Jesus was the source of grace and enrichment

JESUS WAS THE SOURCE OF GRACE AND ENRICHMENT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
1 COR. 1:4-5 4 I always thank my God for you
because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in
him you have been enriched in every way—with all
kinds of speech and with all knowledge—
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Enrichment In Christ
1 Corinthians 1:5
J.R. Thomson
Paul's view of the dignity of the Christian calling, of the privileges and
honours of the Christian life, was both just and instructive, and may well
assistus in our endeavour to live clearof and above the false and worldly
standard with which we often meet. How could the grandeur and sacredness
of our religious position be more effectivelyset before us than by this
inspiriting language addressedby the apostle to the members of the Christian
community at Corinth: "In everything ye were enriched in Christ"?
I. A PARADOX, WHEN WE REGARD THOSE WHO WERE THUS
ADDRESSED. In the house of one Justus, a proselyte to Judaism, who had
become a Christian - a house close by the Hebrew synagogue, in the wealthy,

commercial, pleasure seeking cityof Corinth, there assembledin a large
apartment a company of disciples of the Nazarene. Some were of Jewish, some
of Gentile race. Most, though not all, of the brotherhood were poor, and few
were learned or of high station. Perhaps the families of Crispus the president,
of Justus himself, and of Chloe from Cenchrea, were the persons in the
assemblyof most consideration;for Aquila, Apollos, and Sostheneswere
absent. Some of those assembledto hear the letter of the apostle, who was the
founder of the Church at Corinth, were Bondsmen, and few were persons of
any note. When Titus and Trophimus, bearers of Paul's Epistle, accompanied
by the Corinthians - Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who had also just
come from the apostle then labouring at Ephesus - when these lookedround
upon the gathering of Corinthian Christians, they may well have started with
astonishment as the language of the Epistle was read out, which describedthe
abundant enrichment of these lowly, poor, unlettered disciples. Here was a
company, including "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble," but composedof the ignorant, the weak, the base, the despised
of the world. A few Jewishmerchants, a few handicraftsmen, a few slaves, a
few industrious women, and perhaps a scholaror two, were declaredto be
"enriched in all things." It was a paradox; and it was a paradox which has
been repeatedagainand againduring the past nineteen centuries.
II. A POSSIBILITY, WHEN WE THINK IN WHOM THIS ENRICHMENT
TOOK PLACE. Nothing but the consciousness ofa new life breathed into
humanity, a new hope dawning upon the world, could accountfor these
Corinthians being thus addressedby a teacherlike Paul. The language is so
sweeping and unqualified, and the statement is made with so much
confidence, that we feelthat something very remarkable must have occurred
to accountfor Paul addressing suchpersons in such language. The
explanation is to be found here - "In him" ye were enriched. It is in Christ
that the wealth of God is placed at the disposalof the destitute children of
men.

1. His Divine nature is a storehouse,a treasury of true wealth; in him all
fulness dwells.
2. His ministry was an earnestof the greaterblessings which should follow;
for he was everfreely giving.
3. His death and sacrifice were the means of securing to us the fulness of God;
he unlocked the treasury: "Thoughhe was rich, yet for our sakes he became
poor, that we, through his poverty, might be rich."
4. His ascension, so farfrom impoverishing the race he came to save, was the
occasionofits enrichment. "He receivedgifts for men;" he poured out
spiritual blessings from on high.
III. A FACT, WHEN WE CONSIDER THE ACTUAL SPIRITUAL
POSSESSIONS ENJOYED BYMANKIND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. As
the sun enriches the earth with luxuriant fruitfulness, as greatmen enrich a
nation by their heroic deeds and saintly self sacrifice, so does Christactually
bestow untold blessings upon this race. Referring to the Epistle, we observe
that wisdom and knowledge,faith and healing, miracles and prophecy,
tongues and interpretation, were among the specialinstances ofwealth with
which the early Church was dowered. Yet the same Epistle assures us that
love is a greatergift than all these. "See thatye abound in this grace also."
The fruits of the Spirit are the riches of the Church. The unsearchable riches
of Christ are made overto his redeemed and renewed people. To them it was
said, "All things are yours."

APPLICATION. There is nothing in the resources orthe purposes of God,
nothing in the heart of Christ, to limit the extent to which this spiritual wealth
may be diffused. - T.
Biblical Illustrator
I thank my God... for the grace ofGod which is given you by Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:4-13
Apostolic thanksgiving for
J. Lyth, D. D.
I. THE GRACE THEY HAD RECEIVED.
1. Freelygiven.
2. Richly supplied.
3. Amply confirmed.
II. THE HOPE THEY ANTICIPATED. Theywaited confidently for —
1. The coming of Christ.
2. Their final justification.

3. Everlasting fellowshipwith Him.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
Apostolic congratulationand warning
F. W. Robertson, M. A.
I. THE APOSTOLIC CONGRATULATION. "Ithank my God," &c.
1. In the heart of St. Paul, the unselfishness of Christianity had turned this
world into a perpetual feast. If we want to know what his life was, turn to 2
Corinthians 11.;yet it was filled with the blessedness whicharises from the
abilities to enjoy the blessings ofothers as though they were our own.
Personallywe get very little in this world; and if we are to mourn that we
never had a whole kid to ourselves "to make merry with," life will become
desolate indeed. Only by saying, "It is meet we should rejoice and be glad"
with our brethren, canlife be a blessing. Thus the apostle, in all his weariness
and persecutions, was neverthelessalways rejoicing withhis Churches.
2. Here he rejoices overthree gifts to the Corinthians —(1) That of utterance.
To Paul a blessing was nothing unless it could be imparted to others. Knowing
a truth is one thing, being able to express it is another, and to dare to express
it another. "Utterance" implies both powerand courage. A truth hidden is
unproductive. And therefore the powerof utterance becomes, by the grace of
God, a faculty divine.(2) But there may be utterance without knowledge.St.
Paul desired utterance in order to speak out something in him. With many
persons utterance is only verbiage. Let us seek, notmerely to have utterance,
but to have something worthy of uttering. Be sure you speak that you do
know, and nothing else.(3)The attitude of expectation(ver. 7), as though that
were the bestgift of all.(a) We are to look for a Church of the future — not of
the past, nor of the present. The coming of Christ includes the perfect state of
human society, and here — Christ coming to us, not our going to Him. And

we are to be looking forwardto this; not busying ourselves in dreams about,
and mournings after, the past, nor complacently praising the present, but
thankful to God for what we have, feeling that the past was necessary, and,
still dissatisfiedwith our. selves, hoping something better yet, both for God's
Church and world.(b) It, implies a humble expecting state; not dogmatising,
not dreading, but simply waiting. The kingdom of Godis within us; but the
kingdom of God developed will be as the lightning, sudden and universal.
3. Note the ground of hope for the continuance and successfulissue of those
blessings. Noton any stability of human goodness, but the characterof God
(ver. 9). Had not Saul once had the Spirit? Had not Judas once had gifts?
Who, then, could saythat the Corinthians might not make shipwreck of their
faith? The apostle answers this, not by counting on their faithfulness to God,
but on God's faithfulness to them. Of course, this doctrine may be misused.
We may restupon it too much, and so become unwatchful and supine; but,
nevertheless, it is a most precious truth, and without it I cannotunderstand
how any man dares go forth to his work in the morning, or at evening lay his
head on his pillow to sleep.
II. THE APOSTLE'S WARNING AND REPROOF.
1. Parties had arisen in Corinth.(1) That which calleditself by the name of
Paul. Now the teaching of this apostle differed from that of the others in the
prominence which it gave to certaintruths — justification by faith, the
salvability of the Gentiles, and Christian liberty. Some of the Corinthians
exaggeratedall this, and said, "This is the truth and nothing else":
accordinglythey made the doctrine of justification by faith an excuse for
licentiousness, andthe doctrine of Christian liberty a cloak of
maliciousness.(2)Thatwhich named itself after Apollos, the difference
betweenwhom and Paul seems to be not so much a difference of views as in
the mode of stating those views;the eloquence of St. Paul was rough and

burning, that of Apollos was more refined and polished.(3) That calledby the
name of Cephas, betweenwhom and Paul there was this difference — that
whereas the Spirit of God had detachedPaul from Judaism by a sudden
shock, in the heart of PeterChristianity had been slowly developed; he had
known Jesus first as the Sonof Man, and afterwards as the Sonof God. It was
long before he realisedGod's purpose of love to the Gentiles. Therefore allthe
Jewishconverts preferred to follow him.(4) That calling itself by the name of
Christ, who doubtless prided themselves on their spirituality and inward light,
and lookeddown with contempt on those who professedto follow the opinion
of any human teacher. Perhaps they ignored apostolic teaching altogether,
and proclaimed the doctrine of direct communion with God without the aid of
ministry or ordinances.
2. The guilt of these partisans did not lie in holding views differing from each
other; the guilt of schism is when eachparty, instead of expressing fully its
own truth, denies that others are in the truth at all. Nothing eats out the heart
and life of religionmore than party spirit. Christianity is love; party spirit is
the death of love. Christianity is union amidst variety of views;party spirit is
disunion. In these days of party spirit, be it urged solemnly on our hearts that
we "love one another." Accuracy of view is worth little in comparisonwith
warmth of heart. It is easyto love such as agree with us. Let us learn to love
those who differ from us.
(F. W. Robertson, M. A.)
Exemplary gratitude and precious confidence
D. Thomas D. D.
two blessedstates of mind: —
I. EXEMPLARY GRATITUDE. "Ithank my God always on your behalf."
The gratitude here was —

1. Unselfish. "On your behalf." It is right and well to praise God for what He
has done for us, but it is a nobler thing to praise Him for what He has done for
others. No man rightly appreciates a blessing who does not desire others to
participate in it. The sublimity of a landscape is more than doubly enjoyed
when one or more stand by your side to share your admiration.
2. Forspiritual good. "Forthe grace ofGod."(1)That grace which "enriched
in all utterance and in all knowledge" — two splendid gifts where they are
inspired by the "grace ofGod" and properly related. "Utterance" apart from
"knowledge" is worthless and pernicious, volubilities of vice, garrulousness of
socialevils. "Knowledge" is of no value to others, unless it has effective
"utterance." Knowledge with a powerful oratory will move the world; it has
shivered dynasties, converted millions, and createdchurches.(2)That grace
which confirmed in their experience the testimony of Christ. What higher gift
than this — a personalrealisationof Christianity?(3) That grace which
inspired them with a practicalhope of the appearance ofChrist.
3. An habitual state of mind. "I thank God always." It was not an occasional
sentiment. It was a settled attitude of heart.
II. PRECIOUS CONFIDENCE.
1. In Christ perfecting character. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end."
So perfecting it that it shall be "blameless." All moral imperfections removed.
2. In His appearing again. The day when He will appear is the day of days for
humanity.

3. In His granting them companionship. "Unto the fellowshipof His Son Jesus
Christ the Lord." "Where I am there ye shall be also."
(D. Thomas D. D.)
The grace and gifts of God
T. H. Barnett.
Paul uses here two expressions,elsewhere placedin the same close connection
(see Romans 12:6; 1 Peter4:10), "grace"(χάρις)and "gift" — not δῶρονor
its cognate words (which might include every natural blessing common to
heathen and Christian), but χάρισμα, the spiritual blessing connectedwith
and flowing from God's "grace."Note that —
I. BOTHARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE GOSPELDISPENSATION.
1. True, "grace" is mentioned in the Old Testament, and God is proclaimed to
be "gracious,"but this rarely. It is in the New Testamentthat we have
complete revelation of this, and first have the frequent phrase "the grace of
God."
2. And this because "grace...came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17; Titus 2:11).
So in the text. God's fullest, freestfavour to a sinful world, made possible by
the sacrifice ofChrist, made manifest by His life and ministry, and made over
to His disciples as an abiding possessionin the outpouring of the Spirit.
3. The "gifts" of God are thus —(1) The heritage of the Christian Church,
which is the specialsphere of the Holy Spirit's operations (2 Corinthians 6:16;

Ephesians 2:22).(2)Distributed to believers by Him as being God (chap. 1
Corinthians 12:4, 11).(3)The outcome of the Divine grace ofour Christian
calling (Romans 12:6), and argue the possessionofthat grace (1 Peter 4:10).
II. BOTH ARE TO BE USED BY US.
1. "Grace"lookschiefly to the side of personal sanctification. St. Paul
beseeches his converts not to "receive the grace of God in vain" (2
Corinthians 6:1), shows how he himself had been changedfrom a chief of
sinners "by the grace of God" (1 Corinthians 15:10), and thanks God that
they had been partakers ofthe same blessing (text and 1 Corinthians 6:11).
2. "Gifts" look chiefly to the side of Church edification. They are to be used
for others (1 Peter4:10). Some have more, and some less;some have one, and
some others. In our text St. Paul mentions two, "utterance" (orperhaps the
expounding of "doctrine" — λόγος) and "knowledge"ofspiritual things. In
chap. 12. he shows how this Church was "enriched" by an abundance (see
vers. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28).
3. As every truehearted Christian has receivedboth grace and some spiritual
gift or gifts, we should be careful to use both aright.
(1)To profit by all "means of grace."
(2)To essaysome work in the Church.

4. The grace and gifts of God may be neglectedormisused. Illustrate by the
parable of the ten pounds for "grace," andof the ten talents for "gifts."
III. BOTH POINT FORWARD TO THE END SET BEFOREUS.
1. Sanctificationis in order to that "holiness without which no m an shall see
the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14); to that being "like Him," that we may "see Him
as He is" (1 John 3:2).
2. Christian work is not an end, but the means to an end, even preparedness
for the secondcoming of Christ.
3. This secondadvent — and not death — is the one greatend setforth in the
New Testamentas the goalof the Christian's hopes and efforts. So our
text.Conclusion:Let this subject lead to —
1. Thankfulness for the grace of God manifest in the progress ofHis work
amongstus.
2. Humility in the recognitionof our spiritual gifts as of His grace alone.
3. Earnestnessin the fulfilling our obligation of "ministering the same one to
another."
4. Singleness ofpurpose in looking towards the end of God's work in us and
by us — the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(T. H. Barnett.)
The blessings whichthe gospel
C. Simeon, M. A.
I. IMPLANTS —
1. An enlightened mind.
2. A waiting spirit.
II. SECURES —
1. The continued preservationof believers.
2. Their ultimate acceptance.Application:
1. Be thankful if you are partakers ofthis grace.
2. Be careful to walk worthy of it.
3. Rememberin whom is all your strength.
(C. Simeon, M. A.)

Christian excellence
J. Willcox.
Paul here brings this before us as —
I.A FACT OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
II.A PRODUCT OF DIVINE INFLUENCE.
III.A SUBJECT OF THANKFULNESS TO GOD.
(J. Willcox.)
Our Lord Jesus Christ is
ClericalWorld.
I. THE CHANNEL OF DIVINE GRACE. If we are "calledto be saints,"
"partakers ofthe heavenly calling," it is all in and through "the grace given
by Jesus Christ" (ver. 4).
II. THE SOURCE OF ALL SPIRITUAL GIFTS. "Enrichedby Him in all
utterance and in all knowledge"(ver. 5); "So that ye come behind in no gift"
(ver. 7); "Who shall also confirm you unto the end" (ver. 8); "That ye be
unreprovable" (R. V.).Thus: Gifts of —
1. Preaching.

2. Hearing.
3. Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:4).
4. Per. severance.
5. Holiness — Are all traced to Him as the Author.
III. THE SUBJECT OF APOSTOLIC PREACHING. "The testimonyof
Christ" means the witness given concerning Christ. Christ is the Alpha and
Omega of all true preaching. Christ in all His work and offices, especially
"Christ as crucified."
IV. THE OBJECT OF CHRISTIAN EXPECTATION (vers. 7, 8). We look for
Him in faith, and hope, and love. His coming will be a revealing of His glory,
and of our judgment. May we be "unreprovable" in His sight.
(ClericalWorld.)
That in everything ye are enriched by Him
Spiritual riches by Christ
J. Cornford.
I. MAN POOR BY NATURE (Revelation3:17). Lost his birthright — his
inheritance.
1. Poorin time. If not enriched, poor in eternity.

2. "Poor" in utterance, because poorin knowledge. His language impious,
foolish, idle, &c.
3. "Poor,"though possessing earthlywealth. "Carry nothing out."
4. "Poor,"becausewithout Him, "without whom nothing is strong."
II. MAN ENRICHED BY GRACE (Revelation3:18). Birthright restored.
Inheritance secured. "If children, then heirs."
1. "Rich" in utterance — "all utterance" — because rich in "all knowledge."
Holy, loving, grateful words. Prayer and praise.
2. "Rich," though possessing little of this world's wealth. "Having nothing,
yet," &c.
3. "Rich," because"in Christ," "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godheadbodily." "Unsearchable riches." Enrichedby Him. All of Christ,
"who for our sakes became poorthat we... might be made rich."
(J. Cornford.)
The enriching power of God
N. Schenk, D. D.

"In everything" — in your
(1)physical,
(2)intellectual,
(3)emotional,
(4)spiritual natures.All nature shows this affluence of God. We are enriched in
all our relations — at home, in society, &c. "In Him." This can be said of no
one else than God. Presidents and kings may help us to justice. Millionaires,
railroad magnates, and bankers have the power to enrich us temporally. Only
of God can it be said that in everything ye are enriched by Him. In what ways
are we enriched?
1. The best way to secure true honours is to make our lives conform to
Christian principles.
2. The ideas of inspiration will more largelyand more permanently enrich the
intellect than draughts drawn from other reservoirs of wisdom. All others are
receiving reservoirs:the Bible is a fountain source.
3. The man whose business is conducted on a Christian basis will most
certainly be rich in the best sense ofthe word. No one is rich who is not rich in
contentment and in goodworks.
4. We are enabled in God to believe in and assertour immortality.

5. In Him we have a wealth of spirituality which is ever-increasing. Itis
unaffected by the grave. Lack we any goodthing, we ask and receive. All
things are ours. If such to us is the enriching power of God on earth, how
much more enriching will that power be in the world to come!
(N. Schenk, D. D.)
Enriched by Christ
Methodist Times.
1. Christ has enriched the world's intellectual life. Range of human thought
immense, but finite. Grandeur of world's art and literature evidences the
high, capaciouspowers ofman. Christ has touched and refined the world's art
and literature. Ancient literature, exceptJewishsacredwritings, Pagan, a
mass of mingled glory and shame. Christ's purifying influence. To-day the
world's art and literature are Christian.
2. Christ has enriched the world's moral life. Fatalweaknessofhuman
moralists. Lackedauthority. Christ spake with authority. His teachings not
opinions, but living rule of life and conduct. Christ's teachings have changed
the world's moral life. Mostimportant.(1) The Fatherhoodof God. New
meaning given to Old Testamentsimile, "Like as a father," &c.(2)The
brotherhood of man. Strong and wise to help the weak and ignorant. "Bear
one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."(3) Necessityofmoral
change to fit men for the kingdom of heaven.(4)Life and immortality brought
to light. Christ alone speaks here with authority. "In My Father's house are
many mansions."
3. Christ has enriched the world's sociallife. Truths which enrich the world's
thought and moral life bound to tell upon its sociallife. Living powerin true

and noble thoughts to leaven character. Truth subjective in its influence upon
the mind; objective in characterand influence upon others. Christian thought
can mould a nation's life.
(1)Human life made sacred.
(2)By the elevationof woman.
(Methodist Times.)
Life enriched through Christ
Chas. Gore, M. A.
If you will to be His disciple, He will enrich your life, He will purge it of its
pollution, He will conquer your lusts, He will enlighten your mind, He will
deepen in you all that is generous and rich and brotherly and true and just.
He will make your life worth having — yea, increasinglyworth having — as
you gain in experience of His power and His love, even to the end. He will
touch your sufferings and your labours with the glory of His sympathy; He
will deepenyour hopes for yourselves and others with the security of an
eternal prospect. At the last He will purify and perfectand welcome you. Only
do not make the fatal mistake of imagining that your life is Christian anyhow,
or that it can be Christian by any other process than by your deliberate and
courageousacceptanceofthe law of Christ, because youdesire to be His
disciple.
(Chas. Gore, M. A.)
The powerof utterance

H. E. Channing, D. D.
There is anotherpower which eachman should cultivate according to his
ability, but which is very much neglectedin the mass of the people, and that is
the powerof utterance. A man was not made to shut up his mind in itself, but
to give it voice and to exchange it for other minds. Speechis one of our grand
distinctions from the brute. Our power over others lies not so much in the
amount of thought within us as in the powerof bringing it out. A man of more
than ordinary intellectual vigour may, for want of expression, be a cipher,
without significance, in society;and not only does a man influence others, but
he greatly aids his own intellect by giving distinct and forcible utterance to his
thoughts. We understand ourselves better, our conceptions grow clearer, by
the very effort to make them clearto another. Our socialrank, too, depends a
gooddeal on our powerof utterance. To have intercourse with respectable
people we must speak their language.
(H. E. Channing, D. D.)
Utterance and knowledge
Principal Edwards.
The two specialgifts of the Corinthians consistedpartly in the elevationand
consecrationof their national characteristics.Speechoccupiesno less
prominent a place in the New Testamentthan it did among the Greeks. It has
for its objectto bear witness for Christ, and is a "gift" of God for which the
apostle gives thanks. Christianity broke on the world as a new revelation,
which, by being told and echoedon all sides, is powerful to regenerate men.
This is the origin and life of preaching;for, as Pascalsays, "The saints have
never been silent."
(Principal Edwards.)
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.

Bearing witness to the truth
R. K. Smoot, D. D.
Note —
I. THE TESTIMONYOF JESUS. When He was brought before Pilate the
interrogatory was, Whatwas His mission? The response was thatHe had a
kingdom, not of this world, and consequently He must be a King. His was the
kingdom of truth; and the weapons of His warfare were not carnal, but
spiritual. He came into the world that He might bear witness to the truth. The
Pharisees chargedHim with witnessing for Himself. The response was nota
denial of the facts, but a reaffirmation that He should be the light of the world
and bear witness to the truth. When John, in his exile, beganto see the
revelations of God, he declaredthat Jesus was the faithful Witness:that He
was the Prince of the kings of the earth. Whether, therefore, we view Him in
prophecy or in history, or in the revelation which He made of Himself to His
servants, we see that His mission was to be that of Witness.
II. JESUS HAVING GIVEN HIS EVIDENCE FOR TRUTH, IT NOW
REMAINS FOR EVERY RELIEVER TO CONFIRM THAT WITNESS TO
THE WORLD IN HIS LIFE BY WORDS AND DEEDS. The world does not
believe in the Son of God. The Pharisees toldHim that His witness was not
true. He, on the other hand, when He had laid claim to being the witness for
the truth, speaking as never man spake, working with the mighty power of
God, turns round upon His followers, and says unto them, "Ye shall be My
witnesses." The idea here evidently is that Jesus, having once deposed, they
must stand forth to confirm Him before the world. He is, so to speak, the main
witness in court. The effort is to break Him down when He claims to be the
King of the truth. His word has been spoken, and now His people are
rendering their evidence;it is passing silently to the jury, and the verdict is
rapidly being made up, either for or againstthe Son of God. Men must receive
Him. This they will do when they see His disciples corroborating in their lives
the witness He made for the truth. This corroborating witness of the Church
is borne in these ways:we do for God, or we bear for Him, or we suffer for

Him. The world pays a specialtribute to Christian ethics when it says, Your
creedis a goodone, but your life is not up to it. We may print religious
literature and scatterit over the land, but the world will not read books — it
is too busy, too restless, too eager;but it will read you, and it will receive or
rejectthe claims of the religion of Christ in proportion as it finds in everyday
life the record which believers are there making, the witness they are giving.
(R. K. Smoot, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(5) Ye are enriched.—Literally, ye were enriched. “Utterance” is the power of
outward expressionof that “knowledge” whichdwells within.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
1:1-9 All Christians are by baptism dedicated and devotedto Christ, and are
under strict obligations to be holy. But in the true church of God are all who
are sanctifiedin Christ Jesus, calledto be saints, and who call upon him as
God manifest in the flesh, for all the blessings ofsalvation; who acknowledge
and obey him as their Lord, and as Lord of all; it includes no other persons.
Christians are distinguished from the profane and atheists, that they dare not
live without prayer; and they are distinguished from Jews and pagans, that
they call on the name of Christ. Observe how often in these verses the apostle
repeats the words, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He feared not to make too frequent
or too honourable mention of him. To all who called upon Christ, the apostle
gave his usual salutation, desiring, in their behalf, the pardoning mercy,
sanctifying grace, andcomforting peace of God, through Jesus Christ. Sinners

can have no peace with God, nor any from him, but through Christ. He gives
thanks for their conversionto the faith of Christ; that grace was giventhem
by Jesus Christ. They had been enriched by him with all spiritual gifts. He
speaks ofutterance and knowledge. And where God has given these two gifts,
he has given greatpower for usefulness. These were gifts of the Holy Ghost,
by which God bore witness to the apostles. Those thatwait for the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, will be kept by him to the end; and those that are so,
will be blameless in the day of Christ, made so by rich and free grace. How
glorious are the hopes of such a privilege; to be kept by the powerof Christ,
from the powerof our corruptions and Satan's temptations!
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
That in every thing - In every respect, or in regard to all the favors conferred
on any of his people. You have been distinguished by him in all those respects
in which he blesses his own children.
Ye are enriched by him; - compare the note at Romans 2:4. The meaning of
this expressionis, "you abound in these things; they are conferredabundantly
upon you." By the use of this word, the apostle intends doubtless to denote
"the fact" that these blessings had been conferredon them abundantly; and
also that this was a "valuable endowment," so as to be properly called"a
treasure." The mercies of God are not only conferredabundantly on his
people, but they are a bestowmentof inestimable value; compare 2
Corinthians 6:10.
In all utterance - With the powerof speaking various languages ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ
en panti logō. Thatthis powerwas conferred on the church at Corinth, and
that it was highly valued by them, is evident from 1 Corinthians 14; compare
2 Corinthians 8:7. The power of speaking those languagesthe apostle
regardedas a subjectof thanksgiving, as it was a proof of the divine favor to
them; see 1 Corinthians 14:5, 1 Corinthians 14:22, 1 Corinthians 14:39.

And in all knowledge -In the knowledge ofdivine truth. They had understood
the doctrines which they had heard, and had intelligently embracedthem.
This was not true of all of them, but it was of the body of the church; and the
hearty commendationand thanksgiving of the apostle for these favors, laid
the foundation for the remarks which he had subsequently to make, and
would tend to conciliate their minds, and dispose them to listen attentively,
even to the language ofreproof.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
5. utterance—Alford from Menochius translates, "doctrine."Ye are rich in
preachers or the preaching of the word, and rich in knowledge or
apprehension of it: literally "(the) word (preached)." EnglishVersion (as in
2Co 8:7) is better: for Paul, purposing presently to dwell on the abuse of the
two gifts on which the Corinthians most prided themselves, utterance (speech)
and knowledge (1Co 1:20;3:18; 4:19; 1Co 13:1-14:40), previously gains their
goodwillby congratulating them on having those gifts.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
In every thing; in every grace and in every goodgift, (for he is manifestly
speaking ofspiritual things), so as this generalparticle must not be extended
to the things of this life, but restrained either to spiritual gifts, or spiritual,
sanctifying habits. Thus we read of the riches of grace, Ephesians 1:7, and of
the riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8: nor is the metaphor improper, whether we
considerriches as signifying plenty or abundance, or that which
accommodatetha man in this life, and is fitted to men’s wants, to give them a
supply.
In all utterance;the word may be translated, in everything, or, in all speech;
but the first having been said before, it seems more proper here to translate it,
in all word or speech, or in all utterance, as we translate it. If it be takenin the
first sense, the gospelis by it understood, the doctrine of the gospelpreached
amongstthem by Paul and Apollos, who preachedamong the Gentiles the

riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8. If we interpret it utterance, which our
translators prefer, it signifies an ability to utter that knowledge whichGod
hath given us, to the glory of God and the goodof others, either in prayer or
spiritual discourses.
And in all knowledge:some by knowledge here understand the gift of
prophecy; but it more properly signifies the ability God had given them to
comprehend in their understanding the mysteries of the gospel, the greatand
deep things of God. The apostle blessethGod both for the illumination of their
minds by the ministry of the gospel, so as they knew the things of God, and
also for the ability which God had given them to communicate this their
knowledge to others.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
That in everything ye are enriched by him,.... This is still a continuation of the
thanksgiving for this church, that they were "enriched", or plentifully and
abundantly provided for by Christ, with all grace, with all the riches of grace;
with his own unsearchable riches, of which they were made partakers, and the
riches of glory, to which they were entitled by him; and all which come to
them through his poverty, which makes his grace in the donation of these
riches the more illustrious: and particularly the apostle is thankful, that they
were enriched by Christ
in all utterance, and in all knowledge;that not only they had the knowledge of
the truths and doctrines of the Gospel, concerning the person, offices, grace,
and righteousness ofChrist in the theory of them, or a speculative notion of
them; but for the most part had a spiritual experimental knowledge ofthese
things; and many of them had such large gifts of knowledge, elocution, and
utterance, that they were richly qualified to preachthe Gospelto others;nay,
even had the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, so as to speak with divers
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Geneva Study Bible

That in every thing ye are enriched by him, {8} in {d} all utterance, and in all
knowledge;
(8) He refers to that by name which they abused the most.
(d) Seeing that while we live here we know but in part, and prophesy in part,
this word all must be limited by the present state of the faithful: and by
utterance he does not mean a vain kind of babbling, but the gift of holy
eloquence, which the Corinthians abused.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
1 Corinthians 1:5. ὅτι κ.τ.λ. stands in explicative apposition to the foregoing τ.
χάριτι τ. δοθείσῃ, bringing out the matter of thanksgiving eminent in the
conversionof the Cor[75]—“(Imean), that in everything you were enriched,”
etc. For this defining ὅτι after a vbl[76] noun, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26 and 2
Corinthians 1:8. The affluence of endowment conferredon the Cor[77]stirred
the Apostle’s deep gratitude (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:7, 2 Corinthians 8:9): this
wealth appears in another light in 1 Corinthians 4:6-10, 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1
Corinthians 8:1-3; see also Introd., p. 730 f. The Church doubtless dwelt upon
this distinction in its recentletter, to which P. is replying. ἐν παντὶ is defined,
and virtually limited, by ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει (kindred gifts, linked
by the single prp[78]): the exuberance of grace in the Cor[79]shone “in all
(manner of) utterance and all (manner of) knowledge”. λόγος in this
connexion signifies not the thing said (as in 18), but the saying of it, loquendi
facultas (Bz[80]). “Relativelyto γνῶσις, λόγος is the ability and readiness to
say what one understands; γν. the powerand ability to understand” (Hn[81]).
“Knowledge” wouldnaturally precede;but the Cor[82]excelledand delighted
in “speech” above all:see 1 Corinthians 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1
Corinthians 4:19 f., 1 Corinthians 13:1.

[75] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.
[76] verbal.
[78] preposition.
[80] Beza’s Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642).
[81] C. F. G. Heinrici’s Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther
in Meyer’s krit.-exegetisches Kommentar(1896).
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
5. in every thing ye are enriched] Rather, Ye were enriched, i.e. at your
baptism, when you enteredinto the covenant-union with Christ. The gifts of
utterance, knowledge and the like, were the result of the favour of God
towards you. It appears evident from the rest of the Epistle that the Apostle
was thinking rather of the powers conveyedto the Corinthians by their
translation into Christ, than of the use they had made of them. The
Corinthians as a body were not as yet remarkable for their Christian
knowledge, thoughmany individuals had no doubt made greatspiritual
progress.

in all utterance]Literally, speech, discourse.
Bengel's Gnomen
1 Corinthians 1:5. Λόγῳ—γνώσει, in word (utterance)—in knowledge)The
word (utterance) follows knowledge,in point of fact: and it is by the former
that the latter is made known. He shows, that the Corinthians ought to be
such in attainments, that it should be unnecessaryto write to them. Moreover
they were admirers of spiritual gifts; therefore by mentioning their gifts, he
gains over to himself their affections, and makes a wayfor reproof.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 5. - In everything; i.e. of course, everygift which belongs speciallyto the
Christian life. In all utterance; i.e. in all "eloquence" (λόγῳ), orperhaps "in
all doctrine" (so Luther, Calvin, Meyer, etc.). The word for" utterance" is
rhema; logos means "discourse" and"reason" (comp. 2 Corinthians 8:7).
Knowledge. From the word guests is derived the name Gnostic, which was
applied to so many forms of ancient heresy. There was dangerto the
Corinthian Christians in the exaggeratedestimate of what they took for
gnosis, and many of them were tempted to pride themselves on purely
intellectual attainments, which were valueless for the spiritual life. St.
Clement of Rome also, in writing to them ('Ep. ad Corinthians 1.') speaks of
their "mature and establishedknowledge."
Vincent's Word Studies
Ye are enriched (ἐπλουτίσθητε)
Rev. more literally, "were enriched." Compare Colossians3:16;and see on
Romans 2:4.
Utterance - knowledge (λόγῳ - γνώσει)

The two words are found together, 1 Corinthians 12:8; 2 Corinthians 11:6; 2
Corinthians 8:7. For knowledge, seeonRomans 11:33. Utterance, aptitude in
speech. Paulgives thanks for speechas a means of testifying for Christ. "The
saints have never been silent" (Pascal).
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Dr. Jack L. Arnold
Winter Park, Florida Sermon #3
FIRST CORINTHIANS
Our PossessionsIn Christ
I Corinthians 1:4-9

Suppose someone were to deposit five million dollars to your bank account,
but for some reasonyou refusedto draw upon the money which was legally
yours. You would be wealthy and yet live like a pauper. There might be
severalreasons whyyou would not draw out your money. First, you might
refuse to believe you actually had five million in the bank or that someone had
dealt with you so graciously. Second, youmight be ignorant of it, for you
might not know the money was actually deposited to your account. Third, you
might be indifferent to it and not really care that you had that kind of money
in the bank. Whateveryour reasons for not using the money, the factis you
would be rich and still live like a pauper.
All Christians have been given infinite possessionsin Christ. They are
spiritual millionaires (billionaires, trillionaires), but many do not draw upon
their spiritual wealth in Christ. They are either ignorant of it, refuse to believe
they have it, or are indifferent to it. All Christians are spiritual millionaires in
Christ, but many live like spiritual paupers.
After his salutationto the Corinthians in which he reminded them they had
been sovereignlycalledto salvationthrough Christ and set apart for worship,
godliness and service, the Apostle Paul, in the remainder of this introduction,
gives a thanksgiving for the depths of spiritual wealthin the church of
Corinth. In 1:1-3, Paul dealt their position in Christ. They were saints, holy
ones, calledby God and set apart for sacredpurposes. In 1:4-9, Paul deals
with their possessionsin Christ, stressing their spiritual blessings in Christ or
what they possessbecauseoftheir new position in Christ.

POSSESSORSOF GOD’S GRACE 1:4
I always thank God for you. Paul loved these Corinthians even though they
were immature in their faith and were acting in a carnal, worldly, fleshly
manner. He found, however, much reasonfor thanksgiving because the vast
majority of the Corinthians were truly saved. The Apostle was a positive
thinker and could always find goodin what seemedto be a bad situation. Paul
did not thank God for their lives because their Christian experience was
atrocious, but he thanked God for who and what they were in Christ. He
thanked God for what God had done for them and for all of their possessions
and spiritual wealthin Christ.
Becauseofhis grace givenyou in Christ Jesus. Paulthanked Godthe
Corinthian Christians had become recipients of God’s grace. Salvationhad
made them receivers and possessorsofthe grace ofGod. It was God’s grace;
the unmerited favor of a sovereignGod, that had saved these wickedfolks at
Corinth. “Forit is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast”
(Eph. 2:8-9). They had been heathen idol worshipers but now they were born
againbecause ofGod’s grace and mercy which they in no way deserved. It is
the pure grace ofGod which gives the Christian his position and possessions
in Christ. What are some of these possessions?BecauseofGod’s grace, we
Christians are elected, called, redeemed, justified, reconciled, forgiven,
recipients of eternallife, adopted into God’s family, seatedin the heavenlies
and blessedwith all spiritual blessing all this and more because we are in
Christ.

It appears the Apostle Paul assumedthese Corinthian Christians clearly
understood the
grace ofGod, but this was also one of their problems. They were not caught
up in legalismas were the Galatians, orritual, as were the Colossians, but in
Corinth they had the problem of license. Theyacceptedthe grace ofGod to
such a degree they did not think it made any difference how they behaved.
They were libertines, abusing the grace ofGod and using it as an excuse for
immoral living. They reasonedthat since they were saved, God would always
deal with them in grace, no matter how sinful their lives might be. They
wrongly reasonedthat grace setthem free to sin. They, as many Christians do
today, said, “We are so free in Christ, we are free to sin!” How ridiculous to
reasonlike this. They were always free to sin even before they were
Christians. What they failed to see was that grace setthem free to serve, to
worship, to live for Christ!
POSSESSORSOF SPIRITUAL WEALTH 1:5
For in him you have been enriched in every way. God’s grace enrichedor
made wealthy these Corinthian Christians. The word “enriched” is the Greek
word from which we get the word “plutocrat” in the English which means
“one who is very wealthy.” These Corinthian Christians were spiritual
plutocrats, blessedbeyond measure. They were spiritually wealthy in
everything but especiallyin the area of spiritual gifts.

In all your speaking and in all your knowledge. The Corinthians were
enriched with speaking (word) and knowledge. This may mean they were very
knowledgeable and loved to speak out their theologicaland philosophical
convictions. The Greeks likednothing better than to study and then sit around
discussing philosophy and theology.
However, the terms “word” and “knowledge”mostlikely refer to spiritual
gifts. The Corinthians not only possessedChrist but they possessedspiritual
gifts in abundance. Paul picks out the gifts concerning "word" and
“knowledge” because these were two gift areas the Corinthians were abusing
in their church. The term "word" (logos)probably refers to any spiritual gift
relating to a “spiritual utterance” knowledge, wisdom, teaching, tongues, etc.
The term "knowledge" (gnosis)probably refers to spiritual gifts relating to
knowledge suchas the gift of prophecy.
It is remarkable that Paul thanks God for things in the church that, because
of abuses, are also causing him grief. The problem in Corinth was not in their
gifts but in their attitudes towards the gifts. They thought because they spoke
in tongues and prophesied they were more spiritual, more mature, than most
Christians, being able to understand greatmysteries. Their negative attitudes
led to pride and arrogance.The reasonPaulcould give thanks is that these
gifts mentioned came from God. It was not God’s fault they were being
terribly abused. These gifts were goodthings gone sour.
Paul right up front wants the Corinthians to graspthat all their spiritual gifts
came from God and there was no room for boasting or feelings of superiority.
“Forwho makes you different from anyone else? Whatdo you have that you
did not receive? And if you did receive it, who do you boastas though you did
not” (I Cor. 4:7)? God gave these gifts to enhance their witness and testimony,
but because oftheir abuse of them, they actually hindered their witness and
testimony.

WILLIAM BARCLAY
There is the promise which came true. When Paul preached Christianity to
the Corinthians he told them that Christ could do certain things for them, and
now he proudly claims that all that he pledged that Christ could do has come
true. A missionary told one of the ancient Pictishkings, "If you will accept
Christ, you will find wonder upon wonder--and every one of them true." In
the lastanalysis we cannotargue a man into Christianity; we can only sayto
him, "Try it and see what happens," in the certainty that, if he does, the
claims we make for it will all come true.
(ii) There is the gift which has been given. Paul here uses a favourite word of
his. It is charisma (Greek #5486), whichmeans a gift freely given to a man, a
gift which he did not deserve and which he could never by himself have
earned. This gift of God, as Paul saw it, comes in two ways.
(a) Salvation is the charisma of God. To enter into a right relationship with
God is something which a man could never achieve himself. It is an unearned
gift, coming from the sheergenerosityof the love of God. (compare Romans
6:23).
(b) It gives a man whateverspecialgifts he may possessandwhatever special
equipment he may have for life. (1 Corinthians 12:4-10;1 Timothy 4:14; 1
Peter4:10). If a man has the gift of speechor the gift of healing, if he has the
gift of music or of any art, if he has a craftsman's gifts upon his hands, all
these are gifts from God. If we fully realized that, it would bring a new
atmosphere and characterinto life. Such skills as we possessare not our own

achievement, they are gifts from God, and, therefore, they are held in trust.
They are not to be used as we want to use them but as God wants us to use
them; not for our profit or prestige but for the glory of God and the goodof
men.
JOSEPHBEET
Verse 4
1 Corinthians 1:4. I thank: Romans 1:8. Although this letter was written, with
many tears, (2 Corinthians 2:4,) to reprove and correct, Paul's first thought,
as he begins it, is gratitude. For, in spite of the gross immorality (1
Corinthians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 12:21) of some and the spiritual childishness (1
Corinthians 3:1 ff; 1 Corinthians 5:2) of the church generally, a great work
had been done by God at Corinth. And this goodwork Paul thinks of and
acknowledgesbefore he begins to find fault.
My God: Romans 1:8.
Always: 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:3. Gratitude for the work
done at Corinth and elsewhere was to Paulan abiding habit of mind. He
cannot say“about you all,” as in Romans 1:8; 1 Thessalonians1:2.
Grace given to you. Cp. Romans 1:5 : not the generalfavor with which God
smiles on all the justified, as in Ephesians 1:3, but His specialfavor shown to
the Corinthians in the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:5. So Romans 12:3;
Romans 15:15. Consequently, in Christ is also subjective, denoting that
inward spiritual contactwith Christ through which we personally receive

God's favor and the various undeserved gifts it moves Him to bestow. This
implies the objective sense found in 1 Corinthians 1:2; but is distinct from it.
Through the death and resurrectionof the historic Jesus, andthrough
personalcontactwith His Spirit, God's favor shines upon us.
Verse 5
1 Corinthians 1:5. That in etc.;specifies “gracegiven.” In everything 2
Corinthians 9:11 : limited, like all universals, by the writer's mental horizon;
(see under Romans 5:18;) and here expounded by all utterance and all
knowledge, whichinclude all the spiritual capacitiesneededfor church
progress.
Enriched: Romans 2:4; Romans 9:23; Romans 10:12;Romans 11:12; Romans
11:33;2 Corinthians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians
9:11, etc.
In Him; repeats “in Christ Jesus;” and thus lays stress upon the truth that all
real wealthcomes through spiritual contactwith Him.
All knowledge:mental comprehensionof the truth in all its aspects.
All utterance:ability to speak forth the truth in all the modes needful to
convey it to the various sorts of men. These gifts seldom go together in one
man. But he who possesseseitherof them is an enrichment to his church. And
the church which possesses, in its various members, these gifts in a special
degree is truly rich.

Utterance is put first as the more conspicuous. [The R.V. were enriched gives
to the indefinite tense a definite reference which does not belong to it. See The
Expositor, 1st Series vol. xi. p. 296.]
WILLIAM BURKITT
Verse 4
As if the apostle had said, "I am very thankful to God for his grace and favour
bestowedupon you through Jesus Christ, in and by the preaching of the
gospel, and particularly for the gift of tongues, and other miraculous gifts of
the Holy Spirit vouchsafedto you, whereby the divinity of the gospel(called
here the testimony of Christ, because it testifies of Christ) was attestedand
confirmed.
He farther tells them, he was firmly persuaded that God would confirm them
unto the end, causing them to persevere unblameable in holiness, till the
coming of Christ to deliver his faithful servants, and remarkably to destroy
his crucifiers;because ofthe faithfulness of God, who having called them to
the fellowshipof his Son, and to partake of his invaluable benefits, will never
leave them, but accomplishthe whole pleasure of his will in them."
Observe here, 1. That the apostle in the third verse prayed affectionatelyfor
the grace ofGod to be bestowedupon the Corinthians; in his fourth verse he
thanks God abundantly for the grace they had alreadyreceived: and no man
has such supplies of grace, but he stands in need of farther influences;and
there is no such wayto attain more grace, as to be thankful for what we have
already received.

Observe, 2. To whom the apostle returns his thanks for all that grace the
Corinthians had received;even to the God of all grace:I thank my God for
the grace whichis given you. All grace depends upon God, as to its being and
production, as to its exercise and operation, as to its growth and
augmentation, as to its evidence and manifestation, as to its perseverance and
preservation; he is both the author and finisher of our faith. Both seed,
increment, and perfection, the beginnings, increasings, and finishings of grace,
are all from God the Father, but by and through our Lord Jesus Christ, who
by his blood purchased grace for us, and by his spirit produceth it in us.
Observe, 3. That believers, in the first ages ofthe Christian church, received
not only sanctifying graces, but the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit,
particularly the gift of tongues and miracles.
Observe, 4. That they obtained these gifts by Jesus Christ, and through faith
in him.
Observe 5. That by these gifts the testimony of Christ was confirmed, that is,
the doctrine of the gospel, testifying that Jesus was the true Messias, by his
being raised from the dead.
Observe, 6. That by these gifts, and by this earnestof the Spirit, they had
encouragementto expect and waitfor the approachand coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, ver. 7. Ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

CALVIN
Verse 4
4.I am not conscious to myself of anything faulty. Let us observe that Paul
speaks here not of his whole life, but simply of the office of apostleship. Forif
he had been altogetherunconscious to himself of anything wrong, (222)that
would have been a groundless complaint which he makes in Romans 7:15,
where he laments that the evil which he would not, that he does, and that he is
by sin kept back from giving himself up entirely to God. Paul, therefore, felt
sin dwelling in him, and confessedit; but as to his apostleship, (which is the
subject that is here treatedof,) he had conductedhimself with so much
integrity and fidelity, that his conscience did not accusehim as to anything.
This is a protestationof no common character, and of such a nature as clearly
shows the piety and sanctity of his breast;(223)and yet he says that he is not
thereby justified, that is, pure, and altogetherfree from guilt in the sight of
God. Why? Assuredly, because Godsees much more distinctly than we;and
hence, what appears to us cleanest, is filthy in his eyes. Here we have a
beautiful and singularly profitable admonition, not to measure the strictness
of God’s judgment by our own opinion; for we are dim-sighted, but God is
preeminently discerning. We think of ourselves too indulgently, but God is a
judge of the utmost strictness. Hence the truth of what Solomonsays —
“Every man’s ways appear right his owneyes, but the Lord pondereth the
hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2.)
Papists abuse this passageforthe purpose of shaking the assuranceoffaith,
and truly, I confess, that if their doctrine were admitted, we could do nothing
but tremble in wretchedness during our whole life. For what tranquillity
could our minds enjoy if it were to be determined from our works whether we
are well-pleasing to God? I confess, therefore, that from the main foundation
of Papists there follows nothing but continual disquietude for consciences;
and, accordingly, we teachthat we must have recourse to the free promise of

mercy, which is offeredto us in Christ, that we may be fully assuredthat we
are accountedrighteous by God.
Verse 5
5.Therefore judge nothing before the time From this conclusionit is manifest,
that Paul did not mean to reprove every kind of judgment without exception,
but only what is hasty and rash, without examination of the case. Forthe
Corinthians did not mark with unjaundiced eye the characterof each
individual, but, blinded by ambition, groundlesslyextolled one and
depreciatedanother, and took upon themselves to mark out the dignity of
eachindividual beyond what is lawful for men. Let us know, then, how much
is allowedus, what is now within the sphere of our knowledge,and what is
deferred until the day of Christ, and let us not attempt to go beyond these
limits. For there are some things that are now seenopenly, while there are
others that lie buried in obscurity until the day of Christ.
Who will bring to light. If this is affirmed truly and properly respecting the
day of Christ, it follows that matters are never so well regulatedin this world
but that many things are involved in darkness, and that there is never so
much light, but that many things remain in obscurity. I speak of the life of
men, and their actions. He explains in the secondclause, whatis the cause of
the obscurity and confusion, so that all things are not now manifest. It is
because there are wonderful recesses anddeepestlurking-places in the hearts
of men. Hence, until the thoughts of the hearts are brought to light, there will
always be darkness.
And then shall every one have praise It is as though he had said, “You now, O
Corinthians, as if you had the adjudging of the prizes, (224)crownsome, and
send awayothers with disgrace, but this right and office belong exclusively to
Christ. You do that before the time — before it has become manifest who is
worthy to be crowned, but the Lord has appointed a day on which he will

make it manifest.” This statement takes its rise from the assurance ofa good
conscience, whichbrings us also this advantage, that committing our praises
into the hands of God, we disregard the empty breath of human applause.
ADAM CLARKE
Verse 4
For the grace - which is given you - Notonly their calling to be saints, and to
be sanctified in Christ Jesus;but for the various spiritual gifts which they had
received, as specifiedin the succeeding verses.
Verse 5
Ye are enriched - ye abound - in all utterance - Εν παντι λογῳ, In all doctrine;
for so the word should certainly be translatedand understood. All the truths
of God relative to their salvationhad been explicitly declaredto them; and
they had all knowledge;so that they perfectly comprehended the doctrines
which they had heard.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 4
Paul was grateful that Godhad poured out His unmerited favor and divine
enablement (i.e, His grace)on the Corinthian believers through Christ Jesus.

He usually referred to the Lord as Christ Jesus rather than as Jesus Christ.
This put the emphasis on His divine characteras Messiahratherthan on His
human nature and encouragedhis readers to submit to Him as their Lord.
Verses 4-9
B. Thanksgiving1:4-9
Paul followedhis salutationwith an expressionof gratitude for his original
readers, as he usually did in his epistles. In this case the focus of his
thanksgiving was on God"s grace in giving the Corinthians such great
spiritual gifts (cf. Ephesians 1:3-14).
"What is remarkable here is the apostle"s ability to thank God for the very
things in the church that, because of the abuses, are also causing him grief."
[Note:Ibid, p36.]
Verse 5
By "speech" (NASB)or "speaking"(NIV Gr. logos)the apostle meant
eloquence, the ability to express their "knowledge"(Gr. gnosis)fluently and
effectively. As we shall see, knowledgeand eloquence were two things the
Corinthians valued very highly. These characteristicsappearby their usage in
this letter and in2Corinthians to have been common buzzwords in Corinth.
Logos occurs26times in1,2Corinthians comparedto58 times in Paul"s other
epistles, and gnosis appears16 times in these two epistles but only seventimes
in all of Paul"s other writings. Paul had to put these gifts in their proper place
among the other gifts. Nevertheless theywere greatgifts, and Paul was
thankful that God had given them to the Corinthians.

I thank God continually for your presentspiritual condition. Christ will
strengthen you to the end according to Divine assurance.
4 I never cease thanking God, because ofthe favours which He bestowedupon
you through your union with Christ Jesus, 5 whereby as immanent in Him ye
receivedriches of every kind, in every form of inspired utterance and every
form of spiritual illumination, for the giving and receiving of instruction. 6
These gifts ye receivedin exactproportion to the completenesswith which our
testimony to the Messiahwas brought home to your hearts and firmly
establishedthere; 7 so that (as we may hope from this guarantee)there is not
a single gift of grace in which you find yourselves to be behind other
Churches, while you are loyally and patiently waiting for the hour when our
Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed. 8 And this hour you need not dread, for
our Lord Himself, who has done so much for you hitherto, will also unto the
very end keepyou secure againstsuch accusations as wouldbe fatal in the
Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 This is a sure and certain hope: for it was
God, who cannot prove false, who Himself calledyou into fellowshipwith His
Son and in His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and God will assuredly do His
part to make this calling effective.
This Thanksgiving is a conciliatoryprelude to the whole Epistle, not directed
to a sectiononly (v. 12), nor ironical(1), nor studiously indefinite (Hofm.), but
a measuredand earnestencomium of their generalstate of grace (Acts 18:10),
with specialstress ontheir intellectual gifts, and preparing the wayfor candid
dealing with their inconsistencies.
4. εὐχαριστῶ. Sosthenesseems to be at once forgotten;this important letter is
the Apostle’s own, and his alone:contrastεὐχαριστοῦμεν, 1 Thessalonians

1:2; ὥσπερ οὖν πατὴρἐπὶ υἱοῖς εὐχαριστεῖ ὅτʼἂν ὑγιαίνωσιντὸν αὐτὸντρόπον
ὅτʼ ἂν βλέπῃ διδάσκαλος τοὺς ἀκροατὰς πλουτοῦντας λόγῳ σοφίας,
εὐχαριστεῖ πάντοτε περὶ αὐτῶν(Orig.). With this Thanksgiving compare that
in 2 Macc. 9:20 (AV.). See also Deissmann, Light from the Anc. East, p. 168.
St Paul’s εὐχαριστῶ is uttered in full earnest:there is no irony, as some think.
In the sense ofthanksgiving, the verb belongs to Hellenistic rather than to
class. Grk. (Lightfoot on 1 Thessalonians1:2): πάντοτε as in 1 Thessalonians
1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:3.
τῇ χάριτι τ. Θ. τ. δοθείσῃ. Specialgifts of grace are viewed as incidental to, or
presupposing, a state of grace, i.e., the state of one living under the influence
of, and governedby, the redemption and reconciliationof man effectedby
Jesus Christ; more briefly, ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians
8:9; cf. ὑπὸ χάριν, Romans 6:14). The aorists (δοθείσῃ… ἐπλουτίσθητε …
ἐβεβαιώθη)sum up their history as a Christian community from their
baptism to the time of his writing.
τῷ Θεῷ μου (‫1א‬ A C D E F G L P, Latt. Syr. Copt. Arm.); ‫*א‬ B. Aeth. omit
μου. A* and some other authorities omit τοῦ Θεοῦ after χάριτι.
5. ὅτι ἐν παντί. Cf. 2 Corinthians 8:7, ὥσπερ ἐν παντὶ περισσεύετε πίστει καὶ
λόγῳ καὶ γνώσει. The two passages,though doubtless addressedto different
situations, bring out strikingly by their common points the strongerside of
Corinthian Christianity, λόγος and γνῶσις, both true gifts of the Spirit (12:8),
although eachhas its abuse or caricature (1:17-4:20. and 8:1 f.)*. Λόγος is the
gift of speech, not chiefly, nor specially, as manifested in the Tongues (which
are quite distinct in 12:8 f.), but closelyrelatedto the teacher’s work. It was
the gift of Apollos (Acts 18:24). The λόγος σοφίας is the gift of the Spirit, while
σοφία λόγου—cultivating expressionat the expense of matter (v. 17)—is the
gift of the mere rhetorician, courting the applause (vanum et inane σοφῶς!) of
the ordinary Greek audience. StPaul, according to his chief opponent at

Corinth, was wanting in this gift (2 Corinthians 10:10, ὁ λόγος
ἐξουθενημένος):his oratoricalpowerwas founded in deep conviction(v. 18,
2:4, 4:20).
St Paul “loses sightfor a moment of the irregularities which had disfigured
the church at Corinth, while he remembers the spiritual blessings which they
had enjoyed. After all deductions made for these irregularities, the Christian
community at Corinth must have presented as a whole a marvellous contrast
to their heathen fellow-citizens,—a contrastwhichmight fairly be represented
as one of light and darkness” (Lightfoot). This Epistle contains no indication
of the disloyalty to the Apostle which we trace in 2 Cor., especiallyin 10-13.
πάσῃ γνώσει. See 2 Corinthians 11:6, where St Paul claims for himself
eminence in the true γνῶσις, and also 1 Corinthians 8:1 f.
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICALCOMMENTARY
MARCUS DODS
Paul, with his usual courtesyand instinctive tact, introduces what he has to
say with a hearty acknowledgmentof the distinctive excellencesofthe
Corinthian Church: "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of
God which is given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything ye have been
enriched in Him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, evenas the testimony
of Christ was confirmed in you." Paul was one of those large-natured men
who rejoice more in the prosperity of others than in any private good fortune.
The envious soul is glad when things go no better with others than with
himself, but the generous and unselfish are lifted out of their ownwoes by
their sympathy with the happy. Paul’s joy-and it was no mean or shallow joy-
was to see the testimony he had borne to Christ’s goodness andpower
confirmed by the new energies and capacities whichwere developed in those

who believed his testimony. The gifts which the Christians in Corinth
exhibited made it manifest that the Divine presence and powerproclaimed by
Paul were real. His testimony regarding the risen but unseen Lord was
confirmed by the factthat those who believed this testimony and called upon
the name of the Lord receivedgifts not previously enjoyed by them. Further
argument regarding the actualand present powerof the unseenLord was
needless in Corinth. And in our day it is the new life of believers which most
strongly confirms the testimony regarding the risen Christ. Everyone who
attaches himself to the Church either damages oraids the cause ofChrist,
propagates eitherbelief or unbelief. In the Corinthians Paul’s testimony
regarding Christ was confirmed by their receptionof the rare gifts of
utterance and knowledge. It is indeed somewhatominous that the
incorruptible honesty of Paul canonly acknowledgetheir possessionof
"gifts," not of those fine Christian graces whichdistinguished the
Thessalonians and others of his converts. But the grace ofGod must always
adjust itself to the nature of the recipient; it fulfils itself by means of the
material which nature furnishes. The Greek nature was at all times lacking in
seriousness, andhad attained little moral robustness;but for many centuries
it had been trained to admire and excelin intellectual and oratoricaldisplays.
The natural gifts of the Greek race were quickenedand directed by grace.
Their intellectual inquisitiveness and apprehensiveness enabledthem to throw
light on the grounds and results of the Christian facts;and their fluent and
flexible speechformed a new wealthand a more worthy employment in their
endeavours to formulate Christian truth and exhibit Christian experience.
Eachrace has its own contribution to make to complete and full-grown
Christian manhood. Each race has its owngifts; and only when grace has
developed all these gifts in a Christian direction can we actually see the fitness
of Christianity for all men and the wealthof the nature and work of Christ,
which can appeal to and best developall.
Paul thanked God for their gift of utterance. Perhaps had he lived now, within
sound of an utterance dizzying and ceaselessas the roar of Niagara. he might
have had a word to say in the praise of silence. There is more than a risk
nowadays that talk take the place of thought on the one hand and of actionon

the other. But it could not fail to occurto Paul that this Greek utterance, with
the instrument it had in the Greek language, was a greatgift to the Church. In
no other language couldhe have found such adequate, intelligible, and
beautiful expressionfor the new ideas to which Christianity gave birth. And in
this new gift of utterance among the Corinthians he may have seenpromise of
a rapid and effective propagationof the Gospel. Forindeed there are few
more valuable gifts the Church canreceive than utterance. Legitimately may
we hope for the Church when she so apprehends her own wealth in Christ as
to be stirred to invite all the world to share with her, when through all her
members she feels the pressure of thoughts that demand utterance, or when
there arise in her even one or two persons with the rare faculty of swaying
large audiences, and touching the common human heart, and lodging in the
public mind some germinant ideas. New epochs in the Church’s life are made
by the men who speak, notto satisfythe expectationof an audience, but
because they are driven by an inward compelling force, not because theyare
calledupon to saysomething, but because they have that in them which they
must say.
But utterance is well backedby knowledge. Notalways has it been
remembered that Paul recognisesknowledgeas a gift of God. Often, on the
contrary, has the determination to satisfy the intellect with Christian truth
been reprehended as idle and even wicked. To the Corinthians the Christian
revelation was new, and inquiring minds could not but endeavour to
harmonise the various facts it conveyed. This attempt to understand
Christianity was approved. The exercise ofthe human reasonupon Divine
things was encouraged. The faith which acceptedtestimony was a gift of God,
but so also was the knowledge whichsought to recommend the contents of this
testimony to the human mind.
But, howeverrich in endowments the Corinthians were, they could not but
feel, in common with all other men, that no endowment can lift us above the
necessityofconflict with sin or put us beyond the hazard which that conflict

entails. In point of fact, richly endowedmen are often most exposedto
temptation, and feel more keenly than others the realhazard of human life.
Paul therefore concludes this brief introduction by assigning the reasonof his
assurance thatthey will be blameless in the day of Christ; and that reasonis
that God is in the matter: "God is faithful, by whom ye were calledto the
fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." God calls us with a purpose in
view, and is faithful to that purpose. He calls us to the fellowshipof Christ
that we may learn of Him and become suitable agents to carry out the whole
will of Christ. To fearthat, notwithstanding our hearty desire to become of
Christ’s mind and notwithstanding all our efforts to enter more deeply into
His fellowship, we shall yet fail, is to reflectupon God as either insincere in
His callor inconstant. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
They are not revokedon further consideration. God’s invitation comes to us,
and is not withdrawn, even though it is not met with the hearty acceptanceit
deserves. All our obstinacyin sin, all our blindness to our true advantage, all
our lack of anything like generous self-devotion, allour frivolity, and folly,
and worldliness, are understood before the call is given. By calling us to the
fellowship of His Son God guarantees to us the possibility of our entering into
that fellowshipand of becoming fit for it.
JOHN DUMMELOW
4-9. Paraphrase. 'I praise God continually because through your spiritual
union with Christ you have receivedthe gifts of His grace. (5)I am especially
thankful because your knowledge ofthe truth and your ability to give it
expressionhave increased(6) with the increasing response of your spirits to
the gospelofChrist. (7) You are thus on an equality with other Churches in
respectof spiritual gifts; and you wait and watch for the coming of the Lord,
(8) who will keepyou faithful, so that none shall reproach you.'

4. I thank my God] St. Paul regardedthe Corinthian Church, in spite of its
sins and faults, as a true and living Church.
5. Are enriched] RY 'were enriched.' In all utterance, and in all knowledge]
The fact that they abused these gifts (1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-
2; 1 Corinthians 14:2-13)did not lead the Apostle to undervalue them.
G. G. FINDLAY
Verse 4
1 Corinthians 1:4. On εὐχαριστῶ κ. τ. λ., and the form of Paul’s introductory
thanksgivings, see Romans 1:8. ἐπὶ τῇ χάριτι κ. τ. λ.— ἐπί (at), of the
occasioning cause;cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6, 1 Corinthians 14:16, etc. τ. δοθείσῃ
ὑμῖν (aor(70)ptp(71))—“the grace that was given you,” sc. at conversion(see
1 Corinthians 1:6); contrastthe pr(72) ptp(73) of continuous bestowmentin 1
Corinthians 15:57, and the pf. of abiding result in 2 Corinthians 8:1. For ἐν
χριστῷ ἰησοῦ, see note on 1 Corinthians 1:2. P. refers not to the general
objective gift of grace in Christ (as in Romans 8:32), nor to its eternal
bestowmentin the thought of God (as in 2 Timothy 1:9), but to its actual
conferment at the time when the Cor(74)became God’s κλητοὶ ἅγιοι (1
Corinthians 1:2).
Verses 4-9
1 Corinthians 1:4-9. § 2. THE THANKSGIVING. The Pauline thanksgiving
holds the place of the captatio benevolentiœ in ancient speeches,with the
diff(68) that it is in solemn sincerity addressedto God. The Ap. thanks God
(1) for the pastgrace given the Cor(69)in Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:4; (2) for
the rich intellectual development of that grace, according with the sure

evidence upon which they had receivedthe Gospel, and attended by an eager
anticipation of Christ’s advent, 1 Corinthians 1:5-7; (3) for the certainty that
they will be perfectedin grace and found unimpeached at Christ’s return—a
hope founded on God’s fidelity to His own signal call, 1 Corinthians 1:8 f.
Paul reflects gratefully on the past, hopefully on the future of this Church; he
is significantly silent respecting its present condition: contrastwith this the
Thess. and Phil. Thanksgivings. He extracts from a disquieting situation all
the comfortpossible.
Verse 5
1 Corinthians 1:5. ὅτι κ. τ. λ. stands in explicative apposition to the foregoing
τ. χάριτι τ. δοθείσῃ, bringing out the matter of thanksgiving eminent in the
conversionof the Cor(75)—“(Imean), that in everything you were enriched,”
etc. For this defining ὅτι after a vbl(76) noun, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26 and 2
Corinthians 1:8. The affluence of endowment conferredon the Cor(77)stirred
the Apostle’s deep gratitude (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:7, 2 Corinthians 8:9): this
wealth appears in another light in 1 Corinthians 4:6-10, 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1
Corinthians 8:1-3; see also Introd., p. 730 f. The Church doubtless dwelt upon
this distinction in its recentletter, to which P. is replying. ἐν παντὶ is defined,
and virtually limited, by ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει (kindred gifts, linked
by the single prp(78)): the exuberance of grace in the Cor(79)shone “in all
(manner of) utterance and all (manner of) knowledge”. λόγος in this
connexion signifies not the thing said (as in 18), but the saying of it, loquendi
facultas (Bz(80)). “Relativelyto γνῶσις, λόγος is the ability and readiness to
say what one understands; γν. the powerand ability to understand” (Hn(81)).
“Knowledge” wouldnaturally precede;but the Cor(82)excelledand delighted
in “speech” above all:see 1 Corinthians 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1
Corinthians 4:19 f., 1 Corinthians 13:1.

JOHN GILL
Verse 4
I thank my God always on your behalf,.... Now follows a thanksgiving for
various blessings bestowedupon this church, which is a proof of the apostle's
greataffectionfor it, and how much its welfare lay at his heart. The objectof
thanksgiving is God, for as he is the author of all mercies, the glory and praise
of them ought to be given to him. The apostle styles him "my God", to
distinguish him from others;and to express his faith of interest in him; and to
observe to this church, that all the goodthings they enjoyed came from him,
who was his God and their God, his Father and their Father; and for which
reasonhe returned thanks to him for them, and by so doing setthem an
example: the persons on whose behalf he gave thanks were not at this time
himself and Sosthenes, but the members of the church at Corinth; and the
continuance of his thankfulness for them, is "always", as oftenas he went to
the throne of grace, or at any other time thought of them: what he
particularly gives thanks to God for in this verse is,
for the grace which is given you by Jesus Christ: and includes all sorts of
grace, adopting, justifying, pardoning, regenerating, and sanctifying grace;
every particular grace ofthe Spirit, as faith, repentance, hope, love, fear,
humility, self-denial, &c. all are gifts of God, and entirely owing to his free
grace, and not to man's free will and power, or to any merits of his; and all
come through the hands of Christ, and are given forth by him, as the
Mediatorof the covenant, and in consequence ofhis blood, righteousness,
sacrifice, andmerit.
Verse 5
That in everything ye are enriched by him,.... This is still a continuation of the
thanksgiving for this church, that they were "enriched", or plentifully and
abundantly provided for by Christ, with all grace, with all the riches of grace;
with his own unsearchable riches, of which they were made partakers, and the

riches of glory, to which they were entitled by him; and all which come to
them through his poverty, which makes his grace in the donation of these
riches the more illustrious: and particularly the apostle is thankful, that they
were enriched by Christ
in all utterance, and in all knowledge;that not only they had the knowledge of
the truths and doctrines of the Gospel, concerning the person, offices, grace,
and righteousness ofChrist in the theory of them, or a speculative notion of
them; but for the most part had a spiritual experimental knowledge ofthese
things; and many of them had such large gifts of knowledge, elocution, and
utterance, that they were richly qualified to preachthe Gospelto others;nay,
even had the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, so as to speak with divers
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
MATTHEW HENRY
Of the apostle's thanksgiving to God on their behalf. Paul begins most of his
epistles with thanksgiving to God for his friends and prayer for them. Note,
The best wayof manifesting our affection to our friends is by praying and
giving thanks for them. It is one branch of the communion of saints to give
thanks to God mutually for our gifts, graces,and comforts. He gives thanks, 1.
For their conversionto the faith of Christ: For the grace whichwas given you
through Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:4. He is the greatprocurer and disposer
of the favours of God. Those who are united to him by faith, and made to
partake of his Spirit and merits, are the objects of divine favour. God loves
them, bears them hearty good-will, and bestows on them his fatherly smiles
and blessings. 2. Forthe abundance of their spiritual gifts. This the church of
Corinth was famous for. They did not come behind any of the churches in any
gift, 1 Corinthians 1:7. He specifies utterance and knowledge, 1 Corinthians
1:5. Where God has given these two gifts, he has given greatcapacityfor

usefulness. Many have the flower of utterance that have not the root of
knowledge, andtheir converse is barren. Many have the treasure of
knowledge, andwant utterance to employ it for the goodof others, and then it
is in a manner wrapped up in a napkin. But, where God gives both, a man is
qualified for eminent usefulness. Whenthe church of Corinth was enriched
with all utterance and all knowledge, itwas fit that a large tribute of praise
should be rendered to God, especiallywhen these gifts were a testimony to the
truth of the Christian doctrine, a confirmation of the testimony of Christ
among them, 1 Corinthians 1:6. They were signs and wonders and gifts of the
Holy Ghost, by which God did bear witness to the apostles, both to their
mission and doctrine (Hebrews 2:4), so that the more plentifully they were
poured forth on any church the more full attestationwas given to that
doctrine which was delivered by the apostles, the more confirming evidence
they had of their divine mission. And it is no wonder that when they had such
a foundation for their faith they should live in expectationof the coming of
their Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:7. It is the characterofChristians
that they wait for Christ's secondcoming; all our religion has regard to this:
we believe it, and hope for it, and it is the business of our lives to prepare for
it, if we are Christians indeed. And the more confirmed we are in the
Christian faith the more firm is our belief of our Lord's secondcoming, and
the more earnestour expectationof it.
CHARLES HODGE
Verse 4
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of Godwhich is given
you by Jesus Christ.

Paul expresses his gratitude for the grace of God given to the Corinthians.
The word grace, as just remarked, means favor, and then the blessings of
which that favor is the source;just as we use the word favor sometimes for a
disposition of the mind, and sometimes for gifts; as when we speak of
receiving favors. The latter is the sense ofthe word in this place.
By Christ Jesus, orrather, in Christ Jesus. This limits and explains the kind of
favors to which the apostle refers. He renders thanks for those gifts which
God had bestowedupon them in virtue of their union with Christ. The fruits
of the Spirit are the blessings referred to. These inward spiritual benefits are
as much gifts as health or prosperity, and are, therefore, as properly the
grounds of gratitude. All virtues are graces, gifts ofthe grace ofGod.
Verse 5
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and (in) all
knowledge.
This verse is explanatory of the preceding. Paul gives thanks for the grace
which they had received, i.e. that in every thing they were enriched. In every
thing ( ‫ו‬ ̓ ‫ם‬ ̓ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ́), in every respectthey were richly endowedwith the gifts of
the Spirit. In all utterance and in all knowledge;that is, with all the gifts of
utterance and knowledge. Some were prophets some were teachers, some had
the gift of tongues. These were different forms of the gift of utterance. In all
knowledge, thatis, in every kind and degree of religious knowledge. This
interpretation gives a goodsense, andis the one very generallyadopted. The
word ( ‫ןכ‬ ́ ‫)ען‬ translated utterance, may however be takenin the sense of
doctrine, and the word ( ‫שוכ‬ ͂ ‫̓ף‬ ) translatedknowledge, in the sense of
insight. The meaning would then be, that the church in Corinth was rightly
endowedwith divine truth, and with clearapprehension or understanding of

the doctrines which they had been taught. They were secondto no other
church either as to doctrinal knowledge orspiritual discernment. ‫ןכ‬ ́ ‫ן‬‫,ע‬
according to this view, is the truth preached; ‫וכ‬ ͂ ‫̓ף‬ , the truth apprehended.
— Meyer.
HARRY IRONSIDE
He thanks God for the grace of Godgiven him by Jesus Christ, “that in every
thing,” he says, “ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all
knowledge.”In other words, this Corinthian church was one greatly blessed,
from the standpoint of gifts of the Spirit. There were those among them who
could minister the Word of God most acceptably, there were others who had
the gift of the evangelistwho could go out and carry the messageto the world,
there were some who were gifted as teachers, who could impart spiritual
instruction to their brethren; there were many who had miraculous gifts
(chap. 12). It is a question if there ever was a Christian church more richly
blessedfrom this standpoint than the Corinthian church, and yet it is a
solemn factthat they were very carnal, although so wonderfully endowed.
That leads us to realize that gifts in themselves are not preservative. One may
be very gifted, one may have greatability individually, and yet not necessarily
be walking with God, not necessarilyguided by the Holy Spirit in the use of
His gift. A church may be blessedwith many in its fellowshipupon whom God
has bestowedspecialgifts of the Spirit, but these do not themselves prove that
that church is spiritual above others. We live in a day when there is a very
unhealthy craving for what we may call “the miraculous gifts,” and people
have an idea that if these were more in evidence in the church there would be
more spirituality and more accomplishedfor God. I think the history of the
Corinthian church proves the unsoundness of such reasoning. No church that
I know of has ever exceededthem in the grace of Godin regardto gifts, and
yet they were anything but a truly spiritual church. In the epistle to the
Ephesians a very similar expressionis used to what we have in Corinthians:

“Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ” (4:7). And then he mentions the different gifts that the ascended
Christ has given to the church.
It is grace on God’s part that leads the Holy Spirit to bestow these gifts upon
His people. How much we need to respond to the grace ofGod by holding the
gift in subjection to Himself and not becoming occupied with the gift rather
than with the Giver. The Corinthians became so occupiedwith the gifts that
they all wanted to do miraculous things, and so their eyes were takenoff
Christ and fixed upon manifestations, and they lostthe sweetnessof
communion with Him.
JAMIESON, FAUSSET, BROWN
Verse 4
He puts the causes forpraise and hope among them in the foreground, not to
discourage them by the succeeding reproof, and in order to appealto their
better selves.
my God— (Romans 1:8; Philemon 1:3).
always — (Compare Philemon 1:4).
the grace … given you — (Compare 1 Corinthians 1:7).
by … Christ — literally, “IN Jesus Christ” given you as members in Christ.

Verse 5
utterance — Alford from Menochius translates, “doctrine.” Ye are rich in
preachers or the preaching of the word, and rich in knowledge or
apprehension of it: literally “(the) word (preached).” EnglishVersion (as in 2
Corinthians 8:7) is better: for Paul, purposing presently to dwell on the abuse
of the two gifts on which the Corinthians most prided themselves, utterance
(speech)and knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 3:18; 1
Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 13:1-14:40), previously gains their goodwill
by congratulating them on having those gifts.
The Apparently Ideal Church
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Dr. S. Lewis Johnsonintroduces Paul's longestepistle and the many practical
instructions it contains for the church.
SLJ Institute > Pauls Epistles > 1 Corinthians > The Apparently Ideal Church
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Well, it’s just about time. Let’s open our class with a word of prayer.
[Prayer] Father, we thank Thee for the opportunity again to open the
Scriptures and study them. We thank Thee for the provision that Thou hast
made for us of the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. And we thank Thee for the
way in which the Holy Spirit has used the word of God to give us
enlightenment and then to give us enablement in order to live the life that
Thou wouldst have us to live.
We thank Thee for the assurance ofthe happy conclusionof this presentlife
for all who have believed in our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. We thank Thee
for the hope that we have. We thank Thee for the revelation of Jesus Christ in
the future for which we look. And we ask Lord that in the meantime that our
lives and the lives of our loved ones may be pleasing to Thee.
We pray particularly for those of our families who do not yet know our Lord
and SaviorJesus Christ. We pray that by thy grace Thy wilt touch their
hearts, too, that they may sense their need and the provision that is available
freely for those who believe in Jesus Christ.
We pray for some, Lord, who are ill and sick, and we especiallyremember
them. We pray that by Thy wonderful grace Thou wilt move in their lives in a
physical way, enable them thereby to be pleasing in their lives and useful in
their lives until Thee decreedend of the life of eachone of us.

We give Thee thanks for the blood that was shed on Calvary’s Cross, and we
pray that our studies togethermay exalt him who took our place as our great
covenantalmediator and has won for us a glorious future. We commit this
evening to Thee. We pray Thy blessing upon it in Jesus’name. Amen.
[Message]We are beginning tonight a series of studies in Paul’s letters to the
Corinthians. His first letter, one of the really important epistles of the New
Testament, and I think it’s fair to saythat, exceptfor scatteredpassages here
and there, one that is largely neglectedtoday.
It’s remarkable how many things in this epistle touch the presentlife and
concernof the church of Jesus Christas we know it. I sat down a week ortwo
ago and just listed some things that come up before us in some detail in 1
Corinthians. For example: The nature of the gospel;just precisely what is the
gospel? And that particularly comes up for us in the earlier part of the epistle
and then, of course, in the 15th chapterin which the apostle againtouches
upon the significance ofthe gospel, there, particularly, with the resurrection.
The principles of Scriptural interpretation; how do we come to understand
Scripture? And 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 is probably the leading portion of the
New Testament – not the only portion – but the leading portion of the New
Testamenton Biblical illumination, how we may come to be in the proper
frame of mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Spirit’s Scripture.
The nature and function of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper,
in fact, particularly the Lord’s supper, in that it comes up for specialmention
in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Then the aspects ofchurch discipline that appear
in a number of the chapters in 1 Corinthians – exceedinglyimportant, because
all churches need to know what the Bible says about discipline because so
often those members of our flock stray from the word of God. In fact, as you
know, the Reformers defined the essentialfeatures ofa Christian church as a
group of people who meet regularly in one particular place for the observance

of the ordinances for the ministry of the word of God, and for church
discipline or discipline under the officers of the church. In fact, the Reformers
insisted that if there was not discipline, the practice of discipline, the provision
and practice of it, that one did not have a Christian church.
And so, consequently, you cansee that this is extremely important for a New
Testamentchurch. And we have in the 4th and 5th and 6th chapters, as well
as the 7th for that matter, some important things that have to do with
discipline, marriage, divorce, and remarriage – chapter 7 of the epistle to the
Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 7 is, again, probably the leading passage onthat
topic outside of our Lord’s words which are found in two of our gospels. We
have a chapter or two, more than one, dealing with indifferent things. That is,
certain principles of how we should respond to various types of things that are
not necessarilywrong but may, under certaincircumstances, be wrong.
Eating meat sacrificedto idols is the issue that the apostle talks about, but
that, of course, broadens out into the principle that is found in connection
with it.
We have instruction concerning spiritual gifts. This is probably this most
important epistle on that point. And if you know anything about what has
happened in evangelicalismin recentyears, we have had again a resurgence of
the practice of charismatic gifts, and the claims on the part of many that the
kinds of things that have been going on in charismatic-types of churches are
the things that the apostle is speaking about and that we should practice those
things, too. Well, that’s, again, one of the things that appears in this epistle
more that one place, but particularly in chapters 12, 13, 14, along there. We
have tongues, signs and wonders, prophecy – these are things with which the
church in Corinth was involved and the apostle writes his letter in
understanding of what was going on and in order to correctas well as to
counselwith reference to those manifestations that appeared in the days of the
apostles.

There are aspects ofBiblical eschatology, suchas chapter 15, one of the
greatestofthe chapters on Eschatology. The resurrection, the SecondComing,
the Kingdom of God, the Rapture of the Church, all of those things appear in
1 Corinthians chapter 15, that long and significantchapter. And, of course,
throughout aspects ofthe Christian church itself, its structure, its practice.
Would you have recognized, for example, an early, apostolic Christian church
if you had wanderedinto one and did not really know what you were
wondering into? Would you think that the apostolic church was a church that
had all of the things that the apostles expecteda church to have, or should
they look for other things that are so often so characteristic ofgroups of
people who meet in our day and call themselves Christian churches?
Now, we have many of the things that have to do with the localchurch in 1
Corinthians chapter 5, chapter 11, chapter12, 13, and 14, again with tongues,
signs, wonders, prophecies, and chapter 16 as well. And then one final thing,
and I just listed the things as I satdown in front of my computer screenand
setthem up, checkedthem out with Elder Pryor in order to have some
comments from him, and, incidentally, he added one thing that I had on here
but did not specificallymention. And he said, “Well, what about what the
Scriptures have to say about women?” Well, this, of course, is also a book in
which that subject comes before us in two places, chapter11 and chapter 14.
But one final thing and I think it is extremely important, is the relationship of
the believerto the law. And that is especiallyappropriate for those who think
of themselves as being influenced strongly by the Reformers. And so if you for
example think of your doctrine of God, your doctrine of Christ, your doctrine
of the atonementas being harmonious with the Reformer’s doctrine of those
greattruths, then, of course, you would be interestedin what this book has to
say about the law of Moses with reference to the way in which the Reformers
have often thought of the law of Moses,making the Ten Commandments
applicable to us as the way of Christian living. That comes up, and in a very
significant sectionof chapter9, the question is raised.

So we have lots of issues to think about as we come up, and I hope that in our
studies we’ll be able to solve some of those problems that we’ve referred to,
and, as a result, when we finish our studies, the Lord willing, that we
understand Scripture in a better way.
Now, the subject for tonight touches 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 through
verse 9, which is really part of an introduction. And in order to truly and
properly introduce it, I want to turn overto Acts chapter 18 and read the
accountthat Luke gives us of the founding of the church in Corinth. And so
I’ll read verse 1 through verse 11 of Acts chapter 18. Remember, the apostle is
on his secondmissionaryjourney. He has gone back over the ground of his
first journey, and now he has launched out and has come over from Asia into
Europe. He went to Philippi, then he came down to Athens or to Berea, and
then down to Athens. And now in chapter 18 he moves to Corinth, further
south on the Greek peninsula. And we read in chapter 18 and verse 1,
“After these things Paul departed from Athens, and went down to Corinth;
And he found a certainJew name Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently
come from Italy with his wife Priscilla;(because Claudius had commanded all
the Jews to depart from Rome:) and he came to them.
So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and worked;for by
occupationthey were tentmakers” — or perhaps the term should be thought
of as meaning leatherworkers.
“And he reasonedin the Sabbath – or Synagogue everySabbath, and
persuaded — sought to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paulwas compelledby
the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
But when they opposedhim, and blasphemed, he shook his garments, and said
to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on, I
will go to the Gentiles.’
And he departed from there, and entered the house of a certain man, named
Justus, one who worshipped God, whose house was next door to the
synagogue.
Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believedon the Lord with all his
household; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
Now, the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but
speak, and do not keepsilent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to
hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God
among them.”
But when we think of the Apostle Paul, of course, coming to the city of
Corinth and knowing something about Corinth, there are lots of things that
come to one’s mind. To move, for example, from Athens to Corinth would be
like moving from Boston, Massachusetts, to New York City. Thinking of
Bostonas a more intellectual kind of place and New York City—well, we
know what New York City is like [laughter]. An Englishman has suggested

that it would be like moving from Oxford to London. Well, we know that
Corinth was a city that was characteristic oflicentiousness,debauchery. G.
Campbell Morganhas said, “If Athens was a centerof clouded light, Corinth
was a centerof corrupt life. If Athens was full of idolatry, Corinth was full of
sensuality.” It was kind of like the Vanity Fair of the ancient world.
It was a very important city commercially because ofits location. If you’ll
remember in the Mediterranean Sea and the peninsula of where Greece is,
down into the Peloponnesus inthe southern part, right in the centerof Greece
there is nothing but a little five-mile, approximately, stretch of land that
connects northern Greece with southern Greece. And so consequently, if you
lived in northern Greece andyou wantedto go, in the ancientdays, to Sparta,
which was in the Peloponnesus, thenyou would have to come and cross that
little strip of land, an isthmus.
I’m trying to say “isthmus,” and I’ve tried that so long and [am] so happy to
know, Martha told me, it’s pronounced “ismus.” It’s not “isthmus.” Well,
anyway it was the isthmus, 5 miles wide. A gulf comes in from the east, a gulf
comes in from the west, and all of the trade that came from eastto westtried
to go in that little Saronic and Corinthian Gulf area, in order to escape the
southern part of Greece. To travelaround the cape at the bottom of Greece,
someone has said, would be as dangerous as going around Cape Horn in a
sailing vessel. And so sailors tried to escapeit, and the way that they could
escape it would be to go through the centerand cross overand do that. In fact,
that little cape, which was calledMalia, it was said with reference to it — I’m
told that this was a common saying — that if you’re planning on sailing
around Malia, you need to have your will made first before you try it. So
naturally they attempted to move through and over the isthmus in order to get
from eastto west.

Jesus was the source of grace and enrichment

Jesus was the source of grace and enrichment

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