Paul makes a scathing rebuke to the Corinthians: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? When Paul puts it like this, it shows how foolish it is to focus on anyone but Jesus. It is very common to attach the name of the person who baptizes the Christians. Some people boast of the person who baptizes them and the places such as Jordan river etc. that’s why the preacher must say that “in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.” Jesus didn’t baptize anyone but allowed his disciples to do this. Similarly Peter and Paul also allowed the converts to baptize new converts. Further Paul puts it plainly that he did not baptize many people except Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas lest the they would have made a bigger party. Crispus had been the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth (Acts 18:8), Gaius was probably the man Paul lived with when he wrote Romans (Rom.16:23). “The household of Stephanas” were the first converts in Achaia and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints (1 Cor.16:15-18). Apparently Paul did not carry with him a record of the names of all the people he baptized. It was sufficient that they were written in God’s book. When Paul said that Christ didn’t send him to baptize, he wasn’t minimizing the importance of baptism. Baptism was commanded by Jesus and practiced by the early church (Acts 2:41). Paul was emphasizing that no one person should do everything. Paul’s gift was preaching and that’s what he did. Christian ministry should be a team effort and no preacher or teacher is a complete link between God and people and no individual can do all that the apostles did. We must be content with the contribution God has given us to make and carry it out wholeheartedly. Yes it is by the mercies of God we have received this ministry (2 Cor.4:1).
Christ is the power and wisdom: (1:18-19):
The message of the Cross is filled with power. It is more than a dynamite. For the un-regenerated people, it was foolishness because the Greeks, scoffed that a Saviour could be crucified. They see it as a foolishness. Butfor the believers, the cross offers a divine power, the only way to come to God, the justification and sanctification. The message of the Cross cuts to the heart of self-centeredness. It is a process began with justification, leading to sanctification, and climaxing to glorification. The message of the Cross is the message of self-renunciation and obedience to God. Even the Lord Jesus Christ went through humiliation and death, but which actually brought not to self-destruction but to preservation (Mk. 8:34-35) and exaltation (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 22:5). Paul saw it as central theme to salvation.
Nothing in this world can match the power of Cross. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ gives every human being a way to save himself by coming to Him and accepting His free gift of Salvation.
The reception of the Gospel demands a simple and childlike mind. But the discoveries of sciences, philosophies confound the minds of intelligent and wise people. In (Isa.29:14), Isaiah makes a point that God’s way of thinking is not like the world’s way (normal human wisdom). God offers eternal life, which the world can never give.
The world cannot give salvation: (1:20-21):
With all its wisdom, the world was not able to find God or salvation. In this present age, man is gaining more and more knowledge but very less wisdom especially about spiritual matters. Man is trying to build civilisation, trying to become a philosopher, trying to moralise on spiritual matters, yet he finds stranger to himself, not knowing what to do. Day-by-day the world is turning away from God and getting stuck into deep sin (Rom.1:18-32). But God saves those who believe Him.
God’s amazing way of Salvation: (1:22-25):
Paul had preached to Jews and Gentiles across the Roman world. He knew that the Jews looked for miraculous signs and the Greeks looked for philosophical wisdom. But God bypassed both ways to make salvation available through a crucified Christ. This message about a crucified Christ was a stumbling block to the Jews, whose idea of the Messiah was far different. And it was foolishness to the Greeks because it seemed contrary to their philosophical systems. But Paul saw that this foolish Gospel was God’s power and wisdom to those Jews and Greeks who were called. Christ is our wisdom and power.
God called one and all: (1:26-29):
If God needs man’s wisdom and glory to select people for salvation, then He would never call the simple Corinthians and of course youand me. In the church at Corinth, not many nobles or worldly-wise people were present. But God still saved them! In fact, God deliberately hides His truth from the wise and prudent and reveals Himself to the humble. Even in the O.T. we find such great examples where God called simple people viz, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David etc. and made them great leaders.
Our sufficiency is in Christ: (1:30-31):
“you are in Christ Jesus” (1:30), and Christ is to every saint all that he or she ever needs. When it comes to spiritual things, we don’t need man’s wisdom or power because we have Christ. He is our redemption, our righteousness, our holiness and wisdom and all. To add anything to Christ or His cross is to diminish Him and His work and rob them of their power.Whenever Christians take their eyes off Christ and start depending on, trusting in, and glorifying man, then they cause divisions. Such divisions rob the church of its power.But we must understand that God is the source of and the reason for our personal and living relationship with Christ. Our union and identification with Christ results in our having God’s wisdom and knowledge and possessing right standing with God.