1 Corinthians

Choose a chapter to take its quiz.

Read the 1 Corinthians devotionals →

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16

Chapters in 1 Corinthians

1. 1 Corinthians 1: Divisions and the Wisdom of the Cross

   Paul thanks God for the Corinthians but rebukes their divisions over which leader they follow. Preaching the crucified Christ seems foolish to the world but is God's power, and God chose the weak and lowly so no one may boast except in the Lord.

2. 1 Corinthians 2: The Spirit Reveals God's Wisdom

   Paul came to Corinth not with eloquence but proclaiming Christ crucified, so their faith would rest on God's power. God's hidden wisdom is revealed by the Spirit, and while the natural person cannot accept it, the spiritual person has the mind of Christ.

3. 1 Corinthians 3: God's Field and God's Temple

   Paul calls the Corinthians worldly for their rivalries, explaining that he and Apollos are only servants while God gives the growth. Each builder's work on the foundation of Christ will be tested by fire, and the church is God's temple, in which his Spirit dwells.

4. 1 Corinthians 4: Servants of Christ and Fools for Christ

   Paul says apostles are servants and stewards judged by the Lord, not by human courts. He contrasts the Corinthians' pride with the apostles' suffering and weakness, urges them as a father to imitate him, and warns that he is coming to deal with the arrogant.

5. 1 Corinthians 5: Discipline in the Church

   Paul rebukes the church for tolerating a man living with his father's wife and tells them to remove him so he may be saved in the end. A little leaven spreads through the whole lump, so they must not associate with professing believers who live in open sin.

6. 1 Corinthians 6: Lawsuits and Sexual Purity

   Paul condemns believers for taking each other to secular courts rather than settling disputes within the church. He reminds them the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom, but they were washed and justified, and calls them to flee sexual immorality, for their bodies are the Spirit's temple.

7. 1 Corinthians 7: Marriage and Singleness

   Answering the Corinthians' questions, Paul teaches that husbands and wives owe each other marital intimacy and should not divorce. He counsels believers married to unbelievers, urges contentment in one's calling, and commends singleness for undivided devotion to the Lord.

8. 1 Corinthians 8: Food Offered to Idols

   Paul answers the Corinthians' question about food offered to idols, warning that knowledge makes people proud while love strengthens others. Idols are nothing and there is one God and one Lord, but those who know this must not use their freedom in a way that causes a weaker believer to fall.

9. 1 Corinthians 9: Paul's Rights and Self-Discipline

   Paul defends his right as an apostle to receive support, yet explains that he gave it up so as not to hinder the gospel. He becomes all things to all people to win some, and like an athlete he disciplines his body so that he will not be disqualified.

10. 1 Corinthians 10: Warnings from Israel and the Lord's Table

    Israel's sin and judgment in the wilderness serve as warnings, and God will not let believers be tempted beyond what they can bear. They must flee idolatry, since sharing the Lord's cup and table cannot be mixed with idols, and do all to the glory of God.

11. 1 Corinthians 11: Head Coverings and the Lord's Supper

    Paul addresses head coverings in worship, grounding his teaching in the order of creation. He rebukes divisions at the Lord's Supper, where some go hungry while others get drunk, recounts its institution, and warns against taking it in an unworthy manner.

12. 1 Corinthians 12: Spiritual Gifts and One Body

    There are varieties of gifts, service, and working, but the same Spirit gives each as he wills for the common good. Like a body with many members, the church needs every part, and God has arranged the members so that none can say it does not need the others.

13. 1 Corinthians 13: The Way of Love

    Without love, even the greatest gifts, knowledge, and sacrifices are nothing. Paul describes the patience, kindness, humility, and endurance of true love. Gifts will pass away when the perfect comes, but faith, hope, and love endure, and love is the greatest of them.

14. 1 Corinthians 14: Prophecy, Tongues, and Orderly Worship

    Paul urges the church to pursue prophecy, which builds up the church, over uninterpreted tongues. Worship should be understandable to outsiders and done decently and in order, with limits on speakers, interpretation of tongues, and instructions for women in the churches.

15. 1 Corinthians 15: The Resurrection

    Paul restates the gospel that Christ died for sins, was buried, and was raised, then lists the witnesses to the risen Christ. If Christ is not raised faith is futile, but he is the firstfruits, and believers will be raised with imperishable bodies as death is finally defeated.

16. 1 Corinthians 16: The Collection and Final Instructions

    Paul gives directions for the collection for the believers in Jerusalem and shares his travel plans and those of Timothy and Apollos. He urges the church to stand firm in the faith and do everything in love, sends greetings, and closes with a curse on those who do not love the Lord.