1 Corinthians: A Critical & Exegetical Commentary

By Gareth L Reese

This is a phrase-by-phrase commentary and exposition of the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians. This commentary is in use as a college textbook, yet is suitable for the lay church member.

1 Corinthians was written by Paul during the same time period in his life as Romans, Galatians, and 2 Corinthians.&nb

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Exposition Books LLC
• Release date: Sep 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9780998451886

Gareth L Reese

Dr. Gareth L. Reese had a 65-year career as a professor of New Testament at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, MO. Whether teaching courses, or preaching, or offering seminars in the U.S. and abroad, he has long been known for his ability to make the Word of God come alive for his listeners and readers.The commentaries in this set capture the thousands of hours Dr. Reese has spent studying, examining, and wrestling with what God has written in the scriptures, as he has sought to understand and harmonize the wondrous way of salvation that God has revealed to us. Dr. Reese's practice has long been to read one new commentary each time he teaches a course, and this extensive and broad and diligent study is clearly evident in his writings. His Acts commentary, originally published in 1966, quickly became the standard course textbook in the Bible colleges associated with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and remained so for four decades. His works have been translated into multiple languages.An advocate for the Restoration Movement, Dr. Reese is a conservative evangelical scholar. His writings display a deep and profound respect for the Word of God; for the inspired authors through whom this Word was given; for the Church, the Body of Christ, that continues to be built up as a spiritual house by that Word; and, most of all, for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who is exalted and glorified and honored as we come to Him according to His Word.Dr. Reese is a 1954 graduate of the Cincinnati Bible Seminary (later, Cincinnati Christian University), and holds multiple post graduate degrees.

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COMMENTARY ON

1 CORINTHIANS

SUPERSCRIPTION

The oldest superscription was probably "to the Corinthians, the first (pros korinthious a)." This is found in a A, B, C, D.¹

INTRODUCTION: 1:1-9

A. Address and Greeting. 1:1-3

A typical epistolary opening is found in all the epistles of Paul and in every epistle of the New Testament except the Epistle to the Hebrews and the First Epistle of John, both of which are more in the nature of treatises than letters.

The greeting follows the regular form used by Paul in most of his letters, the typical form found in letters from the Greco-Roman period: first, the writer's name in the nominative; second, the persons to whom he writes in the dative; and third, the words of greeting again in the nominative. Thus in this letter: Paul ... and Sosthenes ... to the church,... grace and peace. Each of the three parts of the greeting, as is frequently done by Paul, receives an amplification. In Paul's letters these amplifications invariably reflect the thought and the feeling that are in his heart as he sets out to write. Pauline greetings usually foreshadow the contents and the character of the letter to follow.

1:1 - Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother

Paul - After the beginning of the first missionary journey (AD 45), Paul seems to have finally abandoned his Hebrew name of Saul. Concerning his person and his history, his importance to the church and his labors, consult the general introduction to the Corinthian epistles in Lange's Commentary, or in any good Bible dictionary.

Called as an apostle (who by the will of God was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, TEV) - In this instance the addition (amplification) to the writer's name is compact and weighty as Paul asserts his apostolic authority. Paul stresses his special nearness to Jesus Christ as being one sent by Him, and at the same time points to the divine authority behind his words, an authority his readers are to acknowledge and to obey. All the instructions and the admonitions of this letter rest on this solid basis; the instructions are all important because they come from a called apostle of Jesus Christ. The ordinary rendering, called to be an Apostle (ASV), does not give sufficient prominence to the lead thought within the phrase, which per the order of the Greek words lies in Apostle.² The sense is 'an apostle by the virtue of his calling.' The word called is absent from A, D, E, and other manuscripts, but it was probably in the autograph of 1 Corinthians. It is found in Aleph, B,C,F,L,P, etc.³ Paul is emphasizing the fact that he became an apostle by an immediate call to that position from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He was as much sent by Jesus as were any of the original Twelve. Called reminds us of the Damascus Road experience (Acts 26:16) when Jesus appeared to Paul to call him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul uses this title apostle of Jesus in every letter except the private one to Philemon, the peculiarly friendly and informal one to the Philippians, and the two to the Thessalonians, which were written before the Judaizers had challenged his claim to this title in its more special sense. He likely asserts his apostolic authority in this letter precisely because it had been questioned by some at Corinth.⁴ Paul is asserting that the instructions he is about to give in this letter are in harmony with his commission as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He is expressing no less than the mind of Christ when he writes.

Of Jesus Christ by the will of God - Paul's calling to be an apostle was given to him by Christ (Acts 26:16-18), having for its deeper ground the will of God (cp. Galatians 1:15ff). Jesus called Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles when He appeared to him on the way to Damascus; and Jesus so appeared to Paul because God willed it to be that way. The name Jesus means Jehovah Saves, or Salvation of Jehovah (cp. Matthew 1:21). Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means anointed. In the two names together our Lord is represented as the Savior, and the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King - first to the chosen people, and then of all mankind. The words by the will of God (through the will of God, ASV) are added by Paul probably because of the depreciation of Paul's apostolic authority at Corinth. In view of the parties at Corinth who refused to acknowledge Paul's apostleship, and sought to put him below the twelve who were personally called by Christ while He was on earth, it was exactly the needed point to bring prominently forward the fact that Paul's calling came through (dia) the Supreme will.⁵

And Sosthenes - The association of one or more brethren with himself in the greeting of his letters is peculiar to Paul. The practice arose partly from Paul's courtesy and consideration toward his companions, and partly because he abjured mere personal prominence. Of Sosthenes nothing whatever is known for certain.⁶ Some feel he is to be identified with the ruler of the synagogue in Acts 18:17.⁷ One synagogue ruler (Crispus) had been converted at Corinth (Acts 18:8), so why not another (Sosthenes) afterward? Some have supposed Sosthenes' name occurs here because he was the penman (i.e., the amanuensis) of the epistle, writing it as Paul dictated it (cp. Romans 16:22). If Sosthenes served as Paul's secretary, then only the closing benediction (16:21) would have been in Paul's own handwriting. A different suggestion has Sosthenes mentioned here as an example of someone who sought Paul's direction. This hypothesis suggests Sosthenes was one of the members of Chloe's household (verse 11) through whom Paul received intelligence about matters at Corinth, and Paul holds him up as a good example of how to solve such matters; namely, by seeking the directions an apostle of Jesus can give. Another suggestion is that like Paul, Sosthenes, too, had been slighted by one or more of the factions in the church at Corinth, and for that reason Paul puts him forward. The association of Sosthenes with Paul in the composition and sending of this letter likely means much more than that Sosthenes was the amanuensis. In this commentator's opinion, it means Sosthenes and Paul had talked over the contents of this letter and had fully agreed on all that is here transmitted. In other words, Sosthenes subscribes to all that Paul has to say.

Our brother - Literally, the brother, i.e., one of 'the brethren,' one of our brothers in Christ. Until AD 42-44 when the apostles called the disciples Christians first at Antioch (Acts 11:26) there was no single recognized title for the followers of Christ. Christian is the family name of God's New Testament people. Christians are also described by other terms in the New Testament: brother, saint, children of God, citizens of the kingdom, members of the body, living stones, priests, soldiers, branches, and pilgrims.

1:2 - To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

To the church of God which is at Corinth - Verse 2 gives the address to which this letter is sent. It also gives a description of the church at Corinth. (1) It belonged to God\ (2) It was sanctified. (3) It was composed of saints. The recipients of the letter are, first of all, designated collectively as a body, and then described by their Christian character and their associates.

■ Church (ekklēsia) speaks of those who were 'called out' - in this case, called out of the world. (Any 'called out' assembly could be called an ekklēsia. See Acts 19:41.⁸) The term may be translated 'assembly,' or 'congregation,' or 'church' and is used in both a local and also in a universal sense in the Scriptures. In its universal sense, church embraces all the spirits in the universe that obey God as the ruler and lawgiver (Hebrews 12:22-29). In its local sense, church embraces all the people in a community who have been called out, separated from the world by the gospel, and who are bound together by a common faith in Jesus Christ. In verse 2 the term is used in a local sense, to designate the local congregation in Corinth.

■ The members of the Corinthian church had fallen into many sinful habits, yet Paul speaks of the church of God ... at Corinth. How far away from the Divine pattern can a people get, and still be recognized by God as a church of God? Or, could it be that when Paul speaks of the church of God, he is thinking only of those in Corinth who have not disqualified themselves by sin from being members of Christ's church?

■ The congregation of believers at Corinth was addressed as a church of God⁹ to distinguish it from other groups which could also be called 'assemblies.' This is a theocratic designation. It denotes a chosen people, called out of heathen nations. The congregation of God or church of God is an Old Testament designation of Israel as a divinely gathered people (Numbers 20:4 ASV). Many think in the New Testament that the church is often designated church of God because the church is a complement and expansion of the Old Testament Hebrew theocracy.

■ In the Corinthian letter it is the "church of God, not the church of this or that party leader. This is a genitive of possession (of God"). The Corinthian church is hereby emphatically declared to belong not to any human leader, but to God alone. This is a protest against the party spirit prevailing at Corinth.

■ At Corinth reminds us that geographical divisions are the only divisions in the church recognized in the New Testament. The church in one place or city is always spoken of as a unit. Though consisting of one or more distinct congregations, it is regarded as an organic whole. The local church is the only divine organizational expression of the Kingdom of God on earth. These local churches were bodies distinct and separate, without any organic connection with one another; each was a distinct body within itself. The members of these local assemblies, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, chose their own overseers and workers.

To those who have been sanctified - The ASV begins this phrase with "even them ... with the even in italics. This is not another class of persons (in addition to the church of God), but is a description of those who comprise the church. The term sanctified is plural, whereas the term church" just used is singular. Paul often loves to dwell on the multiple sides of a concept or an idea. The perfect participle hagiasmenoi¹⁰ (have been sanctified) tells of a past act and its present continuing result. The Corinthians, once made holy by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, by faith continue in this holiness. Sanctified here probably includes conversion, faith, justification, and the life of good works. In other words, sanctified in this place is a metaphor for conversion to Christ.¹¹ Paul calls the Corinthians they that are sanctified in spite of the fact that he has much fault to find with them. Those who overstrain the term to mean total sanctification, or, if not that, a pietistic, puritanic, or other type of self-chosen holiness, are here corrected by Paul. He likewise corrects those who go to the other extreme and think holiness remains where grave faults are allowed to continue and become permanent in a congregation.

In Christ Jesus - Those addressed in the letter are not only the church of God ... in Corinth, but are those who are 'in Christ Jesus set apart to divine service.' Most commentators refer to the time the Corinthian church members had been baptized into Christ as the time when they were sanctified in Christ Jesus. The phrase in Christ Jesus is to be understood as meaning in union and communion with Christ or in connection with Him. Our entire Christian life became such and is such only in vital connection with Christ Jesus. If the connection signified by the preposition in (en) is canceled, we cease to be sanctified in any sense.

Saints by calling (called to be saints, ASV) - This was Paul's and God's expectation for them. This is the intent of their calling. 'Saint' and 'sanctified' are translations of the same Greek root, a word meaning to be set apart to sacred service. In this context it is service to God, not service to this or that party. Their call or invitation to the Messianic kingdom,¹² like Paul's to his apostleship in Christ, came to them from God in Christ Jesus and through the preachers of the gospel. What is a 'saint' (hagiois)? Related to the word sanctified, it means those who are separated from the world, set apart to God as holy. It does not mean the Corinthian believers were all they should have been, as Paul's letter shortly will make plain, and the term saints is never used by Paul in its restricted modern meaning (i.e., some exemplary saint, now dead and canonized by the church). Rather, Paul applies the term to the whole baptized, living church. Every Christian is a saint. Paul's repetition of the reference to the readers' holiness (saints) recalls them to their vocation; low practice (such as found at Corinth) calls for the reassertion of high ideals.

With all who ... call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - The Greek verb call is here in the middle voice, meaning not 'who are called by the name' (cp. James 2:7, Amos 9:12 LXX), but rather, 'all who call upon the name for their own benefit.' The word call upon may imply conversion,¹³ or prayer,¹⁴ or worship.¹⁵ Note that Paul uses various designations to characterize the readers. He calls the Corinthians sanctified. He speaks of the calling upon the name of our Lord that Christians in other places are doing. Why does he thus vary the designations? It is a way of protesting against Corinthian party practice. As they look into their own hearts, do they find holiness? As they assemble together, is it the Lord Jesus who is uppermost in their minds, whose service and honor they are promoting? Does their behavior indicate they are God's church? Paul's emphasis that the church covers a large area, put forward in the very opening of the letter, at once directs the readers' minds from the narrow spirit of faction which was exhibiting itself at Corinth. The significance of the appellation Lord here given to Jesus is explained in comments on the following verse. We tend to think of this word as part of His name, as if it were Lord Jesus Christ. But Lord is not His first name. When we remember the master of slaves in the 1st century was a lord, and then think of Christians as being slaves of Jesus Christ, we begin to sense something of the meaning of Lord.

In every place - This phrase may have two possible meanings.¹⁶ Perhaps this may mean the same as 2 Corinthians 1:1, With all the saints who are throughout Achaia. That is, Paul is reminding the Corinthians that they are part of a wider brotherhood. There were other brethren in other places called by the same gospel; the Corinthians are not the only saints. Or the words may imply Paul's exhortations are applicable to all Christians wherever they may be, and whatever may be their varying shades of individual opinion. Under this interpretation, Paul is writing to all the church, thus making this a catholic epistle. This would make us duty bound to all the applicable principles set forth. It can be shown that Paul indeed expected his epistles to be read in all the churches (cp. 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Colossians 4:16).

Their Lord and ours - Lord is in italics (in the ASV, NASB) to show there is no corresponding word in the original Greek, yet our translators felt the need to supply something to complete the meaning of a sentence. Have they supplied the right word here? The original simply reads, both theirs and ours. To what does theirs refer? Some say that place is the proper word to supply. In their country, wherever that may be ....¹⁷ It would then mean Paul's good wishes (for grace and peace, verse 3) are the same wishes that Christians in a number of places (wherever they may be) have for the Corinthians. Others say Lord is the best word to supply. It has been in all ages a fatal temptation of party Christians to claim a monopoly of Christ for themselves and their own sects, as though they only taught the gospel, and were the only Christians or the only 'evangelicals.' But Christ cannot be parceled into fragments (verses 12,13), nor has any party a right to boast exclusively, I am of Christ. The word our (in the phrase "the name of our Lord Jesus") could not be regarded as superfluous in writing to a church of which one section wanted to assert an exclusive right in Christ. The Corinthians are to think of themselves as being joined together with all those who confess the Lord in every place over the entire world.

1:3 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Grace to you and peace - This prayer for grace and peace is Paul's greeting in all his epistles (except the Pastoral Epistles, in which he adds the word mercy). It is a remarkable blending of the Greek and Jewish salutations. Greeks, when greeting someone, said "chairein; to them, the word grace" (charis) involved the notions of joy and brightness and prosperity. Scripturally, it speaks of unmerited favor, lovingkindness, all the blessings bestowed on man by God. We do not deserve it, but we cannot get along without it. 'May the Lord give you an abundance of His undeserved gifts' is Paul's prayer. Grace, then peace. Tranquility can only come after grace. The usual Hebrew greeting was "Peace be to you" (Hebrew, shalom lekha), and it denotes much more than does peace in English. It includes the entire welfare of the individual, both spiritual and physical. It does not mean simply the absence of strife, but speaks of the presence of positive blessings. It encompasses the prosperity of the whole man, especially his spiritual prosperity (Morris, op. cit., p.35), peace with God and peace with men. It has been remarked that peace here has a peculiar weight given the dissensions in the Corinthian church. The peace wished for them also includes rest, satisfaction, tranquility, and happiness of heart. The church unites both forms of greeting: grace, the beginning of every blessing; and peace, the end of all blessings.

From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ - God and Jesus are the source of every good gift and every perfect gift, like grace and peace. That one of the members of the Godhead is described as our Father is a distinctive Christian designation for God. It goes back to the consciousness and teaching of Jesus.¹⁸ This is the fourth time in three verses that the name of Jesus Christ has appeared.¹⁹ Is there a significance to the repeated mention of the Savior? Should not the Corinthians be crying up the name of Jesus Christ, rather than the party names they are ranging themselves under?

What is the bearing of this salutation on the doctrine of subordinationism (i.e., the idea that Jesus is lower than God, and never was or will be equal with the Father)? Some have tried to show, since the Father is called God and Jesus is called Lord, that Jesus is somehow a lesser deity than the Father. Several lines of thought show that whatever the reason for the different appellations given here, it is not because Jesus is somehow a lesser being than the Father. One line of thought results from a study of Hebrews 1 and John 5. Hebrews 1 gives several attributes that Jesus has which make him God. In fact, twice the Father calls Jesus God (Hebrews 1:8,9). John 5 gives five evidences of Jesus' equality with the Father. Jesus' deity is not somehow lesser than the deity of the Father! Another line of thought results from a study of the use of the term Lord in the Scriptures. The Hebrews were hesitant to pronounce the ineffable name YHWH (Jehovah or Yahweh) lest they take it in vain, so they regularly substituted Lord (Adonai) for that term.²⁰ If Jesus is called Lord, it is because He and the Father are equally 'self-existent ones' (Jehovah). A third line of thought results from a study of the grammar of 1 Corinthians 1:3. By using the preposition from (apo) only once, Paul intends to show that the two objects (grace and peace) are governed by it. God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are regarded as a unit and are thus placed on a level of equality.

So, while insisting that Jesus is God (i.e., that Scripture presents Jehovah as being three co-equal and co-eternal persons in the Godhead), we at the same time recognize that Scripture presents Jesus, when He became incarnate, as being temporarily subordinate in function to the Father. (1) When the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit first conceived God's eternal plan (Romans 8:28-30), Jesus was the One who volunteered to become incarnate and be a sacrifice for sin, if one were needed by the men they were about to create. (He is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.) (2) While Jesus was here on earth, He Himself affirmed that He did nothing on his own initiative (John 5:19,30; 12:49), and also said The Father is greater than I (John 14:28). While affirming His temporary subordination in order to effect redemption for man, Jesus at the same time claimed equality with the Father (John 5:17,18). He was subordinate in position or function, but not in the quality of deity! (3) We also suppose 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 indicates that at the time of His second coming, Jesus' temporary subordination to the Father will be ended. In the meantime, because He volunteered to become the Redeemer, Jesus is the Lord who is exercising all the authority that was given to Him before He ever came to Bethlehem (Mark 2:10; John 3:35, 5:27; Matthew 28:18).

It is misguided to attempt to prove Jesus is a created being, or a lesser deity than the Father, by appealing to the language Paul used in this greeting to the Corinthian church. The fact that one person is called our Father and the other the Lord Jesus Christ does not lower the second. It merely shows that in the Godhead all three persons were not fathers, all three were not incarnate, but each bears a distinct relation to us and our salvation which is unaffected by the identity of their essence. God is our Father because we are His children in Christ Jesus. Jesus is our Lord because He has redeemed, purchased, and won us; we are His own and live under Him in His kingdom. As long as this one preposition coordinates our Father and our Lord, making them one fountain of saving grace and peace, no ingenuity of men will be able to sever them or use them to introduce a faulty theory of subordination (i.e., that Jesus is of lesser deity or essence than the Father).

B. Paul's Thanksgiving for God's Work in Corinth. 1:4-9

It was customary in 1st century letters to open with a word of thanksgiving. Such a word of thanksgiving is a regular feature in Paul's epistles - except the Epistle to the Galatians, in which he plunges at once into severe rebuke of his readers. Such thanksgivings were not a mere endeavor to flatter the readers. This thanksgiving is not designed to win their attention and acceptance of his subsequent exhortations. Compare Romans 1:8; Philippians 1:3-5. Paul usually has a good word for something praiseworthy the people he was addressing were doing. But not in Corinthians! Paul's word of thanks speaks of what God has done for them through Christ, but there is no thanks for what the Corinthians themselves were doing.

1:4 - I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

I thank my God - In this paragraph, Paul expresses his joyful thanks that the gospel has come to the readers of this letter, and that they have had an abundance of spiritual gifts bestowed by God. The use of the singular, "I thank MY God ..., in contrast with the plural in the previous verses, indicates Paul does not include Sosthenes with him as the author of this thanksgiving. It is written in Paul's name alone and expresses Paul's personal prayer, which he regularly offered to God. The verb thank is a present tense verb in the Greek, indicating habitual action on Paul's part. My God" (as in Romans 1:8, Philippians 1:3-5, and elsewhere) is not used in an exclusive sense, but as an avowal of his own personal communion with God and direct interest in Him, a personal attestation of his religious position.

Always concerning you - That is, constantly, on all occasions of special prayer. Paul made it a habit to thank God for them whenever he prayed. The Corinthians were but one of a number of churches included on Paul's regular prayer list.²¹ This does not imply Paul was engaged all the time, day and night, in audible thanksgiving. But Paul did have this Corinthian church perpetually on his heart, with grateful emotions to God for what He had done for them.

For the grace of God - The preposition is for (epi), and gives the occasion or cause of his thanksgiving to God. Sometimes grace is a reference is to the unmerited favor that God bestows upon us when we become Christians, forgiving our sins. However, in this context, grace is probably to be understood to be a reference to the spiritual gifts bestowed on them, as the following verses explain. It is not only because of verses 5-7 that we are inclined to so interpret. It is also because we regularly are accustomed to find in Paul's greeting and thanksgiving the ideas that will be unfolded and developed in the heart of the letter, and spiritual gifts certainly form a large part (chapters 12-14) of this letter. Grace then is an ellipsis for gifts of God's grace. We find similar language in Romans 12:6, where spiritual gifts are called grace.

Which was given you - If the above reference to grace is to the grace given when one becomes a Christian, this aorist tense verb (given) refers to the time of their baptism. This would then be one of Paul's baptismal aorists. If, as we believe, the word grace has specific reference to spiritual gifts, then this word given would look back to the time when they received the gifts. Such reception of spiritual gifts usually resulted from the laying on of an apostle's hands (cp. Acts 8:17,18,19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6). More will be said on the reception of spiritual gifts at 1 Corinthians 12-14. Paul ever bore his congregations on his heart and constantly prayed for them. He does not merely ask God to bestow additional grace and gifts upon them to supply their spiritual needs. He always remembers with a grateful heart the many gifts God has already granted to his people.

In Christ Jesus -- This in must not, as in the KJV, be rendered by, for the grace had been given to those in Christ, as members of Christ. It does not appear Paul is saying the grace was given by Christ. In Christ is the place where the grace of God is manifested (cp. 2 Corinthians 5:19). It is because of their relationship to Christ that they have received this grace.

1:5 - that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

That in everything - Verse 5 extends the thought of verse 4, 'I give thanks for the grace given you, because (hoti) in everything ... !' Hoti stands as an explicative apposition. The everything for which Paul gives thanks is defined as in every kind of speech [utterance] and all knowledge.

You were enriched in Him - The Corinthians abounded (ploutidzō²²) in the things he is about to mention. The spiritual gifts were abundantly bestowed upon them. Enriched is an aorist tense, and looks back to the same time implied in the word given used in the previous verse. The verb is ploutidzesthai instead of the more frequent perisseuein, 'to abound,' and suggests that formerly the Corinthians were poor spiritually, utterly destitute, but that this has now been wondrously changed; they have come into great spiritual wealth.

In all speech (in all utterance, ASV) - All ... all. This English translates the Greek word pas which, when used in the singular as here and without the article, means every kind of (BAGD). In carries the meaning of 'in the sphere of.' Speech is one area where the enrichment took place. Those writers who think the reference in speech (logos) is to the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues are likely correct.²³ The ability to speak the gospel in different tongues (Lipscomb, op. cit., p.23). "With the power of speaking various languages (en panti logo). That this power was conferred on the church at Corinth, and that it was highly valued by them is evident from chapter 14; compare 2 Corinthians 8:7."²⁴

And all knowledge - From this word gnōsis (knowledge) is derived the name Gnostic, which was applied to many forms of ancient heresy. It is doubtful that any reference to this ancient heresy here is to be imagined, for it seems 1 Corinthians was written 5 or 10 years before the incipient form of that heresy began to infiltrate the churches.²⁵ Knowledge (like the gift of tongues in the previous clause) was one of the spiritual gifts (see comments at 1 Corinthians 12:8, 13:8). What is the difference between all speech [utterance] and all knowledge? Considerable discussion has arisen concerning the precise meaning of these two expressions.²⁶ Some say the former represents the truth spoken; the latter, the truth received. Tongues were foreign languages used for evangelistic purposes (cp. Acts 2) to convey the Gospel to those of foreign tongue. God had granted this gift generously to the church at Corinth. Knowledge was one of the spiritual gifts, perhaps given so the early Christians could know God's will for the new dispensation. In this gift too, the Corinthians were rich. Paul thanks God that He had been so generous to the Corinthian church, as He made available to them an abundance of spiritual gifts.

1:6 - even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

Even as - The idea in kathōs is inasmuch as; verse 6 is thus a continuation and an elaboration of what was said in the previous verse about the spiritual gifts. Kathōs suggests that the enriching and the confirming were simultaneous events.

The testimony concerning Christ (testimony of Christ, ASV) - The testimony concerning Christ²⁷ was spoken by the apostles Paul and Silas on the 2nd missionary journey, or perhaps by Paul in particular. Although not a common expression in Paul's writings (cp. 1 Corinthians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:8), the term testimony refers to the gospel itself. We suppose Paul used this expression because he intended to use the verb confirmed, and that verb better pairs with testimony than gospel.

Was confirmed in you - When the gospel was preached to the Corinthians, God "confirmed'' the truth of the message by giving spiritual gifts. Bebaioō (confirmed) means guarantee, establish, make firm, prove reliable. It is a legal term from commercial law designating a properly guaranteed security. The verb is often used in the papyri in a legal sense of 'guarantee.'²⁸ The New Testament Scriptures everywhere indicate that the purpose of the miraculous spiritual gifts was to confirm the truthfulness of the gospel message. The things spoken about Christ were every bit true! It was proved to be divine by the miraculous attestations of the Holy Spirit. The word translated 'confirmed' is used in the sense of establishing, confirming, or demonstrating by miracles - Mark 16:20; compare Hebrews 2:4, 13:9, Philippians 1:7.²⁹ B.B. Warfield has shown there were two signs by which a man could demonstrate beyond doubt that he was an apostle of Jesus - the ability to work miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12) and the ability to pass on spiritual gifts (Hebrews 2:3,4; 1 Corinthians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:6; and Acts 8:16-18). The gifts the Corinthians received were evidence that Paul's testimony about Christ was a true message, and that God was even then generously at work among the Corinthians. For this activity of God, Paul is genuinely thankful.

1:7 - so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

So that - Beginning with so that (hōste and the infinitive speak of contemplated result, or the result tended to be produced), verse 7 describes the result of the 'gift of grace' and the 'enrichment' and the 'confirmation' spoken of in previous verses. Surely when we see how these verses tie together, there is no reason to explain grace in verse 5 as a reference to anything other than spiritual gifts!

You are not lacking in any gift (Ye come behind in no gift, ASV) - The 'gifts' are here the spiritual gifts (charisma), such as the powers of healing, miracles, and prophecy, which were the result of the outpouring of the Spirit (cp. 1 Corinthians 12:1ff).³⁰ Greek words ending in -ma emphasize the result of an action. A charisma is charis in some concrete result - a specific endowment of God's grace. Not lacking or come behind in the Greek may also mean 'causing you not to be conscious of inferiority.' The middle voice form husteraisthai (not lacking) implies subjective reflection. Compare the case of the prodigal son (Luke 15:14) where he began to feel his destitution. Among the Corinthian Christians there was to be no consciousness of lagging behind other churches or other individuals³¹ in any of the gifts bestowed. The Corinthian church had as many or more gifts than any other church. God had done no less for them and in them than He had accomplished in others who are in Christ.

Awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus (waiting for the revelation, ASV) - Waiting is a word sometimes used of waiting for the second coming of Christ (cp. Philippian 3:20; Hebrews 9:28), but not always (cp. 1 Peter 3:20; Galatians 5:5). The word means to wait diligently, persistently, devotedly. Revelation (apokalupsis) is also a word sometimes used to refer to the second coming (as 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7,13), but again, not always. In fact, Thayer's first definition under the metaphorical use of the word is "a disclosure of truth, instruction, concerning divine things before unknown - especially those relating to the Christian salvation ...."³² The KJV at this place reads waiting for the coming³³ of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not a few commentaries on 1 Corinthians read the reference (in this clause) is to the second coming of Christ. Such an interpretation results in the need to further explain what Paul did or did not imply. Some writers will affirm Paul mistakenly believed the second advent would occur during his own lifetime. (Since this impinges on the doctrine of inspiration, much is written to defend how Paul could be mistaken in what he writes, yet at the same time be inspired to write the very words he did.) Some eschatological views, which have the revelation occurring seven or more years after the "parousia and rapture of the church, will spend pages explaining how Paul could have suggested the raptured church will still be waiting the revelation (for such language would seem to require a post-tribulation rapture). Others will defend the view that revelation" cannot refer to the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), which was still future when Paul wrote this letter. Still others will explain that even if the reference is to the second advent, Paul certainly did not imply that the gifts would last till then, any more than his statement would imply that the Corinthians would live till then.

It has already been observed that, in his thanksgiving paragraphs, Paul often alludes to topics he will discuss at length in the body of the letter. Could he be doing that here? If so, perhaps verses 5-7 anticipate the subject matter of chapters 12-14, and verse 7 may say the same thing 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 seems to say, that the gifts were intended to function only till revelation was completed. Revelation is used in 1 Corinthians 14:6, 26, 30, of a revelation of information concerning God's plans and purposes, rather than being a specific reference to the second advent. See also 1 Corinthians 2:10 where revelation speaks of a disclosure of truths about salvation, etc. (In fact, unless 1:7 is a reference to the second coming, the word revelation is not used in 1 Corinthians of the second advent of Jesus.) When people have been instructed about Jesus Christ and His mission or purpose in the world, they will have better opportunity to be blameless when the day of the Lord (verse 8) does finally come.

1:8 - who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ

Who - To whom does the relative who refer? Alford (op. cit., p.475) and Shore (op. cit., p.13) think who refers to God, the One to whom Paul's prayer is addressed (verse 4). 2 Corinthians 1:21 and Romans 16:25 are adduced as evidence that God is the one who confirms or establishes Christians. However, others (e.g., F.W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary Vol. 19, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962, p.4) think who refers to Christ, and this indeed is likely the best choice. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 we have likewise the work of confirming believers ascribed to Christ. Ephesians 5:27 has Christ presenting the church unblemished and unimpeached to Himself at the close of the church age. He confirms them and vindicates their character, just as God confirmed the gospel message about Him.

In verse 7, Paul used two present tense verbs, you are not lacking in any gift and waiting for, and both point to the present state of the Corinthians. The revelation of Jesus Christ (i.e., the Corinthian's better understanding of the gospel message) will occur after this letter has been received by the Corinthians. In the interval until those future events occur (i.e., until they grow in their knowledge of Christ, and until the 'day of the Lord' dawns), Paul explains in this relative clause (verse 8) what Christ will continue to do for the Christians. Then in verse 9 Paul adds another sentence concerning what God will do in addition to what He has already done at Corinth.

Shall also confirm you - The Greek means to confirm, to establish, to guarantee. It is the same verb used in verse 6. The next phrase will explain the how of the confirmation done by Christ. As part of His work as intercessor and man's representative in heaven, Jesus will see to it that no indictment can be lodged successfully against the believer.

To the end - Probably it speaks of the end of each Christian's present life.³⁴ Jesus will faithfully perform His mediatorial offices on behalf of each believer, so long as the person continues to be a believer (see Hebrews 3:6, 6:11). A reminder about theology is in order. It will be recalled that John Calvin found his major doctrinal emphases in Romans and 1 Corinthians, and then read those findings into all the rest of the Scriptures. We are now studying one of the verses Calvin used as the basis of his doctrine of unconditional eternal security - the perseverance of the saints.³⁵ While squaring Calvinistic dogma with Scripture is quite problematic, yet we must not ignore that this verse truly promises Christ's help in a believer's everyday life, until such time as the end comes. If a person ceases to be a believer, there is no promise of Christ's continuing help.

Blameless ("that ye be unreprovable, ASV) - The KJV rendered it blameless." The word may also be translated 'unimpeached.' The verb anegklētous (which also appears at Colossians 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:10; Titus 1:6) means 'as not to be accused.' It is a forensic term; it says that no indictment may be successfully lodged before a judge. The word does not mean perfect, but properly denotes those against whom there is no charge of crime, who are unaccused, and against whom there is no ground of accusation. A Christian is unreprovable, not in the sense of being sinless, but in the sense of having been forgiven, renewed, sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 8:30). The person who is 'unreprovable' when he is judged on the day of the Lord will appear at the judgment seat of Christ not indeed as sinless, but as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), who having been previously restored (Ephesians 2:10) and progressively sanctified (1 Thessalonians 5:23), has worked out his own salvation in the moral power of a new life (Philippians 2:12). 'Unreproved,' yes, but by whom? During this life the devil, the accuser of the brethren, makes accusation against them day and night (Revelation 12:10). But there is no evidence that the devil will accuse at the final judgment. Instead, compare Romans 8:33: being found holy in Christ and blameless before God, who will bring any charge (impeachment) against God's elect? God is the one who justifies ....

Is this promise of being confirmed blameless absolute or conditional? Some writers take it as absolute, saying we have to hold the doctrine of eternal security as being taught by Paul if this passage is to mean anything. If we treat it as conditional, we remove from the promise its blessedness and comfort, for if this promise is to be of any value, it is the fact that it furnishes a guarantee against that greatest of dangers, the fickleness of the human will.³⁶ Other writers take the promise of unimpeachableness to be conditional. Conybeare and Howson add, "He will do his part to confirm you." Hammond (quoted by Kling, op. cit., p.25), adds a qualification, God will make good His promise if you yourselves do not fail. In light of what Scriptures elsewhere teach, this commentator treats this promise of unimpeachableness as conditional. Cf. Colossians 1:22,23 (to present you holy and blameless and beyond reproach - if indeed you continue in the faith) and 1 Peter 1:5 (we are protected by the power of God through faith, i.e., faithfulness ....). If our sins have been forgiven, we are unaccusable, i.e., no one can accuse us. Note that Paul does not say the Corinthians are blameless now when he writes this letter to them; but with Christ's help that can be changed. Paul hopes they will redirect their thinking and attitudes so that when it comes time to stand in the judgment, Christ may Himself judge them blameless.

In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ - This phraseology is regularly used to refer to the second coming of Christ and the judgment. We learn this truth by analogy of Scripture, appealing to 2 Peter 3:10-14, where the familiar Old Testament expression day of the Lord is synonymous with the second advent and the final judgment. In some verses, day of the Lord is called simply the day (cp. 3:13; Acts 1:20; Joel 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 6:17). Both unaccused and day of the Lord show the character of the day. There is reference to the final judgment. In that day the Lord shall be revealed as Judge of the whole world. Several writers call attention to three distinct time periods alluded to in this paragraph of thanksgiving. Past: The time when the grace of God was given to them (verse 4). Present: The present time while they wait for the revelation of the Lord Jesus, endowed as they are with the gifts described in verses 5-7; it is the time when the glorified Christ ministers on their behalf ('confirms them') in the courts of heaven (verse 8). Future: the day of the Lord, the end of the age with its final judgment, when some will be accused, but not those who remained true to Jesus all their earthly lives.

1:9 - God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is faithful - The adjective pistos (faithful) is placed emphatically forward in the Greek, and means trustworthy, reliable. God can be depended on! If He has been generous in His help to the Corinthians in days past (remember, this thanksgiving by Paul enumerates some things God has already done in Corinth), He can be counted on in the future. God will continue to do for faithful men everything He has promised He will do. He will not leave His promises unfulfilled or His work unfinished (10:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23; Romans 8:28-30). He will not drop the work He has begun, after the fashion of weak, inconsistent men. But persevering in love, He will carry out that which was commenced in love, even to its goal. (Cp. Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Romans 11:29.) If men continue steadfast in their obedience to God, God would persevere, and preserve them without blame through the power He exerts in Christ Jesus. The question that immediately comes to the reader's mind is, Am I being faithful like my God is being faithful?

Through whom - We can speak of God as the mediating cause as well as the principal cause (Romans 11:36), as the moving cause and agent in salvation. It is His providence that, through a great variety of arrangements and cooperating circumstances, mediates the call, viz., the presentation of the gospel to them, and also its effect in their hearts.

You were called — God calls men through the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). The opening words of this letter reminded us that Paul's position as an apostle was due to a divine call. Now (as in 1 Corinthians 1:2) we see that there is likewise a call to every believer.

Into fellowship with His Son - The genitive son (after koinōnia, fellowship) can be subjective (fellowship with) or objective (fellowship in). An example of the former is Philippians 1:5 (ASV), where your fellowship (literally, 'fellowship of you') means 'fellowship with you.' Objective genitives are like the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10), which points to fellowship 'in' suffering. Since this is a genitive of a person, it is more likely to be a subjective genitive, though Ellicott thinks both ideas are included. Fellowship with Christ means a partnership with Him. Christians are partners with Christ (a) in His feelings and views, Romans 8:9; (b) in His trials and sufferings, being subjected to temptations and trials similar to His; (c) in His heirship to the inheritance and glory which awaits him; and (d) in His triumph in the resurrection and future glory. This participation in a common cause with Christ embraces our entire condition, from the time preachers were sent to share the gospel with us, through our baptism when we were buried with Christ and rose to walk in newness of life, on until we come into the inheritance of the glory which is to be revealed in Him and in us also. The content of this partnership - which the Corinthians share - is 'sonship to God,' since it is 'communion of [with] His Son,' with Christ the firstborn among many brethren. Do we have here one of Paul's protests against party spirit at Corinth? The mention of fellowship may perhaps have been intended to prepare the way, as was done in verse 2, for the reproof which is coming, for fellowship is the direct antithesis to divisions in verse 10.

Jesus Christ our Lord - Paul's whole desire was to rivet the mind of the Corinthian church to the name of Jesus Christ. Christ's name is repeated ten times in the first ten verses, while making no mention of any apostle or teacher. Nowhere in any other epistle is the name of Jesus Christ so oft repeated in such a short span of verses. The frequent mention of His name doubtless grew out of the desire of the apostle to draw them away from their party admiration of particular teachers to Christ alone (Lipscomb, op. cit., p.25). Instead of treating Christianity as a matter of human choice and personal liking, the proper view is that in the church CHRIST is the one thing and everything! The title Our Lord (remember what was written at verse 3 on Lord) added to His Son, Jesus Christ invests the Christian fellowship with present grandeur since it reminds us that Jesus is God.

SECTION ONE:

CONCERNING PARTISAN STRIFE & ITS CONSEQUENCES. 1:10-4:21

Summary: Beginning with 1:10, Paul introduces a topic which was one of the chief reasons he wrote this epistle — viz., the divisive party spirit that existed in the hearts of many of the church members at Corinth. It is not until the close of chapter 4 that he will have finished with this topic.

A. PARTY SPIRIT AT CORINTH. 1:10-17

1:10 - Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Now - The particle (de in the Greek) signals the transition from thanksgiving to reproof. De, often translated but, introduces the transition from his exhibition of the bright side of the church to the reproof of its dark side. De is adversative. It sets what follows over against the preceding as a contrast to it. So far from fellowship (verse 9) being realized, there is division. Paul will state the problem, give his source of information (1:10-12), and then point out that such dissension violates a Christian's duty to complete and wholehearted devotion to Christ (1:13-17).

I exhort you, brethren (I beseech you brethren, ASV) - Parakaleō means 'I exhort you. I entreat you. I call upon you. I summon you. I plead with you.' (Beseech does not mean beg; that would not be the right idea.) He does not say, 'I order you,' or 'I command you.' The word Paul uses is tactful, yet Paul is not forgetting that he is writing as an apostle of Christ (verse 1). The authority he would exercise is the same whether he speaks softly or whether he finds himself compelled to speak sternly. Twice in two verses (10 and 11) Paul appeals to his readers as brethren. He does this for several reasons: (1) It softens the rebuke. His language is not that of a schoolmaster with a rod; rather, he speaks from love. Both Paul and James (5:10) use the word to soften any harshness which might seem to exist in their language (cf. 7:29; 10:1; 14:20). (2) There is an appeal to them to aim at unity among themselves. After all, they are brethren. (3) There were many troubles and faults among the Corinthians, and yet these do not sever the fraternal tie that binds them to Paul. (This reason is important and should not be minimized. However, this does not imply that congregations may settle permanently into evil conditions like those which existed at Corinth without eventually impairing their fraternal relations with Paul and with other Christians.) This entire letter is directed at one thing only: to remove the faults and evils that had begun to show themselves at Corinth, and which would, if unrepented, eventually lead to a rupture of the brotherhood.

By the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (through the name ..., ASV) - Here is the name of Jesus again. By it, Paul appeals to the strongest bond of union between true Christians - that of Christ's office and being. He is the Head of the church and thus is the source for unity. Paul's appeal to Christ would serve to remind the Corinthians (1) that into the name of Christ, and into none other, whether of Paul or of Apollos or of Cephas, had they been baptized; and (2) that the same Jesus Christ here designated our Lord was their Lord, and the Lord of all, without an equal and without a rival, whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas. Paul urges them not to let any other name eclipse the name of Jesus Christ, by making it a rallying point around which to gather.

That you all agree (that ye all speak the same thing, ASV) - This is the subject of the first four chapters of this letter - that all may agree, rather than permitting dissension and party spirit to continue. Compare Romans 15:6, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ.³⁷ The Corinthians were doing the reverse - each one was glorifying himself and his party (verse 12). To agree or speak the same thing implies they were to have the same sentiments on the subjects which divided them (cp. Philippians 2:2). They were with one voice to avow their allegiance to the one Lord, to the exclusion of all divisive party watchwords. J.B. Lightfoot (Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1957, p.151) reminds us that to speak the same thing is strictly a classical expression used of political communities which are free from factions, or of different states which entertain friendly relations with each other. It is the regular word used of two hostile states or parties reaching agreement. To speak the same thing is to speak only as they were taught by the Holy Spirit. (Note that in verses 5-7 Paul has just mentioned the spiritual gifts with which they were endowed.)

And [that] there be no divisions among you - The Greek is schisms (schismata). In Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21 the same Greek word is translated as a rent (tear) in a garment. The word is also used of ploughing a field. The Corinthian church is in danger of becoming as unsightly as a torn garment. In John 7:43, 9:16, and 10:19 we are told of a division of opinion about Jesus. It is the same word in the Greek, and those verses in John are an excellent illustration of the meaning here in 1 Corinthians. In John, they were arguing with one another about His significance. Reading this verse in light of verse 12, it is clear that these divisions were not denominations as we know them, but dissensions within the local church. The divisions at Corinth were not of the nature of hostile sects meeting in separate places and refusing communion with each other, but such as may exist in the bosom of the same congregation, consisting in alienation of feeling and party strifes (Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1980, p.12). The dissension was still within the congregation at Corinth; it had not yet crystallized into split-off bodies, but it would have, if not attended to. Similar clashes occur in our congregations today.³⁸ Paul would not have us believe that differences of this kind are immaterial as long as no doctrine is directly involved. If they are allowed to continue, the result must eventually be a split in the congregation, and as such are both disturbing and destructive in their effect.

But you be made complete (but that ye be perfected together, ASV) - Literally, to be repaired or reunited, it comes from the word katartidzein. It means to repair or to mend something that is torn (Matthew 4:21), to reunite and make perfect what has been broken, to knit together. A katartister was the acknowledged phrase in classical Greek for a reconciler of factions. William Barclay (The Letters to the Corinthians in The Daily Study Bible Series, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956, p.15) has written: The word he uses is a medical word which is used of knitting together bones that have been fractured, or joining together a joint that has been dislocated. The disunion is unnatural and must be cured for the sake of the health and efficiency of the body of the church.

In the same mind and the same judgment - Disposition is the word Alford (op. cit., p.476) picks to give the connotation he thinks one should get from the use of mind (nous). What they think and believe (on the topic of human leaders and the propriety of party spirit) is the idea of the word according to Farrar (ibid.). The word embraces that peculiar mode of thought and of viewing life which lays the foundations for the moral judgments and for moral self-determination. Opinion is Alford's choice (ibid.) of an English word for judgment (gnōmē). What they assert and do is the comment by Farrar (ibid.). The word is used for purpose, intention, opinion, declaration, resolve, design, aim, view expressed, counsel (BAGD). To be of the same mind and the same judgment must be practical among Christians, or else Paul would not have urged it. But it is only practical when all follow the things taught by the Lord. By deferring our judgment to His teaching and following the same we can be one. When we change things which God directs, or add things not taught by the word, will we differ and divide.³⁹ Paul wants them to come to the same conclusions and practice on this subject of how they estimate the value of their preachers, and the following paragraphs through chapter 4 will help them see what that same mind and judgment is to be.⁴⁰ Paul desired for the Corinthian church members to have a spirit of love and harmony in Christ that would attract unsaved people to the gospel.

1:11 - For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren - With for Paul begins his explanation of the area where the Corinthians need to be knit together in the same mind and judgment. For means 'Let me explain what I'm talking about when I speak of divisions.' Here, Paul tells the Corinthians the source of his information about the dissension and bickering among the brethren at Corinth. Informed translates edēlōthē, and it speaks of definite information, the actual disclosure of facts. Paul did not learn about the sad situation from unsubstantiated rumors. The facts presented left no doubt as to what the situation was.

By Chloe's people ("by them that are of the household of Chloe, ASV) - The Greek only has by them of Chloe. Nothing is known of Chloe or her people with certainty. Was she a resident of Corinth? Have her people" made a special trip to

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This commentary is fantastic. Totally Christocentric. God bless the author of this commentary. Thank you Lord.