{{ Introduction to 1 Corinthians 56-58 AD
If there was a place where sin was rampant, it was Corinth. What made it worse was the attitude common today of ‘it really doesn’t matter.’ The more trash you take in, the more likely of it influencing you! Then the congregation in Corinth seemed to take everything to the extreme.
They were not unified in much of anything, and full of splits, and the ‘anything goes’ policy so common to many religious groups today. A common commandment throughout all the letters was ‘In the same...’ or ‘be mindful of the same...’ but not in this congregation. Paul’s use of sarcasm is notable throughout both Corinthian letters, ‘Christ sent me not to immerse, but to proclaim the good-news’ – actually both are commands of the Lord written at the ends of Matthew and Mark with Luke adding ‘repentance and forgiveness of sins’ witnessed in Acts 2:38 ‘to be saved.’ Man’s foolishness is used by God to promote His purpose as in 4:10, “We are foolish because of Christ, but you° are prudent in Christ.” and this sarcasm appears in many more places.
Then in chapter 2, Paul goes from foolishness of man to wisdom of man vs. God’s wisdom, which progresses onward to the spiritual things. In chapter 3, Paul calls them babies and fleshly. Then he talks about the foundation (Jesus) that he and Apollos built, and warns them to build properly upon it. Because even if Paul’s work with the Corinthians fails at judgment day, Paul is still saved as though he walked through the fire. In chapter 4 and 9, Paul calls them arrogant because they are judging him. They have everything, even reign like kings; they do not need Paul. In chapter 5, a man was fornicating with his stepmother. Instead of disciplining him (so that he might be saved and not spend eternity apart from them), they just do not care! This ‘leavening’ could have ruined the batch of them, and they just did not get it. Then (chapter 6) they had lawsuits against each other. Paul finally lists all of their past sins (possibly current ones) and tells them no one who practices them will inherit heaven. The Corinthians thought you could be like the world and still be in the Lord’s body at the same time. Chapter 7 deals with marriage and the unmarried. Then in Chapters 8 and 10, they add idol-sacrifices to the list. Also in Chapters 10 and 11, it was pointed out how they were abusing the Lord’s Supper and the love feast versus how it should be respected. We know from Acts 20:7 that the Lord’s Supper is one of the reasons the congregations come together every Sunday. Chapters 12, 13, 14 talk about the spiritual gifts that Christians had during the first century, gifts used to evangelize the world (Mark 16:15-20). In 13:10, Paul tells them the completed word will stop all of this so concentrate on love which never fails. Once again, the Corinthians took this to extremes as with everything else they did. In 15, Adam and Jesus are compared, and the last part talks about the time when Jesus will come back describing how ‘in the blink of an eye’ we will inherit our heavenly bodies. In 16, he concludes with his typical greetings and encouragements.}}
1:1 Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother, 1:2 to the congregation* of God, she who is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, to the called ones, holy-ones, together-with all the ones calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours: 1:3 grace to you° and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.{Starting here in 1:2 to the end of the N.T., the 'congregation*’ is denoted in pronoun form as 'she' or 'her' because in Revelation 'bride of Christ' is used to denote them. Rev. 19:7, 21:2, 21:9.}
1:4 I am always giving-thanks to my God concerning you°, upon the basis of the grace of God which was given to you° in Christ Jesus; 1:5 that you° were enriched in him in everything, in all speech and all knowledge; 1:6 just-as the testimony of the Christ was confirmed in you°; 1:7 so-then you° are lacking in no gift*; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1:8 who will also confirm you° until the end, as irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you° were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:10 Now brethren, I am pleading with you° through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in-order-that you° all should speak the same thing and there should be no splits among you°, but you° should have been mended in the same mind and in the same viewpoint. 1:11 For* it was indicated to me concerning you°, my brethren, by the household of Chloe, that strifes are among you°. 1:12 Now I am saying this, Each of you° says, I am indeed of Paul! But I am indeed of Apollos! But I am indeed of Cephas! But I am indeed of Christ!
1:13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified on your° behalf, was he? Or were you° immersed* into the name of Paul? 1:14 I give-thanks to God that I immersed* none of you°, except Crispus and Gaius; {Act 18:8} 1:15 in-order-that not anyone might say, I immersed* you into my own name. 1:16 And I also immersed* the household of Stephanas; furthermore, I do not know if I immersed* any other. 1:17 For* Christ sent me not to immerse*, but to proclaim the good-news; not in wisdom of speech (that* the cross of Christ might not be made void).
1:18 For* the account of the cross is indeed foolishness to the ones perishing, but to us the ones being saved it is the power of God. 1:19 For* it has been written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and I will reject the understanding of the intelligent ones.’ {Isa 29:14, Psa 33:10} 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Did God not make the wisdom of this world foolish? 1:21 For* since the world through its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God, God was delighted through the foolishness of the preaching to save the believing ones. 1:22 Since both Jews ask for a sign and Greeks seek wisdom; 1:23 but we preach Christ who has been crucified, indeed an offense to the Jews, but foolishness to the Greeks; 1:24 but to them, the invited ones, both Jews and Greeks, Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than that of men, and the weakness of God is mightier than that of men.
1:26 For* you°, brethren, look at your calling, that not many are wise according-to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world in-order-that he may shame the wise, and God chose the weak things of the world in-order-that he may shame the strong; 1:28 and God chose the ignoble things of the world and the things which have been scorned and the things which are not in-order-that he might do-away-with the things which are, 1:29 *that every flesh should not boast in God’s sight. 1:30 But you° are from him, in Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom and righteousness and holiness and redemption all from God, 1:31 that*, just-as it has been written, ‘He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.’ {Jer 9:24}