1 Corinthians - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 2

1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

This is fascinating, and something all those that fill pulpits should heed. The apostle Paul didn't use big fancy words to preach the gospel. He didn't exaggerate a thing. Instead, as we'll find out in the next verse, he just laid out the facts, starting with the most important: Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice, reconciling the world unto Himself. Keep it simple and share the good news of the gospel of God's grace. We are to follow the apostle Paul as he follows Christ (1 Cor 4:16, 11:1).

The Greek for excellency is huperoche, which has the idea of prominence. It literally translates to "hold above." This verse is word for word with the Greek, but I wanted to point that one out.

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

God's word and testimony are the most powerful weapons in our arsenal in this spiritual battle. In fact, His word is the only weapon in our arsenal according to Ephesians 6:11-17. Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God. The Greek there in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17 is rhema instead of the familiar logos that is translated as "word." If our weapon is speaking the word of God, then that should be incentive to know what the gospel of God's grace is. Knowing what it is, we can be the catalyst through which God will remove the snares of the devil on our friends and family by speaking His word to them. God will present those opportunities to share the gospel, so I encourage all to study the scriptures daily with an open and prayerful heart. Know the gospel and your Savior, so when those opportunities arise, you will be ready in season or out of season (2 Tim 4:2).

1 Corinthians 2:3
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

This statement may not seem to make sense at first, because Paul spoke for a relatively long time in Corinth in Acts 18 concerning the gospel of God's grace. We're told he was there for a year in half before moving on. However, when we read the account in Acts 18, it is clear that Paul was in fear and had good reason to be. First, in Acts 18:4, he was persuading those in the synagogue every sabbath day for some time. When his friends in ministry arrived, he was emboldened and taught that Jesus is the Christ (verse 5). Acts 18:5 is another verse where the English doesn't do the Greek justice. Paul was feeling pressure of testifying that Jesus is the Christ, but the Greek word for testifying is more emphatic, having the prefix "dia," indicating that he thoroughly testified Jesus is the Christ.

Now, when I read about Paul in scripture, I know that he would hold nothing back, given the opportunity. in Acts 20, Paul spoke well into the night, causing poor Eutychus to fall out a window from exhaustion. But Paul didn't miss a beat. He went down to Eutychus, fell upon him, and declared he was still alive. Then he ate and went back to speaking until day broke, then went on his way. I would venture to say if Paul didn't need to sleep, he wouldn't bother so that he could keep speaking about the gospel of the grace of God.

Here in 1 Corinthians 2:3 is a bit of a different matter, though. We read in Acts 18 that once Paul thoroughly testified that Jesus is the Christ, much disputing and violence arose in Corinth. If it were not so bad, God would have no reason to tell Paul in a vision, "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." God doesn't mention a lot of the details of what happened, but we can imagine the physical and spiritual turmoil of the hostile environment Paul was preaching in. At some point, Sosthenes was beaten before Gallio (verse 17), who is most likely the same as mentioned in chapter 1 and verse 1 of this epistle. Both of these men endured all of that for the sake of spreading the gospel of the grace of God. It should be no wonder that Paul would then be in weakness and fear while speaking in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 2:4
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

I can only imagine that once Paul saw that vision from God, how encouraged he must have been. Building off of verse 1, he again says that he didn't use words to tickle ears. He didn't make a show of himself. Much rather, he let the Holy Spirit do the job. We'll see the reason in the next verse, which is also something we should take special note of.

The words "speech" and "words" in this verse are both of the root "logos" in the Greek. "Preaching" is the Greek kerugma, which is simply a proclamation without regard to content. This is different than the word "euaggelizo" which is specifically preaching the good news, and where we get our word evangelize from. The word for "enticing" is "peithos," which happens to have the same root of the word most often translated as "faith." The English "enticing" works, but we could also put in "persuasive" there to get the idea. So we understand that Paul's style at Corinth wasn't showy to bring attention to himself. He wasn't trying to scam anyone like some door to door salesmen are forced to do for their products. He didn't have to bring up anecdotes to convince anyone he was right, because he says the Holy Spirit demonstrated that God was with Paul and confirming his words. The word there for power is dunamis in the Greek, so it's the power of ability rather than power of authority. We'll get more into that in chapters 12 and 13, because this is definitely referring to sign gifts that were very much alive at that time. Spoiler alert: these sign gifts are no longer happening today according to the word of God (1 Cor 13:8). Why? Because the word of God is completed (Col 1:25), and that which was known in part is now made "perfect" (1 Cor 13:9-10).

1 Corinthians 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Now, this was done, that Paul would use simple speech to preach the gospel of the grace of God, and that the Holy Spirit demonstrated the truth of the gospel in the power and ability of God in order that the faith of the Corinthians would not be in the wisdom of men, but in God. That makes sense, doesn't it? In order to be saved from sin and death, faith must be placed in God and His power, not just in logical wisdom of men. Faith must be in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to be forgiven all sins, once and for all (Col 2:13). In that moment, the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13) inherits all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3) and is indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit until they join Jesus Christ in Heaven (Eph 1:13-14). None of that can happen simply on the wisdom of men. So I ask, what is your faith in?

Again, the Greek for power in this verse is the root dunamis, which logically makes sense looking back at verse 4. The only other thing I would like to point out in the Greek is the phrase "should not stand." The Greek literally has "may not be" with the verb "to be" in the present subjunctive. It is different than the verb "to stand" which is the root histemi. A minor point as the meaning is clear, I understand, but I am one to maintain the original language when at all possible.

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Notice the change here. Paul and the apostles and prophets of grace do speak wisdom, but who is that to? To them that are perfect. What does that mean? To those who are maturing in Christ, those that are saved individuals. But there is a catch. Paul doesn't just speak anything, and most certainly not the wisdom of this world. He will reveal that in the next verse, but we know he wouldn't waste his time with the things of this world, especially on them that believe. He says all of that comes to nothing anyway, so why bother?

This verse starts off with the Greek "de." The Greek for "perfect" is teleios, which is of the root "telos." It means to have reached a consummation, or come to an end goal with all the results. It's the word used when Jesus spoke to Israel about going through the Tribulation period, and he who endured to the end will be saved (Matt 24:13). It is interesting to point out that the Greek word for "world" both times here is aionos, so it would more accurately be translated "age." There is also a definite article present for it both times so that it reads, "of this the age." Also, the word "that" is referring to the princes (Greek archon) of the age. Paul wouldn't speak of those in authority that are of the world, in other words, of secular authority, because he had his authority from Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12). His authority, message, and apostleship was confirmed, as we just saw in verse 4, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

It should be evident from this context that Paul will speak wisdom to those that are saints, and that he will speak wisdom that doesn't come from carnal man. The wisdom he speaks is from divine origin, as Paul was committed the gospel of the grace of God to carry to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13).

1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Paul answers the thought in verse 6 to confirm that the wisdom he and his company speak is of God in a mystery, which is the hidden wisdom of God. God knew all of this before the foundation of the world. He knew that there would be a time where He would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to go to the cross of Calvary to fulfill all the promises to Israel, that Israel would be concluded in unbelief for a season, and to bring salvation by faith apart from works to the Gentiles. This was the wisdom that Paul would speak, and as we read scripture, Paul was certainly faithful to God's wish for him in Christ (Acts 26:19).

Paul uses the word mystery almost exclusively. Of the 28 times we find it in the New Testament, it is only used 4 times apart from Paul: in Matt 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:19, and Rev 1:20. It should be no surprise that we see this, because Paul was given the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:2-9). It was "kept secret since the world began" (Rom 16:25). But now, how wonderful is it that God told us the whole story that we need through the ministry of the apostle Paul (Col 1:25)? Again, we see the word "world" here is aionon, the plural of aionos which we saw in verse 6. God knew and ordained the dispensation of the grace of God before the ages to our glory, that the church, the Body of Christ, should make known the mystery, the fullness of God's wisdom, even unto the heavenly host (1 Cor 6:3, Eph 3:10). That alone is something worth meditating on for days and weeks.

1 Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Here is another verse with proof that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, or any of the Old Testament could possibly be talking about the dispensation of the grace of God, or of the rapture event, or any other part of the doctrine of the gospel of the uncircumcision in which we live today. None of the rulers of this age knew of the grace God was going to be giving through Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross. Since the flesh is against the Spirit (Gal 5:17), had they known the glory it would bring to God, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ.

Again, the word for "world" here is aionos. There are some definite articles missing: the age and the glory. The word for "known" here is from the root ginosko, the knowledge through experience.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God quotes Himself in Isaiah 64:4 to get His point across. In this context, it is reiterating the point that the princes or rules of the age had no idea what they were doing, because if they did know, they wouldn't have gone through with it. Let's be honest, we wouldn't know either had not God revealed the unsearchable riches of Christ to the apostle Paul to share with the world. What an amazing privilege it is to be living in this dispensation of the grace of God!

This verse is pretty much word for word with the Greek.

1 Corinthians 2:10
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Verses like this make me really appreciate the God we serve. He loved us so much to reveal to us His plan in due season through His Spirit (Titus 1:3). We're about to get a lesson on the spirit in the next couple of verses, but how nice of God to reveal to us how much He loves us. He knew full well that Adam and Eve would eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He knew the only way to fix that would be to send His only begotten Son to shed His blood to cover that sin and the sin of the world. God knew there would be a day that He would get to unveil His plan of reconciliation through Jesus' blood on the cross. Can you imagine how it must have pleased God to look forward to that day? He was willing to go through all of this, to put up with sin and iniquity, because it would result in His creation and souls being saved through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Amazing that He kept it hid for about 4,000 years!

The only thing to note from the Greek is the missing article for the God both times.

1 Corinthians 2:11
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

We were just told by God's inerrant word that the spirit searches all things in the last verse. Here we get to spell that out a bit. Who really knows you best? It's you. No matter what the relationship is, no one knows a person as well as that person, because that knowledge is only in their spirit. Most of it can be made manifest by word, gesture, or other communication, but not all is known. We can apply this to God as well. No one knows the intimate things of God except His Holy Spirit. We're laying the groundwork for something truly amazing coming in the next couple of verses.

The word for "knoweth" in this verse first is the Greek eido, which is the intuitive or perceived knowledge. The second "knoweth" is of the Greek ginosko, the experiential kind of knowledge. This is an important difference to note in the lesson God is about to teach. The beginning of the verse reads a bit different in the Greek as well. Here is a more literal translation with missing articles noted:

For who of mankind perceives the things of the man if not the spirit of the man which is in him? In this manner also the things of the God not one knows if not the Spirit of the God.

1 Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Isn't this awesome to read? For all those that trust in what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross of Calvary, they not only are saved from sin and death, which is a miracle in itself, but the spirit which is of God dwells within them. God's Holy Spirit seals us unto the day of redemption (Eph 1:13-14) and teaches us the things that are freely given of God. He will show us what the bible means because they're all His words and He desires us to know the truth (1 Tim 2:4, 2 Tim 3:16-17).

It may be hard to see in the English, but the verb to know is in the subjunctive in the Greek. It also is the root eido, so we can perceive the things that are granted to us of God. What things are those? All the spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3), the riches of the glory of His inheritance (Eph 1:18), and the full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). One other thing to point out in the Greek is that the word translated as "freely given" is the root charisma, typically translated as grace. So, the challenge then is, are you, as a saint, allowing God to teach you the truth? Are you diligently seeking spiritual knowledge that can only come from God? Or are you quenching the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19)? The choice is ours every day, because God will not take our free will away. God made people, not robots, and people have the choice whom they may serve. God gives us this warning in Romans 6:16, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Seems like an easy choice, but something we can struggle with as our flesh battles against the spirit (Rom 7:22-25).

1 Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

This was Paul's job as the apostle of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:1). He was proclaiming the words given to him by God through Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12). Clearly, these words are spirit and not carnal. They are of God and not of man, because everywhere Paul went, people either received the word or mocked and/or wanted to kill him. We read about that all through Acts after chapter 13 when he was unleashed with the message reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19). If we want to know the spiritual things, the truth of God's word, we need His spirit. It was Paul's job, and all other apostles, to speak those words so those hearing may understand spiritual things.

The Greek only reads differently in the middle of this verse. It more literally says, "not in words (logos) of human-taught wisdom, but in [words] of Spirit-taught. The word "teacheth" is an adjective in the Greek, not a verb. Similar idea, just said a bit differently.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This is why Paul met with such divisiveness when he proclaimed the gospel that was given to him. For those that rejected God, they could not understand what Paul was saying. We see that with the address in Athens in Acts 17, especially in verse 32. The natural man can't understand spiritual things because they are spiritual. The natural man would need a spirit to understand, but that can only come through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ being the atoning work for sin. God wasn't kidding around when He told Adam and Eve that in the day they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they would surely die. They died spiritually that day, and as offspring of Adam and Eve, we inherit what they had: spiritual death and sin. That's why God says that through Adam sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Rom 5:12). The only fix is to revive the spirit, but that can only be done by the Giver of Life (Gen 2:7). That's another reason to see that works on our part to make our way into Heaven are useless. Humans can't fix death, but God can and has through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Paul wasn't the only one that met division. Jesus Christ also did in His earthly ministry. Paul was still Saul of Tarsus at that time and on the other side of the spiritual battle. Note Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus in John 3. We could also look at any encounter with the Jews and religious leaders when Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He would plainly tell them He was the Son of God, but they just wouldn't hear it nor understand it.

The Greek word for "receiveth" is dechomai. It has the idea of receiving by welcoming. This is different than the Greek lambano, which is to take hold of or aggressively receive. Natural man will not welcome the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. The word for "know" here is of the root ginosko.

1 Corinthians 2:15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

In contrast to the natural man not knowing anything spiritual, the one who is spiritual can judge everything. Why? Because the spiritual one is taught the truth of God through the Spirit of God. How can God then say in His inerrant word that the spiritual one is judge of no one? Because it is God who justifies (Rom 8:33). No one can lay any charge against the saint of God, because they have the Spirit of God in them, and God predetermined those who are saints to be holy and without blame before Him in love during this age we live in (Eph 1:4-6, 13-14).

The Greek "de" is translated as "but" and "yet" in this verse. Also there are articles in this verse that drive the meaning. The KJV is pretty accurate, but just for comparison, this the literal interpretation:

Now, the [one] spiritual judges the all things. Now, himself under no one is judging.

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Can anyone question this? Did anyone know what God was thinking before He revealed it to us through Jesus Christ? Of course not. However, now God has made it manifest through Jesus Christ and the gospel given to the apostle Paul, so that the saints of God, the church which is His Body, will show the manifold wisdom of God even to the heavenly host (Eph 3:1-11). No one could have possibly seen this coming since it was hid in God since the world began (Rom 16:25, Eph 3:9, Titus 1:2). But now, anyone who is a saint has the mind of Christ because the Holy Spirit dwells within them. Doesn't that just send an exciting chill down the spine?

The only thing to point out in the Greek is the word "instruct." It is the compound word sumbibazo, made up of syn (together with) and embibazo (board a ship). It has the meaning of causing to stride together, or where we get our phrase "get on board with me". So the question posed in this verse is saying who could be equaled with God's mind to know any of this when God knew it? We were just told that no one know the things of a man save his spirit and the same with God. Of course no one could know, but now we can through the gospel of the grace of God, because saints have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 1

1 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Right away, Paul establishes his authority as an apostle. He lays out the claim that he and his apostleship was commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself. This was all done because it was God's will. These are powerful statements and they are here for a reason. As we study this epistle, we find that there are some in the church at Corinth that question Paul's apostleship. We're also introduced to a man named Sosthenes, who also has spiritual leadership as he is associated with Paul. The very first verse of this epistle is important for us to understand why we should listen to Paul, and it sets the tone for the rest of the letter. As we're going to find out, these believers at Corinth weren't exactly behaving as they ought, and Paul was going to chastise them with the authority given to him from God.

The KJV doesn't quite do the Greek justice here. There's one major difference and one minor one. The major difference is the Greek does not contain the words "to be." It says, "Paul, a called apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother." That's the minor difference: the definite article there. Though I'm calling it a minor difference, I believe it establishes the leadership and authority that Sosthenes had. It is highly probable that Sosthenes here is the same man mentioned in Acts 18:17. We read there that he was the chief ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, and he must have gone through quite the conversion. Read Acts 18:1-4

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

So here we see that Paul continued on in his apostolic journey and came to Corinth, met Aquila and Priscilla and quickly became companions with them, then "reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath." Now bear that in mind as we look down to through verse

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

In this next passage, we see Paul's zeal for his countrymen in desiring them to be saved from sin and death by believing that Jesus is the very Christ (cf Rom 9:1-5). Sadly, they wouldn't hear it, causing Paul to announce for the second time in the book of Acts that he would go unto the Gentiles (vs 6). Notice that he and the believers of Corinth then met in a house that "joined hard" to the synagogue. Can you imagine the tension in that situation? The Jews that opposed and blasphemed were right behind the wall! Praise the Lord that Crispus chose to believe and joined the body of Christ (vs 8), but as we are about to see, it wasn't so with Sosthenes just yet. Verse 11 here gives the overview that the total time Paul was in Corinth was a year and half. Now examine verses 12-17

12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

Verses 12-16 make it clear that a band of Jews couldn't take hearing the truth from the apostle Paul any longer and sought justice. They had the idea that they could do more harm to him by bringing him to a pagan authority. This band of Jews must have been lead by Sosthenes, because after Gallio heard their cause, he was clearly upset, and after saying his peace he "drave them from the judgment seat." Because of the offense, the Greeks, or rather the "all" according to the original language (Greek pantes), definitely those in unbelief of God and Jesus Christ, took Sosthenese and beat him in front of Gallio. God gives witness of Gallio that he "cared for none of those things." Gallio didn't care of the Jewish Law nor of Jesus Christ. Gallio didn't care that they publicly assaulted a leader of the synagogue. All of this, however, must have had a profound impact on Sosthenes. We see him here as leading a band against someone speaking the truth in Christ, going through a traumatic experience, then later on when Paul writes 1 Corinthians, Sosthenes is among the brethren of believers. It goes to show that God can take hold of anyone, anywhere, and we are not to judge the spiritual status of others. We should "plant" and "water" but allow God to bring the increase (1 Cor 3:6).

God's word admonishes us to respect those in authority in the Lord (1 Thess 5:12-13, 1 Tim 5:17-19). Right away, Paul establishes the authority of himself and Sosthenes, and he is going to use their authority to guide the believers in Corinth back to the way they ought to behave. This epistle very much reads like a father lecturing a delinquent child, and we can learn very much on how God would like us to live in this age of His grace.

1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

This verse gives us the audience of this letter. Firstly, it's to the church of God at Corinth. More specifically, it is to those who are saints, having been sanctified in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? How does one become a saint? It's very simple, and depends entirely on where one's faith is at. To be sanctified in Christ Jesus, simply place your faith in what Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross of Calvary. God tells us that Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4). This is the good news by which we are saved, as long as our faith is genuine in the moment of belief (1 Cor 15:1-2).

We hear much about being saved today, so perhaps we should answer the question, saved from what? In the moment of belief of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, we are saved from sin and death. Ever since Genesis 3, sin and death have been in this world and have tainted God's creation (Gen 2:16-17, 3:1-7, Rom 5:12). God's fix for this was to send His Son to complete a work and crush Satan (Gen 3:15).

That work was completed on the cross of Calvary when Jesus declared "it is finished" (John 19:30). However, it wasn't until the apostle Paul was given the message of reconciliation, the gospel of the mystery, that salvation by faith apart from works became known. (Acts 13:2, 38-39, 1 Cor 15:1-4, Eph 2:8-9). From the time of Abraham until Paul was given that message to deliver to the world, the gospel was of the circumcision. It was through the circumcision that the Savior of the world would come, and it was to the circumcision that they would inherit an earthly kingdom. The earthly kingdom and the gospel of the circumcision has been put on hold for a time, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Acts 13, Rom 11:25). This is where we are living today, in the gospel of the uncircumcision as given to Paul, where we are saved by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary (Acts 15, Gal 2, see especially Gal 2:7). It is because of that gospel that all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus may be saved from sin and death. This letter is for all believers everywhere.

As usual there are definite articles not translated. It would be cumbersome in the English, yet I feel the need to point them out so we know where emphasis lies. There is an article denoting the God and the Lord. "The name of Jesus Christ our Lord" is a perfectly good translation. The original language literally reads "the name of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ."

Once more, we find the words "to be" are lacking in the original language. The Greek literally says, "to the church of the God, that being in Corinth, having been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together will all those calling upon the name of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ." Becoming a saint happens the very moment someone places their faith and trust in what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross of Calvary. There is no process, or vote, or any form of approval by man. God says you are a saint when your faith is in Him and what He did for you through Christ. Period. As we explore this epistle, we will see much in how a saint should and should not behave. God identifies believers as saints and encourages us to act like saints every moment of every day. Are you allowing Him to change any behavior that is not becoming of a saint? We'll see how our brothers and sisters in the first century in Corinth responded in this epistle and in 2 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here it is again, the token of Paul. His message was of grace and he unashamedly proclaimed it everywhere he went. We live in the age of grace which God ushered in through Paul, and we see that he makes note of it in all his epistles (2 Thess 3:17-18). These words are so important for us to take to heart as not just another fancy greeting. This is the grace and peace of God, but a day is coming when God will call the Church, which is the Body of Christ, home to be with Him in the air to ever be with Him (1 Thess 1:10, 4:13-18, Titus 2:13). Then it will be judgment and war upon the children of disobedience (Eph 2:1-3, 2 Thess 1:7-10). Let us proclaim the good news of God's grace and peace through Jesus Christ with every breath we're given, for the days are short and full of evil (Eph 5:16).

1 Corinthians 1:4
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

No matter how we feel about other believers, we should echo this sentiment shouldn't we? The miracle that happens when someone puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ is above amazing. Praise the Lord for saving helpless sinners and giving us the gift of life through Jesus Christ. We can thank God every day for this gift and joy, not only in us, but in those around us in faith. Believers often talk about seeing each other again in Heaven. That is only possible by the grace of God which is given us by Jesus Christ. However, we must examine this verse even more carefully.

The Greek is far more emphatic than the English here. First, instead of "on your behalf," the Greek more literally says "concerning you" as the preposition peri is used. Next, the word "for" is the Greek "epi," which more has the idea of "upon." The word "by" is the Greek "en" and means "in." Finally there are definite articles that are not translated. Here is a literal translation:

I thank my God always concerning you upon the grace of the God, that having been given to you in Christ Jesus.

Note a couple of things here. Thanks can be given for any saint and at any time. There will be disagreements that arise, but we can still praise the Lord for the eternal life granted by Christ Jesus. The other thing I wanted to point out is the phrase that Paul repeats very often in his epistles, and that is "in Christ." Where is this grace of God found? In Christ. Where do believers have all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies? In Christ (Eph 1:3). The language is consistent, because God really wants us to understand what we have "in Christ" and how to get there.

In the moment of belief of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as atonement for sins, the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ. They go from being out of Christ, being dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), without hope and alienated from God (Eph 2:12), to being in Christ (1 Cor 12:13), alive in Christ (Eph 2:5), having hope of Christ to call us home to Heaven (1 Thess 4:13-18), and be at the right hand of God (Eph 2:6). What an amazing act of God! Praise the Lord for His love, mercy, and grace!

The other thing we would do well to pay attention to here is that Paul thanks God concerning these saints at Corinth because they are saints. As we will read, the saints at Corinth were hardly bearing spiritual fruit and the apostle doesn't have a lot of good to say to them in this epistle. Nonetheless, they are fellowheirs of what God wrought through Christ because of their initial faith (Eph 3:6). The Corinthian church had a lot of work to do to fix their testimony, but would clearly still be part of the Rapture and all other promises "in Christ." We should pause and consider, what kind of testimony would God have of me? Would He write something like this, where God's grace abounds and then go into page after page of chastisement? Or would He write more like to the Thessalonian or Philippian church, where God laud them for their "work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 1:3). Or every time we come to remembrance, a fellow believer would praise God with joy (Phil 1:3-4)?

1 Corinthians 1:5
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Here is more reason to give thanks and praise for the gift of God that is in Christ. In all things believers are built up in Christ in word and knowledge. Each day we experience Him as we engage in His creation and seek to do those works that God has ordained for us to do (Eph 2:10). We are edified by studying His word, the bible, and also through prayer with Him. In all things we are certainly made rich, but it's a richness of God's measure, not of the world's. Having more stuff or money doesn't make us rich, it's the relationships we develop with other believers and with God in Christ.

There are two important things to point out in the Greek in this verse. First, the word "utterance" is the word "logos." This is typically translated as "word" or "speech," and has the idea of an established declaration. Typically, it refers to written words, as there is the Greek word "rhema" which refers to the spoken word. Second, the word "knowledge" here is translated from gnossis. This is a knowledge gained through experience. There are other words for knowledge in the Greek as well, which is why I point these out. For instance "eido" is a knowledge that is intuitive, perceived, or understood already. There is one minor thing, and that is the first word of this verse. The Greek has "hoti" which can mean because, since, or that. [1]. I think "because" would fit better here, but that's my opinion. I feel it flows better to say that Paul is giving thanks to God for the gift of grace in Christ Jesus because in everything the saints are enriched in Him.

1 Corinthians 1:6
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

Now this is a short, but powerful verse. Think about this. The people of the church that was at Corinth were most definitely saints. That's what it is saying. It's hard to tell sometimes whether or not people are in Christ or just pretending to be Christian. But Paul is able to give thanks to God for the certainty that these people were saints. So what about today? How can we confirm this in our churches today?

There was something different going on back in the days that this epistle was written. The sign gifts were in full swing, which we will get to in chapter 12. Even so, Paul said that they would fade away in 1 Cor 13:8. They faded when paul came to the last revelation of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 11:1) and filled up full the word of God (Col 1:25). Now God is not obligated to prove Himself through miraculous signs like tongues and healings. The only way to know for certain where an individual stands is to ask questions. Are you going to Heaven? How do you know? Are you trusting in anything else besides the blood of the cross to get you to Heaven? These are just a sample of things to ask. May all come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and choose to put their trust in Him and Him alone (1 Tim 2:4).

The only thing to point out in the Greek is the definite article for the Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:7
So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

There are two results of being confirmed in Jesus Christ as we just were told in verse six in the day that Paul had this letter written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. First, these saints at Corinth weren't missing out on the sign gifts. We'll see later they particularly enjoyed speaking in tongues, something Pentecostalists try and do yet today. Even so, healings and prophecies were present as well, but that will be addressed in fuller detail between chapters 12 and 13. We will see that those who attempt these sign gifts are not doing so in the will of God (1 Cor 13:8). Additionally, being confirmed in Christ, they knew of the blessed hope they had, which was to witness Him calling His church home to Heaven with Him in the clouds (1 Thess 4:13-18).

The Greek is far clearer what is being said here than the English. The word that is translated "so that" at the beginning is from "hoste." Hoste is a compound word of hos (just as) and te (both-and). Literally, this word means "with the result that both" [1]. It makes much more sense in the context to see it that way since we are introduced to two things resulting from being confirmed in Christ, or in other words, knowing that they are saved from sin and death.

Next, the Greek is far more emphatic about the position of the saints at Corinth, and consequently all those that put their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross. There is a double negative, something we stay away from in the English, that reads like this:

Just as both you all not to be lacking in not one grace...

The "and" would be placed right after this from the translation of hoste to make sense in the English. Yes, the word there is literally grace and not gift, but is referring to the sign gifts of the spirit. The Greek word is charisma.

The word for awaiting is also more emphatic. It is the Greek apekdechomai, a triple compound word of apo (away from), ek (out of), and dexomai (welcome), properly meaning "welcome from and out of" [1]. It has the idea of an eager expectation with the finality of something left behind. Is this not the perfect word for the snatching away event - that blessed hope - that we look forward to (1 Thess 1:10, 4:13-18, 2 Thess 2:1-3, Titus 2:13)? I would encourage a word study on how this is used, as it is only used 8 times in the New Testament: Romans 8:19, 23, 25, 1 Corinthians 1:7, Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 9:28, 1 Peter 3:20.

Finally, the word "coming" is translated from the Greek "apokalupsis," which more properly is a revealing or unveiling. It should be evident that's where the English word apocalypse comes from. With all of that said, here is a more literal translation:

Just as both you all not to be lacking in not one grace, and eagerly awaiting the revealing of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:8
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These same saints, which were most definitely in Christ as we read in verse 6, will also be confirmed by Jesus Christ Himself. Isn't that such a wonderful prospect? How exhilarating it will be to hear the claim from Jesus Christ that you are His forevermore? Scripture is quite clear, and it is right here in this verse, that Jesus Christ will take those that are both in Him and in His day. Note well that this is the day of the Jesus Christ, which is different than the day of the Lord as spoken of to the circumcision. This day of Jesus Christ refers to the snatching away event, or what is commonly called the Rapture (Phil 3:20-21, 1 Thess 1:10, 4:13-18, 2 Thess 2:1-3, Titus 2:13). I still would contend to call it by the Greek word because it is a mouthful but fun to say: harpagesometha (har-pah-gay-so-may-tha). Regardless of what we call it, it is the blessed hope that believers in Jesus Christ and His shed blood as the atonement for our sins get to look forward to.

The Day of the Lord in contrast, is the time of wrath, or what we call the Tribulation period. It is the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer 30:7). It is a time determined for Israel (Dan 9:20, 24-27). A comparison of the Day of the Lord and the Day of Christ is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Knowing that of the end times, God specifies one of two destinations, I would encourage all who read this to put their faith in what Jesus Christ has done for you, that His work on the cross is the only way to Heaven, so that you may become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21) and enjoy the expectation of the heavenly hope, saved from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10). I don't wish eternal torment and separation from God upon anyone, though it is evident that some, if not many, will choose that route instead (2 Thess 1:7-12).

I already alluded to it, but the same word for confirmation that was used in verse six is used again in this verse. Now the Greek is fascinating here. The English gives the proper idea, but the more I study the original language, the more appreciation I have for the word of God. The literal translation is this:

Who also will confirm you until the consummation blameless in the day of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ.

The words for "unto the end" in the Greek are "heos telous." Heos has the meaning of "as far as," "as much as," "up to," or "until" [1] [2]. Telous has the meaning of a termination, limit, or consummation [1] [2]. Remember, when anyone places their faith in the gospel of the uncircumcision, that faith in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection alone saves from sin and death, they are baptized in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13, Eph 4:5). They become the righteous of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21) and are sealed by the Holy Spirit to the point of the redemption of the purchased possession (Eph 1:13-14). When is that redemption? The day that Jesus Christ calls the church which is His Body home with Him, or the Rapture event. What is the purchased possession? Everyone who accepted the free gift of salvation in the gospel of the uncircumcision, because they were bought with the price of Jesus' blood on the cross (1 Cor 6:20, 7:23). He paid the sin debt in total (Rom 3:25). Because believers are in Christ, they are blameless in that day of Christ when He calls us home.

If you haven't considered the gift of salvation Jesus offers, please don't let another day go by without making that choice. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. The bible indicates that Jesus could come back at any moment to call the Church which is His Body home to Heaven. It would do the local assemblies of believers well to confirm each other in Christ, so that we may rejoice together in that day of Christ (1 Thess 2:19-20).

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isn't this a beautiful attribute of God? He faithfully calls to people to be saved. He does this every moment of every day as it is His desire that all mankind be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). All creation points to Him. All His saints desire to tell others about Him, and He orchestrates circumstances for them to meet with those who need a conversation about spiritual things. God is faithful, and He will not change (Mal 3:6).

The only thing to point out in the Greek is the preposition "dia" is translated "by" in the KJV. It has the idea of "through" or "on account of."

1 Corinthians 1:10
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

And now we're starting in on the corrections of the epistle. We will see why the apostle Paul addresses divisions in the next verse, but it is something consistent in his epistles. Believers in the gospel of the uncircumcision should be unified in the one faith and doctrine (Eph 4:1-6, Phil 2:1-2). We can only get there by understanding the word of God as our source of truth, seeking to understand what God's word says by rightly dividing it and testing the things that are different, and then live by it (Phil 1:9-10, 2 Tim 2:15, Eph 4:1). All believers will come from different backgrounds, and there may arise some heated discussions on what God's word says. But if we think of others more highly than ourselves, think of where others are coming from, put the needs of others before ours (Phil 2:3-4), then we can get there civilly by sharing the truth in love (Eph 4:15).

It is for that exact purpose that I'm even writing comments on each verse of this epistle. I desire to share what I've learned in my study of God's word in the hope that others will not only be built up in the Body of Christ by it, but for some to come back and build me up with what they have learned. I won't claim to have everything perfectly right, but that is my goal, however close I may get before Jesus calls me home, whether in this body at the Rapture event or otherwise. It seems to me that should be every believer's goal, to cast aside the temporary and embrace the excellency of the knowledge of Christ (Phil 3:7-11). That's what I see when I read Ephesians 4:3, that members of the Body of Christ be hastily diligent (same Greek word as 2 Tim 2:15 "study") to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The Greek has a couple of things to point out in this verse. The verbs are subjunctive for the most part. That means that there is a desired outcome, but it is not guaranteed. I will point those out momentarily in italics. The other point is the last word translated as "judgment" comes from the Greek "gnome." It's a noun that comes from the verb "ginosko" which has the meaning of experiential knowledge, and is where we get our English term gnostic from. In the noun form, it can be rendered judgment as the KJV has it, or it could be opinion, point of view, or counsel [1] [2]. I think this is a good definition:
a personal opinion or judgment formed in (by) an active relationship, the result of direct ("first-hand") knowledge [1]

With that in mind, here is a more literal interpretation of the verse with the subjunctive verbs pointed out:

Now I beseech you, brethren, through (dia) the name of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, in order that you all may speak the same thing and divisions may not be among you. Now (de) you may all be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1:11
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Now we see clearly why Paul prefaced this verse with what was written in verse 10. There was so much division in the local assembly of believers at Corinth that there was actual hostility. So much so, that several people who were under Chloe's authority notified the apostle Paul. It is hard to say whether they all came at once or Paul was told time and again by those who were concerned for their brothers and sisters in Corinth. Regardless how it happened, Paul was notified, and as we get to know Paul through the epistles he wrote, we can know that he was grieving for those at Corinth as his own children gone astray.

The Greek reads differently than the KJV at the beginning. The word there doesn't give the idea of a declaration, but rather a revealing. It is the word deloo, meaning to make evident, especially the inner sense of something [2]. So from that, we get the picture that Paul understood what was happening to his brothers and sisters of faith in Corinth when the people under Chloe's authority told him their account.

That is probably something else worthy of pointing out. The phrase "by them which are of the house of Chloe" is just three words in the Greek: hupo ton Chloes. Literally, that's "under of those of Chloe." Chloe was over some people in some sort of authoritative role, whether mother or otherwise, and it was those people that gave this account to Paul, who is now addressing the error in conduct of the Corinthian saints.

1 Corinthians 1:12
Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

From the account Paul heard of those under Chloe, he had the picture of what was happening in the Corinthian church. So here he is going to lay out the situation and dispel it in this first chapter of the epistle. Do we know of any like this today? Do people prefer teachers over others without regard to the Savior? Are some looking for their ears to be tickled rather than getting to know Jesus Christ? Another point is, are some bragging about their identity, even though that identity isn't with Jesus Christ? Paul is going to clearly say that even he, the example we are to follow, was nothing above any of us. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34, Rom 2:11 Gal 2:6). He, nor anyone else, should be elevated. To Christ alone be the glory and honor.

The Greek has a bit more emphasis, which is hidden in plain sight in the KJV. There is a little word "men" that doesn't appear to be translated. It means "truly" or "indeed" and is found between the "I" and "am" in "I am of Paul." Also, the word "de" is translated "and" in each of the ensuing declarations, which is normally translated "now," but we just need to understand that "de" is quite emphatic. The KJV is a very accurate translation, with the only exception I would have is to have it say, "I indeed am of Paul."

1 Corinthians 1:13
Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

These three questions make me think of Hebrews 4:12. Doesn't this just cut to the heart? Even the very first question should get anyone thinking if they're putting stock into identity of anyone other than Christ. Is Christ divided? Of course not. His Body is one, and the church which is His Body should be one also (Eph 4:3-6). Was Paul crucified for you? Of course not. We could really insert any name there. Who was crucified for the reconciliation of the world? Only one man, who also happened to be God: Jesus Christ. The same could be said about being baptized.

The Greek asks a slightly different question at the first, because it is in the perfect tense. It more accurately says, "The Christ was divided?" Yes, there is a definite article there as well. The next two verbs are in the Aorist tense, so they took place at some point in the past but the focus is on the action rather than when. Also, the word "for" here is "huper" in the Greek, which is a preposition meaning "on the behalf of" or "above." Paul's way of writing, or perhaps the Greek style, is to ask a question with a negative. The second question of this verse literally says, "Was not Paul crucified on your behalf?" Finally, the word "in" is the Greek "eis" which means "to the point of." The third question is literally, "Or to the point of the name of Paul were you baptized?"

While studying the Greek brings out the points even clearer in this verse, I think we can all be challenged here. Where is our focus at? How about that of our local church? Is there anything we can do to restore someone spiritually in meekness and love? I will also have to talk about baptism, but not in this verse. We need to look at the broader context to see which kind of baptism Paul was talking about here. I encourage the bible student to look at the different baptisms presented in the New Testament, because you will quickly find out they aren't all wet.

1 Corinthians 1:14
I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

While Paul was in Corinth, he evidently baptized a few people. Here are two of their names, Crispus and Gaius. Gaius was an extremely common Roman name in Paul's day, so it's hard to say if any of the other times Gaius is mentioned is referring to the same man or not. Here are the verses where Gaius is mentioned: Acts 19:29, 20:4, Romans 16:23, 1 Corinthians 1:14, 3 John 1:1. Crispus is only  mentioned here and in Acts 18:8. I would say the evidence is pretty strong that this is the same Crispus being referred to considering the context of this verse and that of Acts 18:8. Don't get too anxious about a discussion on baptism. I'll get to that by verse 17.

There are two things to point out from the Greek. First is the missing article denoting the God. The second is the word "none" in the English. It is accurate, as it appears to be a shortened version of "not one," which is exactly what the Greek says. The Greek is oudeis, a compound word literally translating to "not one." Again, I think it's a language thing, but the Greek goes into a negative afterward. It says, "If not Crispus and Gaius." Here's a literal translation:

I thank the God that I baptized not one of you, if not Crispus and Gaius.

1 Corinthians 1:15
Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

Paul's reason for thanking God is evident. He didn't want any credit for salvation. He didn't want the focus to be on him, but much rather where it belongs: on God. If Paul had made a habit of baptizing, then people, with deceitful and wicked hearts (Jer 17:9), would then claim Paul was doing it for himself or taking the credit for himself. So here is the major reason Paul was not baptizing except for just a handful.

One thing I want to show in the Greek is the prepositions around baptism. It always includes the word eis, meaning to the point of. There is a medium and direction in baptism, and the direction is denoted in this verse. The Holy Spirit of God inspired Paul to write that he didn't baptize many people in order that not one should say that to his name they were baptized. See the direction? It was the same in verse 13 as I already pointed out in those questions. The believers in Corinth weren't baptized to the name of Paul.

I have to give the spoiler before I get to chapter 12 and show the Greek in 1 Cor 12:13. Observe this, please, and study it, for it is a great stumbling block in Christianity today. I will put the Greek with the English next to it, then arrange the English to make more sense.

kai (and) gar (indeed or for) en (in) heni (one) Pneumati (Spirit) hemeis (we) pantes (all) eis (to the point of) hen (one) soma (body) ebaptisthemen (have been baptized).

And indeed, in one Spirit we all have been baptized to one Body.

See how there is a medium and a direction in baptism? Baptism has to do with a washing, or cleansing. It is typically used of the ceremonial rite of cleansing with water and shows the thing being baptized go from dirty to clean using water. The direction is dirty to clean and the medium is water. However, baptism is by no means linked only to water. In 1 Cor 12:13, we see that the medium is the Holy Spirit of God, and the direction is from out of the Body of Christ to the Body of Christ. There will be many more comments when we get to chapter 12, but I must say that this is the one baptism mentioned in Ephesians 4:5. Take note and understand: it is NOT wet. This is different than under the gospel of the circumcision, where water baptism was absolutely required for the remission of sins (Luke 3:1-3, Acts 2:38, Phil 1:9-10, 2 Tim 2:15).

1 Corinthians 1:16
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

There were some others that popped into the apostles mind when he was contemplating baptism at Corinth. The house of Stephanas is mentioned again two times at the close of this letter in 1 Cor 16:15 and 16:17. These were quite the faithful people, and I'll say more about that when I get to chapter 16. Suffice it to just mention that God describes them as being "addicted to the ministry of the saints." Here, Paul mentions that he baptized this household, but other than that, he doesn't have any recollection. Of all the believers in Corinth, which there would have been many, he only mentions a handful here. The reason, which is inspired of God, is in the next verse.

This verse is word for word with the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Twelve words here hold so much weight and yet it is missed in the bulk of what is called Christianity today. Just let it say what it says. The apostle Paul was not sent to baptize. Instead, he was sent to preach the gospel. Which gospel is that? The gospel of the uncircumcision (Gal 2:7) which is salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (1 Cor 15:1-4, Eph 2:8-9). The whole point is to show how awesome the cross of Christ is. His shed blood makes it possible to be free from sin and death by faith in His work. Before this, in the gospel of the circumcision, faith was required to forgive sins, but works maintained it. They were also required "unto the end" (Matt 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13, Rev 2:26, etc.). Now with the good news of Christ's shed blood being the sufficient work, we are saved by faith alone. I hope everyone reading this just shouted "AMEN!" What an awesome privilege it is to be alive in this age! We have guaranteed salvation by the Holy Spirit of God (2 Cor 1:22, 5:5, Eph 1:13-14). We have all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies when we are in Christ (Eph 1:3). There is so much power in the cross of Christ, that Paul wouldn't want to do any disservice by words of wisdom.

Now, regarding baptism, it is of my opinion that Paul is referring to water baptism in this chapter of the 1 Corinthians epistle. Here are the reasons why:

1) Paul talks of baptizing a few people personally. In his gospel, the Holy Spirit is the one baptism of importance. Another baptism by his hand would require a different medium. There's no reason he's using a new medium not previously mentioned, and no fire is mentioned here (Matt 3:11).

2) If the Holy Ghost was doing the baptism, Paul would not have been so dismissive of the baptism.

3) Several believers in Corinth that are mentioned in Acts 18:1-18 are mentioned as Jews. These are Aquila and Priscilla, Crispus, and Sosthenes. Sosthenes is mentioned as being with Paul writing this epistle, and Crispus was mentioned among those that were baptized. Both Sosthenes and Crispus are mentioned as chief rulers of the synagogue (Acts 18:8, 17). Jews required water baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38).

4) Note especially Acts 18:4-5 where Paul is reasoning in the synagogues and testifying to the Jews that Jesus is Christ. Yes, the Jews opposed themselves in verse 6, but to avoid controversy, Paul would gladly baptize Jews with water so that they would come to know his grace message. He wanted to become all things to all men that by all means he might save some (1 Cor 9:19-23). That would be why we see Crispus among those who were baptized in 1 Corinthians.

Again, I must reiterate that God's inerrant word says that Paul was not sent for this kind of baptism. The one baptism for today is in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ. Paul's hands, nor anyone else's, can take any credit for that baptism. His commission, given to him by Jesus Christ Himself, and which is really passed on to all believers as we become ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20), is to simply preach the gospel of grace and the power of the finished work of Christ on the cross.

The word for sent here is the Greek "apostello," which is the verb form of where we get our English word apostle. This verse is pretty much word for word with the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Preaching the gospel of God's grace through Christ should be our number one priority, no matter who we are or where we come from as believers. It is our commission for today (2 Cor 5:18-20). Those that desire to spend eternity in the lake of the fire will think of this whole thing as foolishness. However, it will mean everything to those desiring a life with God in Heaven. There isn't any middle ground, which I love about God's word. There is this dichotomy present throughout scripture, boiled down to this: You are either for God or against Him (Matt 12:25-30, Luke 11:17-23). You are either in the flesh or in the Spirit (Rom 7:21-25, Gal 5:17). Here we see the cross bringing that division. People will either believe it or they won't. They'll think it's either foolishness or their whole life.

The Greek for "preaching" here is actually "logos." That's even more fitting, because those that reject the cross typically reject the entire word of God. There is also a missing conjunction "men" which has the meaning of truly or indeed. It is found between "them" and "perish." Those that are indeed against God will obviously view the cross of Christ as foolishness. The verb for perish is also in the present tense as it is something that is ongoing until that day of judgment. There is an article that isn't translated as well. Here is a literal translation to see the differences:

The message, indeed, that of the cross, to those truly perishing, is foolishness. To those now (de) being delivered, to us, the power of God it is.

1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

God quotes Himself from Isaiah 29:14 to make a point. Those that are opposed to God believe themselves to be wise and intelligent. They believe the lie of Genesis 3:5 that they are their own god, whether they understand that or not. Think about that in today's world. There are certainly those that believe themselves wiser than the bible. They parade discoveries in the name of science and view biblical wisdom as anything but science. As believers, we know the sad reality that will set in to people like that. They will one day have to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and pay the sin debt they owe (Isa 45:18-23, Phil 2:10-11, Rev 20:11-15). All their knowledge and discovery will be brought to nothing in that day.

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

So then, knowing what God has said about the wisdom of the wise and understanding of the prudent, God lays out these pointed question. He's putting His own word to the test. By God sending Jesus Christ to the cross, He has thwarted all opposition since the beginning of the curse of sin. Every time Satan or an agent of his attempted to destroy what God created and set forth, it came to nothing.

Several times, Satan tried to corrupt the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15), but to no avail. That's what God was talking about with the Nephilim in Genesis 6 and why Israel was to wipe out man, woman, and child in some cities during the conquest of the promised land (Deut 2:32-34, 3:1-6, 1 Sam 15:3). God couldn't use the flood of water again as He promised, but was able to uphold His promise and overcome Satan. Israel couldn't be defeated as long as they were faithful, but even when they weren't to the point that God gave them over to Babylon, there was still a remnant, and His promise was preserved to the birth of Christ. I could go over much more, but I'll just quote Joshua 23:14b: Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

One thing to point out is that the disputer mentioned in this verse is referring to a debater of philosophy in Paul's day. "The Greeks seek after wisdom" as we will see in two verses. When you think about it, though, most people understand that the ancient Greeks are known for philosophy. Take a look at that word for a moment. It's a compound Greek word of philos (familial love) and sophia (wisdom). So a philosopher is one who loves wisdom.

Another important difference to understand from the Greek language here is that there are two different words for "world." The first time we see "world" in the English is the Greek "aionos", which more accurately means "age". The second time we see "world" is the Greek "kosmos," which literally means something ordered [1]. Kosmos typically refers to this world, but can also refer to all of creation. So where is the disputer or debater of this age? Hasn't God made foolishness the wisdom of this created world?

1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

God always knows what He is doing. He knew that the world wouldn't be able to know Him apart from believing. All the wisdom of the world doesn't create a relationship with our Almighty Creator. So it pleased God that by us talking about His truth that it would bring salvation to those who did believe. Those that don't believe in God are stuck believing in the wisdom of the world, which prevents them from believing in God. God knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19), and we can rest assured that He will bring the right words to the right person to save them that believe.

There is so much more emphasis in the Greek right off the bat. The first word "for" is the Greek "epeide." This is a compound word of epi (upon), ei (if-factually or since), and de (now). It has this meaning: aptly if indeed, which assumes the preceding is something factual – and emphatically what aptly (predictably) follows [1]. We just were told that God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness. Further, in God's wisdom, it pleased Him to share salvation and truth through preaching because the wisdom of the world didn't know God. God wants all to be saved and come to the accurate knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). He won't let the wisdom of the world get in the way for those believing.

Other than that, there is a definite article each time for the God, and the word "preaching" comes from the Greek kerugma, which means a proclamation. It may not be as obvious in the old English, but the word believe is the verb in the present tense. It could have been rendered, "The God was pleased through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those believing."

1 Corinthians 1:22
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Again, the emphasis is overwhelming in the Greek. The same epeide begins this verse as it did the last. The immediate context for that word is that God was pleased through the foolishness of the proclamation of His word to save those believing, since it definitely follows that the Jews ask for a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. These groups are those that don't know God through the wisdom of the world. They're trying to know Him by the wisdom of the world in signs or in wisdom, but He won't be known that way. It is by the proclamation of His word that a relationship is developed with God.

Interesting to note that the word translated "require" here is the Greek aiteo, which is nearly always translated as "ask." It has the idea of ask, request, beg, or petition [1]. I'm not sure why "require" was chosen in the KJV, but maybe it had a different meaning when the KJV was published.

1 Corinthians 1:23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

In contrast to the wisdom of the world, there is the preaching of Christ crucified, reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19). For them that believe, this is everything. This is eternal life. For the unbelieving Jews, it is a stumbling block as it doesn't jive with their tradition and religion. For the unbelieving Greeks, it is foolishness because they seek the wisdom of the world.

God's word is divisive. Jesus described Himself as bringing a sword to the earth (Matt 10:34). He came to divide those that believe from those that don't. The well-known verse in Hebrews 4:12 says that God's word will cut deep to the heart and soul, exposing the thoughts and intents of the heart. God will bring out the true colors of all people through His word, which He has left us, and it pleased Him for us to share His word through preaching. Think about that. Think about the importance of sharing the glorious gospel of the blessed God with the world. It will bring about division and some may spit in the face of those who preach it. But God knows those that are His (2 Tim 2:19). He will fill up all our needs through Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19), and nothing can ever separate us from the the love of God through Christ Jesus (Rom 8:38-39). Nothing we go through in this life will compare to the glory to come (Rom 8:18).

The Greek has the word "men" to denote "unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock." The word for "Greeks" is actually "ethnos", and is more known to us translated as "Gentiles." The word "and" is the Greek "de."

1 Corinthians 1:24
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.


No matter who you are or where you come from, Christ is everything to those that believe in Him. Whether Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, or female, all are one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). All come to the cross on equal ground, sinners and without hope. For those that believe, all come away from the cross on equal ground, saints and a blessed hope. Praise the Lord for sending us Jesus Christ our Savior!

Something I've noticed in the Greek is that there is always a definite article when God mentions "them that are called." The Greek is more literally, "Now to them the called." The word "but" is the Greek "de." Everything else is word for word with the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Who are we compared to Almighty God? Several times in God's word we see His omniscience and omnipotence. Who has been God's counselor (Isa 40:13, Rom 11:34)? No one of course. Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him (Matt 8:27, Mark 4:41, Luke 8:25)? The only one with power over all things, Almighty God. I would have to cite many verses for each time that God showed His power and wisdom in scripture, so I encourage the bible student to make note of those. Here we have in black and white that the worst of God, if there is such a thing, is still superior to man. We would do well to listen to Him, especially since He stopped at nothing to win us back from sin and death. His love is absolutely amazing, displayed in the sacrifice of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The only thing missing here from the Greek is all the definite articles Each time God and men is mentioned, there is a definite article. Also to point out that the Greek for men is anthropos, meaning all of mankind.

1 Corinthians 1:26
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

This is so interesting to pause and observe. We can look around today and say the same thing. Those that are part of the Body of Christ typically come from a state of brokenness. If not that, they aren't very wealthy, or very strong, or have significant reputation among the secular. Note how it doesn't say all, but many. It's true, though, those that are believers tend to not be so indoctrinated with the ways of the world. They've gone through something that has broken their spirit, or at the very least, opened their eyes to their need of a Savior. How I wish that more of us believers were from solid Christian homes with avid bible study and teaching. Sadly, God tends to be more of a last resort because of the snares and wiles of the devil. How I pray that the wise, mighty, and noble would have their hearts and minds opened to Christ Jesus before it's too late.

The Greek doesn't have "are called" at the end of the verse. Other than that, the KJV is word for word with the Greek. I will say that the word "after" could be translated "according to" as the Greek preposition is kata, but either way gives the proper idea.

1 Corinthians 1:27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

We're going to see something that should open our eyes in the next couple of verses. Has anyone ever wondered why we love stories of the unlikely hero? Or how about stories where someone is oppressed for the first three quarters of it, only to surpass all odds and succeed in the end? I think there's a reason for that, and these next three verses are where I get the idea. God is most appealing to those going through situations that are difficult, or oppression, or dishonor. When these people put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He did for them on the cross of Calvary, they suddenly become super conquering in Christ (Rom 8:37). These have achieved eternal life because of their faith in the gospel of the uncircumcision, whereas the wise of the world seek eternal life by other means. The mighty may think they can overcome death by their strength. God has chosen the foolish and weak to bring shame to those who are wise and strong in the ways of the world. Jesus said in His earthly ministry, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:25).

The Greek is slightly different. The verb translated as "confound" is in the subjunctive. It is kataischuno, a word that means to "shame down" or "bring to shame." There is a definite article both times to denote the God. A more literal translation would be:

But the foolish things of the world, the God has chosen, in order that He might shame the wise. And the weak things of the world, the God has chosen, in order that He might shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Not only does God appeal to the foolish and the weak, but also the base and despised. It pleased God to have these be the ones to see the truth in Christ, accept the free gift of salvation, and bring to shame those that reject Him. God's plan of salvation was such that He can be just and the justifier of all them that believe (Rom 3:23-26). His love is overwhelming and awesome to those that believe. I can only imagine the shame that the unbelievers will feel when they realize that their idea wasn't the way to life, and that Christ is the only way. It makes my heart melt to think of those I know that are keeping the gospel at arm's length and what they are missing out on. Still, God knows those who are His and His word is what will convict. It is not up to me or any other believer to be the Holy Spirit. We share the words; God brings the increase (1 Cor 3:6).

I wanted to point out that the word translated as "base" literally means of no birth. It is agenes, and has the meaning of no family or ignoble. Also, the verb "to bring to nought" is again in the subjunctive.

1 Corinthians 1:29
That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. (Rom 3:27). No one can say they are more saved than anyone else. It's either saved from sin and death or not saved from sin and death. It all hinges on where our faith is. In one moment, if our faith aligns with God's salvation plan, by Jesus Christ shedding His blood for to pay for our sins, we are saved from sin and death. That's all it takes is one moment. in that moment a sinner is turned to a saint, death changes to life, and the Holy Spirit seals the believer unto the day of redemption. No one may boast in this because God did all the work through Christ (Eph 2:8-9).

Again, the verb is in the subjunctive here. The word beginning this verse is stronger than just to be translated as "that." It is the Greek hopos, literally meaning "how in which way", but has the meaning of "focusing on the necessary measures (factors, desires) that are required for the intended goal to be reached." [2]. That might be a bit to take in, so let's look at how it is used here. God just told us how He takes the foolish, weak, base, despised, and the nothing to bring to shame all those that don't believe. Why? So in that way no flesh should glory in His presence. No one can brag that they are more saved or more righteous than another, because we are all one in Christ Jesus.

Literally, the Greek for "His presence" is "in the eyes." The word is enopios. Also, there is an untranslated "theos" with a definite article, meaning the God. Here's a literal translation:

So that all flesh may not boast in the eyes of the God.

1 Corinthians 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

All those things I just spoke of regarding salvation will be supported by these verses. What have we to boast in? What did we do to earn salvation? Nothing apart from trusting in Christ Jesus. Of God are we in Christ Jesus. How did we get there? By believing the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel of the uncircumcision. God's Holy Spirit baptizes believers to the Body of Christ in the moment of belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus as atonement for sin. We are placed in Christ.

God goes on here to emphasize that it is Christ that is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is Chris that does all of this, not us. So where is boasting then? It is excluded regarding us, on account of the law of faith. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph 2:8-9).

The verse starts off with "de ek," which is more literally "Now out of." Now out of Him are you in Christ Jesus. We were made of God in the womb physically. We were made of God in Christ through faith spiritually. Now we look to Christ, who is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Praise the Lord!

1 Corinthians 1:31
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

God has done all of this so that all glorying should be done in the Lord. He deserves all the honor and glory in Christ. Paul says this again in 2 Cor 10:17. The quote appears to be from Jeremiah 9:23-24. What amazing and wonderful joy we have in Christ! What powerful love of God we see through Jesus Christ on the cross, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19)! Let God be praised now and forever!

References
HELPS Word-studies [1]
Thayer's Greek Lexicon [2]

Romans - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 16

Romans 16:1
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

This last chapter of Romans is full of greetings and names of other members of the Body of Christ. I find it fascinating that saints from all over the world have an affinity for each other. Even here, before the aid of the internet, radio, or television, we have saints in various parts of the known world sending their salutations to others they haven't met, but have only heard of. It is always encouraging to hear what our gracious Lord is doing in other members of the church which is His Body.

First, we are introduced to Phebe of the local assembly at Cenchrea. She is the one that was evidently sent with this letter to the church at Rome, and she had to travel quite the distance. Cenchrea was near Corinth in Greece. We find it mentioned in Acts 18:18 where the apostle Paul shaved his head due to a vow. Isn't it amazing how this came to be? It was on Phebe's heart to serve God in this way and she answered the call, travelling quite the distance to do so, and we'll find out more of Paul's desire for her in the next verse. I like thinking of how we have certain of our local assemblies travel to other local assemblies to deliver messages, testimonies, or other things today. These were real people about 2000 years ago doing the same thing.

Something interesting to note here is that the word "commend" comes from the Greek "sunistemi," which is a compound word of sun (together with) and histemi (to stand). In union with this sister of faith, Paul had her go to deliver the letter. Also, the name in Greek is Phoibe and is pronounced foy-bay. Apparently, we have Anglicized or Americanized it to be pronounced fee-bee. I'm going to stick with using the spelling Phebe as the KJV has it so we aren't confused on who I'm referencing in these comments.

Romans 16:2
That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Paul had commended Phebe to the saints at Rome and requested them to receive her in Christ as they ought to. He further details that request by letting them know they should meet her needs when she is there. Finally he bears witness for her that she has willfully helped many others, including himself, giving of herself to meet their needs in times of difficulty. Perhaps it was on account one of Paul's sufferings that Phebe found herself around the apostle as he was desiring to go to Rome and discussing it. At that time, she may have offered to take the letter there for him. That is my speculation, but it doesn't seem like much of a stretch of reality.

Paul had already written in this letter how saints ought to conduct themselves, which is ultimately summarized in "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" in Romans 13:9. Combining the previous verse with this, he literally was saying he was standing in union with Phebe in order that these saints at Rome might receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of saints. The verb to receive here is subjunctive, as also is the verb assist. He was essentially giving his stamp of approval on Phebe that she does live as a saint, telling emphatically that she sought to take care of his personal needs (Greek says of me, myself).

Romans 16:3
Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

Also on the list of Paul's companions in Christ are Priscilla (formal name Prisca) and Aquila (Latin name, Greek Akulas). They are labeled in the KJV as helpers, but the Greek is stronger than that. The word is sunergos, which means fellow-laborers, or literally working out together with. We'll see some credentials in the next verse.

Romans 16:4
Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Isn't that amazing love for a fellow believer? We are told that Priscilla and Aquila laid their own lives down for Paul. These two were held in such high esteem for their good works that all the churches of the Gentiles not only knew of them, but also praised God for them. And these words are from the Holy Spirit of God (2 Tim 3:16). Our Heavenly Father does dote upon His kids when they are joyfully obedient (Eph 2:10, 1 Sam 15:22).

I often think of two verses lately in regard to my own life, considering verses like this that speak highly of men and women of faith. It is Titus 2:14 and Hebrews 11:37. I'll put them here:

Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The "who" here is obviously referring to Jesus Christ. He went through all that suffering in His passion in order to purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Does that define me today? Am I zealous to do whatever it takes to obey and please God? Because I am not ashamed to say, my desire to fit the description of both this verse and Hebrews 11:38a. I'll include the context to help in understanding:

Hebrews 11:32-38

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Did you see that parenthetical in verse 38? Of whom the world was not worthy. These people, and countless others as alluded to by verse 32, lived such a life of faith that they are described as the world not being worthy of them. So I ask myself, am I zealous for good works to the point of desiring to hear God say of me that the world is not worthy of me? It looks to me just from verses three and four that Priscilla and Aquila fit into that category, and I for one would like to be included. My challenge to the reader is: do you? Do we understand the depth of the love of God through Christ Jesus and what He did to save us from sin and death? My prayer is that we would (Eph 3:14-21). The more I learn of it, the more I desire to be zealous for those good works God has made for me. So I ask again, do you want to be zealous of the Lord and considered of God that the world was not worthy of you?


Romans 16:5
Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Aquila and Priscilla also had a regular assembly of saints at their house. If those two were leaders of this local assembly, and they showed such exemplary faith, surely those in their house would be worthy of a similar greeting.

Another follower of Christ, and one of the first of the believers in Achaia, is Epaenetus. He is also sending his greeting and most likely praying for these saints in Rome. Unfortunately, this is all we're told of him in the bible.

You may have guessed, but that word for "wellbeloved" is from the root "agape" in the Greek. I would think that Paul would have a strong Christ-like love for this Epaenetus if he was one of the first believers when Paul visited Achaia.

Romans 16:6
Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

Another Mary in the bible. I joke, because there are several for us to keep track of. This Mary is described as one who labored much. Now the KJV as "on us," but the Greek says "to you all" (eis hymas). Are you seeing a pattern here? All of these names so far are being commended for their good works, aren't they? Works are by no means required for salvation according to Paul's gospel, but the fact remains that once you understand the depth of what his gospel means, why wouldn't you give yourself as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1)? Why would you not want to walk in those good works that God has for you (Eph 2:10)? Why wouldn't you seek the praise of God Himself (Heb 11:38a)?

Romans 16:7
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

This is quite interesting. We are introduced to two potential family members of the apostle Paul, and these were believers in Christ before he was. They also are known among the apostles. Now (at that time) they are his fellow prisoners, most likely because of their faith.

Anytime we come across the title of apostle or prophet, we should ask ourselves, "Which apostles?" or "Which prophets?" Then we should let the context define it. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13). He was given a dispensation that was committed unto him and him alone (1 Cor 9:17, Eph 3:2). This was done in Acts 13. The apostles after that period are all "sent ones" of the gospel of the grace of God, where one is saved from sin and death through faith apart from works. That is the same gospel committed to Paul, which we will also see in verse 25 of this chapter. The apostles in Romans 16:7 are not the 12 that were given the so-called Great Commission at the end of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and also in Acts 1.

Something to note, the name Andronicus comes from the Greek aner and nikos, meaning a "man of victory." Junia is pronounced yoo-nia. Both of these names mentioned by Paul, according to the Greek word for "kinsmen," may mean either direct relation to Paul or of the same tribe as Paul (Benjamites).

Romans 16:8
Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

Amplias is another soul loved by Paul in Christ. The Greek word again is of the root "agape." Literally, this verse says, "Greet Amplias the beloved of me in the lord." It is evident that Amplias held a special place in the heart of the apostle to the Gentiles.

Romans 16:9
Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Just like Aquila and Priscilla, Urbane is a fellow-worker in Christ. It is the same Greek word sunergos. Stachys is clearly a devout believer as well, noted by Paul's description of beloved, just like Amplias.

Romans 16:10
Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.

Apelles is given the description of the approved in Christ. His faith must have been quite evident. The term indicates that Apelles went through some trial or trials and remained true to the faith. Also, all of Aristobulus house, or literally "the ones of Aristobulus", are fellow believers.

Romans 16:11
Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

Herodion is another that may be of Paul's immediate family. The same word for kinsman is used here as it was in verse 7. Similarly, the same language for Aristobulus is used here of Narcissus. The Greek says "those out of the ones of Narcissus, those being in the Lord." From this, I would gather that not all of Narcissus family were saved at the time of this writing, which is the reason for how the verse ends. However, there were some that were in Christ and worthy of greeting fit for a saint.

Romans 16:12
Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

Tryphena and Tryphosa are two women that we read as ones who labored in the Lord. The same word for labour was used in verse six with Mary. These women must have played an integral role in their time in the Body of Christ. Persis also labored, but is given even higher acclamation, both with the description of "the beloved" (agape) and that she labored much.

Romans 16:13
Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

Rufus was another man, described as chosen in the Lord, that we can be sure we'll see in Heaven. Paul affectionately mentions his mother to be greeted as well, and considers her like a mother to him. I would think this language would indicate her salvation is sure, as Jesus talked of the believers being his brothers and mother (Luke 8:21). Of course we know that in His earthly ministry, Jesus was a minister to the Circumcision (Rom 15:8). Yet still, there is a familial relation for believers that passes through dispensational boundaries. Peter refers to Paul as his brother, though the two had different gospels committed unto them (2 Pet 3:15). Gentiles are now partakers in the spiritual things of Israel, as we read in Romans 15:27, though that doesn't mean Gentiles are now spiritual Israel. Israel has their earthly hope and gospel. The Gentiles have their heavenly hope and gospel. Different gospels, different programs, same Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I just wanted to be clear on that as the language may be confusing, but that's why God tells us to rightly divide the word of Truth and test the things that are different (2 Tim 2:15, Phil 1:10).

Romans 16:14
Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.

We're not told much about these men here, as their names only occur in this one place in the New Testament. No doubt, they had important ministries in the gospel of the grace of God as well. To me, they appear to be men of leadership, as they had "brethren" with them.

Romans 16:15
Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.

Here, I believe we have three leadership groups presented. First, there is Philologus and Julia (pronounced yoo-lee-a). This is a male and female couple, potentially husband and wife, though it isn't specified here. Then there is the man Nereus and his sister. His sister could be literal sister or sister in faith. Finally, there is Olympas, and all the saints which are with these five leaders. It isn't clear if these are leaders in different local assemblies or if they just hold some office in one local assembly, but one thing is clear, there are many saints under their leadership.

Romans 16:16
Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

After all these names, Paul gives them the command to salute each other with a "holy kiss." Actually, the Greek word there is "en" which would mean to greet one another in a holy kiss. This kiss was a sign of respect and affection and is only mentioned 7 times in the New Testament (Luke 7:45, 22:48, Rom 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor 13:12, 1 Thess 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14). It is worth noting that the reference in Luke 22:48 is the sign of betrayal by Judas Iscariot. In the context here, though, the kiss is to be holy, it is to be a sign of respect and affection to other believers in the gospel of God's grace. It builds upon the concept that we are to receive each other in the Lord as Christ received us (Rom 15:7, 16:2).

Lastly, we have the small sentence that the churches of Christ salute this church at Rome. It would seem to me that this is a reference to all these names of leaders mentioned in this chapter. Remember, these are real people and these things really happened. Sometimes it's hard for us to wrap our brains around it, but God is giving us insight into the lives of our brothers and sisters in faith in the past. We are very familiar with local ministries and sending certain of us out on missions to other churches or places today. Well, here we see that same sort of thing happening in the first century after Christ's resurrection. These men and women of faith are receiving special recognition by the Holy Spirit of God. Isn't that reassuring for us today when we do those similar good works which God has preordained that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10)?

Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

This is something important we should take heed of for today. Among what is called Christianity, many will not stand on what the bible clearly says. Many are causing divisions and offences. Why? Because they are contrary to the doctrine which was learned by these Romans saints. What doctrine was that? The dispensation of the mystery, as we'll see in verse 25 and also several other places in Paul's epistles which were inspired of the Holy Spirit. I typically cite Ephesians 3:1-9 since I think it's quite clear, but that's not the only place it's mentioned. I would encourage the bible student to look in Romans through Philemon and note the times "the mystery" or the dispensation that was committed to Paul.

Take a look around Christianity today and what do we see? Division everywhere. We call them denominations or maybe isms. My friends, this should not be. We are called to unity in the Spirit and to be part of this one Body. God tells us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). God goes on to tell us 7 times of one entity to illustrate the unity we should have. Each of which could be an hour length sermon.

There is one body. For all those that believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save them from their sins, we are brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, regardless how we treat each other. We're given the illustration of the body because it demands all members to work together and pay special attention to those members that are hurting or need healing. It also lets us know that every individual is important, yet unique. So it is for each of our individual ministries (Rom 12:4-8, 1 Cor 12:12-27).

We should all have the same faith (Eph 4:4), but there are wolves among the flock(Acts 20:28-30). Those wolves are the ones who do not hold to sound doctrine, that is, to the doctrine of Jesus Christ through the apostle Paul, and we are told here to mark and avoid them. We are given the reason in the next verse, and can rest assured that God will chastise them as He deems appropriate. My brothers and sisters in Christ, stand strong in the grace of God and in the power of His might, and stand on the foundation that God has laid for us in this dispensation, so we may fight the good fight of faith (Eph 6:10-18, 2 Tim 2:19, 4:1-8).

Romans 16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Those that cause division, those that break away due to doctrinal issues, are stated here as ones who don't serve Jesus, but rather themselves. They allow themselves to take center stage, essentially saying that their ideas are better than God's. That sounds an awful lot like Genesis 3:5, doesn't it? When we boil it down, it all comes back to a simple question: Do you believe the Truth, which is God's word, or do you believe the lie, which is Satan's word? Satan says you can be your own god. God says that He is God and you shall have no other gods before Him. God's word is 100% true and leads to life (John 1:1, 8:12, 14:6, 15-21, 17:17, Rom 3:21-26, Titus 1:1-3, etc). Satan's word is 100% false and leads to death (John 8:42-47, 1 Cor 6:9-10, 2 Thess 1:5-10, 2:9-12, Jude 5-12 etc.). God doesn't beat around the bush here. Those that serve themselves are really just serving Satan and giving into the lie that they can be their own god. Some are quite good at this, and will use "good words and fair speeches." Most use the bible to back up what they say and may sound convincing, except they twist the words of God to serve their own needs, which God starkly warns against because it leads to destruction (1 Pet 3:16).

There are plenty of those that fit that description in the Church, the Body of Christ today. God wasn't surprised at this, but I'm sure is still disappointed. He tells us that these things would happen in 1 Tim 4:1-3 and 2 Tim 3:1-9. There is very good reason to avoid people like this.

That isn't to say that if a leader has a mistake in doctrine that we cast them away from us outright. We aren't God, so we don't know where their heart is. First we're told not to take something against them as truth unless it's from two or three witnesses. Then we are to rebuke them before all that others may fear (1 Tim 5:1, 19-20). If they will not change to hold the bible as their source of truth after that, then we withdraw ourselves from them and trust that God will do what He needs to do (1 Tim 6:3-5). We can pray that their consciences aren't sealed with a hot iron, and that they do come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 16:19
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

God is commending the faithful at Rome, putting them in contrast to those just talked about in verses 18-19. They didn't take heed to any false doctrine, but are living in the gospel of the grace of God. It is evident because their faith was spoken of throughout the known world (Romans 1:8). Along with that, they were declared as obedient to all as we see in this verse. Paul adds his own praise but also tacks on his desire for them which essentially would result if they avoided the people of verses 17 and 18.

Paul's desire is fleshed out further in the Greek than in the English. The verb for "I would" comes from "thelo", which is a desire for the best or a wish. There are two missing articles here, denoting the good and the evil. The word for "simple" is quite interesting. It is akeraios, which starts with alpha to denote the opposite, and the root word is kerannymi, which means "mingled" [1]. The translation of simple does work, but Paul is literally desiring them not to be mingled to the point of the evil. There are two occurrences of "de" in this verse that don't appear to be translated, and the prepositions by good and evil are both "eis." Going for a literal translation, we have this:

For your obedience to (eis) all has reached. Upon (epi) you, therefore, I rejoice. I wish now (de) you all wise indeed to be to the point of the good, not mingled now (de) to the point of the evil.

I see that Paul's desire, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, was for these saints at Rome to understand their identity as a saint, and to walk worthy of that calling (Eph 4:1).

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen

It's easy to get excited when we read words like this verse. Over and over God talks about the time where His wrath will be poured out (Romans 12:19). We're comforted with the prospect of being snatched away when Jesus calls us home while we're still alive and avoiding that wrath altogether (1 Thess 4:13-18). Even if this body does die, we will be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8) and we will still be resurrected to go be with the Lord before His wrath is poured out. What a glorious gospel we have through Jesus Christ! God's wrath and His judgment is to put Satan in the lake of the fire forever, along with all those who rejected the truth (Rev 20:10-15). Afterward, there will be life with no sin, pain, suffering, or death on a brand new Earth and a brand new Heaven. May the Lord Jesus call us home today!

I wanted to add that I don't think that this verse necessarily has to mean just that one time, although that most certainly is included. We were just warned about those who would twist scripture and pretend to be Christians but had the motive of serving themselves. We were told to avoid all who do such things. The desire of God through Paul was clear: to be strong in truth (the good) and not mingled with lies (the evil). When we live the way we ought to as saints and look to God in all things, difficulties can dissolve in front of us. We are superconquering through Christ in tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword (Rom 8:35, 37). Now, I can't promise all sufferings will disolve because we still live in a world where sin and death are. However, we can trust that whatever sufferings we go through in life won't even compare to the glory of the next (Rom 8:18). So keep looking up (Titus 2:13)!

There are a few things to point out from the Greek. The word "and" at the beginning of the verse is another "de." There are definite articles to denote the peace and the Satan. The word for "shortly" is the word "tachos." It would appear we use this as the prefix in tachometer since that is supposed to measure the short trip in a vehicle. It also would be where our word taxi comes from. It has the idea of without unnecessary delay [1]. It doesn't mean in a short time like a few minutes, but more rather that there won't be a delay. It is only used 8 times in the New Testament and is worth a quick study: Luke 18:8, Acts 12:7, 22:18, 25:4, Rom 16:20, 1 Tim 3:14, Rev 1:1, 22:6. Finally, the "amen" doesn't exist in the Greek.

Romans 16:21
Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

Most likely this Timotheus is the same who shares his name on two letters in our bible. He is labeled the same as Priscilla and Aquila in verse 3 and Urbane in verse 9. We are introduced to Timothy in Acts 16:1. Lucius is more than likely not the beloved physician, but rather another. It's quite possible this is the Lucius of Acts 13:1, a fellow prophet and teacher along with Saul of Tarsus in Antioch. Jason here may be the same as from Thessalonica in Acts 17:5-9. Sosipater, a name that means of a safe father, is a proper name. It isn't seen this way again in the New Testament, though I've read several commentaries that link this Sosipater with Sopater of Berea in Acts 20:4. I don't see anything definitive to say whether or not that is the same man, but we are told that Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater are Paul's kinsmen. All the Greek references agree that the word "kinsmen" could mean a blood relation or fellow countryman. It's the same word as in verse 7.

The way the language is used of being  brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ makes me wonder if Paul is telling us these men and woman are apostles of the grace of God along with him. If some of these names are those we've seen before, the concept of a fellow countryman doesn't make sense. Jason was in Thessalonica and Lucius in Antioch of Syria. There is the possibility that these were all Jews before and came to believe in the gospel of God's grace through Jesus Christ. Just something to think about, but not to spend too much time on.

Romans 16:22
I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

God never spares details. He saw it important to include the writer of this epistle and inspired Tertius to pen his name in this verse. Clearly a believer, Tertius sends his salutations to the saints in Rome. Take a moment and think about this man with me. The name may indicate birth order, as many Romans were given numbers for names, which would make this man the number three. It may indicate that he was born in the third month. Regardless, I wanted to draw attention to the fact that no job is too small in the eyes of God. Tertius wrote this epistle from Paul's dictation, which was inspired of the Holy Spirit. God wanted him recognized for that, forever putting Tertius in the bible. No ministry is too small. We all have different offices in the Body of Christ, but God values them all. Therefore, whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men (Col 3:23).

Romans 16:23
Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

Even the host of Paul during this time gets his name mentioned. The name Gaius was very common in Rome. It's possible that this is the same man as in Acts 19:29, but most likely the one in 1 Cor 1:14 if they aren't the same man. This Gaius is noted as having hosted not just Paul, but the whole local assembly. This man must have been a good leader in the faith, or at the very least, willing to provide his home for a place to gather.

Lastly, we have Erastus and Quartus mentioned. By no means should these names be overlooked either. Both of them are believers and must be celebrating new life with Jesus Christ in Heaven as I write this. Erastus had a special job which is translated as chamberlain here. It could also be translated as steward, as the Greek word is oikonomos. This is similar to the word which is translated as dispensation in Paul's epistles, like Ephesians 3:1, but that word is oikonomia. Similar, but different only in the sense that one is in the feminine and one in the masculine. Oikonomos combines oikos (house, household) and nemo (allot, apportion), and is a word that defines a steward, or literally a household manager [1]. Erastus was in charge of the whole city, and to the glory of God, he was a believer. The way the text is written, Quartus may have been Erastus' brother. The Greek has a definite article, so it is Quartus the brother. Either way, this man was another believer and God wanted him recognized.

Think about that again. This is the inspired word of God (2 Tim 3:16). We just read of several names and positions they held in the Body of Christ. God wanted these names of His faithful in scripture for us to learn from (2 Tim 3:17). What can we apply about it today? Like I already alluded to, no job is too large or small for God to recognize. In fact, it seems to Him they are all equally important, from the washing of feet to the steward of a city. I see God as doting upon these individuals for being faithful where they were at. So we should ask ourselves. How are we doing where we are at? If God were to put our name in the bible, how would it be described? Would it be like one of these here that are saluting one another? Or would it be toward the opposite end of the spectrum, like Alexander the coppersmith or Hymanaeus (2 Tim 4:14, 1 Tim 1:19-20)? How about Phygellus and Hermogenes who turned away from Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (2 Tim 1:15)? Wouldn't you rather it be something like we read here, or my favorite, like Hebrews 11:38a? Let us be zealous for those good works God has given us (Eph 2:10, Titus 2:14), and allow Him to dote upon us! What greater reward could we have than to enter into Heaven and hear from God Himself how pleased He was because of our faith?

Romans 16:24
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Even this verse shouldn't be overlooked. Sure, it's short and simple, but think of the depth that is here. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this not a reference to the gospel given to Paul? This phrase is also a token of his epistles as we see in 2 Thess 3:17, that Paul himself pens these words, giving his authority as apostle to it. Paul regularly had his epistles dictated and written by another. This epistles was written by Tertius as we read in verse 22. Additionally, this verse is a reminder of the age we live in. We're in God's grace, where He did all the work for us through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Today, anyone who believes in that finished work will have a guaranteed place in Heaven, regardless of what works are carried out on this earth (1 Cor 15:1-4, Eph 2:8-9). This is different than before, under the gospel of the circumcision, where works were required for salvation (Acts 2:38, 10:35).

This is something interesting that I've been pondering. We can learn something from the priesthood of Israel and the fact that Jesus is the high priest (Heb 2:17, 3:1, 4:14-16, etc.). Remember, after Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33-34). He had to stand again at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:55). Right now He is seated once more (Eph 1:20, 2:6). Why do I point this out? Because when the priest was standing, there was work to be done. He only sat down when the work was finished. Jesus finished His work on the cross, proclaiming "it is finished" (John 19:30). After His resurrection, He told the 12 apostles to take the gospel of the circumcision to the nations and ascended to Heaven to sit (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:46-52, Acts 1:6-9). Israel was concluded in unbelief when they rejected the Holy Spirit, and we see Jesus standing when they stoned Stephen, who was full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:3, 5, 7:51,55). By God's grace, He initiated the gospel of His grace in Acts 13:2, and at some later point, must have been seated again. Friends, I believe the next time He stands will be to come call us home to be with Him in Heaven (1 Thess 4:13-18, 2 Thess 2:1-3). I think this because there is nothing else to be penned in God's word on this earth (Col 1:25). Grace is the last age before the culmination of the things to come, and that day will come without necessary delay. Each time I see a verse like this, it reminds me that this age we're living in could end at any moment. So, again I say, keep looking up!

Romans 16:25
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Here is one of several times where Paul makes the claim of "his" gospel. I've gone over many times why it is referred to this way. Paul was the one commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself with this message of reconciliation (Gal 1:11-12). He was made the apostle to the Gentiles by Jesus Christ (Rom 11:13, Gal 1:1). It was doctrine committed only to him, and is most definitely separate from that of the 12 (Gal 2:7). Further, we have clarification here that neither the 12 nor the Old Testament prophets had any idea of this doctrine coming. It was "kept secret since the world began." It was "hid in God" from the beginning of the world (Eph 3:9). God makes it very clear that Paul's message is different, and that's why God tells us to prove the things that differ and rightly divide the word of truth (Phil 1:10, 2 Tim 2:15). There is the gospel of the uncircumcision, committed to Paul, also called the revelation of the mystery, and there is the gospel of the circumcision, committed to Peter, also called the gospel of the kingdom as it refers to Israel's earthly kingdom.

Israel was concluded in unbelief so that God could have mercy upon all as we saw in chapter 11 of this epistle. Israel had not been obeying the so-called Great Commission, as they were preaching to none but the Jews only (Acts 11:19). I have started to question why we make such a big deal of this commission and not the commission of Matthew 10 (also Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6) and Luke 10:1-12. Those were also great commissions, though they were for none but the Jews only. After Jesus finished His work on the cross, then he sent out His apostles to the nations and included the Gentiles to be recipients of the gospel of the kingdom. But again, we read they went to none but the Jews only, and the result is the concluding of Israel in unbelief so that God can have mercy upon all. That's what triggered in this age of grace, this gospel given to the apostle Paul, to preach salvation by faith apart from works. This is the gospel we are to obey until that blessed day when He calls us home to Heaven to be with Him forever.

The Greek of this verse includes a definite article for the gospel. It reads funny in the English, but the emphasis is there. A bit more modern literal translation is, "Now to Him that is able to strengthen you according to my the gospel..." The only other thing to point out in the Greek is the phrase "since the world began." It literally says "according to the revealing of mystery having been kept secret in eternal ages." The word "world" doesn't actually appear here, but the concept is still clear. This verse is just half of the full thought to be expressed. It will be finished in the next two verses.

Romans 16:26
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

The gospel of grace committed to Paul was kept secret in eternal ages, but now is made manifest. We know it now because God allowed Paul to bring the message to the world. God commanded it to be brought to the world, and we can see that in Acts 13:2. We read here that it was made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. God told His people how they ought to live as saints, but again, will not force anything upon us. We have the choice to make every day.


Note that phrase "by the scriptures of the prophets." This gospel was made manifest through the scriptures of the prophets. I ask again, was this through Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel? No, of course not. These great men of God had passed on many years before the gospel of the grace of God was given to the apostle Paul. No, these prophets are the prophets of grace, prophets that are contemporary with Paul. Paul was one himself, but he encouraged other saints to seek to be prophets as it was an important spiritual gift (1 Cor 12:28-30, 14:1). Even though prophecy was a spiritual gift to be desire as it was edifying to all (1 Cor 14:3-6, 22-24), it was something that has now faded away because we have the full word of God (Col 1:25, 1 Cor 13:8).


The Greek starts of with "de nyn," something I've explored several times before, but will point out again how emphatic this is. The gospel of grace is now and presently made manifest to the world. The same word that was translated "everlasting" was used in verse 25 in the phrase "since the world began." I had put down the more literal translation of "having been kept secret in eternal ages" and here we have the "eternal God." The KJV has "for the obedience of faith," but the preposition is "eis" so it has the meaning of "to the point of obedience of faith." The entire gospel was made manifest so that all men could come to that knowledge of the truth and please God in all things.

Romans 16:27
To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen

Glory and praise be the everlasting God! What a wonderful and amazing gift He has given us in Christ! Yes, praise the Lord and glory to Him through Jesus Christ for ever! The Greek is literally translated, "To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, the glory to the ages of the ages." Amen to that!


References
HELPS Word-studies [1]