I. Interpreting the Epistles
Before we begin studying any book of the Bible, we always try to learn everything we can about who wrote it, when, and why. The more we know about the writer’s purpose and the problems of the recipients, the better we can grasp the message of the book. This is especially important when it comes to the epistles. They are occasional documents — letters written to meet specific needs or address specific problems. In other words, there is an occasion that prompted their authors to write them.
Steps for Interpreting the Epistles
1. Reconstructing the problems
In order to understand the meaning of a given text, we must know its context. What is the situation in which the apostle Paul is speaking? What were the problems, questions, and misunderstandings of the Corinthians? What prompted Paul to write precisely these sentences that we find in his letter and not some others? The aim of this first step is to establish the historical context of the epistle.
2. Establishing the meaning and significance of the passages
To do this we must divide the text into paragraphs that mark the beginning of each new thought, and try to understand how the individual paragraphs contribute to solving the problems of the letter’s recipients. In other words, we must look for the answers to these questions:
- What is God’s Word to the first and immediate recipients of the letter, keeping in mind their problems?
- In what way do the individual sections of the paragraphs contribute to the force of the author’s argument?
An argument is the sum of reasons offered in support of a given thesis. To understand the meaning of the Word, we must trace the author’s line of thought.
The aim of this second step is to establish the literary context of the epistle. Words have meaning only when they are joined together in sentences, and biblical sentences have meaning only when they are connected with the sentences that come before and after them.
3. Applying the text to our own day
At this step we try to answer the following questions:
- What does God’s Word to the Corinthians mean for us?
- Through the Bible God speaks to us today as well. What do Paul’s words mean in our own day, in our own situation?
- What is God saying to us today through this text?
As we answer these questions we must remember that a text can never mean something it never meant. It can never have a meaning it did not have when it was first written. Biblical texts can have many applications, but only one meaning!
The first two steps in interpreting the epistles deal with the “then” and the “there,” while the third deals with the “here” and now. The first two steps are the object of exegesis, the third of hermeneutics.
| Exegesis | Exegesis | Hermeneutics |
| Historical context | Literary context | Contemporary interpretation |
| then and there | then and there | here and now |
Our problem in interpreting the epistles is that most often we skip the first two steps and begin straight from the third. From this comes the great variety — and very often the error — of our understanding of the Bible. For our starting point determines the final result we will reach.
II. The City and Its People
Who are the people to whom the apostle Paul addresses his letter? What were they like before they believed? What influences from the surrounding secular world were these newly believing Corinthians exposed to?
1. The geography of Corinth
The Greek name “Corinthos” means ornament. Corinth sits on the southwestern part of the roughly six-and-a-half-kilometer-wide isthmus that connects the European mainland with the Peloponnese peninsula. The city was part of a complex of harbors that included the town of Lechaeum, located about two and a half kilometers north of Corinth on the Lechaeum Gulf of the Ionian (Adriatic) Sea, and the town of Cenchreae, situated about eleven and a half kilometers east of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.
The land of Corinth was not very fertile, but it was a city of special economic importance. It controlled both the overland traffic between north and south and the sea traffic between east and west. Before the Corinth Canal was built — begun as early as the time of Nero but not completed until 1893 — goods were carried overland between the harbors of Cenchreae and Lechaeum, because the shipping firms carrying cargo between Asia Minor and Italy preferred to avoid the longer and more dangerous voyage around the Peloponnese peninsula.
The plain on which Corinth was located was protected by the Corinthian acropolis, which heightened the city’s military importance. An acropolis is a fortress that serves to guard and defend a city, usually situated on its highest point. The combination of strategic, economic, and military advantages that Corinth possessed made it a famous city.
2. The history of Corinth
The ancient history of Corinth revolves around two main events.
- The destruction of the old city by the Roman army under the consul Lucius Mummius in 146 B.C., when its citizens were either killed or sold into slavery, the city itself was burned and leveled to the ground, and its rebuilding forbidden.
- Strategically, however, Corinth was so significant that after a hundred years of desolation it was rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. The city received the status of a Roman colony and became the recognized political capital of Achaia, which was a senatorial province. Corinth was the residence of the ruling proconsul, as can be seen from Acts 18:12. Julius Caesar quartered veteran soldiers there — Italians and Greeks who had no property of their own. But very quickly Corinth filled with people of all kinds of races, religions, and nationalities — Jews, Greeks, Romans, merchants, sailors, artists, and philosophers. So the city became an international, cosmopolitan city.
3. The society of Corinth
When the apostle Paul visited the city in A.D. 50, it was already the third most important city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. Estimates of the population in Paul’s day range from one hundred to seven hundred thousand inhabitants, of whom about two-thirds were slaves.
This remarkable growth can be attributed to only one thing — wealth. It draws people the way honey draws flies. The Jews came for trade. The Romans conducted official affairs or were descendants of the first colonists. The Greeks came into the city from the surrounding settlements; trade gathered the usual mixture of sailors, merchants, bankers, and people from every corner of the Mediterranean. Because of its geographical location, the city enjoyed a monopoly and grew rich quickly. The fact that it was less than a hundred years old yet already such an important trade center gave its citizens a spirit of independence and individualism. They had no sense of loyalty to old traditions. Nor did they have strong family ties. Their money made them free to do whatever they pleased. To a large degree everyone lived for himself — a society made up of individualists. Perhaps this is precisely why the controlling idea that stands behind the whole letter is the idea of the unity of believers and of the church.
4. The makeup of the church
The cosmopolitan character of Corinth was reflected in the local church as well. It consisted of:
- Jews: Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-2; 1 Corinthians 16:9), and Crispus (Acts 18:8). These people are Jews, even though they bear Latin names — as, incidentally, does Paul himself;
- Greeks: Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:16; 16:15), Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17), Erastus (Romans 16:23), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11);
- Romans: Fortunatus (1 Corinthians 16:17), Quartus (Romans 16:23), and Gaius Titius Justus (Romans 16:23; Acts 18:7).
The members of the Corinthian church differed not only in nationality but also in social status. Some of them were slaves, while others, such as Gaius Titius Justus, Erastus, and Stephanas, were well-to-do.
5. The moral climate
Because of its corruption, old Corinth acquired such a bad moral reputation that a new verb was coined — “korinthiazo,” which meant “to commit fornication.” On top of the hill around which Corinth is situated stood the temple of Aphrodite — the goddess of love and fertility — where in the past a thousand “hierodouloi” — specially dedicated temple prostitutes — had “served.”
The new city evidently preserved the reputation of old Corinth. In it archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the temples of Apollo and of Asclepius — the god of healing. People made clay models of the diseased parts of their bodies that they wanted Asclepius to heal and left them in his temple. It is interesting that a large portion of such models found by archaeologists are of sexual organs — mute evidence of the widespread venereal diseases that result from sexual sins.
In Corinth fornication, prostitution, adultery, and homosexuality were widespread and were considered normal. And not only that, but evidently some of the members of the church there even took pride in their liberal attitude toward these vices (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).
6. Religious life
According to the ancient Greek writer Pausanias, Corinth had no fewer than 26 temples and shrines to pagan gods. The Corinthians were very religious, but their religion had almost no effect on their morality.
The words “gods” and “lords” (1 Corinthians 8:5) describe two different kinds of pagan religion.
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), (1 Corinthians 8:5)
- Gods were the traditional Greek and Roman deities such as Zeus (Jupiter) and Hermes (Mercury) (Acts 14:12).
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. (Acts 14:12)
In Corinth the great temples were those of Apollo and of Aphrodite. By the time of the New Testament, the worship of these Greek gods had to a large extent been influenced by the oriental fertility cults. So the eating of food sacrificed to idols, drinking, and illicit sexual relations became part of the so-called “religious rituals.”
- The word “lords” describes the deities of the mysterious Eastern religions that abounded in New Testament times. They had names such as Isis, Osiris, Serapis, and Mithras. Their religions were very popular, because they offered people religious experiences that seemed satisfying.
7. The intellectual environment
Corinth was also a philosophical and cultural center. But few of its inhabitants took the various philosophies seriously. They were not so interested in truth as in oratory. They loved beautiful speeches, even if they were poor in content. The “Agora,” the marketplace of Corinth, was full of traveling philosophers. They claimed to possess a special “wisdom” and lived at the expense of people whose vanity they flattered and whose ears they tickled with their words.
Do you catch the logical sequence? Geography influences the economy. The economy determines history. All of them — history, geography, and economy — shape society. And society, in turn, exerts its influence upon the church.
III. Paul and Corinth
1. The founding of the Corinthian church
The apostle Paul is the founder of the church in Corinth. He is its apostle. According to the Acts of the Apostles, during his second missionary journey Paul reached Corinth after a brief stay in Athens (Acts 18:1).
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. (Acts 18:1)
There he met Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:2-3) and began to attend the Jewish synagogue, where at first with a milder kind of reasoning, and later, when Silas and Timothy joined him, with a bolder preaching, he proclaimed to them the good news of Jesus Christ (Acts 18:4-5).
Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. (Acts 18:4-5)
The difficulties with the Jews, however, redirected Paul’s mission more toward the Gentiles, and in particular toward the God-fearing Gentiles — people who accepted Jewish monotheism but had not yet become full proselytes. They were an intermediate level between the synagogue and the pagan world (Acts 18:6-7).
But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. (Acts 18:6-7)
Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, however, is also turned to Christ (Acts 18:8).
Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. (Acts 18:8)
So with God’s supernatural support and encouragement, the apostle Paul continued his ministry in Corinth for about 18 months (Acts 18:9-11).
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (Acts 18:9-11)
2. Dating the epistle
After the account of the founding of the Corinthian church, Luke tells us of Paul’s appearance before the Roman proconsul Gallio (Acts 18:12-17). The mention of Gallio is especially important for determining the date of Paul’s visit to Corinth. This is because the dates of Gallio’s proconsulship are given in an inscription containing decrees of the emperor Claudius, which was discovered by archaeologists at Delphi in central Greece. According to this inscription, Gallio was proconsul of Achaia in A.D. 52. A proconsul usually held a one- or two-year term. Gallio probably took office in the summer of the year 51 and remained until July of A.D. 52. The apostle Paul appeared before him somewhere within this period, and he most likely began his ministry in Corinth around March of the year 50 and remained there until September of A.D. 51.
The apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written during his third missionary journey, from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8, 19; Acts 19:10), most likely in the early months of A.D. 54 — about two and a half years after he left Corinth.
3. Paul and Apollos
Apollos becomes the second leader of the Corinthian church after Paul. He is a pastor with a teaching ministry (Acts 18:24-19:1; 1 Corinthians 3:5-6; 4:6; 1:12). It is important to note, however, that the apostle Paul considers Apollos his friend and does not hold him responsible for the divisions in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:12).
Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. (1 Corinthians 16:12)
Apollos does not approve of the divisions among the Corinthians and does not wish to visit them at such a moment. If he had wanted to raise his reputation and influence among them even further, he would have seized the occasion and gone. But Apollos is not that kind of servant. His work has Paul’s support.
4. The occasion for writing the epistle
1) The lost letter (5:9-11)
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)
First Corinthians is not actually the first letter the apostle sent to the Corinthians. Before it there was another, which we do not possess. It is not part of the New Testament canon and therefore was not inspired. One thing is clear — that it dealt with the problem of the moral purity of the church.
2) Reports
- from Chloe’s household (1:11)
My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. (1 Corinthians 1:11)
- and from Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus (16:17)
I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. (1 Corinthians 16:17)
3) An official letter from the Corinthian church (7:1)
Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus most likely also brought a letter from the church touching on some matters of common interest.
Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” (1 Corinthians 7:1)
IV. The Content and Plan of the Epistle
1. Content
The apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is the most varied in content and style of all his writings. The topics discussed range from schism to finances and from church propriety to the resurrection. Every known literary device has found a place in it: logic, sarcasm, entreaty, rebuke, poetry, narrative, and exposition — in short, it is written in the same manner in which Paul would have spoken with the Corinthian elders had he been present among them. It is entirely informal in its approach and can in no way be regarded as an essay on theological themes. Nevertheless there is one central theme in it, and that is the social application of the teaching of the cross. The letter reflects the conflict that arises when Christian experience and ideals of conduct collide with the concepts and practices of the pagan world. The questions discussed in it are far from outdated, for they can still be encountered wherever Christians come into contact with pagan civilization.
2. Plan
First Corinthians naturally divides into two parts at 7:1. Taking into account the apostle’s words in this verse, we may accept that the first six chapters are a response to reports that reached Paul orally.
The first six chapters deal with four different problems:
1) The problem of the divisions in the church (1:10-4:2). Although the apostle repeatedly changes topics in this part of the letter, we can be certain that it is a single section, because of the constant mention of Apollos in it (1:10-12; 3:4-5; 4:6).
2) The problem of incest (5:1-13)
3) The problem of lawsuits (6:1-11)
4) The problem of fornication (6:12-20)
In chapters 7-16 the apostle Paul answers the inquiries from the church’s official letter to him. In this part of the letter a frequently recurring phrase is “peri de” — “now concerning” (7:1; 7:25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1; 16:12). Three sections in this part of the letter, however, do not begin this way:
- 11:2-16 — on the head coverings of women;
- 11:17-34 — on the abuse of the Lord’s Supper;
- 15:1-58 — on the bodily resurrection of believers.
In 11:18 Paul says that he has heard about what is happening during their Lord’s Supper. And it would be truly hard to believe that the Corinthians asked him in writing how they should conduct it. But perhaps Paul takes up this matter, as well as the matter of the head coverings of women, precisely here in chapter 11, because it is part of a larger section that deals with the disorders in their corporate worship.
As for 15:1-58, we simply do not know, but the problem Paul addresses in this chapter evidently is not a question posed in the church’s letter (15:12).
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
Chapter 16 deals with matters that are very closely connected with 2 Corinthians.
The First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians
Theme: The problems of the local church.
Introduction (1:1-9):
1. Senders (1:1)
2. Recipients (1:2)
3. Greetings (1:3)
4. Thanksgivings, commendations, and encouragements (1:4-9)
I. Responses to reports that reached the apostle Paul orally through Chloe’s household (1:10-6:20)
1. Refuting the arguments for schism and an appeal for unity (1:10-4:21).
1) The fact of the division (1:10-12)
2) The nature of the gospel (1:13-2:5)
3) The source of the gospel (2:6-3:4)
4) The church and its leaders (3:5-23)
5) The church and its apostle (4:1-21)
2. Rebuking specific failings (5:1-6:20)
1) The problem of incest and church discipline (5:1-12)
2) Lawsuits between believing brothers before secular courts (6:1-11)
3) Flee from fornication (6:12-20)!
II. Responses to inquiries from the official letter of the Corinthian church to the apostle Paul (7:1-15:58)
1. Giving positions on personal matters (7:1-11:1)
1) Paul’s counsel concerning marriage (7:1-40)
i. to married people (7:1-7; 10-11)
ii. to people who were married but are not at present (7:8-9; 39-40)
iii. to those married to unbelievers (7:12-24)
iv. to the unmarried (7:25-38)
2) Paul’s counsel concerning food sacrificed to idols — the freedom in the Christian’s conduct (8:1-11:1)
v. moral absolutes and matters of indifference to God (8:1-13)
vi. the principle of altruism (9:1-26)
vii. Whoever thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall (10:1-13)!
viii. Flee from idolatry (10:14-22)!
ix. The principle of not causing offense (10:23-11:1)
2. Correcting the disorders in corporate worship (11:2-14:40)
1) The head coverings of women (11:2-16)
2) The abuse of the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34)
3) The abuse of the spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40)
i. The need for diversity (12:1-31)
ii. The true criterion of spirituality (13:1-13)
iii. The purpose of the gifts — the common edification (14:1-40)
3. Clarifying doctrinal uncertainties — the teaching on the resurrection of the dead (15:1-58)
1) Christ’s resurrection (15:1-11)
2) The certainty and timing of the resurrection of the dead (15:12-34)
3) The nature of the resurrection body (15:35-58)
Conclusion (16:1-24):
1. Instructions for the collection of aid for the churches in Judea (16:1-4)
2. Plans, directions, and greetings (16:5-24)