What kind of problems does 1 Corinthians deal with?
First Corinthians deals with problems and questions from the church at Corinth, which had written to Paul. The letter addresses issues Paul does not commend them for; he avoids outright condemnation but does not agree with their problems. The underlying reason is that the Corinthian church was still carnal and fleshly minded.
Les explains that 1 Corinthians was written in response to chapter 7 verse 1, concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me. The Corinthians had a whole ton of questions and problems, asking Paul, “What about this problem we’ve got?” This whole letter of 1 Corinthians deals with problems that Paul does not commend them for. He is too kind to just out and out condemn them, but neither does he commend them, and he isn’t bragging on them for these things. Les notes that when we get through the love chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul is just backing into the situation so that he doesn’t flare up their anger and put them into a place where he can’t deal with them, and yet he is not going to agree with all of their problems. The reason is that they are still so carnal. Of all the churches Paul deals with, none were as carnal and fleshly minded as the church at Corinth, and the content makes this immediately evident.