teaching notes : 1 cor. 1:26 - 1:31
directory

english text
greek text
 
overview
* (review) first moral issue addressed in the book (a lack of unity)
* (review) the discussion covers 1:10 - 4:21 (end of 4)
section outline
1:18 - 2:16 the cross vs. man's "wisdom"
1:18 - 1:25 foolishness of the message
1:26 - 1:31 humble status of the believers
2:1 - 2:5 paul's weakness and humility when he was among them
2:6 - 2:16 the true wisdom of god

status (v.26 - 31)
principle : god will not share his glory and is interested in its full revelation
over and over in scripture, the pattern is that god is motivated by a desire to reveal his glory. this section highlights :
god's unwillingness to bend to man's sinful desire for glory (sinful because it is untrue; all glory is rightfully god's)
god's use of men for his glory
the glory accorded to men who are used by god for his glory
I : 'status' is not a positive quality
god's unwillingness to bend to man's sinful desire for glory (sinful because it is untrue; all glory is rightfully god's)
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
a. human status ('wisdom', 'might', 'nobility') is an impediment to the gospel
1. paul is using the terms in a human sense and is not declaring wisdom (etc) evil... note : he clarifies which type of wisdom he's referring to...'according to the flesh' (he's just finished contrasting the wisdom of the flesh with the wisdom of god)
2. christianity requires a willingness to leave worldly status behind (god requires full submission, i.e. we must lay aside our human glory to follow christ )
this is hard to do and is a big part in the pattern of the rich rejecting the gospel (it requires a willingness to lay down all wealth, and the more you have, the harder that is. consider the gospel pattern of rich vs poor (the rich are always the bad ones...)
easy gospel teaching on how total one's commitment to christ must be...
mat 10:38 and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me
examples of leaving things behind... paul
Phl 3:4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: Phl 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; Phl 3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Phl 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
moses
Hbr 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Hbr 11:25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, Hbr 11:26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
christ...(phil 2)
3. paul states that 'not many' had worldly status...it should be noted that some of the corinthians did have worldly status (etc)
gaius, mentioned in 1:14, may also be the same gaius mentioned in romans 16:23 (most say that romans was written from corinth; if so he was most likely wealthy as he plays 'host to paul and the whole church'.
erastus in romans 16 is most likely the corinthian treasurer as mentioned in romans (an enscription that mentions erastus as treasurer has been found).
sosthenes (v.1) may be the sosthenes in acts 18:17 who was the leader of the synagogue.
crispus (acts 18:8), again the leader of the synagogue, believed.
and there were evidentally enough wealthy believers to cause trouble with love feasts (chapter 11)
but paul makes it clear that these are the minority. (and this seems to be the pattern of the n.t.)

b. application : all humans have value, not only the ones our ranking system affords value to...
1. we treat the rich/famous/beautiful with more respect, consideration, and courtesy. ( put a rich/famous/beautiful person in our company, and watch the grovelling...) james 2:1-5
Jam 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with {an attitude of} personal favoritism.
Jam 2:2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor an in dirty clothes
Jam 2:3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"
Jam 2:4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
Jam 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world {to be} rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?


II : god choose the weak, foolish, and base for his glory
god's use of men for his glory
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.
a. the foolish, weak, base, desipsed, and the things that are not
question : is paul talking about being looked down on because of christ or about being looked down on because of poverty, weakness, etc...? in other words - does this statement apply to all christians specifically (even the wealthy ones with some measure of worldly status) or just to the christians without any shred of worldly status?
answer : i don't know

b. no man may boast before god (if some dare to presently, they will not be able to ultimately)

c. god uses men to further the revelation of his glory

III : god has given true status to us
the glory accorded to men who are used by god for his glory
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
a. we have true status ("you are in christ jesus")
1. who became our wisdom
echoing the conflict in v.18-25 between the wisdom of the world vs the wisdom of god...

2. who became our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption
it seems that paul starts with wisdom since that was such an important trait to them (given the amount of time spent on it here), but then moves to the more important concepts/gifts...
this is where our true status lies - in our innocence before god.
3. god is the only source for status
note : cross reference is jer. 9:23
Jer 9:23 Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; Jer 9:24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.
paul seems to parallel jer. 9:23 with 1:26...
false status is when we attempt to earn status for ourselves
4. example : paul in 2 cor 10

b. we have true status 'by his doing' (v. 30)
1. recognizing that all of our status is 'by his doing' should preclude pride and the errors of human status