The Strand Study Bible

Written From Ephesus During Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

I CORINTHIANS 1:5 - 26

1879

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: The promise of CHRIST’S Second Coming (Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21) 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; 1 wait- ing for the coming of our 2 LORD JESUS CHRIST : P The promise of CHRIST’S return (Rapture) (Fulfilled - Rev 4:1) 8 3 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the 4 DAY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST . P 9 5 God is faithful, by whomye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. It is immature for a believer to whine about leadership in the Church 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be per- fectly joined together in the 6 same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are 7 contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of 8 Paul; and I of 9 Apollos; and I of 10 Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but 11 Crispus and 12 Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of

13 Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. Since baptism is not a part of the Gospel, 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: 14 not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to the unsaved world 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish 15 foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the 16 power of God. 19 For it is written, 17 I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to noth- ing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, 18 it pleased God by the foolishness of preach- ing to save them that believe. 22 For the 19 Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a 20 stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, 21 CHRIST the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wis- er than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. it is not a part of salvation (See - I Cor 15:1-4 & Rom 1:16)

1. that is, “looking; watching for” - Mk 13:35-37 & Phil 3:20 & Titus 2:13 2. Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21 (Christ’s Second Coming) 3. I Thess 3:13 4. Fulfilled - Rev 4:1 (Rapture) (See - Phil 1:6,10 & 2:16 & 3:20 & 4:5) 5. Isa 49:7 & I Thess 5:24 6. Rom 12:16 & II Cor 13:11 & Phil 1:27 & 2:2 & 3:16 & 4:2 7. or, “strife” - Gal 5:19-21 8. Acts 18:1 & I Cor 3:4 9. Acts 19:1 10. or, “Peter” - Jn 1:40-42 11. Acts 18:8 12. Acts 19:29 & Rom 16:23 13. I Cor 16:15-17 14. I Cor 2:1-4 15. Acts 17:18 & I Cor 2:14 16. Rom 1:16 17. Quoted from the OT - Isa 29:14 18. Rom 10:14-17 19. Mt 12:38 & 16:1 20. Isa 8:14 & Mt 21:44 & I Pet 2:8 21. or, “the proper presentation of the Gospel of Christ - Rom 1:16 22. Job 32:9

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that 22 not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1:11 When it came to local church matters, Paul was quick to listen to any commonly reported rumor about sin ( For it hath been declared unto me of you ) in Christ’s newfound Jewish/Gentile Church (I Cor 5:1 and I Tim 5:20). 1:14 Had Paul thought baptism was a part of the saving Gospel he would have said so. He did not ( I thank God that I baptized none of you ). Paul never baptized people in order to get them saved. Salvation was a matter of faith in the atoning work of CHRIST (Eph 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). One who was baptized by Paul was no better than one who was baptized by any other (Jn 4:1-2). 1:17 According to the Apostle Paul, baptism was not and is not a part of the saving Gospel ( For Christ sent me not to baptize , but to preach the gospel ). The reason Paul emphasized the preaching of the Gospel and not the rite of baptism is because only the Gospel saves (Rom 1:16, Eph 1:13 and I Cor 15:1,2 a,b, 4 ). The definition of the Gospel, according to I Corinthians 15:1-4, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ plus nothing, minus nothing. It’s not Jesus plus my baptism, or plus my good works, or plus my church affiliation; it’s Jesus only! According to Paul there was only one Gospel that saves ( Gal 1: 6- 7 ), and it was the same Gospel that saved Abraham (Gal 3:6-8 and Jn 8:52-59), Moses and the Israelites (Heb 4:1-2), Isaiah (Rom 10:16), and every other saint in the OT (Mt 13:16-17, Acts 3:20-24 & 7:51-52 & 10:42-43, Heb 11:13-19, I Pet 1:10-12 and Mk 1:4 a,b ), including the thief on the cross (Lk 23:39-43). Interestingly enough, none of these people were ever baptized. To say that the Gospel that Paul received is different than the Gospel Abraham and the OT saints received is to say that there is more than one Gospel. The Scriptures, however, tell us there is only one Gospel. Thus, baptism is simply the wedding ring of salvation. It doesn’t do anything to save us; it just lets everyone know we’re His.