Who Wrote 1 Corinthians?

Bible Facts

Dec 31

Quick Summary

First Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul in the mid-first century CE. The letter explicitly names Paul as its author, reflects his distinctive theology and pastoral voice, and addresses concrete situations in the Corinthian church. Both internal evidence and early Christian testimony firmly establish Pauline authorship.

Introduction

First Corinthians is one of the most personal and situational letters in the New Testament. It addresses division, moral confusion, worship practices, and questions about resurrection. Unlike more systematic letters such as Romans, 1 Corinthians reads like real correspondence responding to real problems.

Because the letter repeatedly names its author and situates itself within Paul’s ministry, the question of authorship is unusually clear. Still, careful readers benefit from seeing how internal claims, historical context, and scholarly consensus align.

The Letter’s Explicit Claim of Authorship

First Corinthians opens without ambiguity: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes” (1 Corinthians 1:1). This follows the standard epistolary form and immediately establishes apostolic authority.

Throughout the letter, Paul speaks in the first person, referring to his founding role in Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). He reminds the community that he lived among them and worked with his own hands (1 Corinthians 4:11–12).

Near the end of the letter, Paul adds a personal signature: “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand” (1 Corinthians 16:21). This closing reinforces authorship and reflects Paul’s known practice of signing dictated letters.

Historical Context Within the Letter

The letter reveals a detailed and historically plausible setting. Paul refers to reports he has received about divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 1:11) and responds to a letter previously sent to him by the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7:1).

Paul also situates himself geographically, stating, “I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost” (1 Corinthians 16:8). This detail aligns with Paul’s ministry in Ephesus described in Acts 19, providing strong external corroboration.

Relationship to Paul’s Other Letters

The theological themes in 1 Corinthians align closely with Paul’s undisputed letters. Justification, life in Christ, the work of the Spirit, and the centrality of the cross appear throughout.

Paul’s reflection on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 parallels his teaching elsewhere while offering unique development. His pastoral tone, rhetorical questions, and use of Scripture are consistent with Romans, Galatians, and Philippians.

Scholars routinely cite 1 Corinthians as one of the clearest examples of Paul’s authentic voice.

Use of a Scribe

Although Paul identifies himself as the author, the letter was likely dictated to a scribe. This was common practice in the ancient world and helps explain the letter’s length and rhetorical structure.

Paul’s handwritten closing in 1 Corinthians 16:21 mirrors similar practices in other letters and serves as an ancient mark of authenticity.

Early Church Testimony

Clement of Rome (late 1st century)

Clement of Rome explicitly refers to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and treats it as authoritative instruction written by Paul himself. Writing to the Corinthian church around AD 96, Clement reminds them of Paul’s earlier correspondence:

“Take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the apostle. What did he write to you at the beginning of the gospel? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos.”

(1 Clement 47.1–3)

This citation is especially significant because Clement is writing to the same church addressed in 1 Corinthians and assumes Pauline authorship as uncontested.

Irenaeus of Lyons (late 2nd century)

Irenaeus regularly cites 1 Corinthians and attributes it directly to Paul. In Against Heresies, he writes:

“As Paul also says in the Epistle to the Corinthians: ‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’”

(Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.7.2; citing 1 Corinthians 15:22)

Irenaeus does not argue for Pauline authorship because, by his time, it was universally assumed.

Tertullian (early 3rd century)

Tertullian likewise cites 1 Corinthians as unquestionably Pauline. In On the Resurrection of the Flesh, he writes:

“The apostle Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, writes: ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.’”

(Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh 48; citing 1 Corinthians 15:44)

Again, the letter’s authorship is treated as settled fact.

Scholarly Consensus

Modern scholarship universally recognizes 1 Corinthians as an undisputed Pauline letter. Gordon D. Fee emphasizes the letter’s embedded historical references and pastoral immediacy as clear signs of authenticity. Anthony C. Thiselton likewise notes that the letter’s occasional nature makes pseudonymous authorship implausible.

Across theological traditions, 1 Corinthians is foundational for reconstructing Paul’s life, theology, and ministry.

Inspiration and Pastoral Authority

First Corinthians shows how inspiration operates within pastoral engagement. Paul does not write abstract theology detached from life. He addresses conflict, confusion, and hope within a specific community.

The letter’s authority rests in its faithful apostolic witness, preserved for the church as Scripture while remaining rooted in lived experience.

Conclusion

First Corinthians explicitly names Paul as its author and consistently reflects his voice, theology, and historical setting. Internal evidence, external corroboration, early church testimony, and modern scholarship all converge on Pauline authorship.

The letter endures as a vivid portrait of early Christian life and a reminder that theology is forged in the midst of community, conflict, and grace.

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