1 Corinthians 1:1 kjv

Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1 Corinthians 1:1 nkjv

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1 Corinthians 1:1 niv

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

1 Corinthians 1:1 esv

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

1 Corinthians 1:1 nlt

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

1 Corinthians 1 verses

1 Corinthians 1 1 Meaning

The opening verse of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians serves as an authoritative and purposeful salutation. It identifies the author, Paul, as one uniquely designated by divine decree for a specific role. His title, "apostle of Jesus Christ," underscores his direct commission and authority, not by human appointment, but through the deliberate "will of God." The inclusion of Sosthenes as "our brother" signals a collective spiritual fellowship and adds a credible witness to the letter from within the community of believers, setting a tone of shared mission amidst the challenging circumstances within the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 1 1 Context

The letter to the Corinthians addresses a diverse, cosmopolitan, and wealthy city that served as a major commercial hub in the Roman Empire. The culture of Corinth was known for its moral permissiveness and intellectual pride, boasting various philosophical schools that valued eloquent rhetoric and human wisdom. Within this context, the church, founded by Paul during his second missionary journey, grappled with severe internal divisions based on loyalty to specific leaders (Paul, Apollos, Cephas), prevalent immorality (incest, prostitution), legal disputes, and theological misunderstandings regarding spiritual gifts, resurrection, and proper conduct in worship. By immediately stating his divine apostleship "through the will of God," Paul establishes his authoritative voice from the outset, aiming to counter any human-centered challenges to his leadership and teaching, and setting the stage for his subsequent teachings that contrast divine wisdom with human wisdom and call the church to unity in Christ. The inclusion of Sosthenes, potentially the former synagogue ruler mentioned in Acts 18:17, strengthens the connection to Corinth and serves as a reliable co-signatory.

1 Corinthians 1 1 Word analysis

• Paul (Παῦλος - Paulos): Refers to Saul of Tarsus, whose name was changed or adopted as "Paul" (Acts 13:9). He was a highly educated Jewish Pharisee and Roman citizen, who initially persecuted the early Christian church. His dramatic conversion experience (Acts 9) uniquely positioned him as a divinely chosen "apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13). His personal background and miraculous calling lend profound weight to his assertion of apostleship.

• called (κλήτος - klētos): More than a mere invitation, klētos implies a decisive, divine summons or appointment. It signifies a person who has been effectively "called" by God, resulting in a new status and a specific commission. This contrasts sharply with human choice or self-appointment, establishing his authority as entirely God-initiated.

• to be an apostle (ἀπόστολος - apostolos): Derived from apostellō ("to send out"), an apostolos is literally "one sent with a commission." In the New Testament, it signifies a special office held by those who personally saw the resurrected Christ (1 Cor 9:1, 15:8) and were commissioned by Him to spread the Gospel, found churches, and lay down doctrinal foundations. Paul's use of this title immediately asserts his God-given authority, crucial for addressing a church that seemed to question his leadership.

• of Jesus Christ: This phrase defines the sphere and source of Paul's apostleship. His sending agent is Jesus Christ Himself, not any human assembly or decision. This anchors his authority directly in Christology, emphasizing his allegiance and accountability to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

• through (διὰ - dia): This preposition indicates the instrument or mediating agent. It reinforces that Paul's call to apostleship was not achieved by his own merit, effort, or a human intermediary, but entirely by means of divine intervention and divine action.

• the will of God (θελήματος Θεοῦ - thelématos Theou): This phrase profoundly emphasizes divine sovereignty and purpose. Paul's apostleship is directly attributable to God's sovereign determination and purposeful plan. It serves as an emphatic statement against any suggestion that his ministry originated from human desire, persuasion, or agreement, directly addressing potential challenges to his authority and asserting divine authorization. This grounds his instruction firmly in divine wisdom rather than human philosophy.

• and Sosthenes (Σωσθένης - Sosthenēs): A common Greek name. He is likely the Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17 as the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth who was beaten during Paul's ministry there. If this is the same individual, his subsequent conversion and association with Paul underscores the power of the Gospel and provides a credible, locally known figure co-signing the letter, lending additional weight and authenticity to Paul's message in Corinth.

• our brother: This term signifies a spiritual sibling in Christ. Its inclusion highlights shared faith and fellowship between Paul, Sosthenes, and the recipients. For Sosthenes, it denotes his new identity in Christ; for Paul, it frames the context of the letter as one written from shared spiritual kinship, albeit with apostolic authority. The phrase implies a unified voice and communal bond in the spirit of unity that the letter will champion.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Paul, called to be an apostle": This powerful opening establishes Paul’s legitimacy and the divine origin of his unique calling. It’s an immediate declaration of his spiritual authority, setting a tone of earnest address to a contentious church.
  • "an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God": This crucial phrase intertwines Paul’s identity, his commission, and its ultimate source. It underscores that his ministry is Christ-centered, not self-derived, and ordained by God’s deliberate plan, effectively pre-empting any Corinthian arguments questioning his authority or favoring human wisdom over divine truth.
  • "and Sosthenes our brother": The co-signer introduces an element of communal endorsement. Sosthenes' inclusion transforms a singular apostolic voice into a unified address from those within the same spiritual family, providing a sympathetic or familiar name alongside Paul's formidable apostolic authority, suggesting fellowship and common purpose.

1 Corinthians 1 1 Bonus section

Paul's assertion of his divine calling in his introductory greetings, found in most of his letters (e.g., Rom 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1), serves a strategic purpose beyond mere formality. For the Corinthian church, where some undoubtedly challenged his authority or preferred other leaders, this explicit divine mandate functions as an immediate theological defense. It indicates that his teachings, corrections, and admonitions throughout the letter carry the weight of God's own instruction, not personal opinion or human logic. Furthermore, "the will of God" implies not only divine initiative but also divine sustainment and divine purpose, providing a robust counter-argument to the self-appointed spiritual leaders or factions within the church. The co-authorship with Sosthenes (common for letters in this period, even if Paul was the primary penman) not only adds a personal connection but subtly echoes the unity that Paul deeply desires for the fractious Corinthian community, beginning his appeal for solidarity at the very first word of greeting beyond his own name.

1 Corinthians 1 1 Commentary

First Corinthians opens not merely with an identification of the sender but with an assertive declaration of Paul's divine authorization. By emphasizing he is an apostle "through the will of God," Paul strategically positions himself as God's chosen messenger, whose authority transcends human consensus or intellectual fashion, a key point for a Corinthian church prone to intellectual pride and factionalism. His call to apostleship, specifically for Gentiles, was not self-initiated but a sovereign act of God's purpose, empowering him to deliver a divine message rather than human philosophy. The presence of Sosthenes, a probable convert with a known history in Corinth, provides local familiarity and a fellow brother in Christ, reinforcing the unified, Spirit-led nature of the communication to a church deeply fragmented. This verse, therefore, lays a foundational claim to divine authority, crucial for confronting the manifold divisions, ethical lapses, and doctrinal errors prevalent in Corinth, reminding them that true wisdom and authority reside in God's choosing, not in human preference.