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1 Corinthians 1:30
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Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
in: 1 Corinthians 12:18, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Isaiah 45:17, John 15:1-6, John 17:21-23, Romans 8:1, Romans 12:5, Romans 16:7, Romans 16:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 12:2, Ephesians 1:3, Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 2:10
of God: Romans 11:36, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
wisdom: 1 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Corinthians 12:8, Proverbs 1:20, Proverbs 2:6, Proverbs 8:5, Daniel 2:20, Luke 21:15, John 1:18, John 8:12, John 14:6, John 17:8, John 17:26, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 3:10, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:3, Colossians 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, James 1:5
righteousness: Psalms 71:15, Psalms 71:16, Isaiah 45:24, Isaiah 45:25, Isaiah 54:17, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Jeremiah 33:16, Daniel 9:24, Romans 1:17, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 4:6, Romans 4:25, Romans 5:19, Romans 5:21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9, 2 Peter 1:1
sanctification: 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Matthew 1:21, John 17:17-19, Acts 26:18, Romans 8:9, Galatians 5:22-24, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 John 5:6
redemption: 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Hosea 13:14, Romans 3:24, Romans 8:23, Galatians 1:4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:30, Colossians 1:14, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 14:4
Reciprocal: Genesis 12:3 - in thee Exodus 28:2 - glory Exodus 39:30 - the plate Exodus 40:10 - most holy Exodus 40:14 - General Leviticus 8:22 - the ram of consecration Leviticus 8:23 - Moses took Leviticus 15:28 - General Leviticus 20:8 - sanctify Leviticus 25:24 - redemption Numbers 19:18 - General 1 Kings 3:28 - the wisdom 1 Kings 10:3 - told her 1 Chronicles 16:10 - Glory 2 Chronicles 9:23 - God Job 28:23 - General Psalms 4:1 - O Psalms 24:5 - righteousness Psalms 33:1 - Rejoice Psalms 62:7 - In God Psalms 64:10 - upright Psalms 85:12 - the Lord Psalms 89:17 - For thou Proverbs 2:7 - layeth Proverbs 8:14 - Counsel Ecclesiastes 2:26 - wisdom Isaiah 1:27 - her converts Isaiah 9:6 - Counsellor Isaiah 11:2 - the spirit of wisdom Isaiah 28:5 - shall the Isaiah 41:16 - thou shalt rejoice Ezekiel 37:28 - sanctify Daniel 2:21 - he giveth Matthew 6:33 - his Luke 11:49 - the wisdom John 4:10 - If John 14:20 - ye in John 16:10 - righteousness John 17:23 - I John 19:34 - came Romans 10:4 - Christ Romans 14:17 - but 1 Corinthians 1:9 - the fellowship 1 Corinthians 3:6 - God 2 Corinthians 3:9 - the ministration of righteousness Galatians 1:22 - in Ephesians 2:13 - in Ephesians 3:8 - unsearchable Ephesians 5:8 - but Philippians 1:21 - to live Colossians 1:28 - perfect Colossians 2:6 - received Colossians 2:10 - complete Colossians 3:11 - but 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - your Hebrews 3:14 - we are Hebrews 10:10 - we 1 Peter 5:14 - in 1 John 1:3 - our fellowship 1 John 2:5 - hereby 1 John 5:12 - that hath the 1 John 5:20 - and hath
Cross-References
and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so.
They will be in the sky to shine light on the earth." And it happened.
and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the eretz," and it was so.
and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so.
And let them be for lights in the arch of heaven to give light on the earth: and it was so.
And let them be for lyghtes in the firmament of the heauen, that they maye geue light vpo the earth: and it was so.
And let them be for lightes in the firmament of the heauen to giue light vpon the earth. and it was so.
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.
they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth"—and it was done.
And let them be for light in the firmament of the heaven, so as to shine upon the earth, and it was so.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,.... These words, as they direct to the proper object of glorying, Christ, so they show the high honour the called ones are brought to in and through Christ, and are opposed to their outward meanness, folly, weakness, poverty, and contempt. They are first of God the Father, of his own rich free grace and goodness, without any regard to any motive, merit, or desert of theirs, put into Christ by electing grace, in whom they are preserved and blessed; and which is their original secret being in him; and is made manifest by regenerating grace, by their being made new creatures; which also is not owing to their blood, or to the will of the flesh, or to the will of man, but to God and his free favour in Christ: and in consequence of their being in Christ, as their head and representative, he becomes all to them, which is here expressed;
who of God is made unto us wisdom. Though they are foolish creatures in their own and the world's esteem, yet Christ is their wisdom; he is so "efficiently", the author and cause of all that spiritual wisdom and understanding in divine things they are possessed of; he is so "objectively", their highest wisdom lying in the knowledge of his person, blood, and righteousness, of interest in him, and salvation by him; with which knowledge eternal life is connected: and he is so "representatively"; he is their head, in whom all their wisdom lies; he acts for them as their wisdom to God, he is their Counsellor, their Advocate, who pleads and intercedes for them, and as their wisdom to men, and gives them a mouth and wisdom which their adversaries are not able to gainsay; and having the tongue of the learned, he speaks a word in season to themselves, when weary, distressed, and disconsolate, and for them in the court of heaven; he is their wisdom, to direct their paths, to guide them with his counsel, in the way they should go, safe to his kingdom and glory:
and righteousness. He is the "author" of righteousness; he has wrought out and brought in one for them, which is well pleasing to God, satisfying to his justice, by which his law is magnified and made honourable; which justifies from all sin, and discharges from all condemnation, is everlasting, and will answer for them in a time to come; this he has brought in by the holiness of his nature, the obedience of his life, and by his sufferings and death: and which is "subjectively" in him, not in themselves; nor does it lie in any thing wrought in them, or done by them; but in him as their head and representative, who by "imputation" is made righteousness to them; and they the same way are made the righteousness of God in him; or in other words, this righteousness, by an act of the Father's grace, is imputed, reckoned, and accounted to them as their justifying righteousness:
and sanctification; Christ is the sanctification of his people, through the constitution of God, the imputation of the holiness of his nature, the merits of his blood, and the efficacy of his grace, he is so "federally" and "representatively"; he is their covenant head, and has all covenant grace in his hands for them, and so the whole stock and fund of holiness, which is communicated to them in all ages, until the perfection of it in every saint: this is sanctification in Christ, which differs from sanctification in them in these things; in him it is as the cause, in them as the effect; in him as its fountain, in them as the stream; in him it is complete, in them it is imperfect for the present: and they have it by virtue of union to him; sanctification in Christ can be of no avail to any, unless it is derived from him to them; so that this sanctification in Christ does not render the sanctification of the Spirit unnecessary, but includes it, and secures it: likewise Christ is the sanctification of his people "by imputation", as the holiness of his human nature is, together with his obedience and sufferings, imputed to them for their justification; Christ assumed an holy human nature, the holiness of it was not merely a qualification for his office as a Saviour, or what made his actions and sufferings in that nature significant and useful, or is exemplary to men; but is a branch of the saints justification before God: the law required an holy nature, theirs is not holy; Christ has assumed one not for, himself, but for them, and so is the end of the law in all respects: and this may be greatly designed in the whole of this passage; "wisdom" may stand in general for the wise scheme of justification, as it is laid in Christ; "sanctification" may intend the holiness of his nature; "righteousness" the obedience of his life; and "redemption" his sufferings and death, by which it is obtained: but then justification and sanctification are not to be confounded; they are two distinct things, and have their proper uses and effects; sanctification in the saints does not justify, or justification sanctify; the one respects the power and being of sin, the other the guilt of it. Moreover, Christ is the sanctification of his people "meritoriously"; through the shedding of his blood, whereby he has sanctified them, that is, expiated their sins, and made full atonement for them; see Hebrews 10:10. Once more, he is their sanctification "efficiently"; by his Spirit, as the author, and by his word, as the means; he is the source of all holiness, it all comes from him, and is wrought by his Spirit in the heart; which lies in filling the understanding with spiritual light and knowledge; the mind with a sense of sin, and a detestation of it; the heart with the fear of God; the affections with love to divine objects and things; the will with submission and resignation to the will of God in all respects; and is exercised in living a life of faith on Christ, and in living soberly, righteously, and godly, before God and man: and this, though imperfect now, will be perfected from and by Christ, without which it is impossible to see the Lord:
and redemption; which he is by the appointment of his Father, being foreordained to it before the foundation of the world; and this sense of the word made will agree with every clause in the text; and he is so efficiently, having obtained eternal redemption from sin, Satan, the law, and this present evil world, for his people; and "subjectively", it being in him, and every other blessing which is either a part of it, and comes through it, or is dependent on it, as justification, adoption, and remission of sins. Moreover, this may have respect not only to redemption past, which is obtained by Christ; but to that which draws near, the saints are waiting for, and to which they are sealed up by the Spirit of God; even their redemption and deliverance from very being of sin, from all sorrow and sufferings, from death and the grave, and everything that is afflicting and distressing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But of him - That is, by his agency and power. It is not by philosophy; not from ourselves; but by his mercy. The apostle keeps it prominently in view, that it was not of their philosophy, wealth, or rank that they had been raised to these privileges, but of God as the author.
Are ye - Ye are what you are by the mercy of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10. You owe your hopes to him. The emphasis in this verse is to he placed on this expression, “are ye.” You are Christians, not by the agency of man, but by the agency of God.
(See the supplementary note at Romans 8:10.)
In Christ Jesus - See the note at 1 Corinthians 1:4. By the medium, or through the work of Christ, this mercy has been conferred on you.
Who of God - From God ἀπὸ θεοῦ apo theou. Christ is given to us by God, or appointed by him to be our wisdom, etc. God originated the scheme, and God gave him for this end.
Wisdom - That is, he is to us the source of wisdom; it is by him that we are made wise. This cannot mean that his wisdom becomes strictly and properly ours; that it is set over to us, and reckoned as our own, for that is not true. But it must mean simply, that Christians have become “truly wise” by the agency, the teaching, and the work of Christ. Philosophers had attempted to become wise by their own investigations and inquiries. But Christians had become wise by the work of Christ; that is, it had been by his instructions that they had been made acquainted with the true character of God; with his law; with their own condition; and with the great truth that there was a glorious immortality beyond the grave. None of these truths had been obtained by the investigations of philosophers, but by the instructions of Christ. In like manner it was that through him they had been made practically wise unto salvation. Compare Colossians 2:3, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” He is the great agent by whom we become truly wise. Christ is often represented as eminently wise, and as the source of all true wisdom to his people. Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 13:54; Luke 2:40, Luk 2:52; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 3:10. “Ye are wise in Christ.” Many commentators have supposed that the beautiful description of wisdom, in Proverbs 8:0 is applicable to the Messiah. Christ may be said to be made wisdom to us, or to communicate wisdom:
(1) Because he has in his own ministry instructed us in the true knowledge of God, and of those great truths which pertain to our salvation.
(2) Because he has by his word and spirit led us to see our true situation, and made us “wise unto salvation.” He has turned us from the ways of folly, and inclined us to walk in the path of true wisdom.
(3) Because he is to his people now the source of wisdom. He enlightens their mind in the time of perplexity; guides them in the way of truth; and leads them in the path of real knowledge. It often happens that obscure and ignorant people, who have been taught in the school of Christ, have more true and real knowledge of that which concerns their welfare, and evince more real practical wisdom, than can be learned in all the schools of philosophy and learning on the earth. It is wise for a sinful and dying creature to prepare for eternity. But none but those who are instructed by the Son of God, become thus wise.
And righteousness - By whom we become righteous in the sight of God. This declaration simply affirms that we become righteous through him, as it is affirmed that we become wise, sanctified, and redeemed through him. But neither of the expressions determine anything as to the mode by which it is done. The leading idea of the apostle, which should never be lost sight of, is that the Greeks by their philosophy did not become truly wise, righteous, sanctified, and redeemed; but that this was accomplished through Jesus Christ. But “in what way” this was done, or by what process or mode, is not here stated; and it should be no more assumed from this text that we became righteous by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, than it should be that we became wise by the imputation of his wisdom, and sanctified by the imputation of his holiness. If this passage would prove one of these points, it would prove all. But as it is absurd to say that we became wise by the imputation of the personal wisdom of Christ, so this passage should not be brought to prove that we became righteous by the imputation of his righteousness. Whatever may be the truth of that doctrine, this passage does not prove it.
By turning to other parts of the New Testament to learn in what way we are made righteous through Christ, or in what way he is made unto us righteousness; we learn that it is in two modes:
(1) Because it is by his merits alone that our sins are pardoned, and we are justified, and treated as righteous (see the note at Romans 3:26-27); and,
(2) Because by his influence, and work, and Spirit, and truth, we are made personally holy in the sight of God.
The former is doubtless the thing intended here, as sanctification is specified after. The apostle here refers simply to the fact, without specifying the mode in which it is done. That is to be learned from other parts of the New Testament. Compare the note at Romans 4:25. The doctrine of justification is, that God regards and treats those as righteous who believe on his Son, and who are pardoned on account of what he has done and suffered. The several steps in the process may be thus stated:
(1) The sinner is by nature exposed to the wrath of God. He is lost and ruined. He has no merit of his own. He has violated a holy law, and that law condemns him, and he has no power to make an atonement or reparation. He can never be pronounced a “just” man on his own merits. He can never vindicate his conduct, as a man can do in a court of justice where he is unjustly accused, and so be pronounced just.
(2) Jesus Christ has taken the sinner’s place, and died in his stead. He has honored a broken law; he has rendered it consistent for God to pardon. By his dreadful sufferings, endured in the sinner’s place, God has shown his hatred of sin, and his willingness to forgive. His truth will be vindicated, and his law honored, and his government secured, if now he shall pardon the offender when penitent. As he endured these sorrows for others, and not for himself, they can be so reckoned, and are so judged by God. All the “benefits” or “results” of that atonement, therefore, as it was made for others, can be applied to them, and all the advantage of such substitution in their place, can be made over to them, as really as when a man pays a note of hand for a friend; or when he pays for another a ransom. The price is reckoned as paid for them, and the “benefits” flow to the debtor and the captive. It is not reckoned that they paid it, for that is not true; but that it was done for them, and the benefit may be theirs, which is true.
(3) God has been pleased to promise that these benefits may be conferred on him who believes in the Saviour. The sinner is “united” by faith to the Lord Jesus, and is so adjudged, or reckoned. God “esteems” or judges him to be a believer according to the promise. And so believing, and so repenting, he deems it consistent to pardon and justify him who is so united to his Son by faith. He is justified, not by the ACT of faith; not by any merits of his own, but by the merits of Christ. He has no other ground, and no other hope. Thus, he is in fact a pardoned and justified man; and God so reckons and judges. God’s law is honored, and the sinner is pardoned and saved; and it is now as consistent for God to treat him as a righteous man, as it would be if he had never sinned - since there is as high honor shown to the law of God, as there would have been had he been personally obedient, or had he personally suffered its penalty. And as, through the death of Christ, the same “results” are secured in upholding God’s moral government as would be by his condemnation, it is consistent and proper for God to forgive him and treat him as a righteous man; and to do so accords with the infinite benevolence of his heart.
And sanctification - By him we are sanctified or made holy. This does not mean, evidently, that his personal holiness is reckoned to us, but that by his work applied to our hearts, we become personally sanctified or holy. Compare Ephesians 4:24. This is done by the agency of his Spirit applying truth to the mind John 17:19, by the aid which he furnishes in trials, temptations, and conflicts, and by the influence of hope in sustaining, elevating and purifying the soul. All the truth that is employed to sanctify, was taught primarily by him; and all the means that may be used are the purchase of his death, and are under his direction; and the Spirit by whose agency Christians are sanctified, was sent into the world by him, and in answer to his prayers. John 14:16; John 15:26.
And redemption - ἀπολύτρωσις apolutrōsis. For the meaning of this word, see the note at Romans 3:24. Here it is evidently used in a larger sense than it is commonly in the New Testament. The things which are specified above, “justification and sanctification,” are a part of the work of redemption. Probably the word is used here in a wide sense, as denoting the whole “group,” or class of influences by which we are brought at last to heaven; so that the apostle refers not only to his atonement, but to the work by which we are in fact redeemed from death, and made happy in heaven. Thus, in Romans 8:23, the word is applied to the resurrection, “the ‘redemption’ of the body.” The sense is, “it is by Christ that we are redeemed; by him that an atonement is made; by him that we are pardoned; by him that we are delivered from the dominion of sin, and the power of our enemies; and by him that we shall be rescued from the grave, and raised up to everlasting life.” Thus, the whole work depends on him; and no part of it is to be ascribed to the philosophy, the talent, or the wisdom of human beings. He does not merely aid us; he does not complete that which is imperfect; he does not come in to do a part of the work, or to supply our defects; but it is all to be traced to him. Colossians 2:10, “and ye are complete in him.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus — Even the good which you possess is granted by God, for it is by and through him that Christ Jesus comes, and all the blessings of the Gospel dispensation.
Who of God is made unto us wisdom — As being the author of that evangelical wisdom which far excels the wisdom of the philosopher and the scribe, and even that legal constitution which is called the wisdom of the Jews, Deuteronomy 4:6.
And righteousness — δικαιοσυνη, Justification, as procuring for us that remission of sins which the law could not give, Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:21.
And sanctification — As procuring for and working in us, not only an external and relative holiness, as was that of the Jews, but οσιοτητα της αληθειας, true and eternal holiness, Ephesians 4:24, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit.
And redemption — He is the author of redemption, not from the Egyptian bondage, or Babylonish captivity, but from the servitude of Satan, the dominion of sin and death, and from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, or the redemption of the body, Romans 8:21; Romans 8:23. See Whitby.
The object of the apostle is to show that man of himself possesses no good, that whatever he has comes from God, and from God only through Christ. For the different acceptations of the word righteousness the reader may consult the note on Romans 1:17, where the subject is considered in every point of view.
