1 Corinthians 1:1-25: An Introduction to the Church in Corinth
Salutation and Thanksgiving (1:1-9)
In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addresses the church in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece. He writes:
"Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:" (1:1-2)
Paul expresses his gratitude to God for the Corinthian believers, acknowledging the grace and spiritual gifts they have received. He writes:
"I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you." (1:4-6)
The Fellowship in the Gospel (1:10-17)
Paul's tone shifts as he addresses the divisions within the Corinthian church. He urges the believers to reconcile their differences and focus on the central message of the Gospel:
"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1:10)
Paul reminds the Corinthians that their faith is rooted in Christ, not in human leaders or factions:
"Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (1:13)
The Foolishness of God (1:18-25)
Paul highlights the contrast between human wisdom and God's wisdom. He emphasizes that God's power is demonstrated through the foolishness of 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." (1:18)
The apostle asserts that God's wisdom is revealed in the crucified Christ, which is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. Yet, to those who believe, it is the power of God:
"We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1:23-24)
In conclusion, Paul's introduction to the Corinthian church sets the tone for the rest of the epistle, emphasizing unity, Christ-centeredness, and the foolishness of God's wisdom in the face of human pride and division.
