The New Testaments books of 1st and 2nd Corinthians were written by the Apostle Paul while he ministered in the city of Ephesus. It was in the city of Corinth that Paul met his dear friends Priscilla and Aquila who were fellow tentmakers and opened their home to him. Paul stayed in Corinth for over a year reasoning with the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue in an attempt to teach them about Jesus. And it was in Corinth, after the Jews became abusive towards him, that he resolutely declared that he was cleared from their future condemnation and would instead spend his efforts in declaring the Gospel to the Gentiles. While Paul was in Ephesus reports had come to him about trouble the young church in Corinth he founded was having. Divisions and arguments were straining the fellowship of the church and there were unaddressed sins to be dealt with. It is in 1st Corinthians we learn of the church's call to judge fellow believers who are caught in sin, and let God judge those who are outside of the Christian faith. And in Chapter 13 of the first letter to the Corinthians we learn what true love looks like in practical application. Reading the Bible is different than reading any other book. It is more than a narrative about God, it is more than a story of broken individuals and the trials they faced. It is more than a set of rules and regulations. It is even more than a love letter. It is the very essence of Jesus. It is about Him, but there is more than that. It is God's conversation with us. It is alive. It is active. It is a 2-way conversation.
