1 Corinthians Chapter 1

Paul calls a divided church back to unity by centering its faith, wisdom, and identity on Christ crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Called into Fellowship

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

No Divisions in Christ

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The Wisdom of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

God Chooses the Lowly

1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul introduces himself by vocation before he addresses the church’s failures. He is “called to be an apostle,” commissioned by Jesus Christ through God’s will. The claim gives the letter authority, yet its grammar leaves no room for self-importance: apostleship is received, not achieved. Paul will speak firmly because the message and congregation entrusted to him are Christ’s.

“Apostle” means an authorized emissary, one sent with a commission. In Paul’s case the title rests on the risen Christ’s call and carries responsibility for founding and guiding churches. It is more specific than the calling shared by every Christian witness. The Corinthians cannot reduce him to one voice in a local popularity contest, yet Paul will use this authority to pull attention away from himself.

The title “Jesus Christ” also places the executed Jesus within Israel’s messianic hope. Before Paul addresses Roman Corinth’s values, his opening grammar locates the church inside God’s purpose fulfilled through the Messiah.

Sosthenes appears beside him as “our brother.” He may be the synagogue ruler beaten before Gallio after Paul’s hearing in Corinth, though the name was common enough that certainty is impossible. What matters in the greeting is his place within the family of faith. The letter does not arrive as the private verdict of an isolated religious celebrity. From its first line, apostolic responsibility and brotherly fellowship stand together—a fitting correction for a church enthralled by distinguished names.