1 Corinthians 1:17, commentary and pictures

Christ gave Paul the work of preaching the gospel rather than baptizing, for God does not assign the same work to all but blends varied gifts in one work. He wrote this to believers in Corinth who were dividing into parties around Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, to show that ministers must not become centers of strife because Christ is not divided. Gospel preaching must lift up Christ and his cross and not depend on eloquent speech or worldly wisdom, since trusting in human means empties the cross of its power and hides it from view. Faith is to rest on the power of God and of his Spirit rather than on human skill, for human learning and strength cannot of themselves give knowledge of God or save the soul. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing yet is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God to those who are called, and looking to him lays self-glory in the dust in true humility.

Commission and Corinthian Setting

Christ was the one who sent Paul, and the sending was specifically to preach the gospel rather than to baptize. God does not give everyone the same work to do, but blends the different gifts he entrusts to his servants in his work. The preaching itself was not to be with persuasive eloquence or wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be emptied of its power and made of none effect. Human education, strength, and wisdom cannot by themselves give knowledge of God or make the gospel effective, for that work depends on Christ and on God’s power. The world’s long attempt to find God by its own wisdom failed, and when Christ came that failure was made plain, yet God saves those who believe through the preaching of the cross, though it appears foolish to those who are perishing.

The verse belongs to Paul’s plea that all speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That plea followed contentions reported by those of the house of Chloe, where each was saying I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Ministers are not to be made centers of party strife, for Christ is not divided, and Paul was not crucified for believers nor did they receive baptism in Paul’s name. Cherished envy and strife are the reason for the weakness of the church and prove its members carnal, so that 1 Corinthians 1 stands with chapters 2 and 3 as instruction of greatest importance to all who have entered the Lord’s army.

Paul’s own preaching in weakness, without persuasive words of human wisdom or impressive human speech, demonstrates the verse. He set aside the wisdom he had once trusted and resolved to know Jesus Christ and him crucified, making the crucified Christ the center of his message rather than the world’s wisdom. He studied Scripture in order to preach in the Spirit’s power, so that the hearers’ faith would rest on God’s power rather than on human skill or human wisdom.

Cross Above Human Wisdom

Preaching must center on Christ and his cross rather than on human eloquence, impressive speech, or worldly wisdom, for making those the means empties the cross of its power, obscures it, and can make even precious truth powerless. The commission is to preach the gospel rather than to baptize, and not to preach with persuasive wisdom of words lest the cross be made of none effect. Human eloquence and worldly wisdom are not to displace the word of God, and the chapter with chapters 2 and 3 is to be read with deep interest, prayer, and close study for instruction, reproof, and practice in God's wisdom. True wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption are found in Christ, not in boasting over human ability or learning.

Faith is to rest on God's power and the Spirit's power rather than on human skill or the power of a human preacher, as shown when Paul preached in weakness without persuasive words of human wisdom. The gospel itself is God's power to save, while worldly wisdom and eloquence cannot by themselves save or move hearts. Human education, strength, and worldly wisdom cannot give a person knowledge of God or make the gospel effective, for that work depends on Christ. The world's long attempt to find God by its own wisdom failed, and when Christ came that failure was made plain, yet God saves those who believe through the preaching of the cross.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing and are shaped by worldly wisdom, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called and saved it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. God destroys the wisdom of the wise and brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent, and the foolishness and weakness of God are wiser and stronger than men. Not many wise after the flesh, mighty, or noble are called, but God chooses the foolish, weak, base, and despised, and things which are not, to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in his presence. Believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that he who glories glories in the Lord and in the cross alone. Reliance on human wisdom and eloquence stands in contrast to the cross, though this does not mean practical ability is worthless, but that worldly wisdom cannot bring people to know God.

The cross of Calvary gives the proper level to the human mind, for looking to Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith lays all desire for self-glorification and human exaltation in the dust. Contemplating the cross gives sight of the wonderful provision it has brought to every believer, and rightly seeing God in Christ and Christ in God levels pride. It produces a spirit of self-abasement that promotes lowliness, humbleness of mind, and true humility with no self-exaltation. Cherishing high-mindedness, self-trust, self-sufficiency, and self-complacency dishonors the Maker and will surely be humbled. The Creator of all worlds, the Majesty of heaven rich in heaven's treasure, humbled himself to human nature in meekness and lowliness, clothing divinity with humanity, and though rich became poor that through his poverty believers might be made rich.

Preaching and Holy Living

For education and ministry the verse means that no method or human learning is to crowd out or displace the word of God, which is to be the counselor, for the gospel is not to depend on human eloquence or worldly wisdom that can obscure the power of the cross. God's wisdom stands above human learning, boasting in human ability is warned against, and true wisdom with righteousness, sanctification, and redemption are found in Christ, so the highest education is to understand and know God who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. The purpose of education is to take in light in order to impart light in good works by willing service of spirit, soul, and body, and to be doers of His word fitted for heaven. The chapter where the verse stands, together with chapters 2 and 3, is to be read with deep interest and prayer for understanding and studied closely by ministers and in every church, for much is in it for instruction and reproof, that its truths may be comprehended and put into practice, and ministers must for their soul's sake receive its representation and seek truth by searching the Scriptures with hearts humbled before God.

Truth is to be presented simply as Christ presented it, so as to reach people of every rank and station. True eloquence comes not from ornate or rhetorical speech but from humility, genuine piety, close connection with God, and living knowledge of Christ, which can make even a stammering tongue eloquent and speak with power. Wisdom of words can make precious gospel truth powerless, and truth presented with elaborate or rhetorical wisdom loses its effectiveness when the power of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit's power are absent, for it is the Spirit, not eloquent wording, that makes truth effective.

The verse calls a people being led out and prepared for translation back into right lines of work, to stand as sentinels for God, to labor unitedly, to be willing servants of all, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. It belongs to the plea that all speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, after contentions reported by those of the house of Chloe where each said I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ, teaching that ministers are not to be made centers of party strife, for Christ is not divided and Paul was not crucified for believers nor did they receive baptism in Paul's name. The same experience will be met again, and where self-denial and self-sacrifice are lacking the church will become leavened with selfishness, with some unduly praised and others demerited, and that unsanctified leaven produces spiritual disease. In this time of atonement there is cleansing for heart and mind from all unholy leaven, and the short time left for purification of the soul calls every soul to earnest self-examination, to humble earnest prayer as the remedy for contention and faultfinding and mischief-making, and to more of Christ and less of self.

The cross is made of no effect when Christ's sacrifice is treated as permission to continue in sin, for His sacrifice does not excuse ease or inaction, so believers must work out their salvation, respond to the Holy Spirit, and take seriously what is required of them. Preaching centered on the cross carries an efficacy that can bring people to hear and respond. Faith in the gospel does not rest on persuasive human speech or the power of a human preacher, as seen in those changed from heathenism to Christianity by God, who accepted them as His children and stamped His image on their hearts through the transforming power of His Spirit and grace, and the verse upholds rebuking those who corrupt the pure gospel so they do not lead others astray and the church is warned against enemies of the faith.