Advent · First Sunday in Advent · Year B
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Thanksgiving
November 29, 2026
Overview & Insights
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)
If anything strikes someone who begins reading 1 Corinthians, it is how Paul packs content into every word from the outset. When we realize how well he knows the Corinthian congregation even on a personal level and recognize that this is at least his second letter to the church (5:9), it is quite remarkable that even his opening “hello” reads like a thoughtful theological reflection. Not only does he broadly follow the conventions for a traditional Greco-Roman letter opening;1he subtly introduces the major perspectives that will guide his discussion in the coming sections of the letter. Interpretive Insights 1:1 Paul . . . an apostle. Paul begins by identifying himself as “an apostle.” Unlike in his letter to the Galatians, where the reference to his apostleship is an argument for authority (Gal.
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Commentary
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 | Working Preacher Working Preacher
The Lutheran voice, reused because this Advent 1 (Year B) epistle matches the live RCL page.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Commentary | Center for Excellence in Preaching Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed reading on grace, spiritual gifts, and the wait for Christ's revealing.
1 Corinthians 1 | Enduring Word Bible Commentary (David Guzik) Enduring Word · David Guzik
Verse-by-verse evangelical exposition of Paul's thanksgiving and greeting.
1 Corinthians 1 Commentary | Precept Austin Precept Austin
A dense gathering of word studies and cross references on the chapter.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Commentaries | Bible Hub BibleHub
Classic pulpit and critical commentaries assembled at the greeting of grace and peace.
Background & Word Study
1 Corinthians 1:3 Interlinear | Bible Hub BibleHub
Greek-English interlinear with parsing for charis, eirene, and the thanksgiving vocabulary.
1 Corinthians | Enter the Bible Enter the Bible
Background on the Corinthian church and the letter's occasion.
1 Corinthians Overview | BibleProject BibleProject
An animated overview mapping the letter's argument and its opening thanksgiving.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
How does Paul open this letter?
He gives thanks that the Corinthians were enriched in Christ with every gift and speech, and that God will sustain them guiltless to the end, for he is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:4–9).
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