Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:26

"For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:" — 1 Corinthians 1:26 (ASV)

For ye see your calling. You know the general character and condition of those who are Christians among you: they have not generally been taken from the wise, the rich, and the learned, but from humble life. The apostle's design here is to show that the gospel did not depend for its success on human wisdom.

His argument is that, in fact, those who were blessed by it had not mainly been from the elevated ranks of life. Instead, God had shown His power by choosing those who were ignorant, vicious, and abandoned, and by reforming and purifying their lives.

The verb “you see,” blepete, is ambiguous. It may be in the indicative mood, as our translators have rendered it, “you do see; you are well apprised of it, and know it.” Or it may be in the imperative, “see; contemplate your condition.” However, the sense is substantially the same.

“Your calling,” thn klhsin, means “those who are called” (1 Corinthians 1:9); just as “the circumcision” means those who are circumcised (Romans 3:30). The sense is, “Look upon the condition of those who are Christians.”

Not many wise men. This means not many who are regarded as wise or who are ranked with philosophers. This phrasing implies that there were some of that description, though the majority of Christians then, as now, were from more humble ranks of life. It is well known that there were some people of high rank and wealth at Corinth who became Christians.

For example, Crispus and Sosthenes, rulers of the synagogue there (Acts 18:8, 17; compare to 1 Corinthians 1:1); Gaius, a rich, hospitable man (Romans 16:23); and Erastus, the chancellor of the city of Corinth (Romans 16:23), had all been converted and were members of the church.

Some, like Macknight, have supposed that this should be rendered, “not many mighty, wise, etc., call you;” meaning that God has not employed the wise and the learned to call you into His kingdom. However, the sense in our common translation is evidently the correct interpretation; it is the obvious sense. It also agrees with the apostle’s design, which was to show that God did not consult the wisdom, power, and wealth of men in the establishment of His church. The Syriac and Vulgate versions also render it this way.

After the flesh. This means according to the maxims and principles of a worldly and unspiritual way of thinking; according to the views of people when under the influence of those principles—that is, those who are unrenewed. The “flesh” here stands opposed to the spirit, representing the views of the people of this world in contrast to the wisdom that is from above.

Not many mighty. This means not many people of power, or those holding important offices in the state . The word can refer to those who wield power of any kind, whether derived from office, rank, wealth, or other sources.

Not many noble. This means not many of illustrious birth or descended from distinguished families (Greek: eugeneiv, meaning well-born). Regarding each of these classes—wise, mighty, noble—the apostle does not say that there were no people of wealth, power, and birth among them. Rather, his point is that the majority of Christians were not composed of such individuals.

They were primarily made up of those from humble life. There were a few, indeed, of rank and property, as there are now; but then, as now, the great majority were from the lower conditions of society. The reason God chose His people from that rank is stated in 1 Corinthians 1:29. The character of many of those who composed the church at Corinth before their conversion is stated in 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (see that passage).