What Scriptures did the Corinthian believers have available to them?
The Corinthian believers had some of the Old Testament available, but they did not have the Bible as a whole or any New Testament writings. Recently out of paganism, without Sunday school or catechism, they wrote questions to Paul, who answered them in his letter.
Les teaches that the Corinthian believers were just recently out of paganism, had not gone through Sunday school or catechism as children, and were as ignorant as could be. They were now believers congregating in a small church, not a huge mega church, and they had questions. They did not have the Bible; they had some of the Old Testament, but nothing of the New Testament. So they had a whole batch of questions that were plaguing them and must have written to the apostle Paul, which prompted this letter. Paul answers them one by one, as in chapter 7, verse 1: 'Now concerning the things that you wrote unto me.' One such question was whether it is right for men and women to marry. Les also emphasizes that when reading Scripture, you determine who wrote it, to whom it was written, and what the circumstances were.