Paul was called to be an apostle by the will of God; he addresses them in connection with Sosthenes, a brother who had been converted amongst them, perhaps the chief ruler of the synagogue, who had accused Paul and others before Gallio. If so he was the second chief ruler of the synagogue converted (see Acts 18:8-178And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, 13Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: 15But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. 16And he drave them from the judgment seat. 17Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. (Acts 18:8‑17)). The Assembly of God at Corinth is addressed. The Assembly of God, outwardly expressed at Corinth, may be viewed in two aspects: First, those who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, might compose it; secondly, those who in every place called upon the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord, both their Lord and ours. Thus the Epistle has both a wide and narrow aspect, and is especially adapted as addressed to those who in every place call on the Name of the Lord, — to the wants of the present day. The “sanctified in Christ Jesus” would have a peculiar reference to the state of things at Corinth. For if set apart for God’s holy use, how was it there was so much evil amongst them? Thus they are called back to their primitive standing, and the usual salutation of grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, is given them. Before exposing their faults, he thanks God for the grace given them, and that in everything they were enriched by Jesus Christ, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that they came behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would confirm them unto the end, that they might be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not look at them as to his confidence about them; if he had, he would have had many misgivings; but God was faithful, to preserve them to that day, by whom they had been called unto the fellowship of His Son. Thus they were the Assembly of God; as to their real standing, sanctified in Christ Jesus; as to their profession with all others, they called on the Name of the Lord. As to gifts, they were in every thing enriched; and as to their hope, they were looking for the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus having given them their proper position and privileges, and having thanked God for what he could of them too, the apostle turns to them about the evils manifested amongst them. He besought them by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they all might speak the same thing, and that there might be no schism amongst them. The Name of the Lord Jesus Christ was supreme, and the corrective of all divisions, which must arise in proportion as that Name was forgotten. Thus saints rightly gathered are gathered to the Name of the Lord. He is absent in bodily presence, but as the Queen gathers her Parliament in her name, though absent sometimes herself, so it is with the Lord Jesus. He gathers the saints in His Name, and where two or three are gathered together in His Name, there He is in the midst, Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20). The house of Chloe had told him about them. Human pride and philosophy were creeping in, and men-leaders elevated to heads of schools of thought. Some said, “I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” Was Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for them? Were they baptized in the name of Paul? He thanked God he had only baptized a few of them. Baptism then as now was a bone of contention, and men-leaders were using it for party purposes, as they do now. Paul was not sent to baptize, like the other apostles (Matt. 28:1919Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)), but to preach the gospel. He got his commission directly from heaven; and that gospel brought out in its fullness, as it is afterwards, is the true corrective power to all human wisdom and philosophy that was creeping in. We must remember that Corinth was one of the cities of Greek civilization. Consequently a young Assembly, just separated from the world, was in great danger of this influence. The saints were copying the human wisdom of the Greeks, who had their Platos, and their Socrates’, and Aristotles, as leaders of schools of philosophy. From ver. 18-29, the cross of Christ is pressed on the saints as God’s judgment on all human wisdom and power, saving at the same time those that believed.
Christ Himself in the glory is then exhibited as the wisdom of God (ver. 30, 31), and the Spirit of God come down from heaven as the Revealer and Communicator of this wisdom to vessels of His choice in ch. 2, who wrote it down in Spirit-taught words. The world, as to its wisdom, had been tested all through the Old Testament times, and, by its wisdom; knew not God (ver. 21). Then it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. This was a stumbling block to the Jews, who required a sign, and who were looking for the power of the kingdom, whilst it was foolishness to the Greeks, who sought after wisdom. Where was the power of the kingdom in a crucified man? Where was wisdom in Christ on the cross? Surely it was the weakness of God exhibited, yet stronger than men, and the foolishness of God, yet wiser than men, and we who are the called have found in it the wisdom of God and the power of God. As to their calling, they were to know that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, were called; for God had chosen the foolish, weak, base, despised things of the world, to confound the wise, mighty, and those things which were something. The cross of Christ was thus the leveller and end of all human wisdom and power. Strong and wise flesh was a mere cypher in the light of it. Where are the boasted schools of thought, the most lofty plans of education, the highest seats of learning, in the light of the cross? They all come to an end before God there. Man may set them up afresh. He is setting up what God has judged. Now is the judgment of this world (John 12:3131Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)). The cross proclaims boldly, There is no wisdom in the world? the princes of it have crucified the Lord of glory.
Where is wisdom, then? In a Man up in heaven — in the Person of the Son of God. Of God they were in Christ Jesus. Born of God, as to their nature, they were in Christ Jesus as to their position, given them by redemption, and so no longer in the flesh. Christ on God’s side was made unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that if they would glory they should glory in the Lord. Thus the cross of Christ put an end to all glorying in the flesh. The revelation of Christ in the glory proclaimed that all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption were centered in His person, and consequently outside the earth. If they would glory, let them glory in the Lord.