1 Corinthianschapter 1

A.Enriched in Everything, Waiting for the Dayvv. 1-9

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

B.Chloe's Report: A Church Split Four Waysvv. 10-17

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

C.The Cross Looks Like Folly Until It Savesvv. 18-25

18 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. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 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? 21 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 believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness 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 man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

D.God Picks the Nobodiesvv. 26-31

26 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. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast in His presence. 30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

After greeting, Paul thanks God for the Corinthians' gifts, then confronts their factions.

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After greeting, Paul thanks God for the Corinthians' gifts, then confronts their factions. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Christ. Is Christ divided? The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us that are saved, the power of God. God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, and despised things of this world. That no flesh should glory in his presence. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Calvin reads the chapter as a frontal rebuke of pride in human teachers masquerading as zeal for the gospel.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Epistle · Paul — 1 Corinthians overview

A. 1–9 Enriched in Everything, Waiting for the Day
B. 10–17 Chloe's Report: A Church Split Four Ways
C. 18–25 The Cross Looks Like Folly Until It Saves
D. 26–31 God Picks the Nobodies

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Romans 16 verses
- Romans 1:1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—
- Romans 1:7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Romans 1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.
- Romans 1:16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
- Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
- Romans 1:22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- Read Romans 1 →
1 Corinthians 24 verses
- 1 Corinthians 2:1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13And 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.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- Read 1 Corinthians 2 →
1 Corinthians 13 verses
- 1 Corinthians 1:18For 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.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20Where 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?
- 1 Corinthians 1:30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Read 1 Corinthians 1 →
Philippians 33 verses
- Philippians 3:3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
- Philippians 3:9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Philippians 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
- Read Philippians 3 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

1 Corinthians 32 verses
- 1 Corinthians 3:18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
- Read 1 Corinthians 3 →
Ephesians 12 verses
- Ephesians 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
- Ephesians 1:7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
- Read Ephesians 1 →
Ephesians 42 verses
- Ephesians 4:1As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
- Ephesians 4:5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
- Read Ephesians 4 →
Colossians 21 verse
- Colossians 2:3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
- Read Colossians 2 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.