Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthians in response to a letter they sent him with a series of questions about problems in their church.
Les Feldick explains that 1 Corinthians 7:1 reveals the Corinthians had written to Paul asking about various matters, including marriage and eating meat offered to idols. Paul answers these questions one by one, addressing the practical and doctrinal issues troubling this young, carnal church. The letter is a direct response to their specific inquiries, making it a pastoral and corrective epistle.
1 Corinthians 7:1 — This verse explicitly states that Paul is writing 'concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me,' indicating his letter is a response to their questions.
The Bible itself indicates that Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was written in response to questions the Corinthian believers had sent to him. In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman." This shows that Paul is directly addressing inquiries from the church. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 8:1 begins with "Now as touching things offered unto idols," which is clearly another topic they had raised. The letter is thus a collection of Paul's apostolic answers to the practical and doctrinal questions of a young church facing the challenges of living in a pagan city.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians because the Corinthian church sent him a letter full of questions. They were recent converts from paganism, extremely ignorant of Christian doctrine, and facing practical problems in their new faith. Les highlights that their questions about marriage (1 Corinthians 7) and meat offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8) were among the primary issues. He notes that the church was small, carnal, and the least spiritual of all Paul's churches, which explains the letter's corrective and instructional tone. Paul's responses, given by Holy Spirit inspiration, address each problem they raised, providing guidance for their specific situations.
According to Les Feldick, the Corinthians asked Paul about marriage and how to handle meat offered to idols. These were pressing issues for believers who had recently come out of paganism. The marriage question is introduced in 1 Corinthians 7:1, and the question about meat offered to idols appears in 1 Corinthians 8:1. Les points out that these were practical problems that arose because the Corinthians were still carnal and uninstructed.
Les explains that the Corinthian believers had recently come out of a deeply pagan background, which meant they were very uninstructed in Christian living. They were not raised with religious teaching that would prepare them for these questions. They were gathering as a small church, probably only a few dozen people, and they had only the Old Testament, not the New. This lack of background contributed to their confusion and the need for Paul's detailed answers.
Beyond the questions the Corinthians wrote about, Paul addressed additional problems he heard about. Les mentions personality cults, where believers followed Peter, Apollos, or even Christ rather than Paul (1 Corinthians 1). Paul also corrected them for taking fellow believers to pagan courts (1 Corinthians 6). The church was carnal, like babes in Christ, and needed correction on these issues.
Corinthians' Pagan Background
Les explains that the Corinthians had recently come out of paganism and were extremely ignorant of Christian matters, which is why they had so many questions for Paul.
The Reason for the Letter
Les points to 1 Corinthians 7:1 and 8:1 to show that Paul wrote in response to the Corinthians' written questions, specifically about marriage and meat offered to idols.
A Small, Uninstructed Church
Les describes the Corinthian church as a small group, probably a few dozen members, who were recent converts from paganism and lacked the background to handle these issues.
Key Questions from the Corinthians
Les highlights the two major questions the Corinthians asked: how to handle marriage and how to deal with meat offered to idols, both stemming from their carnal state.
Corinthians' Carnal State
Les reiterates that the Corinthian church was the most carnal and least spiritual of all Paul's churches, and that the letter addresses their specific problems.
Idolatry Background
Les notes that all of Paul's converts in Corinth had been in idolatry, which explains why questions about eating meat offered to idols were so relevant.
Other Problems Addressed
Les mentions that Paul also corrected the Corinthians for personality cults and taking disputes to pagan courts, showing that the letter addressed more than just their written questions.
Response to Their Letter
Les confirms that Paul was responding to a letter from the Corinthians asking how to deal with these issues, and by Holy Spirit inspiration, he gave comprehensive answers.
1 Corinthians 7:1: Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
This verse directly states that Paul is responding to a letter from the Corinthians, establishing the reason for the epistle.
1 Corinthians 8:1: Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
This verse introduces another question the Corinthians had raised, showing Paul's letter is a series of answers to their inquiries.
According to Les Feldick, the Corinthians wrote to Paul with questions about marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1) and about eating meat offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1). These were practical issues they faced as new believers from pagan backgrounds.
Les Feldick indicates that the Corinthian church was small, probably a few dozen members at most. They were recently converted from paganism and were very uninstructed in Christian doctrine.
Les explains that the Corinthians had recently come out of idolatry and had no background in religious teaching. They were new believers, still carnal and not yet spiritual, which is why Paul wrote to them as babies in Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Your Body Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit — 1 Corinthians 6:19