Greeting and Thanksgiving
Study note
Paul identifies himself as an apostle called by God's will and addresses the Corinthian believers as those sanctified in Christ Jesus. He thanks God for the grace given to them, noting their enrichment in speech and knowledge, and affirms that God will keep them blameless until the day of Christ. This opening establishes that their identity and gifts come from God, not from any human leader.
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by God's will to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and from our brother Sosthenes. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 We are writing to God's church in Corinth -- to people who have been made holy through their relationship with Christ Jesus. You are called to be God's set-apart people, along with everyone everywhere who calls on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. He is their Lord and ours. 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:
3 May you receive grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank God for you every time I think of you, because of the grace he has poured out on you through Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
5 Through your connection to Christ, God has made you rich in every way -- in everything you say and everything you know. That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
6 The message about Christ took deep root among you and was confirmed as true. Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
7 Because of this, you are not missing any spiritual gift. You are looking forward to the day when our Lord Jesus Christ will return. So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 He will keep you standing firm until the very end. No one will be able to accuse you of anything on the day our Lord Jesus Christ comes back. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God always keeps his promises. He is the one who invited you into a close friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
Study note
Paul appeals for unity, reporting that Chloe's household has informed him of quarrels. The Corinthians have splintered into factions claiming to follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ. Paul uses pointed rhetorical questions to show the absurdity of such divisions: Christ is not divided, and no human leader was crucified for them or baptized them in his own name. He clarifies that his mission is to preach the gospel, not to build a personal following.
10 My friends, I beg you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: be on the same page with each other. Do not let yourselves be split into groups. Instead, be completely united in how you think and what you are working toward. 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.
11 I am saying this because some people from Chloe's household told me there is fighting going on among you. 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.
12 This is what I mean: one of you says, "I am with Paul." Another says, "I am with Apollos." Someone else says, "I am with Cephas." And another says, "I am with Christ." 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.
13 Has Christ been chopped into pieces? Was Paul nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized to become followers of Paul? Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I am thankful that I only baptized two of you -- Crispus and Gaius. I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 So nobody can claim they were baptized as a follower of Paul. Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16 Oh wait, I also baptized everyone in Stephanas' household. Other than that, I cannot think of anyone else I baptized. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17 After all, Christ did not send me out to baptize people. He sent me to share the good news -- and not with fancy, impressive words, because that would drain the power right out of Christ's cross. 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 Wisdom of the Cross
Study note
Paul contrasts worldly wisdom with the message of the cross, which appears as foolishness to the perishing but is the power of God to those being saved. He quotes Isaiah's warning about destroying the wisdom of the wise and declares that God has made the world's wisdom foolish. While Jews seek signs and Greeks pursue philosophical wisdom, Paul preaches Christ crucified, who is both God's power and God's wisdom.
18 The message about the cross sounds ridiculous to people who are on their way to destruction. But to those of us who are being rescued, it is the very power of God. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 The scriptures say, 'I will wreck the wisdom of the wise, and I will toss out the cleverness of the clever.' For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 So where does that leave the brilliant thinker? Where is the expert in the law? Where is the great debater of our time? God has shown that all the world's wisdom is foolishness. 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?
21 In God's wise plan, the world was never going to find him through its own smarts. Instead, God chose to save people who believe through something the world calls foolish -- preaching. 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.
22 Jewish people want to see miraculous signs. Greek people are hunting for wisdom. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we keep telling people about a Christ who was crucified. Jewish people see that as offensive, and non-Jewish people see it as nonsense. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But for those God has called -- both Jewish and non-Jewish -- Christ turns out to be God's power and God's wisdom. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the thing about God that looks foolish is still wiser than all human wisdom. And the thing about God that looks weak is still stronger than all human strength. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
God Chooses the Lowly
Study note
Paul reminds the Corinthians of their own humble origins: not many were wise, powerful, or of noble birth by worldly standards. God intentionally chose the foolish, weak, and despised to nullify what the world considers great, so that no human being can boast before him. Christ himself has become for believers their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, fulfilling the prophetic call to boast only in the Lord.
26 Look at your own group, friends. Think about what you were when God called you. Not many of you were considered smart by the world's standards. Not many were powerful. Not many came from important families. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 Instead, God hand-picked the things the world calls foolish to embarrass the wise. He picked the things the world calls weak to embarrass the strong. 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;
28 God picked things the world thinks are worthless and looks down on. He chose things that seem like nothing to cancel out the things the world thinks matter most. 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:
29 He did all of this so that no one could ever brag in front of God. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 You are connected to Christ Jesus because God made it happen. And Christ became everything for us -- he is our wisdom from God, the reason we are right with God, the one who makes us holy, and the one who sets us free. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 So the scriptures say it best: 'If you are going to brag, brag about the Lord.' That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.