Paul, the Passionate Scholar
A Verse-by-Verse Analysis of the Complete Writings of the Apostle Paul Presented in Approximate Chronological Order
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I Corinthians 1:26-31
The “Nothings” and the “Somethings”:
1:26: “For look at your calling, brothers and sisters, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many well-bred:”
Paul called attention to the general population of the Corinthian believers. Were many upper class people among them having sophisticated worldly wisdom, or those having great political power, or those having parents who are aristocrats in the society? No. They were generally common middle, or lower class people, who responded to the gospel message. Not many were wise by human standards, σόφοι, was ‘wise, related to sophistry, or sophisticated.’ Not many were imbued with influential human power, δύνατοι, meaning, ‘strong, powerful.’ Not Many were “born to high-status families,” εὐγενεῖς, was ‘well-born.’ The text did not say ‘not any.’ There were some believers in these categories, because some well-to-do Christians provided their large houses for meeting places. For example, there was Erastus, who was a prominent politician in Corinth, who was very wealthy and built Theater Street in fine marble at his own expense. A number of others could be mentioned as well (Gaius, Stephanas, etc.).
I Corinthians 1:28: “…and God chose the base things of the world and the things which are despised, the nothings, in order to bring to nothing the somethings…”
Now, Paul added another dimension to the above metaphors. They were ‘base things’ γένης, ‘not of noble birth,’ (BDAG). They represented the lowest forms of the social classes. They were the ones ‘not of noble birth. They were lowly commoners. They were preferred over the people of noble birth. The ‘despised’ was another dimension of these metaphors. ‘Despised’ was ἐξουθενημένα, a perfect passive intensive participle, indicating that the idea of ‘being despised’ was a continual process: it was always there. Further, the participle was neuter, correlating with the ‘things’ (below humanity) which were being despised. Further, Paul indicated that the ‘nothings’ were those things being ‘nothing,’ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, literally, the ‘things not existing.’ They were even lower than the plant life: they did not exist, and they were treated that way. The reason for God’s choices within this group of ‘things,’ was to put to shame all those who considered themselves to be ‘somethings.’
1:29: “…so that all flesh may glory in the presence of God.”
The nothings were made into somethings by God, and the somethings were made into nothings, also by God. Neither group had any basis for boasting. The believers (with a few made-over somethings) had no right to boast before God as being special, even if they may have had status in the “old” class system. The CLASS DISTINCTIONS practiced in the Graeco-Roman and Jewish worlds were no longer valid. This especially related to the divisions in the Corinthian church and the factions: believers who thought that their group was superior to the other groups, and were boasting about their “superiority,” were typical in the Corinthian pagan and Jewish value systems within the system of the ‘somethings.’
1:30: “But from Him (God the Father) you yourselves exist in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom for us from God (the Father), also (He became) righteousness, and sanctification and redemption,”
Two key elements were developed here: First, Christians had their existence in Christ Jesus (the locative sense: ‘a place,’ not instrumental). Second, since this existence was in effect, there were certain ‘gifts’ that were presented to the believer: this was expressed in the text by the words, ‘for us’ (not in us: ἡν, here as a dative of advantage). Those ‘gifts’ were: WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFICATION, and REDEMPTION. They came from God the Father because the believer was ‘in Christ,’ a place of safety and security. These four words were parts of the subject of the sentence (nominative case) and they not only described the essence of Christ (WISDOM), but also His work and gifts to believers (RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFICATION and REDEMPTION).
The four ‘gifts’ can further be described and applied to the believer:
1. WISDOM: The ‘nothings’ became the ‘somethings’ in God’s eyes because they had been given one of Christ’s inherent descriptors of Himself: His Wisdom.
2. RIGHTEOUSNESS: Being ‘in Christ,’ the ‘nothings’ were ‘somethings’ because they were acquitted, and had been imputed righteousness from God the Father: ‘Just as if they had never sinned.’
3. The ‘nothings’ also had the gift of SANCTIFICATION: They had the unique ability among men to ‘draw by the near to God,’ a process of being made holy. Again, the ‘nothings’ became ‘somethings’ in the eyes of God. But the old ‘somethings’ of the world had now become the ‘nothings.’
4. Finally, the ‘nothings’ also had the gift of REDEMPTION: This word was connected to the slave market in that era: a price had to be paid to transfer ownership to a new ‘lord.’ Now the ‘nothings’ were the ‘somethings’ because they belonged to the Lord of the universe, paid for by Christ. The price: the Cross of Christ.
1:31: “…so that, even as it has been written, ‘Let the one who glories, glory in the Lord.’”
‘Glorying’ was the opposite of boasting. One who glories, does it for the benefit of someone else, not himself or herself. It was a selfless activity. But it was more than that. One who glorifies God, praises Him for who He is, and what He has done for that person. What beauty lies in that person who glorifies God? He or she can only be one of the ‘nothings’ that God made over into one of the ‘somethings’ by using His creative power.
In addition, God used His own standard of measurement and value system, not mans. Conclusion: However, there was no reason for any Christian to boast in his/her new status, because the new ‘somethings’ were the results of God’s work. There was one exception to this rule, however: Paul explained this exception by quoting Jer. 9.24: “Let the one who is inclined to boast, boast in the Lord” [who, by implication, was the One who made believers, the‘nothings,’ into the ‘somethings’]. What made boasting a sin was the object of the boast. Boasting in one’s status was a sin; boasting in Christ was not a sin, and that kind of boasting was praise to Christ and God.
The Manner and the Content of Paul’s Preaching:
I Corinthians 2:1-8
The Manner of Paul’s Preaching: (verses 1-4)
2:1: “After having come to you, brothers and sisters, Even I myself did not come with high-sounding language or announcing wisdom to you (about) the mystery of God.”
How Paul, upon his arrival in Corinth, did NOT proclaim his message: First, he did not come to them in the conventional way of a sophist teacher or philosopher: Not with ‘high-sounding (υπεροχήν) language’ (λόγου): or ‘flowery speech,’ common to the sophist teachers of the day. Second, he did not come with high-sounding (words of) wisdom (σοφίας), common among traveling philosophers of that time. ‘Announcing’ was καταγγέλλων, ‘to make known in public, with the implication of broad dissemination, proclaim, announce,’ (BDAG). Paul, unlike the common philosophers and sophists of the day, came to them with the message alone, not presented in a flowery manner, but the truth alone. The speaker was not central; the message of Christ was central.
What was his message? It was the ‘mystery of God’ (μυστήριον) of God: ‘mystery’ was equivalent to a revelation of God. That revelation centered on the incredible fact that the crucifixion was not an ‘accident’ in the heat of a mob’s passion: it was the central ‘mystery’ in the OT Messiah passages (note especially the ‘suffering Messiah’) for those faithful ones who believed God in the centuries before Christ.
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About the Book
This book is God’s Word, prayerfully unfolding glimpses into the clarifying elements of the Greek text, augmented by historical images of his times. Designed to arouse believers and further deepen their Christian commitment, it can change lives and augment Christian growth of lay readers.
The language of the NT Greek holds many keys for unlocking the riches of God’s “palace.” In a special tour of each chapter, one can marvel over stories of valor and tender moments of love, lavishly displayed in rich flavors and stirring narratives that invigorate the soul.
About the Author
The origin of this volume can be found over 50 years ago when the author attended Bob Jones University, majoring in history and Greek, graduating there in 1964. Further study supplemented his undergraduate work by taking further graduate and post-graduate courses at California State University at Los Angeles, earning an M.A. in 1971. More courses were taken at UCLA in Latin, Classical Greek, archaeology, and art history, with enough work in the latter area to earn a major in that field. In addition, for preparation for several photographic research trips to Greece and Rome in 1968 and 1971, Mr. Rouse conducted independent research at the UCLA research library that extended over three years on topics regarding NT archaeology and research. The two six week research trips to Rome and Greece concentrated on the ruins of ancient Rome, and in Greece, on Athens and Corinth. In 1970, Mr. Rouse was asked to edit an 800 page manuscript of a Cal. State Univ. professor specializing in Byzantine archaeology, which he finished in one year.
From 1975 to 1985 Mr. Rouse became a gem cutter and a research gemologist and was the founding president from 1981 to 1983 of Jewelry Tech Institute, Inc. in Garden Grove, California, a jewelry arts trade school. In 1983 he was asked to come to Bangkok, Thailand, to become the managing director of the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences, Inc. In his first year, he led a curriculum revision and added tours throughout Thailand for visiting gemologists and gem buyers, both endeavors providing needed income for the institute. While there, Mr. Rouse was asked to write a scientific book on garnet by an agent of a distinguished publishing house on scientific books located in London. With much of his initial work finished at the institute, Mr. Rouse asked his employers in Bangkok to send him to London for several months to continue his research at the British Museum and put him in contact with the major gemological scholars in London. While there, he continued his research in various museums in London and was accepted as a visiting scholar at the British Museum, where he was allowed a research room and was able to order various pieces of Greek and Roman jewelry from the museum exhibits for specialized photography. Two months were utilized in the summer of 1984, mainly at the British Museum library. In 1985, he was in London again in the summer, for another two months of research, this time exclusively at the British Museum back rooms. His book was published in 1986 and it was highly recommended by several international scholars. Graeco-Roman research in the British Museum re-energized his love of the Scriptures and the Pauline world of the first century A.D.
On his return to the U.S. he re-entered his teaching career in the Los Angeles Unified Schools, where he taught numerous high school subjects, including gem-cutting, to high-risk students for the next 11 years. In 1994 he was one of several gemological scholars asked to revise several chapters of the major gemological text, Gems, released in 1995. Moving to Colorado in 1997, Mr. Rouse was associated first as an instructor in adult education, then for three more years as an administrator for the adult education department of Pueblo Community College. In 2005, he designed a Greek NT class for his church, and that class formed the basis of this book. Five years were utilized in teaching all the writings of Paul, and another year for editing. From 2005 to 2014, he has continuously taught the NT in Greek for students who love the Scripture.