THE CONTEXT: Corinth was an important and wealthy city on the isthmus (narrow strip of land) separating Northern and Southern Greece. The Apostle Paul spent 18 months there on his Second Missionary Journey and established a church there. Acts 18 gives us considerable detail about Paul's work in Corinth during that time. At the conclusion of his visit to Corinth, Paul left to visit Ephesus, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Galatia (Acts 18:18-23). In his absence Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, began teaching in the synagogue at Ephesus. Apollos knew only the baptism of John, but Priscilla and Aquila corrected his understanding. Apollos then went to Achaia (of which Corinth was the capitol) and gave a powerful witness to the messiahship of Jesus (Acts 18:24-28). After leaving Corinth, Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Corinth warning them "to have no company with sexual sinners" (5:9), but that letter has been lost to us. Paul is writing this letter in response to a report from Chloe's people about problems in the Corinthian church (1:11). In this letter, he provides apostolic guidance for dealing with those problems. The first of those problems is divisions in the church.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:10. I BEG YOU THAT YOU ALL SPEAK THE SAME THING
10Now (Greek: de-but) I beg you, brothers (Greek: adelphoi-brothers), through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing (Greek: hina pantes legete-that you say the same thing) and that there be no divisions (Greek: schismata) among you, but that you be perfected together (Greek: katertismenoi-be made perfect or be perfectly joined together) in the same mind (Greek: noi-mind or understanding) and in the same judgment (Greek: gnome-judgment, purpose, or will).
"Now (de-but) I beg you, brothers (adelphoi-brothers), through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ" (v. 10a).
Paul begins this paragraph with the little Greek word de, which is most often translated "but." That little word connects this paragraph with the last one, in which Paul gave thanks for the grace of God that was given to the Corinthian Christians-and that they are not lacking any spiritual gift. BUT there are serious problems in the Corinthian church. Having gotten the pleasantries out of the way, Paul gets down to the business at hand-divisions in the church.
While Paul founded the Corinthian church and is therefore the spiritual father of these Corinthian Christians, he addresses them as "brothers." As an apostle, he is their spiritual superior, but he chooses to address them as their spiritual brother. He has reminded them that he is an apostle (v. 1)-and will address his apostolic authority at greater length later (chapter 9)-but he is also their brother in Christ.
Paul appeals to them "through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ." In that culture, people considered a person's name to be more than a simple label to identify that person. They believed that something of the person's identity was tied up in the name-that the name expressed something of the person's essential character. They also assumed that a name possessed something of the power of the one who wore that name.
While that might sound foreign to us today, it is not. When we talk about a person's reputation, we are talking about something that expresses the essence of that person. A person's reputation also conveys a certain power or lack of it.
So when Paul appeals to them "through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ," he is not just mentioning a person known to both parties. He is invoking the authority and power of Jesus Christ as he addresses serious problems in the Corinthian church.
"that you all speak the same thing (hina pantes legete-that you say the same thing) and that there be no divisions (schismata) among you, but that you be perfected together (katertismenoi-be made perfect or be perfectly joined together) in the same mind (noi-mind or understanding) and in the same judgment (gnome-judgment, purpose, or will) (v. 10b).
Paul appeals to them to live together in unity, and he tells them three different ways that their unity needs to express itself:
(1) They must be in agreement-say the same thing-promulgate the same doctrine-proclaim the same Christ. Their mouths simply give expression to the thoughts of their minds and the beliefs of their hearts. If they are to say the same thing, they must first think the same thing and believe the same thing.
This does not mean that they must sacrifice personal identity to become a collection of look-alikes. The apostles have distinctive personalities and go about their work in different ways, but they agree on the core issues of the Christian faith. Where there is serious disagreement, they come together to resolve those issues (Galatians 2:1-10). It is that kind of unity within diversity to which Paul is calling these Corinthian Christians.
Paul will address the issue of diversity further in chapter 12, where he will talk about "various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit; and... various kinds of service, and the same Lord; and... various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all" (12:4-5). He will illustrate this with an analogy to the human body, which is made up of many members (eyes, a head, feet, hands, etc.), but is one body (12:12-31). Each member of the body is distinctive, but all the members are dependent one on the other. In the same way, these Corinthian Christians "are the body of Christ, and members individually" (12:27). At present, they are prideful and competitive, so Paul shows them a better way-a greater gift-the way and gift of love (chapter 13).
(2) They must entertain no divisions (schismata) among themselves. In this letter, Paul is addressing the kinds of internal divisions that can result within a congregation because of differing opinions. There is no evidence in this letter that the Corinthian church has fractured into multiple congregations, but internal fractures within the congregation always have the potential to lead to that result.
Whether or not there will be divisions in the church depends, in large measure, on whether Christians consider divisions acceptable. Christians who believe that divisions are acceptable will always be divided, because there are so many things about which we might choose to disagree. We certainly see that in the church today-both the worldwide church, which is broken into hundreds of denominations, and local congregations, which often fight over such mundane things as the color of the carpet. But if Christians consider divisions unacceptable, they will become more flexible and considerate of the opinions of others. They will be more likely to approach each other in love and to work out differences in ways that bring harm to neither party.
So when Paul calls on these Corinthian Christians to have no divisions among themselves, he is calling them to change their way of think about divisions-to regard divisions as contrary to the will of God. If they will do that, they will gain the will to work together-to eliminate divisions-to work together in harmony.
(3) They must be united in noi (mind or understanding). The thoughts of their minds are the beginning point. Their thoughts will determine the feelings of their hearts and the actions of their hands. If they think that their preferred leader (Paul, Apollos, or Cephas) is superior to the other leaders, then they will feel superior to the followers of the other leaders. That will, in turn, lead them to act in ways that their Christian brothers and sisters will find offensive. However, if they think that God is calling them to maintain unity, they will be more likely to act in ways that will enhance the unity of the church.
They must also be united in judgment (gnome-judgment, purpose, or will). Otherwise, they will pull in different directions, and the work of one person will cancel the work of another. The best way for them to be united in gnome is for all of them to face in the same direction-to keep a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ always before them. If some turn their eyes toward Paul, and others toward Apollos, and still others toward Cephas, they will be seeing things differently-and pulling in different directions-and going nowhere. However, if will all turn in the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ, they will find it possible to live in harmony with each other.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:11-13. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ME
11 For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. 12Now I mean this, that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," and, "I follow Christ." 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?
"For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you" (v. 11). Scholars agree that Chloe was a woman, so Chloe must be a woman's name. Scholars speculate that she might have been a businesswoman from Ephesus with agents who traveled to Corinth (a distance of about 225 miles as the crow flies). However, she might have been from Corinth, and her people might have been family members rather than business associates. This is the only reference to Chloe in the New Testament, and we know nothing more about her-not even whether she was a Christian.
At any rate, Chloe's people reported to Paul that there were quarrels raging among the Corinthian Christians, and Paul takes their report seriously enough to address the problem at length in this letter. In doing so, he has to know that those who say, "I follow Apollos" or "I follow Cephas" (1:12) will have difficulty accepting his authority.
"Now I mean this, that each one of you says, 'I follow Paul,' 'I follow Apollos,' 'I follow Cephas,' and, 'I follow Christ'" (v. 12). Paul spells out exactly what he has heard from Chloe's people:
But, later in this letter, Paul will say that neither Paul nor Apollos should be regarded as a celebrity. Both are only "servants through whom you believed; and each as the Lord gave to him" (3:5). He will say, "I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase" (3:6). He will explain that he writes these things "that none of you be puffed up against one another" (4:6).
When Paul writes this letter, Apollos is not in Corinth. Paul has encouraged him to visit the Corinthian church, but Apollos has declined, saying that he will visit there when he can (16:12).
We have no record of Cephas/Peter having visited Corinth, but that doesn't mean that he never set foot there. It is possible that some Jewish Christians feel a kinship with Cephas, whose ministry has been directed toward the Jewish community, rather than with Paul, whose ministry has been directed toward the Gentile community. It could also be that some Corinthian Christians are impressed with the fact that Peter was one of the original twelve apostles-and the leader of the apostles while Jesus was walking the face of this earth. Paul didn't become a Christian until after Jesus' death and resurrection.
But it is possible to move in the right direction and still fall on one's face. By the tone of Paul's letter, it is clear that he regards the Corinthians who say, "I belong to Christ" as having made a grievous error. Since that error cannot be that they give their first allegiance to Christ (which is what they should do), their error must be elsewhere. Most probably, it is that they have the same contentious spirit and prideful attitude as those who identify themselves as followers of Paul, Peter, or Cephas. It is their contentious spirit and their prideful attitude that are at fault-not their allegiance to Christ.
"Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?" (v. 13). These are rhetorical questions intended to expose the absurdity of the divisions in the Corinthian church. The obvious answers are, "No, Christ is not divided"-and "No, Christ was crucified for us, not Paul"-and "No, we were baptized into the name of Christ, not Paul."
1 CORINTHIANS 1:14-17. CHRIST SENT ME TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name. 16 I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don't know whether I baptized any other.) 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News (Greek: euangelizo)- not in wisdom of words (Greek: sophia logou-wise words), so that the cross of Christ wouldn't be made void.
"I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius" (v. 14). These verses make it sound as if Paul holds a low opinion of baptism, but that is hardly the case. In Romans 6:1ff, Paul talks about being buried with Christ in baptism and raised to a new life (v. 4). He goes on to say that, if we have been united with Christ in death (as in the baptismal burial), we will also be united with him in the resurrection (v. 5). He says that those who have died (as in the baptismal burial) are freed from sin (v. 7).
In Colossians 2:12-15, Paul uses similar imagery. He says, "having been buried with him (Christ) in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."
So we would be making a mistake if we were to portray verses 14-17 as reflecting a low view of baptism. Paul has a high view of baptism, but is addressing a different problem here-the problem of divisions in the Corinthian church.
Crispus was a former leader of the synagogue in Corinth who, along with his household, became a believer and was baptized (Acts 18:8). The Gaius mentioned here could be the one whom Paul mentions as having hosted Paul and the whole church (Romans 16:23). Otherwise, we know nothing for sure about these men.
Paul's point is that people are sometimes tempted to think too highly of the person who baptized them. It is too easy to forget that the person performing the baptism is just a servant-a servant of Christ. If Paul had baptized lots of people in Corinth, those people would be tempted to say, "I belong to Paul," and that would contribute to the problem of divisions within the Corinthian church. However, since Paul baptized only a few people there, he doesn't have to worry about being regarded as a cult figure.
"so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name" (v. 15). As noted above, people in that time and place regarded names almost as a surrogate for the person. To do something in the name of a particular person would be to do it by that person's authority. To be baptized in the name of Paul would be to assume that the power of baptism is derived from Paul's authority. Nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism derives its power by its association with Christ, not Paul. The Corinthian Christians were baptized in Christ's name, not Paul's name.
"I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don't know whether I baptized any other" (v. 16). Paul mentioned in verse 14 that he baptized Crispus and Gaius. Now he suddenly remembers that he also baptized Stephanas and his household. This side note shows that Paul is writing or dictating this letter "on the fly"-without the kinds of revisions that would make everything perfectly coherent.
Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia (Achaia is the province of which Corinth is the capitol city). Paul speaks highly of Stephanas at the end of this letter, saying that Stephanas has devoted himself to service to the saints, by which Paul means ordinary Christians at Corinth. Paul encourages the Christians at Corinth to help Stephanas, and notes that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus visited Paul (probably in Ephesus) and lifted his spirits (16:15-17).
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News"(euangelizo) (v. 17a). Once again, it sounds as if Paul might have a low view of baptism, but that is not the case (see the comments on verse 14 above). Paul has baptized some people, but that isn't the central focus of his ministry. He was called to proclaim the Gospel-to evangelize. Later, he will talk about the shared ministry that he had with others-"I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase" (3:6). Presumably, as part of their shared ministries, others have carried out baptisms for those whom Paul has converted.
"not in wisdom of words (sophia logou-wise words), so that the cross of Christ wouldn't be made void" (v. 17b). Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom, a subject near and dear to Greek hearts. Greeks prize both wisdom and its outward manifestations in rhetoric (the art of preparing persuasive arguments) and oratory (the art of public speaking). In the verses that follow, Paul will contrast human wisdom with the Godly wisdom that sent Christ to the cross. In sending Christ to the cross, "God made foolish the wisdom of this world" (1:18-25).
In this verse, then, Paul is saying that he doesn't want his teachings or methods to be associated with human wisdom. If his proclamation of the Gospel smacked of human eloquence and wisdom, that eloquence and wisdom would distract from that which is the focus of everything Paul does and says-the cross of Christ. Paul doesn't want these Corinthian Christians to admire his eloquence and wisdom. He wants them to keep their eyes focused on the cross of Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18. THE WORD OF THE CROSS IS THE POWER OF GOD
18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying" (v. 18a). This verse introduces the rest of this chapter, where Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world (human wisdom) with the wisdom of God, which finds its highest expression in the apparent foolishness of the cross of Christ. For those who pride themselves on their wisdom, the cross appears to be foolishness-nonsense. Why would God send his Son to die on a cross? By the standards of human wisdom, it makes no sense! But human wisdom, attractive as it might seem on the surface, has no saving power. People who depend on human wisdom alone are perishing, because they have no savior.
"but to us who are saved it is the power of God" (v. 18b). Those who are being saved have acknowledged their powerlessness and God's power. They have accepted the fact that they cannot defeat the sin that threatens to dominate their lives, and so have learned to trust in the grace of God. That grace was manifested most fully at the cross of Christ, where Christ not only prayed that God would forgive those who crucified him, but also opened the door to forgiveness for all who came to believe in him. Thus the cross, which seems like foolishness to those who are steeped in human wisdom, is really the instrument of salvation for those who are being saved.
NOTE ON CONTEXT (vv. 18-25): Now Paul turns his attention to the cross of Christ. The cross raises issues for both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles). Corinth is a Greek city, but has a substantial Jewish population. While living in Corinth, Paul worked among both Jews and Greeks, and both were represented in the Corinthian church. The cross of Christ seemed like foolishness both to the Jews, who expected a powerful Messiah-and to the Greeks, who placed a high value on human wisdom (Greek: sophia). To the Jews, the cross appeared to be weakness, not strength. To the Greeks, the cross appeared to be foolishness, not wisdom. Paul addresses both of these perceptions in these verses.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-25. THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE DYING
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom (sophia) of the wise, I will bring the discernment (synesis) of the discerning (synetos) to nothing" (atheteo).
20Where is the wise (sophos)? Where is the scribe (grammateus)? Where is the lawyer (suzetetes) of this world (houtos ho aion)? Hasn't God made foolish (moraino) the wisdom of this world (ho kosmos sophia)? 21For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching(kerygma) to save those who believe. 22For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling (skandalon) block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying" (v. 18a). This verse introduces the rest of this chapter, where Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world (human wisdom) with the wisdom of God, which finds its highest expression in the apparent foolishness of the cross of Christ. For those who pride themselves on their own wisdom, the cross appears to be foolishness-nonsense. Why would God send his Son to die on a cross? By the standards of human wisdom, it makes no sense! But human wisdom, attractive as it might seem on the surface, has no saving power. No matter how intelligent they might be, people who depend on human wisdom alone are perishing. They are like people whose ship has gone down in the middle of a great ocean. Even if they have Olympic swimming skills, those people would have no hope of reaching shore on their own. They need a lifeboat or, better yet, a ship to save them. The ultimate foolishness for such people would be to refuse help from a rescue vessel.
"but to us who are saved it is the power of God" (v. 18b). Those who are being saved have acknowledged their powerlessness and God's power. They understand that they cannot defeat the sin that threatens to dominate their lives, and so they have learned to trust in the grace of God. That grace was manifested most fully at the cross of Christ, where Christ not only prayed that God would forgive those who crucified him, but also opened the door to forgiveness for all who would come to believe in him. Thus the cross, which seems like foolishness to those who are steeped in human wisdom, is really the instrument of salvation for those who are being saved.
"For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom (sophia) of the wise, I will bring the discernment(synesis) of the discerning (synetos) to nothing'" (atheteo) (v. 19). Corinth is Greek, and the ancient Greeks are proud of their wisdom and their great philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The word philosophy comes from two Greek words, phileo, which means "to love" and sophia, which means "wisdom." The Greeks love wisdom, and pride themselves on their knowledge and understanding.
But Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah to tell the Corinthian church that God will "destroy the wisdom of the wise" and thwart the discernment of the discerning. The quotation comes from Isaiah 29:14b, which says: "the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden." Human wisdom (sophia) and discernment (synesis-understanding) have their roots in disciplines such as history and science. Such disciplines promise to enlighten us so that our future will be brighter than our past.
This kind of wisdom holds real promise. We enjoy a quality of life, with indoor plumbing and central heat and automobiles, which would have been the envy of princes and kings from an earlier generation. Modern drilling techniques allow us to extract oil from places that were inaccessible even a decade ago. Modern technology makes it possible for us to track down terrorists before they can act. Modern medicine makes it possible for us to live longer and more pain-free lives than ever before.
However, the lessons of history and science have failed to bring us real security, and new solutions often create new problems. We are no closer to solving the problem of evil than our ancestors were a thousand years ago. Unlocking the secrets of the atom has given us cheap energy, but has created massive piles of nuclear waste-and has given us cause to fear annihilation. We still have wars and rumors of wars. Tyrants continue to dominate nations large and small across the globe. Our sophisticated weapons give us a temporary advantage over our enemies, but are often thwarted by primitive, low-cost technologies. The comforts of heating, air conditioning, and automobiles have come at the cost of depleting the earth's precious resources and polluting the air. Even modern medicine, for which I have reason to be very grateful, has left us with such problems as financing the medical needs of an aging population and trying to determine when to pull the plug.
So God (through Isaiah and Paul) says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing." Can we doubt that God has done just that? It isn't as if he steps in to thwart us each time we make some sort of progress. It seems instead that he has devised a law of nature as real as gravity-that human wisdom is always finite and often creates new problems as it solves old ones.
"Where is the wise (sophos)? Where is the scribe (grammateus)? Where is the lawyer (suzetetes) of this world (houtos ho aion)? (v. 20a). Paul continues his argument by listing some examples of people known for their wisdom:
"Hasn't God made foolish (moraino) the wisdom of this world?" (ho kosmos sophia) (v. 20b). God has made foolish the purveyors of human wisdom. God regularly makes those who possess ho kosmos sophia (the wisdom of this world) look like moraino-fools-morons.
The phrase, ho kosmos sophia (the wisdom of this world) is almost an oxymoron-a combination of contradictory words, such as "essential luxury" or "authentic replica." The New Testament uses the word kosmos for the world that is opposed to God. How can a kosmos that is antagonistic to God be wise? It isn't possible!
However, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that God loved the kosmos-loved it so much that he sent his only Son to save the people of the kosmos (John 3:16).
"For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world (kosmos) through its wisdom didn't know God"(v. 21a). In his wisdom, God did not structure things so we can know him through our wisdom. We can know him only by revelation. It is only as God chooses to reveal himself to us that we can know him.
In the book of Romans, Paul says that God has revealed himself so that even evil people can see him plainly. However, many people choose to ignore this revelation. They don't honor God. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). How can a person who worships an idol made of wood or stone claim to be wise?
"it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching (kerygma) to save those who believe" (v. 21b). God, in his wisdom, chose to reveal himself, not through human wisdom, but through the apparent foolishness of preaching (kerygma). The kerygma of the New Testament can be summarized as the "proclamation of the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus that led to evaluation of His person as both Lord and Christ, (confronting) man with the necessity of repentance and (promising) the forgiveness of sins" (Mounce, 9). The kerygma, therefore, is God-given rather than the product of human effort or wisdom. The kerygma is centered on the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. It is by those actions that God has chosen to redeem the world.
The cross of Christ seems like foolishness to those who refuse to believe. Why would God send his Son to die on a cross? Why not send him as the head of a mighty army? Why not send him with magical powers to set everything straight? The answer, of course, is that while God wants to save the world, he wants to do it by wooing and winning people rather than by coercing them. He wants us to be free to choose.
"For Jews ask for signs" (v. 22a). Demanding signs is one form of idolatry. To demand a sign is to insist that God prove himself. It is to insist that God jump through our hoops and do it our way. Jesus did work miracles, but had no use for those who demanded signs (Matthew 16:1-4; John 2:23-25; 4:48).
Paul says that the Jews demand signs, but people of every stripe demand signs and miracles. Some demand to see medical miracles. Others expect God to find them a parking place in a crowded city-or a new job-or whatever happens to be their need for the moment. They want a God who is like a concierge or a bellboy-a servant to do their bidding.
"Greeks seek after wisdom" (v. 22b). As noted above, Greeks cherished their sophia-their wisdom-their philosophies-their sophistication. This is the temptation to which Greeks were most susceptible-but their wisdom had no saving power.
Once again, we should note that this temptation is present with us today. We are often swayed by people who seem to be wise but turn out to be merely glib. We are often swayed by various expressions of human wisdom. We are overly impressed by academic degrees. We too quickly dismantle our defenses when we hear, "Scientific studies reveal...."
"but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling (skandalon) block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks" (v. 23). The Jews demand signs and the Greeks desire wisdom, but Paul has something quite different to offer them. He "proclaim(s) Christ crucified." This is a skandalon (stumbling block, scandal, offense) to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles-and that's no wonder. Crucifixion was not only a cruel way to die, but it was also shameful. The Romans reserved crucifixion for the worst offenders. A public crucifixion showed passersby what could happen to them if they committed a crime against Rome. Crucifixion was designed to inspire fear and loathing.
So it is no wonder that the Jews would see Christ's crucifixion as a stumbling block-and that the Gentiles would see it as foolishness-folly carried to the nth degree.
But Christ crucified is what God gave us.
"but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (v. 24). Paul labels the members of the Christian community "those who are the called." The concept of God calling people is found in both Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, God called Abram, Moses, and others for particular missions. In the New Testament, Jesus called Paul to quit persecuting the church and to become an apostle. God also issues less specific calls. He calls all of us to be in relationship with him. In the New Testament, the word election (Greek: ekloge) is used for this kind of call. The community of faith, the church, is said to be called by God to be his people.
To those who are called by God, the cross suddenly makes sense. What seemed crazy when we were on the outside looking in suddenly comes into focus once we have an insider's view. We are able to see that the cross is not foolishness at all, but is instead the power and wisdom of God. It is powerful, because it has the power to save. It is wise, because Christ's death on the cross says more clearly than anything else that God's love for us has no bounds.
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (v. 25). The cross is wise and powerful because it is God's initiative. God is both wise and powerful, so any initiative of God's will proceed out of wisdom and will have a powerful effect. That is not true of human schemes, because human schemes proceed out of our limited understanding and often fail to accomplish what they are intended to do.
But many people find it difficult to see that, because they are invested in their personal wisdom or strength and cannot find it in their hearts to defer to God's plan of salvation.
Paul states in thesis-like fashion what he is trying to accomplish by writing 1 Corinthians.[8] "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose" (1 Cor. 1:10). The verb he uses in this final phrase is a metaphor that connotes mending of human relationships. Thus Paul is urging the Corinthians to overcome the factionalism that has damaged the unity of the church. Modern Western culture highly values diversity, so we are in danger of construing Paul's injunctions negatively. He is not arguing for conformity of thought (as other passages make clear), but he understands quite clearly that a sense of common purpose and vision is essential. If there is continual strife and disagreement about basic values and convictions and no cohesion among its members, any organization is doomed to failure. Although Paul is writing to a church, we know he also thought Christians should contribute to the workings of society at large. "Be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work" (Titus 3:1; emphasis added). Therefore, we should seek common purpose not only in church but also in the places we work. Our role as Christians is to do good work in unity and harmony with both believers and nonbelievers. This does not mean we acquiesce to immorality or injustice. It does mean that we develop good relationships, support co-workers, and care to do our work excellently. If we cannot in good conscience do our work wholeheartedly, we need to find someplace else to work, rather than grumble or shirk.
Paul reminds the congregation in Corinth that most of them do not come from the ranks of the privileged classes. "Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth" (1 Cor. 1:26). But the effectiveness of the church did not depend on having people with all the connections, educations, or fortunes. God accomplishes his purposes with ordinary people. We have already seen that the value of our work is based on God's gifts, not on our credentials. But Paul draws a further point. Because we are nobody special by nature, we can never treat other people as insignificant.
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, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. (1 Cor. 1:27-29; emphasis added)
Since Paul's day, many Christians have attained positions of power, wealth, and status. His words remind us that we insult God if we allow these things to make us arrogant, disrespectful, or abusive toward people in lower-status positions. Many workplaces still accord special privileges to higher-ranking workers, bearing no relevance to the actual work at hand. Aside from pay differences, high-status workers may enjoy fancier offices, first-class travel, executive dining rooms, reserved parking, better benefits packages, company-paid club memberships, residences, drivers, personal services, and other perquisites. They may receive special deference-for example, being called "Mr." or "Ms." or "Professor"- when others in the organization are called by first names only. In some cases, special treatment may be appropriate, based on the nature of the work performed and organizational responsibilities. But in other cases, such privileges may create unwarranted gradations of human worth and dignity. Paul's point is that such distinctions have no place among the people of God. If we enjoy-or suffer-such distinctions at work, we might ask ourselves blB whether they contradict the equal dignity of persons in the presence of God and, if so, what we might do to remedy them.
BLB COMMENTARY
B. The problem of divisions.
1. (1Cor 1:10) Initial plea: don't be torn apart, but joined.
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
a. I plead with you, brethren: Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ. He had authority in the church. He had the right, and the authority, to command the Corinthian Christians in these matters. Instead, with loving heart, he begs them - he pleads with them - to be unified as believers.
i. "Now, after preparing their minds for rebuke, acting like a good, experienced surgeon, who touches the wound gently when a painful remedy must be used, Paul begins to handle them more severely." (Calvin)
b. That there be no divisions among you: The ancient Greek word for divisions is schismata. Although we derive our English word "schism" from this Greek word, it does not really mean a "party" or a "faction"; it properly means "tear, or rend." Paul's plea is that they stop ripping each other apart, tearing up the body of Christ.
c. The contrast to divisions is to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Instead of being torn apart, Paul pleads that they would be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
i. Barclay on joined together: "A medical word 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."
2. (1Cor 1:11-13) Paul exposes the foolishness of their divisions.
For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
a. Those of Chloe's household: Chloe was a woman (probably a Christian) whose business interests caused her representatives (those in her household) to travel between Ephesus and Corinth. Paul is writing this letter from Ephesus, where these people from Chloe's household have visited him and told him about what is happening in the Corinthian church.
i. Clarke on Chloe: "This was doubtless some very religious matron at Corinth, whose family were converted to the Lord; some of whom were probably sent to the apostle to inform him of the dissensions which then prevailed in the Church at that place."
b. Contentions among you: The Corinthian church suffered under quarreling and conflict. This conflict had made them divide up into "parties" or "cliques," each party having its own "leader."
i. "I am of Paul": There was the "Paul Party," who declared "We are following in the footsteps of the man who founded our church, the apostle Paul. We're the ones really right with God!"
ii. "I am of Apollos": There was the "Apollos Party," who declared "We are following in the footsteps of a man who is great in power and spiritual gifts, and an impressive man. We're the ones really right with God!" (Acts 18:24-25)
iii. "I am of Cephas": There was the "Peter Party," who declared "We are following in the footsteps of the man who is first among all the apostles. Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and he's our man. We're the ones really right with God!"
iv. "I am of Christ": There was the "Jesus Party," who declared "You all are so carnal, following after mere men. We are following in the footsteps of no one less than Jesus Himself. We're the ones really right with God!"
v. It is possible there was not an actual "Paul Party" or "Apollos Party" or "Peter Party" or "Jesus Party" at Corinth. Later in this letter, Paul writes that he transferred to himself and Apollos what was applicable to others (1 Corinthians 4:6). The actual Corinthian factions may have been centered around people in the congregation, not the different apostles who ministered to them. Even if this is the case, the picture fits. Paul may be "changing the names to protect the innocent," or to show mercy to the guilty!
vi. The Corinthians' boasting about their "party leaders" was really boasting about themselves. It wasn't so much that they thought Apollos was great, but that they were great for following him.
c. Though division is ungodly, it is not wrong to make distinctions between churches and ministers. God has made different churches and different ministries with different callings and characters, because the job of preaching the gospel is too big for any one group.
i. "I bless God that there are so many denominations. If there were not men who differed a little in their creeds, we should never get as much gospel as we do ... God has sent different men to defend different kinds of truth; but Christ defended and preached all ... Christ's testimony was perfect." (Spurgeon)
ii. It is one thing to prefer one minister to another, but we cannot divide into cliques behind one minister or another. "One minister of Christ may be justly preferred to another. We ought to honour those most whom God most honoureth, either by a more plentiful giving out of his Spirit, or by a more plentiful success upon their labours; but we ought not so far to appropriate any ministers to ourselves, as for them to despise others. We are not bound to make every minister our pastor, but we are bound to have a just respect for every minister, who by his doctrine and holy life answereth his profession and holy calling." (Poole)
d. Is Christ divided? Jesus does not belong to any one "party." These cliques ignore the truth of unity over all diversity in the church, even if they were all in the name of spirituality.
i. Spiritual elitism is abhorrent, no matter whose name it is practiced in.
ii. There was an old, contentious Quaker who went from one meeting to another, never finding the "true" church. Someone once said to him, "Well, what church are you in now?" He said, "I am in the true church at last." "How many belong to it?" "Just my wife and myself, and I am not sure about her sometimes."
e. Even more foolish than "dividing Jesus" is to center parties in the church around men: Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? When Paul puts it like this, it shows how foolish it is to focus on anyone but Jesus.
3. (1Cor 1:14-17) Paul is grateful he did not happen to baptize more people in Corinth and thereby add more fuel to the partisan debate.
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
a. Apparently, some of the Corinthian Christians (probably those of the "Paul Party") made a big deal of the fact that they had been baptized by Paul. Because it was becoming a divisive issue, Paul was therefore grateful that he had not baptized very many in Corinth (lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name).
i. Of course, Paul did baptize a few in Corinth. Crispus is likely mentioned in Acts 8:8, Gaius in Rom 16:23.
b. I thank God ... Christ did not send me to baptize: For Paul, preaching was more important than baptizing, though he was certainly not opposed to baptism. Yet, we can see by this that baptism is not essential to salvation. If it were - if the teaching of baptismal regeneration were true - then Paul could never thank God that he baptized so few in Corinth, and he, as an evangelist, could never say Christ did not send me to baptize.
i. That Paul did not regard baptism as essential to salvation is also seen by the fact that he did not keep careful track of whom he had baptized: Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. Surely, Paul remembered his converts, but the issue of baptism, though important, was not as important to Paul.
ii. In light of I thank God that I baptized none of you, it is impossible to claim that Paul was a sacramentalist. "He clearly denies here that he considers baptism essential to the remission of sin or the means of obtaining forgiveness." (Robertson)
iii. "While therefore it is unscriptural to make baptism essential to salvation or a certain means of regeneration, it is nevertheless a dangerous act of disobedience to undervalue or neglect it." (Hodge)
iv. This passage also makes it clear that the individual doing the baptizing doesn't really affect the validity of the baptism. Those baptized by the great apostle Paul had no advantage over those baptized by some unknown believer. The power of baptism is in the spiritual reality it represents.
c. How did Paul preach in Corinth? Not with the wisdom of words (cleverness of speaking). Paul came speaking plainly, without any attempt to dazzle with eloquence or intellect.
i. Paul came to Corinth from Athens, where he contended with the great philosophers of the day in terms they could understand (Acts 17:16-34). Some people think that Paul was disappointed by the results in Athens, and resolved to preach differently in Corinth.
ii. It's wrong to say that Paul preached a watered-down gospel in Athens; "Like the biblical revelation itself, his argument begins with God the creator of all and ends with God the judge of all ... The speech as it stands admirably summarizes an introductory lesson in Christianity for cultured pagans." (Bruce, in his commentary on Acts) At the same time, it is not unreasonable to think that Paul came from the intellectual environment of Athens, to the open wickedness of Corinth, with a renewed passion to preach the gospel plainly and without compromise.
iii. There is another significant difference between Paul's ministry in Athens and his work in Corinth. Paul was in Athens a day or two; he stayed in Corinth for a year and a half.
d. Lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect: Paul makes it clear that it is possible to preach the gospel in a way that makes it of no effect. If one preaches the word with a reliance on wisdom of words, they can make the gospel of no effect.
i. How sobering this is! The great gospel of Jesus Christ, the very power of God unto salvation - made empty and of no effect through the pride and cleverness of men! This danger was constantly on the mind of the apostle Paul, and should be constantly on the mind of any preacher or teacher.
C. The power of the cross and the wisdom of men.
1. (1Cor 1:18) The central point: How the perishing see the cross, and how the saved see the cross.
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.
a. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul has just declared the idea that the cross could be made of no effect if it were presented with the wisdom of words. Paul now will show why this is true of the cross and the message of the gospel.
b. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing: To those who reject the salvation of the cross, the idea of being saved through the work of a crucified man is foolish.
i. The words message of the cross sound kind of noble and religious to our twentieth-century ears. But in the first century, saying message of the cross was about the same as saying message of the electric chair - except worse! What message does a cruel, humiliating, unrelenting instrument of death have? No wonder it is foolishness to those who are perishing!
c. To us who are being saved it is the power of God: Though it is a strange message, and regarded as foolish by the perishing, to those who trust in it and are being saved, this message of the cross becomes to them the actual power of God.
i. There is inherent power in the preaching of the true gospel, when it is received with faith. The hearing and trusting of the true gospel will bring the power of God into your life!
ii. Though the word gospel isn't in this verse, it is in the previous verse. For Paul, the message of the cross was the gospel. It was impossible for the Apostle to preach the gospel without presenting the message of the cross. So, preaching a high moral standard is not preaching the gospel, preaching the universal fatherhood of God is not preaching the gospel, and preaching the universal brotherhood of man is not preaching the gospel. The gospel is the message of the cross.
d. The verb tenses of are perishing and are being saved are significant. They both describe a work in progress. Each of us is definitely moving in one of those two directions.
2. (1Cor 1:19-21) The wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God.
For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
a.For it is written: In this quotation from Isaiah 29:14, Paul shows that in spiritual matters, God opposes the wisdom of man. He will destroy the wisdom of the wise, not bow down before it.
b. Where is the wise? Paul is saying, "In light of what God says in Isaiah 29:14, now where is your 'wise' man? Where is your scribe? Where is your disputer of this age? God has made them all foolish through His wisdom. He has destroyed the wisdom of the wise, just as He said He would."
i. The disputer of this age "was the man who wanted to dispute every issue and solve it by human reason."
ii. The point is plain: There is no wise man, no scribe, and no debater who can do what Jesus Christ has done.
c. The world through wisdom did not know God: There is a constant tendency to think that the smartest and wisest humans will know the most about God. But God cannot be found through human wisdom, but only through the message of the cross. The pursuit of human wisdom may bring an earthly contentment or happiness (though this is rare), but in itself, it can never bring the true knowledge of the true God.
i. It is significant that often the most educated people have the least regard for God. This is not always the case; some of the most brilliant men of history have been Christians (such as Isaac Newton). But largely, the "smarter" one sees themselves as, the less regard they have for God. Human "wisdom" is constantly rejecting God and opposing Him, and ultimately showing itself foolish and perishing in doing so!
ii. One day, students in one of Albert Einstein's classes were saying they had decided that there was no God. Einstein asked them, how much of all the knowledge in the world they had among themselves collectively, as a class. The students discussed it for a while and decided they had 5% of all human knowledge among themselves. Einstein thought that their estimate was a little generous, but he replied: "It is possible that God exists in the 95% that you don't know?"
d. Through the foolishness of the message: The Corinthians wanted to believe that the gospel itself was a sublime form of wisdom, as the Greeks considered wisdom (sophia). Paul replies, 'how foolish can you get? What is there 'wise' (in the Greek sense of wisdom) about a crucified Messiah?"
i. The phrases foolishness of the message and foolishness of God do not mean Paul actually considered the message and God foolish but describing them as they appear to the perishing man, the "wise" man of this age.
ii. God's wisdom is not man's wisdom multiplied to the highest degree; it wisdom of a different order altogether. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
iii. Paul isn't condemning all learning or education here; he is merely saying that they are, in themselves, useless for obtaining spiritual wisdom.
iv. "It is certain that a blind man is no judge of colours, a deaf man is no judge of sound, and a man who has never been quickened into spiritual life can have no judgment as to spiritual things." (Spurgeon)
e. It pleased God: God takes pleasure in accomplishing our salvation in a way no one would have expected. He is happy to do it in this way which offends the height of human wisdom.
3. (1Cor 1:22-25) The wisdom of God, though foolish to the world, triumphs.
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
a. For Jews request a sign: In Paul's day, the Jewish world was looking for a sign. Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. They were not looking for the message of the cross. Their desire for deliverance was not bad, but their rejection of God's way of deliverance was.
i. "Their idolatry was that they now had God completely figured out; he would simply repeat the Exodus, in still greater splendor." (Fee)
b. Greeks seek after wisdom: The Greek culture valued the pursuit of wisdom, usually expressed in high, academic, philosophical terms. They did not value the wisdom expressed in the message of the cross. Their desire for wisdom was not bad, but their rejection of God's wisdom was.
i. "Their idolatry was to conceive of God as ultimate Reason, meaning of course what we deem to be reasonable." (Fee)
c. We preach Christ crucified: Instead of giving the Jews and Greeks what they demanded in deliverance and wisdom, God gives them something unexpected: a crucified Messiah.
i. Christ (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. Crucified meant weakness, defeat, and humiliation. Christ crucified was the ultimate oxymoron, and this was what Paul preached!
ii. If the cross doesn't seem strange to you, then you either don't understand how the cross was seen in Jesus' day, or you don't understand who Jesus is. You don't understand the tension between Christ and crucified.
iii. The great Roman statesman Cicero said: "The cross, it speaks of that which is so shameful, so horrible, it should never be mentioned in polite society." If we were witnesses to the trial of Jesus - when the crowd was shouting out "Crucify him! Crucify him!" - if we had our wits about us, we would have shouted back, "Don't crucify Him! If you must execute this man, do it honorably. Let him die the death of a dignified man. But don't expose Him to the horror and the humiliation of hanging on a cross." But God wanted Christ crucified, and if we don't embrace the cross, even with all its strange contradictions and demands, then we are lost.
iv. Let every pulpit rightly say, "we preach Christ crucified!" A strong church once inscribed these words on an archway leading to the churchyard. Over time, two things happened: the church lost its passion for Jesus and His gospel, and ivy began to grow on the archway. The growth of the ivy, covering the message, showed the spiritual decline. Originally it said strongly, we preach Christ crucified. But as the ivy grew, one could only read we preach Christ, and the church also started preaching "Jesus the Great Man" and "Jesus the Moral Example" instead of Christ crucified. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, we preach. The church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Finally, one could only read we, and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about we and not about God.
d. The Jews regarded Christ crucified as a stumbling block; perhaps this is better understood as an offense or a scandal. The Greeks regarded Christ crucified as foolishness. But God did not respond to the polling data. He kept to His gospel, because for those who believed it (both Jews and Greeks), Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
i. If the cross and its message seem weak, they are not; they are powerful and wise. But our expectations of what God should do keep us from receiving that power and wisdom.
ii. Paul knew this by experience. He was once scandalized by a crucified Christ; it infuriated him that one obviously cursed by God (according to Deuteronomy 21:23) should be honored as Messiah and Lord. So, he persecuted the church before being confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
iii. As much as Paul was once offended by a crucified Messiah, so the Greeks thought a message of salvation through a humiliating instrument of death foolish. A well know piece of graffiti in Rome shows a worshipper standing next to a crucified figure with the body of a man and the head of an ass, and it says "Alexamenos worships his god." This is how foolish the Greeks saw the cross.
iv. Those who insist that we must change the emphasis of the gospel because people can't relate to it today must realize that the people of Paul's day couldn't relate to his preaching either, yet he kept it up, and with great results.
v. "Those who thus veil an unwelcome truth imagine that they make disciples, whereas they are only paying homage to unbelief, and comforting men in their rejection of divine propitiation for sin. Whatever the preacher may mean in his heart, he will be guilty of the blood of souls if he does not clearly proclaim a real sacrifice for sin." (Spurgeon)
vi. "Certain divines tell us that they must adapt truth to the advance of the age, which means that they must murder it and fling its dead body to the dogs ... which simply means that a popular lie shall take the place of an offensive truth." (Spurgeon)
e. The foolishness of God is wiser than men: God was at His most "foolish" and very "weakest" at the cross; but it was infinitely wiser and stronger than anything man could do.
f. Salvation is not the achievement of human wisdom; it is the embrace of God's dramatic, unexpected act of love at Calvary.
