The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 40

Yers. 26-31.-Salvation all of God. The apostle has shown, in the previous section, that the cross of Christ, which men count foolish and weak, is really the wisdom and the power of God. In proof of this be now calls their attention to the social status of the converts at Corinth. For the most part they were of no account in the world's esteem; but, though nobodies according to the flesh, they were raised to true dignity in Christ. J. THE CHRISTIAN CALLING DOES NOT PROCEED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF TfilS WORLD. "For behold your calling, brethren," etc. 'l'he Church at Corinth was composed chiefly of the poor and the illiterate. The philosophers and the rich merchants, the high-born and those who occupied positions of influence, bad but few representatives among the disciples of Jesus. They were drawn in great part from those whom the world reckoned foolish, weak, base, and of no importance. And the case of Corinth was not singular. It is characteristic of Christianity to begin low down. The Lord ,Jesus himself was not born in a royal palace or nursed among the lordly of the earth. His birthplace was a stable, bis home the simple dwelling of Joseph, bis training- school the carpenter's workshop. His disciples were derived mainly from the labouring classes. One or two of the twelve may have been in easy circumstauces, but none of them appears to have been of high birth; and outside this circle his followers, with the exception of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimatbrea, were almost entirely of the same class. From the beginning, therefore, the gospel found acceptance, not in the high places of the land, nor amon~ the representatives of the learning and religion of the t!me, but among the plain, unschooled, unsophisticated people. "The poor have good tidings preached to them" (Luke vii. 22). Beyond the bounds of Palestine it was the same. The pride of wisdom and station closed the ear against the story of the cross. It did not flatter the wise or the great. It spoke to all alike as sinners needing a common salvation, and summoned all to repentance and faith. The result may be illustrated by comparing the reception of the gospel at Athens and at Corinth. In the metropolis of philosophy and art only a few were converted (Acts xvii. 16-34); in the capital of trade a large Church was formed. So also at Rome. 'l'be first and chief successes of the gospel were among the lower clnsses of society; and this was urged as an objection against it. Celsus jeers at the fact that "wool-workers, cobblers, leuther- dressers, the most illiterate and clownish of men, were zealous preachers of the gospel, and particularly that they addr.issed themselves, in the first instance, to women and children." 'l'he proud Roman could not understand a religion which treated the slave as a mnn, and addressed itself equally to all. But the leaven thus put into the mass spread not only outwards but upwards. From slave to master, from plebeian to  'l'HE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE CORINTIIIANS. [cu. 1. 1-31.