The problems which Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians can be divided into two main groups, problems about which the Christians in Corinth had written to Paul for advice, and problems about which they had kept quiet but about which Paul had heard, from the family of Chloe who had seen Paul in Ephesus. Paul does not begin to answer the letter which had been written to him from Corinth until he has dealt with the problems about which the church had said nothing but about which Paul was very upset. Why had they said nothing? It could have been that they had not realized just how seriously wrong things had become; we do not always see how bad something is if we have become used to it. It is also possible that they did know that things had gone wrong and were ashamed, preferring that Paul should not know what was happening. But whatever the reason for their silence, when Paul found out from Chloe's people what was wrong, he wrote very strongly to the Corinthians, not sparing them his anger and disappointment, because the way some of them were behaving was bringing shame to the name of Jesus Christ.

In Paul's original letters, there were no divisions into chapters-it never has been a custom of letter writers to divide up a letter into chapters. Chapter divisions were a very much later editorial simplification of the material. In what is now divided into the first six chapters of the letter, Paul deals with the problems which the Corinthians had not written about, which he had learned about from Chloe's people. Later in the letter, he returns to another problem about which they had said nothing, in 11: 17-34. He answers their letter in chapters 7 to 14 and 16: 1-4, but what he writes in his answers to their questions goes deep into matters of Christian belief, as well as Christian behaviour, clarifying the grounds for specific conduct and attitudes.

If we keep in mind the situation in which the Christians in Corinth continued to live, and the background from which many of them had come, we shall understand why so many difficulties had arisen since the time Paul had left Corinth. Although the Christian community appeared to be well established when Paul decided to visit Palestine Syria again, when his influence was removed, the pressures of the society all around them began to affect the Christians adversely. La Paul's leadership, the community began to split up into splinter g showing rivalry and disunity. Man-woman relationships pre problems and sexual immorality was being condoned amongst the Christians.

It is clear from references in the letter that during the time Paul had been in Corinth, assisted by Silas and Timothy, he had preached and taught the converts very thoroughly. The kerygma common to the Church had been understood, accepted and followed up with apostolic teaching. In 1 :6-7, Paul says, 'The message about Christ has become firmly established in you that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.' 15: I 'And now I want to remind you, my brothers, of the Good News w preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm.' The meaning of baptism and the Lord's Supper had been taught. The power of the Holy Spirit had been manifested in the community There was organization in the community (12:28-30) based on charismatic gifts. The Christians in Corinth were aware that they were p the wider Church of Jesus Christ and were preparing to raise money to help Christians in Judaea who were in difficulties (16: 1). They accepted Paul's authority as an apostle (9:2). They waited, as did other Christians of the early Church, for the imminent return of C in glory and the final day of Judgment (1:7-8). They had heard beyond death, there would be the great resurrection of all belie for which the Resurrection of Jesus Christ had prepared them.

Because the church at Corinth had been established in one of most difficult situations which could be imagined, surrounded by paganism and vice, Paul was greatly upset when the news was brought to that things were not going well, particularly as Apollos had gone to help the new Christians. What Paul wanted, above all things that the new churches should be able to stand on their own feet and in the power of the Holy Spirit. He regarded himself merely as the one who had sowed the seed which God caused to grow (3:6). When speaks strongly, even in anger, in parts of this letter, it is because 0 deep disappointment that he felt about developments in the church Corinth, 11:27. He wants the Corinthians to be ready to meet Jesus Christ when he returns in glory, 'so that you will be faultless on Day of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1:8).

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