1 Coríntios 1
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 1
Guzik - It was common in the ancient world to dictate a letter to a scribe who would write it all down. Probably, Sosthenes was Paul’s scribe (or, more technically, his amanuensis).(ED: 1 Cor 16:21 = "The greeting is in my own hand–Paul." about which Ryrie says "Paul stopped dictating at this point and wrote the remainder himself.") (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary)
1 Coríntios 1
Guzik - we know more about the Christians at Corinth than we know about any other church in the New Testament....Because church was a secular term (referring to “the gatherings of the citizenry in a city-state to discuss and decide on matters of public interest” [Mare]), Paul calls the gathering of Christians in Corinth the church of God. This isn’t the gathering of the world, but of God. Notice the contrast: The church of God (something good), which is at Corinth (someplace bad). Understanding the tension between the church and the city is important to understanding the letter of 1 Corinthians. The bottom line is this: is the church influencing the city, or is the city influencing the church?
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Guzik - There is much in 1 Corinthians that is unflattering to the Christians of Corinth. They are shown to have, at times, morality problems, doctrine problems, church government problems, spiritual gift problems, church service problems, and authority problems. It might be easy for us to think they weren’t even saved! But they were. They were called saints. (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary) Hodge on saints - The original word (ἅγιος) sometimes signifies sacred, set apart to a holy use. In this sense the temple, the altar, the priests, the prophets, and the whole theocratic people, are called holy. In the New Testament the word is commonly expressive of inward purity, or consecration of the soul to God. Believers are saints in both senses of the word; they are inwardly renewed, and outwardly consecrated. It is not to be inferred from the fact that the apostle addresses all the nominal Christians in Corinth as saints and as sanctified in Christ Jesus, that they were all true believers, or that those terms express nothing more than external consecration. Men are uniformly addressed in Scripture according to their profession. If they profess to be saints, they are called saints; if they profess to be believers, they are called believers; and if they profess to be members of the church, they are addressed as really belonging to it. This passage teaches also, as
1 Coríntios 1
Guzik - The Corinthian Christians were indeed gifted, yet carnal. “Should it not show us that gifts are nothing, unless they are laid on the altar of God; that it is nothing to have the gift of oratory; that it is nothing to have the power of eloquence; that it is nothing to have learning; that it is nothing to have influence, unless they all be dedicated to God, and consecrated to his service?” (Spurgeon) (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary) Gift (5486)(charisma from charis = grace + --ma = the result of something in this case the result of grace) literally means a gift of grace or a free gift not based on merit. Charisma "does not refer to the endowment of special, extraordinary gifts to those who are supposedly more spiritual or more advanced in the faith" (Macarthur) Stated another way, whatever spiritual gift a man has comes from God, and should be no cause for personal pride or praise, a truth that the saints at Corinth had sorely missed! God is the Giver of the free gift in 16/17 uses specifically bestowed by the Spirit (1 Cor 12:7) according to His will for the profit of the body of Christ and the work of the ministry in turn to enable believers to fulfill their assigned functions in the body. Each and every believer has received at least one spiritual gift from the Spirit (1 Cor 12:1-11). All NT uses - Ro 1:11; Ro 5:15; Ro 5:16; Ro 6:23; Ro 11:29; Ro 12:6; 1 Co. 1:7; 1 Co. 7:7; 1Co. 12:4; 1Co. 12:9; 1Co. 12:28; 1 Co. 12:30; 1 Co. 12:31; 2 Co. 1:11; 1 Ti 4:14; 2 Ti 1:6; 1 Pe 4:10. THE BEST IS YET TO COME: LIVE EXPECTANTLY! (Continually - present tense) Awaiting eagerly (apekdechomai) the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ - While salvation and gifts speak of manifestations of past and present grace (respectively), here Paul speaks about future grace as described by Peter "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation (apokalupsis) of Jesus Christ." (1 Pe 1:13+). They were "waiting with desire" (Hodge) As
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Guzik - Paul’s plea is that they stop ripping each other apart, tearing up the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary) Jack Arnold - What Paul was obviously asking was not that these Corinthians would agree on every secondary theological issue but that they agree on the essentials or the primary truths of the Christian faith so as to present a united front to the city. Paul wanted to see a harmonious body of believers working together in the cause of Christ. A distinction must be made between truths which are fundamental and truths which are periphery. This is the same concept our Lord taught in John 17:21 “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Our uniting is one of the basic witnesses we have to the world. Divisions (4978)(schisma from schizo = to cleave, split >> English schism = separation or division into factions) literally describes a tear as of a garment (Mt 9:16, Mk 2:21). In classical Greek used only of actual rents in material. Papyri use it for a splinter of wood and for ploughing. Paul us schisma figuratively here to refer to doctrinal differences and/or divided loyalties within the group with resulting discord (cf Jn 7.43; 1Co 12.25).
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Guzik - How sobering this is! The great gospel of Jesus Christ, the very power of God unto salvation—made empty and of no effect through the pride and cleverness of men! This danger was constantly on the mind of the apostle Paul, and should be constantly on the mind of any preacher or teacher. (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary) Schreiner adds "What Paul criticizes here is a focus on style instead of substance such that hearers are swayed by the artistry of the speaker rather than by the message of the cross....One could become entranced with the skill and the power of the speaker and fail to grasp the message of the cross. Another way to put it is that the medium must match the message. If the medium features the brilliance and the craft of human beings, it subverts the message of the cross that humbles human beings and reveals to them their spiritual poverty." (1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary) THOUGHT - What is the application to us today? Be careful how you present the Gospel - make sure it is the Gospel of the Cross of Christ! Be made void (2758)(kenoo from kenos = empty) means to completely eliminate elements of high status or rank by eliminating all privileges or prerogatives associated with such status or rank. Kenoo can mean to cause to be without result or effect = destroy, render void or of no effect. The irony is that Jesus made Himself "void" (kenoo in Php 2:7+ = emptied Himself) that He might become the perfect sacrificial Lamb on the Cross! Kenoo used only 5x in NT - Rom. 4:14; 1 Co. 1:17; 1 Co. 9:15; 2 Co. 9:3; Phil. 2:7 Jack Arnold makes a good point observing that "Perhaps he made mention of the cross here in order to heal the fragmentation in this church. By calling them back to the meaning of the cross, Paul hoped to help them find unity. When we get our eyes off men and systems and put them on Christ and His cross, divisions are minimized.
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Guzik - The point is plain: There is no wise man, no scribe, and no debater who can do what Jesus Christ has done. (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary)
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Guzik has an interesting thought - Christ (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. Crucified meant weakness, defeat, and humiliation. Christ crucified was the ultimate oxymoron, and this was what Paul preached! If the cross doesn’t seem strange to you, then you either don’t understand how the cross was seen in Jesus’ day, or you don’t understand who Jesus is. You don’t understand the tension between Christ and crucified. The great Roman statesman Cicero said: “The cross, it speaks of that which is so shameful, so horrible, it should never be mentioned in polite society.” (1 Corinthians 1 Commentary) Wiersbe rightly says that the Jews in the first century "did not understand their own sacred Scriptures. They looked for a Messiah Who would come like a mighty conqueror and defeat all their enemies. He would then set up His kingdom and return the glory to Israel. The question of the Apostles in Acts 1:6+ (“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”) shows how strong this hope was among the Jews....Because the Jews were looking for power and great glory, they stumbled at the weakness of the cross. How could anybody put faith in an unemployed carpenter from Nazareth who died the shameful death of a common criminal? But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Rather than a testimony of weakness, the cross is a tremendous instrument of power! After all, the “weakness of God [in the cross] is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). (The Wiersbe Bible Commentary:) (See the Discovery House Booklet "The Jewish Tradition Of Two Messiahs") Paul was not a sign-loving Jew, nor a wisdom-loving Greek, but a Savior-loving Christian!
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Guzik quipped Paul was saying in essence "Look at yourselves. You’re no great bargain.” Consider (blepo) your calling (klesis), brethren - (Wuest)- "For, take a good look at your divine summons [into salvation], brethren." Some interpret consider (blepo) as a command in the present imperative and others as simply present tense, but either way Paul is calling for them to keep these truths in their remembrance (a good practice for all of us for our high calls comes with a holy purpose!) Brethren is adelphos and is the fourth use in chapter 1 (1 Cor 1:1, 10, 11, 26). Paul keeps reminding them of their calling, which is when they became believers (v21), and is a truth which clearly emphasizes God’s sovereign initiative in salvation of spiritually dead sinners. This is the sixth mention of the great doctrinal truth of calling (1 Cor 1:1 = kletos 1 Cor 1:2 = kletos 1 Cor 1:9 = kaleo 1 Cor 1:24 = kletos 1 Cor 1:26). Why does he do this? At the risk of being too simplistic, the saints at Corinth were thinking wrongly and too highly of themselves (cf arrogant 1 Cor 4:6, 18, 19, 5:2, 8:1 13:4). Paul wanted them to remember that God had called them out of spiritual darkness and into the light and fellowship with Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:9). They had been headed straight for Hell but God called them securely to Heaven, a truth which should serve to shelf their (and our) pride for they did nothing to merit God's gracious heavenly call! "I deserve to be damned; I deserve to be in hell; but God interfered!” -- Dying remark of John Allen of the Salvation Army, Arnold - Notice that Paul was speaking to “brethren,” those who love the Lord and have respect for scripture. The sovereignty of God in salvation is primarily a Christian family truth to cause us to brethren appreciate our salvation in Christ. The truths of an efficacious call, divine predestination and sovereign election cannot be understood or appreciated by the non-Christian. In scripture there are two kinds of calls. The general call goes out to all, inviting them to believe in Christ and be saved. There is the efficacious call of a person to salvation through Christ. This call comes when one hears the message of Christ and the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind, jiggles the will and moves the emotions so that a person trusts in Christ as Savior and Lord. The efficacious call is referred to here in 1 Cor 1:26, and it is this call that makes Christianity supernatural from beginning to ending. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Gods Call To Salvation)