John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:30

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:" — 1 Corinthians 1:30 (ASV)

Of him are you. Lest they should think that any of those things that he had said were inapplicable to them, he now shows the application of those things to them, since they are not otherwise than from God. For the words you are are emphatic, as if he had said, “You have your beginning from God, who calleth those things which are not (Romans 4:17), overlooking those things that seem to be; and your existence is founded on Christ, and thus you have no reason to be proud.” Nor is it of creation merely that he speaks, but of that spiritual existence into which we are born again by the grace of God.

Who of God is made to us. As there are many to be found who, while not openly inclined to draw back from God, nevertheless seek something apart from Christ, as if he alone did not contain all things in himself, he mentions in passing what and how great are the treasures with which Christ is endowed, and in such a way as to suggest at the same time how we exist in Christ.

For when he calls Christ our righteousness, a corresponding idea must be understood—that in us there is nothing but sin; and the same applies to the other terms. Now he ascribes here to Christ four commendatory titles that include his entire excellence and every benefit that we receive from him.

1. He says that he is made to us wisdom. By this he means that we obtain in him an absolute perfection of wisdom, since the Father has fully revealed himself to us in him, so that we may not desire to know anything apart from him.

   There is a similar passage in Colossians 2:3:

   In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

   We will have occasion to speak of this later when we come to the next chapter.

2. He says that he is made to us righteousness. By this he means that we are on his account acceptable to God, since he expiated our sins by his death, and his obedience is imputed to us for righteousness.

   For as the righteousness of faith consists in remission of sins and a gracious acceptance, we obtain both through Christ.

3. He calls him our sanctification. By this he means that we, who are otherwise unholy by nature, are by his Spirit renewed to holiness, so that we may serve God.

   From this, we also infer that we cannot be justified freely through faith alone without at the same time living holy lives.

   For these fruits of grace are connected, as it were, by an indissoluble tie, so that whoever attempts to sever them in a way tears Christ in pieces.

   Therefore, let the person who seeks to be justified through Christ by God’s unmerited goodness consider that this cannot be attained without taking him at the same time for sanctification—in other words, being renewed to innocence and purity of life.

   Those, however, who slander us, as if by preaching a free justification through faith we call people away from good works, are amply refuted by this passage, which suggests that faith grasps in Christ regeneration equally with forgiveness of sins.

   Observe, on the other hand, that these two offices of Christ are joined in such a manner as to be, nevertheless, distinguished from each other. What, therefore, Paul here expressly distinguishes, we must not mistakenly confuse.

4. He teaches us that he is given to us for redemption. By this he means that through his goodness we are delivered from all bondage to sin and from all the misery that flows from it.

   Thus redemption is the first gift of Christ that is begun in us, and the last that is completed.

   For the beginning of salvation consists in our being drawn out of the labyrinth of sin and death; yet in the meantime, until the final day of the resurrection, we groan with desire for redemption (as we read in Romans 8:23).

   If it is asked in what way Christ is given to us for redemption, I answer—“Because he made himself a ransom.”

In short, of all the blessings that are here enumerated we must seek in Christ not the half, or merely a part, but the entire completion. For Paul does not say that he has been given to us by way of filling up, or supplementing righteousness, holiness, wisdom, and redemption, but assigns to him exclusively the entire accomplishment of the whole.

Now as you will scarcely find another passage of Scripture that more distinctly describes all the offices of Christ, you may also understand from it very clearly the nature and efficacy of faith. For as Christ is the proper object of faith, everyone who knows what are the benefits that Christ confers on us is at the same time taught to understand what faith is.