"called to be an apostle" - a called apostle. Paul was commissioned on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) by the Lord Jesus.
"apostle" - An apostle is "he that is sent." To have apostolic authority you must have been commissioned by Christ Himself personally. The only other apostle mentioned in scripture apart from the disciples were Paul and James the brother of Jesus (1 Cor 15:7). James was not a believer until after the resurrection. (cf. Jn 7:5 w/ Acts 1:14).
"Sosthenes" - Acts 18:12-17 - Sosthenes was the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth. Evidently, Sosthenes became a believer following the encounter of him bringing Paul before Gallio to judge him for something that Gallio deemed to worthy of being thrown out. Most scholars place 1 Corinthians as being written from Ephesus in AD 59, 5 years after Paul's first visit to Corinth to see an assembly established. Sosthenes must have either taken up residence in Ephesus or travelled with Paul, since no doubt he would have resigned from his post at the synagogue.
"the church at Corinth" - the church in Corinth. It is important to notice that the church is not at but IN Corinth. The distinction is necessary to point out that an ekklesia/church ("called out company") is established in a certainly locality. Churches as a whole do not travel, but rather the functions of a local assembly are carried out in a particular locality where assembly testimony has been established.
"to_them_that_are_sanctified" - this is a characteristic of those who compose a local assembly. Each has been sanctified, separated unto God for a particular purpose by God. The sanctification of the believer rests in Christ Jesus. The fact that those at Corinth are called sanctified, in light of the rest of the book showing us its immoral activity, it shows that a believer in the sight of God is considered to be sanctified in the sight of God no matter their practice. The standing of the believer is in Christ, and it is upon His merit that we are considered to be sanctified and holy.
"called saints" - called saints is the correct rendering. This is a second characteristic. The words sanctified and saints are kin and share the same root word. Saints is often translated as "holy." The use of both words, saints and sanctified, indicates that those who compose a local assembly are made and are pure, blameless, and holy.
"with all" - this is not exclusive to Corinth. All have these characteristics, and have no need of worry of their moral standing in the presence of God because of our place in the Lord Jesus Christ due to His justifying and propitiatory work.
"in every place" - The first emphasis here is that assembly gatherings calling upon the name of the Lord are to have established gatherings in specific locations where the church meets.
"call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" - specific task that the local assembly does by gathering. Our call to the Lord Jesus is in worship, fellowship or prayers.
"both theirs and ours" - Jesus Christ is Lord everywhere that a true local assembly gathers. He is the shared Lord among all local gatherings that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace - grace is prayed for for this church. Grace is given from God is withstand and come through trials and situations. This differs from mercy, where mercy would cause the removal of the trouble instead of grace to bear it.
"grace given you" - This assembly has already received grace in order to come through the situations that they have already passed through. As the letter will point out, there will be much more need for grace seeing the assembly is in a pretty grim situation.
grace was given for the purpose of enriching, or to make wealthy, these believers. It was not in financial gain, but spiritual richness both outward (in all utterances) and inward (in all knowledge). The gift of utterance would include teaching, prophecy, tongues and interpretation: All but the gift of teaching have passed away. Knowledge was a gift itself and is now passed away. These gifts were bestowed not upon physical attributes, nor as reward for being devoted in spiritual things, but are given to each to develop upon conversion. The signs mentioned that are now passed away were given as a sign to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.
"confirm" - stabilitate (v6)
The two riches were bestowed as they were showing forth their salvation. As believers, there will be a change both inwardly and outwardly that the world might see if we are saved.
"come behind" - inferior or to fall short. These blessings of enriching was for the purpose of having these believers in Corinth to not be inferior to other believers. Spiritual gift, prior to the completion of the cannon, was especially important in order to understand the mind of God on certain matters. If the utterances of the knowledge learned was not gained, these believers would be in a much greater deal of confusion.
"waiting" - looking expectingly for
"coming" - revelation. This would be the second coming. Though the believer will be raptured before tribulation (1 Cor 15:52), we still all look for the second coming of Christ when He will set up His kingdom.
"confirm" - stabilitate (v6)
"the end" - telos. Purpose or goal reached. This means that until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will God keep these believers stable in the things of God by revealing to them the mind of God through utterance and knowledge (until the completion of the cannon) followed by the completed Scriptures.
"blameless" - unaccused
"day of our Lord Jesus Christ" - this is used six times in scriptures (1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:6, 10; 2:16). It is a day of judgment, reward and blessing. Here it is a day of judgment since the Christian will be blameless in this day. 1 Cor 5:5 says that it will be a day when the spirit will be saved, in contrast to the destruction of the flesh in this present day to ensure this. 2 Cor 1:14 places it as a day of rejoicing. Phil 1:6 has it that the completed good work in us that God is doing will be complete in the day of Jesus Christ. Phil 1:10 it is a target date for the Christ to be sincere and without offense until. In Phil 2:16, Paul mentions that he will be able to "rejoice in the day of Christ, that [he] did not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."
To the Christian, this is the "telos." The purposes and goals of God will have been completed in us, that we will be conformed completely to the image of His son, in that same day when Christ will come to earth to set up His kingdom and will be manifest to all (1 John 3:2). It would be at this time that the Judgment Seat of Christ will be set up.
"fellowship" - this is a reminder that their common fellowship was in the Lord Jesus. They were all sons and heirs and called into this position.
This is a call to unity. Unity was a tremendous problem among the assemblies in Corinth. This problem will be further developed in this chapter and also elsewhere throughout the entire chapter. It is God's intention that those who are in fellowship remain united in speech, in mind and in judgment.
"Them" - perhaps a letter was sent to Paul stating the problems in the churches at Corinth. This is scriptural support for believers in some assembly to try to help another assembly that is beginning to slip away from the things of God. In this case, it is unity.
"and I of Christ" - since this is included, it was just as wrong for some to call themselves "of Christ." Although this would be correct, it is not correct to identify yourself as this in your own assembly if the purpose is to separate yourself from others who you are to be in fellowship with.
It is not always good, as exemplified by Paul, for a believer in a new work to do all the responsibilities of it. The example given by Paul, allows many others to contribute to the work for the sake of allowing the Christians to grow in the locality, as well as teach responsibility and not to take a preeminent place in the fellowship. It would always be the goal of a evangelical worker to have others carry on works that you start and to function without you.
"sent" - some are sent to baptize, as some are sent to preach.
"to_preach_the_gospel" - euaggelizo, evangelize.
"wisdom of man" - Paul knew that it was not in his own words and preaching that God was saving souls, but that it was through the power of God using the words of Paul's preaching. Paul wanted none of the credit for souls being saved, but rather knew that the work of the cross was where the saving power was made possible.
"the_preaching" - logos
"which_are_saved" - are being saved. Although it is true that we are saved, we are also being saved and will be saved. An explanation of the three salvations are as follows:
1. The believer IS saved from the penalty and guilt of sin and is safely secure. This occurs at the moment of salvation and is a one time occurance. This is the salvation that is often mentioned when the gospel is preached. (Ephesians 2:8, Acts 16:31)
2. The believer IS BEING saved from the power habit and dominion of sin (1 Cor 1:18, 1 Cor 15:2, 2 Cor 2:15). This is a continual practice whereby as the Lord works in us, we are less apt to allow sin to have control in our lives. The flesh sometimes still gets it's way, but as we grow spiritually we too should see the control sin has diminish. Those who ARE saved are also being saved, as this salvation was set in motion at the moment of conversion.
3. The believer WILL BE saved from the presence of sin and be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 13:1, 1 Cor 3:15, 1 John 3:2). All that is sin and waste will be burned up in the believer's life where all that will be left behind is that which was done for Christ and his image in us. This occurs at the Second Coming of Christ when He will come to the earth at the end of tribulation to set up His kingdom.
"foolishness... power of God" - no doubt God's way of salvation would seem foolish to many. That belief in the work of someone 2000 years earlier would have power to reconcile them to God. To the human mind this might seem foolish and silly. Philosophers and great intellectual men seem to struggle with this idea. God chose this method of salvation no doubt so that all the glory would be to himself, and none to the understanding or ability of men. Those who are being saved know what power the cross and hearing of it had in our lives.
"preaching" - kerugma, proclamation. This is the third different word used for the preaching of the gospel in this chapter.
"Jews require a sign" - there was at least four occasions that the Jewish people wanted a sign from the Lord Jesus. One one occasion the Lord made it known that "a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign." (Matt 16:4). He made it known that the sign of Jonah, His resurrection, would be the only real sign that they would receive that Jesus was the Messiah. However, even this the people would not believe. Salvation does not come by signs.
"Gentiles seek after wisdom" - Paul learned this clearly a few years earlier at Mars Hill in Athens (Acts 17:22-32). In his address to the Greek philosophers, Paul was heard without dispute by the curious men until the mention of the resurrection of the dead. The Greeks would deem this to be impossible, and something that would defy reason and science. It divided the men of Athens since it would be something that they could not understand.
"preach" - keruso, herald. This is the fourth word that is translated "preach" in our English language.
"Christ the_power of_God, and the_wisdom of_God." - God has chosen that salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who understand the gospel message will understand that the power of salvation is only through the Lord Jesus Christ, and they would learn this through the word of God, which Paul wrote, "is able to make thee wise unto salvation." (2 Tim 3:15)
The emphasis in this verse is not that God is at any time weaker or more foolish at times than others, but rather to emphasize how man fails in comparison to God in all respects not matter how powerful he is.
Salvation is often not acquired by those in high standing in society. These people the things they want in life, are too busy for God, and want to live the way they will. Those who are wise have difficulty trusting the message of God at face value.
As pointed out in the note on v18, God's way of salvation works in such a way that all glory is for God and man has nothing to boast in.
At the point of time when we obtained eternal life through Christ Jesus, we also received wisdom from God, a righteous and sanctified standing, and redemption from sin's power and punishment. All of these things are found in Christ.
Due to how God has made salvation available to all in a way whereby we can take no credit or glory, whether in being saved or in preaching, we can only praise Jehovah (Jer 9:24).
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