Why does it matter that the Corinthian church was so carnal?
It matters because Corinth’s carnality and many problems gave rise to Paul’s letters and shaped what he addressed in 1 and 2 Corinthians. The congregation had questions and dilemmas it did not know how to handle, so the epistle deals directly with those real issues.
Les explains that of all the churches Paul and his coworkers started and dealt with, none was as carnal and filled with problems as the Corinthian church. He says never lose sight of that, because it makes an impact on some of the things Paul brings out in 1 and 2 Corinthians. The Corinthians had questions popping up in the church that they did not know how to handle, so they wrote to Paul, and that gave rise to the epistle. For example, chapter 8 raises the dilemma of meat offered to idols—whether they could eat it.