---
title: "1 Corinthians 1 - Study King James Bible with commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible"
description: "Read 1 Corinthians 1 with commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible commentary. 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them"
image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-corinthians/1"
---

[ Read](/kjv/1-corinthians/1)[ Commentary](/study/1-corinthians/1)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/1-corinthians/1) Audio

 1 Paul, called *to be* an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes *our* brother,

 2 Unto the church of God which is at 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:

 3 Grace *be* unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and *from* the Lord Jesus Christ.

 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and *in* all knowledge;

 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, *that ye may be* blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 9 God *is* faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and *that* there be no divisions among you; but *that* ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them *which are of the house* of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

 20 Where *is* the wise? where *is* the scribe? where *is* the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, *are called*:

 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, *yea*, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
 
[Romans 16](/study/romans/16) [1 Corinthians 2](/study/1-corinthians/2)

## Commentary

 To verse 1
 
**1. called to be**—Found in some,
not in others, of the oldest manuscripts Possibly inserted from :-; but as likely to be genuine. Translate, literally, "a
called apostle" [CONYBEARE
and HOWSON]. 

**through the will of God**—not
because of my own merit. Thus Paul's call as "an apostle by the
will of God," while constituting the ground of the authority he
claims in the Corinthian Church (compare :-), is a reason for humility on his own part ([1 Corinthians 15:8](/kjv/1-corinthians/15/8);
[1 Corinthians 15:10](/kjv/1-corinthians/15/10)) [BENGEL].
In assuming the ministerial office a man should see he does so not of
his own impulse, but by the will of God ([1 Corinthians 15:10](/kjv/1-corinthians/15/10)- :); Paul if left to his own will would never have been an
apostle ([Romans 9:16](/kjv/romans/9/16)). 

**Sosthenes**—See my
[Romans 9:16](/kjv/romans/9/16)- :. Associated by Paul
with himself in the inscription, either in modesty, Sosthenes being
his inferior [CHRYSOSTOM],
or in order that the name of a "brother" of note in Corinth
([Acts 18:17](/kjv/acts/18/17)) might give weight
to his Epistle and might show, in opposition to his detractors that
he was supported by leading *brethren.* Gallio had driven the
Jews who accused Paul from the judgment-seat. The Greek mob, who
disliked Jews, took the opportunity then of beating Sosthenes the
ruler of the Jewish synagogue, while Gallio looked on and refused to
interfere, being secretly pleased that the mob should second his own
contempt for the Jews. Paul probably at this time had showed sympathy
for an adversary in distress, which issued in the conversion of the
latter. So Crispus also, the previous chief ruler of the synagogue
had been converted. Saul the persecutor turned into Paul the apostle,
and Sosthenes the leader in persecution against that apostle, were
two trophies of divine grace that, side by side, would appeal with
double power to the Church at Corinth [BIRKS].

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