The Book of First Corinthians

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

– 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

The church in Corinth is one that Paul started himself. The community there wrote a letter to Paul with some specific questions about various practices and ethical dilemmas. In response, Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church where he encourages that community while also providing some warnings against some of the societal issues the Corinthians may have been facing in their cosmopolitan context.

In so many ways, 1 Corinthians is a practical text. It provides readers with a picture of the struggles 1^st Century churches faced as the wrestled with the world around them and the implications of the Gospel. Above all, the Apostle Paul continually speaks of the centrality of Jesus Christ. It’s a good message for us today as we face political divisions, economic struggles, and the sheer complexity of life in 2024. Our hope, our wisdom, our very life rests in the power of Jesus Christ. Amid the turmoil of our world, Jesus’ words and actions are where we ground our life.

Peace,
Pastor Nate Preisinger