Background Considerations - Part One

Interpreting and applying Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians depends - as with all Scripture - on properly perceiving and interacting with it. In this regard, a core concern with the New Testament epistles is recognizing that the contemporary reader is actually reading someone else's mail. In the case of First Corinthians, that mail is a very personal letter between two parties who knew each other well and had a significant history together. The reader is thus eavesdropping on an intensely personal correspondence and must enter into the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians if he hopes to correctly understand and interact with his letter to them.