A Letter to a Gifted Church with Problems

Of the letters which Paul wrote to churches, 1 Corinthians is the one in which he had to correct Christian practice most. One gains the impression that many in Corinth would have been quite satisfied with the way they were living, but Paul saw a number of areas where correction was necessary. In their wisdom, Christians in Corinth were claiming to be followers of different men. However, they needed to learn that true wisdom avoided a party spirit. They needed to avoid taking fellow believers to court before unbelievers and to show them much more love. They had to learn not to stumble those who were weaker in the faith and not to embarrass poorer believers when they met as a church for the Lord's Supper. They were not to seek spiritual gifts that drew attention to themselves in order to have a greater sense of self-importance. Yet this was a church with great gift! Although the letter was written to correct obvious abuses in Corinth, it has ongoing lessons for each generation. Principles emerge from the apostle's advice to the Corinthians which guide us many centuries later. As we take to ourselves the advice and admonitions given so long ago, we find that we can live more faithfully to the glory of God.