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1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1:2 Unto the church of God that is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified1 in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their Lord and ours:
1:3 Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, because of the grace of God that is given you by Jesus Christ;
1:5 That in everything you are enriched by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge,
1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
1:7 So that you do not lack any [spiritual] gift; while you are waiting for the revealing2 of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1:8 Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day3 of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:10 Now I beseech you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak in harmony, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you are perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1:11 For it has been declared to me, my brothers, by those who are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1:12 What I mean is this, that every one of you says, "I am of Paul;" or "I am of Apollos;" or "I am of Cephas;" or "I am of Christ."
1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius;
1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name.
1:16 And I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides these, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved the cross is the power of God.4
1:19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the intelligent."
1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.
1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, which has been a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.
1:24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1:26 For based on your calling, brothers, you can see that of those called, there are not many wise men after the flesh, nor many mighty, nor many noble.
1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.
1:28 God has chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised; yes, even things that are nothing, to bring to nothing the things that are,
1:29 So that no flesh might glory in his presence.
1:30 But by him you [who have matured] are in Christ Jesus, who by God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;
1:31 So that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
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1 Do not assume that everyone in Corinth was sanctified through belief because they obviously were not. One believer was sleeping with his father's wife; other believers were quarrelling about whose baptism was the best, Paul's or Apollos'. Many of the Corinthian believers were still captive to the sins of the flesh, which is mutually exclusive with being sanctified, justified, holy, cleansed, pure, perfect, or saved.
2 The Corinthians had received the true gospel, had received spiritual gifts, and were waiting for the revealing of Christ within their hearts; when God makes his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, 2 Cor 4:6. Because that which may be known of God is manifest [revealed] within them, Rom 1:19. And we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. As they are: looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Tit 2:13. And when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory, Col 3:4. Thus realizing the true hope, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27. This is the end of grace, which brings salvation to those looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; when to those who look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, Heb 9:28.
3The revealing of Christ occurs on the day of the Lord, which for the seeker, is the journey's end: if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Heb 3:6. If we gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet 1:13. Jesus said: he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved, Mat 10:22. And Jesus will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul said: Now I trust you will understand, even to the end (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. 2 Cor 1:13-14.
4 the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved the cross is the power of God. The cross is the power of God the to change you to be sinless, to become pure, to cleanse you, to become like him, capable of he then uniting himself with you. The power of God to salvation is unleashed by: the true gospel of the true hope, belief at least in the name of Jesus, and the cross of Christ, which is the inward cross of self-denial. Self-denial begins with repentance: to stop lying, cheating, sexual immorality, oppressing others; to share the necessities of life with others, to forgive others of the injustices done to you. And then you must go to him. You must wait on him - listen silently, with the humility of a sinner in need of his changing power - grace. Seek, listen, obey..seek, listen, obey.....seek, listen, obey. You must endure to the end, when Christ brings salvation. You must abide in him. Now little children abide in him, that when he shall appear you may have confidence in him. 1 John 2:28.
Christendom denies the cross is necessary. Christendom calls crucifying your lusts and affection on the cross, foolishness. Christendom claims that believing the cross is necessary, is to deny Jesus having saved all believers through his death. Although Christ's death did pay for the sins of all men, our bearing the cross is not to pay the penalty for our sins; Christ has already paid for that. We don't physically die on the inward cross of self-denial. We suffer, so that our selfish spirit dies on the inward cross to be finished with sin, and then by the grace of God, we receive salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, union with God, and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven, to be there forever.
So because Christendom denies the cross is necessary, which Jesus said at least five times was absolutely necessary, then Christendom is perishing: for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. 1 Cor 1:18. To Christendom, the cross has the aroma of death. 2 Cor 2:15-16. But the cross is the power of God to be delivered from sin, to be made free from sin forever, a forever cleansing and perfection.Previous Chapter/Next Chapter
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