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Bible Study/Commentary
Overview
This letter was written by the Apostle Paul, along with his fellow-worker, Sosthenes, to the church of Corinth.
This chapter laid the groundwork for the rest of the letter, focusing on God's will for the body of Christ, and problems within the Corinthian church.
Paul contrasted God's wisdom with the wisdom of the world.
Bible Study/Commentary
Verses 1-9: Introduction and Thanksgiving
Paul began by saying that he had been called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. He named Sosthenes as his fellow-worker.
The letter was addressed to the church in Corinth, whom he described as "sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people."
Paul expressed his gratitude to God for the grace the Corinthians had received through Jesus Christ.
He noted that they had been enriched in every way, particularly in speech and knowledge.
They did not lack any spiritual gift, as they eagerly waited for the Lord Jesus Christ to return.
Paul assured them that God, who had called them into fellowship with his Son, would keep them firm to the end.
Verses 10-17: Paul's Plea for Their Unity
Paul shifted his focus to a problem within the Corinthian Church: that is, the divisions that were among them.
He had heard reports of quarrels within the church, with different groups claiming allegiance to different leaders; such as Paul, Apollos, Cephas (which was another name for Peter), and Christ.
He encouraged them to be unified in mind and thought, and to speak the same things.
Paul reminded them, that Christ was not divided, and they should not be divided.
He emphasized the importance of Christ's message, rather than the person by whom they had been baptized.
Verses 18-31: Paul Contrasts, The Wisdom Of God, with the Wisdom Of The World
Paul then talked about the wisdom of God, as demonstrated in the crucifixion of Christ. This may have appeared foolish, to those who were perishing. But it was indeed the power of God to those who were being saved.
He con-trasted the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God, noting that God's "foolishness" was wiser than human wisdom, and God's "weakness" was stronger than human strength.
Paul reminded them that not many of them were wise by human standards when they were called.
Instead, God chose the foolish, weak, and lowly things of the world to shame the wise and strong, so that no one could boast before God.
Overall Summary:
1 Corinthians Chapter 1 served as a key foundational chapter for the rest of Paul's letter to the Corinthians.
Paul laid out God's plan and the identity of the church.
He addressed issues of division within the church and provided a contrast of worldly wisdom as compared to God's wisdom.
The emphasis was on unity, the life-changing power of Christ's message, and the supremacy of God's wisdom over human foolishness.
1 Corinthians 1
Greeting
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Q&A
1 Corinthians 1:1
Q1: Who wrote the letter to the Corinthians?
A1: Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:2
Q2: Who is the audience of this letter?
A2: To the church of God that is in Corinth, those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3
Q3: What is the wish expressed for the Corinthians?
A3: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:4
Q4: What does Paul thank God for regarding the Corinthians?
A4: I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:5
Q5: What spiritual gifts were the Corinthians enriched with?
A5: That in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge.
1 Corinthians 1:6
Q6: What was confirmed among the Corinthians by the testimony of Christ?
A6: Even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you.
1 Corinthians 1:7
Q7: What were the Corinthians not lacking while waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ?
A7: So that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:8
Q8: Who will sustain the Corinthians to the end?
A8: Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Q9: How faithful is God?
A9: God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:10
Q10: What does Paul appeal to the Corinthians to agree on?
A10: I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:11
Q11: What has been reported to Paul about the Corinthians?
A11: For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
1 Corinthians 1:12
Q12: What factions exist among the Corinthians?
A12: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
1 Corinthians 1:13
Q13: Is Christ divided?
A13: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 1:14
Q14: Whom did Paul baptize among the Corinthians?
A14: I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.
1 Corinthians 1:15
Q15: Why does Paul not want to be remembered for baptizing many in Corinth?
A15: So that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.
1 Corinthians 1:16
Q16: Whom else did Paul baptize in Corinth?
A16: (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
1 Corinthians 1:17
Q17: What was Paul's primary mission?
A17: For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 Corinthians 1:18
Q18: What is the message of the cross to those who are perishing?
A18: For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:19
Q19: What does God consider the wisdom of the world?
A19: For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
1 Corinthians 1:20
Q20: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?
A20: Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1 Corinthians 1:21
Q21: How did God choose to save those who believe?
A21: For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:22
Q22: What do Jews demand and Greeks seek?
A22: For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:23
Q23: What is the message of the cross to those who are called?
A23: But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 1:24
Q24: How is Christ described by Paul?
A24: But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:25
Q25: What is wiser than men and stronger than men?
A25: For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:26
Q26: Whom did God choose to shame the wise?
A26: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1:27
Q27: Why did God choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise?
A27: But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:28
Q28: What did God choose to bring to nothing things that are?
A28: God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.
1 Corinthians 1:29
Q29: Why did God choose this way?
A29: So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:30
Q30: How is Christ described in relation to believers?
A30: And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:31
Q31: Why should one who boasts boast in the Lord?
A31: So that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."