A STUDY OF FIRST CORINTHIANS
Chapter 1
Introduction: After some greetings and acknowledgments, Paul addresses some of the problems that the Corinthian church has been having. He confronts their sectarianism. He follows this with an explanation of the power and effectiveness of the gospel.
Verse 1. Paul was called by the Lord Himself to be an apostle of His. His call is recorded in Acts 9:1-19. By this Paul possessed all the authority of one who held that office. Later We will see Paul’s response to the challenge of his apostleship. His apostleship was a matter of divine appointment. Paul did not usurp the position, but filled it in accordance with the divine plan. This sets the tone for the entire epistle. It has the signature of an apostle of Jesus Christ. Thus, it reveals the very mind of God in these matters (14:37). Who is Sothenes? In Acts 18:17, the ruler of the synagogue that brought Paul before the proconsul was Sothenes. What a tremendous case of conversion this would have been, if this was the same Sothenes that Paul now calls brother. However, Sothenes was a popular name at that time and there is no evidence to connect this Sothenes to the one in Acts 18. Whoever he is, he would have been well known among the brethren in Corinth since Paul simply mentions his name.
Verse 2. Paul writes to the church in Corinth. The church is composed of all who have been set apart unto God’s holy service. This phrase is not intended to speak to their moral condition. Since those members of the church were sanctified, they are called saints. “to be” is inserted by the translators. They share that distinction with all who in every place calls upon the name of the Lord. Paul subtly hints at the basis upon which unity and cohesiveness is established. They share a common bond in Jesus Christ.
Verse 3. Paul combines the Greek greeting (grace) with the Hebrew greeting (peace). This suggests that the church was made up of both Greeks and Hebrews. This grace and peace has as its source God the Father. The means by which grace and peace have been delivered is through the son.
Verses 4-9. Paul is thankful that they have received grace from God through Jesus Christ. Included in the grace was the fact that they were enriched in all things which pertained to utterances and knowledge. The church was blessed to have men who could communicate well the word of God and those who understood well the word of God. They received full confirmation concerning the validity of God’s word. They were not in any danger of refusing the gospel and going back to their former worship. The Corinthians were not lacking in any spiritual gifts (a natural result of their enrichment). Because of their enrichment in the grace of God, the Corinthians can look to the future. Their hopes and dreams are bound up in the coming of Jesus Christ (Phi. 3:20). Christ will confirm (firmly root or ground) until the end (the consummation of all things). They will be blameless because the Lord would have forgiven them. The day of the Lord has reference to the destruction of the world (2 Pet. 3:10-16). God is faithful to assure that His people will be blameless in the end: 1. Forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9); 2. Will not allow over-bearing temptation to fall upon His people (10:13); 3. God provides a way of escape for his people. He called them into the fellowship of His Son and will maintain that fellowship.
Sectarianism
Verses10-13. Paul pleaded with the brethren in Corinth to speak the same things. This he did on account of Jesus Christ. He wants them to stop saying different things. They were not in agreement as to whose banner to wear (v. 12). One benefit of speaking the same things is that there will be no divisions. Also they will repair the breach by being joined together in the Christian way of thinking. The same judgment refers to the manner in deciding questions or disputes. Some members from Cloe’s household informed Paul concerning the saints following after men. Such disrupts the harmony and peace of the church. Christ was not divided, thus no justification existed for the division that was taking place. Some were saying that they belong to the man responsible for their conversion (v. 12).
Verse 14-17. Paul was thankful not to have been involved in many conversions in Corinth. We know of Crispus, former ruler of the synagogue, Gaius (too many in Scripture to pinpoint who he is) and the household of Stephanas. The reason is he did not want people to think Paul baptized in his own name. A tendency exited then and even today to offer allegiance to the one who baptizes rather than to the one who authorized the baptism. Some believe that this passage suggests that Baptism was not necessary for salvation. Yet, I believe it does the opposite. Paul said that there were two things that had to take place for a person to belong to him. (1) He would have to have been crucified (2) the people would have to be baptized in his name. If such is true of Paul then it is definitely true of Christ. A person cannot be of Christ who has not been baptized in his name. Paul was not sent to simply baptize but to preach the gospel. Anyone can baptize. This is a “not, but” phrase (see John 6:27; 1 Pet. 3:3-4). The disciple is charged with preaching or sowing the seed, not making it grow. That is God’s job (3:5-7). Paul preached the plain and simple gospel. It did not need his or anyone else’s help to be effective. He did not want to take away from the gospel’s power.
Christ: the Power and Wisdom of God
Verse 18. For those who reject the message as nonsense and foolishness, they are in a constant state of perishing. To the saved, however, the cross’s message is powerful. It is not only reflective of God’s wisdom, but also His power to save, establish, sanctify, etc., the one who has faith in Christ.
Verse 19. Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14. He uses the quote to establish the fact that God will make the wise look foolish by demonstrating that the divine mind could not have been known through human wisdom.
Verses 20-25. The wise man, the debater, even the scribe cannot rise to match up with the mind of God. All of the humanistic, worldly wisdom could not benefit in helping to know God. Even men today, with all of their wisdom, have sought to undo God’s counsel. God uses what is considered foolishness by the world to save those in the world that believe. The Jews request a sign. They would only believe what the senses can appreciate. The Greeks sought a new wisdom. They were not buying into the idea that Salvation is the result of a crucified Savior. The disciples continued to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ whether it was offensive or foolish to some. Those who answer the gospel call are those who sense the gospel’s power. They also see the wisdom of God in the gospel (Rom. 3:23-25).What men consider the foolishness of God, God demonstrates that such is wiser than all of their wisdom. What men considered the weakness of God, God has demonstrated He is stronger than the strongest of men.
Verses 26-31. God had made a choice of the kind of people that will come to Him. These would be common folk no matter what station in life they may come. So there cannot be a distinction based upon what man has determined to be wise, noble or mighty. God does not call people based upon who or what they are. This is to eliminate any boast on the part of those who have been called. What ever these saints in Corinth were, they were by the work of Christ in righteousness, sanctification and redemption.