Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all word and all knowledge, 6 even as the witness about Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, beyond reproach in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9
1 Corinthians 1: 1-9 Intro to Corinth
Corinth was famous for its ornate architecture - Corinthians columns. The paganism and sensuality of the city led to the “coining” of a word (as noted above) that represented it all - “to Corinthianize,” a word that closely resembles the contemporary expression “Let’s Party!”
Boyer: If Paul were to write a letter to the evangelical, Bible-believing churches of late twentieth century America, I believe it would be much like I Corinthians. Their world was like our world: the same thirst for intellectualism, the same permissiveness toward moral standards, the same fascination for the spectacular. And their church was like our churches: proud, affluent, materialistic, fiercely eager for intellectual and social acceptance by the world, doctrinally orthodox but morally and practically conforming to the world. - PA
Intro - I think the quotes above are very important for understanding the people Paul is trying to address, but also for deeper insight into every point and topic throughout this stout book. These were a people surrounded by a very pagan culture, but also a church that tried to bring in and or attach Christianity to certain practices from the culture, especially that which would make them feel or appear to others as spiritually superior. Even though it could be said that they had much issue in separating themselves from the pagan culture, at the same time they were also accused of sacrificing God's holiness, the Church's light, for the sake of unity it would seem in not confronting a member who did things that not even the pagans would approve of. That and so many other things produced many blemishes upon this particular part of the body of Christ, and Paul will confront and correct these issues throughout the book.
1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.… Romans 12: 1-3
14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.… 1 John 2: 14-16
…3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?… James 4: 3-5
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this? 3Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.… 1 Corinthians 5: 1-3
V. 1 Paul, called as an Apostle of Jesus Christ - Paul is giving his credentials not based upon human qualifications but according to the will of God. He is calling himself an Apostle, yet today you will hear many make that claim who are not. God called him by meeting him in the way to Damascus, on his way to kill Christians. An apostle was someone who had seen the risen Lord. There were 12 distinct disciples of Christ who walked with Him, ate with Him and were sent out first to the Jews, and then Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. These were the pillars of the early church, whose writings and teachings carry on today. The foundation that was laid was Christ, the Chief Cornerstone. There are no apostles like these after the first century, John the Beloved the last to pass away, who also penned the final book of the Bible, Revelations. When people tell me they are apostles or prophets today, I say, "sure, a false one, and Jesus warned that there would be plenty of y'all." Paul had quite a reputation with these people and had done wondrous things before them to substantiate his claim.
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord? 2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:… 1 Corinthians 9: 1-3
…8He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.… 1 Corinthians 3: 8-10
…9For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.… 1 Corinthians 15: 9-11
…3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.… 1 Corinthians 2: 3-5
Don't miss one of Paul's major points of emphasis in chapter 1. Did you see it? The Name of Christ is found 17x in 15v in this chapter (total of 59x in 52 verses in the entire epistle)! Paul is a Christ centered preacher (1 Cor 2:2+) as should be every preacher (and teacher) of God's Word! Paul knows that "Keeping in tune with Christ keeps harmony in the Church." The saints at Corinth were more self-centered than Christ centered, and were beginning to experience divisions, so Paul gives the "antidote" by repeatedly mentioning Christ and later in the chapter the Cross of Christ. Indeed, all saints should also be Christocentric and "Crosscentric"! - 1 Co. 1:1; 1 Co. 1:2; 1 Co. 1:3; 1 Co. 1:4; 1 Co. 1:6; 1 Co. 1:7; 1 Co. 1:8; 1 Co. 1:9; 1 Co. 1:10; 1 Co. 1:12; 1 Co. 1:13; 1 Co. 1:17; 1 Co. 1:23; 1 Co. 1:24; 1 Co. 1:30. - Precept Austin
Apostle (652) apostolos from apo = from + stello = send forth) describes one sent forth from (apo-) one's presence with a special commission to represent the sender and to accomplish his work. Apostolos was a technical word designating an individual sent from someone else with the sender's commission, the necessary credentials, the sender's authority and the implicit responsibility to accomplish a mission or assignment. In a word an apostle is a "sent one!" As Barclay rightly said " A man is not what he has made himself, but what God has made him."
In its broadest sense, apostle can refer to all believers, because every believer is sent into the world as a witness for Christ. But the term is primarily used as a technical term, a specific and unique title for the thirteen men (the Twelve, with Matthias replacing Judas, and Paul) whom Christ personally chose and commissioned to authoritatively proclaim the Gospel and lead the early church. The thirteen apostles not only were all called directly by Jesus but all were witnesses of His resurrection, Paul having encountered Him on the Damascus Road after His ascension (Acts 9:1-25+). Those thirteen apostles were given direct revelation of God’s Word to proclaim the Gospel authoritatively, the gift of healing, and the power to cast out demons (cf Mt 10:1-4+). By these signs their teaching authority was verified (cf. 2Co 12:12). Their teachings became the foundation of the church (Ep 2:20+), and their authority extended beyond local bodies of believers to the entire believing world. In the present context Paul uses apostle in its more common specialized or restricted meaning. The authority of Paul's message did not derive from the messenger but from the Sender.
CBC - Seventeen individuals are called apostles, adding Paul, James (Gal 1:19), Matthias (Acts 1:26), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), and Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7) to the original Twelve. Such people not only were eyewitnesses to the resurrection (Acts 1:22) but preached the gospel and founded Christian communities. - Precept Austin
V. 2 Called as Saints - Interesting word that is much misunderstood due to the Roman Catholic cult. The definition of saint here is what? Those who were in the Church of God, the Church of Corinth being a part of the whole church, the body of Christ in all ages. It goes on, it is those "sanctified in Christ Jesus", and further includes all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are not made saints by Rome, not by members sitting upon a board, but by faith in Jesus Christ. I am Saint Calvin as much as Paul is Saint Paul, but more so than those who have been venerated as Saints but believed a false gospel about another Christ.
Vs. 3-7 In all word in all knowledge - They weren't lacking in the gifts or anything necessary to understand.
…8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.… 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10
Vs. 8-9 God is faithful - The gifts they received were from God, and our ability to believe is from God, and our ability to remain is from God. This should bring us to humble consideration, or maybe we have believed something else, like in our own goodness and works. Maybe we have confused the pulpit for a stage or worship as something to be redirected to ourselves.
For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 8You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 1 Corinthians 4: 7-10
MacArthur on the practical implication of all...all - We have all the speech and knowledge necessary to accomplish all God wants us to do. We will always be able to say everything God wants us to say and to know everything He wants us to know His will is concurrent with His enablement. The particular speech in mind here is that of telling God’s truth. God gives every believer the capacity to speak for Him. We do not all have eloquence, an impressive vocabulary, or a captivating personality. But we all have the necessary God-given ability, the same capability and the same capacity, to speak for Him in the unique way that He wants us to speak. Besides lack of holiness, I believe the most common failure of Christians is in not speaking for their Lord. The most frequent excuses are “I don’t know what to say” or “I don’t know how to say it” or “I just don’t think I can do it (ED: See Related Note below). (1 Corinthians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) - J Mac from PA
