1 Corinthians 1:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Paul opens by giving his credentials to write this epistle. Who teaches in the church? Verse 1 answers by telling us that it is those who are called by God. Paul was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. He never appointed himself; he was called to this office, and in a highly dramatic manner and the New Testament records. God converted him and made him an apostle, and told him from the very outset that not only would he preach the gospel to the Gentiles, but he would suffer terrible persecution at the same time. And Paul was compelled to obey; he was appointed by GodOf course, an apostle was a special person. The term is used generally in the New Testament, but when it refers to the Twelve or shall we call them the Eleven. Paul needed the most significant call, because he was one born out of due time, not with the original disciples, but subsequently called and appointed. When ‘apostle’ is used of this class of person, it means a very special messenger. The word means a person sent from God, one who is sent, and the original apostles were sent from God. Most of them were inspired to speak the word of God authoritatively, or to affirm Scripture. They were attested by signs and wonders and mighty deeds, which they were given by God to do so that people would know they were apostles. They were part of the foundation stage of the church and they passed away. During the time of the apostles the Scriptures were completed. Now we have everything that they were inspired to say, and we have it in written form in the inspired word of God, and that is our authority for everything. So Paul didn't appoint himself: he was called of God – through the will of God. There are no apostles today. This was the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ.So it is with uninspired teachers ever since the apostles: pastors, ministers. They are called of God; they must be called. God must put a great burden in their hearts. But that alone is not enough. Their call must also be attested by the church, by God's people. There must be the inner call. There must be the outer call, and the whole basis of their call is that they will be faithful in teaching only the word of God. So who teaches? In Paul's case he was in that special class of apostle. Subsequently God calls pastors, preachers, but they have to be attested by the church. The church has to agree. Church has to see that they are appointed by God and to sanction them, and then they must preach only the word. So the first verse tells us this at any rate: who teaches? Not anybody teaching what they like, but only those who are appointed to teach God's word.‘And Sosthenes our brother’, possibly the very one who was beaten for the faith in Corinth, 5 to 6 years previously. He now appears to be the secretary of Paul, and he is described as Sosthenes, not an apostle, but ‘our brother’, a noble soul, a great servant of the Lord, but not actually an apostle.