1 Corinthians 1

Passage overview

2 Corinthians 1 is the opening portion of a letter that Paul sent to the church in Corinth. It includes greetings, expressions of gratitude, and explanations about his ministry and sufferings. Paul begins with a greeting asking for peace and comfort from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (verses 1–2). He then emphasizes the comfort God provides even in hardship, and shares his desire that this comfort would flow into the life of the faith community as well (verses 3–7). In this process, he testifies about the severe affliction he experienced in the region of Asia and the deliverance God gave him (verses 8–11), followed by an explanation of his sincerity, the motivation behind his ministry, and the change in his travel plans (verses 12–24).

1versePaul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2verseto the assembly of God which is at Corinth—those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours:

3verseGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4verseI always thank my God concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5versethat in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge—

6verseeven as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you—

7verseso that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

8versewho will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9verseGod is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10verseNow I beg you, brothers, through 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 perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11verseFor it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.

12verseNow I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.”

13verseIs Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

14verseI thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15verseso that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name.

16verse(I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.)

17verseFor Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

18verseFor the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19verseFor it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”

20verseWhere is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21verseFor 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 to save those who believe.

22verseFor Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,

23versebut we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks,

24versebut to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God;

25versebecause the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26verseFor you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

27versebut God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong.

28verseGod chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don’t exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist,

29versethat no flesh should boast before God.

30verseBecause of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

31versethat, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

Explanation of the Key Content

  • God’s comfort (verses 3–7): Paul praises God, who comforts in all affliction, and emphasizes the importance of believers caring for and encouraging one another within the community through their experiences of suffering and comfort.
  • Suffering and deliverance (verses 8–11): Paul’s experience of extreme suffering in Asia shows the importance of God’s power and reliance that goes beyond his own weakness. In the process, he confesses that God rescued him even in a “crisis of death.”
  • Sincere ministry and travel plans (verses 12–24): Paul emphasizes that his ministry was sincere before God, explaining that the delay of his Corinth visit was meant to show consideration for the church. This reveals the importance of trust and communication.

Meditation Points

  • Let’s reflect on whether we are experiencing God’s comfort even amid affliction, and whether that comfort is flowing to the people around us and into the community.
  • Through Paul’s sincere attitude and his changed plans, check whether my choices and decisions originate from a heart that considers others.

Applying to Myself

  • Let’s make a decision to live in such a way that, in the hardships and weakness of my life, I sincerely ask God for help and share the comfort I have received.
  • While in prayer, fellowship, and service, review and apply whether my heart and actions are flowing in a direction that builds up the community.

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