Greeting
1 Paul, a called as an apostle b of Christ Jesus by God’s will, c and Sosthenes our brother: d
2 To the church of God at Corinth, e to those sanctified f in Christ Jesus, called g as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name h of Jesus Christ our Lord—both their Lord and ours.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father i and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I always thank j my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in him k in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. l 6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, m 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait n for the revelation o of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, p so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. q 9 God is faithful; r you were called by him s into fellowship with his Son, t Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions at Corinth
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry u among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” v or “I belong to Cephas,” w or “I belong to Christ.” x 13 Is Christ divided? y Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God , that I baptized none of you except Crispus z and Gaius, a 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I did, in fact, baptize the household b of Stephanas; c beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross d of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. e 19 For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. ,f
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? g Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs h and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, i a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, j both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Boasting Only in the Lord
26 Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, k not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen l what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world m—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one may boast in his presence. n 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, o sanctification, p and redemption, q 31 in order that, as it is written: r Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. ,s
1:1–3. As was customary for personal letters written during the Greco-Roman era, Paul opens his letter with a greeting (1:1–3). The greeting routinely contained the name of the sender(s), sometimes with a short self-description; the name of the intended recipient(s), sometimes with a short descriptive comment; and a word of greeting.
1:4–9. Next Paul gives thanks to God for the whole of the church at Corinth. This is similar to other letters of this era, which often began by showing deference to the god/gods of the sender or recipient of the letter. Paul’s thanksgiving is warranted, he says, first and foremost because the grace of God—his unmerited love—has been given to them all in Christ Jesus (1:4). Furthermore, God’s initial gift of grace has led to an enrichment of the community in speaking and in knowledge, which has confirmed the apostolic testimony about Christ (1:5–6). Thus, at present, the church does “not lack any spiritual gift” as it eagerly waits with Paul for the revelation of Jesus Christ at his return (1:7).
A. A report of factions within the community (1:10–4:21). 1:10–11. Paul now appeals (1:10–17) to the church so “that there be no divisions” (none having apparently taken place to this point, though the danger is clearly present) and so that they may be completely “united with the same understanding and the same conviction” (1:10). Paul’s appeal is more than a mere formality. The verses that follow demonstrate the need for the appeal by referring to a report Paul has received from members of Chloe’s “people” about conditions at Corinth. These people, sent probably on business by Chloe (a woman of apparent importance), had brought to Paul a report that disputes had broken out among various groups within the community (1:11).
1:12. Three and perhaps four groups are mentioned. The first group has identified itself with Paul (though Paul does not reciprocate and identify himself with them, or distinguish them from the other parties). The second has aligned itself with Apollos (cf. Ac 18:24–19:1). The third group looked to Cephas (the Aramaic name for Peter; cf. Jn 1:42) for leadership, or to teachers who used his name (though it is possible that Peter himself had been at Corinth, this is not the only way a group associated with Peter’s Jewish Christian views may have come into existence at Corinth). The final slogan, “I belong to Christ,” has always proved difficult to interpret. Although it seems to designate a fourth group (whose apparent claim was allegiance to Christ’s teaching alone), it could denote the common claim of each of the three groups or Paul’s own retort to all.
1:13–16. With a series of rhetorical questions issuing out of passion and conviction, Paul responds to these misplaced allegiances (1:13). Do the Corinthians really suppose that the presence of Christ is somehow divided among them? Do they really mean to suggest that their allegiance is due to someone other than the one who has been crucified for them? Have they really forgotten that they were all baptized in one name? The last question leads Paul to recall (though he admits his recollection is not complete, 1:16b) that he did baptize Crispus (cf. Ac 18:8) and Gaius (probably the Corinthian who together with Paul sends greetings in Rm 16:23) (1:14), as well as the household of Stephanas (1:16a; one of the Corinthians with Paul as he was writing, 1 Co 16:17). But neither these nor anyone else “can say you were baptized in my name” (1:15).
1:17. The last verse of this section provides a bridge to the next (which criticizes the wisdom of the Corinthians and commends a different kind of wisdom). The transition is accomplished through the denial that “eloquent wisdom” has ever played a role in the preaching of the gospel. Indeed, such words and wisdom are the antithesis of preaching that concentrates on the cross of Christ and its power.
1:18–25. Paul’s criticism of the search for wisdom at Corinth (1:18–2:5) may be divided into three parts, in terms of its focus (1:18–25), its effects (1:26–31), and its claim to inspiration (2:1–5).
1:26–31. In criticizing the effects of the Corinthian search for wisdom, Paul next urges his readers to consider the circumstances surrounding their conversion. God’s call came not because they possessed wisdom, influence, or noble birth (1:26). (Paul’s statement implies that one effect of the search for wisdom has been that some at Corinth do indeed lay claim to these attributes either literally or figuratively. Jewish wisdom writings often ascribed to the wise man all the attributes mentioned here and others like them.) It came, instead, on the basis of their willingness to identify with things considered foolish, weak, lowly, and despised in this world (1:27–28), things that characterize the life and death of “Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us” (1:30a). This took place so that “the one who boasts, boast[s] in the Lord” (i.e., in Christ), who is the focus of the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption that have come to us from God (1:30b–31; cf. Jr 9:23–24). It is illegitimate, therefore, to search for wisdom and then to use it to boast before God and distinguish ourselves at the expense of our brothers or sisters.