July 9, 2025
1 Corinthians 1 ESV
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in 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. I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also 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 preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly 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 thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly 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 men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Discussion Questions:
1) What is the current situation amongst the Corinthian brethren that Paul outlines in chapter 1?
What are the positives and negatives?
2) What does Paul say about the wisdom of God contrasted with the wisdom of man?
Discussion Summary:
The Current Situation:
In Acts 18:1-11 we are told how the Apostle Paul founded the Corinthian Ecclesia. The city itself was wealthy and cosmopolitan. The population had a large degree of educated, well-to-do people. The city also had a sophisticated and degenerate side stemming from its Greek temple worship.
The apostle notes the Corinthian brethren’s knowledge of Christ and how the Holy Spirit had given them many outward evidences of this knowledge. They were not following false teachers. However, they were imbalanced in their appreciation of apostles and Christian teachers. They had the spirit of “Who shall be the greatest among us?” (Luke 22:24-27). They were neglecting the Lord’s admonition of the spirit of humility and servitude to be found among his followers (Matthew 23:8-12).
Wisdom Contrasted:
The wisdom of God starts with humility. This wisdom always points to God’s greatness above humans. “Thus says the LORD: 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, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:23,24). For Christians this wisdom begins with an acknowledgement of one’s sinfulness and reliance on Jesus’s salvation and forgiveness of sins.
The wisdom of man starts with pride in education and earthly advantage. It generates arrogance and debate. It divides instead of unites. The weakness of this wisdom will be revealed (Isaiah 29:13-16).
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