Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
Paul was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and he wrote jointly with Sosthenes the brother to the church of God at Corinth, with his greeting reaching to all in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. His apostleship did not come by human appointment but by the will of God from Jesus Christ and the Father, given while he was persecuting Christ's followers to make him a witness and minister to all people including the Gentiles, and faithfulness to that sacred trust required him to vindicate his office when false teachers belittled him so that falsehood would not destroy his ministry to Corinth. The setting shows that God's calling does not depend on human wisdom, status, or strength, for not many wise after the flesh, mighty, and noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, and despised to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence but he who glories should glory in the Lord who is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption to believers. Knowing the greatness of his work, he preached Christ crucified and the gospel through the power of the Spirit rather than through persuasive human wisdom or eloquence, which is foolishness to those given to worldly wisdom but the power of God to those being saved. The truly converted are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints, enriched in utterance and knowledge with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them so they come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord who will confirm them blameless to the end, to speak the same thing with no divisions but perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment, and these chapters bring comfort when trouble increases and are to be read with deep prayer, careful study, and practice by ministers and churches everywhere.
Writer, Readers, Background
The opening identifies Paul as called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, writing jointly with Sosthenes our brother. That apostleship came not by human appointment but through God's will, with the call coming from Jesus Christ and God the Father to be a witness and minister to all people including the Gentiles. The call was given while he was cruelly persecuting Christ's followers, when the Saviour, the Prince of life, appeared to him and called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles.
The verse begins a message and greeting addressed to the church of God at Corinth, and so introduces the privileges belonging to the church. Its instruction, though directed to that church, extends to every place where there are companies of saints who have faith in Jesus Christ, to all in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The church at Corinth was largely Gentile, brought to the truth by Paul's earnest labor.
After he left, false teachers questioned his apostleship and ministry, spoke contemptuously of him, and compared themselves with him to belittle him. Paul did not exalt himself, but faithfulness to his divine mission required him to honor God by vindicating his character and magnifying his office, so that falsehood would not destroy his ministry. As an apostle he bore sacred responsibility for the welfare of Corinth that would not let him by silence be driven from the field, but required him to guard and warn the churches against deceptive sentiments and theories that would lead honest souls from the truth.
Teaching and Application
God's calling and work do not depend on human wisdom, status, or strength, for not many wise after the flesh, mighty, and noble are called. He has chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and base and despised things and things which are not to bring to nought things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. Believers are of Him in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that he who glories must glory in the Lord.
Knowing the greatness of his work led Paul to study the Scriptures and to preach Christ crucified and the gospel through the power of the Spirit rather than through persuasive human wisdom or eloquence. To those given to worldly pursuits and worldly wisdom the preaching of the cross counts as foolishness, while to those being saved it is the power of God.
The opening words describe the condition of truly converted souls as members of the church of Christ who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints. By baptism they have pledged themselves to a ministry of good works in seeking to save others who do not know the truth. They are enriched in utterance and knowledge, and the testimony of Christ is confirmed in them so they come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who will confirm them blameless to the end. They are called to speak the same thing with no divisions but to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
The verse shows the Lord's order for His work, in which zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish must not lessen. Yet all time and means must not be consumed in one line of work for one class that with scarcely an exception cannot honor and glorify God and does not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth, while God's vineyard as a whole is neglected. Sinking interests deeply in such disproportionate work sways the work into wrong lines. Those acting a part in God's work of leading out a people and preparing them for translation are called to stand as sentinels for God, to labor unitedly, to be willing servants of all, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the great Exemplar.
The opening chapters give precious assurances for the child of God, bringing comfort and encouragement when trouble in the world increases and the Lord's children have to suffer. They uphold a faith that will stand the test of trial and opposition.
They are to be read with deep interest, much prayer, and careful, deep study in every church because much is in them, with prayer that God will give understanding to comprehend the truths revealed and put them into practice. They are special and essential, full of instruction and reproof for ministers of the gospel and for all churches wherever they are. They call ministers and members to humble their hearts before God and to seek truth by searching the Scriptures, warning that unless they humble their hearts their names will not be placed in the book of life. They are to be carried into practice and kept central as counsel instead of being crowded out, bringing a great change in life. Ministers of the Word and teachers are under solemn obligation to walk in harmony with these words as doers of the Word and co-laborers with Jesus Christ, since the highest education is the knowledge of God, taking in light in order to impart light to others in good works for fitness for heaven, and getting back into right lines of work.
Paul was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and he wrote jointly with Sosthenes the brother to the church of God at Corinth, with his greeting reaching to all in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
His apostleship did not come by human appointment but by the will of God from Jesus Christ and the Father, given while he was persecuting Christ's followers to make him a witness and minister to all people including the Gentiles, and faithfulness to that sacred trust required him to vindicate his office when false teachers belittled him so that falsehood would not destroy his ministry to Corinth.
The setting shows that God's calling does not depend on human wisdom, status, or strength, for not many wise after the flesh, mighty, and noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, and despised to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence but he who glories should glory in the Lord who is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption to believers.
Knowing the greatness of his work, he preached Christ crucified and the gospel through the power of the Spirit rather than through persuasive human wisdom or eloquence, which is foolishness to those given to worldly wisdom but the power of God to those being saved.
The truly converted are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints, enriched in utterance and knowledge with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them so they come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord who will confirm them blameless to the end, to speak the same thing with no divisions but perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment, and these chapters bring comfort when trouble increases and are to be read with deep prayer, careful study, and practice by ministers and churches everywhere.
Writer, Readers, Background
The opening identifies Paul as called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, writing jointly with Sosthenes our brother. That apostleship came not by human appointment but through God's will, with the call coming from Jesus Christ and God the Father to be a witness and minister to all people including the Gentiles. The call was given while he was cruelly persecuting Christ's followers, when the Saviour, the Prince of life, appeared to him and called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles.
The verse begins a message and greeting addressed to the church of God at Corinth, and so introduces the privileges belonging to the church. Its instruction, though directed to that church, extends to every place where there are companies of saints who have faith in Jesus Christ, to all in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The church at Corinth was largely Gentile, brought to the truth by Paul's earnest labor.
After he left, false teachers questioned his apostleship and ministry, spoke contemptuously of him, and compared themselves with him to belittle him. Paul did not exalt himself, but faithfulness to his divine mission required him to honor God by vindicating his character and magnifying his office, so that falsehood would not destroy his ministry. As an apostle he bore sacred responsibility for the welfare of Corinth that would not let him by silence be driven from the field, but required him to guard and warn the churches against deceptive sentiments and theories that would lead honest souls from the truth.
Teaching and Application
God's calling and work do not depend on human wisdom, status, or strength, for not many wise after the flesh, mighty, and noble are called. He has chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and base and despised things and things which are not to bring to nought things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. Believers are of Him in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that he who glories must glory in the Lord.
Knowing the greatness of his work led Paul to study the Scriptures and to preach Christ crucified and the gospel through the power of the Spirit rather than through persuasive human wisdom or eloquence. To those given to worldly pursuits and worldly wisdom the preaching of the cross counts as foolishness, while to those being saved it is the power of God.
The opening words describe the condition of truly converted souls as members of the church of Christ who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints. By baptism they have pledged themselves to a ministry of good works in seeking to save others who do not know the truth. They are enriched in utterance and knowledge, and the testimony of Christ is confirmed in them so they come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who will confirm them blameless to the end. They are called to speak the same thing with no divisions but to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
The verse shows the Lord's order for His work, in which zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish must not lessen. Yet all time and means must not be consumed in one line of work for one class that with scarcely an exception cannot honor and glorify God and does not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth, while God's vineyard as a whole is neglected. Sinking interests deeply in such disproportionate work sways the work into wrong lines. Those acting a part in God's work of leading out a people and preparing them for translation are called to stand as sentinels for God, to labor unitedly, to be willing servants of all, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the great Exemplar.
The opening chapters give precious assurances for the child of God, bringing comfort and encouragement when trouble in the world increases and the Lord's children have to suffer. They uphold a faith that will stand the test of trial and opposition.
They are to be read with deep interest, much prayer, and careful, deep study in every church because much is in them, with prayer that God will give understanding to comprehend the truths revealed and put them into practice. They are special and essential, full of instruction and reproof for ministers of the gospel and for all churches wherever they are. They call ministers and members to humble their hearts before God and to seek truth by searching the Scriptures, warning that unless they humble their hearts their names will not be placed in the book of life. They are to be carried into practice and kept central as counsel instead of being crowded out, bringing a great change in life. Ministers of the Word and teachers are under solemn obligation to walk in harmony with these words as doers of the Word and co-laborers with Jesus Christ, since the highest education is the knowledge of God, taking in light in order to impart light to others in good works for fitness for heaven, and getting back into right lines of work.