‏ 1 Corinthians 1:10-31

Summary for 1Cor 1:10: 1:10–15:58  ^a The body of the letter is devoted to Paul’s advice on specific problems and questions that had arisen in the Corinthian church.
Summary for 1Cor 1:10-17: 1:10-17  ^b The Corinthian believers were arguing over which of the leading evangelists (Paul, Apollos, Peter) was best. Paul rebukes them for their quarreling and worldly comparisons. As a minister of Christ and the Good News, he and the others are all channels through whom God works (see 3:1–4:7  ^c). 1:10  ^d dear brothers and sisters: Literally brothers. This generic, traditional term of affection is used to address members of the same family, both male and female.

• I appeal to you: Paul motivates them by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by his own authority.

• authority (literally name): In Jewish thought, a person’s name carried the weight of the person’s authority and reputation.

• Let there be no divisions: His desire was not simply that they avoid divisiveness, but that they be so filled with the Spirit of Christ that they would be of one mind, united in thought and purpose (cp. Phil 2:2  ^e).
1:11  ^f Chloe was a Corinthian woman, not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.
1:12  ^g The Christians in Corinth had formed factions loyal to different Christian leaders, but the leaders themselves do not seem to have been in conflict. Paul, as the one who had first brought the Good News to Corinth, would receive the loyalty of some.

• Apollos, now with Paul (see 16:12  ^h), was an eloquent Alexandrian Jew who had become a powerful Christian evangelist and had ministered in Corinth (see Acts 18:24–19:1  ⁱ). He attracted followers because of his skillful oratory (perhaps in contrast to Paul) and his ability to interpret Scripture.

• Peter: Greek Cephas; see also Matt 16:18  ^j; John 1:42  ^k Peter was the primary early evangelist to the Jews. He represented a more traditional Jewish perspective and had a gift for speaking in front of crowds (see Acts 1:15-22  ^l; 2:14-40  ^m; 3:12-26  ⁿ; 4:8-12  ^o; 10:34-43  ^p).

• I follow only Christ: This might refer to a group who disavowed allegiance to any human authority and viewed themselves as more holy than others.
1:13  ^q Paul asks three rhetorical questions, all expecting the obvious answer, “no.” Christian devotion is to be given to Christ, not to his messengers.
1:14  ^r Crispus and Gaius were two of Paul’s earliest converts in Corinth. Crispus was a former leader of the synagogue in Corinth (see Acts 18:8  ^s), and Gaius later offered Paul the use of his home (see Rom 16:23  ^t). This might identify him with Titius Justus, an earlier convert to Judaism who lived next door to the synagogue (see Acts 18:7  ^u). His full Roman name would then be Gaius Titius Justus.
1:16  ^v The household of Stephanas were the first converts in the province of Achaia (southern Greece; see 16:15  ^w). Household refers to all who lived in the house, which might include more than Stephanas’s immediate family.
1:17  ^x The important thing is not baptism, but the preaching of the Good News; baptism signifies people’s response to the message.

• clever speech: Eloquence, or an appeal to human wisdom.

• for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power: Too much emphasis on eloquence and the persuasiveness of human reason can distract from the simple message that Christ died for people’s sins so that they could be forgiven (1 Cor 2:1-5  ^y; 15:1-3  ^z).
Summary for 1Cor 1:18-31: 1:18-31  ^aa Paul contrasts eloquence and human wisdom, which were highly valued by some of the Corinthians, with the foolish message of the cross—the expression of God’s wisdom. The followers of Apollos, in particular (see 1:12  ^ab), were probably attracted by his rhetorical abilities and intellectual approach to ministry (see Acts 18:24-28  ^ac). In contrast, Paul emphasizes that the real power lies in the simple message of the cross of Christ. 1:18  ^ad The message that God is saving the world through a condemned criminal is foolish to unbelievers, for their eyes are blinded to the truth (2 Cor 4:4  ^ae). For believers, whose eyes have been opened by God, the message of the cross has the ring of truth to it, and they know its power to convict the human heart (see 1 Cor 1:23-24  ^af; Rom 1:16  ^ag). Unbelievers, still in their sin, are headed for destruction, for ultimate condemnation. Believers, whose sins have been forgiven, are being saved: They are on their way to eternal life and glory.
1:19  ^ah This quotation from Isa 29:14  ^ai shows God’s estimation of mere human wisdom.
1:20  ^aj In God’s eyes, the human wisdom of this world is foolish. Divine wisdom lies in the message of the cross and in Jesus Christ (see 1:24  ^ak, 30  ^al).
1:21  ^am Human wisdom alone does not bring people to the true knowledge of God; that comes only through the message of the cross, which the world considers foolish, but which saves those who believe (cp. Matt 11:25  ^an).
Summary for 1Cor 1:22-24: 1:22-24  ^ao Paul uses the words Greeks and Gentiles interchangeably to refer to non-Jews. 1:22  ^ap Unbelieving Jews wanted to see miraculous signs to validate the message (cp. Matt 12:38-39  ^aq; 16:1-4  ^ar; John 2:18  ^as, 23  ^at; 4:48  ^au). Greeks, renowned for their schools of philosophy, were only interested in human wisdom—i.e., philosophical reasoning.
1:23  ^av Regardless of what unbelieving Jews and Gentiles desired, Paul refused to give them anything but the simple message of the cross. To many Jews, the idea of a crucified Messiah was a contradiction in terms because crucifixion expressed not the power and blessing of God but his curse (see Gal 3:13  ^aw; cp. Deut 21:23  ^ax).
1:25  ^ay What the unbelieving world considers foolish and weak—Christ and the message of the cross—is in reality wiser and stronger than anything the world has to offer. It solves the world’s greatest problem, the problem of sin, and overcomes all the powers of evil that oppose human beings.
1:26  ^az Socially and culturally, most Corinthian Christians were ordinary people; few were among the elite (cp. Matt 11:25  ^ba). Only a few Christians, such as Erastus, the city treasurer in Corinth (see Rom 16:23  ^bb), were wealthy (or high born; cp. Jas 2:5  ^bc).
Summary for 1Cor 1:27-29: 1:27-29  ^bd God chose despised and humble people in order to demonstrate his judgment on human pride (cp. Rom 3:27  ^be; 4:2  ^bf; 2 Cor 4:7-11  ^bg; 12:8-10  ^bh; Eph 2:9  ^bi).
1:30  ^bj When people are united ... with Christ Jesus, God makes them righteous, holy, and free (see 6:11  ^bk; Rom 3:21-26  ^bl; 5:17-21  ^bm). This work of Christ is an expression of God’s wisdom.
1:31  ^bn This quotation is a paraphrase of Jer 9:24  ^bo (cp. 2 Cor 10:17  ^bp). Because salvation is a result of God’s sovereign power (1 Cor 2:5  ^bq) and his decision to save his people, there is absolutely no room for human pride (see 1:29  ^br).

‏ 1 Corinthians 2

Summary for 1Cor 2:1-5: 2:1-5  ^bs God’s sovereign work made Paul’s preaching effective. In his evangelism, Paul did not rely on the persuasive power of his intellect or his dynamic personality, but on the power of the Holy Spirit (see also study note on 1:18-31). 2:1  ^bt When I first came to you: See Acts 18:1-17  ^bu. lofty words and impressive wisdom: Human wisdom and philosophy don’t bring people to Christ (see 1 Cor 1:17  ^bv, 21  ^bw; 2:2  ^bx). The message of the cross has its own power to convert the human heart (see 1:17  ^by; Rom 1:16  ^bz; Gal 6:14  ^ca).

• God’s secret plan: See study note on 1 Cor 2:7.
Summary for 1Cor 2:3-4: 2:3-4  ^cb Human weakness is no barrier to God’s work (2 Cor 12:7-10  ^cc). The real power is not in charismatic preaching, finesse of presentation, or logical persuasiveness (cp. 2 Cor 10:10  ^cd), but in the message itself, centered on Christ and his death for our sins, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, who convicts the human heart.
Summary for 1Cor 2:6-16: 2:6-16  ^ce Paul emphasizes God’s wisdom in contrast to the world’s wisdom. Real wisdom is not mere human wisdom but the wisdom of the Spirit, expressed in the so-called “foolishness” of the Good News (see 1:20-25  ^cf). 2:6  ^cg Only the spiritually mature will recognize God’s wisdom; many of the Corinthians would have been unable to recognize it (see 3:1-3  ^ch).

• The rulers of this world (see also 2:8  ^ci) . . . are soon forgotten because Christ now rules—his enemies have been defeated by his death on the cross (see 15:24-25  ^cj; Col 2:15  ^ck).
2:7  ^cl In Paul’s writings, mystery often refers to a truth previously hidden but now revealed in the Good News of Christ and his saving work (see Rom 11:25-27  ^cm; 1 Tim 3:9  ^cn, 16  ^co).

• before the world began: From the very beginning, it has been God’s desire to save his chosen people through Christ (see Rom 16:25-26  ^cp; Eph 1:9-12  ^cq; 3:3-12  ^cr; Col 1:25-27  ^cs) and to bring them to ultimate glory in the coming age (see Rom 5:2  ^ct; 8:18-21  ^cu, 29-30  ^cv; 1 Thes 2:12  ^cw).
2:8  ^cx The rulers of this world are probably political rulers rather than spiritual authorities (see also 15:24  ^cy; cp. Acts 3:14-15  ^cz; 4:10  ^da; 5:29-32  ^db).
2:9  ^dc This quotation (cp. Isa 64:4  ^dd) supports Paul’s point (1 Cor 2:8  ^de): Those with no spiritual sensitivity do not understand God’s work of redemption.
Summary for 1Cor 2:10-12: 2:10-12  ^df it was to us: Those who believe in Christ and have thus received his Spirit (see 6:19  ^dg; 12:13  ^dh; Gal 3:2  ^di; Eph 1:13  ^dj; Titus 3:5  ^dk) are contrasted with the rulers of this world (1 Cor 2:8  ^dl). God’s deep secrets are not understood through secular wisdom or philosophy, but through God’s own Spirit, who alone can reveal God’s thoughts to his people (see 1 Jn 2:20  ^dm, 27  ^dn; cp. Matt 11:25-27  ^do). God has graciously given his Spirit to his people so they can know the wonderful things God has freely given them (cp. John 16:13-14  ^dp).
2:13  ^dq using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths: Just as spiritual wisdom is different from human wisdom, so the way spiritual wisdom is taught must be different from the way human wisdom is taught. The communicating and learning of spiritual truth must be done in the dimension and power of the Spirit; it is not simply a rational, human exercise.
2:14  ^dr people who aren’t spiritual: Unbelievers, whose minds are blinded to the Spirit, function in the natural world and see life only through physical eyes (see 2 Cor 4:4  ^ds). They cannot appreciate the significance of the Good News, for it is essentially a spiritual message.
2:15  ^dt Those who are spiritual: People who have the Spirit have a true understanding of divine revelation.
2:16  ^du This quotation from Isa 40:13  ^dv shows how divine wisdom transcends the limitations of human reasoning (cp. Rom 11:34  ^dw).

• we have the mind of Christ: Linked to Christ, believers have the Spirit of Christ to reveal Christ’s thinking to them.

‏ 1 Corinthians 3

Summary for 1Cor 3:1-9: 3:1–4:7  ^dx Having contrasted human and spiritual wisdom, Paul now returns to the divisiveness in the Corinthian church (see 1:10-12  ^dy), particularly their misplaced devotion to himself and Apollos.
Summary for 1Cor 3:1-4: 3:1-4  ^dz Paul rebukes the Christians in Corinth for their spiritual immaturity. 3:1  ^ea The Corinthians’ behavior was not that of the spiritual people whom Paul described in 2:15  ^eb, but like that of unbelievers who are attracted to the wisdom and values of this world.

• infants in Christ: Though they were converted, their lives and thinking did not reflect maturity in Christ and the transforming perspective of his Spirit.
3:2  ^ec Because of the Corinthian Christians’ lack of spiritual maturity, Paul was unable to speak about the deeper truths of life in Christ, the solid food (see 2:6-7  ^ed) that is reserved for mature Christians. Instead, he had to restrict himself to milk, the basic teachings of the Good News (cp. Heb 5:12-14  ^ee; 6:1-3  ^ef; 1 Pet 2:2  ^eg).
3:3  ^eh Their jealousy and quarreling (see 1:10-12  ^ei) showed that they were still just like unbelievers, controlled by their sinful nature rather than by the Spirit of God (cp. 2 Cor 12:20  ^ej; Gal 5:19-21  ^ek).
3:4  ^el Proudly identifying oneself with a preferred teacher (see 1:12  ^em) was common in Greek culture, but it is not in keeping with the mind of Christ (3:5-9  ^en; cp. Matt 23:8-10  ^eo).
Summary for 1Cor 3:5-9: 3:5-9  ^ep To identify oneself proudly as a follower of a human teacher is wrong because God does the real work of redemption, so he deserves the honor.

• We are only God’s servants: Cp. 2 Cor 4:5  ^eq.
3:6  ^er I planted: See Acts 18:1-11  ^es.

• Apollos watered: See Acts 18:27–19:1  ^et.
Summary for 1Cor 3:10-17: 3:10-17  ^eu All people are accountable to God for the way they serve Christ. 3:10  ^ev Paul laid the foundation when he first began the church in Corinth. Now others were building on it by what they were teaching the young Christians.
3:11  ^ew There can never be any other foundation for the church than Jesus Christ himself (see Isa 28:16  ^ex; 1 Pet 2:4-8  ^ey; cp. Rom 9:33  ^ez), but the Corinthians were in danger of treating a human teacher as their foundation.
Summary for 1Cor 3:12-15: 3:12-15  ^fa Some of the things that people build on the foundation of Christ will endure; other things will burn up in the fire of judgment (cp. Mal 4:1  ^fb). On judgment day, the work of each builder who instructs the church will be assessed (cp. Jas 3:1  ^fc; see also Rom 14:10-12  ^fd; 2 Cor 5:10  ^fe). Those whose teachings are faithful and true will receive a reward; the others will suffer great loss, not of their salvation but of their reward. They themselves will be saved, but just barely, like someone pulled to safety through a wall of flames (cp. Amos 4:11  ^ff; Zech 3:2  ^fg; Jude 1:23  ^fh).
Summary for 1Cor 3:16-17: 3:16-17  ^fi Christians must be very careful, both in what they teach and in how they relate to one another, because the body of believers is the temple of God, the home of the Spirit of God who lives in them (cp. Eph 2:21-22  ^fj), and God’s temple is holy (see 1 Cor 1:2  ^fk). There are terrible consequences for anyone who destroys God’s temple by such things as jealousy, argumentativeness, and divisiveness (see 3:3-4  ^fl).
Summary for 1Cor 3:18-20: 3:18-20  ^fm Here Paul returns to the contrast between human wisdom and divine wisdom (see 1:18-25  ^fn). Using Old Testament quotations, Paul encourages the Corinthians to be willing to appear foolish in the eyes of the world so that they may be truly wise in God’s eyes.
Summary for 1Cor 3:21-23: 3:21-23  ^fo As the privileged children of God, they may now lay claim to everything—the world, and life and death, and the present and the future (see Rom 8:38-39  ^fp). So there is no point in claiming a particular human leader as their own.
3:23  ^fq Just as they may now claim everything as their own, so Christ has claimed them for himself (see Rom 14:7-9  ^fr), and in Christ they are ultimately claimed by God (see 1 Cor 6:19-20  ^fs; 7:23  ^ft).

‏ 1 Corinthians 4

Summary for 1Cor 4:1-5: 4:1-5  ^fu Paul emphasizes his faithfulness and the genuineness of his motives as an apostle of Christ. But only God can judge the heart. 4:1  ^fv Paul and Apollos should not be viewed as leaders competing for a following, but as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. They were stewards entrusted with administration of the master’s business (as in Luke 12:42  ^fw); their whole life was devoted to their master’s concerns, not to their own.

• God’s mysteries: See study note on 1 Cor 2:7.
Summary for 1Cor 4:3-4: 4:3-4  ^fx Paul’s deepest desire was that he be found faithful before God. Human assessments of him—by himself or others—didn’t matter.
4:5  ^fy don’t make judgments about anyone: Only the Lord can fully know a person’s heart, and when he returns, he will judge. Paul took God’s judgment of his ministry very seriously (see 2 Cor 5:9-10  ^fz; Phil 2:16  ^ga; 1 Thes 2:19-20  ^gb; cp. 2 Cor 1:14  ^gc).
Summary for 1Cor 4:6-21: 4:6-21  ^gd Paul again rebukes the Corinthian Christians for their arrogance (4:6-13  ^ge) and then admonishes them as a father (4:14-21  ^gf).
4:7  ^gg Pride in a particular leader results from failure to realize that everything is a gift from God. There is no room for pride; humble gratitude is the only appropriate attitude.
Summary for 1Cor 4:8-13: 4:8-13  ^gh Paul ironically highlights the difference between himself and them. Their attitudes reflect the wisdom of the world; his, the wisdom of God. In their pride, the Corinthians thought they had arrived, but they actually had a long way to go (cp. Rev 3:17-18  ^gi; contrast Phil 3:12-14  ^gj). If they had truly arrived, they would be sharing more of the suffering that Paul experienced (1 Cor 4:11-13  ^gk). In contrast to the Corinthians, who were so proud of their attainments and the respect they had from others, the apostles suffered scorn and contempt.
4:9  ^gl Like prisoners ... condemned to die by facing wild animals in the amphitheater, the apostles were a spectacle. Paul gladly accepted suffering because God was using it to bring blessing to others (see 2 Cor 1:4-7  ^gm; 4:7-12  ^gn; Phil 2:17  ^go; Col 1:24  ^gp).
Summary for 1Cor 4:11-13: 4:11-13  ^gq Paul reminds the Corinthians how much he had endured for Christ’s sake (cp. 2 Cor 6:4-5  ^gr; 11:23-28  ^gs).
4:12  ^gt We work: To avoid being blamed by others for taking money, Paul preferred to support himself (9:3-18  ^gu; Acts 18:3  ^gv; 20:33-35  ^gw).

• We bless those who curse us: Paul’s response was in line with Jesus’ teaching (Matt 5:44-45  ^gx; cp. Rom 12:14  ^gy, 17-21  ^gz).
Summary for 1Cor 4:14-21: 4:14-21  ^ha Paul concludes this section on divisions in the church (1:10–4:21  ^hb) with gentle words of fatherly admonition and warning.
Summary for 1Cor 4:14-16: 4:14-16  ^hc As their spiritual father who first brought them the Good News, Paul affirms his genuine concern for their well-being (cp. 1 Thes 2:11-12  ^hd). As his beloved children, they should listen to their father and imitate his example and teachings (see 1 Cor 11:1  ^he; Gal 4:12  ^hf; Phil 3:17  ^hg; 4:9  ^hh; 1 Thes 1:6  ^hi; 2 Thes 3:7-9  ^hj).
4:17  ^hk Timothy, Paul’s child in the faith and one of his closest associates, was with Paul when he first preached the Good News in Corinth (see 2 Cor 1:19  ^hl). Paul sent him to faithfully communicate what it means to follow Christ Jesus.
Summary for 1Cor 4:18-20: 4:18-20  ^hm Because of his sending Timothy, some may have concluded that Paul lacked the courage to visit them himself, but in fact Paul was deeply engrossed in his work in Ephesus at this time (Acts 19:8-20  ^hn; see study note on Acts 19:10). He would indeed visit them soon (see 1 Cor 16:5-9  ^ho; Acts 19:21-22  ^hp; 20:1-3  ^hq; cp. 2 Cor 1:15–2:4  ^hr) and would confront those who publicly opposed him and show that they were nothing more than big talkers. His life and words would demonstrate the reality of God’s power (see also 1 Cor 2:4  ^hs).