1Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2to the assembly of God which is at Corinth—those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I always thank my God concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge— 6even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you— 7so that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name. 16(I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.) 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void. 18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”
20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. 22For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God; 25because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; 27but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong. 28God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don’t exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist, 29that no flesh should boast before God. 30Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
Church at Corinth
Acts 18:1-18 records the founding of the Corinthian church. Paul came to Corinth on his second missionary journey after leaving Athens (18:1). This was probably in the fall of A.D. 51 or 52. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke had left Troas for Macedonia about eight months earlier and had started churches in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Luke remained at Philippi and Silas and Timothy at Thessalonica, while Paul journeyed on to Athens. Paul's ministry at Athens proved disappointing perhaps leaving him discouraged as he entered Corinth. Paul made tents in Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla during the week and preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath. After considerable success among both Jews and Gentiles (18:4), his message was rejected by the Jews, and Paul began reaching out to the Gentiles of Corinth (18:6). Paul ministered in Corinth for eighteen months (18:11) in establishing the church. While he was in Corinth, he also composed the two Thessalonian epistles. The church, like the city of Corinth, contained a mixture of nationalities. Though some Jews had been converted (18:8), most of the believers were Gentiles (1 Corinthians 12:2), especially Greeks.
While the Corinthian church reflected the city's multinational character, unfortunately, it also mirrored some of Corinth's debauchery. The church at Corinth had become so infected with the toxic impurity of the city that it stood in need of radical spiritual surgery. So Paul's sharp tone issued from an urgent desire to quickly cure the pitiful condition of the church. One can sense the vexation and disappointment in Paul's words as an angry and hurt father scolds his immature and disobedient children.