Watch Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians come alive as you learn about the city of Corinth, the kind of society that lived there, and how Christianity challenged so many aspects of their way of life. In this class you’ll learn about animal sacrifices, city governments, Corinthian sexuality, and much more. We’ll work our way through the major themes in 1 Corinthians always asking the question, “How would they have understood this,” before also asking, “How does this speak to us today.”
1 Corinthians is easily the most revealing letter Paul wrote to any of the churches. Reading it, we find a church riddled with strife, sinfulness, and doctrinal error. Although this resulted in a difficult situation for Paul, it’s wonderful for us today since we get to see how the apostle deftly navigated complex issues like lawsuits, divisiveness, communion, divorce, singleness, and gifts of the spirit.
Although several life principles come through 1 Corinthians, probably the most pronounced is Paul’s teaching on “other regard.” Rather than looking to their own interests, benefits, and statuses, Christians in Corinth should instead seek to honor, serve, and love each other. This simple behavior is the key to unlocking personal and community flourishing in a wide variety of circumstances. Even so, Paul did not compromise on traditional biblical mores about righteousness and sin, seeing them as the boundaries within which Corinthians should express love and tolerance.
Although written nearly two millennia ago, 1 Corinthians is eerily relevant for churches today, especially in the USA. Many of the old Roman prejudices and mores that had waned over the centuries have returned to mainstream culture in new guises. As such, Paul’s words, correctly understood, hold great insight into navigating our own increasingly hostile environment with integrity and effectiveness.
Required Texts:
The Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition (NRSVue) Anthony C. Thiselton, I Corinthians: A Shorter Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011).
Recommended Reading:
Clint Burnett, Paul & Imperial Divine Honors (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2024).
