1 Corinthians 1
1
1This letter comes from Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother. 2It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, those who are being made right in Christ Jesus, called to live holy lives—and to everyone who worships the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere, the Lord both of them and of us.
3May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I'm always thanking God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. 5Through him you have been made rich in everything, in all that you say and every aspect of what you know. 6In fact the testimony of Christ was proved valid in your experience, 7so that you're not missing any spiritual gift as you wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also keep you strong to the very end, so you will be kept right until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is trustworthy who called you to share together in fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10Brothers and sisters, I plead with you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all agree and that you're not divided. Instead develop a united attitude and purpose. 11For I have been told things about you, my brothers and sisters, by some of Chloe's people—that you are quarreling among yourselves. 12Let me explain what I mean. You're all making different claims: “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Did Paul die on a cross for you? Was it in the name of Paul that you were baptized?
14I'm grateful to God that I didn't baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius, 15so nobody can claim they were baptized in my name. 16(Oh, and I also baptized the Stephanas family—I can't think of anyone else.) 17For Christ didn't send me out to baptize, but to spread the good news, and not with eloquent human wisdom, otherwise the cross of Christ would be made powerless.#1:17. Or “ineffectual.” Literally, “emptied.”
18For the message of the cross is nonsense to those who are lost, but it's the power of God to those of us who are saved. 19As Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will wipe out the cleverness of the clever.”#1:19. Probably referencing Isaiah 29:14.
20So how about the wise, the writers, and the philosophers of this age? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? 21Since God in his wisdom allowed the world in its wisdom not to know God, it was God's gracious plan that by the foolishness of the good news those who trusted in him would be saved. 22The Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but our message is of Christ killed on a cross—offensive to the Jews, and foolishness to the foreigners. 24However, for those who are called by God, both Jews and foreigners, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than we are; and the weakness of God is stronger than we are.
26Brothers and sisters, remember your calling—and that this did not include many who are wise, humanly speaking; not many who are powerful; not many who are important. 27Instead God chose the things the world considers foolish to humiliate those who think they are wise. He chose the things the world considers weak to humiliate those who think they are strong. 28He chose the things that are unimportant and despised by the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,#1:28. This complicated verse is really saying that God uses things and people not viewed as important by this world to demonstrate what really is important. 29so that nobody should boast in God's presence.
30It's because of him that you live in Christ Jesus, who God made to be wisdom for us. He sets us right, keeps us right, and frees us. 31So as Scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast, let them boast in the Lord.”#1:31. Referencing Jeremiah 9:23.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Corinthians 1
1
Greeting
1Paul, #See Rom. 1:1 called #2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those #ch. 6:11; [ver. 30]; See John 17:19 sanctified in Christ Jesus, #See Rom. 1:7 called to be saints together with all those who in every place #See Acts 9:14call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 # [See ver. 2 above] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4I #See Rom. 1:8give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in every way #2 Cor. 9:11; [2 Cor. 6:10] you were enriched in him in all #2 Cor. 8:7; [ch. 12:8]; See Rom. 15:14; 1 John 2:20speech and all knowledge— 6even as #2 Tim. 1:8; [2 Thess. 1:10; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rev. 1:2]the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you #Rom. 8:19; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28; See Luke 17:30; 2 Pet. 3:12wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8#[Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 3:13] who will sustain you to the end, #Col. 1:22 guiltless #ch. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 2:16; [Luke 17:24]in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9#ch. 10:13; Deut. 7:9; Isa. 49:7; 2 Cor. 1:18 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the #1 John 1:3fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10I appeal to you, brothers,#1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 11, 26 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no #ch. 11:18 divisions among you, but that you be united #[Phil. 1:27]in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is #ch. 3:3quarreling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that #ch. 3:4; [Matt. 23:9, 10] each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow #See Acts 18:24 Apollos,” or “I follow #See John 1:42Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13#[ch. 12:5; 2 Cor. 11:4; Eph. 4:5] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you #See Acts 8:16baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except #Acts 18:8 Crispus and #See Rom. 16:23Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also #ch. 16:15, 17the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and #ch. 2:1, 4, 13; [2 Cor. 10:10; 11:6; 2 Pet. 1:16]not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18For the word of the cross is #ver. 21, 23, 25; ch. 2:14 folly to #2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10 those who are perishing, but to us #ch. 15:2; [Acts 2:47] who are being saved it is #Rom. 1:16; [ver. 24]the power of God. 19For it is written,
# Cited from Isa. 29:14; [Job 5:12, 13; Jer. 8:9; Matt. 11:25] “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 #
Isa. 19:12 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? #ch. 2:6; 3:19; Isa. 44:25; Rom. 1:22; [ver. 26]Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach#1:21 Or the folly of preaching to save those who believe. 22For #See Matt. 12:38Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ #Gal. 5:11; See 1 Pet. 2:8crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ #[ver. 18] the power of God and #ver. 30; Col. 2:3; [Luke 11:49]the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For consider your calling, brothers: #ch. 2:8; John 7:48; [ver. 20]; See Matt. 11:25not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,#1:26 Greek according to the flesh not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But #James 2:5 God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; #Ps. 8:2God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even #Rom. 4:17 things that are not, to #ch. 2:6; [Job 34:19, 24]bring to nothing things that are, 29so #Eph. 2:9; [Judg. 7:2]that no human being#1:29 Greek no flesh might boast in the presence of God. 30And because of him#1:30 Greek And from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us #[ver. 24] wisdom from God, #Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9 righteousness and #[ver. 2] sanctification and #Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; [Rom. 3:24]redemption, 31so that, as it is written, #2 Cor. 10:17; [Jer. 9:23, 24]“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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