First Corinthians/Chapter 1:1-10/Commentary by Mark Dunagan

First Corinthians Chapter 1:1-10

Outline: I.

Salutation: 1:1-3

II.

Thanksgiving: 1:4-9

III.

A Divided Church: 1:10-17

IV.

Divine Wisdom and Human Wisdom: 1:18-31

1 Corinthians 1:1 “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother” “Almost all letters from the Greco-Roman period begin with a threefold saluation: Name of the writer, to the addressee, and greetings.” 1 “The phrases which open the epistles of Paul are of deep import. It is true that they follow the forms with which, in his day, letters usually were begun. Yet they never are empty formulas”. 2 The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Gordon D. Fee p. 27 1

The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. Charles R.

“Called to be an apostle”: “Apostle of Jesus Christ by God's call and by God's will” (NEB). “Not by merit or human choice, but called through an express intervention of the Divine will” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 757). Apparently some in Corinth were questioning Paul's apostleship (1 Corinthians 9:1; 2 Corinthians 11:4-5; 12:11-13). “To a church which would often call his apostleship in question, Paul speaks of himself as a ‘called apostle’. An authorized witness of the resurrected Lord. Commissioned by and on behalf of the Lord who called him. But for all their doubts, he had none and so he claims the place God gave him without a hint of embarrassment”. 3 See Galatians 1:1. “Through the will of God”: See 2 Corinthians 1:1. “Paul was not an apostle because he usurped the position but because God willed him to be an apostle” 4 (Acts 9:1516). “Paul's call was not produced by a set of fortuitous circumstances. Not accidentally or in a temporal and a passing manner was Paul called. Nor did he grow into the call by a kind of evolution or spiritual development on his part” 5 Paul claimed that God's will for him to be an apostle had gone all the way back to his birth (Galatians 1:15-16), yet Paul still had a choice in accepting this call (Acts 26:19 “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”), this implies that he might or could have disobeyed and set his will against that of God. Man can resist a direct call from God, as seen in the case of Pharaoh (Romans 9:15) and Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-10). “And Sosthenes our brother”: The name is pronounced (SOS thuh knees). He was a brother to both Paul and the Corinthians. “Paul generally included in his salutations those who were working with him and who were known to the congregation to whom he was writing (2 Corinthians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1)”. 6 Many speculate that this is the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17, who is called the leader of the synagogue and who had stirred up the Jews to bring Paul before Gallio. If this is true, then this verse reveals an amazing, yet unrecorded case Erdman p. 21 3

The Book of First Corinthians. Jim McGuiggan p. 17

A Commentary on Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. Mike Willis p. 4 4

Lenski p. 20

Willis p. 6

of conversion “What a triumph of the gospel would be recorded when Paul, in essence, said, ‘the Sosthenes who stirred up the Jews against me in your own town of Corinth is now a Christian and working with me, the very one he sought to persecute, here in Ephesus.' 7 Yet we need to realize that the name was a very common name. 1 Corinthians 1:2 “unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours” “The church of God”: The church belongs to God (Acts 20:28; Matthew 16:18). “Which is at Corinth”: “This church had been extended even to Corinth. That is the wonder. Even in that pagan city, amid its pride, its impurity, its absorbing rush for pleasure and for wealth, a brotherhood of believers had come into being; and never on earth has a place been found so degraded, so depraved, so morally hopeless, that the church of God cannot be established there”. 8 “Commentators usually remark concerning this verse that the people in Corinth were still styled the church regardless of the immoralities, divisions, problems of worship, and so on, which existed among them. Then the point is made that we can be the church even while we are in doctrinal and moral apostasy. Such comments overlook the fact that these very conditions were what prompted Paul to write this letter in which he was striving to persuade the Corinthians to correct these sins. He wrote to them commanding them to get rid of the wickedness that was among them, or else, when he came, he would not spare if they had not repented (2 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Corinthians 4:21). Paul did not close his eyes to the problems at Corinth; he sought to correct them”. 9 The same situation is true concerning what Jesus said to some of the congregations mentioned in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 2:5; 14-16; 2023; 3:3;15-19). At the same time, we need to note that Paul was not willing (nor was Jesus) to bury a congregation in a hurry. “I am suggesting that when people go off half-cocked and wish to bury an assembly in a hurry you can rest assured there is little or no

Willis p. 5

Erdman p. 23

Willis pp. 6-7

commitment to that assembly”. 10 Even a factious man was to be given the opportunity of two warnings (Titus 3:10). Paul is not tolerating sin, but he is giving people the opportunity to repent. “Even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus”: These are the individuals that compose the church. The church is composed of “sanctified” people, that is people that have come into contact with the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29; Acts 20:28) The church is composed of those “in Christ Jesus”, which infers that entrance into the church of God involves faith and baptism (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3) This agrees with Acts 2:38,41,47. “Called to be saints”: “Sainthood is not something which one attains years after he is dead; sainthood is something which belongs to every Christian. Sainthood is not something one attains because of his superior morals (just look at the people Paul calls saints in this letter), although saints must exhibit purity in morals; sainthood is bestowed upon us by God on the basis of Christ having washed away our sins”. 11 “Saints”: “The word ‘hagios’ (saints) describes a thing or a person which has been devoted to the possession and service of God. Now if a person has been marked out as specially belonging to God he must show himself to be fit in life and character for that service. That is how ‘hagios’ comes to mean ‘holy’. But the root idea of the word is separation. When Paul calls the Christian ‘hagios’ (saints) he means that the Christian is a man who is different from other men because he specially belongs to God and to the service of God”. 12 “The repeated ref., to the holiness of the readers recalls them to their vocation; low practice calls for the reassertion of high ideals” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 758). Sanctification is not a process that operates against our will. These Corinthians were sanctified (6:11), but they still needed much improvement. The blood of Christ separates us from our past sins, but we must continue to cooperate in setting ourselves apart from present and future sin (2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14). Some Christians fail to realize that being set apart for the service of God brings a great obligation to live like a person who has been delivered from the bondage of sin (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9-10). God takes a dim view of those who are unappreciative for such deliverance (2 Peter 2:20-22; Jude 5).

McGuiggan p. 18

Willis p. 10

The Letters to the Corinthians. William Barclay p. 11

“With all”: Paul is not writing this letter to Christians in every place (though it truths apply to them also), neither are all Christians joining Paul in writing to the Corinthians. Fee suggests that this phrase is intended to remind the Corinthians that they composed a universal church, a body of believers from which they seem to have struck an independent course (4:17; 11:16; 14:33,36). “In every place”: The universal nature of the church (Matthew 28:19-20). “Their Lord and ours”: “I'm sure you've noticed in your reading of the first nine verses that Jesus is called ‘Lord’ again and again. It is mentioned five times and implied a sixth. Here again this quote from Morris: ‘The ideal of the Corinthian was the reckless development of the individual. The merchant, the man of pleasure, the athlete are the true Corinthian types; in a word, the man who recognized no superior and no law but his own desires’. Now, does this not suggest a reason for Paul's stress on the Lordship of Jesus?” 13 (1 Corinthians 8:6; Romans 10:12; 14:9; Ephesians 4:5). 1 Corinthians 1:3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 1:4 “I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus” “I thank my God always concerning you”: “The Corinthians had broken his heart, caused him great pain, despised his appearance and speech, doubted his apostleship; but he thanks God concerning them. Where did this spirit go? With the buffalo, it would seem. And he always thanked God concerning them. He meant it. He knew about their shortcomings and he rebukes them when necessary. But he still thanked God for them. Do you have children? Parents? Family? Friends? Are you aware of failings in their lives? Does the fact that they have failings prevent you from thanking God for them? Where love is absent we have the ‘kingdom of the gripes’”. 14 “Always”: A regular habit with Paul (1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:13; Romans 1:8; Colossians 1:3; Philippians 1:3; Philemon 4). “For”: The reason for his gratitude. “By reason of” (Rhm). “The grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus”: "Grace" here may refer to both the grace bestowed at conversion, and the spiritual gifts that followed (1:5).

McGuiggan p. 19

McGuiggan p. 20

“Commonly this is viewed as a thanksgiving for grace as such, that is the gracious outpouring of God's mercy in Christ Jesus toward the undeserving. However, for Paul charis (‘grace’) very often is closely associated with (‘gift’ or ‘gifts’) spiritual gifts”. 15 "Grace" is only available in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). “Paul's thanksgiving centers upon God's gifts to the Corinthians rather than on their own moral achievements. The Corinthian church did not cease to be an object of Paul's thoughts and prayers when he left them (2 Corinthians 11:28)”. 16 1 Corinthians 1:5 “that in everything ye were enriched in Him, in all utterance and all knowledge” “That”: “I mean, that in everything” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 759). “Everything”: “God had withheld nothing from them” (Lenski p. 31). “So abundant was the grace thus granted that the Corinthian Christians lacked none of the spiritual gifts needed to sustain them in their life and work”. 17 “Ye were enriched in Him”: “It suggests that formerly the Corinthians were poor spiritually, yea utterly destitute, but that this has now been wondrously changed--they have come into great spiritual wealth” (Lenski p. 31). “To a body of Christians composed of ‘not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble’ (1:26 the lower classes of society), Paul said, ‘You are enriched by Him’ (2 Corinthians 8:9)”. 18 “In all utterance”: “Paul next enumerates specifically the ‘graces’ for which he is giving thanks”. 19 “Eloquence--the ability to express their knowledge”. 20 “With full power of expression” (Ber). “Full power to speak of your faith” (Mof). “The specific thing referred to might be the gifts of tongue speaking, the preaching of God's word by men of outstanding ability (such as Apollos), exhorters---indicates that they were amply blessed with qualified speakers of God's word. To perceive how richly blessed the Corinthians were with speakers, note the subsequent disorders that arose from 15

Fee p. 37

Willis pp. 13-14

Erdman p. 25

Willis p. 16

Fee p. 38

The New Century Bible Commentary I & II Corinthians. F.F. Bruce p. 31 20

several wanting to speak at one time in their assemblies as referred to in chapter 14”.21 “All knowledge”: “Full insight into its meaning” (Mof). They were blessed with an abundance of prophets (14:29). “Thus, the Corinthians were blessed with prophets, discerners of spirits, men who possessed the gift of (supernatural) knowledge. The church was richly blessed with men who could communicate God's revelation and with men who understood it”. 22 The problems at Corinth were not caused by ignorance or lack of revelation. The answer to their problems was not a complete New Testament. This congregation was blessed with immense talent, they had access to all the right answers, and they heard excellent sermons. Their problems were caused by such things as immaturity, pride, lust, bitterness, resentment, envy and jealousy. This letter should warn us. The most blessed and talented of congregations can be destroyed when it's talented members start becoming selfish and self-centered. “A violent wicked city, a corrupt and decadent populace, a brawling and bitter community and God sought it's redemption. God poured out on its former homosexuals and idolaters the multiplied gifts bought for them by Jesus Christ. They had only earned wrath but God had showered on them the blessings of Jesus. How pleased Paul is with God for being so gracious as to enrich these impoverished lives. In Paul's experience God had shown Himself, over and over again, an inexpressibly generous Lord”. 23 1 Corinthians 1:6 “even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you” “Testimony of Christ”: “Concerning Christ” (NASV). “Confirmed in you”: Side ref., or "among you" (NASV).

The gospel message.

“Confirmed”: To establish. “The truth of the gospel was corroborated by their receiving these spiritual gifts (Hebrews 2:3-4)”. 24 Miracles had accompanied Paul's preaching to them (1 Thessalonians 1:5); and spiritual gifts were still manifest among them (Galatians 3:5). All of this simply confirmed the truthfulness of the gospel message. (Mark 16:17-20) 21

Willis p. 16

Willis pp. 16-17

McGuiggan p. 20

F.F. Bruce p. 31

1 Corinthians 1:7 “so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” “So that”: “Causing that” (McGarvey p. 51). The result of the enrichment just described. “Ye come behind in no gift”: “No church excelled the Corinthians in the variety of its endowments and the satisfaction felt in them. Chapters 12-14 enumerate and discuss the chief Corinthians setting, in their midst” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 760). “And thus there is no gift in which you are deficient” (TCNT). This is just another way of saying, “ye were enriched in everything” (1 Corinthians 4:7-8). “The message of Christ came to Corinth and when it arrived it was established among them to a remarkable degree. Perhaps their environment required a remarkable confirmation”. 25 “Waiting”: To expect fully. “For the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ”: The second coming. This event is to be the focus for the Christian (1 John 3:3; Romans 8:23 “eagerly awaiting”; 25). 1 Corinthians 1:8 “who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” “Confirm you unto the end”: “The believer will never be deserted by Jesus Christ. He will confirm the believer right to the end. A believer can prove faithless (2 Timothy 2:12-13). The self-sufficient Corinthians are being reminded again of their utter dependence on Jesus” 26 “It may be asked, ‘Does Paul here teach that none of the Corinthians would fall away from grace?’ Certainly not, as the teaching of 9:27 and 10:1-13 will show. But, like all good teachers Paul deals with one thing at a time. When in chapter 10 he is warning his converts of the danger of falling away, he does not spoil the effect of his words by any reference to the sustaining power of God. It is enough to say that God will not suffer them to be tempted beyond their strength. Here, on the other hand Paul does not guard his teaching as to God's faithfulness, by pointing out how that faithfulness may be made of none effect by persistent refusal to obey”. 27 “Unreprovable”: “Blameless” (NASV). The Corinthians could only stand 'blameless' at the judgment, if they were forgiven of their sins (1 John 1:8-10; Romans 4:6-8). 25

McGuiggan p. 21

H.L. Goudge, The First Epistle to the Corinthians p. 5

Therefore an unrepentant attitude will surely result in our condemnation (Romans 2:4-5). 1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” “God is faithful”: We can always depend on God acting in the way He said He will act (as detailed in His word). If God acts any way contrary to the Bible, then God is "unfaithful"! God will forgive our sins when we repent (1 John 1:9). Hence the only thing standing between us and eternal life and "being blameless" at the judgment-is our human pride. (1 Thessalonians 5:24; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:36; Philippians 1:16). “Called”: By the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). “Into the fellowship of His Son”: Maybe we don't realize what this statement really means. When I became a Christian, I became part of God's family (Galatians 3:26). Jesus embraced me as a fellow son, or as a younger brother (Hebrews 2:11). The Condemnation of Party Strife: 1:10-17 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, through 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 perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment” “Beseech”: “Exhort” (NASV). “Does not mean ‘I beg’, but rather ‘I call upon you, I summon you, I admonish you’. This word is tactful and brotherly, and yet Paul is not forgetting that he writes as an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1). The authority he would exercise is the same whether it speaks softly or finds itself compelled to speak sternly” (Lenski p. 38). “Brethren”: “The apostle does not forget that, though guilty of promoting separations, all of the body are brethren. In using this word, Paul is appealing to their better senses; the Corinthians recognize that they are all born again of the same Father. Why, then, should they be divided?”. 28 “Through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”: “The name of Christ indicates all that Christ is known to be, as Saviour and Master and Lord” (Erdman p. 28). “By all that the Lord Jesus means to you” (Phi). “A voice of authority, enforced by threatened judgment 28

Willis pp. 25-26

(1 Corinthians 4:21) thus emphasizing its virtue before he uses it as the symbol of supreme authority: as Chrysostom says, ‘he nails them to this name’” (McGarvey p. 52). “This name, this solitary name would stand in contrast to all the party names. This is the only name under heaven and among men that carries redemption in it (Acts 4:10)”. 29 Christ was certainly against such divisions (John 17:20-23). “That ye all speak the same thing”: “To agree in what you profess” (TCNT). In contrast to what they were saying in 1:12. “To present a united front” (Barclay p. 15). “Divisions”: A split or gap ("schism"), literally or figuratively: division, rent, schism. “Split up into parties” (Phi). “The word he uses to describe them is the word for rents in a garment. The Corinthian Church is in danger of becoming as unsightly as a torn garment” (Barclay pp. 15-16). “Perfected”: To complete thoroughly, repair (literally or figuratively), adjust or restore. This word was used for the mending of torn fishing nets (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19). “But that you be well and surely adjusted” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 763). “Twentieth century Christians have been exposed to a divided Christianity so long that they not only accept it but also praise it. Some see virtues arising out of denominationalism (e.g., competition in evangelizing, a religious group fitted to every man). God does not appreciate rifts in Christianity any more today than He did in 58 A.D. The church must never forget that preserving and restoring the unity of the body of Christ is still a part of its divine mission”. 30 ‘Mind”: “Unity of right understanding” (Lenski p. 40). “Disposition or way of thinking” (Fee p. 53). “Judgment”: “That which is the outcome of ‘mind’ (frame of mind, state of mind), judgment, opinion, and sentiment” (Robertson pp. 72-73). “Being in the same realm of thought, they would judge questions from the same Christian stand-point, and formulate their judgment accordingly”. 31 When one reads these verses, the question always arises to what extent must Christians agree? Romans chapter 14 certainly reveals an area of opinion, a realm of morally neutral issues which allows Christians to have differing practices and responses to the same 29

McGuiggan p. 28

Willis pp. 27-28

Vincent p. 188

subject. In his commentary, McGuiggan argues that this verse applies to "fundamental truths", he then says, “And what are fundamental truths? They are those the Bible links explicity or clearly implicitly with such categories as remission of sins, salvation, union with Christ, eternal life, forgiveness, justification, redemption, propitiation, washing away of sins, reconciliation, and the like” (pp. 2930). Let us remember, that obeying any command of God is linked with “salvation” (Matthew 7:21), and our love for Christ (John 14:15). The Apostle John declared that we cannot have fellowship or unity with any teaching that is in conflict with what Christ taught (2 John 9-11). Paul agreed (Galatians 1:6-9). These verses suggest that the "basis" of unity is the word of God. Hence involved in this "same mind", is to accept the word of God as the final authority in settling religious questions (1 Corinthians 14:37).