Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

“Gallio had driven the Jews who accused Paul from the judgment-seat. The Greek mob, who disliked Jews, took the opportunity then of beating Sosthenes the ruler of the Jewish synagogue, while Gallio looked on and refused to interfere, being secretly pleased that the mob should…”

I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus.

“He puts the causes for praise and hope among them in the foreground, not to discourage them by the succeeding reproof, and in order to appeal to their better selves. my God-- (Ro 1:8; Php 1:3). always--(Compare Php 1:4). the grace . . .”

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

“Baptizing was the office of the deacons (Ac 10:48) rather than of the apostles, whose office was that of establishing and superintending generally the churches.”

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

“God's powerful instrument of salvation; the highest exhibition of God's power (Ro 1:16). What seems to the world "weakness" in God's plan of salvation (1Co 1:25), and in its mode of delivery by His apostle (1Co 2:3) is really His mighty "power."”

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

“I will destroy--slightly altered from the Septuagint, Isa 29:14. The Hebrew is, "The wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."”

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

“VITRINGA thinks the reference is to the Jewish discourses in the synagogue, daraschoth, from a Hebrew root "to dispute." Compare "questions," Ac 26:3; If so, "wise" refers to Greek wisdom (compare 1Co 1:22).”

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who…

“The deistic theory that man can by the light of nature discover his duty to God, is disproved by the fact that man has never discovered it without revelation. All the stars and moon cannot make it day; that is the prerogative of the sun.”

Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

“The signs the Jews craved for were not mere miracles, but direct tokens from heaven that Jesus was Messiah (Lu 11:16). Greeks seek . . . wisdom--namely, a philosophic demonstration of Christianity.”

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

“Christ crucified--The Greek expresses not the mere fact of His crucifixion, but the permanent character acquired by the transaction, whereby He is now a Saviour (Ga 3:1) crucified was the stone on which the Jews stumbled (Mt 21:44).”

Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.

“However, English Version accords well with 1Co 1:24. "The whole history of the expansion of the Church is a progressive victory of the ignorant over the learned, the lowly over the lofty, until the emperor himself laid down his crown before the cross of Christ"…”

Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

“Lord-- (Jer 9:23, 24) --in opposition to "flesh glorying in His presence" (1Co 1:29). In contrast to morbid slavish self-abasement, Paul joins with humility the elevating consciousness of our true dignity in Christ.”

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

“Thus, as the three elements, Greek cultivation, Roman polity (Lu 2:1), and the divine law given to the Jews, combined just at Christ's time, to prepare the world for the Gospel, so the same three, by God's marvellous providence, met together in the apostle to…”

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

“The Greek implies, "The only definite thing that I made it my business to know among you, was to know Jesus Christ (His person) and Him crucified (His office)" [ALFORD], not exalted on the earthly throne of David, but executed as the vilest malefactor.”

so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

“For "wisdom" here denotes not the whole of Christian doctrine, but its sublimer and deeper principles. perfect--Those matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached.”

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.

“"If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (2Co 4:3), "whom the God of this world hath blinded."”

None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

“The strongest proof of the natural man's destitution of heavenly wisdom. crucified . . . Lord of glory--implying the inseparable connection of Christ's humanity and His divinity.”

Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

“In Isa 64:4 it is "Prepared (literally, 'will do') for him that waiteth for Him"; here, "for them that love Him."”

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

“So the Greek word is translated, "comparing" (2Co 10:12). WAHL (Key of the New Testament) translates, "explaining (as the Greek is translated, Ge 40:8, the Septuagint) to spiritual (that is, Spirit-taught) men, spiritual things (the things which we ourselves are taught by the Spirit)."”

The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

“"Discerneth . . . is discerned," would better accord with the translation of the same Greek (1Co 2:14). Otherwise for "discerned," in 1Co 2:14, translate, "judged of," to accord with the translation, "judgeth . . . is judged" in this fifteenth verse.”

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

“So the Septuagint translates the Greek verb, which means to "prove," in Ac 9:22. Natural men who judge spiritual men, living according to the mind of God ("We have the mind of Christ"), are virtually wishing to instruct God, and bring Him to another mind…”

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.

“This implies they were not men wholly of flesh, though carnal in tendencies. They had life in Christ, but it was weak.”

for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

“There is a gradation, or ascending climax: envying had produced strife, and strife divisions (factious parties) [GROTIUS].”

For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

“(1Co 1:12). are ye not carnal--The oldest manuscripts read, "Are ye not men?" that is, "walking as men" unregenerate (1Co 3:3).”

He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

“He shall be rewarded according to, not his success or the amount of work done, but "according to his own labor."”

For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

“For--my warning ("take heed," &c. 1Co 3:10) is as to the superstructure ("buildeth thereupon"), not as to the foundation: "For other foundation can no man lay, than that which has (already) been laid (by God) Jesus Christ," the person, not the mere abstract doctrine about…”