writing the most detailed New Testament apologetic for the resurrection of Christ and Christians (15:1-58). To a church shot through with problems, this chapter became a fountain of encouragement bursting forth from the victory wrought by God through the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ (15:57).
The major purpose of 1 Corinthians was the correction of Christian conduct. Paul's eighteen months of intense labor and his deep compassion for the Corinthian church moved him to answer the reported problems quickly. He purposed to rebuke the immature pride that had caused the divisions, litigations and abuse of spiritual gifts. He sought also to instruct his readers in relationships, in Christian freedoms, in worship and in the doctrine of the resurrection.