1 Corinthians 1
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1 Corinthians 1
Introduction (1:1-9)
Overview of 1 Corinthians.
Answering reports (1 Corinthians 1-6).
Of divisions (1-4).
Of sexual immorality (5-6).
Answering their letter of questions (1 Corinthians 7-16).
Marriage (7).
Things offered to idols (8-11).
Public worship and spiritual gifts (12-14).
The resurrection (15).
The gift for the Jerusalem church (16).
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
1 The letter is from Paul, who includes a brother named Sosthenes.
Paul was called by the will of God to be an apostle.
Definition of an apostle:
Originally used to describe someone, or something, that had been sent out (often in connection to the sea, usually a dispatch or a fleet).
The New Testament does not use it as a dispatch, but developed the term to mean “an authorized agent of Jesus,” usually indicating the first apostolic group.
Who is Sosthenes?
He might have been Paul’s amanuensis.
Brother: He was known by the Corinthian church.
He was likely the former ruler of the synagogue, a man beaten by the Jews in Corinth after Gallio rejected their attack on Paul (Acts 18:12-17).
Acts 18:17 (ESV) — 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
He must have grown tired of the legalism of his former religion.
I believe some will tire of the new legalism of the day.
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.
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth:
Setting of Corinth: Close your eyes and imagine living in Corinth.
700K citizens.
Dual seaports connected the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, meaning trade proliferate throughout the town.
The city was filled with shrines and temples, the most notable a temple to Aphrodite on top of a 1,800 foot promontory.
Her worshippers made free use of the 1K consecrated prostitutes in her temple.
Visitors would come to Corinth to escape morality, instead seeking commerce, entertainment, and pleasure.
Corinth was a key city in ancient Greece until it was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. Julius Caesar rebuilt it as a Roman colony in 46 B.C. and it grew and prospered, becoming the capital of the province of Achaia. Its official language was Latin, but the common language remained Greek. In Paul’s day Corinth was the metropolis of the Peloponnesus since it was strategically located on a narrow isthmus between the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea that connects the Peloponnesus with northern Greece. Because of its two seaports it became a commercial center, and many small ships were rolled or dragged across the Corinthian isthmus to avoid the dangerous 200-mile voyage around southern Greece. Nero and others attempted to build a canal at the narrowest point, but this was not achieved until 1893. The city was filled with shrines and temples, but the most prominent was the Temple of Aphrodite on top of an 1,800-foot promontory called the Acrocorinthus. Worshipers of the “goddess of love” made free use of the 1,000 Hieroduli (consecrated prostitutes). This cosmopolitan center thrived on commerce, entertainment, vice, and corruption; pleasure-seekers came there to spend money on a holiday from morality. Corinth became so notorious for its evils that the term Korinthiazomai (“to act like a Corinthian”) became a synonym for debauchery and prostitution.Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Talk Thru the Bible (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1983), 381.
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.
4 I give thanks: Paul celebrated the existence of the Corinthian church. Why?
1 They were a sign of the grace of God (4).
2 They were spiritually gifted (5-7).
They were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge (5).
They were not lacking in any gift (7).
3 They waited for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ (7).
4 They were sustained by Jesus to the end (8).
5 They were called into the fellowship of God’s Son (9).
Report Of Divisions (1:10-17)
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [with the authority of and from Christ], that all of you agree [literally, ‘say the same thing’], 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.
11 It has been reported to me by Chloe’s people:
She was a member of the Corinthian church.
Her household (perhaps staff, friends, and family members) had made a report to Paul of the situation in the Corinthian church.
Perhaps they ran into each other, but it is possible Chloe sent them to report to Paul.
10 Paul’s appeal was for them to agree, that there be no divisions, and they be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Agree: Literally, speak the same thing; an expression taken from Greek political life which might be paraphrased, ‘Drop party cries’.F. F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), 1351.
He wanted harmony, not the elimination of diversity.
Example: A quilt — many parts, but one.
Example: My family — different personalities, but one.
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?
There were four camps:
12 I follow Paul: The originator of the church and a champion of the Gentiles, but unimpressive in speech and appearance.
12 I follow Apollos: He followed Paul in Corinth (see Acts 18:24-28), and was eloquent and fervent.
12 I follow Cephas: Peter’s Aramaic name (John 1:42), the one Christ had chosen, who had walked and talked with Jesus.
12 I follow Christ: All would have claimed Christ, but this group of spiritual elitists may have felt they had something the others lacked.
They were dividing over ministry styles.
Paul followed up with questions:
13 Is Christ divided? No matter how divisive his people are, they are still one.
13 Was Paul crucified for you?: He was only a messenger, not the one who atoned for their sins.
13 Were you baptized in the name of Paul?: Paul was not in it to make personal proselytes, but followers of Christ.
Jesus Famous!
Contentions and divisions are a hindrance to God’s work through the church, so we must watch our for them.
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.
14-16 I baptized none of you: Paul did not baptize many, only Crispus (the original ruler of the Corinthian synagogue, Acts 18:8), Gaius (Paul’s host, Romans 16:23), and the household of Stephanas (“the first converts in Achaia,” 1 Corinthians 16:15, 17).
17 Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel: For baptism (and communion) is a response to the gospel, but not part of it.
He obviously did not believe baptism was necessary for salvation, as some groups profess today.
Paul then gives an introductory statement regarding one major reason for division amongst them — they were looking for eloquent words of wisdom, but Paul determined not to use them, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
There is a version of Christianity which is highly intellectual, nuanced, and accurate, yet void of power.
Eloquent words of wisdom: But this statement is a clue as to the problem in Corinth.
Reason For Divisions — Misunderstanding Of Message (1:18-3:4)
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 [from Isaiah 29:14Septuagint version of Isaiah 29:13–14 (ESV) — 13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, 14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”], “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
18 To us who are being saved the word of the cross is THE power of God.
Similar to Romans 1:16 (ESV) — 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Being saved: Salvation is a broad word. It includes initial entrance, but also continual deliverance, and future restoration.
Justified: the cross declares us innocent.
Reconciled: the cross declares us friends.
Sanctified: the cross declares us consecrated.
Redeemed: the cross declares us completely paid for, liberated.
19 I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart: A loose quote of Isaiah 29:14, where Israel followed human wisdom by forming an alliance with Egypt to defend themselves against Assyria, when only God’s intervention would do.
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.
20 Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?:
This is the Romans 1 process in miniature.
Romans 1:24 (ESV) — 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Romans 1:26 (ESV) — 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
Romans 1:28 (ESV) — 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Romans 1:32 (ESV) — 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
21 The world did not know God through wisdom: God’s all-wise purpose was that humans would not find him through all their philosophical and religious wisdom, but through the preaching of the cross.
This does not deny the truth that people have a certain knowledge of God through the natural creation (see Romans 1:18-20).
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.
22 Jews / signs: to identify the Messiah.
22 Greeks / wisdom: to find answers to questions about God and life.
24-25 To those who are called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God:
The way up is down. The way down is up.
Jesus humbled himself and found exaltation (Philippians 2:5-11).
The gospel filters out the proud-hearted.
25 Foolishness / Weakness of God: Far from irreverent, Paul shows how the cross is the last thing humanity would devise.
Do you expect the word of the cross to be sensible to people who are perishing?
Remember how foolish they thought Noah was.
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,
26-28 Apparently, not many in the Corinthian church were wise, powerful, or of noble birth.
Wise: Intellectuals.
Powerful: Influencers.
Noble birth: Elites.
27-28 God chose what is foolish / weak / low and despised:
Paul is not saying God will never save a person with worldly wisdom, power, or nobility. He had all those things. So did some of them (Crispus, Sosethenes, Erastus the city treasurer, Priscilla and Aquila).
Paul is saying that God will not save a person with those things— for humility is required to receive the gospel.
For instance, Paul had to put off all those elements to come to Christ and then be used by him.
Paul might be saying God will use the humble to do his work.
God used uneducated and untrained men to disciple the world (Acts 4:13).
He used Moses, only after he had been humbled 40 years (meek).
He used Daniel, who in all of his qualifications was still very young.
He used all of the “minor” prophets.
Hosea: a “nobody” who considered Samaria his capitol.
Joel: unknown.
Amos: a farmer and goat herder (Am. 7:14).
Obadiah: no father mentioned, indicating an obscure family history.
Jonah: from Gath Hepher, South Galilee, despised by Pharisees (2 Kg. 14:25, Jn. 7:52).
Micah: a country boy from the boonies.
Nahum: from city we still don’t know its location, only mentioned once.
Habakkuk: a musician (Hab. 3:19).
Zephaniah: only prophet of royal descent.
Haggai: a captive.
Zechariah: just a young man (Zech 2:4).
Malachi: no history or family to speak of.
Paul might be saying less of the upper class of a given society will receive Christ.
27-28 But the emphasis is on the fact that God chose (repeated 3x). Why did he choose to save that way?
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 [from Jeremiah 9:23], “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23–24 (ESV) — 23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
Romans 3:27 (ESV) — 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.