21Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.j
22I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.k
23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.l
Final Doxology
25Now to Godm who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whomn be the glory forever! Amen.o
* * *
a Or minister
b Gk first fruits
c Or Junias; other ancient authorities read Julia
d Or compatriots
e Or compatriot
f Gk brothers
g Gk brothers
h Gk their own belly
i Other ancient authorities lack this sentence
j Or compatriots
k Or I Tertius, writing this letter in the Lord, greet you
l Other ancient authorities add verse 24, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.
m Gk the one
n Other ancient authorities lack to whom. The verse then reads, to the only wise God be the glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
o Other ancient authorities lack 16.25-27 or include it after 14.23 or 15.33; others put verse 24 after verse 27
16.1–16 Paul’s greetings to friends and former associates provide important clues about early Christianity, though most of the people are otherwise unknown. For the relation of ch. 16 to the rest of the Letter, see Introduction.
16.1 Phoebe, probably the bearer of the Letter (see Introduction). Deacon, probably a recognized leadership role, though not yet a specific rank of clergy. See Phil 1.1; cf. 1 Tim 3.8–13.
16.2 As benefactor (lit. “patron”), Phoebe was evidently a woman of means (cf. Lk 8.3; Acts 16.14–15; 17.12); the patron-client pattern was common and basic in Hellenistic society.
16.3 Prisca and Aquila. See Acts 18; 1 Cor 16.19; also 2 Tim 4.19.
16.5 Church in their house. See 1 Cor 16.19; also Col 4.15; Philem 2. In Paul’s day, all Christian groups met in homes (often tenements).
16.6 Worked very hard, Paul’s terminology for efforts on behalf of the gospel and the church. See 1 Cor 15.10; Gal 4.11; Phil 2.16; see also 1 Cor 16.16.
16.7 Junia, a woman’s name, Junias (see text note b) a man’s. Relatives, perhaps simply fellow Jews (see text note c). In Christ before I was, i.e., before Paul’s conversion, no later than 35 CE, and thus among the earliest Christians. When, where, or why they were imprisoned with Paul is unknown. The woman Junia, like Andronicus (her husband?) was a prominent apostle herself, not simply highly regarded by apostles. On what it meant for Paul to be an apostle, cf. 1 Cor 9.1–2; 2 Cor 11–12.
16.10 The family of Aristobulus, lit. “those of Aristobulus,” i.e., his household. The reference is perhaps to the grandson of Herod the Great and brother of Agrippa I. (See “The Herods: A Simplified Family Tree,” p. 1672.)
16.12 Workers. See note on 16.6. Tryphaena and Tryphosa, perhaps sisters.
16.13 Rufus. See Mk 15.21.
16.14–15 Paul greets those he knows in two house churches.
16.16 Holy kiss, a part of early Christian worship. See 1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12; 1 Thess 5.26; 1 Pet 5.14.
16.17–20 Perhaps an addition reflecting later circumstances, not Paul’s own postscript.
16.17 Opposition to the teaching. Cf. 15.14. Avoid them. See 1 Tim 6.20; 2 Tim 2.22; 3.5; Titus 3.9–10.
16.18 Appetites, lit. belly (see text note f). See also Phil 3.19.
16.20 Satan, mentioned only here in Romans; see 1 Cor 5.5; 7.5; 2 Cor 2.11; 11.14; 1 Thess 2.18; 2 Thess 2.9.
16.21–23 Greetings resumed, now from Paul’s associates. Timothy greets but does not join in writing; cf. 2 Cor 1.1; Phil 1.1; 1 Thess 1.1; 2 Thess 1.1; Philem 1. Lucius and Jason, probably not those mentioned in Acts 13.1; 17.5–9. Sosipater, possibly the “Sopater” of Acts 20.4.
16.22 Tertius, Paul’s scribe.
16.23 Gaius (see 1 Cor 1.14) hosted meetings of the whole church, i.e., the entire Christian community in Corinth. Erastus. See Acts 19.22; 2 Tim 4.20.
16.25–27 Romans and 2 Peter are the only NT Letters ending with a doxology, reflecting use in worship. This doxology is generally regarded as a later addition. It is uncertain where Paul himself ended the Letter (see text note l).
The First Letter of Paul to the CORINTHIANS
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul about 54 CE to a congregation he had founded several years earlier in the capital city of the Roman province of Achaia (Acts 18.1–18; see also 1 Cor 2.1–5; 2 Cor 1.19). Corinth was a large and prospering urban center with an ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse population. Paul writes from Ephesus, where he intends to stay for a while before traveling to Macedonia and then on to Corinth (16.5–9; see also 4.19–21). Meanwhile, Timothy has been sent ahead (4.17; 16.10–11). The bearers of the present Letter may have been the Corinthians named in 16.17.
The Corinthian Congregation
PAUL’S CONGREGATION WAS PREDOMINANTLY GENTILE (12.2), and it probably mirrored the diversity of the city’s population. Among its members were Prisca and Aquila (16.19; Rom 16.3–4; Acts 18.2), Achaicus, Fortunatus, and Stephanas (16.17; see also 1.16; 16.15), Crispus and Gaius (1.14; Acts 18.8; see also Rom 16.23), and Phoebe (Rom 16.1). Some, like the Erastus mentioned in Rom 16.23, must have been people of considerable prominence, but most were persons of lesser means and lower social standing (1.26). It is likely that there were small groups of believers situated in different quarters of the city who were organized into separate house churches. At some regular interval, apparently, all of these would “come together as an ekklesia (assembly, church)” for a common meal and worship (11.18; 14.26).
Occasion and Purpose
PAUL WRITES IN PART to answer a letter (which has not survived) from the Corinthians seeking his views about several disputed matters (7.1). In addition he is responding to reports, conveyed by word of mouth, about serious disorders within the congregation (1.11; 5.1; 11.18): the jockeying of rival groups for control (1.10–17), an indifference to cases of flagrant immorality (5.1–13), a disregard for those who are not fully enlightened about appropriate Christian conduct (8.1–11.1), and the marginalizing of the congregation’s disadvantaged members (11.17–34; see also 12.20–26). In the midst of this, Paul’s own apostolic authority seems to have been called into question (e.g., 1.12; 3.1–4.5; ch. 9). Overall, the Letter summons this fractious congregation to manifest the unity and concord that, in Paul’s view, necessarily go along with their belonging to Christ. It opens with a call for unity (1.10–17), its central counsels are informed by the view of love that is set out in 8.1–3 and ch. 13, and it closes with an appeal to let love be the governing power in the life of the community (16.14).
The Views of the Corinthians
THE DISPUTES AND DISORDERS in the Corinthian congregation seem to have been nurtured by particular religious views that, from the apostle’s standpoint, departed in significant ways from the gospel that he had preached in Corinth. Specifically, Paul is critical of those who boast that they possess special religious “wisdom” or “knowledge” (1.17, 18–25; 2.6, 11; 3.18–20; 8.1–3) and who regard certain spiritual gifts, particularly ecstatic speech, as evidence of a higher spiritual status (chs. 12–14). At least certain members of this congregation seem to believe that they are in some sense already “reigning” with Christ in glory (4.8). Perhaps as a consequence of this view, they hope for nothing beyond this present life (15.12–19).
Character and
Style
THIS LETTER EXHIBITS many of the stylistic and rhetorical conventions of other ancient Hellenistic letters, yet Paul’s sense of writing as an apostle to a Christian congregation of his own founding has also left its mark. Broadly speaking, 1 Corinthians is a letter of exhortation and pastoral counsel. In formulating and supporting his appeals and instructions, Paul invokes scripture (e.g., 1.31; 14.21), specifically Christian traditions (e.g., 15.3–5), sayings attributed to Jesus (7.10–11; 9.14), his own apostolic authority and example (e.g., 4.14–17), and also conventional practices and wisdom (e.g., 11.13–16; 15.33). In addition, he reinforces his argument with reprimands (e.g., 6.5; 11.22), irony (e.g., 4.8–13), threats (e.g., 3.17–18; 4.19–21; 6.9–10), and (less frequently) praise (e.g., 11.2). Primarily, however, he urges his readers to reflect on what it means to have been called by God from their pagan past into a new life “in Christ Jesus” (e.g., 1.30; 6.11, 12–20; 7.17–24; 12.12–13).
Relation to Other Letters
DESPITE THE HEADING GIVEN TO IT by the ancient editors of Paul’s Letters, 1 Corinthians is at least the apostle’s second letter to this congregation. An earlier one, mentioned in 5.9, seems to be lost (although some believe that a fragment survives in 2 Cor 6.14–7.1). What we know as 2 Corinthians, even if it is a composite, dates from a year or so later.
Significance
MORE THAN MOST OF PAUL’S LETTERS, 1 Corinthians shows how the apostle’s missionary and pastoral experiences both required and nurtured his theological reflection. Here, underlying and shaping the specific appeals and counsels are seminal expositions of the saving power of the cross, the nature of the church, the “more excellent way” of love (12.31), and God’s final victory. The result is a passionate yet reasoned call for the Corinthian Christians to understand the faith they profess and to become agents of God’s love in the world. [VICTOR PAUL FURNISH]
With its two ports, Lechaeon on the Gulf of Corinth and Cenchreae on the Saronic Gulf, Corinth was a commercial center and a cosmopolitan city.
1 Corinthians 1
Salutation
1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lorda and ours:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I give thanks to myb God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—6just as the testimony ofc Christ has been strengthened among you—7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,d 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. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.e 12What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank Godf that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26Consider your own call, brothers and sisters:g not many of you were wise by human standards,h not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no onei might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast inj the Lord.”
next chapter
* * *
a Gk theirs
b Other ancient authorities lack my
c Or to
d Gk brothers
e Gk my brothers
f Other ancient authorities read I am thankful
g Gk brothers
h Gk according to the flesh
i Gk no flesh
j Or of
1.1–3 The salutations of Paul’s Letters generally follow the conventional Hellenistic pattern: the name(s) of the sender(s), an indication of those addressed, and an apostolic blessing; see esp. 2 Cor 1.1–2.
1.1 An apostle, lit. “one who has been sent” (thus, commissioned); see 9.1–2; 15.9–10; Gal 1.13–17. The Sosthenes mentioned here as a brother (in Christ) and co-sender of the Letter is perhaps the same person named in Acts 18.17 as an official of the Corinthian synagogue. Paul refers to him nowhere else.
1.2 The church of God…in Corinth. Paul identifies this local Christian assembly (ekklesia) not only by its geographical location but also as a constituent part of God’s church in its entirety. Sanctified (see v. 30; 6.11) and saints (see 6.1, 2) are from the same Greek root word meaning “to make holy.” In biblical usage, to be holy means primarily to be set apart for the service of the holy God (see Lev 22.32).
1.4–9 The thanksgiving paragraphs in Paul’s Letters (see, e.g., Rom 1.8–15; Phil 1.3–11) usually introduce some of the topics that will come up later.
1.5 Speech and knowledge of every kind includes the spiritual gifts (see 1.7) of ecstatic speech and special religious wisdom, in which certain members of this congregation took inordinate pride. Paul will later seek to correct their views on these (see 1.18–3.4; chs. 12–14).
1.7–8 Spiritual gift. See 12.4. Christ’s revealing will be when he returns on the last day to render judgment (3.12–15; 4.4–5; 5.5) and to take part in God’s final victory (15.24–28).
1.9 God is faithful. See 10.13; 2 Cor 1.18; 1 Thess 5.24; also Heb 10.23; Deut 7.9; 32.4; Ps 145.13. Fellowship, rendered sharing in 10.16.
1.10–17 The breakdown of community among the Corinthian Christians is one of Paul’s chief concerns in this Letter; see also chs. 3–4; 8.1–11.1; 11.17–34; chs. 12–14.
1.11 Chloe’s people, either members of Chloe’s family, her slaves, or her business associates. She herself was likely a Christian woman of some prominence, in either Corinth or Ephesus.
1.12 Apollos seems to have spent time in Corinth (Acts 18.24–19.1) and to have been popular there; see also 3.4–6, 22; 4.6; 16.12.
There is, however, no indication that Cephas (the Aramaic name by which Paul usually refers to Peter; see 3.22; 9.5; 15.5) had ever been in Corinth. Whether some actually boasted I belong to Christ is uncertain; and if they did, what they meant by the slogan remains unclear.
1.13 The questions presume the obvious answer, “No!” They point ahead to later discussions of Christ’s crucifixion (vv. 18, 23) and baptism (in the name of Christ, 6.11) into the one body (12.12–13).
1.14–17 Paul does not mean to oppose the practice of baptism (see 12.12–13; Rom 6.3–4; Gal 3.27–28); he only opposes appealing to it to support factions.
1.14–16 Crispus, Gaius, and Stephanas. See Introduction.
1.17 As an apostle, Paul is obligated, above all, to proclaim the gospel (9.16) and in particular the cross of Christ; see also 1.18, 23; 2.2; Gal 3.1.
1.18–31 This passage, along with 2.1–16, supports the appeal of 1.10, which is resumed and continued in chs. 3–4.
1.18 Perishing and being saved describe nonbelievers (2 Cor 4.3) and believers (1 Cor 1.21), respectively; see also 2 Cor 2.15; Phil 1.28. The power of God. See v. 24; 2.4–5; Rom 1.16.
1.19 Isa 29.14. See also Ps 33.10.
1.20 This age, the world, the present historical order that is passing away (7.31).
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