1 Corinthians 1:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

NIV: Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

NASB: so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

CSB: so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

NLT: Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

KJV: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

NKJV: so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Paul is giving thanks for what God has done and will do for the Christians in Corinth. Much of his letter to them will focus on corrections they must make in their attitudes and behaviors. Here, though, Paul assures them that a lack of gifts from God is not one of their problems.

In verse 5, Paul wrote that, by God's grace, the believers of Corinth have been enriched in all speech and all knowledge. This may have been a reference to unique spiritual gifts, possibly including speaking in tongues. Paul will address that later in this letter. Now he adds they are not lacking in "any gift." In other words, God has fully equipped the Corinthian Christians with everything they need to lead the lives He is calling them to.

As Paul wrote in the previous verse, this confirms they have truly believed and are already accepted by God. Their salvation is settled. Now they can look forward to the revelation of Jesus at His return, instead of dreading it. When that day of the Lord comes, God will welcome them because of His grace through their faith in Jesus.

Paul speaks often in his letters about this day of Christ's return and judgment, as he does in the following verse.

First Corinthians 1:4–9 is about God's grace to the Corinthians. Before beginning to address problems in the church, Paul first declares his thanks to God for the people. Specifically, he is thankful for God's grace and the good gifts God has given to them. Those gifts confirm that the Corinthians are truly in Christ. This means Christ will sustain them all the way to the end. Because they are in Christ who has paid for their sin with His blood, they will stand blameless before God on the day of the Lord.

Paul's letter to the Christians in Corinth begins with thanks for the great and powerful gifts God has given to them by His grace and through their faith in Christ. They will stand blameless before God in the end. Right now, though, they must stop dividing themselves according to which Christian teacher they follow and become unified in and around Christ. The gospel message of Christ's death on the cross is weak and foolish to the world, but God has given faith in Christ to those who believe it and find God's power and wisdom.

First Corinthians 1 begins Paul's letter to the Christians in Corinth, a big, bustling city on a major trade route. Paul knows them well, having spent a year and a half leading people to Christ and establishing the church there. He writes from Ephesus to correct some of their wrong attitudes and behaviors and to answer some of their questions. First, though, he thanks God for His grace to the Corinthians, knowing they will stand blameless before Him on the day of the Lord. Still, they must stop being divided and unite in and around Christ.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.