If you want to see someone else’s church coming apart at the seams, read 1 Corinthians. In this episode of The Bible in a Year, Rev. Dr. Mary Hinkle Shore joins Rev. Katie Langston and Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker to explore Paul’s letter to a small urban congregation in Corinth. The church was likely no bigger than a courtyard gathering. Yet its members were deeply divided by factions, social class, and competing claims to knowledge and spiritual gifts.
Mary walks through the heart of 1 Corinthians, from Paul’s focus on Christ crucified to the Lord’s Supper, the difficult passages about women, and the love chapter. She explains why Paul keeps drawing the Corinthians back to what unites them: the crucified and risen Lord, drawing people together through the Spirit. It is a timely word for a divided church and culture. Mary also shares where she finds her own story in the letter and offers a seven-word summary borrowed from a 1960s song.
Scripture References:
- 1 Corinthians 2: Paul’s resolve to know nothing but Christ crucified
- 1 Corinthians 11: head coverings for women who prophesy, and the Lord’s Supper
- 1 Corinthians 12: the Spirit drawing us together into one body
- 1 Corinthians 13: the love chapter
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-36: women keeping silent in the churches
- Romans: mentioned in explaining that Paul’s letters are arranged by length
Resources Mentioned:
- Wayne Meeks, The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul (Yale University Press, 1983).
Bible Bingo:
- Paul
- Chloe
- Body of Christ
- Love
- Spirit
Seven Word Summary
“He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”
