1 Corinthians 1
Introduction
First Corinthians opens with Paul's greeting to the church he founded in Corinth and an expression of thanksgiving for God's grace at work among them. But the warmth of the greeting quickly gives way to the letter's first and most urgent concern: the church is fractured into rival factions, each rallying around a favorite teacher — Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), or Christ himself. This was not merely a personality preference but a deep distortion of the gospel, rooted in the Corinthians' infatuation with Greek rhetorical culture, where people attached themselves to eloquent teachers the way philosophy students followed rival schools.
Paul's response is not to settle the debate about which teacher is best but to demolish the entire framework. He points to the cross — a symbol of shame and weakness in the ancient world — as the ultimate revelation of God's wisdom and power. The cross overturns every human system of status. God did not choose the wise, the powerful, or the noble to build His church; He chose the foolish and the weak so that no one could boast before Him. The chapter establishes the theological foundation that will undergird the entire letter: the message of Christ crucified redefines what it means to be wise, strong, and significant.
Greeting (vv. 1–3)
BSB
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Translation
Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes — To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place — their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notes
κλητὸς ἀπόστολος (klētos apostolos, "called apostle") — Paul opens by establishing his authority. The word klētos ("called") emphasizes that his apostleship is not self-appointed but comes from divine summons. This is significant given that the Corinthians are divided over human leaders — Paul begins by pointing to God's initiative, not his own credentials.
Σωσθένης (Sōsthenēs, "Sosthenes") — This is likely the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17 as the synagogue ruler in Corinth who was beaten before the tribunal of Gallio. If so, he had since become a believer and was now with Paul in Ephesus — a living testimony of the gospel's power in Corinth.
ἡγιασμένοις (hēgiasmenois, "having been sanctified/made holy") — This is a perfect passive participle, indicating a completed action with ongoing effects. The Corinthians have already been "set apart" by God's action in Christ, even though Paul will spend much of this letter correcting their behavior. Their holiness is first a positional reality before it is a practical one.
κλητοῖς ἁγίοις (klētois hagiois, "called saints/holy ones") — The same root klētos ("called") used of Paul's apostleship is now applied to all believers. Every Christian is "called" — not just apostles. The word hagiois ("saints, holy ones") does not refer to a spiritual elite but to all believers who have been set apart for God. I translated this as "called to be saints" to capture both the present identity and the ongoing vocation.
Paul's address extends beyond Corinth to "all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place." This broadens the letter's audience — what Paul writes to Corinth has universal relevance. The phrase "call on the name" echoes Joel 2:32 (cited by Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2:21), identifying Jesus with the LORD of the Old Testament.
Thanksgiving (vv. 4–9)
BSB
I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Translation
I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus — that in every way you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, just as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you — so that you are not lacking in any gift of grace, as you eagerly wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be beyond reproach on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notes
χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ (chariti tou Theou, "the grace of God") — Paul's thanksgiving is centered on God's grace, not the Corinthians' achievements. This is important given what follows: even his gratitude for their gifts points back to God as the source.
ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει (en panti logō kai pasē gnōsei, "in all speech and all knowledge") — The Corinthians were gifted in logos ("speech/word") and gnōsis ("knowledge") — precisely the areas that were fueling their divisions. Paul affirms the gifts as genuine while setting up his critique: these gifts come from God and are meant to build up the community, not to create competing factions.
χαρίσματι (charismati, "gift of grace") — From the same root as charis ("grace"). I translated it as "gift of grace" rather than simply "spiritual gift" to preserve the connection to grace. The Corinthians' gifts are not earned achievements but gracious endowments, a point Paul will develop extensively in chapters 12-14.
ἀποκάλυψιν (apokalypsin, "revealing/revelation") — From apokalyptō ("to unveil, uncover"). This is the same word that gives us "Apocalypse" (the title of the book of Revelation). It refers to Christ's return, when what is now hidden will be fully disclosed.
πιστὸς ὁ Θεός (pistos ho Theos, "faithful is God") — Paul concludes the thanksgiving by grounding everything in God's faithfulness, not the Corinthians' performance. The word pistos ("faithful, trustworthy") assures them that the God who called them will sustain them. This forms an inclusio with the opening: God called Paul (v. 1), God called the Corinthians (v. 2), and God who called them is faithful (v. 9).
κοινωνίαν (koinōnian, "fellowship/partnership/sharing") — This rich word means far more than casual social interaction. It denotes a deep sharing of life and purpose. It is used of partnership in business (Luke 5:10), participation in the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 10:16), and sharing in suffering (Phil 3:10). The Corinthians have been called into koinōnia with Christ Himself — which makes their divisions all the more scandalous.
Divisions in the Church (vv. 10–17)
BSB
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Translation
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be restored to unity in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ."
Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say you were baptized into my name. (I did also baptize the household of Stephanas — beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel — and not with wisdom of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be emptied.
Notes
σχίσματα (schismata, "divisions/tears") — From schizō ("to tear, rip"). English "schism" comes from this word. It originally described the tearing of cloth or the splitting of rocks (Mark 15:38, the temple curtain was "torn" using this root). Paul's metaphor is vivid: the church, which should be one seamless fabric, is being ripped apart.
κατηρτισμένοι (katērtismenoi, "restored/put in order") — This participle comes from katartizō, a versatile word meaning "to mend, restore, make complete." It was used for mending fishing nets (Matt 4:21) and for setting broken bones in medical literature. Paul's appeal is not merely for agreement but for the church to be "mended" — its torn fabric stitched back together. I chose "restored to unity" to capture this reparative sense.
τῶν Χλόης (tōn Chloēs, "Chloe's [people]") — Chloe was likely a prominent woman (possibly a business owner) whose household members or slaves had traveled between Corinth and Ephesus and brought Paul the news. She is mentioned nowhere else in the New Testament. The fact that Paul names his source openly suggests transparency and accountability.
Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου (Egō men eimi Paulou, "I belong to Paul") — The Greek literally says "I am of Paul" — a genitive of possession. The factions likely reflected real differences: Paul had founded the church; Apollos was an eloquent Alexandrian teacher (Acts 18:24-28); Cephas (Peter) represented the original apostles and Jewish Christianity. The "I belong to Christ" party may have been those who claimed direct spiritual authority, rejecting all human teachers.
μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός (memeristai ho Christos, "has Christ been divided?") — The perfect tense implies a state of division. Paul's rhetorical question is devastating: if you split into factions, you are treating Christ Himself as something that can be parceled out.
σοφίᾳ λόγου (sophia logou, "wisdom of speech") — This phrase captures the Corinthian problem in miniature. Sophia ("wisdom") combined with logos ("speech/word") points to the Greek rhetorical tradition — the art of persuasive, eloquent discourse. Corinth was a city where skilled orators attracted followings. Paul insists that his commission was to preach the gospel, not to perform as a rhetorician.
κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς (kenōthē ho stauros, "the cross be emptied") — The verb kenoō means "to empty, make void, strip of power." If the gospel is dressed up in impressive rhetoric, the cross loses its offense — and therefore its power. The cross is meant to shatter human pride, and eloquent packaging risks domesticating it.
The Message of the Cross (vv. 18–25)
BSB
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
Translation
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will set aside."
Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who believe.
For Jews ask for signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified — to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Notes
ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ (ho logos ho tou staurou, "the word of the cross") — Paul does not say "the message about the cross" but "the word of the cross" — the cross itself speaks. The logos of the cross is not merely information about a historical event but a proclamation that carries divine power. The genitive "of the cross" could be both subjective (the cross proclaims) and objective (we proclaim the cross).
μωρία (mōria, "foolishness/folly") — This word gives us English "moron." In Greek philosophical culture, being called mōros was a serious insult — it meant you were intellectually worthless. Paul deliberately uses this provocative term: the cross appears to be mōria to the perishing. The word appears five times in this chapter and the next, hammering the point home.
τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ... τοῖς σῳζομένοις (tois apollymenois ... tois sōzomenois, "those who are perishing ... those who are being saved") — Both are present participles, indicating ongoing processes rather than fixed states. People are in the process of perishing or being saved. The same cross that is foolishness to one group is dynamis Theou ("the power of God") to the other. The difference is not in the message but in the hearer.
The quotation in verse 19 is from Isaiah 29:14, where God announces judgment on Jerusalem's leaders who relied on their own clever strategies instead of trusting God. Paul applies this to the broader human project of achieving salvation or understanding God through intellectual effort.
σοφός ... γραμματεύς ... συζητητής (sophos ... grammateus ... syzētētēs, "wise person ... scribe ... debater") — Paul's three rhetorical questions in verse 20 may address three audiences: the Greek philosopher (sophos), the Jewish Torah scholar (grammateus), and the Greco-Roman debater or disputant (syzētētēs). All three approaches to truth have been shown up by the cross.
σκάνδαλον (skandalon, "stumbling block/scandal") — Originally the trigger-stick of a trap. A crucified Messiah was skandalon to Jews because Deuteronomy 21:23 declared anyone hung on a tree to be cursed by God. The Messiah was expected to conquer, not to be executed as a criminal. English "scandal" comes from this word.
Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον (Christon estaurōmenon, "Christ crucified") — The perfect passive participle estaurōmenon indicates not just a past event but an ongoing state: Christ who has been crucified and remains the crucified one. The crucifixion is not something Christ left behind at the resurrection — it permanently defines who He is. This is the heart of Paul's message.
Verse 25 uses a remarkable rhetorical device: "the foolishness of God" and "the weakness of God" are not admissions that God is foolish or weak. They are ironic concessions — even if one were to grant (absurdly) that God's ways are foolish and weak, they would still surpass all human wisdom and strength. The comparative forms (sophōteron, "wiser than"; ischyroteron, "stronger than") are neuter, treating God's "foolishness" and "weakness" as abstract principles that overwhelm everything human.
God Chose the Lowly (vv. 26–31)
BSB
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Translation
Consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to put the wise to shame; God chose the weak things of the world to put the strong to shame; and God chose the low-born things of the world, the things treated with contempt — even the things that do not exist — to bring to nothing the things that do exist, so that no human being might boast before God.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption — so that, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Translation Notes
βλέπετε τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν (blepete tēn klēsin hymōn, "look at your calling") — The verb blepete means "look, consider, pay attention to." Paul invites the Corinthians to examine the evidence of their own congregation. The makeup of the church itself proves God's upside-down wisdom. The word klēsis ("calling") echoes the klētos ("called") language from verses 1-2 and 9.
οὐ πολλοί (ou polloi, "not many") — Paul says "not many," not "not any." There were some wealthy and powerful members in Corinth — Crispus (a synagogue ruler, Acts 18:8), Gaius (wealthy enough to host the whole church, Rom 16:23), Erastus (the city treasurer, Rom 16:23). But the majority came from the lower social ranks. The sociological makeup of the church is itself a theological statement.
τὰ ἀγενῆ (ta agenē, "the low-born/ignoble") — Literally "those without genos" — without distinguished family lineage. In a society obsessed with ancestry and social status, this was a severe designation. Combined with τὰ ἐξουθενημένα (ta exouthenēmena, "the things treated with contempt/counted as nothing"), Paul paints a picture of the church as composed of people the world discards.
τὰ μὴ ὄντα (ta mē onta, "the things that are not") — This is a striking philosophical expression. In Greek thought, to "be" (einai) was to have real existence and value. "The things that are not" are people who, in the world's estimation, simply do not count — they are socially invisible. God chose precisely these people to overthrow "the things that are" — the existing power structures.
ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (ex autou de hymeis este en Christō Iēsou, "but from Him you are in Christ Jesus") — The emphatic phrase ex autou ("from Him/by His doing") makes clear that the believers' position in Christ is entirely God's work. It is "from Him" — sourced in God — not from their own wisdom, effort, or status.
δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις (dikaiosynē te kai hagiasmos kai apolytrōsis, "righteousness and sanctification and redemption") — Paul unfolds Christ-as-wisdom into three dimensions: dikaiosynē (right standing before God), hagiasmos (being set apart for God), and apolytrōsis (liberation from bondage — a word drawn from the slave market, referring to the price paid to free a slave). Christ is not merely a teacher of wisdom; He is our wisdom, embodied in these three saving realities.
The closing quotation is from Jeremiah 9:23-24: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me." Paul's argument comes full circle: since everything — calling, salvation, wisdom, righteousness — originates from God, the only appropriate response is to boast in the Lord alone.