1 Corinthians 1

(1)  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
(2)  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
(3)  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
(4)  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
(5)  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
(6)  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
(7)  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
(8)  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9)  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
(10)  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
(11)  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
(12)  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
(13)  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
(14)  I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
(15)  Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
(16)  And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
(17)  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
(18)  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(19)  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
(20)  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
(21)  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
(22)  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
(23)  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
(24)  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
(25)  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
(26)  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
(27)  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
(28)  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
(29)  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
(30)  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
(31)  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

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Study Questions

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1. Why does Paul state that he was a “called” apostle? If this Sosthenes is the same man mentioned in Acts 18:17, what would be unusual about it? Verse 1.

2. Who were the “saints” in Corinth? For whose benefit, besides the church at Corinth, is this epistle written? Verse 2.

3. What was Paul’s prayer and for what did he thank God? Verses 3-4.

4. What two spiritual gifts possessed by the Corinthians did Paul name for which he was thankful? Verse 5.

5. What confirmed or proved the testimony of Christ? Verse 6.

6. What would be the result of the teaching and assurance provided by the abundance of spiritual gifts with reference to the Lord’s coming? Verses 7-8.

7. Is there a reason that Paul stressed that God had called them unto the fellowship of Christ? Verse 9.

8. How can Christians come to all speak the same things, have no division, and be of the same mind and judgment? Verse 10.

9. Since Paul was in Ephesus, how did he learn about the divisions at Corinth and about what were the contentions? Verses 11-12.

10. What are the answers to Paul’s rhetorical questions? According to Paul, what would be necessary if we wanted to wear some man’s name? Verse 13.

11. Why was Paul thankful he didn’t baptize any more than he did at Corinth? Didn’t he think baptism was necessary? Verses 14-15.

12. Is it necessary for a preacher to do his own baptizing? See John 4:1-2. What bearing would it have on this to point out that Paul first went alone to Corinth and later was joined by Silas and Timothy? Verse 17.

13. How could the cross be made of none effect (verse 17)? What two views of “the preaching of the cross” does Paul show? Verse 18.

14. Where is Paul’s quote written? To whom does Paul refer as the wise, the scribe, and the disputer? Verses 19-20.

15. What was foolish about the wisdom of this world? What is meant by “the foolishness of preaching”? Verse 21.

16. In what were Jews and Greeks interested? Why was “Christ crucified” a stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks? Verses 22-23.

17. How are those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, different from others? Verse 24.

18. How is that which the world regards as foolishness wiser than men and how it that which is regarded as weakness stronger than men? Verse 25.

19. What was it about the Corinthians station in life that cause Paul to say, “Ye see your calling, brethren”? Verse 26.

20. Why in God’s scheme of redemption did he choose things that the “wise” of this world regard as foolish and weak? Verse 27.

21. How is the fact that God has chosen the things of the world that are considered base, despised, and as nothing or no value proof that it is not humanly devised? Verse 28.

22. How did God completely remove any cause for boasting? Verse 29.

23. What is Jesus made to those in Christ Jesus? Verse 30.

24. What passage does Paul quote and what ground has he shown for glory since no man has any ground for boasting in himself? Verse 31.