I Corinthians Outline Handout

Salutation – 1:1-3

Senders –“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.” (1:1 NRSV)

Recipients-“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: (1:2 NRSV)

Greeting- “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1:3 NRSV)

Thanksgiving - 1:4-9

 “I give thanks to my God always for you …..”  mentions their speech and knowledge and spiritual gifts and God’s faithfulness as they wait for the end.

Body  of Letter- 1:10-4:21

Disunity –Divisions-Factions – 1:10-4:21

Ethical Exhortations and Instructions – Parenesis – 5:1-16:4

Immorality – 5:1-6:11

                Incest  5:1-13

                Lawsuits among them 6:1-11

Sexual immorality –  6:12-20 - “All things are lawful for me” apparently a slogan of some Corinthians

Paul’s reply to their questions in a letter and responses to oral reports – 7:1-16:4

“Now concerning the matters about which you wrote . ..” (7:1 NRSV)

Marriage and sexual relationships 7:1-40 - “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote:  ‘It is well for a man not to touch a woman’.” (7:1 NRSV)

Food sacrificed to Idols 8:1-11:1 – “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols:  we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’” (8:1 NRSV)

Women in Worship and distinction between sexes 11:2-16

Lord’s supper –Response to report – 11:17-34 - “Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.” (11:17 NRSV)

Spiritual Gifts -12-14 – “Now concerning spiritual gifts, bother and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” (12:1)  Hymn to love in 13.

Resurrection – 15:1-58 – “Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, ….” (15:1-2a NRSV)  “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?” (15:12 NRSV)

Collection 16:1-4 – “Now concerning the collection for the saints, you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia.”  (16:1 NRSV)

Closing – 16:13-24

Paul’s visit and travel plans -16:5-9

Timothy’s visit – 16:10-11

Apollos –  “Now concerning our brother Apollos, . . . .”  (16:12 NRSV)

Further exhortations – 16:13-14 and 16:15-18

Serve and Recognize household of Stephanus and like people – rejoicing at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus – 16:15-18

Greetings – from churches of Asia; Aquila and Prisca, etc. – 1610-20a 

Kiss - “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (16:20b NRSV)

Paul’s own greeting in his own handwriting - 16:21-24 including

Curse and Blessing/Benediction – 16:22-24

Outlined based on with modifications:

David L. Barr, The New Testament Story:  An Introduction.  4^th ed.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth Cengage, 2008, 133.

Horsley, Richard A. "The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians." The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocrypha. Ed. Michael D. Coogan et al. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. 267–92.

Calvin J. Roetzel, The Letters of Paul:  Conversations in Context.  3^rd ed.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox, 1991, 71, 97.