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.

Listen to this chapter

Salutation and Authorship

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

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving for Spiritual Gifts

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Plea for Unity and Against Divisions

¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

¶ I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

¶ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

The Cross: God's Power, Human Foolishness

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

God Chooses the Weak and Lowly

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory 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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

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

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options