1 Corinthians Essay example

In the text, 1 Corinthians 11-14, there are numerous problems Paul addresses regarding the church in Corinth. The first, in chapter 11, has to do with whether or not women should wear head coverings. Secondly, Paul also provides instructions regarding how the Lord’s Supper should be treated, for it seems it was being done in an “unworthy manner” at the church in Corinth. In chapter 14 Paul gives specific instructions as to what function prophecy and speaking in tongues should serve in the church. Lastly, at the end of chapter 14, Paul instructs the Corinthians to worship in a manner that is orderly. Furthermore, sandwiched in between these critiques and instructions chapters 12 and 13 are found. At first glance the topics of chapters 12 and 13 might seem unrelated to the critique that is taking place, however at a closer look it appears their placement was

Paul’s distinctive contribution to Christianity is his heresy- the doctrine of salvation by faith. A salvation available not just to the descendants of Abraham, but to the pagan, non-Jewish world as well. When he was writing to those in the Roman capital, Paul makes the declaration that proved to be the cornerstone of all his writings Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live

(1 Cor. 5:9) This initial letter, which has not been preserved, was apparently misunderstood by the Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:10-13), and so, some time in late A.D. 53 or early 54, Paul penned the letter now know as 1 Corinthians to respond to the confusion over the prior letter and to respond to reports that Paul had received concerning the situation in the Corinthian church. Although Paul addresses numerous specific concerns, he does so by always encouraging the Corinthians to forego their own interests and look, instead, to the interests of others first. In short, Paul in addition to whatever practical advice he give the Corinthians, he emphasizes the necessity of

The first section of the note on 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 in the HarperCollins Study Bible leads the reader to contemplate the issue of unity in the body of Christ, the lack of which is arguably the origin of most, if not all of the issues facing the Corinthian church. The Christians in Corinth were challenged with several internal problems, many of which could have been solved by the members seeking unity in their diversity. Paul introduces the idea that the church should function as the body of Christ, valuing the abilities and roles that God chose for each member. The first part of the note states, “Like certain other ancient writers, Paul regards the human body as illustrating the point that unity and diversity are not incompatible, applying

Christianity over the course of history has a vast influence on individuals, society and the way believers conduct themselves. It provides morals, practices and ethics that every Christian attempts to live by. Throughout the many denominations in the Christian church, Paul of Tarsus had a significant influence on the faith. His contribution to the development and expression of Christianity is immense and can be seen to stem from his writing and missionary journeys which have implemented his ideas and interpretations onto the development of Christianity. After Jesus, Paul was arguably the most significant figure in Christianity as his teachings form a significant part of the New Testament. Like may other Pharisees of that time in history, Paul sought to suppress the early Christian movement. He accused early Christians of blaspheming against God and breaking Mosaic Law. However, Paul had a life-changing experience when he had a vision of Jesus, and he spent the remainder of his life as a missionary for the early church. Centuries after his ministry, his teachings still influence Christian theology.

His love for them and his desire to see the church as a whole restored took precedence over his own personal feelings. He knew that if he came to oversee the resolution of the problem, it might intensify the situation. If he didn’t address the situation and it remained unresolved, there could and would be greater sorrow in the future. Paul knew that writing a letter to the Corinthian Church might bring them pain, but this would be for their good rather than their harm.

E. Harrison (p. 275) summarizes the message of the Epistle in these words: The greatest single overall emphasis seems to be on the unity of the local church as the body of Christ, which is brought out not only in connection with the discussion of the groups (i.e.; the factions within the church), but also in relation to the Lord’s Supper and spiritual gifts. A corollary is the sanctity of the church as members of Christ, both corporately and individually, (note, especially, such passages as 1 Cor. 3:16-17 and 6:15-20.) We may add, it is in this Epistle that the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul most eloquently sets forth the supremacy of love as “the most excellent way,” which the Christian is called to follow (1 Cor. 12:31b-13:13

We learned that Paul used his letters to point out problems that the congregations may have been facing and he would also write to them solutions on how to solve the issues or better themselves. Paul had a tremendous impact when it comes to how Christianity was spread. His letters remain to be a critical source of theology, pastoral life, and worship in today’s modern day churches. The letter he wrote to the Romans was his longest letter and could have been arguably one of his greatest writings. Paul’s letter to the Romans church helped spread the views of Christianity due to the size and population of the city and church. Romans isn’t the only letter that Paul wrote in which he guides his fellow followers and helps clarify on specific issues. All the letters he wrote gives us a glimpse of who Paul truly is and how much love he has towards his faith and Jesus Christ. In one of the letter he comes to tell us that he was chosen to spread the word of Jesus Christ and to build as many churches he can across the

Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (ESV)

Paul begins his letter with honesty and speaks of his genuine dealings with the church of Corinth. He goes on to

Before Paul became a Christian, he was a Roman citizen that persecuted Christians. Paul effortlessly transitioned from a Jew to a Christian by striking faith with God. In one of Paul’s letter’s he states he “went after Christians mercilessly, hunting them down and doing my best to get rid of them all. I was one of the most religious Jews of my own age in the whole country, and tried as hard as I possibly could to follow all the old, traditional rules of my religion” (Galatians 1:10-2, Bible); The letters Paul wrote toward the local Christian societies were included in the New Testament, Old Testament, and the Bible and were also meant to be compatible to all issues with believers of Christ. Paul also wrote to Christians in Rome to guide them with faith, which led to Paul to expand Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Paul believed his duty on Earth was to spread the word of Christianity and to be on the pathway to

When looking at the 1 Cor. Passage, it is important to realize that Paul’s letters are occasional, they were meant for a specific audience. In this case, the Christians in Corinth were taking other Christians to court. Court cases in this context were extremely public, something

He wrote to warn the Colossians of the danger of returning to their old beliefs and practices. He also refuted the false teaching that was threatening this congregation. The outstanding Christian doctrine with which this letter deals is Christology which means that Jesus Christ is the high truth and is our savior and nobody outside him can save them. His main purpose was to let the community of Colossae know that Jesus Christ has absolute authority. He invited the Community of Colossae to seek an encounter with Jesus Christ, and when they have the encounter, they will know Jesus Christ is supreme truth. Jesus has to be the center their life. Paul exhorted them to base their trust in the Word of God rather than in human traditions that do not accurately reflect biblical revelation. The matter of paramount importance to the church is its doctrine of Christ. Our Christian life and service will flow from our doctrine of Christ. Not only must Christ take a place in our lives, but our understanding must be exact in Jesus. We can avoid all the errors of which Paul warns us in this epistle by maintaining an adequate perspective of

Paul found that some believers felt that by eating meat they had a weak conscience because it had been defiled by the idols (Krell, 1995). Paul tried to show his followers that it was safe to eat with a clear conscience by eating meat himself. Through this lesson Paul was also trying to teach that “love was more important than freedom (8:1-6) and that “knowledge can make us arrogant, but love edifies” (Krell, 1995). With these sayings Paul was giving permission for people to put their pride aside, remember that there is no such thing as idols and that there is only one true and loving God” (Krell, 1995).

The previous section of the letter is the introduction and Paul’s note of thanks for the Corinthian believers. There is a distinct note of commendation and love in the first section before Paul begins to condemn and exhort the Corinthians for their poor behavior. Much of this behavior is linked to their boasting about their wisdom, or the wisdom of those whom they choose to follow. Therefore, much of Paul’s teaching is in relation to true wisdom, as opposed to worldly wisdom. Paul continues to address the issue of factions in the church by further concentrating on the issue of wisdom, before he begins approaching other issues from the report in chapters 5 and 6. Following this, Paul begins to address the questions posed by the