Divisions are prevented: 
   1.  By Christ as the center of Christianity, 1:10 end.

   2.  By spiritual mindedness, 2:1-3:4.

   3.  By a right view of preachers, 3:5-4 end.

II.  Correction of Moral Disorders, Chs. 5-6.

   1.  The incestuous person, Ch. 5.

   2.  Lawsuits, 6:1-11.

   3.  Sins of the body, 6;12 end.

III.  Answers to Questions and Cognate Matters, 7:1-16:4.

   1.  Concerning marriage and celibacy, Ch. 7.

   2.  Concerning things offered to idols. 8:1-11:1.

   3.  Concerning head dress, 11:2-16.

   4.  Concerning the Lord’s supper, 11:17 end.

   5.  Concerning spiritual gifts, Chs. 12-14.

   6.  Concerning the resurrection, Ch. 15.

   7.  Concerning collections for the saints, 16:1-4.

 IV.  Personal Matters and Conclusion, 16:5 end.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Earthly wisdom and heavenly foolishness, 1:18-25. (2) Spiritual wisdom, 2:7-16. (3) Paul’s apostolic labors, 4:9-13. (4) The scripture estimate of the human body, 6:12-20. (5) Marriages and divorce, 7:25-50, letting “virgin” mean any single person, male or female. (6) Paul’s practice in the matter of his rights, 9:1-23. (7) The Christian race, 9:24-27. (8) Love and its nature, Ch. 13. (a) Superior to other gifts, 1-3. (b) Its ten marks, 4-6. (c) Its power, 7. (d) Its permanence, 8-13. (9) Spiritual gifts, Chs. 12-14.  Name and describe them. (10) The resurrection, Ch. 15. (a) Calamities to result, if there were none-or the other doctrines here made to depend on the resurrection; (b) The nature of the resurrected body.

Second Corinthians.

The Occasion and Purpose of the Letter.  From suggestions found here and there in these two epistles it appears that much communication passed between Paul and the church and that the two letters that have come down to us are only some of a series.  He suffered much perplexity and grief because of the conditions of the church.  He met Titus in Macedonia on the third missionary journey (he had hoped for him with news from Corinth while he was at Troas).  He wrote this letter in response to the messages brought by Titus.  He expresses solicitude for them, defends himself against the charges of his enemies, warns them against errors, instructs them in matters of duty and expresses joy that they have heeded his former advice.

The Character and Content.  It is the least systematic of all Paul’s epistles.  It abounds in emotion, showing mingled joy, grief and indignation.  It is intensely personal and from it we, therefore, learn more of his life and character than from any other source.  This makes it of great value in any study of Paul himself.  Section one has as its great topic tribulation and consolation in tribulation, and has in it an undercurrent of apology, darkened by a suppressed indignation.  Section two is colored by a sorrowful emotion.  Section three everywhere teems with a feeling of indignation.  Through the whole letter there runs an undercurrent of self-defense.  The “key-note” of this book, as well as of First Corinthians, is loyalty to Christ.