Summary
1 Corinthians 1:1–3 – Greeting
What happens: Paul names himself and Sosthenes. He greets the church in Corinth as people set apart in Christ. He asks for grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus.
What it means: Paul starts by fixing their identity in God’s call, not in status or leaders. God is faithful to set apart a people for himself. The greeting centers on grace and peace that come through Jesus, highlighting God’s mercy and covenant care.
1 Corinthians 1:4–9 – Thanksgiving for God’s Work
What happens: Paul thanks God that the Corinthians lack no spiritual gift. He says Christ will keep them firm to the end. God called them into fellowship with his Son and is faithful.
What it means: Grace equips the church and secures its future. Assurance rests on God’s faithfulness, not human performance. Fellowship with Christ is the core gift and the aim of every other gift.
1 Corinthians 1:10–17 – Appeal Against Divisions
What happens: Paul urges them to agree and end factions. Some say they follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ. Paul says Christ is not divided and he was sent to preach the gospel, not to build status through baptizing.
What it means: Unity in Christ outranks loyalty to human leaders. Pride and rivalry expose human nature bent toward self. The church must center on the gospel, not personalities, because Jesus alone is Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:18–25 – God’s Wisdom in the Cross
What happens: The message of the cross looks like foolishness to the world but is God’s power to save. God destroys proud wisdom and saves through what the world calls weak. Christ crucified is a stumbling block to some, but to the called he is God’s power and wisdom.
What it means: God overturns human standards, showing he is wise and just. Salvation comes by grace through the cross, not clever speech. The gospel reveals God’s holy love and exposes the emptiness of boasting.
1 Corinthians 1:26–31 – Boast in the Lord
What happens: Paul reminds them that not many were wise or noble. God chose the weak to shame the strong so no one can boast. Christ becomes to us righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, boast in the Lord.
What it means: God delights to save by grace so that he gets the glory. Our standing is Christ alone. Humility is the proper response to God’s mercy and the ground of unity.
Application
- Pursue unity by centering conversations and decisions on the gospel, not on favorite leaders.
- Reject pride. Thank God for grace and gifts he has given to others.
- Boast only in Christ by naming what he has done, not what you have done.
- Measure wisdom by the cross: choose faithfulness over image and status.
