1 Corinthians1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets the Corinthian church, giving thanks for their spiritual enrichment and calling. He immediately addresses severe divisions within the congregation, where members align themselves with different leaders like Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, urging them to unity in Christ. Paul then contrasts worldly wisdom with the divine 'foolishness' of preaching Christ crucified, which is the true power and wisdom of God unto salvation.

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Salutation and Authorship

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

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:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving for Spiritual Gifts

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

For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge,

because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.

Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Plea for Unity and Against Divisions

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.

My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

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

so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.

Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else.

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.

The Cross: God's Power, Human Foolishness

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.

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

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?

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.

Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

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

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

God Chooses the Weak and Lowly

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.

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.

He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,

so that no one may boast in His presence.

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

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

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 1

Verse 1

Paul emphasizes his apostolic authority, stressing that his calling was not self-appointed but originated 'through the will of God.' Sosthenes, likely Paul’s amanuensis (scribe) or a prominent leader in Corinth (possibly the former synagogue ruler mentioned in Acts 18:17), is included in the greeting.

Verse 2

The recipients are described as 'sanctified in Christ Jesus,' meaning they are set apart by God for holy use. Paul addresses the local church in Corinth while simultaneously including the universal church ('all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ').

Verse 4

Paul begins with a traditional expression of thanks, acknowledging that the spiritual gifts (charismata) present in Corinth are evidence of God’s grace, despite the profound ethical and relational problems he is about to address.

Verse 5

The Corinthians were 'enriched' in spiritual abilities, specifically in 'utterance' (speech/tongues/preaching) and 'knowledge.' These gifts, which the Corinthians later misused, are the very reason Paul dedicates extensive teaching to them in Chapters 12–14.

Verse 7

The phrase 'waiting for the coming' refers to the Parousia, the promised second arrival of Christ. This eschatological hope is a source of perseverance and moral urgency for the believers.

Verse 9

The foundation of the believers’ security is not their own strength or gifts, but the absolute faithfulness of God, who initiated their calling into 'fellowship' (koinōnia) with his Son.

Verse 10

Paul moves immediately to the primary issue: chronic division (schismata). He appeals 'by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,' emphasizing that their unity must be centered on Christ’s authority, not human preference.

Verse 11

The 'house of Chloe' refers to members of a household or business group who traveled from Corinth to Ephesus (where Paul was writing from), providing reliable intelligence about the church’s internal conflicts.

Verse 12

The contentions involved forming allegiance to specific Christian leaders (Paul, Apollos, Cephas/Peter). This suggests competitive loyalty based perhaps on perceived rhetorical skill or personal connection to the apostle.

Verse 13

These rhetorical questions expose the absurdity of the divisions. Christ cannot be divided, nor can human leaders replace Christ as the object of salvation or the one in whose name baptism is administered.

Verse 14

Crispus and Gaius were among the few converts Paul personally baptized. Crispus was a former ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8); Gaius was Paul’s host during his time in Corinth (Rom. 16:23).

Verse 17

Paul clarifies his core mission: preaching the gospel, not performing the rite of baptism or using impressive, persuasive 'wisdom of words' (sophia logou). The powerful simplicity of the cross must not be obscured by human eloquence.

Verse 18

This verse presents the theological core of the letter. The message of the cross acts as a dividing line: it is 'foolishness' to those who reject it, but it reveals the 'power of God' to those who are saved.

Verse 19

Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 (LXX) to demonstrate that the humbling of human wisdom and intellect is a long-foretold divine plan.

Verse 20

The 'wise,' 'scribe,' and 'disputer' represent the intellectual elite, philosophers, and religious scholars of the Greco-Roman and Jewish worlds, whose highest achievements are rendered irrelevant by the Gospel.

Verse 21

Paradoxically, God chose 'the foolishness of preaching' (referring to the simple, unadorned message of the cross) as the means of salvation because the world, through its own philosophical 'wisdom,' failed to grasp God.

Verse 22

Paul identifies the two main cultural obstacles to the Gospel: Jews sought miraculous proofs ('signs'), while Greeks valued sophisticated philosophical systems ('wisdom').

Verse 23

The message of 'Christ crucified' was an offense (a 'stumblingblock,' skandalon) to Jews because a crucified Messiah did not fit their expectation of a conquering king, and it was intellectually absurd ('foolishness') to Greeks.

Verse 24

To those called by God, the crucified Christ is revealed as the ultimate paradox: the means by which God expresses both His saving power and His deepest wisdom.

Verse 26

Paul applies the theology of the cross to the composition of the Corinthian church itself, noting that few members belonged to the socially elite (wise, mighty, noble) classes of Corinth.

Verse 27

God deliberately chooses the socially disadvantaged and intellectually weak to shame the powerful. This is God’s consistent methodology throughout salvation history.

Verse 29

The ultimate purpose of God’s choice of the weak is to eliminate all human boasting or self-glorying. Salvation is entirely a divine work, removing any basis for human pride.

Verse 30

In contrast to relying on human wisdom, the believer’s standing is found entirely in Christ, who fulfills the four key needs of salvation: wisdom (guidance), righteousness (justification), sanctification (holiness), and redemption (deliverance).

Verse 31

Paul concludes his opening argument by citing Jeremiah 9:24, providing the theological mandate for the entire discussion: true glory is found only in the Lord, not in human accomplishments or preferred leaders.

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1 Corinthians1

Salutation and Authorship

Thanksgiving for Spiritual Gifts

Plea for Unity and Against Divisions

The Cross: God's Power, Human Foolishness

God Chooses the Weak and Lowly

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