1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus.
5For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge,
6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.
11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.
16Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else.
17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18For 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.
19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,
29so that no one may boast in His presence.
30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1 Verse Notes
1 Cor 1:1-3
Sophisticated Greek in 2 Thessalonians
The Greek style in 2 Thessalonians, particularly its opening lines, exhibits an uncharacteristic complexity for Paul, with numerous embedded clauses. This contrasts with the simpler sentence structures found in the introductions of Paul's other undisputed letters, suggesting a different author.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 21: Are Some New Testament Letters Forged? · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:2
Why Holy People, Not Sinners, Were Raised
Despite Jesus's statement in Matthew 9:13 that he came to call sinners to repentance, the mass resurrection in Matthew 27 involves 'holy people' or 'saints.' This is reconciled by the understanding that those who repent, even if they were sinners, are considered God's holy people. The term 'saint' in the New Testament refers to those set apart by God, regardless of their past moral failings.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Night of the Living Dead: Matthew's Forgotten Resurrection · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:10-12
Factions and Rivalries in the Corinthian Church
The Corinthian church experienced divisions and factionalism, partly due to the arrival of Apollos, a charismatic figure who attracted his own following. Paul addresses this, noting that some members identified with him, others with Apollos, Cephas (Peter), or Christ, indicating a struggle for loyalty and leadership within the community.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:10-11
Occasional Nature of Paul's Letters
Paul's letters are 'occasional,' meaning they were written in response to specific events, challenges, or disputes within the communities he addressed. They are not systematic theological treatises, which means his ideas on topics like women and gender are often presented in fragmented responses to particular situations.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 1: The Apostle Paul in History and Legend | Apostle to the Gentiles · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:11
Corinthian Church's Socioeconomic Divides
The Corinthian church, a mixed assembly of Jews and Gentiles, experienced socioeconomic divides. Paul addresses issues arising from these disparities, such as wealthier members arriving early to communal meals and gorging, leaving less for lower-class members who arrived later. These divisions manifested in ritual and communal practices, causing problems within the community.
Summarized by AI · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible · Lecture 4: Fallen Angels in Paul and his Interpreters (I) · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:14-16
Paul's baptism practices and Corinthian divisions
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses divisions in the Corinthian church, where some leaders claimed superior spiritual power, partly through their baptismal practices. Paul emphasizes that he baptized very few, including Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas, to prevent anyone from claiming baptism in his name, thereby undermining the idea that spiritual power is passed through specific baptizers.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Everyone Misreads the 10 Commandments · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:16
Household Conversions in the New Testament
Early Christian conversion often involved entire households, not just individuals. In the Roman world, the head of the family, the paterfamilias, made decisions regarding the family's religious practices. Therefore, if the head of a household converted, the entire family, including wives, children, servants, and slaves, would adopt Christianity. This is reflected in New Testament accounts where entire households are said to have converted.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Did Christianity Take Over the Roman World? · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:23-25
The Stumbling Block of a Crucified Messiah
Paul acknowledges that the crucifixion of Jesus is a 'stumbling block' for Jews, as their expectation was for a triumphant Messiah, not one who suffered a shameful death. He argues in 1 Corinthians 1 that what appears as foolishness and weakness to humans is, in fact, the wisdom and power of God.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Does Paul Think God Hates Jews? · watch the clip
1 Cor 1:23
Jesus' crucifixion
Paul frequently mentions Jesus' crucifixion, emphasizing its central importance to his theology. The widespread presence of this theme in Paul's letters underscores his belief in Jesus' historical death on a cross.
Summarized by AI · Did Jesus Really Exist? Evidence That Even Atheist Historians Accept · Lecture 1: Jesus in History · watch the clip
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus' crucifixion is the most significant and historically certain detail of his life, multiply attested across all sources and contextually credible for a figure challenging Roman authority. The criterion of dissimilarity is paramount here: early Christians would not have invented a crucified Messiah, as crucifixion was a humiliating death that contradicted Jewish expectations for the Messiah, making it a 'stumbling block to Jews and folly to Greeks,' as Paul notes.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 16: The Historical Jesus | An Apocalyptic Prophet · watch the clip
Jesus was crucified
Historians are extremely confident that Jesus was crucified. This is multiply attested by Paul, the Gospels, and other contemporary sources. It also fits the criterion of dissimilarity, as ancient Jews did not expect the Messiah to die, especially by crucifixion, which was considered a shameful death. Paul's preaching of a crucified Christ was a 'stumbling block' to Jews and 'folly' to Gentiles, indicating it was not a detail he would have invented. Furthermore, crucifixion was a common Roman punishment for perceived threats in first-century Palestine, making it contextually credible for someone hailed as the 'King of the Jews.'
Summarized by AI · Who Do You Say I Am? Historical Sources for Jesus · Lecture 2: Recovering History · watch the clip
Crucifixion as a Stumbling Block for Jews
Paul, in 1 Corinthians, identifies the crucifixion of Jesus as a "stumbling block" for Jews. This means that Jews found it difficult to accept a crucified criminal as the Messiah sent by God, which contributed to their rejection of the Christian message.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author? · watch the clip
