Why did the Corinthians write to Paul, and what does the whole letter of Corinthians deal with?
The Corinthian congregation wrote to Paul about a series of problems—divisions, moral failures, and relational conflicts within the church family—asking how they should handle such matters. The whole letter of Corinthians deals with those issues while Paul also defends his apostleship against critics who claimed he lacked authority.
Les explains that the problems had come to the apostle in the form of a letter asking, “Well, how do we do this? How do we handle that?” The whole letter of Corinthians is dealing with a series of problems. These included divisions in the little congregation, such as some saying they listened to Peter and others to Apollos, as well as moral problems and problems of relationship within the church family. Paul also brings back and defends his apostleship, because some were saying he was a fake or imposter and that Peter had authority. He insists he is judged of no man except Jesus Christ, the one who sent him out as the apostle of the Gentiles.