Advent Season · First Sunday of 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
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Working Preacher
A Luther Seminary commentary showing how Paul's thanksgiving grounds a fractured church in grace while it waits for the revealing of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed commentary drawing out the Advent note of waiting for the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1 Enduring Word · David Guzik
A verse-by-verse evangelical commentary on Paul's greeting and thanksgiving to the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 1 verse by verse Precept Austin
A deep study page compiling Greek word studies, cross-references, and many expositors on the chapter.
Classic commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1 BibleHub
A classic aggregator collecting historic verse-by-verse commentary on Paul's thanksgiving.
Background & Word Study
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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