1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians is the most practically focused of Paul’s Letters. The church at Corinth was established by the Apostle Paul during eighteen months of intense and fruitful ministry. And the resulting throng of believers in the city made it one of the most gifted of the first century Churches. Despite these positive attributes, the sheer number and seriousness of the problems in the church, depicted and implied by 1 Corinthians, makes the study of this epistle a sobering undertaking for the Christian worker of today. These problems indicate the challenge of “being and doing” church in a cultural environment that undermines and subtly opposes the Christian worldview. Nevertheless, Paul greets the Corinthians as people who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints (1:2). Holiness is more than a state. For believers, sanctification is both a definitive act of God and a lifelong process of cooperation with the Holy Spirit. By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Identify the form and function of the first letter to the Corinthians.
• Interpret sections of 1 Corinthians in light of its possible first-century context.
• Apply selected portions of the message of 1 Corinthians to present-day problems.