Did the Corinthian believers have the Old Testament like Israel did?
No. The Corinthian believers did not have the Old Testament as Israel did. They had come out of abject paganism, lacking moral foundations and knowledge of the one true Creator God. They had only recently heard the apostle preach the gospel of God’s saving grace, so they were ignorant of those former things.
Les explains that these believers had come out of abject paganism, with no moral foundations and no concept of the one true Creator God. They were ignorant of all these things and did not have the Old Testament like Israel did. They had just recently heard the apostle preach the gospel of God’s saving grace and how they were set at liberty, yet they had not fully consumed all of God’s grace that gives victory over their past lifestyle. They were still dipping back into that old lifestyle, which grieved the apostle. He understood their circumstances and said you cannot expect these people to suddenly live like Peter, James, and John did; it would take time.