Preface

Preface

Corinth, renowned for its great wealth and wisdom, although it believed in Christ, yet having believed, was in danger of falling away from Christ. For the rich formed their own factions, and the wise formed theirs, and having chosen teachers for themselves, they disparaged Paul as a poor and uneducated man. Moreover, one of them had relations with his stepmother; some, out of gluttony, ate food offered to idols; others in monetary disputes went to trial before Greek judges; furthermore, men grew their hair long, ate in the churches and did not share with the needy; they boasted of spiritual gifts; regarding the teaching on the resurrection they wavered. The cause of all these disorders was worldly wisdom, for it is the mother of all evils for those who trust in it in all things. Therefore Paul writes an epistle to Corinth with the aim of correcting all this. Since, most importantly, there were divisions in the Church, and this arose from pride, he first of all endeavors to destroy pride. Those infected with pride thought that they were teaching something higher. Therefore Paul begins in the following manner.