King James Version

What Does 1 Corinthians 1:30 Mean?

1 Corinthians 1:30 in the King James Version says “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redempt...” — study this verse from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

1 Corinthians 1:30 · KJV

Wisdom

Context

28

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29

That no flesh should glory in his presence .

30

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Read 1 Corinthians 1 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (ex autou de hymeis este en Christō Iēsou, hos egenēthē sophia hēmin apo theou, dikaiosyne te kai hagiasmos kai apolytrōsis, ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις)—Of him (ex autou, ἐξ αὐτοῦ, "from Him, out of Him") emphasizes that being in Christ Jesus is entirely God's doing. Union with Christ is the source of all spiritual blessings. Christ Himself is made unto us (egenēthē hēmin, ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν, "became for us")—not that Christ changes His nature but that He functions for believers as all we need.

Wisdom (sophia, σοφία)—Christ is God's true wisdom, solving the problem that philosophy couldn't. Righteousness (dikaiosyne, δικαιοσύνη)—Christ's righteousness is imputed to us, justifying us before God. Sanctification (hagiasmos, ἁγιασμός)—progressive transformation into holiness. Redemption (apolytrōsis, ἀπολύτρωσις)—liberation from slavery to sin, purchased by Christ's blood. Everything the Corinthians need is found in Christ alone, not in competing leaders or philosophies.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The Corinthians sought wisdom in eloquent teachers (Apollos), authority in apostolic credentials (Paul), and perhaps Jewish tradition (Cephas). Paul declares: Christ is all you need. He is the wisdom you crave, the righteousness you lack, the sanctification you pursue, and the redemption you require. Stop fragmenting over human leaders when you have everything in Christ.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does union with Christ provide everything we need for salvation and Christian life?
  2. In what ways do we seek wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, or redemption outside of Christ?
  3. How should recognizing Christ as our all-in-all eliminate factionalism and division in the church?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 20 words
ἐξ1 of 20

“of”

G1537

a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct

αὐτοῦ2 of 20

“him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

δὲ3 of 20

“But”

G1161

but, and, etc

ὑμεῖς4 of 20

“ye”

G5210

you (as subjective of verb)

ἐστε5 of 20

“are”

G2075

ye are

ἐν6 of 20

“in”

G1722

"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc

Χριστῷ7 of 20

“Christ”

G5547

anointed, i.e., the messiah, an epithet of jesus

Ἰησοῦ8 of 20

“Jesus”

G2424

jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites

ὃς9 of 20

“who”

G3739

the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that

ἐγενήθη10 of 20

“is made”

G1096

to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)

ἡμῖν11 of 20

“unto us”

G2254

to (or for, with, by) us

σοφία12 of 20

“wisdom”

G4678

wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual)

ἀπὸ13 of 20

“of”

G575

"off," i.e., away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)

θεοῦ14 of 20

“God”

G2316

a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)

δικαιοσύνη15 of 20

“righteousness”

G1343

equity (of character or act); specially (christian) justification

τε16 of 20
G5037

both or also (properly, as correlation of g2532)

καὶ17 of 20

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

ἁγιασμὸς18 of 20

“sanctification”

G38

properly, purification, i.e., (the state) purity; concretely (by hebraism) a purifier

καὶ19 of 20

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

ἀπολύτρωσις20 of 20

“redemption”

G629

(the act) ransom in full, i.e., (figuratively) riddance, or (specially) christian salvation

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Corinthians. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Corinthians 1:30 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to 1 Corinthians 1:30 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ephesians 1:7Philippians 3:9Romans 8:11 Corinthians 1:2Colossians 1:141 Corinthians 6:11

Test Your Knowledge

1 Corinthians 1 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapter1 Corinthians Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

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