First Epistle to the Corinthians

A New Testament letter traditionally attributed to Paul, written to address disputes, ethical problems, and questions in the early Christian community at Corinth.

Paul the Apostle: An early Christian missionary and writer whose letters shaped Christian theology and practice. The letter presents Paul’s counsel to the Corinthian church and is traditionally attributed to him.
Corinthian factions: Rival groupings in the Corinthian church that claimed allegiance to different Christian leaders. Paul rebukes these divisions at the start of the letter.
The Lord's Supper: A Christian communal meal commemorating Jesus’s final meal with his disciples. Paul condemns divisions and improper conduct at the Corinthians’ shared meal.
Pauline chronology: The reconstructed sequence of events in Paul’s life and missionary activity. The letter is commonly dated to Paul’s time in Ephesus in the mid-50s CE.
Ecclesiology: The theological study of the nature, practices, and organization of the church. The letter’s images of the church as one body inform Christian thought about communal life.
Corinth: An ancient Greek city on the Isthmus of Corinth, rebuilt as a Roman colony in 44 BCE. The congregation addressed by the letter lived in this diverse Roman city.
Food offered to idols: Meat associated with sacrifices to pagan gods, a disputed issue in early Christian communities. Paul weighs freedom to eat it against the effects on fellow believers.
Head covering in Christian worship: The practice of covering the head during Christian worship, discussed in ancient and modern interpretations of Paul. Chapter 11 gives instructions about head coverings during prayer and prophecy.
Ephesus: An ancient city in western Asia Minor and a major center of Roman-period trade and worship. Paul says he is writing from Ephesus near the close of the letter.
Christian eschatology: Christian teaching about death, resurrection, judgment, and the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Paul’s account of resurrection in chapter 15 became a foundational statement of Christian hope.

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