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Chapter 1
- 1 Conventional opening, except for use of “grace” instead of “greetings”, with additions (Vv 1-9) referring to
some of the issues raised in the letter. “called” reminds that Paul’s mission and the church’s existence is all
God’s initiative. Possibly the same Sosthenes as in Acts 18, but not necessarily. But appears he would be known
to the Corinthians. With first Crispus and then Sosthenes, both leaders of the synagogue, turning to Christ, the
Jewish community must have been in some disarray - we must never draw back from attempting to convince
anyone, however entrenched they may appear to be. “Christ” appears 10 times in first 10 verses: must turn to
Christ when we have a problem.
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2 Each of us is called individually by God, and we respond by calling on the name of the Lord - all those who
respond in this way across the world constitute “God’s church” = called together - ecclesia (NB not Paul’s/my
church). Already sanctified, but still called to be holy: a tension between what has happened, and what is yet
required. Holiness is properly an aspect only of God, but things/people/places set apart - = sanctified (same root
as holy) - for God are drawn into his life and so share in a derivative holiness (Cf Exod 22:31). Christians are
already set apart, and so holy by God’s action/call, but they are also called to become what they already are - not
by their own efforts, but by allowing God’s Spirit to work within them. There is but one call, though it may take
us some time to discover the full extent of that call, which is always a call to service. Note it is the Church of God
at Corinth/Aquila’s house - the whole church is present. Not the ‘Church of Corinth’, nor perhaps the ‘Church of
England’ - we should concentrate on the reality which unites us rather than geographical distinctions which
separate us.
- 3 As usual, Paul combines the Greek opening, “Grace”, with the Jewish “Shalom”. Grace is God’s undeserved
and unconditional goodwill, and its expression in God’s saving acts; peace is the effect of this - salvation is a
present as well as future reality.
- 4 Vv 4-9 celebrate the gifts God has given to his Church at Corinth - given in Christ Jesus. All churches have
problems like those at Corinth - we too should first celebrate the joys we have, before seeking to improve the
sorrows. We should not seek to join the Church next door which looks more attractive, but work to make our own
community more effective in the service of the Lord. The grace of God was given you, you were enriched in
every way (v5), you are not lacking any spiritual gift (v 7). God has been generous to these redeemed sinners at
Corinth - as a community - we experience God’s gifts in fellowship. As individuals we cannot make such claims
about ourselves - Paul never calls any individuals saints. But we can expect the local Church to have all
necessary gifts, at least potentially - God has given us everything he has, in his son.
- 5 Paul singles out for thanks the full spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and speech (logos) they have received, and
which they properly value so much. These concepts were dynamite in the early church - the gnostics claimed a
spiritual elite who alone possessed true knowledge, alone were able to put it into words, and alone had the
authority to guide and control the church. No says Paul - the whole congregation has the gifts of knowledge and
speech. Special gurus are not needed.
- 6 “The testimony to Christ”: this defines the purpose of Paul’s mission, to give testimony to Christ by his oral and
written teaching and by the life he leads as an apostle. But there are 2 stages: preaching which uncovers and
explains Christ’s teaching; confirmed or secured in our hearts through the work of the Spirit bringing conviction,
illumination and faith.
- 7 In spite of criticisms to come, Paul insists that the Corinthians are not lacking any spiritual gift - they are truly
called by God and blessed by him. But 7b reminds that there is more to come at the 2nd coming - they do not
know it all.
- 8 And God will keep them firm/secure (same word as in v 6) in their faith: in spite of very visible shortcomings,
their faith will not waver. On the Day of the Lord they will be “without reproach” in God’s sight - a remarkable
confidence. Not so much flawlessness, but their total commitment will bring success. Each Eucharist anticipates
with joy that Day, when both Jesus Christ and the full detail of our service will be revealed to all, longed for by
Paul at the end of the letter: Maran atha. God will ensure that on that day his people will not be accused of sin,
by anyone. Greek for ‘day’ also means ‘court’ (cf Diet).
- 9 But they must not have a false self-confidence: they must ground their faith and hope in God and in Jesus, who
has yet to complete his saving work, but who will keep faith with those he has called. Already the importance of
koinonia - in the church and in Jesus Christ. God will not abandon us. We can totally depend on God.
- 10 Paul traces the divisions within the community to a false self-image on their part, plus false understanding of
the apostles who preached to them (cf 4:6-9; 9:1-5), and of the Christian message itself. To emphasise his
concern, Paul calls on them in the name of Jesus - for the 10th time in 10 verses - to be united - repeated
differently three times.
- 11 Although Paul may not have been surprised by news of quarreling - really “strife” - it was clearly very painful
and hurtful to him. Repeated use of “brethren” indicates the basis of his concern: if Christ has made them one in
Christ and in each other, they must become what they are. The subjects of these disagreements are nat all clear,
and there will always be disagreements and selecting some aspects of the truth to be emphasised at different times
and places. But if absorption in selected aspects become so strong that other aspects of the whole truth are
excluded or denied, that then becomes heresy. They must learn how to deal with dissension (schismata) without
splitting into factions who refuse to share in fellowship.
- 12 Peter may have passed through Corinth, although most see this as a symbolic reference, like the one to Christ.
Apollos is referred to in Acts 18:24f, and i Cor 3:5-9. These cliques recur often in the Church - Clement wrote
about the first 3 in AD95, 40 years after Paul. Every congregation probably has its “Paul party”, harking back to
a previous pastor - but taking their eyes off Christ. It is relationships that are important. There is great danger in
labeling differences as theological, and discussing these amicably, without allowing ourselves to meet each other
as brothers and sisters in Christ. Perhaps current ecumenical attitudes are in advance of theological discussions
between the churches? The Paul faction probably arose in response to the appearance of the other factions.
Apollos from Alexandria (cf Acts 18:24 ff) appears to have been a much better speaker than Paul, and gained a
personal following, perhaps with a more intellectual emphasis. Although he was corrected by Aquila and
Priscilla, he may also have retained some gnostic tendencies from Alexandria. The Peter party probably
represented a form of Jewish Christianity, with more legalistic tendencies - eg about eating food offered to idols,
probably a continuing issue, with the many Jewish converts in Corinth. After initial enthusiasm of freedom from
the law, converts can drop into a ‘safe’ way of following the letter rather than the spirit: walking the tightrope
between licence and legalism is always difficult. Certainty gives security - as does a call “back to the early
church”. Christianity must not be reduced to mere rules. Although a Christ party may seem unlikely, it is always
thus: with all the talk of following individuals, there are always those who are against authority and say all we
need is to follow Christ. Not easy to cope with those who have this ‘hot line’ to the Lord! Probably had a gnostic
tendency at Corinth. Such ‘Christ parties’ often hive off from their unspiritual parent church. Paul urges that
they work together for unity - in harmony - not unison. Christians with differing views are called to live together
in harmony, with each free to express their own convictions and insights. “With the same mind and the same
judgement” (v 10) means wrestling with and arriving at the truth; united, as for broken bones, means restoration
of former condition. Moreover it is through the various ministries (Eph 4:12) that this unity is to be arrived at -
not through politics.
- 13 A string of rhetorical questions to illustrate the absurdity of such divisions. Paul emphasises that Christ should
be our focus - the wholeness of Christ, the Cross of Christ, and the Lordship of Christ. You cannot have part of a
person - each faction must have all of Christ. (Similarly we - hopefully - have the Spirit, we cannot seek to have
more of him). It is Christ who has died for them on the Cross, not Paul. We can come to Jesus only through the
Cross, before which we are all equal. The Eucharist continually reminds us of the Cross - a powerful argument
for all Christians joining together as redeemed sinners first to receive the Lord at the Eucharist, and so beginning
to demonstrate our unity, rather than sharing Communion being seen as a fruit of visible unity. Reference to
Baptism suggests some may be paying special allegiance to those who initiated them into the community. But
they were baptised into - committed to, possessed by - Christ. It appears Paul wishes to play down an exaggerated
cult of baptism and or the baptiser, and generally left baptising to others. To him, who did the baptising is not
important - to the extent that he forgot who he had baptised personally. Although Paul appears to place baptism below
preaching the gospel, he still recognises the foundational significance of baptism for every believer, taking them back
to what was no empty ceremony.
- 14 If this Crispus is the converted leader of the synagogue (Acts 18:8), that may be why Paul baptised him himself.
Gaius is probably Paul’s host (Rom 16:23), and hence also an important convert. Perhaps the Corinthians were
attaching a magical significance to Baptism, ie that through they were saved for good - cf 10:1-13?
- 16 Paul immediately corrects himself: once the letter was written, it was sent as is.
- 17 Paul’s task is not baptism, but preaching. His authority comes from being called as an apostle - not from any skills
he has. He must draw his hearers’ attention to the content of the message, not to how well it is delivered, which might
rob the message of its effect. The basic theme of Chaps 1-4: adherence to individuals has to do with their particular
abilities. which Paul sees as in conflict with the gospel. “not with the wisdom of human eloquence” (ouk en sophia
logou): complex play on meanings. sophia - wisdom - in biblical usage usually refers to practical means to an end, and
logos - word - can denote internal reasoning, as well as external speech, but the meaning emphasised here is
persuasiveness. So Paul is seeking to exclude both human ways of reasoning and rhetorical technique. “human” is not
in the Greek but supplied from the context. Paul will now distinguish between the human and divine meanings of
sophia and logos - the wisdom of the world in contrast to the wisdom of God.
- 18 This section concentrates on the contrast between folly and wisdom - presumably the Corinthians are too
preoccupied with wisdom. Wisdom appears here to mean a philosophy by which people seek a knowledge of God. In
contrast to the gospel which provides that knowledge by revelation. The word of the cross is the wisdom and the
power of God - human values are overturned. The words “folly” and “power” set the scene for the contrast in v 22 ff
between the Jews who seek signs, the Greeks who see the highest good in (human) wisdom through which man can
speculate to God, and God’s self revelation in the gospel. To the Jews, a God crucified is impossible. To the Greeks,
with catch phrases like “The wise man is king”, the God understood through the intellect cannot feel, so they cannot
conceive a personal or suffering God. Therefore to Paul these human wisdoms must be rejected because they are not
based on Christ crucified, and on what follows from the Cross, ie man’s sinfulness and salvation given by a loving
God. All members of the church in any age must be influenced by the thinking of their surrounding world. These
secular ways of thinking must be unlearned to the extent that it empties the word of the Cross and its power. They
therefore strike at the very heart of the Christian message. Clever words and arguments and formal conformity to
religious practices but which do not change our way of living is the wrong wisdom. To that extent our secular society
may be right in professing to be Christian but by not practicing religion. In the next section (1:18 - 2:16) Paul shows 3
(trinitarian) views of God’s wisdom: the word of the Cross (vv 18-25), the ways of God (vv 26-31), and the
ministry of the Spirit (2:1-16). Note that the word and preaching remain important, and God’s revealed wisdom is
rational. We have a responsibility to preach the word of God, but it cannot be preached or received without the
help of the Spirit. The Cross is very specific: God’s wisdom is seen in the person of the Messiah strung up on a
gibbet. As long as Greeks rely on their own thinking they will spiral into destruction and perish eternally. The
unknown and humanly unknowable God makes himself known in the Cross. All this without Paul once
mentioning the Resurrection! His message here is simply “Christ crucified”, although the emphasis in chap 1 on
Jesus’ death is balanced by Paul’s defence of the Resurrection in the last chapter.
- 19 The quote from Is 29:24 emphasises that salvation is of the Lord. Man’s cleverness is not the right way.
God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-9, also 6-7). God saves from eternal destruction, not those who have human
wisdom or do good deeds, but those who believe. In the crucified Christ (v 21), destroying the wisdom of the
wise. God does not argue with those who argue with him: the gospel’s best defence is people who are being saved
as they respond to the Cross. We should not be trapped into arguing: the most effective respinse is the power of
God to save and change men.
- 20 To accept God’s wisdom, we must first accept that what we have accepted as human wisdom is folly.
- 21 For all its human wisdom, man has not - and cannot - come to truly know God. True wisdom and power are to
be found where least expected, where they appear not to exist: the crucified Christ appears to human as impotence
and absurdity. Two reasons for the different impact of the cross: “those who have faith” (v 21) and “those who
are called” (v 24): both are needed - salvation is available to those who have faith, but faith is a response to God’s
call. It pleased God “to save those who believe”.
- 22 The Jews seek signs (Deut 26:8) by which God will show his power and prove himself - signs which vanquish
the Jews’ enemies.
- 23 But Jesus does not come down from the cross - remaining on the cross he becomes a stumbling block for the
Jews. And to the Greeks, Jesus’ death on the cross fulfills Plato’s prediction that such is the likely end for a
perfectly just man in our society, but hardly shows the way to God.
- 24 For the cross shows God’s love, which in the end will triumph over all. For us seeking wisdom, the cross
offers a picture of God which makes suffering bearable. The insoluble problem of suffering by the innocent is
made easier to bear by the knowledge that God shared in that suffering.
- 25 In spite of Paul’s denial of the value of human eloquence (v 17) Paul has used all his rhetorical skills - but not
to display his skills, but to throw the gospel into sharp relief.
- 26 The reversal of human values by God’s values is shown in the church. The pattern of God’s wisdom and
power is exemplified in their own experience, and in Paul’s. Literally “Few of you are wise according to the
flesh” - the first use of “flesh” in this letter. Normally for the Greeks “flesh” means humanity’s creatureliness,
here referring to our external, temporal nature.
- 27 It is not an accident that the church is composed mainly of the weak and the foolish: emphasises that salvation
is not a recognition of (human) achievement, but a matter of grace. But the Church at Corinth shames the wise
and the strong. As usual it was the sinners and slaves who joined the Church, not often the leaders of society and
the rich.
- 28 God chose the weak to show that human power counts for nothing, to overthrow the human order. Cf Frodo -
the weakest - chosen to carry the Ring by the Council of Elrond. In the presence of God, astonishingly revealed
on the cross, all the things that men value dwindle to nothing. The old order is without effect and powerless.
- 29 To “boast of oneself” is to claim autonomy, ie that we are saved by our own efforts. It is not that God rejects
our learning and achievements, but to receive God’s love we must throw away all attempts to qualify for it
through our own efforts and accept it as a free gift. God does not reward righteousness but creates it out of
nothing - he “justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5), and “gives life to the dead” (Rom 4:17). In the face of such a
God, we cannot imagine that we could earn the right to be in God’s presence by our own efforts.
- 30 It is by God’s gift that we are incorporated into Christ and drawn into his life, giving us all the wisdom we
need, liberating us from sin and making us holy. Emphasises that divine wisdom saves us from sin. True wisdom
= righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
- 31 Jer 9:23-24. We should rather “boast in the Lord”, acknowledging that we live only from and for God, the
source of true wisdom, which is readily available to those willing to accept it as a free - unearned - gift. Only
those humble enough to turn to Jesus for salvation can be saved. And often God will see that we are humbled, so
keen is he to save us.