First Epistle to the Corinthians

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Ancient Greek: Αʹ Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους, A Epistolē pros Korinthious) is among the Pauline epistles in the New Testament. It was written to address various issues that had arisen in the Christian congregation at Corinth, such as divisions in the church; sexual immorality; directions on marriage, food sacrificed to idols, worship, and spiritual gifts; and the resurrection of Jesus.

Pauline authorship of this letter is undisputed, although certain passages are regarded as later interpolations to the text. Despite the traditional title, most scholars do not believe that it is the first of the letters that Paul wrote for the Corinthians, as at 1 Corinthians 5:9 he refers back to an earlier letter. Sosthenes is mentioned in the incipit (1 Corinthians 1:1). Many scholars believe he was a co-sender, although some do not exclude that he could have been an amanuensis.