1 Corinthians 1:6

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Even as the testimony of Christ.—The testimony which St. Paul bore to Christ, and from Christ, was confirmed among them by this full bestowal of spiritual gifts.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:1-9 All Christians are by baptism dedicated and devoted to Christ, and are under strict obligations to be holy. But in the true church of God are all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and who call upon him as God manifest in the flesh, for all the blessings of salvation; who acknowledge and obey him as their Lord, and as Lord of all; it includes no other persons. Christians are distinguished from the profane and atheists, that they dare not live without prayer; and they are distinguished from Jews and pagans, that they call on the name of Christ. Observe how often in these verses the apostle repeats the words, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He feared not to make too frequent or too honourable mention of him. To all who called upon Christ, the apostle gave his usual salutation, desiring, in their behalf, the pardoning mercy, sanctifying grace, and comforting peace of God, through Jesus Christ. Sinners can have no peace with God, nor any from him, but through Christ. He gives thanks for their conversion to the faith of Christ; that grace was given them by Jesus Christ. They had been enriched by him with all spiritual gifts. He speaks of utterance and knowledge. And where God has given these two gifts, he has given great power for usefulness. These were gifts of the Holy Ghost, by which God bore witness to the apostles. Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, will be kept by him to the end; and those that are so, will be blameless in the day of Christ, made so by rich and free grace. How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege; to be kept by the power of Christ, from the power of our corruptions and Satan's temptations!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Even as - Καθώς Kathōs. The force of this expression seems to be this, "The gospel of Christ was at first established among you by means of the miraculous endowments of the Holy Spirit. Those same endowments are still continued among you, and now furnish evidence of the divine favor, and of the truth of the gospel to you, 'even as' - that is, in the same measure as they did when the gospel was first preached." The power to speak with tongues, etc. 1 Corinthians 14 would be a "continued miracle," and would be a demonstration to them then of the truth of Christianity as it was at first.

The testimony of Christ - The gospel. It is here called "the testimony of Christ," because it bore witness to Christ - to his divine nature, his miracles, his Messiahship, his character, his death, etc. The message of the gospel consists in bearing witness to Christ and his work; see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:8.

Was confirmed - Was established, or proved. It was proved to be divine, by the miraculous attestations of the Holy Spirit. It was confirmed, or made certain to their souls by the agency of the Holy Spirit, sealing it on their hearts. The word translated "confirmed" ἐβεβαιώθη ebebaiōthē, is used in the sense of establishing, confirming, or demonstrating by miracles, etc.; in Mark 16:20; compare Hebrews 13:9; Philippians 1:7.

In you - ἐν ὑμῖν en humin. Among you as a people, or in your hearts. Perhaps the apostle intends to include both. The gospel had been established among them by the demonstrations of the agency of the Spirit in the gift of tongues, and had at the same time taken deep root in their hearts, and was exerting a practical influence on their lives.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. According as the testimony of (of, and concerning) Christ (who is both the object and author of this testimony [Bengel]; 1Co 2:1; 1Ti 2:6; 2Ti 1:8) was confirmed among [Alford] you; that is, by God, through my preaching and through the miracles accompanying it (1Co 12:3; Mr 16:20; 2Co 1:21, 22; Ga 3:2, 5; Eph 4:7, 8; Heb 2:4). God confirmed (compare Php 1:7; Heb 2:3), or gave effect to the Gospel among (or better as English Version, "in") the Corinthians by their accepting it and setting their seal to its truth, through the inward power of His Spirit, and the outward gifts and miracles accompanying it [Calvin].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

By which knowledge and utterance the testimony of Christ, that is, the gospel, which containeth both the testimony which Christ had given of himself, and which the apostles had given concerning Christ; (the gospel is called the testimony of God, Romans 2:1; 2 Timothy 1:8;) others understand the gifts of, the Spirit (for the Spirit is one of the witnesses upon earth, 1Jo 5:8); was confirmed in you; by the miraculous operations wrought by the apostles, as some think; but the way of confirmation here spoken of by the apostle seemeth rather to be understood of their knowledge and utterance. The gospel, and the doctrine of it, and the mission of the Holy Spirit, were confirmed to them and to the world by the knowledge which God had given the apostles, and these Corinthians, of the great things of God; and their ability to communicate this knowledge unto others, for the honour of God, and the good of others.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. By "the testimony of Christ" is meant the Gospel of Christ, which bears a testimony to his deity, his incarnation, his obedience, sufferings, and death, his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at God's right hand, and intercession for the saints; to redemption by his blood, justification by his righteousness, pardon and atonement of sin by his sacrifice, and complete salvation by his obedience and death. This, as it had been preached to the Corinthians, was confirmed and established among them, by the signs and miracles with which it was attended; by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, particularly of prophecy bestowed on many of them; and by the internal power and energy of the Spirit, accompanying and applying it to their souls.

Geneva Study Bible

{9} Even as the testimony of Christ was {e} confirmed in you:

(9) He shows that the true use of these gifts consists in this, that the mighty power of Christ might be set forth in them, that hereafter it might evidently appear how wickedly they abused them for glory and ambition.

(e) By those excellent gifts of the Holy Spirit.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Corinthians 1:6. Καθώς] According as, introduces the relation of that happy condition of things (ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε … γνώσει) to its cause. See on John 13:34; John 17:2; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 1:4; Php 1:7; Matthew 6:12.

τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χ.] characteristic designation of the Gospel, the publishers of which bear witness of Christ. Comp 2 Timothy 1:8; Acts 1:8; Acts 3:15, al[115]; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 5:1. Comp ΜΑΡΤ. ΤΟῦ ΘΕΟῦ, 1 Corinthians 2:1.

ἘΒΕΒΑΙΏΘΗ] is rendered by most: is confirmed[117] has been accredited (Mark 16:20; Romans 15:8; Hebrews 2:3, al[118]); comp also Rückert: “evinced as true by its effect on you;” and Ewald: “guaranteed among you by signs of the power of the Holy Spirit.” So too, in substance, Hofmann. It is more in keeping, however, with the logical relation of καθὼς Κ.Τ.Λ[120] to the foregoing, as well as with the βεβαιώσει of 1 Corinthians 1:8 (comp 2 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 2:7), to explain it of the gospel becoming firmly established in their souls (by stedfast faith), so that the opposite is expressed by the Johannine τὸν λόγον οὐκ ἔχετε μένοντα ἐν ὑμῖν (John 5:38). Comp Billroth and de Wette.

ἐν ὑμῖν] in animis vestris.

[115] l. and others; and other passages; and other editions.

[117] “Non de confirmatione externa verbi, quae fit per miracula, sed de confirmatione interna, quae fit per testimonium Sp. St.,” Calovius. Chrysostom understood it of both; Theodoret, Theophylact, and otters, of the miracles only.

[118] l. and others; and other passages; and other editions.

[120] .τ.λ. καὶ τὰ λοιπά.

Expositor's Greek Testament

1 Corinthians 1:6. τοῦ Χριστοῦ is objective gen[83] to τὸ μαρτύριον—“the witness to Christ,”—coming from both God and man (1 Corinthians 15:3-11, 2 Thessalonians 1:10); otherwise in 1 Corinthians 2:1; cf. Romans 1:2, “the good news of God about His Son”. μαρτόριον indicates the well-established truth of the message (see, e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:15), εὐαγγέλιον its beneficial and welcome nature (see Romans 1:16 f.).—ἐβεβαιώθη ἐν ὑμῖν, “(the witness about Christ) was made sure among you”; its reality was verified. By outward demonstration—miracles, etc.; or by the inner persuasion of a firm faith, “interna Spiritus virtus” (Cv[84])? The latter certainly, in Pauline usage (see parls.: but not to the exclusion of the former); cf. 1 Corinthians 2:4 f., and notes; 1 Corinthians 12:10, ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων; also 1 Thessalonians 1:5 f., 1 Corinthians 2:13, Galatians 3:5; the two went together—πολλῶν θαυμάτων, ἀφάτου χάριτος (Cm[85]). At first discouraged, Paul had preached at Cor[86] with signal power, and his message awakened a decided and energetic faith; see 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Corinthians 15:11; Acts 18:5-11.

[83] genitive case.

[84] Calvin’s In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[85] John Chrysostom’s Homiliœ († 407).

[86] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift] The testimony of Christ is St Paul’s preaching concerning Christ. It was ‘confirmed’ by the outpouring of His Spirit.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Corinthians 1:6. Καθὼς, even as) That the Corinthians wanted nothing, he declares from this, that the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them. The particle is here demonstrative.—τοῦ Χριστοῦ, of Christ) Christ is not only the object, but the author of this testimony, Acts 18:8, note.—ἐβεβαιώθη, was confirmed) by Himself, and by the gifts and miracles, which accompanied it, 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galatians 3:2; Galatians 3:5; Ephesians 4:7-8; Hebrews 2:4.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - Even as; i.e. "inasmuch as." The testimony of Christ. The testimony borne to Christ by the apostle. The genitive is thus objective (about Christ), not subjective (" the testimony borne by Christ"). In reality, however, the meaning' would be the same in either case, for if the apostles testified concerning Christ, so, too, Christ spoke in the apostles. Was confirmed in you. This does not merely mean "that the truth of Christianity was established among them," but that they were living confirmations of the apostolic testimony. 1 Corinthians 1:6

Vincent's Word Studies

Witness of Christ (μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Testimony concerning Christ. See on John 1:7. Compare Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:8.