By the Spirit of God, the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Corinth, probably around the year 54 ad. He had taught the Word of God among them for eighteen months or more (Acts 18:11), and evidently he had remained in contact with them since that time (1 Cor. 5:9). In this letter, the Lord used Paul to address a number of important issues.

The epistle’s introduction is significant. It was sent to the saints in Corinth, of course. Local concerns about pride, sectarian attitudes, and immoral behavior had to be addressed. In addition, the Corinthians had sent several specific questions to Paul about subjects such as marriage, foods, and spiritual gifts, and these needed answers.

Yet, although the letter was written to the Corinthians, its teaching was not only for them. It contained divine instruction for “all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.” Other scriptures make similar points. Instructions about financial giving were the same for Corinth and Galatia (1 Cor. 16:1). The letter to the Colossians was to be read by those nearby in Laodicea, and vice versa (Col. 4:16). This makes it clear that the Bible is not captive to its local or cultural setting. The teachings of the apostles would have been the same everywhere. The Christians in Rome or Ephesus could equally be taught by any of God’s inspired revelations.

Believers today live in a different century, but we are still counted among those who call on the name of the Lord. For us, and for Christians in any era, the Word of God remains our sure resource. God intends us to read it, learn its principles, and apply them in spiritual power so that our personal and collective testimonies will be honoring to Him.