The World’s Wisdom vs the Good News
1:18 to 2:5

At every turn, the background of the Corinthian believers worked against them. One of the greatest threats of all was the continuing influence from pagan mystery religions that they had formerly practiced. For over a thousand years these religions had dominated that part of the world.

The mystery religions have taken many forms, going back thousands of years. Many of the teachings and superstitions they embrace are very widespread. Clearly, all of them are linked together by common teachings. Much evidence indicates that they all are traceable back to a single origin . . . Babylon.³⁹ Every false system of worship has its roots in the mystery religions of Babylon because all false religions started at the Tower of Babel. It represented the first sophisticated, organized counterfeit religion (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dl – The Tower of Babel). Nimrod, grandson of Ham, and great-grandson of Noah, was the patriarchal apostate who organized and directed the building of the tower (see the commentary on Genesis Dm – Let Us Build a City and Make a Name for Ourselves). Part of the whole scheme was the establishment of a false system of religion, a counterfeit to the true worship of ADONAI.

Every false system of religion since that time has philosophical and doctrinal ties to that original apostasy at the Tower of Babel. Why? Because when YHVH judged the people who built it, He scattered them all over the earth (see the commentary on Genesis Dn – Let Us Go Down and Confuse Their Language). They took with them the seeds of false wisdom that had begun in Babel. The Babylonian heresy is alive even today, and according to Revelation 17:5, it will dominate the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Dd – I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup Filled with the Filth of Her Adultries). There the apostle John describes a blasphemous woman clothed in purple and scarlet as Babylon, the mother of harlots, the one with whom kings of the earth committed fornication, the one who will be full of the names of blasphemy.

Obviously, in a sophisticated trade center like Corinth, they knew about, and practiced, every variety of mystery religion. Like false religions today, these sects had sophisticated rites and rituals that included baptismal regeneration, sacrifices for sin, feasting, and fasts. Those who practiced mystery religions mutilated and beat themselves. They believed in pilgrimages , public confession, offerings, religious washings, and doing penance to pay for sins.

But perhaps nothing was more characteristic of the mystery religions than what they called ecstasy. Those who practiced mystery religions sought to cultivate a magical, sensuous communion with the divine. They would do almost anything to get themselves into a semiconscious, hallucinatory, hypnotic, or orgasmic spell in which they believed they were sensually in contact with the deity. Some used wine to assist in the euphoric experience, as Paul implied in Ephesians 5:28, “Don’t get drunk with wine, because it makes you lose control. Instead, keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Whether from literal intoxication, or emotional exhilaration, when worshipers fell into a state of ecstasy, it was as if they had been drugged. They assumed they were in union with God!

In other words, the worshiper would get into a state where his mind would go into neutral and his emotions would take over. The intellect and conscience would give way to passion, sentiment, and emotion. This was ecstasy, an intoxicating condition of euphoria. As the mystery worshiper experienced such ecstasy, he was lifted above the level of his ordinary experience and into an abnormal sense of consciousness. He experienced an exhilarating condition in which he believed his body ceased being a hindrance to his soul. This would allow him to commune with the spirit world. In that state, a person supposedly had the ability to see and understand things that only the eyes of the spirit could understand.⁴⁰ Thus, there is little doubt that various practices, rituals, attitudes, and other hangovers from the mystery religions had infiltrated the Corinthian church and were competing with the clear, sober message of the Good News concerning Yeshua Messiah.

A Faulty View of the Good News
1:18 to 3:4

The mention of the cross in 1:17 introduces a long section on a faulty view of the Good News. Basically, the Corinthians needed a renewal of their minds (Romans 12:2). They were trying to live their lives as believers on the basis of worldly wisdom which is self-centered. This kind of life is self-seeking, self-serving, and ultimately, self-destructive (Luke 9:24-25).

The World’s Wisdom vs the Good News (1:18 to 2:5): Here we find a contrast between the foolishness of mankind, which they think is wisdom (Greek: sophia), and the wisdom of God, which they think is foolishness. The contrast is between God’s true wisdom and man’s supposed wisdom, between God’s supposed foolishness and mankind’s true foolishness.³⁵ Thus, Paul says in effect, “So you think the Good News is a form of sophia? How foolish can you get? Look at the message; it is based on the story of a crucified Messiah. Who in the name of wisdom would have dreamed that up? Only ADONAI is so wise as to be so foolish. Furthermore, look at the recipients. Yourselves! Who in the name of wisdom would have chosen you to be the new people of God (1:26-31)? Finally, remember my own preaching. Who in the name of wisdom would have come in such weakness? Yet, look at the results (2:1-5).³⁶

We have all known someone who said that they were wise, only to be a pain in the neck. So, what’s the difference between someone who is truly wise, and just a wise-guy? I suppose I could list a dozen things or more. But one thing is true in every case. Wise people know how to use their intelligence to serve others and to help those around them. Wise-guys are for themselves. They use their intelligence to manipulate and to destroy.

In this section, Paul addressed those in the church at Corinth who claimed to be wise. They used their “wisdom” to divide the church and to promote themselves. These people took pride in worldly wisdom. They had not trusted in worldly wisdom for their salvation initially, but they had begun to emphasize worldly wisdom over the Good News itself. In their pursuit of wisdom, they had become arrogant wise-guys. Their so-called wisdom was worthless.³⁷

True Wisdom and the Spirit of God (2:6 to 3:4): Whereas false, human, worldly wisdom is a great hindrance to the Good News, true, divine wisdom flows from the Good News. To believers, to those who are called, Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom (1:24). Mature (Greek: teleios) can mean perfect, or complete in all its parts, but it can also mean going through the stages to reach an end-goal. Here, Paul uses this term in the same way it is used in other forms by the writer to the Hebrews (6:1 and 10:14) to refer to salvation. Those who are mature are those who are redeemed and are completely trusting in Yeshua Messiah. Paul is not saying that he speaks God’s wisdom only when he is with believers who are advanced in the faith, but only when he is with believers in the faith – the saved. To all others it is a stumbling block or foolishness (1:23). Obviously some believers are better taught, and some more obedient to God’s wisdom and the leading of the Spirit than others. But for every believer, in all His wisdom and insight, He has made known to us his secret plan, which by His own will, He designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah (Ephesians 1:8-9). While those who reject Messiah hear His Good News as foolishness, to believers it as wisdom – the wisdom of the Spirit of God.³⁸

Splits and Division in the Church at Corinth
1: 10-17

Splits and division in the Church at Corinth DIG: What tensions threatened this church? Who was Apollos? What might each group have found to boast about their favorite teacher? How does Paul address these divisions? What facts about Yeshua are important for a church facing internal problems? How is the cross of Messiah divisive in our world today? How is it a stumbling block and foolishness for people today?

REFLECT: Why do you think divisions have always been a problem among God’s people? What does it mean to be “called to be God’s holy people?” How should this work against divisions in the church? Can you detect any splits or divisions in your place of worship? What are you doing personally to make the place where you worship warmer and loving? Who has been a “hero” of the faith for you? What from his or her life do you want to build into your own?

We are all responsible to protect the unity of the Church.

As if the believers in Corinth didn’t face enough challenges outside the church, it wasn’t long before the problems inside the church started to rear their ugly heads. This was a church in crisis. A war was going on for its very soul. Its very existence was threatened, so much so that its founder and first pastor, Paul, wrote three letters to correct and confront the compromises and corruptions within. Two of these have been preserved in his two letters to the Corinthians. The first issue that Paul confronted head-on had devastated this young church. He addressed the age-old problem of divisions in the church. Paul did not randomly decide to tackle this one first. He understood the principle that, in spiritual warfare, just as in military warfare, “united we stand; divided we fall.” There was no way this young church could withstand the cultural corruptions assailing it from the outside if the church members were not united on the inside.²⁴

The Plea (A common purpose and common love): Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose (1:10). This is the tenth reference to Messiah in the first ten verses, leaving no doubt as to the One Paul believed should be the source of Corinthian unity. His plea was for harmony, not the elimination of diversity. He desired a unity of all the parts, like a quilt of various colors blended together in a balanced whole.²⁵ So, what was the problem being addressed here? A careful reading indicates that at least four issues were involved.

1. There was quarreling and divisiveness among them, with various teachers as rallying points. This is evidenced by several explicit statements (1:10-12, 3:3-4 and 21), plus some indirect statements (3:5-9 and 4:1-2) as to how they should regard these teachers. At the same time, however, there is not the slightest hint that the teachers were quarreling among themselves. Indeed, the fact that Paul twice commends Apollos at the beginning of his letter (3:5-9) and at the end (16:12) suggests the exact opposite. They were no longer speaking with one voice. Their core values had changed.

2. This quarreling was in some way carried out in the name of wisdom. The Greek word group sophia/sophos (wisdom/wise) dominates the discussion throughout Chapters 1-3. Those words are used in a disapproving sense would indicate that this was the Corinthian way of speaking and not Paul’s.

3. Related to these first two issues are the repeated references to the Corinthians boasting (1:29-32, 3:21 and 4:7) and being arrogant (4:6 and 18-19). Their quarrels took the form of boasting in mere humans, apparently in the name of wisdom (3:18-21 and 4:6). The problem, however, probably went much deeper than that because their view of their teachers of wisdom really spoke of their own ego. Yes, they boasted about their great teachers, but in reality, only to boast about themselves.

4. Paul was being attacked by some members of the Corinthian congregation. He is seen defending not only his own past ministry among them (1:16-17, 2:1 to 3:4), but also his present relationship to them, since Paul was being judged by them (4:1-21). Given the clear statement that some were angry with Paul when he didn’t come to visit (4:18), plus proudly taking the side of one leader (apparently Apollos in 4:6) against another (probably Paul), it seems likely that the quarreling over their leaders was not just for Apollos or Peter, but decidedly against Paul at the same time.²⁶

The Parties (Loyalty to Men): But instead of unity, the fabric of this church was coming apart at the seams. Chloe’s household has made it known to me, my brothers, that there are quarrels among you. Chloe’s household was probably a prominent family in the church who wrote to Paul or visited him in Ephesus with the troubling news. I say this because one of you says, “I follow Sha’ul”; another says, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Kefa (Peter)”; while still another says, “I follow the Messiah” (1:11-12)! The Good News had been perverted into a cult of “fan clubs,” rather than clearly defined doctrinal differences. The tone in First Corinthians is quite different from that in Galatians where Paul opposes the Judaizers (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers?).

Human nature enjoys following human leaders. Instead of emphasizing the message of the Word, the Corinthians emphasized the messenger.²⁷ These were the great teachers of the early congregations of God, around whom people gathered, and through whom they were given the Good News. People clung to the man who had evangelized and taught them, and then pitted their “fan club” against the “fan clubs” loyal to the other leaders.²⁸

Paul had ministered in Corinth for a year-and-a-half (Acts 18:11). Therefore, the Paul group felt very special because they had been converted under the preaching of the apostle himself. And those whom he had baptized wore that fact as a badge of distinction. They probably formed to counter the other groups who were judging him. They affirmed his special role as father, planter, and builder of the community.

When Paul left for Ephesus, he sent Apollos to be the second pastor. Those of the Apollos group were probably drawn to his powerful preaching (see the commentary on Acts Cf – Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos). He was a learned Jew from Alexandria, Egypt. Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria had a strong Greek culture. Thus, his background was very different from Paul’s, and many of the Corinthians probably felt more comfortable around him. It is important to note that Paul does not criticize Apollos; but instead, takes the Corinthians to task for their causing dissension within the church.

Evidently a group of Jews had been saved under Peter’s (Kefa’s) ministry. There is no indication that Peter ever visited Corinth; however, he was undoubtedly looked up to by these Jewish believers because of his identity with the Messianic congregation in Jerusalem. Members of this group were not likely to be comfortable with the church members who had been converted out of paganism and who paid no attention to Jewish customs.²⁹

A fourth “fan club,” probably the most self-righteous, seemed to think that they were more spiritual than the others and had a special claim on Messiah. They had the right name, but it is clear from Paul’s accusation that they didn’t have the right spirit. Perhaps, like some “Messiah only fan clubs” today, they felt they had no need for human teaching – despite the Lord’s specific provision and appointment of human preachers, teachers, and other leaders in His Body (First Corinthians 1:1, 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; Second Timothy 1:11, etc).

The inevitable result of these “fan clubs” is contention, quarrels, wrangling, and disputes – a divided church. It is natural to have special affection for the person who led us to Messiah, for a Messianic rabbi or pastor who fed us from the Word for many years, for a capable Shabbat school or Sunday school teacher, or for an elder or deacon who has counseled and consoled us. But such affection becomes misguided and carnal when it is allowed to segregate us from others where we worship, or to poison our loyalty to the other leaders.³⁰

The Principle (Oneness in Messiah): Paul’s indignation explodes in a series of questions: Has the Messiah been split in pieces? Was it Sha’ul who was put to death on a stake for you? Paul reminds his followers that he didn’t die for them. Nor were they immersed in his name. Were you immersed into the name of Sha’ul (1:13)? The B’rit Chadashah makes it plain that immersion is performed in the name of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19). This formula was often abbreviated as immersion in the name of Yeshua Messiah (Acts 2:39 and 19:5). Nowhere in the B’rit Chadashah is anyone immersed in the name of an apostle or church leader.³¹ The central principle of Paul’s argument is that believers are one in Messiah and should never do anything that disrupts or destroys that unity. No human leader, no matter how gifted and effective, should have the loyalty that belongs only to the Lord.³²

The Priority (Preaching the Good News): The mention of immersion seems to distract Paul momentarily from the issue of splits and division in the church at Corinth. He gives thanks that he immersed none of them except some of his early converts. Until the church grew, Paul did some of the immersing. I thank God that I didn’t immerse any of you except Crispus (Acts 18:8) and Gaius (Acts 19:29, 20:4; Romans 16:23). Just as Yeshua didn’t immerse people (John 4:1-2), so both Peter (Acts 10:48) and Paul allowed their associates to immerse new converts. Paul does not belittle immersion as something unimportant, but downplays the role of the one who performs it. He realized the danger of his creating a cult from those he personally immersed, “Otherwise, someone might say that you were indeed immersed into my name” (1:14-15). It is wrong to identify anyone’s name with your immersion other than the name of Yeshua Messiah. Given Paul’s year-and-a-half in Corinth, one could not expect him to remember all of the specific details about what he did. But Paul suddenly remembered, “Oh yes, I did also immerse Stephanas (16:15-17) and his household; beyond that, I can’t remember whether I immersed anyone else” (1:16). This comment gives an interesting insight into the inspiration of Scripture. As an apostle writing the Word of God, Paul made no errors; but he was not omniscient. YHVH protected His apostles from error in order to protect His Word from error. But Paul didn’t know everything about God, or even about himself, and was careful never to make such a claim. He knew what ADONAI revealed – things he had no way of knowing on his own. What he could know on his own, he was prone to forget. He was one of us.³³

Another reason for Paul’s immersing so few converts was that his primary calling lay elsewhere: For the Messiah did not send me to immerse but to proclaim the Good News – and to do it without relying on “wisdom” that consists of mere rhetoric, so as not to rob the Messiah’s cross of its power (1:17). He was not sent to start a cult of people immersed by him. Yeshua had personally called him, “For this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:16b-18).

We need to focus on what we have in common, not our differences. Paul tells us: So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding (Rom 14:19). As believers, we share one Lord, one Body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one love (Romans 12:4-5). We share the same salvation, the same life, and the same future – factors far more important than any differences we could number. There are the issues, not our personal differences, that we should concentrate on.

We must remember that it was ADONAI who chose to give us different personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value and enjoy those differences, not merely tolerate them. YHVH wants unity, not uniformity. But for unity’s sake we must never let differences divide us. We must stay focused on what matters most – learning to love each other as Messiah has loved us, and fulfilling God’s purposes for each of us and His Church. Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues, things that the Bible calls arguments over opinions (Romans 14:1). When we focus on personalities, preferences, interpretations, styles, or methods, division is inevitable. But if we concentrate on loving each other and fulfilling God’s purposes, harmony results.³⁴

Dear Awesome Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your great love which welcomes all who follow you into Your family. Thank You that You do not make some of us slaves and some Your children, but rather You call all who love and follow You Your children (John 1:12). Praise Your gracious chesed love which you extend to all no matter their looks nor the color of skin, nor amount of money they have. For you are all sons of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua – there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua (Gal 3:26 and 28). What matters is the heart of love for You as Lord and Savior (Rom 10:9-10).

May all who follow You as their Lord, seek to bless the one unified Body which Messiah has created (Ephesians 2:15) and which is a temple of the one and true living God. Let unity be more important than pride which causes division, for we are all members together of one Body. In Him the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple for the Lord. In Him, you also are being built together into God’s dwelling place in the Ruach (Ephesians 2:21-22). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Causes of Division in the Church at Corinth
1:18 to 4:13

The problem that Paul addresses at the outset of his letter is probably the best known of them all. Additionally, because of our own experience with the Visual Church being divided into different denominations, and especially because we have sometimes also experienced painfully destructive quarrels within the church in various ways, we instinctively feel ourselves immediately in touch with their problems.

A careful reading of 1:18 to 4:13 indicates that there were at least four issues involved.

1. There was quarreling and divisiveness among them, with their various teachers as rallying points.

2. This quarreling was in some way being carried out in the name of “sophia,” or “wisdom.”

3. Related to these first two items are the repeated references to the Corinthians “boasting” (1:29-31, 3:21 and 4:7), and being “puffed up” (4:6 and 18-19).

4. Apart from the personal application to himself and Apollos (3:5-23), the rest of the response has a decidedly apologetic ring to it, in which Paul is defending not only his own past ministry among them (1:16-17 and 2:1 to 3:4), but also his present relationship to them, since they seemed to be “judging” him (4:1-21).

Therefore, in a more profound way than is sometimes recognized, this opening issue is the most crucial in the letter, not because their “quarrels” were the most significant problem in the church, but because the nature of this particular strife had as its root cause a faulty theology, in which they had exchanged the theology of the cross for an immature boastfulness that went beyond, if not excluded, the cross.

In Paul’s argument with them, therefore, three areas need to be addressed:

1. A Faulty View of the Good News – 1:18 to 3:4 (Al)

2. A Faulty View of God’s Shepherds – 3:5 to 4:5 (As)

3. A Faulty View of God’s Gifts – 4:6-13 (Ax)²³

Divisions in the Church at Corinth
1:10 to 4:21

The Corinthian church had many serious problems, one of which was being split into factions (1:10). After Apollos had ministered in Corinth for a time, some of the believers developed a special loyalty to him. Friction began to develop between them and those who were loyal to Paul. Others were loyal to Peter (Cephas, his Aramaic name) and still another group identified itself as belonging only to Messiah. The apostle strongly rebuked all of them for quarreling and having such immature and unspiritual divisions (to see link click Aj – Splits and Division in the Church at Corinth).

Their most serious problem, however, was in not detaching themselves from the worldly ways of the culture around them. They could not understand, and perhaps did not want to understand, the principle of: Do not love the world or the things of the world (First John 2:15). They could not get “decorinthianized.” In his previous “lost letter” (see Ag – Founding of the Church at Corinth), Paul specifically had warned them not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality (5:9). Some of the Corinthians thought he meant for them not to associate with unbelievers who were immoral. But the sexually corrupt, the covetous, swindling, and idolatrous people to whom Paul referred to where fellow church members who refused to give up, or had fallen back into, the debauched life-style of Corinth (5:9-11). The faithful believers were not to associate with such as those. Such wicked believers were, in fact, to be put out of the fellowship in order to purify the church (5:13).

Like many believers today, the Corinthian believers had great difficulty in not mimicking the unbelieving and corrupt society around them. They usually managed to stay a little higher than the world morally, but they were moving downward, in the same direction as the world. You can’t swim in the toilet and come up smelling like a rose! They wanted to be in God’s Kingdom while keeping one foot in the kingdom of this world. They wanted to have the blessings of the new life, but hung on to the pleasures of the old. They wanted to have what they thought was the best of both worlds, but Paul warned them that that was impossible (6:9-10). The Corinthians had gotten their principles confused. They continued to openly associate with arrogant and sinful church members, with whom they should have broken fellowship. And, on the other hand, they mimicked, but refused to associate with their unbelieving neighbors, to whom they should have been witnessing.²²

Grace and Peace
1: 1-9

As one who speaks with authority DIG: Why might Paul stress that he is an emissary? Who was Sosthenes? What do you imagine happened to him since then? What is significant about how Paul addresses this church? Why does Paul thank God for the very things that are now a source of the problems he will have to address? How does Yeshua enable you to hold out until the end and thus be blameless on the Day of our Lord Yeshua? What does it mean to be “set apart by Messiah and called to be God’s holy people?”

REFLECT: Have you ever struggled to make the right choices? Are you ever tempted to make the wrong choices? Have you had issues in your life that you have had to deal with? Do you sometimes feel confused or have doubts about God or the Bible? Have you ever felt spiritually inadequate or inferior? Do you feel like you have been assaulted by a corrupt culture, or temptations that seem irresistible? Have you ever felt that, as a believer, you’ve failed? Then you have picked the right book! It was written for people like us.

We are set apart by Yeshua Messiah, and called to be God’s holy people.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians followed the customary letter-writing formula of his day. This template typically included the sender’s name and office (or his title), the name of the addressee, a personal greeting to the letter’s intended recipient(s), a wish for personal well-being, the main body of the letter (which in the case of several of Paul’s letters tended to be much longer than the typical letter), a farewell that often included a closing greeting, and well-wished to specific individuals, and sometimes the author’s signature.

Anticipating that portions of his letter would step on the toes of several of his readers, Paul immediately seized the initiative by stating right up front his credentials as an emissary appointed by YHVH. From: Sha’ul, called by God’s will to be an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah). Therefore, his words carried the weight of divine authority (1:1a). Indeed, given the confrontational tone of his letter, Paul puts the readers on notice that his words carried the full endorsement of heaven itself.

And from brother Sosthenes (1:1b). Paul gave Sosthenes a ringing endorsement when he attached his name to his own. And rightly so. Sosthenes had a remarkable resume. He was instrumental in the founding of the Messianic community in Corinth, the story of which went like this: When Paul first entered Corinth during his second of three missionary journeys (see the commentary on Acts Bu – Paul’s Second Missionary Journey), he met Priscilla and her husband Aquila. They became good friends and associates in the tent making business. During his time in Corinth, Paul regularly testified to both Jews and Gentiles that Yeshua is the Messiah (Acts 18:5). The citizens of Corinth were so violently opposed to Paul’s preaching that they were going to beat him up. ADONAI had to assure him, “Don’t be afraid, but speak right up, and don’t stop, because I am with you. No one will succeed in harming you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10). This was a clear indication that there were a number of Corinthians who would receive Messiah in response to Paul’s preaching.

Paul might have been assured that no one would attack him, but Sosthenes was not so fortunate. When Paul was put on public trial for his preaching, a riot broke out. In an instant, Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, was seized by the bloodthirsty mob and beaten senseless (see the commentary on Acts Cc – Many Respond to the Good News in Corinth). But Sosthenes later became a believer and Paul’s “brother” in the Lord. By adding the name of Sosthenes to his letter, Paul put the full weight of his partnership with this recognized and respected leader in the Messianic community at Corinth.¹⁴

To: God’s Messianic community in Corinth, consisting of those who have been set apart by Yeshua the Messiah and called to be God’s holy people – along with everyone everywhere (this refutes the view that Paul’s letters, since they were written to a specific congregation, do not apply to us today) who calls on the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, their Lord as well as ours (1:2). The Corinthians, in their recognition of Isra’el’s God and Isra’el’s Messiah, were to serve in the midst of pagans as a testimony and a witness of His awesome power.

Believers are set apart (sanctified) for YHVH, just as the utensils in the Temple. But precisely because we are set apart for God, we must also bear the character of God who has set us apart. Paul’s concept of holiness regularly involves observable behavior. That will be especially true in this letter, which is addressed to a congregation who is “talking the talk,” but not “walking the walk.” When Paul applies this language to the Corinthians, he is echoing God’s call to Isra’el. This is the first of many times in the letter where Paul implicitly addresses and describes the believers at Corinth – a predominantly Gentile group – as members of the covenant people of God. Therefore, whatever their background, they were now caught up into the story of God’s people . . . Isra’el.¹⁵ Is it not the same for us today?

Before Paul took the Corinthians to task for their failures as believers, he carefully and lovingly reminded them that they were believers. They belonged to ADONAI and to each other in a far-reaching fellowship. That in itself should have been a rebuke to them, and no doubt pierced the consciences of those who were the least bit spiritually sensitive. In 1:2-9 Paul summarizes their position and their blessings as believers in Yeshua Messiah, as children of God. It’s as if he were saying, “Look at what you are! Look at what you have!” Only then does he say: Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose (1:10).¹⁶

Consistent with the letter-writing formula of his day, Paul next inserted a warm, friendly greeting to his readers: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father. However, unlike the typical letter writers of his day, Paul highlighted two unique words: grace and shalom. Paul’s greeting is widely and correctly recognized to include a combination of traditional Greek and Jewish terms. Normally, Greek letters of that time only included the salutation chairein, or “greetings,” which Paul replaced with the similar sounding chairs, or grace. He then attached to this eirene, or peace, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the TaNaKh) equivalent of shalom. And the Lord (Greek: kurios) Yeshua the Messiah (1:3). The declaration of Yeshua Messiah, Isra’el’s King, as kurios, would have separated the Corinthian believers from those who would insist that Caesar was the world’s lord.¹⁷

Grace: This is a great word for all believers. It resembles the usual Greek greeting, but there is a world of difference between “greetings” (Greek: chairein) and grace (Greek: charis). By using the word grace, Paul reminded his readers that they were the recipients of God’s undeserved, unearned, and unlimited favor, which He gives abundantly to every believer. So central was grace to Paul’s personal experience that he used it 87 times in his 13 letters. Personally, Paul never lost the wonder of a holy God who loved, forgave, and blessed a sinner like himself. He wanted the believers in Corinth to experience the same thing.

Peace (Shalom): Shalom speaks of the practical result of God’s grace in our lives. Peace is the usual Hebrew greeting. But the Hebrew shalom means more than “peace” does in English. It doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of strife, but the presence of positive blessings. It implies the prosperity of the whole person, especially his spiritual prosperity.¹⁸ Shalom transcends our circumstances and is anchored in our intimate relationship with ADONAI. That is God’s shalom, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7a), the shalom conferred upon the Corinthian believers, and upon us as well.

Past benefits of grace: Paul recognized that in spite of the problems that he would have to address in his letter, the Corinthians were still people who had experienced the spiritual blessings of ADONAI. Thus, Paul said: I thank my God always for you because of God’s love and kindness given to you through the Messiah Yeshua . . . indeed, the testimony about the Messiah has become firmly established in you (1:4 and 6). In other words, they weren’t the same people anymore. Their old ways of life, marred by the sinful choices that they had regrettably made, no longer existed. They, who were dead because of their sins and acts of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1), were made alive (15:22). They had been given a brand-new life, a brand-new start, so much so that it was like being born all over again. Their many sins – past, present, and future – were then removed from them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). YHVH had buried their sins in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). Ha’Shem even went so far as to say: I, yes I, am the One who blots out your offenses for My own sake; I will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25). Now that’s grace!¹⁹

Present benefits of grace: Their problem was not that they lacked spiritual gifts. Paul told them that they had been enriched by God in so many ways, particularly in power of speech, depth of knowledge. As a result, they were not lacking any spiritual gift (1:5 and 7a). Their problem was how those gifts should function and how to discern the true gifts from the false ones. This was especially true regarding the gift of tongues. The Corinthian believers of the first century were not unique. Believers today face similar problems. We are saved and have the Ruach Ha’Kodesh as a guarantee (Second Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14). We have certain spiritual gifts, but we struggle with the flesh (see the commentary on Romans Cb – The Inner Conflict). No spiritual gift can guarantee that we win the struggle once-and-for-all in this life. The only way we can win consistently is to walk by the Ruach, and then we will not carry out the desires of the flesh (see the commentary on Galatians Bv – Walk by the Ruach, and Not the Desires of the Flesh).²⁰

Future benefits of grace: They were eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, which would enable them to hold out until the end and thus be blameless on the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (1:7b-8). ADONAI’s grace not only provides past and present benefits, but also future benefits. God has saved us by His grace; He presently empowers us with gifts of His grace, and He guarantees the final fulfillment of His grace. The best is yet to come. We are grateful for past grace, we seek to be responsible in using present grace, but our greatest joy is looking forward to future grace.

The Greek word apekdechomenous (eagerly awaiting) means to wait with eager anticipation, and also activity. It is not idle, passive waiting, as when sitting on a street corner waiting for a bus. It involves working while we wait and watch and hope. We know that ADONAI takes care of His own. We wait eagerly, but not anxiously. We live in a hopeless world, and often we cannot help grieving for it, just as Yeshua grieved over Jerusalem (John 13:34). But the world’s hopelessness does not steal our joy, or our hope. We can say with Paul, “And this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me” (Second Timothy 1:12). That Day is the revelation of Yeshua Messiah where He will be clearly seen in all His blazing glory (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).

We look for the coming of our Lord for at least five reasons:

First, it means Messiah’s exaltation: That Day will bring His long awaited and eternally deserved exaltation. Yeshua will finally be crowned: Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:14). He has been generally neglected, humiliated, despised and rejected for over 2,000 years since His First Coming. However, His Second Coming will end all that, for at that time every knee will bow – in heaven, on earth and under the earth – and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is ADONAI (Phil 2:10-11a). He will not come the second time to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28), but in His full glory and honor and majesty (see the commentary on Revelation Ce – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David Has Triumphed).

Second, it means Satan’s defeat: Messiah’s return will bring the Adversary’s final defeat, humiliation, and punishment, which he deserves, just as Yeshua deserves, and will then receive, His exaltation. The Serpent will no longer be the ruler of this world (John 14:30), or the Ruler of the Powers of the Air (Ephesians 2:2). He will be bound for a thousand years, released for a little while, then chained and thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity (see the commentary on Revelation Fm – Satan Will Be Released from His Prison and Will Go Out to Deceive the Nations).

Third, it means justice for the martyrs: The Lord’s return will bring retribution against all who have persecuted and afflicted God’s faithful people. In his vision of the seal judgments, John saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been put to death for proclaiming the Word of God, that is, for bearing witness. They cried out in a loud voice, “Sovereign Ruler, Ha’Kadosh, the True One, how long will it be before you judge the people living on the earth and avenge our blood (see the commentary on Revelation Cp – The Fifth Seal: I Saw Those Who Had Been Slain)? Vengeance belongs to Ha’Shem (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19), and when the Son returns, YHVH will exercise that vengeance – long deserved and delayed. For it is justice for God to pay back trouble to those who are troubling you, and to give rest along with us to you who are being troubled, when the Lord Yeshua is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (Second Thessalonians 1:6-7). They fully deserve it.

Fourth, it means judgment for those who have rejected Messiah: Yeshua’s return will mean judgment for all who have rejected Him. John wrote: Next I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books according to what they had done (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). The Lord is coming to judge those who have rejected Him, for they deserve it.

Dear Awesome Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your great love and justice. Your awesome love welcomes all who come to You as their Lord and Savior. Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Your justice bends over backwards to offer salvation to all who repent and turn to You. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Yet if someone chooses to not love You but to love themselves the most – then You will give them what they have chosen – wrath and eternal separation. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).

Please bring circumstances and friends into the lives of my friends and family who do not yet love you as their Lord. May a friend share with them about your great love. May they see how awful things are getting in this world and recognize their need to turn to God for His love and help. Please remind them that this world will soon be over and the choice of heaven or hell can only be made before death and is a forever choice!  It is appointed for men to die once, and after this judgment (Hebrews 9:27). This world’s pleasures are but a vapor and the next world’s pain is eternal. Help us to know how to share about you with our family and friends. You are worthy of all worship! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Fifth, it means heaven for those who have accepted Messiah: For all those who have believed in the Lord Yeshua Messiah, His coming will mean heaven for all eternity. Unlike Satan’s defeat, justice for martyrs, and judgment for those who have rejected Messiah, our gift of heaven will be totally undeserved. That is because we are under God’s grace. In ourselves, we deserve the same fate as they received; but in Messiah we are granted forgiveness, redemption, holiness and everlasting life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer) in the presence of the unfading glory of our Lord.

When Yeshua returns He will enable them to hold out until the end and thus be blameless before His heavenly Father. When we enter heaven, we will not have all our sins and shortcomings flashed before us for everyone to see, as we sometimes hear in popular theology. For there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with Messiah Yeshua (Romans 8:1). Messiah will announce before the eternal throne of God that we are now counted as being blameless.

We are sure of His grace – past, present, and future – because God is trustworthy: it was He who called you into fellowship with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord (1:9). When ADONAI calls someone to salvation, He is faithful to that call. As a result, our future glory at Messiah’s appearing is certain, for those whom He thus determined in advance, He also called; and those whom He called, He also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom He caused to be considered righteous He also glorified (Romans 8:30)! If He called us when we were lost and wretched, He surely will not cease to be faithful to that call now that we have come into fellowship with His Son. We entered the Kingdom by grace and we will be kept in the Kingdom by grace.²¹

Founding of the Church at Corinth

The city of Ancient Corinth was an important center within the Eastern Roman Empire for the First Century AD. While there had been previous settlement during the more classical Greek period several centuries earlier, in the time of Paul’s writing, Corinth was a relatively new city, in contrast to its neighbor Athens. It had actually been leveled by the Roman consul Lucius Mummius in 146 BC, but was reestablished in 44 BC by Julius Caesar, being populated with many freedmen from Italy, who had intermingled with the local Greeks and Easterners. The colony was named for its new founder as Colonia Laus Julia Corinthiensis. By 27 AD Corinth had become the administrative capital of the province of Achaia. The city of Corinth was important on the same level of cities such as Alexandria, and to some degree, even Rome itself.

Corinth was located on the narrow isthmus (3.5 miles or 5.5 kilometers) connecting the Greek Peloponnesus to the mainland, and sat at the base of the 1,886 foot high Acrocorinth. Corinth had two principal harbors: Cenchrea to the east and Lechaion to the west. Goods were often transported overland to continue sea voyages. And small ships could actually be transported across fully loaded. Corinth was located in a strategic point for the First Century Mediterranean, given how sea voyages around Southern Greece could be very dangerous. Population estimates for the time of Paul’s writing First Corinthians have been estimated anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 or more. Thus, Corinth, being a major center of commerce connecting the Eastern and Western Roman Empire, attracted many people from far and wide.¹¹

Paul first came to Corinth on his second missionary journey (see the commentary on Acts Bu – Paul’s Second Missionary Journey). Upon arriving in Corinth, he met Priscilla and Aquila, Jews who had been driven out of Rome, and who were, like himself, tentmakers. They would become two of Paul’s most trusted ministry friends. He stayed with them for a while and began to preach regularly in the synagogue every Sabbath. Silas and Timothy joined him from Macedonia, and, as Paul’s preaching intensified, so did resistance to his message. Soon, however, many Corinthians, including Jews, began to believe in Messiah. Even Crispus, leader of the synagogue, along with his household, trusted in the Lord (Acts 18:8).

Paul continued to minister in Corinth for a year-and-a-half (Acts 18:11). Jewish opposition became so strong that he was brought before a Roman tribunal. Since the charges were purely political, however, the proconsul, Gallio, refused to hear the case. After staying a while longer, Paul left Corinth with Pricilla and Aquila and went to Ephesus. There, he received a disheartening report of the distressing goings-on in the Corinthian congregation. As the founder of the church, in 55 AD Paul felt compelled to write them a rather pointed letter in which he took on their many issues head-on. First Corinthians represents Paul’s best attempt to confront and correct their problems, heal their divisions, and answer their questions.¹² Then, leaving his friends in Ephesus, he returned to Palestine (Acts 18:12-22).

The second leader of the Corinthian church was Apollos. An eloquent Jewish convert from Alexandria, Egypt, Apollos had come to Ephesus and begun preaching while Priscilla and Aquila were there. Although he had a thorough knowledge of the TaNaKh, he had some doctrinal deficiencies, which Priscilla and Aquila were instrumental in correcting. When he wanted to preach in Achaia, the Ephesian church not only encouraged him, but gave him a letter of commendation, and he began ministering in Corinth as its next pastor (Acts 18:24 to 19:1).

Sometime between Paul’s leaving Corinth and his writing what we call First Corinthians, Paul had written the church another letter: In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality (5:9), commonly referred to as “the lost letter.” It too was corrective in nature.¹³

Religious Influences in Corinth

Corinth was a religious melting pot with older and new religions flourishing side by side. Apollo, Aphrodite/Venus, Asclepius, Athena, Athena Chalinitus, Demeter and Kore, Dionysus, Ephesian Artemis, Hera Acraea, Hermes/Mercury, Jupiter Capitolinus, Poseidon/Neptune, Tyche, Fortuna and Zeus were the gods and cults celebrated by the Corinthians. Some welcomed the religious stimulus that strange new gods provided (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Cb – An Unknown God in Athens), since they offered new ways of experimenting with their religion and worship. Most people could accommodate all gods and goddesses into their religious behavior, and they could choose from a great cafeteria line of religious practices. Many believed that there was safety in numbers: the more gods that one appeased and had on one’s side, the better. Roman officials did not police private worship and acted only when religious behavior was perceived as disturbing the peace and security they so zealously guarded.

Paul’s opening comments in Romans (see the commentary on Romans Ak – The Pagan Gentile) imply that Jewish and Gentile believers were different from the dominant pagan culture because of their religious intolerance of other gods and their rigorous standards regarding sexual conduct. As a result, they were labeled “atheists” because they refused to join in the worship and sacrificial meals offered to local, traditional gods and in their great festivals that quickened local pride, or to help polish the city’s image as loyal to the emperor by taking part in the imperial cult. This irritated their neighbors to no end. Believers may also have been seen as strange because they themselves had no temples. They met in private homes (or rented assembly halls) at night, greeted each other with a holy kiss, and consumed the body and blood of One who was crucified by Roman authorities in a remote part of the empire. Believers also had no particular national identity and consequently had not established political ties with the Romans. Any denial of the imperial cult would have made them particularly vulnerable and politically suspect.

The most important religious influence in Corinth at that time was the imperial cult, which worshiped political power as divine. Religious ceremony and political authority were inseparable. Thus, the establishment of a federal cult in Corinth was a matter of great political, social, and financial importance for the colony. The cult was the incarnation of Roman ideology on Greek soil and tended to raise the prestige of the city. In addition to the Isthmian games, celebrated every two and four years, the Corinthians celebrated the emperor’s birthday every year. This required an overt display of reverence for the imperial house and the performing of sacrifices and participating in festivals and feasts. In fact, the citizens of Corinth were expected to sacrifice on altars outside their homes as the cult procession passed by.

Paul’s proclamation that Yeshua alone is Lord (8:5-6) directly challenged the imperial cult. Lord Yeshua was a different kind of “emperor,” “savior,” and “son of God” than Caesar. The problem for some was that this Lord Yeshua offered no actual political favors in this worldly realm. Thus, one cannot avoid the impression that the main obstacle which hindered the progress of the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9 and 23, 22:4, 24:14 and 22), and the force which could have drawn new believers back to conformity with the prevailing paganism, was the public worship of the emperors. It was not necessarily a change of heart that might drag a convert back into paganism, but the overwhelming pressure to conform imposed by the institutions of his city and the activities of his neighbors. At a later time and in a different place, Pliny the Younger, the Roman magistrate, used the imperial cult to determine whether people were believers or not. If they were willing to deny their Lord and sacrifice incense to a statue of a living emperor, they were not believers.⁹

This raises the question of how someone like Erastus, whom Paul identifies in Romans 16:23 as the city treasurer of Corinth and therefore a man of prominence and high political office, could cope with the pagan trappings of his office. How could someone with this role have carried out his civic duties and maintained his social and political connections as a practicing believer? The wealthier members of the Corinthian church would have faced enormous social pressure to conform to religious expectations, particularly those related to the imperial cult, if they were to advance or preserve their place in society. This problem was the source of much of the tension between Paul and the wealthier members in the church at Corinth. This background information may shed light on Paul’s discussion on the issue of food sacrificed to idols, and why it would have been so problematic for many in the church.¹⁰

Social Relations in Corinth

This letter should be read against the background of Corinth as a city saturated with Roman cultural values. It was a miniature version of Rome itself, and it fostered the majesty of Roman culture, religion, and values. The official language and coinage was Latin. The religious focal point of the Corinthian forum was the temple at the west end dedicated to the imperial family. It was of Roman construction and towered over all the other temples as an ever present symbol of the dominant imperial presence.

When Paul came to Corinth to begin his ministry, the city teemed with commerce as the vital link between its eastern provinces, attracting traders from everywhere in the empire. Throngs attended the Isthmian games. A building boom occurred between the reigns of Augustus and Nero, making Corinth arguably the most dazzling and modern city of the Roman provinces. Many inhabitants were so affluent that wealth and brazen displays became the hallmark of Corinth, which contrasted with the relative poverty of the surrounding countryside of Achaia. The Greeks tried as best they could to preserve their traditional culture; however, the Corinthians indulged in new attitudes and ways of life fueled by new wealth and unrestrained by ancestral tradition. As a result, the province and its capital were in many respects worlds apart. Corinth rose in status as a Roman colony, while the surrounding areas tied to the Greek past decreased in status.

This letter should be read against the background of a mercantile society, where the citizens valued trade, business, profit in the pursuit of success above everything else. These values fed the zeal to attain public status, to promote one’s own honor, and to secure power. The culture was drunk with the marks of social advancement and status. The result was a wild scramble for prestige and wealth. Schmoozing, massaging a superior’s ego, rubbing shoulders with the powerful, pulling strings, scratching each other’s back, and dragging rivals’ names through the mud – all describe what was required to attain success in this society. Possessing wealth cleared the path for social climbing because it enabled one to buy friends and clients through extravagant spending and win power and influence.

The implications of this backdrop for understanding the problems that beset the Corinthian church should not be underestimated. Few believers could have been unscathed by the dominant culture that surrounded them. Most, if not all, of the problems that Paul addresses were hatched from the influence of this setting. Values that opposed the message of the cross – particularly those related to honor and status so basic to the Greco-Roman social system, in which power displaying itself in ruthlessness and self-advancement as thought to be the only sensible course – infected the Corinthian church, destroying its fellowship and witness as some members sought to balance worldly values with godly values.

Secular wisdom – which reflected the code of conduct of the social elites, who jostled one another for power, prestige, and popularity – had its hold on members of the church. Its worldly values played havoc on Paul’s attempt to build a community based on love, selflessness, and the equal worth of every member. Corinthian society was riddled by competitive individualism, and this spirit spilled over into the relationships in the church as wealthier members competed for followers. Socially arrogant and self-important people appear to have dominated the church. It is likely that they flaunted their symbols of status, wisdom, influence, and family pedigree, and looked down on others of lesser status. They appear to have wanted to preserve the social barriers that permeated their social world, but were at odds with the cross of Messiah. Sadly, for some, the church in Corinth had become merely another area to compete for status.

The conflicting factions within the church did not revolve around the fine points of theology, but developed between rival leading figures who may have been the hosts of different house churches. Paul does not address specifically the theology of the factions but condemns the fact that the Corinthians were aligning themselves along party lines and around specific people, who apparently developed and encouraged personality cults. These unnamed individuals in the church were likely to be wealthier and influential, and were unduly influenced by worldly wisdom. Those who provided homes for worship were most likely the culprits. They could exert more influence in their home than in a neutral meeting place. Because they ranked higher socially, and because the group met on their home turf, they could control worship practices and even doctrine. As such, they would be looked upon by others as examples to follow.

The spirit of the world (2:12) is synonymous with the world’s wisdom (1:20 and 3:19). Thus, it was the destructive influence of the world’s wisdom on members of the church that laid behind most of the problems that Paul addresses in the letter. It, not some imagined theological dispute swirling around Peter, Apollos, or Paul sparked off the rivalries ripping apart the fellowship. It is behind the Corinthians’ attraction to flashy displays of knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual gifts. It throws light on why someone pursued a lawsuit against another believer (6:1-11), why some sought to justify eating food sacrificed to idols so they could participate fully in their society (8:1 to 11:1), why the issue of head coverings during worship became a problem (11:2-16), and why some wished to vaunt their spiritual gifts above others (12:1 to 14:40). Paul pictures the church as divided into “haves” and “have-nots” (11:22). Since one needed to affirm one’s wealth and social status to confirm one’s identity in the culture of the day, the “haves” showed no reservations about humiliating the “have-nots” at the meal of the Lord, thus widening the division in the church (11:17-34). These cultural values may shed light on aspects of the man living with his mother-in-law, and the church’s incriminating silence (5:-18).⁶

In understanding the roots of the social problems that plagued the Corinthians, it is helpful to understand the stark contrast between the issues that Paul addresses in First Thessalonians and those in First Corinthians. Although they were founded within months of each other, nothing could be more obvious than their interaction with the pagan world outside the church. Believers in Thessalonica were at odds with the world (First Thessalonians 1:6, 2:2 and 14-16, 3:3), and had a sense of alienation and hostility toward it (First Thessalonians 4:5 and 13, 5:7). However, there is no reference to the Corinthian church’s alienation from their surrounding culture in either First or Second Corinthians. Paul contrasts the affliction and dishonor of the apostles with the relative tranquility of the Corinthian believers (First Corinthians 4:9-13, 15:30-32, 16:9). In fact, the Corinthian believers appeared to be getting along quite well with their surrounding pagan society. Paul could envision them participating in the dining rooms of pagan temples (8:10) and being invited to share in meals in the homes of unbelievers (10:27). Unbelievers dropped into worship services (14:24-25). And some members of the church used the civil court system to bring lawsuits against other believers (6:1-8). Apparently, they had no problem about being married to a pagan society that was inherently hostile to the wisdom of the cross. In Corinth, no cultural impact, so central to the preaching of the Good News (1:18-25) is evident. Their faith hadn’t created any significant social or moral realignment in their lives. They faced little or no social ostracism, and this lack of external pressure contributed to their internal conflict.

Paul was intent on evangelizing unbelievers and preaching the Gospel (9:19-23; 10:32-33), but he viewed the world as a dark place in need of evangelizing, and emphasized that bad company ruins good character (15:33). His instance throughout the letter is that the church is holy and set apart (1:2) from a world doomed to be destroyed, would not have been necessary in Thessalonica. Therefore, the Corinthian believers were not a cohesive community – but a club – whose meetings provided important moments of spiritual insight, but had no impact on their city or culture. They gladly participated in the church as one aspect of their lives. They compartmentalized. The church was not the core of their lives; thus, they could remain fully integrated in Corinthian society.⁷

The problem was not that the church was in Corinth; the problem was that too much of Corinth was in the church. Paul sought to disarm the warring factions, to bolster the sense of their common union in Messiah, and to widen the boundaries between the church and its surrounding culture. He sought to reform their values so that they lived in a manner consistent with the cross, and to make them aware that God’s measure of judgment was the only thing that mattered. Paul showed that he had personally abandoned his concern for social status because the message of the cross makes it detestable. In fact, Ha’Shem has already made that judgment known in the death and resurrection of Messiah, with the result that the world can be divided into those who are being saved and those who are perishing.⁸

Glossary

Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary, the: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Ariel: lion of God, fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Israel.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Christians commonly call it the New Testament.

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty.” It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Church vs church: When I use the capital letter “C” for Church, I am talking about the invisible, universal Church made up of all believers in the world; when I use the lower case “c” for church, I am talking about the local assembly of believers.

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: The Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” is used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Grace: Receiving what we don’t deserve.

Hag ha’Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are rules governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat chametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20).

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Korban: A sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the law wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see Mark 7:11).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. The Pharisees later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Tziyon).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Mercy: Not getting what we deserve.

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): A commandment from God. Another, more modern, meaning is “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6).

Moshe: Moses.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the book of Esther.

Qumran: The documents which were discovered at Khirbet Qumran on the Dead Sea and frequently known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Replacement Theology: The belief that the Gentile Church has replaced the Jews as “the true Isra’el” or “the new Isra’el” (see the commentary on Acts Ag – Replacement Theology and Acts).

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shalom: Shalom speaks of the practical result of God’s grace in our lives. Peace is the usual Hebrew greeting. But the Hebrew shalom means more than “peace” does in English. It doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of strife, but the presence of positive blessings. It implies the prosperity of the whole person, especially his spiritual prosperity. Shalom transcends our circumstances and is anchored in our intimate relationship with ADONAI. That is God’s shalom, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7a). It is also a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha’Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshiping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Tabernacle, the: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudim (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law); includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for “Torah”, N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha’Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

First Corinthians from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To Jerry Hombs, good friend and fellow believer. “Mama” would be proud of you.

There is something about a letter. Something personal, yet remote; something intimate, yet formal; something urgent and unavoidable, yet much easier to deal with than a finger in the face. And, if you were a frequent traveler throughout the known world of some two thousand years ago, it could also be just about your only reliable form of communication with those you loved when you could not be there in person. If you were also a teacher, a guidance counselor, and a spiritual leader for the people in several separate congregations, you might have to depend on letters even more. For all those reasons, Paul’s letters to the church he founded in Corinth are among the most fascinating in the Bible. But they are also hugely instructive, not only for what they tell us about basic theology, but also for what they tell us about ourselves. Yet in spite of that, people sometimes claim that the Bible is no longer relevant today. They claim that we have somehow “moved beyond” any kind of meaningful application to our lives here in the twenty-first century. But on the contrary, Paul’s letters to the Corinthians make it so very plain, though many things have changed in the last twenty centuries, the nature of mankind and the main function of letter-writing have not. If people are messing things up, and you have something you really need to say, and if you want to make sure the folks on the other end will get the point, you need to write it down!¹

Author and Date: Paul is acknowledged as the author both by the letter itself (1:1-2 and 16:21), and by the early church fathers. His authorship was attested by Clement of Rome as early as 96 AD, and today practically all interpreters of the B’rit Chadashah agree. The letter was written in 55 AD (see the commentary on Galatians Ae – Dates of Books in the B’rit Chadashah), toward the close of Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus 16:5-9. It is clear from his reference to staying in Ephesus until Shavu’ot (16:8) that he intended to remain there somewhat less than a year when he wrote First Corinthians.

Occasion and Purposes: Paul had received information from several sources concerning the conditions existing in the church at Corinth. Some members of the household of Chloe had informed him of the factions that had developed in the church (1:11). There were three people – Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus – who had come to Paul in Ephesus to make some contribution to his ministry (16:17), but whether these were the ones from Chloe’s household is unclear.

Some of those who had come to Paul in Ephesus had brought disturbing news concerning blatant sin and divisions in the church at Corinth (Chapters 5 and 6). Immorality plagued the Corinthian congregation almost from the beginning. It is apparent that Paul had written them previously concerning moral laxness: In my earlier letter I wrote you are not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality (5:9). But because the Corinthian believers didn’t fully grasp what he was saying, Paul found it necessary to clarify his instruction (5:10-11) and to urge immediate and drastic action (5:3-5 and 13).²

Other Corinthian visitors to Ephesus had brought a letter from the church that requested counsel on several different issues (7:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 16:1). Dispatching, receiving, and responding to practical and theological matters were Jewish means of properly ordering the affairs of Jewish faith communities. First Corinthians is in keeping with common rabbinic responsa literature, or written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to such questions. The letter addresses a wide spectrum of issues and has long been considered as the casebook for pastoral theology. Paul’s rabbinic background was clearly the basis to his responses on the issues raised by members of the congregation.

Jewish values regarding sex, marriage, and the adjudication of claims between disputants form part of the foundation of Rabbi Sha’ul’s letter, but clearly something new had had an impact on his Jewish world and worldview: He had experienced Yeshua (see the commentary on Acts Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah). His experience , and the congregation’s experience, made room for Messiah’s presence, requiring the rabbi to note the problems and possibilities when they came together. But human and spiritual differences aside, love and acceptability are always the most important thing to keep in mind.³

It was clear that although the church was gifted (1:4-7), it was immature and unspiritual (3:1-4). Paul’s purposes for writing were: (1) to instruct and restore the church in its areas of weakness, correcting divisions (1:10 to 4:21), immorality (5:1-13; 6:12-20), litigation in pagan courts (6:1-8), and abuse of the meal of the Lord (11:17-34); (2) to correct false teaching concerning the resurrection (15:1-58); (3) to answer questions addressed to Paul in the letter that had been brought to him earlier (5:9); and perhaps also (4) to call the church to obedience in the light of a growing challenge to Paul’s authority – an issue that would provide the immediate context for Second Corinthians.

Relevance: This letter continues to be timely for the Church today, both to instruct and inspire. Believers are still powerfully influenced by their cultural environment, and most of the questions and problems that confronted the church at Corinth are still very much with us – problems like immaturity, instability, divisions, jealousy and envy, lawsuits, marital difficulties, sexual immorality and the misuse of spiritual gifts. Yet, in spite of these many problems, Paul’s letter contains some of the most familiar and beloved chapters in the entire Bible, Chapter 13 on love, and Chapter 15 on the resurrection.⁴

The Use of the Complete Jewish Bible: Because I am writing this commentary on the book of First Corinthians from a Jewish perspective, I will be using the Complete Jewish Bible unless otherwise indicated.

The use of ADONAI: Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no syllables. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir.

The use of TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than using Old Testament saints:
Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this commentary.

Keys to First Corinthians:

The Key Idea: Correction of Carnal Living. The basic theme of the letter is the application of Godly principles to carnal living in the individual as well as the church. The Good News is designed to transform the lives of believers and make them different as people and as a corporate body from the surrounding world. However, the Corinthians were destroying their testimony as believers because of immorality and disunity. Paul wrote this letter as his corrective response to the news of problems and divisions among the church in Corinth. It was written to promote a spirit of unity among believers in their relationships and worship. Paul’s concern as their spiritual father (4:14-15) is tempered with love, and wanted to avoid visiting them with a stick (4:21).

The Key Verses: Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach Ha’Kodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; for you were bought at a price. So, use your bodies to glorify God (6:19-20).

Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall! No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure (10:12-13).

Key Chapter: First Corinthians 13. Read at weddings and often the text for sermons, First Corinthians 13 has won the hearts of people throughout the world as the best definition of “love” ever written. Standing in stark contrast to the idea that love is an emotion, that one can fall into and out of love, it clearly reveals that true love is primarily a decision. This is why God so loved the world that He gave His only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed (John 3:16).⁵

Outline of First Corinthians

First Corinthians from a Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

Social Relations in Corinth (Ae)

Religious Influences in Corinth (Af)

Founding of the Church at Corinth (Ag)

I. Grace and Peace – 1:1-9 (Ah)

II. Divisions in the Church at Corinth – 1:10 to 4:21 (Ai)

A. Causes of Division in the Church at Corinth – 1:18 to 4:13 (Aj)

B. Splits and Division in the Church at Corinth – 1:10-17 (Ak)

1. A Faulty View of the Good News – 1:18 to 3:4 (Al)

a. The World’s Wisdom vs the Good News – 1:18 to 2:5 (Am)

1) The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom – 1:18-31 (An)

2) The Cross and the Good News – 2:1-5 (Ao)

b. True Wisdom and the Spirit of God – 2:6 to 3:4 (Ap)

1) The Maturity of the Spiritual Believer – 2:6-16 (Aq)

2) The Immaturity of the Worldly Believer – 3:1-4 (Ar)

2. A Faulty View of God’s Shepherds – 3:5 to 4:5 (As)

a. Only God Makes Things Grow – 3:5-9a (At)

b. God is the Master Builder – 3:9b-17 (Au)

c. God’s Spirit Lives in God’s Temple – 3:18-23 (Av)

d. God’s Shepherds are merely God’s Servants – 4:1-5 (Aw)

3. A Faulty View of the God’s Gifts – 4:6-13 (Ax)

C. Marks of a Spiritual Father – 4:14-21 (Ay)

III. Disorders in the Church at Corinth – 5:1 to 6:20 (Az)

A. Failure to Discipline an Immoral Brother – 5:1-13 (Ba)

B. Failure to Resolve Personal Disputes – 6:1-11 (Bb)

C. Failure to Exercise Sexual Purity – 6:12-20 (Bc)

IV. Difficulties in the Church at Corinth – 7:1 to 14:40 (Bd)

A. Concerning Marriage – 7:1-40 (Be)

1. To Marry or Not to Marry – 7:1-9 (Bf)

2. A Biblical View of Divorce – 7:10-16 (Bg)

3. Grow Where You’re Planted – 7:17-24 (Bh)

4. Reasons for Remaining Single – 7:25-40 (Bi)

B. Concerning Our Freedom in Messiah – 8:1 to 11:1 (Bj)

1. The Limits of Our Freedom in Messiah – 8:1-13 (Bk)

a. Let Love Control Knowledge – 8:1-6 (Bl)

b. The Weaker Brother or Sister – 8:7-13 (Bm)

2. Paul’s Own Example – 9:1-27 (Bn)

a. Laying Aside Rights– 9:1-14 (Bo)

b. Refusing to Use Your Freedom in Messiah – 9:15-27 (Bp)

3. The Danger of Overconfidence – 10:1-22 (Bq)

a. Blessings and Abuses of Freedom in Messiah – 10:1-13 (Br)

b. The Truth About Idolatry – 10:14-22 (Bs)

4. Using Freedom for God’s Glory – 10:23 to 11:1 (Bt)

C. Men and Women in Worship – 11:2 to 14:40 (Bu)

1. Head Coverings in Worship – 11:2-16 (Bv)

a. The Head of a Wife is Her Husband – 11:2-10 (Bw)

b. Man is Born of Women – 11:11-16 (Bx)

2. Issues Surrounding the Lord’s Supper – 11:17-34 (By)

a. The Problem: The Abuse of the Poor – 11:17-22 (Bz)

b. The Problem: The Abuse of the Lord – 11:23-26 (Ca)

c. The Answer: Honor the Body – 11:27-32 (Cb)

d. The Answer: Wait for Each Other – 11:33-34 (Cc)

3. Spiritual Gifts During Worship – 12:1 to 14:40 (Cd)

a. The Pagan Background of Counterfeit Spiritual Gifts (Ce)

b. The Unity and Diversity of Spiritual Gifts – 12:1-31a (Cf)

1) The Source and Testing of Counterfeit Spiritual Gifts – 12:1-3 (Cg)

2) Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts – 12:4-26 (Ch)

a) The Source and Purpose of Spiritual Gifts – 12:4-7 (Ci)

b) The Varieties of Spiritual Gifts – 12:8-11 (Cj)

aa) The Word of Wisdom – 12:8a (Ck)

bb) The Word of Knowledge – 12:8b (Cl)

cc) The Gift of Faith – 12:9a (Cm)

dd) The Gifts of Healing – 12:9b (Cn)

ee) The Effecting of Miracles – 12:10a (Co)

ff) The Gift of Prophecy – 12:10b (Cp)

gg) The Distinguishing of Spirits – 12:10c (Cq)

c) Unified and Diversified – 12:12-19 (Cr)

d) Interdependence, Not Independence – 12:20-31a (Cs)

c. The Priority of Love Over Spiritual Gifts – 12:31b to 13:13 (Ct)

1) The Necessity of Love – 12:31b to 13:3 (Cu)

2) Love is Patient – 13:4a (Cv)

3) Love is Kind – 13:4b (Cw)

4) Love Does Not Envy – 13:4c (Cx)

5) Love Does Not Brag – 13:4d (Cy)

6) Love is Not Proud – 13:4e (Cz)

7) Love is Not Rude – 13:5a (Da)

8) Love is Not Selfish – 13:5b (Db)

9) Love is Not Easily Angered – 13:5c (Dc)

10) Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs – 13:5d (Dd)

11) Love Rejoices in the Truth – 13:6 (De)

12) Love Covers All Things – 13:7a (Df)

13) Love Believes All Things – 13:7b (Dg)

14) Love Hopes All Things – 13:7c (Dh)

15) Love Endures All Things – 13:7d (Di)

d. The Permanence of Love – 13:8-13 (Dj)

e. The Priority of God’s Word over Tongues – 14:1-40 (Dk)

1) The Word that Builds Up – 14:1-5 (Dl)

2) The Truth about Tongues – 14:6-12 (Dm)

3) Pagan Gibberish is Unproductive – 14:13-19 (Dn)

4) Tongues are a Sign – 14:20-28 (Do)

5) Order in Public Worship – 14:29-40 (Dp)

V. The Resurrection of the Dead – 15:1-58 (Dq)

A. The Evidence for Messiah’s Resurrection – 15:1-11 (Dr)

B. The Importance of Messiah’s Resurrection – 15:12-19 (Ds)

C. Messiah: The Firstfruits of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep – 15:20-28 (Dt)

D. Resurrection Incentives – 15:29-34 (Du)

E. Our Resurrection Bodies – 15:35-49 (Dv)

F. The Rapture: Victory Over Death – 15:50-58 (Dw)

G. The Timeline of the Resurrection (Dx)

VI. Dedicated to Giving – 16:1-24 (Dy)

A. Giving to God’s Work – 16:1-4 (Dz)

B. Doing God’s Work – 16:5-12 (Ea)

C. Principles for Powerful Living – 16:13-14 (Eb)

D. Signs of Love in the Fellowship – 16:15-24 (Ec)

End Notes (Ed)

Bibliography (Ee)

First Corinthians,
Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold navy blue and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times, this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Romans, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Great Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Yeshua are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used in the text, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but it’s Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase that you don’t understand see the Glossary (see Ad – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary for bible study. Nothing can be sold © 2021 all rights are reserved by Jay David Mack, M.Div.