I. Introduction: Greeting and Thanksgiving (1:1–9)

II. Letter Body (1:10–16:4)

A. Paul Responds to Oral Reports About the Corinthian Church (1:10–6:20)

1. Divisions in the Church (1:10–4:21)

a. The Problem: Rival Factions (1:10–17)

b. The Cross as the Necessary Center of the Gospel (1:18–2:5)

c. Christian Wisdom as the Necessary Growth (2:6–3:23)

i. Spiritual People vs. Natural People (2:6–16)

ii. Spiritual Christians vs. Carnal Christians (3:1–23)

d. The Right Attitude Toward the Apostles (4:1–21)

2. A Case of Incest (5:1–13)

3. Lawsuits Between Believers (6:1–11)

4. The Seriousness of Sexual Immorality in General (6:12–20)

B. Paul Responds to the Letter From the Corinthians (7:1–16:4)

1. Concerning Marriage (7:1–40)

a. To Those Currently or Previously Married (7:1–16)

b. Analogies With Circumcision and Slavery (7:17–24)

c. To Those Never Married or Contemplating Marriage (7:25–40)

2. Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols (8:1–11:1)

a. Introduction to the Problem and the Solution: Tempering Knowledge With Love (8:1–13)

b. A Second Application: Money for Ministry (9:1–18)

c. The Underlying Motive: Saving as Many as Possible (9:19–27)

d. Examples of the Danger of License: The Idolatry of Israel and Idol Feasts in Corinth (10:1–22)

e. Summary: Balancing Freedom and Restraint (10:23–11:1)

3. Concerning Worship (11:2–14:40)

a. Head-coverings (11:2–16)

b. The Lord’s Supper (11:17–34)

c. Spiritual Gifts (12:1–14:40)

i. Diversity Within Unity (12:1–31a)

ii. The Pre-eminence of Love (12:31b-13:13)

iii. Prophecy and Tongues: Prefer Intelligibility (14:1–25)

iv. Prophecy and Tongues: Prefer Order (14:26–40)

4. Concerning the Resurrection (15:1–58)

a. The Certainty of the Resurrection (15:1–34)

b. The Nature of the Resurrection (15:35–58)

5. Concerning the Collection for Jerusalem (16:1–4)

III. Conclusion: Travel Plans and Final Greetings (16:5–24)

A. The Travel Plans of Paul and His Co-workers (16:5–12)

B. The Formal Closing (16:13–24)