The Epistle of First Corinthians

Outline of 1 Corinthians SECTION ONE: Dealing with reported problems (1:1—6:20) A. Unity based on God’s wisdom (1:10—4:21) Greeting, thanksgiving, and exhortation to unity (1:1-17) God’s wisdom & power vs. human pride (1:18-31) Paul’s Example – relying on God’s wisdom and power (2:1-16) God’s foundation and building (3:1-23) The quality of Paul’s apostleship (4:1-21) B. Dealing with sin in the church (5-6) Dealing with the immoral (5:1-13) Dealing with those filing lawsuits (6:1-11) Flee Sexual Immorality (6:12-20)

Outline of 1 Corinthians SECTION TWO: Dealing with questions and concerns of the Corinthians (7:1--16:9) C. Their Concerns (7-9) Marriage problems & issues for singles (7:1-16) Live as you are called (7:17-40) Things offered to idols (8:1-13) The rights and responsibilities of preachers (9:1-27) D. Common Concerns (10-11) Old Testament warnings about temptation (10:1-13) Flee idolatry (10:14-33) Respecting headship when praying or prophesying (11:1-16) The Lord’s Supper (11:17-34)

Review Corinth was a diverse town of 400,000+ people Prostitution and worldliness was rampant; temple of Aphrodite (Venus) The Greeks followed their philosophers, the Jews their rabbis; preacheritis 1:12-15 Paul was preaching unity based on God’s wisdom “charis (Greek)- grace; shalom (Hebrew)-peace” 1:3

1 Corinthians 2 vs. 1- Paul did not win the audience with his speech vs. 2- Paul decided to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified vs. 3- Paul was with them in weakness, fear, and trembling vs. 4- Paul avoided enticing words of man’s wisdom vs. 5- Paul’s preaching put man’s faith in the power of God

1 Corinthians 2 vs. 6- Paul speaks wisdom to the spiritually mature vs. 7- the gospel is the wisdom of God, divine in origin vs. 8- the rulers of this world did not know the gospel; Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas vs. 9- what God prepared had not been seen, heard, or conceived by man vs. 10- no one could know God’s will without revelation; revealed to us by the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2 vs. 11- can we know the mind of a man, even so no one can know the mind of God vs. 12- we have received the spirit which is from God, therefore it is not of his world vs. 13- Paul did not speak in the wisdom of man’s teaching, but what the Holy Ghost taught vs. 14- the natural man considers the gospel foolish, he cannot know the things of God vs. 15- a spiritual man can judge all things using God’s word as his standard

1 Corinthians 2 vs. 16- who understands the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him