◄ 1 Corinthians 1 Devotional Commentary ►

1 Corinthians 1:2

This verse was not only a blessing to the believers at Corinth but to all Christians; to all who have been saved by grace through faith. This truth is a blessing to all who have been born from above and are part of the Church of God, for this verse reminds us that ALL Christian are sanctified in Christ. All are saints of God and set apart unto Him, for we are all united with Christ, and all are positionally set apart in Him.

Oh, read more...

1 Corinthians 1:5

The little words every and all seem so insignificant, and yet what a tremendous reach they have in our lives and what joy should fill our hearts knowing that in EVERY way we are enriched in Jesus, not only in a few or some or many ways, but in every way. 

To enrich means to improve or enhance the quality or value of something. It gives us a deeper, fuller life experience or a more satisfying taste in a recipe. read more...

1 Corinthians 1:8

In Christ, we have the confidence that God will confirm, strengthen, and sustain, each one of His children. We have a promise that He will keep us blameless in the day of Christ Jesus. This is a promise of God, which is given to all who have trusted Christ by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.

This is a promise from God, which does not depend on what we do for Him, but on what Christ has done for us. God in His read more...

1 Corinthians 1:9

We are the called of God, the chosen of God, the elect of God, and enriched by God's grace simply because we believe God's Word and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. And God is faithful and just to fulfil all that He has promised to those that are called and chosen, to those that trust His Word.

It was God Who planned the redemption of mankind before the foundation of the world, and by the grace of God, through read more...

1 Corinthians 1:10

We are all called by God to be holy and set apart unto Him but we are also called into fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ. We are urged to be of the same mind and the same judgment.

The divisions and disunity that was evident within the Corinthian church so long ago, is equally conspicuous in the Body of Christ today, and Paul lovingly exhorts each one of us to agree amongst ourselves so that there is no read more...

1 Corinthians 1:12

The Christian Church is one Body of believers who are all united together under One Head; Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and He is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. Jesus is the singular Leader of the Church and Captain of our salvation Who was made perfect through His sufferings, on our account.

Sadly, however, there are men, ministries, and even denominations that allow division read more...

1 Corinthians 1:17

Baptism was not the focus of Paul's apostolic ministry. His primary objective was to preach the saving truth of Christ crucified and the immense power of His glorious Resurrection. He told us that all who were once were far away from God, could be brought near by faith in the blood of Christ - a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

Though baptism is a beautiful outward sign of a miraculous inner change read more...

1 Corinthians 1:18

Philosophical wisdom in Paul's culture, was almost as highly prized as the pop stars and sportsmen and sportswomen of today, but the same saving gospel message of the Cross that Paul preached 2000 years ago, still has the same astonishing, antithetical effect in our own lives and cultures.

The message of the Cross is foolish folly to the unsaved masses in society today. To those who are lost and perishing, to those who have not read more...

1 Corinthians 1:19

It was Isaiah who first prophesied: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," when he denounced the 'clever' men of the court who were encouraging the king of Judah to make an alliance with Egypt against Assyria, rather than trusting the Lord their God for protection.

And the same warning had to be reiterated by Paul to the carnal Christians at Corinth who, read more...

1 Corinthians 1:20

The message of the Cross is foolishness to those that are perishing in a world that is estranged from the One Who created them. In place of the wisdom of God, they espouse a worldly wisdom which is rooted in man-made, egotistical philosophies which carefully circumvent everything to do with the death of Christ and His glorious Resurrection. But the truth is that Christ's death and Resurrection is the foundation upon which our Christian faith is established.

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1 Corinthians 1:21

The world at large prides itself on its vast knowledge, extensive understanding, and great wisdom, and yet the accumulated expertise and vast intelligence of fallen man has pronounced war against the Almighty, and proclaimed that there is no God, that 'God is dead', or that 'I am god!'

But God in His infinite wisdom has taken the prideful proclamations of fallen man and rendered them fools in His own eyes. The fool has said in his read more...

1 Corinthians 1:22

The theme of this chapter is the doctrine of the Cross and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul writes a critique of this glorious gospel of God as it relates to those that are perishing - who consider the Cross of Christ to be foolishness. But he also gives an evaluation of those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ - who recognise the message of the Cross as the power of God for salvation, to God's eternal glory and praise.

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1 Corinthians 1:23

There is no more sublime truth than the message of the Cross, and yet we see a complete misunderstanding of the simple gospel of Christ, both during His own earthly ministry and throughout the apostolic letters that were written to the Church. The message of the Cross was a stumbling block to Israel, then as now, and the gospel of God remains foolishness to the unbelieving Gentile, now as then.

There is a fundamental read more...

1 Corinthians 1:24

Man cannot, through his own wisdom, knowledge, and learning, come to an understanding of the incredible significance of the Cross and the glorious plan of salvation which the Triune God purposed and planned in the eternal council chambers before the foundation of the world.

Man in the arrogance in his own prideful understanding is increasingly dismissive of the Cross of Calvary, the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and the glorious read more...

1 Corinthians 1:25

In the beginning man believed the satanic lie and sought independence from God. Over the years man has come to the conclusion that through accumulated knowledge; human wisdom; astute negotiations, intellectual excellent; philosophical thinking or clever planning he could circumnavigate his need to depend upon God.. and so began his futile quest to develop a human excellence that excludes God, which can only result in a devastating and destructive downfall.

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1 Corinthians 1:26

The focal theme and central thrust of all Paul's epistles is the message of the cross.. the good news of the gospel of Christ. However Paul in his letter to the Corinthians gives two opinions of the cross of Christ: 1) the cross of Christ as unsaved men view it and 2) the cross of Christ as God views it.

To those that are perishing (the unsaved) the cross and its message are viewed as foolishness. However God views the read more...

1 Corinthians 1:27

The message of the cross cuts to the quick of human boasting, selfishness and pride. It brings to nothing the wisdom of the wise. It silences the brilliance of the philosopher and dismantles the strength of brutish men.. who are mighty in their own inflated eyes.

God has ordained that lasting wisdom comes from the preaching of the cross - for the power and wisdom of God is from above and can only be found in Jesus Christ and Him read more...

1 Corinthians 1:28

There are many occasions in Scripture when God uses simple things or unschooled people... whom the world considers foolish or juvenile, to undertake an assignment and forward His plans and purposes. It was in his letter to the Corinthians that Paul highlights this important issue when he wrote, "God has chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised... God has chosen the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that read more...

1 Corinthians 1:29

Sin is so terrible in the sight of God that Paul determined to explain the shockingly high price that God in His grace chose to pay to redeem mankind, so that no-one could ever boast that they were saved because of their good works. There are none that are good and not one can brag that their kindly deeds; financial contribution; pious prayers; saintly religiosity or ecclesiastical duties contributed towards their forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.

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1 Corinthians 1:30

The moment we were born again, the Holy Spirit baptised us into Christ. He positioned us in Christ, and we exchanged all that we were for all that He is. As members of His Body, we became one with Him.

When God looks at believers, He sees the perfection of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, and the righteousness of Christ, for we are one with Him. God sees nothing of what we were, for positionally He only sees Christ in us and God has read more...

1 Corinthians 1:31

Like so much of the Church today, these Christians in Corinth were not living the life of holiness and humility to which we have all been called, but had allowed the standards, morals, and attitudes of the world to infiltrate their position in Christ.

Divisions, strife, contentions, and splits within the Body had shattered their unity in the Lord Jesus. Immorality was accepted and unchecked. Spiritual pride had become pervasive as read more...