The ESV Study Bible

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:1–9 Epistolary Introduction to the Letter’s Main Themes. The opening verses can be divided into an initial greeting (vv. 1–3) and a report to the letter’s recipients on how Paul prays for them (vv. 4–9). Both parts use language that anticipates some of the letter’s key themes.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:1–3 Greeting: Apostleship, Sanctity, and Unity. Paul’s apostleship and the Corinthians’ sanctity and unity are among the letter’s most important themes.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:1 On the meaning and background of apostle, see notes on Matt. 10:2; Rom. 1:1. The word occurs 10 times in 1 Corinthians, more often than in any other Pauline letter (1 Cor. 1:1; 4:9; 9:1, 2, 5; 12:28, 29; 15:7, 9 [twice]).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:2 On Corinth, see Introduction: The Ancient City of Corinth. sanctified … saints. These two words are closely related in Greek, one a verb (hagiazō) meaning “make holy” and the other an adjective (hagios) meaning “holy.” Here the adjective is used as a noun and means “holy people.” See note on 7:14. Something “holy” is set apart from evil and dedicated to God’s service. In the OT, God set Israel apart from all other nations (Ex. 19:5–6). He also gave Israel his law so that they would reveal the holiness of the God who chose them by the way they lived (Lev. 11:44–45). Paul reminds the Corinthians that because they are in Christ Jesus God has set them apart as his holy people (see 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11; 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1), and because they are God’s people they should reflect his holiness (Ex. 19:6; Lev. 19:2). Because the Corinthians have a tendency toward self-centeredness and disunity, Paul reminds them that in Christ they are spiritually united to all Christians in every place (see also 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:33, 36).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:3 Grace … and peace. See note on Rom. 1:7.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:4–9 Thanksgiving: Speech, Knowledge, and Spiritual Gifts. Paul is thankful that God has richly blessed the Corinthians with speech, knowledge, and spiritual gifts. Despite some problems with these blessings (8:1–3, 10; 12:12–31; 14:1–40), he considers them gifts from God.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:5 enriched in him. In 4:8 Paul will say that the Corinthians’ spiritual riches have led to an inappropriate pride. Paul’s thankfulness here shows that the problem lay not with the gifts God had given them but with the way the Corinthians used those gifts. The cure is found in a healthy dose of gratitude (4:7). The Corinthians valued especially the gifts of speech and knowledge (see 8:1–3, 10; 12:8; 13:2; 14:1–40), but because they had used these gifts in wrong and improper ways, the exercise of the gifts led to disunity (8:1–3; 12:29–30; 14:4).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:7 When Paul tells them, “you were enriched” in Christ “in all speech and all knowledge” (v. 5) so that you are not lacking in any gift, he implies that many spiritual gifts are “enrichments” of speaking abilities, knowledge, or skills that people had before they became Christians. As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ implies that spiritual gifts are given as temporary provisions until Christ returns (see 13:10).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:8–9 guiltless. There is no condemnation on the final day for those who, like the Corinthians, are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). They already have been justified and, in a sense, even sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11; cf. Rom. 5:1), so no one will be able to bring a charge against them at the judgment (Rom. 8:33). The Corinthians have a long way to go before their behavior matches their status before God (1 Cor. 3:2–3a), but Paul is confident that God, who is faithful, will make them what they should be.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:10–4:21 Divisions over Christian Preachers. Paul now states one of the letter’s primary concerns: the Corinthians’ pride has led them to value outward appearance and eloquence over the genuine work of the Spirit.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:10–17a The Problem Reported. Paul begins with a description of the problem of division as “Chloe’s people” have reported it to him. The Corinthians are exhibiting a haughty devotion to one or another of three itinerant Christian preachers.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:11 Reported (Gk. dēloō) means to “show,” “make clear,” or “reveal” something. Chloe’s people (Gk. tōn Chloēs, lit., “the ones of Chloe”) may have done this by an oral report (5:1; 11:18). Chloe’s identity and her location (Ephesus? Corinth?) are unknown, as well as whether these “people” are friends, business associates, family, or from her household.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:12 Apparently the Corinthian Christians were divided into factions on the basis of who had baptized them (vv. 14–17). Paul knew Apollos well (16:12). His rhetorical skills were impressive, and the Corinthian Christians had received him gladly after Paul’s departure (Acts 18:24–19:1). Cephas is the Aramaic equivalent of the name Peter (Gal. 2:7–14), and both names refer to Peter the apostle (1 Cor. 15:5; Gal. 1:18; 2:7–14). Unlike Paul (1 Cor. 7:8), Cephas was married and had traveled to Corinth with his wife (9:5). Apparently one faction in Corinth, claiming to be above it all, took the slogan “I follow Christ.”

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:17a not … to baptize. While Paul considers baptism important (Rom. 6:3; Col. 2:12), it is subordinate to the proclamation of the gospel. Hearing and believing the gospel, unlike baptism, is essential to salvation (Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 1:13). The Corinthians need to center their lives on the gospel, not on the various preachers in whom they can take pride.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:17b–4:21 God’s Wisdom Answers the Problem. The divisions in Corinth can be healed if the Corinthians see the distinction between the world’s wisdom and God’s wisdom.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:17b–2:16 The Nature of God’s Wisdom. God’s wisdom is displayed in the message of the cross, the calling of the Corinthians, the preaching of Paul, and the wisdom from the Spirit.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:17b words of eloquent wisdom. The art of rhetorical persuasion was highly valued in the Greco-Roman world, and professional orators frequented large cities like Corinth, giving impressive displays of their ability to entertain and instruct. Paul’s proclamation of the gospel failed to measure up to these standards. This failure, however, served to place the spotlight on the power of the message itself (see also 2:1–5), for the Holy Spirit so empowered Paul’s words that they awakened faith in Christ (cf. James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23–25) and changed people’s very hearts and lives.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:18 cross. See note on the crucifixion at Matt. 27:35. folly. Paul’s preaching in Corinth focused on the saving fact of Christ’s crucifixion, a method of execution considered so crude it was not even mentioned in polite company. The Corinthians’ fascination with the rhetorical ability of the ministers rather than their message demonstrated that they were living contrary to the power of the cross.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:22–25 Jesus’ hostile opponents had kept demanding more miraculous signs to prove his claims (Matt. 16:1–4; Mark 8:11–12; Luke 11:16; John 2:18–20; 4:48), but they were doing this just to manipulate him, for the signs he had already given were sufficient to leave them without excuse for their unbelief (John 3:2; 12:9–11, 37; 14:11). Greeks were viewed in antiquity, in contrast to barbarians, as a cultured people and therefore interested in wisdom (Acts 17:21; Rom. 1:14). A crucified Messiah was offensive to an unbelieving Jew (Matt. 16:22; Gal. 3:13; 5:11), and nonsensical to an unbelieving Greek. God’s power to call forth his people, however, works through a deeper wisdom than human beings can recognize (unless God grants them faith). Paul writes that the gospel is preached to all (1 Cor. 1:23), but God calls some effectively to salvation from among both Jews and Greeks (v. 24). On Christ as a stumbling block (v. 23), see notes on Isa. 8:11–15; 28:16.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:26–31 Just as the message and its messenger (Paul) were foolish by the world’s standards, so most of those in Corinth who believed the message were foolish by those same standards. God’s transformation of them into his people (by choosing them to be saved) in spite of their humanly unimpressive pedigree excludes all boasting in ancestry, accomplishment, or affiliation with one preacher or another (see also 3:21–22).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1:27 God chose what is weak … to shame the strong. The themes of the lifting up of the downtrodden and the reversal of human status are prophesied in the OT (e.g., 1 Sam. 2:1–8; Isa. 61:1; cf. Luke 1:52; John 9:39).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:1–5 not … with lofty speech or wisdom. Paul avoided Greek rhetoric and focused on the message of the cross, so that the Corinthians would put their faith in Christ who was crucified rather than in the ability of human messengers.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men. Mere intellectual persuasion does not save people. Saving faith is produced by the heart-changing power of the Holy Spirit as the gospel is proclaimed.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:6–10 The rulers who executed Jesus did not understand what they were doing (cf. Luke 23:34). Paul and the Corinthians would also have failed to understand Christ’s death apart from the Spirit’s revelation to them about its meaning. In Rom. 8:27 the Spirit searches (Gk. eraunaō) the human heart, but here the Spirit searches (eraunaō) the depths of God. God’s Spirit bridges the chasm between the deep things of God and the human heart, graciously enabling human beings to understand the message of the cross, which would otherwise be incomprehensible. See also 1 Cor. 2:4.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:6 rulers of this age. Probably a reference to such earthly rulers as the Jewish chief priests and the Roman procurator Pilate who sentenced Jesus to die (see v. 8), but by analogy it also includes all rulers who do not believe in Jesus.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:7 secret and hidden wisdom of God. This “wisdom of God” is centered in Christ and includes all of God’s plans for the history of salvation from before the ages (“before the foundation of the world,” Eph. 1:4) to the unending future of eternity (1 Cor. 2:9; Rev. 11:15; 22:5). It includes everything Paul preaches, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:12 the Spirit who is from God. Both the substance and the verbal expression of the apostles’ witness to Christ are from God.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2:13 those who are spiritual. Although the adjective “spiritual” (Gk. pneumatikos) could refer to things or words rather than to people (see esv footnote), Paul seems to be turning now to the subject of spiritual people (see v. 15; 3:1). As Paul has just made clear, only the Spirit can render the message of the cross truly comprehensible to someone, so every Christian is a “spiritual” (led and empowered by the Holy Spirit) person; see also Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8, 16–18; Eph. 1:13. Unbelievers, on the other hand, do not have the spiritual capacity to understand the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:1–4:21 God’s Wisdom Applied to Apollos, Paul, and the Corinthians. Paul now shows the Corinthians how God’s choice to work through weakness for his own glory applies to their divided church. Just as Paul and Apollos work together for the advancement of the gospel, so the Corinthians should stop boasting about their favorite Christian leader and build a united church.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:1–3 of the flesh. The first instance of this phrase (v. 1) represents a Greek word (sarkinos) that means “characterized by the flesh” (cf. Rom. 7:14). The second instance (1 Cor. 3:3) represents a slightly different word (sarkikos) that means “made of flesh, fleshly” (2 Cor. 10:4; cf. 1:17). Paul uses both terms here in the same way to express his disappointment in the Corinthians’ behavior. “Flesh” takes different meanings in Scripture, but in Paul’s letters it often refers to “unredeemed human nature” with all of its desires and characteristic behavior. Although the Corinthians are Christians indwelt by the Spirit, their divisive behavior shows that they are acting like the unbelieving world around them.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:2 not ready. Paul thinks it is unhelpful and dangerous to give advanced teaching to Christians who were morally and spiritually immature and proud.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:8 wages according to his labor. See note on vv. 14–15. God’s blessing and reward in the lives of Christians varies according to their faithfulness to the tasks he entrusts to them.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:12 gold, silver, precious stones. Materials used in the construction of Solomon’s temple (1 Chron. 29:2), and here an image for what will survive the judgment, in contrast to wood, hay, and straw. Work that Christians do in Christlike faith and obedience (1 Cor. 3:10–11) will survive and be rewarded; work done in the power of the “flesh” (v. 1) or in disobedience to Scripture (4:6) will not.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:14–15 reward … loss … saved … as through fire. See also v. 8 and 4:4–5. Although those who have believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42). Paul’s point applies not just to church leaders but to anyone who contributes in any way to building up the church (1 Cor. 12:7, 12–31; 14:12).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:16 On the temple and God’s dwelling, see note on Ex. 25:8.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:17 God will destroy him. The one who destroys God’s temple (in this context, the church) is not part of God’s people and so faces eternal destruction on the final day, just as God eventually destroyed the Babylonians who had destroyed Solomon’s temple.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:21–23 let no one boast in men. Arrogance is at the root of the divisiveness in Corinth (4:6, 18). The Corinthians need to learn that they ultimately belong to God, not to the leader who baptized them (1:13–17), who was himself only fulfilling God’s purposes (3:7, 11; 4:1). They should, therefore, boast only in God (1:29, 31).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 3:21 All things are yours means that they are given by God for the benefit of his people.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:1 mysteries. Since Paul uses the plural here (see also 13:2; 14:2), he probably has in mind not only the gospel itself (see also Eph. 6:19) but also other truths that God has revealed. See, e.g., Rom. 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:51; Eph. 3:4, 6; 5:32; Col. 2:2. A “mystery” (Gk. mystērion) in Paul’s letters is something that people, in their human weakness, could not understand unless God graciously revealed it to them (Dan. 2:18–19, 28; Eph. 1:7–9), but now Paul does explain these mysteries.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:3 judged by you. Some of the Corinthians, perhaps followers of Apollos or Cephas, probably spoke disparagingly of Paul, especially of his speaking ability (1:17; 2:3–4; 4:18–21; 2 Cor. 10:9), thinking they were able to judge his spiritual effectiveness.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:7 This set of rhetorical questions expresses in a nutshell the central theological truth that the Corinthians, in their divisiveness, seem to have forgotten: all their abilities, opportunities, and blessings are from God, so they should not boast. What do you have that you did not receive? If Christians repeatedly ask this of themselves, it will produce deep humility and thanksgiving. See also 1:4, 30–31; 3:6–7, 21–23.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:8 you have become kings. Paul is speaking colorfully and ironically of the Corinthians’ haughtiness.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:9 exhibited … like men sentenced to death. Paul is probably thinking of the Roman triumphal procession in which captured enemy soldiers were paraded through the streets before being publicly executed. Or he may be thinking of gladiators condemned to die in an arena. See also 2 Cor. 2:14 and, for the image used in a different way, Col. 2:15.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:10–13 We are fools for Christ’s sake. Measured by the “royal” standards of the Corinthians (v. 8), Paul’s apostolic calling has involved foolishness, weakness, and suffering. See 2 Cor. 2:14–17; 4:7–12, 16–18; 11:22–33; 12:9; 13:4; Phil. 1:12–18. when slandered, we entreat. Paul answers false accusations (cf. Acts 16:37) lest falsehood be established as truth in the public mind and the reputation of the gospel be damaged.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:16 be imitators of me. God has designed the Christian life so that much of one’s progress comes through imitating other Christians, imperfect though they be (cf. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3).

Imitating Paul as Paul Imitates Christ

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1 Cor. 4:15–17	I became your father in Christ Jesus … be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ.
1 Cor. 10:32–11:1	Give no offense … just as I try to please everyone in everything … Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Phil. 3:17	Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
Phil. 4:9	What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things.
2 Thess. 3:7–9	You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us … but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
2 Tim. 3:10–11	You … have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings.

Church Leaders Should Likewise Lead Lives That Are Examples to Imitate

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Phil. 3:17	Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
1 Tim. 4:12	Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Titus 2:7–8	Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech.
Heb. 13:7	Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
1 Pet. 5:2–3	Shepherd the flock of God … not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:19 I will find out … their power. Apparently Paul expected a confrontation in which the power of the Holy Spirit would manifest some kind of disciplinary force against those who were harming the church (see Acts 5:1–11; 13:9–11; 2 Cor. 10:3–4).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:20 On the kingdom of God, see note on Matt. 3:2.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 4:21 rod. A thin stick used for discipline. Paul is speaking metaphorically of the kind of church discipline he is about to describe in 5:3–5.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:1–6:20 A Report of Sexual Immorality and Legal Wrangling. Paul has heard not only of disunity in the Corinthian church but also of a bizarre case of sexual misconduct (5:1–13), of believers taking other believers before pagan courts (6:1–11), and of sexual immorality with prostitutes (6:12–20). In answer to these problems, Paul instructs the Corinthians on the meaning of Christian holiness and the significance of the final day.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:1–13 Incest, Arrogance, and the Need for Discipline. Paul first tells the Corinthians that God has set certain boundaries to mark out his people as his own. The Corinthians need to maintain these boundaries by disciplining a man in their church involved in incest.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:1 has his father’s wife. Not his biological mother but his stepmother; otherwise Paul would have explicitly said so. Leviticus 18:8 specifically forbids sexual relations between a man and his “father’s wife.” God’s people are to be distinguished from surrounding nations by following God’s law rather than the customs of those nations (Lev. 18:1–5). Ironically, the Corinthian Christians were more tolerant of flagrant sin than were the pagans among whom they lived.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:2 arrogant. See v. 6. The arrogance may arise from the Corinthians’ mistaken “knowledge” that they are somehow free of normal moral constraints (6:12; 8:1; 10:23). If so, they may have thought of this freedom as an implication of grace (Rom. 3:8; 6:1, 15; Jude 4). It is also possible that Paul simply thinks of their characteristic arrogance (1 Cor. 3:21; 4:6, 8, 18–19) as doubly inappropriate in light of the shocking sin in their midst.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:3–4 my spirit is present. A difficult phrase that probably means that the disciplinary power of the Holy Spirit, which Paul knew to be present in his own ministry (see note on 4:19), would also be manifested in their meeting, because of the Corinthian church’s connection with Paul.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:5 Deliver this man to Satan probably refers to removing him from the church, since those outside of the church are in Satan’s realm (Luke 4:5–6; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19). destruction of the flesh. Although it is certainly not always the case (cf. John 9:1–3), personal sin sometimes has grave physical consequences (Acts 5:1–11; 1 Cor. 11:29–30). spirit may be saved. The purpose of the discipline was not to punish the man for punishment’s sake but to effect his restoration to the church and eventual salvation (see 1 Tim. 1:20).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:6–7 leaven. Not yeast (which was uncommon in the ancient world) but fermented dough, a little of which would be left from the previous week to be added to a new lump of dough. By analogy, when publicly known sin in the church is not subjected to church discipline, it will silently spread its destructive consequences throughout the whole fellowship.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:9 my letter. An otherwise unknown letter to the Corinthians, written prior to 1 Corinthians.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:11 not to associate. See 2 Thess. 3:6, 14. One purpose here, as in 2 Thessalonians, is redemptive with respect to the person committing the sin (1 Cor. 5:5; 2 Thess. 3:14–15). But another purpose is to avoid giving the appearance of approving sinful conduct, lest reproach be brought on the church and the gospel.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 5:13 “Purge … from among you.” As the newly constituted people of God (10:32), the Corinthians are to follow God’s instructions to Israel for preserving its holiness when flagrant, unrepented-of sin is in its midst (Deut. 13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21–22, 24; 24:7). In this case, they are to do so by excommunicating the man committing incest.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:1–11 Trivial Cases before Unrighteous Judges. Some of the Corinthians have wronged each other in various ways, including fraud. Instead of addressing these problems within the church, however, they have taken each other before the local magistrates. The wrongs themselves, and this way of handling them, are both shameful for Christians.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:1 a grievance against another. Although some have argued that Paul is prohibiting Christians from ever going to court against another Christian, Paul seems in these verses only to be addressing disputes related to property or money (cf. “Why not rather be defrauded?” v. 7), rather than criminal cases, which fall under the jurisdiction of the state. (See Rom. 13:1–5 where Paul shows that God has established civil government for the protection and good of all people.) It is doubtful, therefore, that Paul’s intention is that this specific example should be applied in every situation, since not every situation today matches the circumstances of this specific case in Corinth, where the two parties are in the same local church (“among you,” 1 Cor. 6:5), and where the dispute is specifically related to property or money (“Why not be defrauded?” v. 7). Whatever the circumstances, it is clear from Scripture that disputes between believers need to be handled with the utmost care (vv. 1–8): in a wise and godly manner before the watching world; wherever possible under the disciplinary authority of the church; and with the counsel of spiritually mature Christians who have no stake in the matter and who can give objective, biblical advice. (See further Matt. 18:15–20 regarding the steps that Christians need to take when one believer sins against another believer, and the authoritative role of the church in such cases.) the unrighteous. Paul probably is referring to magistrates who are both unbelievers (1 Cor. 6:4, 6) and who are at times unjust in their judgments.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:2–3 saints will judge the world … angels. See Dan. 7:22; Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30; Rev. 3:21. The people of God will participate with Christ in the final day of judgment.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:5 shame. Plagued by arrogance (3:21; 4:6, 8, 18–19), the Corinthians should have been ashamed of their behavior (15:34; see also 14:35; Ps. 35:26; Phil. 3:19), for they were not even wise enough to settle a dispute between those in their own congregation. Although they thought themselves to be wise (1 Cor. 3:18; 4:10; 2 Cor. 11:19), their actions belied this self-estimation, resulting in their shame (cf. 1 Cor. 1:27).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:7–8 suffer wrong … wrong. These terms translate the Greek verb adikeō. Paul used the adjectival form of this verb, adikos, in v. 1 to describe the “unrighteous” magistrates that the Corinthians are using to adjudicate their cases. This implies that the Corinthians are acting like unbelievers rather than like the “saints” (the “sanctified” or “holy” people) that God has called them to be (1:2, 30; 3:17). See also notes on 3:1–3 and 5:1. defraud. This word (Gk. apostereō) would be particularly appropriate for unethical business practices among wealthy people. See James 5:4, where it is used this way. Although not many of the Corinthians were “powerful” or of “noble birth” (1 Cor. 1:26), some were wealthy enough to “humiliate those who have nothing” at the Lord’s Supper (11:22).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:9–10 Paul’s use of the word unrighteous (Gk. adikos again; see note on vv. 7–8) implies that those whose behavior is indistinguishable from the unbelieving world may not be among the “saints” (v. 1) at all. See also 2 Cor. 13:5. men who practice homosexuality. The Greek words malakos and arsenokoitēs refer specifically to male homosexuals (see esv footnote), but in Rom. 1:26–27 Paul also refers to female homosexuals, and to homosexual desires or “passions.” Both passages (as well as Lev. 18:22; 20:13; and 1 Tim. 1:10) refer to homosexuality in general.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:11 washed. This refers to the spiritual cleansing from the guilt and dominating power of sin that occurs at regeneration (see Titus 3:5) and that is symbolized in the “washing” of baptism (Acts 22:16). sanctified. This is a similar concept, in this instance meaning that an initial break with the love of sin, and with the power and practice of sin, occurs at regeneration (see Acts 20:32; Rom. 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:17). However, in another sense “sanctification” is also an ongoing process in the Christian life (Rom. 6:19; Phil. 3:13–14; Heb. 12:1, 14; see also note on 1 Cor. 1:2). justified. The Greek term is dikaioō and is the positive counterpart to the terms “unrighteous,” “suffer wrong,” and “wrong” in 6:1, 7–8, and 9 (see notes on those verses). Here Paul uses dikaioō not in its ethical sense (“be seen to be righteous”) but in its judicial sense (“declare righteous”). God has already declared the Corinthian Christians to be “righteous” (see Rom. 5:1; 8:1, 33). God was able to do this because the “righteousness” that belongs to Christ, due to his perfect life, has become “our … righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30; see also 2 Cor. 5:21). Paul’s point in 1 Cor. 6:1–11 is that the Corinthians need to live in a way that is consistent with this verdict and status.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:12–20 Sexual Immorality and the Body’s Resurrection. Some of the Corinthian Christians were using prostitutes, theorizing that bodily appetites were matters of indifference for Christians just as they apparently were for everyone else. Paul reminds them that the bodies of Christians are one with the resurrected Christ and, in risen form, the Christian’s body will be eternal. What they do with them now, therefore, is important.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:12–13 “All things are lawful.” The quotation marks around this phrase, both here and in 10:23, have been supplied to indicate that it is probably a commonly used slogan among the Corinthians. “Food … for the stomach.” Probably another Corinthian slogan. The Corinthians have adopted from the culture around them the idea that the body is permitted to have everything that it craves. Paul knows that human desires are tainted with sin, which uses these desires to master the person for its own evil purposes (Rom. 6:6, 12, 16–22; 7:7–25).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:14 Jesus’ resurrection was only the first step in the general resurrection of God’s people that will occur on the last day (15:20). Jesus’ body and the believer’s body, therefore, are eternal (15:42–49), for God will also raise us up; the eternal nature of the believer’s body should affect his or her present behavior. See 15:30–34.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:15 bodies … members of Christ. Already in 1:13 Paul has hinted that the church is Christ’s body and that divisions in the church are incompatible with this truth. See also 12:12, 27; Eph. 1:22–23; 4:13–16; 5:23; Col. 1:18.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:16–18 Unity with Christ is incompatible with all sin (Rom. 6:6) but particularly with sexual sin. Because sexual union has a spiritual component, sexual activity outside marriage is a unique sin both against Christ (1 Cor. 6:15) and one’s own body (v. 18; see Prov. 6:26, 32). Within marriage, sexual union is not only allowed but has positive spiritual significance (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:22–33). Flee. Paul also tells the Corinthians to “flee from idolatry” in 1 Cor. 10:14. Idolatry and sexual immorality were closely connected in Israel’s history (Ex. 32:6; Num. 25:1–2) as well as in Paul’s thinking about the problems in Corinth (1 Cor. 10:7–8).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:19 temple of the Holy Spirit within you. The Spirit of the Lord lives within individual Christians (v. 17), making each Christian’s body a temple just as the church, corporately conceived, is also a temple where God’s Spirit dwells (3:16). You are not your own. As with other gifts from God (4:2, 7), Christians are to exercise responsible stewardship over their bodies.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 6:20 bought with a price. The image is borrowed from the slave market (7:23; see also Rom. 6:17–18), Christ’s blood being the purchase price (Eph. 1:7; see also 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 5:9).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:1–11:1 Three Issues from a Corinthian Letter. Paul now turns to a series of problems raised in a letter from the Corinthians written to him (7:1). He signals a move from one topic to another with the phrase “now concerning” (7:1 [see note], 25; 8:1; the phrase also occurs later at 12:1; 16:1, 12). He first addresses issues related to marriage, divorce, and one’s lot in life (7:1–24). He then turns to whether the betrothed and widowed should marry in light of the urgency of the times (7:25–40). Finally, he discusses food sacrificed to idols (8:1–11:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:1–24 Marriage, Divorce, and Unchangeable Circumstances. The Corinthians are commanded to be faithful in their marriages, to avoid divorce, and to be content in their calling.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:1 Now concerning. Paul uses this phrase for the first time here to signal a switch from matters raised in the oral report from Chloe’s people (1:10–11) to issues raised in a letter from Corinth. This same phrase is repeated in a number of places throughout the rest of 1 Corinthians (see 7:25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12) where it introduces additional topics from the Corinthians’ letter. “It is good …” Some Corinthian Christians appear to have adopted the view that sexual relations of any kind, even within marriage, should be avoided. Paul seeks to carefully refute this view throughout this chapter (see 7:2, 5, 9, 10, 28, 36).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:2–5 the husband … the wife. God designed marriage as the place for the expression of human sexuality. Sex within marriage has both relational and spiritual benefits (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31; see also 1 Cor. 6:17). It also has the practical benefit of reducing the temptation to engage in sexual sin (see 7:9).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:2 Have probably refers to sexual intercourse (cf. 5:1). Each man … his own wife and each woman her own husband affirms the goodness of monogamous marriage and excludes polygamy, for a “shared” husband would not be “her own” husband.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:4 The emphasis here is on mutuality in the marriage relationship within the overall framework described in Eph. 5:22–23 and Col. 3:18–19.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:5 Do not deprive. Abstention from sexual relations in marriage should be limited to short periods of time and only by mutual consent of the husband and wife.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:6–7 The concession refers to permission to refrain from sexual relations for short periods of time (see v. 5). Paul does not demand such periods of abstinence, though he does permit it. each has his own gift. Both marriage and celibacy have their own benefits, and both should be considered “gifts.” Paul is happy that God has given him the gift of being content with remaining unmarried, since this permits single-minded devotion to the Lord’s work (vv. 32–33, 40). Paul recognizes, however, that his situation is not the norm. Remaining unmarried is a gift that many others do not have. See vv. 28, 36; Matt. 19:12.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:10–11 Paul now turns to divorce and urges believers to obey the command of the Lord (Matt. 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11–12; Luke 16:18) that the wife should not separate from (Gk. chōrizō; the same word is used in Matt. 19:6) a believing husband and that the husband should not divorce (Gk. aphiēmi, lit., “send away,” a term commonly used for divorce) a believing wife. Roman law permitted either a husband or a wife to initiate a divorce with no stated cause required.

Divorce and Remarriage in 1 Corinthians 7

View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c174

vv. 10–11	Don’t separate, but if you do, seek reconciliation.
vv. 12–13	If the unbelieving spouse consents to stay, do not seek divorce.
v. 15	If the unbelieving spouse separates (i.e., leaves the marriage), the believer is not bound (i.e., is free to remarry).
v. 39	If a spouse dies, the one who lives is free to remarry, but only to marry another believer (cf. Rom. 7:1–4).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:12–13 I, not the Lord. Paul knows the oral tradition of Jesus’ sayings on divorce that were later written down in the Gospels (see note on vv. 10–11), but he is not aware that Jesus ever spoke specifically to a situation in which one spouse becomes a Christian and the other remains unconverted. He carefully distinguishes, therefore, between the written words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels and Paul’s own understanding of how Jesus’ teaching would apply to this new situation. Paul views his admonition here as authoritative and inspired, not merely as human wisdom (v. 40; cf. 14:37–38). a wife … a husband who is an unbeliever. Is the believing partner defiled by being married to and having sexual relations with an unbeliever? Should they divorce? Clearly the believing partner is not defiled, for Paul says that if the believing partner has any say in the matter, they should not divorce.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:14 made holy … are holy. These are the same terms (Gk. hagiazō, hagios) used earlier for God’s separation of Corinthian Christians from their pagan environment as his special people (1:2; 3:17; 6:1, 2, 11). The unbelieving spouse and children in a family with a believing spouse are not saved by this association (7:16), but they do come under the believing spouse’s Christian influence and so, Paul notes, they are much more likely to be saved in due course through their own faith. Thus they are in a real sense “set apart” (the basic meaning of hagiazō and hagios) from other unbelievers and from the evil of the world. Thus the positive spiritual and moral influence of the believing parent outweighs the negative influence of the unbelieving parent.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:15 let it be so. Paul advises the Christian spouse not to create strife by trying to manipulate reconciliation with an unbelieving spouse who has left the marriage. not enslaved. This at least means that the believing spouse is not obligated to seek reconciliation to the unbelieving spouse who abandoned him or her (see v. 11); but the majority of interpreters now think that the phrase also implies the freedom to obtain a legal divorce (if that has not already happened) and the freedom to marry someone else. Jesus’ teaching on divorce also appears to allow remarriage when sexual immorality has prompted the divorce (see notes on Matt. 5:31–32; 19:9). Peace in the widest sense is meant, in the OT sense that “all is well” in one’s life and circumstances, which is the OT concept of shalom (see note on John 14:27). Most interpreters hold that God releases the believing spouse from the twin unending distresses of (a) a lifelong vain hope of reconciling with an unbeliever who has abandoned the believing spouse, and (b) a lifelong prohibition against enjoying the blessings of marriage again. Other interpreters, emphasizing 1 Cor. 7:39, hold that remarriage is never allowed after divorce.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:16 how do you know. Paul probably intends a negative answer to these rhetorical questions—i.e., that there is no assurance that an unbelieving spouse will be saved, and so the believer should feel free not to pursue the spouse who has left.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:17 God calls people to himself who are in various situations regarding economics (slavery/freedom), family (divorce/marriage), and religious background (circumcision/uncircumcision), and often God has a purpose for the new believer in that very situation (see vv. 20, 24). It is the place to which God has called him (Gk. kaleō; the idea of life vocation as a “calling” comes from this verse). Paul couples this word with assigned (Gk. merizō), which can also be translated “deal out” or “apportion.”

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:18 circumcised. Although Jews were not the only Semitic people who practiced male circumcision, Greeks, Romans, and the Jews themselves considered the practice a distinguishing characteristic of the Jews. See note on Gen. 17:10. remove the marks of circumcision. This verb (Gk. epispaō) describes “epispasm,” a procedure that reversed the physical appearance of circumcision.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:19 God’s command that his people should practice male circumcision as a sign of his covenant with them (Gen. 17:1–14) had passed away, like the Mosaic law’s dietary restrictions (Matt. 15:11; Mark 7:19; Acts 10:13; 11:7). See also Gal. 6:15. However, God still had commandments for his people to keep (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:21 a bondservant when called. The Roman institution of being a “bondservant” or “slave” (Gk. doulos; see esv footnote and Preface) was different from the institution of slavery in North America during the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Slaves (bondservants, servants) generally were permitted to work for pay and to save enough to buy their freedom (see Matt. 25:15 where the “servants” [again Gk. doulos] were entrusted with immense amounts of money and responsibility). The NT assumes that trafficking in human beings is a sin (1 Tim. 1:10; Rev. 18:11–13), and Paul urges Christian bondservants who can gain … freedom to do so. The released bondservant was officially designated a “freedman” and frequently continued to work for his former master. Many extant inscriptions from freedmen indicate the tendency to adopt the family name of their former master (now their “patron”) and to continue honoring them.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:25–40 The Betrothed and Widows. Paul now turns to those eligible for marriage and discusses the advisability of marriage in times of distress.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:25 the betrothed. This translates the Greek term for “virgins” (plural of parthenos). Although the term could apply to either men or women, it most often applied to women of marriageable age who had never married. Paul’s use of the term in v. 28 is clearly feminine, so he probably has women in mind here as well. In light of what he says later in vv. 36–38, it seems clear that his comments in vv. 25–26 are directed to any man who has promised to marry a “virgin.”

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:26 present distress. This may refer to the urgency of living in the last days (see note on vv. 29–31), or to some difficulty, such as famine, that may have been afflicting Corinth.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:28 On deciding whether to marry, see note on vv. 6–7.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:29–31 See 10:11. Paul is not saying, as some scholars have claimed, that Christ will definitely come within the Corinthians’ lifetimes. The purpose of 1 Corinthians, in large part, is to encourage Christians to attend to the kinds of daily affairs that would be unimportant if Christ were returning within weeks or months. Thus Paul provides practical teaching concerning marriage (7:1–16, 25–40); what type of food to eat at a dinner party (10:23–11:1); collecting money for the needy (16:1–4); and future travel plans (16:5–11). Like other NT writers, Paul considers all of time from the cross forward to be the “last days” (Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3) and counsels Christians always to live in the light of Christ’s certain return at an unforeseen moment (1 Cor. 3:13; 15:52; see also Matt. 24:44; 25:13; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 21:34–36; Rom. 13:11–14; 1 Thess. 5:1–9). Paul’s point here is simply that the form of this world, or its day-to-day affairs, is not eternal. Christians should prioritize their human relationships, material possessions, and worldly dealings accordingly. See also Matt. 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–30; Rom. 12:2; 1 John 2:16–17.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:32–35 On living as a single person, see note on vv. 6–7.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:36 If his passions are strong translates a difficult word (Gk. hyperakmos) that can also mean “past one’s prime” when used in reference to a woman. The esv translation is preferable, however, because it is consistent with Paul’s reasoning in vv. 2–3 and 9, and it would be strange for Paul to give permission to marry only when women are “past their prime.” And it has to be probably refers to a sense of both moral and physical necessity to get married. Paul’s comment is not intended as a disapproval of marriage (cf. vv. 28, 38; Eph. 5:22–33; 1 Tim. 4:1–4).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:37–38 keep her as his betrothed. Paul now turns to the person who has the gift of celibacy and is able to refrain from marrying. Does well and even better illustrate the general principle that among choices that are morally good and not sinful, God can still give different opportunities for service, which will have different consequences.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 7:39 her husband dies. The widow, like any other person of marriageable age (v. 25), is free to marry. Presumably all that Paul has just said of the betrothed applies to the widow as well (vv. 8–9, 40a), and his admonition that she marry only in the Lord (that is, she should marry only a fellow Christian) would likewise apply to the betrothed. To whom she wishes injects a wonderful note of practical wisdom—that people should marry someone they “wish” (Gk. thelō, “desire” or “want”) to marry.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:1–11:1 Food Offered to Idols. Because pagan temples offered parts of animals in sacrifice to the gods, they also often functioned as butcher shops and banqueting halls. Sometimes meals for trade guilds, clubs, and private dinner parties were held in a temple dining room. Often meat from a temple was sold to the public in the marketplace. This section of 1 Corinthians gives clear guidance about the use of such food. Paul first urges the Corinthians not to eat in pagan temples (8:10) because it might lead to the destruction of a weaker brother or sister (ch. 8). He then offers himself as an example of giving up something one is convinced is a right for the spiritual edification of others (ch. 9). He urges the Corinthians not to eat in pagan temples because doing so is idolatry (10:1–22). Finally, he says that eating meat purchased in the marketplace (which may have come from a pagan temple) is not wrong unless it hinders the advancement of the gospel (10:23–11:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:1 food offered to idols. In Greek, this phrase is one word (eidōlothytos, lit., “something offered to an idol”). Paul is talking about food, however, because he uses the word for “food” (Gk. brōsis) in v. 4. Since only part of an animal was used in sacrifices to pagan gods, much of the animal could still be eaten. Paul speaks later in this chapter of eating such food in a banqueting hall attached to a temple and therefore in an explicitly religious setting (v. 10). Pre-Pauline evidence of such temple banquets at Corinth is found at the Sanctuary of Asklepios and at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, and such feasting likely continued during Paul’s day. “all of us possess knowledge.” Quotation marks have been supplied to indicate that this statement probably originated with the Corinthians and that Paul is responding to it (cf. 1:12; 3:4; 6:12, 13; 7:1; 8:4; 10:23). What the Corinthians “know” is explained in 8:4. puffs up. Once again, Corinthian arrogance is seen as a problem (see also 3:21; 4:6, 8, 18–19).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:3 known by God. God knows those who belong to him (13:12; John 10:14; Gal. 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:19), and there is a close bond between belonging to God and sharing love for God and neighbor (1 John 3:16; 4:20).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:4–6 Paul agrees with what the Corinthians know, that idols do not represent real “gods” and “lords.” There is only one God, and since he is the creator of the animals that pagan priests offer to nonexistent gods, no problem should be attached to the consumption of the meat itself (see also 10:19–20, 25–26). Paul will later distinguish between eating at a temple dinner (which, as a religious event, is idolatry) and eating meat bought in the marketplace. So far in this passage he is concerned only with the food itself, not the setting in which it is eaten.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:7 The pagans of Paul’s day feared what the gods might do to those who neglected to worship them. Some of the Christians in Corinth probably found it a constant struggle to place their trust solely in Christ instead of trying to placate the gods they used to worship.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:8 Those who had the supposedly superior “knowledge” (vv. 1, 4) that permitted them to participate in dinners held at pagan temples may have thought that this knowledge gave them special standing with God.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:9 this right of yours. Paul is speaking from the Corinthians’ perspective. He will later deny that anyone in the Corinthian church has the right to eat meals in pagan temples. To do this is to practice idolatry and so to open oneself to the influence of demons (10:7, 14, 20–22). Even if they had the right to eat in temples they should refrain from using this right out of concern for the spiritual well-being of the person whose conscience is weak (8:7). stumbling block. See Rom. 14:13, 20.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 8:10–11 eating in an idol’s temple. See notes on 8:1–11:1; 8:1. Paul elsewhere uses destroyed (Gk. apollymi) to mean eternal destruction (Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 1:18; 15:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10), and some interpreters take Paul’s use of the term here in the same sense. Others see this as a reference to the moral harm done to the weaker brother (his conscience “is defiled,” 1 Cor. 8:7).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:1 Am I not free? Paul offers his own willingness to give up his rights for the spiritual benefit of the Corinthians as an example that those with superior “knowledge” (8:1–2) should follow (see 10:23–11:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:2 seal. Seals in the ancient Near East were used to guarantee the quality and authenticity of a document (such as a letter) or product (such as wine); see note on John 6:27. The change that Paul’s preaching of the gospel effected in the hearts of the Corinthians shows that his apostleship is genuine. See also 2 Cor. 1:21–22; 3:3.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:4–5 right. Paul used the same word (Gk. exousia) in 8:8 for the supposed “right” of Corinthians with superior “knowledge” to eat meals in pagan temples. As an apostle whose primary vocation was proclaiming the gospel and establishing churches, Paul had the right to receive material support from those churches (see Matt. 10:9–10; Luke 10:7; 1 Thess. 2:6–7; 2 Thess. 3:9; 1 Tim. 5:17–18) and to travel with a wife (if he were married). to take along a believing wife. Paul was not married but he had a high regard for marriage among ministers of the gospel (see 1 Tim. 3:2; 4:3; Titus 1:6). None of the brothers of the Lord followed him prior to his resurrection (John 7:5). The risen Lord appeared, however, to his brother James (1 Cor. 15:7; cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19), who later became the leading figure in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 2:9, 12). Jesus also had a brother named “Judas” (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3), and this is probably the same person who authored the Letter of Jude (or Judas) and calls himself “the brother of James” (Jude 1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:6 Barnabas was a Jewish Christian from the priestly tribe of Levi, a native of the island of Cyprus, and an early member of the Jerusalem church (Acts 4:36). He and Paul joined forces on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:7 With three examples from everyday life, Paul observes the commonsense principle that those who work hard should benefit from their labor.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:8–9 The gospel has brought important changes in the application of the Mosaic Law to the lives of God’s people (7:19; see also the articles on Biblical Ethics), but it remains God’s Word and therefore continues to instruct Christians about God’s character and scale of values.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:12a others. Probably a reference to those listed in v. 5 who had traveled through Corinth and received material support from the Corinthians while ministering there.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:15 I have made no use. Paul occasionally did receive material support from churches for his proclamation of the gospel (2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 2:25; 4:14–18), but he appears never to have received such support from the Christians in the immediate geographical location in which he was working at any given time (2 Cor. 11:7–8). boasting. Paul uses this word not in its usual sense of pride that steals glory from God (see 1 Cor. 1:29) but rather as expressing a rightful sense of joy and fulfillment in what God has done through him (e.g., see Acts 14:27; Rom. 15:17–19; 2 Cor. 1:14; 10:7–8; Gal. 6:4; Phil. 2:16; 2 Tim. 4:7–8).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:17 stewardship. This term (Gk. oikonomia) refers to the responsibility of managing a household. Paul uses it metaphorically to say that God has entrusted him with a responsibility to which he must be faithful, whether he benefits from it materially or not. That responsibility is to proclaim the gospel and share its blessings (v. 23). (See also Eph. 3:2, 9.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:18 free of charge. Paul preached the gospel in urban centers where itinerant orators were a common sight. Some of them openly used their rhetorical skills to seek fame and fortune. Other more philosophically inclined teachers proclaimed self-discipline and verbally despised the world but sometimes actually pocketed large sums from their followers as they moved from town to town. Paul seeks to distinguish himself from such preachers (cf. 1 Thess. 2:3–5, 9–10). It is recorded elsewhere that Paul used his manual labor to set an example of hard work for new Christians, some of whom had a tendency to take advantage of the charitable impulses of the larger group (1 Thess. 4:11; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6–9).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:21 those outside the law. Outside the Mosaic law, which defined the Jewish way of life. not … outside the law of God … the law of Christ. Paul seems to distinguish between the Jewish law and something he calls alternately “the commandments of God” (cf. 7:19) and “the law of Christ,” which is of continuing validity for Christians, whatever their ethnicity. This second law appears to include the ethical teaching of Jesus as well as absorbing both the theological structure and many of the moral precepts of the Mosaic law. (See, e.g., Rom. 7:7, 12, 22; 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14; 6:2; Eph. 6:2; see also the articles on Biblical Ethics.) This “law of Christ” today would also include the moral commands of the NT epistles, since in them the apostles interpreted and applied Christ’s life and teachings to the NT churches.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:22 To the weak I became weak. This is the attitude that Paul wants those in Corinth with superior “knowledge” to adopt toward the “weak” in their midst (cf. 8:9–13).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:24–27 Paul frequently uses athletic metaphors to describe the rigors and single-minded focus of his apostolic work to pursue the advancement of the gospel (see also Phil. 3:12–14; 2 Tim. 4:7–8). The extended metaphor is particularly apt in a letter to Corinth, which was the location of the biennial Isthmian games, at that time second in fame only to the Olympic games. Paul’s stay in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18) may have overlapped with the games in either A.D. 49 or 51. The perishable wreath was a crown (Gk. stephanos) of foliage (and therefore quick to wither) which was given to the victor in a public athletic contest. Paul thinks of his congregations as the victor’s crown that he will wear on the final day (Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:19).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:26 Like an athlete, Paul has a single-minded goal: to bring as many people as possible, from whatever station in life, to faith in the gospel (vv. 19–23).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 9:27 This verse has a long history of misinterpretation in terms of punishing one’s own body as a means of spiritual discipline. Paul’s language, however, is governed both by the athletic metaphor of the previous two verses and by the physical demands of his apostolic work (4:9, 11–13; 2 Cor. 4:8–12; 6:3–10; 11:23–12:10; 1 Thess. 2:1–2, 9; 3:7–8). Just as an athlete goes through physical training that is sometimes uncomfortable in order to attain the goal of victory, so Paul endures physical and emotional hardship, and gives up his right to material support, for the gospel’s advancement. (See 1 Cor. 9:12 and 2 Cor. 6:1–10.) Disqualified (Gk. adokimos, “not approved, not standing the test”) in this context means “disqualified from receiving rewards” (see 1 Cor. 9:24–26).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:1 For connects vv. 1–22 to what Paul has been saying about giving up personal rights for the sake of the gospel (chs. 8–9). The example of Israel’s experience in the wilderness should warn the Corinthians of what can happen to people who hear God’s words and see his works but do not come to true faith. our fathers. Most of the Corinthians were Gentiles, but Paul assumes continuity between them and OT Israel. The cloud … the sea refers to the generation of Israelites that God delivered from slavery in Egypt and led through the wilderness (Ex. 13:17–14:31).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:2 baptized into Moses. God provided a cloud to lead Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 13:17–22). He also used Moses to part the Red Sea and enable Israel to escape the pursuing Egyptians, who then drowned in the water when God (through Moses) closed it over them (Ex. 14:1–31). Paul interprets these events as analogous to being “baptized into Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:3–4 spiritual food … drink. Paul is referring to God providing Israel with bread from heaven (“manna,” Exodus 16) and water from a rock. This rock appears both at the beginning of their wanderings in the desert (Ex. 17:1–7) and near the end (Num. 20:2–13). Rabbinic exegesis from after Paul’s time surmised that the rock followed the Israelites throughout their wanderings. This understanding of the rock may have been current in Paul’s time. If so, Paul’s claim that the Rock following them was both spiritual and Christ shows that he did not believe that a physical rock traveled with the Israelites, but that Christ (in spiritual form) was ever-present with them: he was there to supply their need for water, and there to judge those who tested him (1 Cor. 10:9). “Rock” is a common OT name for God (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30–31), and this probably facilitated Paul’s identification of the rock with Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:5 overthrown. Because of their disobedience and grumbling against God, the Israelite generation that experienced God’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt and his provision of bread and water did not see the Promised Land. (See Num. 14:22–23, 29, 37; 26:64–65.) Though they had seen many of God’s miracles, only a few had genuine faith (see Heb. 3:16–19; 4:2).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:7 idolaters. Paul begins to make the case that eating in the temple of a pagan god is not actually the “right” that the Corinthians imagined (8:9–10) but is participation in “the table of demons” (10:21) and idolatry. For a Christian to eat meals in such temples is to follow the unhappy example of the Israelites. They benefited from God’s redemptive work but still fell into worship of the local gods (Ex. 32:1–6).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:8 sexual immorality. Glancing back to his discussion of sexual immorality in 5:1–13 and 6:12–20, Paul reminds the Corinthians that God punished the wilderness generation of Israelites for the same sin. See Num. 25:1–9. twenty-three thousand. Numbers 25:9 says “twenty-four thousand.” Both are fair approximations, rather than an exact number, of the people who died, which probably was all that either writer intended.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:9 Christ. Paul sees Christ as spiritually present with God’s people in OT times (see note on vv. 3–4; cf. Jude 5). The Israelites tested Christ (“God” in Num. 21:5) by becoming “impatient” with his provision of water and food.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:10 grumble. See the grumbling and divine judgment in Num. 11:1; 14:1–38; 16:11–35. The Destroyer is not mentioned in Numbers, although Paul apparently views the angel who executed God’s judgment during the exodus as the destroying agent in these instances also (Ex. 12:23; Heb. 11:28).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:11 See v. 6; 9:10; Rom. 15:4. In saying that these things happened, Paul affirms even minor details of the OT, thus indicating his complete confidence in the truthfulness of every detail of the OT Scriptures. Paul’s confidence thus supports the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. The OT Scriptures point toward the end of the ages, the age in which the Corinthian Christians are living. Cf. Heb. 11:39–40; 1 Pet. 1:10–12. example. On the examples (“types”) in the OT, see Overview of the Bible.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:12 thinks that he stands. Perhaps a reference to the Corinthians’ mistaken “knowledge” that they have the right to eat in an idol’s temple (8:9–10).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:13 will not let you be tempted beyond your ability … will also provide the way of escape. Even when Christians face morally confusing situations, they should never think that they have no options other than sinful ones. There will always be a morally right solution that does not require disobedience to any of God’s moral laws.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:14 Therefore, … flee from idolatry. This is the point toward which Paul has been moving throughout ch. 10. The Corinthians cannot participate in idolatry and then think that they will receive eternal life on the last day (see notes on 6:16–18; 10:7; 10:8).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:16 cup of blessing … we bless. (See 11:23–26 and notes.) Paul refers to the cup in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus gave thanks for the cup (Matt. 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17); the earliest Christian observance of the Lord’s Supper imitated this custom. Participation (Gk. koinōnia) sometimes refers to fellowship with Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9) or the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1); sometimes it means aligning oneself with someone else’s plight or cause (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:13; Gal. 2:9; Phil. 1:5; 3:10). Since this context emphasizes the incompatibility of participating in meals in pagan temples and participating in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 10:21), Paul probably means that those who eat the Lord’s Supper align themselves with Jesus, share his sufferings (see Phil. 3:10), and benefit from his death. (See also note on 1 Cor. 10:18.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:17 one bread … one body. After Jesus gave thanks for and broke the bread, he said, “This is my body which is for you” (11:24). The church is also Christ’s body (see also 12:12, 27; Eph. 1:22–23; 4:15–16; 5:23, 29–30). The Lord’s Supper, therefore, is an occasion when members of the church declare their unity with each other because of their common unity with Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:18 participants. Greek koinōnoi, a term closely related to koinōnia (see note on v. 16). The altar in the OT was a table on which food was sacrificed to God, and the priests ate from the offerings (see, e.g., Lev. 6:17–18; 7:32–35). The altar, therefore, provided an apt analogy to “the table of the Lord” (1 Cor. 10:21) since in both instances the benefits of the table belonged to the priests, inasmuch as believers in Christ are priests to God (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:19–20 Paul knows that demons delight in the worship of any “god” but the one true God and therefore take a special interest in idolatry. In Deut. 32:17–18 sacrifice to false gods, called “demons” there, is contrasted with worship of God, who is called “the Rock” (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4). False religions are not merely the result of human imagination and human energy but generally have demonic power behind them. Not everything that seems “supernatural” is from God.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:22 God’s jealousy is not the sinful emotion of envy that characterizes human jealousy. It is God’s righteous concern to protect the truth that he is the Creator of the universe and that he alone, not “gods” of human invention, deserves human praise. Those who worship idols provoke God’s jealousy and receive his wrath, as Israel had experienced in the wilderness. (See Ex. 20:4–5; Deut. 4:23–24; 5:8–9; 6:14–15; 29:18–20; 32:16, 21.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:23–11:1 Paul now begins to address a different issue entirely from the problem that has consumed his attention in ch. 8 and 10:1–22. Those sections dealt with eating meals in pagan temples, but this section deals with meat previously sacrificed to idols being eaten in private homes, especially the home of an unbeliever (10:27–30). The principles Paul has developed in ch. 9, however, still apply. Paul wants the Corinthians to act toward others in a way that will not inhibit the advance of the gospel.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:23 “All things are lawful.” See note on 6:12–13. build up. See note on 8:10–11.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:27 without raising any question. The Christian is not to question the host about whether the food being served had ever been involved in pagan rituals. Such questions are theologically unnecessary (vv. 25–26), and because they could be perceived as rude, they violate the principle of vv. 23–24 and 9:19–23.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:28 someone says. This person may be: (1) an unbeliever who erroneously thinks that Christians must abstain from such food and is confronting a believer with a test of faith; (2) an unbeliever who thinks Christians abstain from such food and, in good faith, wants the Christian to know where it came from; or (3) a “weak” believer whose conscience erroneously dictates that Christians should avoid such food (8:10; see also Rom. 14:14, 20–21). Since the person’s conscience motivated the comment, and the weak believer’s conscience was an important concern in 1 Cor. 8:7–13, this last option is most likely.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 10:31 do all to the glory of God. Every aspect of every Christian’s life has the potential to honor God.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:2–14:40 Divisions over Corporate Worship. Paul addresses three issues that have come to his attention, either through the Corinthians’ letter to him (7:1; 12:1) or through an oral report (11:18). All three issues relate to the conduct of the Corinthians when they gather for worship.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:2–16 Head Coverings and Worship. Paul first comments on whether certain women, probably wives, may continue to pray and prophesy in corporate worship with their heads uncovered (see v. 13). By uncovering their heads in public worship, Paul says, they bring shame instead of glory to their husbands, and this is not proper.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:3 But shows that Paul has quickly moved from commendation (in v. 2) to correction. wife. See esv footnote. Since a woman’s head covering in first-century Roman society was a sign of marriage, Paul’s practical concern in this passage is not with the relationship between women and men generally but with the relationship between husband and wife. head. It is sometimes said that this term (Gk. kephalē) means “source,” but in over 50 examples of the expression “person A is the head of person(s) B” found in ancient Greek literature, person A has authority over person(s) B in every case. Therefore it is best to understand “head” (kephalē) here as referring metaphorically to “authority” (see also Eph. 1:22; 5:23; Col. 2:10). As with the authority of Christ over the church, this is not the self-centered exercise of power but leadership that takes care to serve the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the wife. See Mark 10:44–45; Eph. 5:23, 25–30. The head of Christ is God indicates that within the Trinity the Father has a role of authority or leadership with respect to the Son, though they are equal in deity and attributes (see notes on John 5:19; 14:28; 1 Cor. 15:28). Paul applies this truth about the Trinity to the relationship of husband and wife. In marriage, as in the Trinity, there is equality in being and value but difference in roles (see Eph. 5:22–33).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:4 head covered. The Greek phrase (kata kephalēs) literally means “down from the head” and may refer either to long hair that hangs loose (vv. 14–15), or to a veil that covers the face, or to a piece of cloth pulled over the head (like a modern shawl or scarf) that leaves the face revealed. As background for understanding Paul’s point in this verse, Roman men sometimes practiced the custom of pulling the loose folds of their toga over their head as an act of piety in the worship of pagan gods. Paul thus draws on the example of this pagan custom (which everyone in the Corinthian church would have thought absurd) to make the point that men should not dishonor Christ by praying according to pagan custom (8:4). He then uses the idea to prepare the way for his argument that it is equally absurd for wives to pray or prophesy in public with their heads uncovered (11:5, 11).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:5–6 head uncovered. A married woman who uncovered her head in public would have brought shame to her husband. The action may have connoted sexual availability or may simply have been a sign of being unmarried. In cultures where women’s head coverings are not a sign of being married, wives do not need to cover their heads in worship, but they could obey this command by wearing some other physical symbol of being married (such as a wedding ring). While a shaven head or short hair was considered shameful for a woman in first-century Corinth, long hair was considered to be a woman’s “glory” (see v. 15).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:7–9 See Gen. 1:26–27; 5:1; 9:6. Woman is the glory of man probably uses “glory” in the sense of “one who shows the excellence of.” Paul argues that a woman, by the excellence of her being, also shows how excellent man is, since she was taken out of man at the beginning (1 Cor. 11:8) and also was created as a helper for man at the beginning (v. 9; see also Gen. 2:20–24). Paul does not deny that the woman was also made in God’s image, something that Gen. 1:27 explicitly affirms, nor does he deny that the woman reflects God’s glory. Paul probably continues to think primarily of husband and wife here since the first man and woman were also the first married couple (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31). Paul’s appeal to the order of creation (cf. also 1 Cor. 11:3, 11–12) shows that his words are not merely directed to the cultural situation of his day. The principle of male headship in marriage continues through all generations, though some cultural expressions of that principle (e.g., that women should wear head coverings) may vary.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:10 wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head. More literally, a “wife ought to have authority [Gk. exousia] over her head,” where the word “authority” refers to a head covering, which was a symbol of authority. This probably means, in the context of the Corinthian church, that the wife should wear a covering over her head as a sign that she is under her husband’s authority. Others, however, suggest that a head covering is a sign of the woman’s authority to prophesy in church, or to participate generally in the church assembly. because of the angels. This probably refers to the invisible heavenly beings (6:3; Heb. 1:7) who are present with the Corinthians when they worship (cf. Ps. 138:1) and whose presence makes propriety in worship that much more important. The NT elsewhere uses the fact that angels are watching as one motive for obeying God’s commands (see 1 Tim. 5:21; Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 1:12).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:11–12 nevertheless. Paul does not want what he has just said to be misinterpreted as a diminution of the importance of women. Women and men are both God’s creation and are mutually interdependent at a basic level.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:14 Here the word nature probably means “your natural sense of what is appropriate for men and women”: it would be a disgrace for a man to look like a woman because of his hair style. Although the norms of appropriate hair style (and dress) may vary from culture to culture, Paul’s point is that men should look like men in that culture, and women should look like women in that culture, rather than seeking to deny or disparage the God-given differences between the sexes.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:16 See 1:2; 4:17; 7:17; 14:33, 36 for Paul’s appeal to the practice of other churches. no such practice. That is, “no such practice” as that of those who disagree with Paul (therefore some translations render this “no other practice,” giving about the same sense). Paul’s objective is to bring the Corinthians into conformity with generally accepted Christian behavior.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:17–34 Social Snobbery at the Lord’s Table. The Corinthians were using their gatherings around the Lord’s Table as occasions to make social distinctions between rich and poor. Paul is profoundly troubled by this development and argues strongly against it.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:17–18 hear. Paul now departs from addressing issues raised in the Corinthians’ letter to him (7:1) and goes back to commenting on what he has heard by word of mouth (1:11; 5:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:19 there must be factions among you. In God’s providential direction of the life of the church, he allowed controversy (see evidence of factions in 1:11–12; 3:4; 4:6–7) in order that the genuine spiritual quality of individual believers would be known. Those who are genuine … may be recognized thus refers to those who receive God’s approval for how they act in the midst of controversy (Gk. dokimos, “genuine” in the sense of “tested and approved,” is used several times to refer to approval by God; cf. Rom. 16:10; 2 Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:2). An alternative interpretation is that Paul is using “genuine” to refer to those who are true believers.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:20 not the Lord’s supper. Because of their selfish elitism, when the Corinthians observe the Lord’s Supper they are not rightly representing the sacrificial death of Christ (vv. 24, 26) and the true character of the Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:21–22 Goes ahead reflects the Corinthians’ self-centered disregard of others. The few who are wealthy in Corinth (1:26) have no regard for those who are hungry or who have nothing, while others have too much and some even get drunk.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:23 received from the Lord. The traditions about Jesus that Paul delivered to the Corinthians (see also 7:10; 15:3) ultimately went back to Jesus himself, but Paul probably learned them from early followers of Christ such as Peter (Gal. 1:18). (See the other records of the Lord’s Supper in Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:17–20.) Another possibility is that Paul received this information directly from Christ himself (see 2 Cor. 12:1–4; Gal. 1:12, 17).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:24 The expression This is my body has been subject to widely varying interpretations throughout the history of the church. Roman Catholics understand it literally, and claim that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans hold that the literal body and blood of Christ are present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine (something like the way water is present in a sponge). Some Anglicans refer to the “real presence” of Christ in the bread and wine. Most other Protestants have argued that the body and blood of Christ are not literally, physically, or “really” present, but that Christ is present “symbolically”; most would also add that Christ is present spiritually, with and in the believing recipients of the bread and wine, strengthening their faith and fellowship in him, and thereby feeding their souls. Christ’s spiritual presence can be supported from Matt. 18:20; 28:20. Do this in remembrance of me. Remembering the significance of Jesus’ death is an important component of observing the Lord’s Supper and of obedience (“do this”) to Christ’s command. Evangelical Protestant Christians have consistently been united on the importance of limiting participation in the Lord’s Supper to those who have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. Jesus’ emphasis on remembering the significance of his death when observing the Lord’s Supper, and his warnings to those who partake of the bread and the cup in an unworthy manner, both reveal the wisdom of this limitation (cf. notes on 1 Cor. 11:27; 11:28; 11:29).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:25 The Mosaic covenant, made with Israel and constantly broken because of Israel’s sin, was replaced with the new covenant, which provided complete atonement for all the sins of God’s people, past, present, and future (Rom. 3:25–26; 2 Cor. 3:1–4:6; Heb. 8:6–13).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:27 Unworthy manner probably refers to the incompatibility of the Corinthians’ divisive arrogance as compared to the sacrificial, others-oriented nature of Jesus’ death. A broader application of this principle would encourage believers to examine their own lives (see v. 28) and to repent and ask forgiveness for any unconfessed sin before partaking in the Lord’s Supper. guilty concerning the body and blood. Jesus’ body was broken and his blood shed for others. Thus the selfish behavior of the Corinthians is a sin against others, but it also represents a profaning disrespect for Jesus himself.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:28 Whoever partakes of the Lord’s Supper must examine himself to see whether he has properly understood the unselfish, atoning nature of Jesus’ death “for” others, and how that should be imitated in his own life (cf. note on v. 27).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:29 Without discerning the body is usually understood in one of two ways. Some hold that it means “not understanding that the bread represents the body of Christ that was sacrificed for us,” with the result that such people do not act in a Christlike, self-sacrificial way. Others note that Paul does not mention the blood, and because of this they conclude that Paul has moved beyond the meaning of the bread to the idea of the church as a gathering of the body of Christ (see 12:12–27; cf. 10:16–17). According to this second view, “without discerning the body” would mean “not understanding that Christians, since they are the body of Christ, should act like Christ when they assemble.” On either view, these people do not recognize the spiritual reality of what is happening at the Lord’s Supper, and therefore they are acting in a way that dishonors Christ. Eats and drinks judgment on himself is a sober warning that the Lord will discipline those who dishonor the Lord’s Supper (see 11:30), and therefore it should not be entered into lightly.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:30 weak … ill … died. The discipline of the Lord sometimes has consequences in real life. See also 5:5 and note there.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:31 if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. When Christians rightly discern their sins and turn from them and seek forgiveness, then (as a general principle) they will not experience God’s disciplinary judgment. In specific application of this principle to the Corinthian situation, God would cease his discipline of the Corinthians if they would cease their misconduct regarding the Lord’s Supper. This verse thus teaches Christians not to think that God will somehow punish them for their whole lives for sins committed long ago, if they have sincerely asked forgiveness and made right what they can with those whom they have wronged.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 11:32 disciplined. When suffering alerts a Christian to the presence of sin and leads to repentance, it functions as an act of both disciplinary judgment and mercy. (See also 5:5; 2 Chron. 33:12–13; 1 Pet. 4:17.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:1–14:40 Elevating One Spiritual Gift above Others. Some Corinthian Christians seem to have been creating divisions over spiritual gifts. Paul’s use of the body analogy in 12:12–27 implies that they have placed so much emphasis on one gift that those without that gift feel that they are not part of the body (12:16–17). Considering its prominence in the discussion, that one gift is probably speaking in tongues.

Paul’s Answers to Questions from the Corinthians

View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c175

Verse	Introduction to topic
7:1	Now concerning the matters about which you wrote (marriage and sexuality)
7:25	Now concerning the betrothed
8:1	Now concerning food offered to idols
12:1	Now concerning spiritual gifts
16:1	Now concerning the collection for the saints
16:12	Now concerning our brother Apollos

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:1 Now concerning. Paul now returns to the issues raised in the Corinthians’ letter to him (see 7:1, 25; 8:1). spiritual gifts. The Greek has only the plural adjective “spiritual” (pneumatikōn), and this could refer either to “spiritual people” (2:13, 15) or to “spiritual gifts.” In 14:1 the same word clearly refers to gifts, which would indicate that is what it means here.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:2 pagans. Literally, “Gentiles” (Gk. ethnē) or non-Jews. The implication is that the Corinthians, although not Jews in the ordinary sense, are nevertheless now part of the people of God, standing in continuity with OT Israel. See v. 13; 10:1, 32.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:3 Because of their background in pagan worship services (v. 2), some Corinthians may have had concerns about speech gifts empowered by the Holy Spirit in the church. Paul first assures them that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” (and therefore they should not worry that Christians who speak in tongues might be uttering blasphemous things), and also that no one can say in genuine faith that “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit (and therefore all who genuinely profess faith in Christ have the Holy Spirit within them, and none should be excluded, for they all have valuable gifts for the benefit of the church).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:4–6 Spirit … Lord … God. A Trinitarian reference to the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father (cf. 2 Cor. 13:14). The most common pattern in the NT Epistles is to refer to God the Father with the word “God” (Gk. Theos, which is the normal Septuagint translation for the OT Hb. ’Elohim, “God”) and to refer to God the Son with the word “Lord” (Gk. Kyrios, which is used in the Septuagint over 6,000 times to translate the OT Hb. name YHWH, “Yahweh” or “LORD”). Therefore both names are evidence of deity. The diversity of divine persons within the unity of the Trinity should be reflected in the diversity of gifts within the unity of the body of Christ in Corinth. (See also Eph. 4:3–16.) Therefore Paul wants the Corinthian church to understand how their unity can be enhanced by appreciating the variety of gifts God has given to them.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:8 utterance of wisdom … utterance of knowledge. Some understand these to be miraculous gifts (“word of wisdom” and “word of knowledge”) by which a speaker is given supernatural “wisdom” or “knowledge” from God to impart to a situation. Others take these to be more “natural” gifts: the ability to speak wisely or with knowledge into a situation. The Greek expressions (logos sōphias and logos gnōseōs) occur nowhere else in the Bible, and Paul does not give any further explanation, so it is difficult to be certain. But since Paul already has a different, broader term that he uses to refer to speech based on something that God suddenly brings to mind (“prophecy”; see note on v. 10), the second view seems preferable.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:9 faith. This is not the faith that all Christians have in Christ, since Paul implies that some Christians have it and others do not. It is probably a special endowment of faith for accomplishing some task (see 13:2; cf. Acts 14:9; James 5:15). gifts of healing. Both terms are plural (lit., “gifts of healings”), suggesting that different people may be gifted regarding different kinds of healing.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:10 miracles. Probably the ability to work various kinds of miracles, including but not limited to healing (see Acts 8:13; 14:8–10; 19:11–12; Rom. 15:19; Gal. 3:5; Heb. 2:4). prophecy. The word “prophecy” (Gk. prophēteia) as used by Paul in 1 Corinthians refers generally to speech that reports something that God spontaneously brings to mind or “reveals” to the speaker but which is spoken in merely human words, not words of God. Therefore it can have mistakes and must be tested or evaluated (see 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:19–21). An alternative view of this gift, held by some, is that it involves speaking the very words of God, with authority equal to the OT prophets and equal to the word of Scripture. A third view is that it is very similar to the gifts of preaching or teaching. This gift is widely indicated throughout the NT churches (see 1 Cor. 11:2–5; 12:28–29; 13:2, 8–9; 14:1–40; Acts 2:17–18; 11:27–28; 19:6; 21:9–11; Rom. 12:6; 1 Thess. 5:19–21; 1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14; 1 John 4:1). Prophecy is used to build up, encourage, and comfort the gathered community (1 Cor. 14:3). Prophecy is also used evangelistically to disclose the secrets of the hearts of unbelievers and lead them to worship God (14:24–25). Because God used this gift to build up the Christian community, Paul urged the Corinthians to value it highly (14:4–5, 39). distinguish between spirits. A special ability to distinguish between the influence of the Holy Spirit and the influence of demonic spirits in a person’s life. Those who claim to speak under the Spirit’s prompting could be mistaken, and so God also gives gifts of discernment to the Christian community (14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21; 1 John 4:1–3). tongues. Speech in a language the speaker does not know, and that sometimes does not follow the patterns of any known human language (1 Cor. 13:1). Paul sees this gift as a means of expressing prayer or praise to God (14:2, 14–17, 28; cf. Acts 10:46) in which the speaker’s human spirit is praying even though the speaker does not understand the meaning (see 1 Cor. 14:2, 11, 13–19, 23). The normally unintelligible nature of tongues makes their interpretation necessary if the gathered community is to be edified by them (14:1–25). Paul probably placed the last two gifts at the end of the list because an overemphasis on tongues in Corinth had led to the neglect of those with other gifts (12:14–26). See also vv. 28 and 30. Bible-believing Christians disagree as to whether the gift of tongues ceased after the apostolic age of the early church, or whether tongues is a spiritual gift that should continue to be practiced today. In either case, there is no indication that speaking in tongues is a normative requirement that all Christians must experience.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:13 Since the Spirit is one, he unites peoples across lines of ethnicity and social class that would otherwise divide them. (See Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:27–28; Col. 3:11.) in one Spirit we were all baptized. The same Greek construction (the verb baptizō plus en [“in”] plus the dative of pneuma, “Spirit”) is used here as in the other six “baptism in the Holy Spirit” passages in the NT (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16), and here it seems clearly to refer to the cleansing and empowering work that the Holy Spirit does in a new convert at the point of conversion. Baptism is used metaphorically here to refer to the Spirit’s work within the believer to unite him or her to the body of Christ, which is also the corporate body of believers. Water baptism is an outward symbol of this reality (cf. Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27). made to drink. Probably not a reference to the cup of the Lord’s Supper but to the outpouring of God’s Spirit on his people (cf. John 7:37–39; Rom. 5:5).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:17 whole body … an eye … an ear. See also v. 19. One problem Paul seeks to address throughout 12:1–14:40 is the elevation of one gift (probably speaking in tongues) above all others. The general principle applies to an unbalanced emphasis on any particular spiritual gift at any time or place in the church.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:18 God arranged. The Corinthians’ thinking will be corrected when they consider God’s sovereignty in assigning gifts (cf. also vv. 3, 11, 28).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:20 many parts, yet one body. One of the key themes in these chapters is unity in the midst of diversity.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:21 This probably reflects Paul’s assessment of how those Corinthians with the gift of tongues (and perhaps other more spectacular or “showy” gifts) were treating those with other gifts.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:25–26 The purpose of the gifts is to build one another up and to care for one another, not to flaunt one’s own spirituality.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:28 On apostles, see notes on Matt. 10:2; Rom. 1:1. prophets. See note on 1 Cor. 12:10. First … second … third … then seems to be a ranking of importance or benefit to the church, with apostles being primary and then prophecy and teaching also contributing greatly to building others up. Teachers, helping, and administrating do not appear in the list in vv. 8–10, and helping and administrating do not show up in the rhetorical questions in vv. 29–30, indicating that the different lists are representative rather than exhaustive.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:29–30 Are all apostles? The answer is obviously no, setting up the reader to answer no to all of the following questions (the Greek particle mē before each question also shows that Paul expects a negative answer to each one). Therefore, Do all speak with tongues? implies that the Holy Spirit does not give the gift of tongues to everybody, but just those to whom “he wills” (v. 11) to give it, as he does with the other gifts.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:31 Earnestly desire implies that Christians can and should desire additional spiritual gifts (cf. 14:1, 13; James 1:5). The higher gifts means those that do more to build up the church (see 1 Cor. 14:5, 12, 17, 26). “Higher” here and “greater” in 14:5 translate the same Greek word (meizōn, comparative form of megas). A still more excellent way than merely seeking the higher gifts is to use the gifts in love (ch. 13) so that others are built up (ch. 14).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 12:31b–13:13 Spiritual gifts without love are worthless, and love is supreme because it lasts forever.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 13:1 tongues … angels. See note on 12:10. Tongues is probably the first gift mentioned because the Corinthians have used and emphasized it without love (12:21). On love, see note on John 13:34–35.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 13:3 deliver up my body to be burned. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did (Dan. 3:19–23; Heb. 11:34). Love cannot be measured by actions alone; motives must be assessed to determine what is loving (see 1 Cor. 4:4–5).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 13:7 The terms believes and hopes are sandwiched between bears and endures and, like them, probably refer to relationships between people rather than to faith and hope in God. Love believes the best of others and hopes the best for them.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 13:8 Interpreters differ over the time when Paul expects prophecies to pass away and tongues to cease (along with other gifts represented by these examples). The “cessationist” view is that miraculous gifts such as prophecy, healing, tongues, interpretation, and miracles were given to authenticate the apostles and their writings in the early years of the church, but those gifts “ceased” once the entire NT was written and the apostles died (c. A.D. 100). Others hold that Paul expected these gifts to continue until Christ returns, which will be the time when “the perfect” (v. 10) ways of speaking and knowing in the age to come replace the “in part” (v. 9) gifts of this age. Support for the second position is found in v. 12, which indicates that “then” (the time when these gifts will cease) is the time of Christ’s return.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 13:12 mirror dimly. Ancient mirrors were made from polished metal (such as bronze), and thus one’s reflection was even more “dim” than in modern mirrors. Face to face suggests a reference to Christ’s second coming (the OT uses this phrase to refer to seeing God personally; cf. Gen. 32:30; Ex. 33:11; Deut. 5:4; 34:10; Judg. 6:22; Ezek. 20:35). Then, the spiritual gifts of this present age will no longer be needed.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:1 earnestly desire. Even in the midst of some misuse of spiritual gifts, Paul does not say to discontinue their use but to seek after them all the more, reflecting his conviction that these are given by God for the good of the church (cf. v. 12; 12:31). that you may prophesy. See note on 12:10.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:2 Speaks not to men but to God indicates that Paul views tongues as a form of prayer and praise, but in a language that the speaker does not understand. No one understands him implies that Paul expected tongues in Corinth in most cases to be unknown languages, unlike the evangelistic situation in Acts 2:1–13. On tongues and prophecy, see note on 1 Cor. 12:10.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself because his spirit is praying to God even though he does not understand what is being said (see vv. 2, 14, 28).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:5 I want you all to speak in tongues. Paul’s desire to set boundaries on speaking in tongues does not mean that he thinks the Corinthians should abandon this gift. It builds up the individual who has it (v. 4), and, if interpreted, builds up the church. (See also vv. 13, 18, 27, 39.) Still, prophecy is greater because, as intelligible speech that needs no interpretation, it is more directly useful to the church. Unless someone interprets implies that if there is an interpreter, then prophecy and tongues have equal value, since then they would both be understandable. But equal value does not imply that the gifts have the same function, for prophecy is based on something that God suddenly brings to the mind of the speaker, and thus is communication from God to man (vv. 25, 30; cf. Acts 11:28; 21:4, 10–11), while tongues is ordinarily prayer or praise from man to God (1 Cor. 14:2, 14–17, 28; cf. Acts 10:46).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:6–19 Paul uses a variety of illustrations to teach that speaking in tongues without an interpretation does not edify others, indicating that edification comes through understanding.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:14 The comparison between my spirit and my mind shows that Paul is not speaking of the Holy Spirit but of his own human spirit. When Paul uses the term “spirit” of human beings, he means an inner, invisible faculty that can be especially attuned to the things of God (see 2:10–15; 5:3–5; Rom. 1:9; 8:16). “Mind” refers to the human faculty connected with intellectual understanding (1 Cor. 14:19; 1:10).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:16–17 with your spirit. That is, with your spirit only (in tongues) but not understanding with your mind (see note on v. 2). outsider. An interested inquirer into Christianity (see vv. 23–24). Uninterpreted tongues in the assembly do nothing to build this person up and therefore nothing to move him or her toward a full commitment to Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:20 See 3:1–3. Paul is going to tell them not to speak in tongues in church without interpretation, for that is acting like children and not caring for the needs of others.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:21 Paul alludes to Isa. 28:11, where God’s word of judgment against Israel is spoken in a foreign, unintelligible language by the invading Assyrian army.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:22–25 Thus tongues are a sign … for unbelievers. Not a positive sign, to lead people to faith (as in John 2:11; 20:30–31), but as in 1 Cor. 14:21 a negative sign that facilitates God’s judgment on the unbelieving. Uninterpreted tongues function as a sign of judgment for the outsider and unbeliever because they may conclude from hearing them that Christians are out of their minds and so leave the church, never to return. prophecy is a sign … for believers. Although the purpose of prophecy is primarily for the benefit of believers, prophecy (unlike tongues) also has the secondary benefit of convicting the unbeliever, exposing the secrets of his heart and causing him to worship God. When believers see this happen, prophecy encourages them that God is at work, and thus it serves as a positive “sign” of God’s blessing on the congregation (a “sign” in Scripture can be either positive or negative; cf. Ex. 8:23; 10:12; Luke 21:11; Rom. 15:19).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:26 When you come together. This verse gives a fascinating glimpse into the kinds of activities that took place when the early church gathered as the body of Christ to worship the Lord. The worship included a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. In order to prevent discord and confusion (cf. vv. 23, 33), Paul concludes his description of early church worship by emphasizing that all of these activities must be “done decently and in order” (v. 40). The goal of building up is analogous to the building of the temple (see 3:16; cf. Ex. 25:8).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:27 Each in turn implies that speaking in tongues was not “ecstatic speech,” for the speakers were aware of what was happening in the meeting and could control themselves and take turns. And let someone interpret could include either the person speaking in tongues (see v. 13) or someone else.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:28 And speak to himself and to God means the speaker would use the gift of tongues privately in prayer, but not in public, since there was no interpreter.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:29 let the others weigh what is said. “The others” means the whole church, not just those with gifts of prophecy or discernment, for there is no reason to think that those with the gift of prophecy would have better judgment than all the other Christians (cf. 1 Thess. 5:20–21 and 1 John 4:1–3, where the whole church is similarly told to evaluate prophecies). Those who claimed to speak under the Spirit’s prompting could be mistaken, so it was important for the assembly to discern whether the prophecies were really from the Lord. Some understand this to imply that Paul did not think the prophecies at Corinth could include absolutely authoritative “words of the Lord” in the manner of OT prophets, although others disagree.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:32 The spirits of prophets seems to refer to the various workings of the Holy Spirit within the prophets (cf. Rev. 3:1; 4:5 for similar usage). The Holy Spirit will not force people to prophesy against their will.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:33b As suggested by the punctuation in the esv, as in all the churches of the saints is better taken as the beginning of the sentence in v. 34 (on how the Corinthians should act) than as the end of the sentence in v. 33 (on the character of God). Paul elsewhere tells the Corinthians to follow the patterns of behavior that “all the churches” follow (see 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 16:1), and the mention of “churches” in 14:34 means that Paul’s statement is not limited to one local church situation. (There were no verse numbers in Paul’s letters; they were first added by an editor of a Greek NT in 1551.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:34–35 the women should keep silent in the churches. Since Paul seems to permit wives to pray and prophesy (11:5, 13) as long as they do not dishonor their husbands by the way they dress (11:5), it is difficult to see this as an absolute prohibition (cf. Acts 2:17; 21:8–9). Paul is likely forbidding women to speak up and judge prophecies (this is the activity in the immediate context; cf. 1 Cor. 14:29), since such an activity would subvert male headship. Law also says. Paul is probably thinking of the woman’s creation “from” and “for” the man (see 11:8–9; Gen. 2:20–24), as well as a general pattern of male leadership among the people of Israel in the OT.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:37 a command of the Lord. A very strong affirmation of the absolute divine authority of Paul’s writings. Paul seems to have been aware that when he wrote to the churches with his apostolic authority, his words had authority equal to the OT Scriptures (cf. also 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:15–16).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 14:39 As he commonly does in this letter, Paul sums up a complex discussion by clearly stating his main point (cf. 7:39–40; 10:31–11:1; 11:33–34).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:1–58 The Futility of Faith If the Dead Are Not Raised. Many people in the ancient Greco-Roman world believed that death extinguished life completely or led to a permanent but shadowy and insubstantial existence in the underworld. The concept of a physical, embodied existence after death was known mainly from popular fables and was thought laughable by the educated. Paul deals with the Corinthians’ denial of (v. 12) and confusion about (v. 35) the future, bodily resurrection of Christians. These issues were probably raised in their letter to him (7:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:1–11 The Truthfulness of the Traditions about Christ’s Resurrection. Paul first establishes the historical reliability of Jesus’ resurrection in order to lay a firm foundation for his argument that it was only the first step in the resurrection of all deceased Christians.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:1–4 you received … I delivered. Paul is using commonly recognized language for handing on, intact, a body of information that one has received from others (see 11:2, 23; Mark 7:13; Luke 1:2; Acts 6:14; Phil. 4:9; Jude 3). in accordance with the Scriptures. See also Luke 24:27; John 2:19, 22; Acts 17:2–3; Rom. 1:2–4. Paul may be thinking especially of Isa. 53:3–12, which describes the substitutionary death and the vindication, after death, of God’s servant, but he may also be thinking of other OT passages. For the resurrection, see also Hos. 6:2 and Jonah 1:17; 2:1 (Matt. 12:40), and for the OT in general pointing to Christ, see Luke 24:25–27 and the article, Overview of the Bible.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:5 Cephas is the Aramaic name for the apostle Peter (Gal. 2:8–9). He and John were the first of the men who followed Jesus to know that his tomb was empty (Luke 24:12; John 20:5–6; cf. Mark 16:7). The twelve includes Judas’s replacement, Matthias (see Acts 1:21–23, 26).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:6 These witnesses were still alive and therefore able to give firsthand testimony to the truth of this tradition. though some have fallen asleep. Paul is careful not to exaggerate (cf. 7:10, 12, where he carefully distinguishes between his own words and Jesus’ words), evidence of the great care that early Christians took in their preservation of the historically accurate details about Jesus.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:7 James was the brother of the Lord (Gal. 1:19) and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 2:9, 12). See note on 1 Cor. 9:4–5. all the apostles. The group of apostles is larger than “the Twelve,” including, among others, James and Paul (1 Cor. 15:8). One of the qualifications for apostleship was seeing the risen Lord (9:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:8 Last of all. Sandwiched between vv. 7 and 9, this suggests that Paul thought there would be no more apostles chosen after him. appeared also to me. Making Paul an apostle (see note on 1:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:10 grace of God. Paul considered his conversion from “persecutor” to “apostle to the Gentiles” to be a free and wholly undeserved gift of God (Rom. 15:15–16; Gal. 1:15; 2:9; Eph. 3:7–8; Phil. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:14). God’s grace did not lead to passivity, however, for it prompted hard work on Paul’s part.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:11 I or they. Cf. 3:6; Phil. 1:18. Paul does not care who gets the credit for the gospel’s advancement, only that it advances.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:12–34 Christ’s Resurrection and the Resurrection of Believers. Paul next argues that there is a seamless connection between the resurrection of Christ in the recent past and the future resurrection of believers on the final day.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:12 raised from the dead. Some of the Corinthians were denying not that Jesus rose from the dead (they “believed” this, v. 11) but that his followers generally would be raised. Paul emphasizes four times in vv. 12–19 that those who deny the physical and bodily resurrection of believers also deny the bodily resurrection of Christ, even if they claim the latter is true.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:17 still in your sins. The proof that Christ’s death was an effective substitutionary sacrifice for sins (v. 3; 11:24–25) lies in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. (See also Rom. 4:25.) If in fact Christ has not been raised, then his death did not pay for sin, and there is no hope for life with God in heaven (see 1 Cor. 15:18–19).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:18–19 Although Paul believed that those who died went to be with the Lord immediately after their death and prior to their resurrection (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21, 23), he also conceived of the believer’s eternal existence as an embodied existence. If there is no such existence, then there is no eternal life.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:20 Christ’s resurrection, grounded in the truth of eyewitness testimony (vv. 4–8), changes everything. If God raised Christ from the dead, then Christ truly was the firstfruits (Ex. 23:19; Lev. 23:10; Deut. 18:4; Neh. 10:35) or the first of many others who would also be raised from the dead. (See also Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:23; Col. 1:18.) The term “firstfruits” (Gk. aparchē) refers to a first sample of an agricultural crop that indicates the nature and quality of the rest of the crop; therefore, Christ’s resurrection body gives a foretaste of what those of believers will be like.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:22 in Adam all die. See Rom. 5:12, 14–15, 17; Eph. 2:1, 5. in Christ shall all be made alive. See Rom. 5:17, 21; 6:4; Eph. 2:5–6. By divine appointment, Adam represented the whole human race that would follow him, and his sin therefore affected all human beings. Similarly, Christ represented all who would belong to him, and his obedience therefore affected all believers (see note on 1 Cor. 15:23).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:23 at his coming. When Christ returns, all his people from all time will receive resurrection bodies, never again subject to weakness, illness, aging, or death. Until that time, those who have died exist in heaven as spirits without bodies (see 2 Cor. 5:8; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9). Those who belong to Christ demonstrates that the “all” in relation to Christ in 1 Cor. 15:22 does not imply universalism.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:28 the Son … will also be subjected. Jesus is one with God the Father and equal to the Father in deity (8:6; John 10:30; 14:9; Heb. 1:8) yet functionally subordinate to him (Mark 14:36; John 5:19, 26–27, 30; 17:4), and this verse shows that his subjection to the Father will continue for all eternity. God will be all in all, not in the sense that God will be everything and everything will be God, as some Eastern religions imagine, but in the sense that God’s supreme authority over everything will be eternally established, never to be threatened again.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:29 baptized on behalf of the dead. Some interpreters through the centuries have thought this referred to vicarious baptism on behalf of deceased people, probably those who had believed in Christ but had not been baptized before they died (cf. Luke 23:43). But the interpretation is uncertain, and whatever the practice is, Paul reports it without necessarily approving it, and is clearly not commanding it. Baptism for the dead is an important part of Mormonism, but the Bible gives no support to the idea that anyone can be saved apart from personal faith in Christ (see notes on John 3:18; 14:6). Other interpreters argue that by “the dead” Paul means the bodies of living Christians, which are subject to death and decay: they are baptized “on behalf of their dying bodies,” showing hope that their bodies will rise again (see Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:42–44, 47–49, 53–54). On this view, Paul argues here that the baptism of perishing bodies is useless if the dead are not raised.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:30–34 Risk-taking activities for the sake of the gospel are done in vain if there is no resurrection. No knowledge of God (v. 34) manifests itself in denial of the bodily resurrection of believers.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:35–58 The Nature of the Resurrection Body. Apparently the Corinthians did not understand how material bodies, subject as they were to sickness, death, and eventual decay, could live eternally. In this section, Paul explains that God will change the bodies of believers to make them immortal.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:35–43 How are the dead raised? Using illustrations from various realms of the natural world, Paul explains that God will change the bodies of the deceased to make them appropriate for their new, imperishable existence. Verses 42–43 emphasize the discontinuity between present corruptible bodies and future immortal bodies.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:42 imperishable. No longer subject to physical decay or aging.

Earthly Bodies and Resurrection Bodies (1 Corinthians 15)

View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c176

Verse	Earthly Bodies	Resurrection Bodies
v. 42	perishable	imperishable
v. 43a	exist in dishonor	raised in glory
v. 43b	exist in weakness	raised in power
v. 44	natural	spiritual
vv. 45, 47	first Adam a living being, from the earth	last Adam (Christ) a life-giving spirit, from heaven
vv. 48–49	those who are of earth bear the image of the man of dust	those who are of heaven shall bear the image of the man of heaven
vv. 53–54	mortal	immortal

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:43 dishonor … glory. These terms have to do with outward physical appearance: the Christian’s resurrection body will be physically attractive beyond anything imaginable.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:44–47 natural. The Greek term is psychikos, the adjectival form of the noun psychē, which is translated being in v. 45 and can also be rendered “life” or “animated existence.” Paul’s contrast between “natural” and “spiritual” is a contrast between that which is temporally alive and that which has an eternal existence with God (cf. 2:14–3:3). Starting from Gen. 2:7, Paul explains that God created Adam from the dust and animated him with breath. Christ, however, is the last Adam, and his resurrection gave him a spiritual and therefore imperishable body (cf. Phil. 3:21). By spiritual body Paul does not mean an immaterial body but a body animated and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:50 Corruptible bodies (flesh and blood) cannot inherit the kingdom. Hence, the need for resurrection.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:51–53 mystery. See note on 4:1. Christians who are alive at the time of the resurrection will be transformed so that their bodies become spiritual and immortal like the bodies of those who are resurrected from the dead. (See 1 Thess. 4:13–18.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:54–55 Death is swallowed up. See v. 26.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 15:58 Therefore implies a practical application for the doctrine of the resurrection: the work (such as evangelism) that Christians do for the kingdom of God will bring results that last forever. On fruitfulness in the Lord, see John 15:1–5 and Phil. 2:12–13.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:1–12 The Collection for the Saints and Travel Plans. As Paul draws the letter to a close, his attention turns to the details of his future ministry as it involves the Corinthians.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:1 Now concerning. Paul turns again to an issue raised in their letter to him. See note on 7:1. collection. This is Paul’s collection of money for needy Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. (See Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:25–28, 31; 2 Corinthians 8–9.) Paul brought relief aid to the church in Judea more than once. (See Acts 11:27–30, to which Gal. 2:10 may refer.) On generosity among Christians, cf. 2 Cor. 8:9–15.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:2 first day of every week. A Jewish expression for Sunday, and similar to the phrase used in the Gospels to describe the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the dead (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). This shows that Christians gathered for worship on Sunday, not Saturday (cf. Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:10), in order to acknowledge the crucial importance of Christ’s resurrection.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:3 Paul would send the money with several representatives chosen by the Corinthian church, showing that he took care to prevent even an appearance of misuse of funds.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:5 Corinth was located in the Roman province of Achaia, also called Greece, and just south of the Roman province of Macedonia. Paul describes a route that would take him from his present location in Ephesus (v. 8), north, probably to Troas, across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia, and south, through Achaia, to Corinth. (See Acts 19:21; 20:1–3.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:8 Pentecost. The “Feast of Weeks,” described in Lev. 23:15–22, was a grain harvest celebration that culminated and concluded 50 days after Passover. Paul was probably writing, then, in the spring between Passover and this final day of Pentecost.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:10 When Timothy comes. Timothy is apparently already on his way to Corinth. (See 4:17 and Acts 19:22.)

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:12 Paul would not have urged Apollos to visit Corinth if he disagreed with his theology (see 1:12; 3:4; 4:6).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:13–24 Closing Admonitions and Greetings. Paul admonishes the Corinthians to persevere, love, and submit to good leaders. He then gives greetings from the Christians in Asia.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:13 Act like men (Gk. andrizomai) is a frequent command in the Septuagint and is used in contexts encouraging people (esp. soldiers) to act with courage and strength in obedience to the Lord and with confidence in his power (see Deut. 31:6–7, 23; Josh. 1:6–7, 9; 10:25; 1 Chron. 28:20; Ps. 27:14).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:16 be subject to such as these. This probably implies that some members of the household of Stephanas were elders at Corinth. (First Clement 42.4, written in A.D. 95, mentions that the apostles in Corinth appointed the “first converts” [Gk. aparchē, the same word Paul used in 1 Cor. 16:15] “to be bishops and deacons.”) Fellow worker is a participle of synergeō, “to work together with,” and apparently refers to those who “work with” these leaders in their governing tasks.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:17 Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus. Perhaps the bearers of the Corinthians’ letter to Paul (7:1).

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:19 the church in their house. See also Rom. 16:3–5. Early Christian churches, since they were small and since Christianity was not recognized as a legitimate (or legal) religion, met in homes (cf. Acts 18:7; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2). There is extensive archaeological evidence from many different cities showing that some homes were structurally modified to hold such churches.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:20 holy kiss (cf. Rom. 16:16; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14). Like some other practices with symbolic meanings that change from culture to culture (such as footwashing, or head covering for wives; see note on 1 Cor. 11:5–6), a “holy kiss” would not convey the same meaning today that it did in the first century, and in most cultures it would be seriously misunderstood. Such commands are best obeyed by substituting an action (such as a handshake or hug or bow, varying by culture) that would convey the same meaning in a modern culture.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:21 I, Paul. Paul typically used secretaries to write down his letters as he dictated them (Rom. 16:22). Sometimes Paul picked up the pen himself, either to sign and so authenticate a letter (2 Thess. 3:17), simply to give a personal good-bye (Col. 4:18), or to make a point with special emphasis (Gal. 6:11; Philem. 19). In light of 1 Cor. 16:22, Paul’s personal signature here probably falls into the third category.

1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 16:22 Anyone who might say “Jesus is accursed” (12:3) is himself accursed. The phrase Our Lord, come! (marana tha) is Aramaic rather than Greek, probably representing an early Jewish Christian prayer for the return of Jesus (cf. Rev. 22:20). It is additional evidence that at an early date followers of Jesus gave him a title that they used of God. This also reminds us that Christians should always be praying for Christ to return soon.

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians

Imitating Paul as Paul Imitates Christ

Church Leaders Should Likewise Lead Lives That Are Examples to Imitate

Divorce and Remarriage in 1 Corinthians 7

Paul’s Answers to Questions from the Corinthians

Earthly Bodies and Resurrection Bodies (1 Corinthians 15)