‘ I thank God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you came behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.'
Paul now instances how greatly God's grace has already been revealed towards them, and wishes them to know that he continually thanks God on their behalf because of it. Thus does he desire that they recognise his concern and his well-wishing towards them, and of his certainty that they are the chosen of God to receive His blessings. Although he may have many harsh things to say to them he does not want them to think that he sees the church as a whole as devoid of the grace of God active on their behalf. For indeed he knows that it is only when they experience the grace of God that his words can be effective.
‘For the grace of God which was given to you -- that in everything you were enriched in Him.' Here the ‘grace of God' refers to that grace (unmerited favour) revealed in the giving of gracious gifts, the gift of Christ Himself, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual gifts that result from this. He wants them to recognise that he is aware of the spiritual gifts and spiritual awareness that they have enjoyed, gifts given by the grace of God so that they are spiritually enriched.
‘In Christ Jesus.' No benefit can flow from God except ‘in Christ Jesus', for His gracious activity can only flow once atonement and reconciliation has been made. Again the order of the words emphasises His Christhood. Having been revealed as the Christ Jesus He can pour out His gifts on men, and especially the gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). It is through Christ's merit that the Corinthians, and we too, may enjoy His gifts, for they are not deserved. It is also because we are ‘in Him', being made a part of what He is, united with Him in His body, which body is Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
‘That in everything you were enriched in him, in all utterance (logos - word) and all knowledge (gnosis).' ‘In everything -.' The Corinthian church as a whole had experienced over-all blessings, coming short in nothing of what God would bestow. Their spiritual experience had been second to none. Elsewhere in Corinth men strove to find wisdom and knowledge of an inferior kind, but God had enriched His church with His own wisdom and knowledge, superior to any the world could have. It was wisdom and knowledge that was deep and true and covered all aspects of life, and especially of spiritual life. They did not need to be ashamed of how God had treated them and of what He had given them. Rather the lack lay in the behaviour and response of many individuals within the church in the light of those gifts. Perhaps they had begun well, but now things were not going so well. We need to be constantly on the alert so that our Christian lives do not languish.
‘In all utterance (logos - ‘word') and all knowledge (gnosis).' God had spoken to them through His word (1 Corinthians 1:18), and had given them spiritual understanding (1 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 2:16), and teachers who could lead them rightly. They had not lacked the means of grace through His word and His Spirit. Indeed they had been blessed with many spiritual gifts, including ‘the word (logos) of knowledge (gnosis)' (1 Corinthians 12:8), by which His word had been communicated to them. And these were given to them as one church.
All this revealed to the Corinthian church how much God had given them, and how much Paul appreciated them, bringing them a warm glow within, but it was preparatory to the criticisms that were to come which would severely test whether they would now accept such utterance and knowledge. Great gifts bring great responsibility, and he was now to bring home their responsibility.
‘Even as the testimony (witness) of Christ was confirmed in you.' In context we must see this as including Christ's testimony during His lifetime, testimony from Christ to them through His life and words, communicated through those who had heard and seen Him (1 John 1:1-4). Then communicated through those who in turn had received the word from them. This was part of the depth of wisdom and knowledge that they had received, wisdom and knowledge coming from the source of all wisdom and all knowledge.
As they had heard this testimony it had worked in their hearts producing a change of heart and life. It includes what He had imparted to them by His Spirit as they heard those words and meditated on them. They have received illumination and specific confirmation from the Spirit Who has given them understanding of the words and person and significance of Christ, testified to by witnesses who had themselves heard them from the lips of Christ.
We must remember that at the time there were no Gospels. Knowledge of the words and life of Christ was passed on by those who had personally heard and seen Him and then by those who had received the information from others and learned it by heart, although some had no doubt been committed to writing (Luke 1:1). This utterance and knowledge had been theirs in abundance.
Note his emphasis that this word and knowledge comes from Christ and concerns Christ. It is not from or about Paul, nor from or about Apollos, nor from or about Peter, but from and about Christ Himself.
Then having responded to that illumination confirmation was given to them, and they had been sealed as His by the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30), Who had confirmed His testimony to their hearts, resulting in spiritual worship (John 4:23) and spiritual gifts. The verb bebaioo (to confirm) is a legal term for guaranteeing security, tying in with the idea of the Spirit's seal and guarantee. As the testimony was received by them it was made a seal and guarantee in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
The phrase ‘the testimony (marturia) of Jesus Christ' occurs in Revelation where it parallels ‘the word of God' (Revelation 1:2; Revelation 1:9). There ‘the word of God' refers to early Christian preaching (Mark 4:14), including the expounding of the Old Testament, called by Jesus ‘the word of God' (Mark 7:13); the teaching of Jesus (Luke 5:1; Luke 8:11; Luke 8:21; Luke 11:28) and the testimony of the early church based on it (Acts 4:31; Acts 6:2; and often). The ‘testimony of Jesus Christ' probably emphasises the particular aspects of His life and teaching as carried in the church's tradition and as later recorded in one or more of the written Gospels. The old covenant given at Sinai was called ‘the Testimony' (LXX marturia). How much more the new teaching and the new covenant brought by Jesus. This parallels Paul's usage here.
‘So that you come behind in no gift.' This includes all gifts given to them as His people by a graciously giving God. Thus it includes, for example, 1 Corinthians 7:7 where the gifts are general abilities and include the gift of celibacy; Ephesians 3:7; Ephesians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 2:4, where the gifts enable effective ministry; 1 Peter 4:10 where the gifts include preaching and service. They include the gift of spiritual awareness (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), the spiritual gifts outlined in Chapter s 12-14, and the greatest gift of all, His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians 9:15). All had come on them in abundance. They had reason to be satisfied.
‘Waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Paul now turns their thoughts to the future when Jesus Christ will be revealed in His glory (Php 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:28). Let them remember that the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom they are sanctified, and from Whom and concerning Whom they have received the word and wisdom, will imminently be revealed and is the One for Whom they are eagerly waiting. All God's gifts are to be exercised in the light of His coming, when Christ is revealed as what He is, and all that is in part will pass away (1 Corinthians 13:10). For when He is revealed to His people they will be ‘taken up' to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), drawn as His chosen ones from all nations (Matthew 24:31), changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), and then they will have their works tested (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Romans 14:10-12), before they enter into their glory (Revelation 21:10-11; Revelation 21:23-24; Revelation 22:3-5), as their Forerunner has done before them (Luke 24:26).
‘Waiting eagerly'. See Romans 8:19; Romans 8:23; Galatians 5:5; Philippians 3:20). The expectation of the early church assisted greatly in enabling them to recognise that, as ‘the church', separated from ‘the world', they as one body awaited the final summation of all things. This is expanded in chapter 15 when the hope of the coming resurrection of all His people is stressed. It drew their attention constantly to the spiritual future, away from the pull of the world, and their oneness in the light of that spiritual future.