1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 1 (1)

1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 1 (1) “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ  through the will of God, and  Sosthenes our brother ” (1 Corinthians 1:1).Paul and Sosthenes (strong salvation) are the apostles sent by Jesus Christ to preach the will of God.You need to find a keyword in every verse of the Bible, and the keyword in verse 1 is God’s will.When you say God’s will, your heart should tremble and be moved.Think about the feelings of a messenger riding a horse with the king’s command in the past.How heavy and solemn must his heart have been as he urged his horse?The fact that a sinner was called by God, became righteous, realized God’s will, and then was sent to preach God’s will to the world is a heart-pounding thing. Verse 2 speaks of the definition of the church of God.“To the church of God which is in 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:”1) Those who are sanctified, 2) called to be saints, 3) those who call on the name of Christ, those who earnestly appeal, those who cling to it.What has been made holy is complete.They are those who are sanctified by the death and resurrection of the holy Christ (Heb. 2:11).And calling on the name of Christ is present.This is the church.The church is not an organization or a building.We must clearly understand the definition of the church (ekklesia) in verse 2.The people who are called into Christ in the world are the saints. Verse 3 is a greeting. “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” When grace comes, then there is peace.When we become one with Christ and unite with God through the grace of God received in Christ, peace comes.The source of grace and peace is God the Father, and the application is done by Jesus Christ.However, the church in Corinth was a church that missed this peace because it focused on the gift of the Holy Spirit that appears outside rather than the Spirit of Christ that is given inwardly.When the Spirit of truth comes into us, we become one with Christ and have righteousness, and then we have peace and have joy through it. This is the kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17). Verse 4 is a thanksgiving for grace. “I  thank my God always on your  behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;” It is a sacrifice of thanksgiving.Therefore, we must pray so that we can be thankful for the grace we have received. Like Paul, I thank God for you because of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The word ‘hoti’ translated as ‘that’ in verse 5 means ‘because’.“That in every thing you are enriched by him, all utterance, and in all knowledge.”In explaining the reason for thanksgiving, utterance is the words of a person speaking in the Word.It is like a testimony or boasting about God.However, the church in Corinth had a problem with the words of people more than with the Word of God.It was so bad that Paul asked the women to be quiet.There are two types of knowledge: worldly knowledge and the knowledge of Christ.Worldly knowledge is the knowledge of perishable things, and the knowledge of Christ is the knowledge of imperishable things. Verse 6 “The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you”As the testimony of Christ was confirmed, so has the utterance and knowledge, so he says that he is thankful for that.In verse 7, all gifts are for waiting for the appearing of Jesus Christ.“So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is like playing a game where you cover your eyes with a veil and grope to fine for your partner.The various gifts are like a cane that you have to hold on to at that time, and the church in Corinth boasts of it.However, after the revelation came, there is no longer any need to grope to fine.You will be transformed into the image of the Lord with unveiled face in the Spirit of the Lord and see glory in glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).The church in Corinth is a church of infant believers who have not reached this spiritual level. There are signs, which are evidential gifts that appear according to the disposition, as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and natural gifts that are real and gifts, as in Romans 6:23.This gift is called a spiritual gift in Romans (Romans 1:11). We must receive this gift to become strong.We wait for the manifestation because the manifestation is a revelation.Therefore, the spirit of wisdom and revelation is absolutely necessary for the church (Ephesians 1:17).It is the spirit of truth that makes us know Christ.The church must long for this revelation.We must truly look forward to it.We must earnestly seek it.That is why Hebrews 9:28 says that Christ appears ‘to those who wait for him.’ Verse 8 “Who shall also confirm‎  you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”The day of our Lord Jesus Christ is the day of revelation.The day the Lord spoke of, today is the day. It is the day of the new covenant.Now, it is better to move from prayer speaking with your mouth to prayer heard in the Word of the Lord.Today is the day when the Father, who appears in secret, rewards us with his appearance. Verse 9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”As in verse 7, the Corinthian church only has the gifts that show evidence of being the church of Christ, but there remains the hope of fellowship with God the Father in Christ.Because the One who called us is faithful and will make us have fellowship through Jesus Christ.Through fellowship, that is, koinonia, God gives in his spirit and life and raises us up to the glory of his image. That is, the principle of mixing.Therefore, in the Apostles’ Creed, it is important to believe in God the Father, who is almighty and created heaven and earth, and in his only Son, Jesus Christ, as the Lord, but it is also important to believe in the Holy Spirit and the communion of the holy catholic church and saints. In verse 8, it says, “He shall confirm‎ you” on the day Christ appears.Because he will make you fellowship with God the Father through his Son.This is Paul’s greeting.Christians’ greetings should be like this.After greeting like this, he points out the problems of the Corinthian church, talks about love, and talks about resurrection.Then he talks about the completion of the church.Therefore, we should not give up on those who are lacking in Christ, but should be patient and love them.Let’s take a quick look at the term “fellowship (koinonia)”, it is  communion or participation, in 1 Corinthians 10:16.By participating in the blood and participating in the body, we become the body of Christ, and that body offers a holy sacrifice (Romans 12).In 1 John 1:3, it is also “that we may have fellowship with God and Christ.”Love makes us one.Therefore, loving is fellowship, and having fellowship as one with God in Christ is loving God.2 Peter 1:4 says, “That you might be partakers of the divine nature.”If you continually receive the Holy Spirit’s essence that drives out your natural nature, you will become a biblical person without even realizing it.This is the fellowship of life in Christ. Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.Translated by  Nancy Chung COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION To God be the glory.