Bible Reading

Reflection on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1

Written by

Sen kee

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2 min read

At the beginning of Paul’s epistle to the church in Corinth, he begins his greeting by emphasising his calling by the Lord Jesus Christ as an apostle, urging the believers to recognise that we all share this calling. He seeks to remind us that our faith is not centred on the self but rather collective, rooted in Jesus Christ. 

He swiftly addresses the fact that the Corinthians were rife with division and pride. They boasted allegiance to various leaders, such as Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ. Paul questions them: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?” Their strife and division reflect man’s tendency to prioritise personal differences and grievances over the unifying truth of the gospel. Therefore, Paul’s rejection of sectarianism reminds them, and us, to rise above rivalries and centre our faith on Jesus Christ alone.

Paul goes on to speak about the power and wisdom of God. He says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1: 18). The world and its wisdom may dismiss the idea that salvation is attained through Jesus’ dying on the cross. Although it is perceived as a weakness, Paul argues that this perceived weakness, in light of man’s wisdom, is God’s power. This paradox shows us that God’s wisdom often contradicts our human logic, and it challenges us to reflect on how much we trust the Lord. How much do we trust in Jesus Christ when His will and plan for us seem to go against our plans or what we envision them to be? The cross truly dismantles this pride for “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1st Cor 1: 25).

Lastly, Paul speaks about God using the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong. Very often in our lives, God uses what seems small and insignificant to accomplish His purpose. In John 6:9, a young boy offers his small lunch, which seems insignificant and impossible, yet the Lord Jesus uses it to feed over 5000. God’s strength and wisdom shine through what man considers foolish and weak. 

In a world that exalts pride and division, Paul urges us to be united and humble and to rely on the Lord Jesus. May all glory be given to the Lord.

Related Topics

1 Corinthians

See Also

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

At the point that he wrote Romans 10, Paul likely had a lot of people on his mind.  Some studies estimate that Paul was on his third missionary journey when he wrote Romans, addressing Christians who lived in Rome, where he hoped to visit eventually.  Being on one’s third missionary journey naturally means having gone for a first and second. Indeed, he had.  Unlike some of our church’s missionary journeys today that are limited to one country, Paul’s journeys were peppered across the region of Asia Minor. There were hence many different cities he visited, hundreds or possibly even thousands of believers whom he edified. Not only was Paul’s heart sincere towards these Christians whom he met, Paul also took significant actions for them.  Paul wrote of how he affectionately longed for the members in Philippi (Philippians 1:8-9). To the church in Thessalonica he wrote, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives . For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil…” (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9). Additionally, he explicitly shared that he prays for the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica (2 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).  Paul knew that God had called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), and he set an exemplary example for us of how to be a good shepherd for Christ.  But this was not all. Still, his heart’s desire was for even more people to know our God. In Romans 10:1, Paul writes: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” This is fascinating, especially since Paul had tried to preach the gospel to the Jews previously but was redirected to the Gentiles by God’s hand.  He had done above and beyond what many of us may not even consider attempting with regards to preaching the gospel. And yet zeal to see the Jews saved still compelled him.  This makes me think about our congregation’s heart for evangelism. How often do we channel God’s love for humanity into the action of sharing His word? How much do we burn with desire to see souls saved? Or do we feel languid about our own salvation in the first place? For those of us who yearn to preach but feel helpless that others don’t respond well, we can have our faith renewed with Paul’s perspective. He saw the might and personal efforts of the Lord. ‘But Isaiah is very bold and says: But to Israel he says: Whether to Jew or Gentile, God makes Himself known to them. (See also Romans 1:20; Acts 17:26-27).   In God’s salvation plan, He wants to save all mankind (John 3:16).  Paul saw this unity regardless of race and ethnicity that comes through belief in the one true God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, he saw and was motivated by the blessings that would come to one who followed Christ and submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). Do our cultural prejudices seep into our evangelical work, such that we only share the gospel with people of certain races, ethnic groups, tribal identities, or nationalities?  Have we forgotten the goodness of God, the hope of His calling, the power of God to salvation in His gospel?   In Christ, there is no distinction between the Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Burmese, Iraqi, Austrian, Finnish, the Algonquin people, the Māori, Ghanaian… This year, where will your work of evangelism begin?

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