John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:4

"I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;" — 1 Corinthians 1:4 (ASV)

I give thanks to my God. Having in the salutation secured for himself authority from the position assigned him, he now endeavors to gain acceptance for his teaching by expressing his affection for them. In this way he soothes their minds beforehand, so that they may listen patiently to his rebukes.

He persuades them of his affection for them by the following signs: his showing as much joy in the benefits bestowed upon them as if they had been conferred upon himself, and his declaring that he holds a favorable opinion of them and has good hopes for them regarding the future.

Furthermore, he qualifies his congratulations in such a way as to give them no occasion to be puffed up, as he attributes to God all the benefits that they possessed, so that all the praise may return to him, since they are the fruits of his grace. It is as if he had said, “I congratulate you indeed, but in such a way as to ascribe the praise to God.”

His meaning, when he calls God his God, I have explained in my Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 1:8). As Paul was not prepared to flatter the Corinthians, neither has he commended them on false grounds.

For although not all were worthy of such commendations, and though they corrupted many excellent gifts of God by ambition, yet it was not fitting for him to despise the gifts themselves, because they were, in themselves, deserving of commendation. Furthermore, as the gifts of the Spirit are conferred for the edification of all, he rightly enumerates them as gifts common to the whole Church. But let us see what he commends in them.

For the grace, etc. This is a general term, for it includes blessings of every kind that they had obtained through the gospel. For the term grace here denotes not the favor of God, but by metonymy (μετωνυμικῶς), the gifts that he freely bestows upon people.

He immediately proceeds to specify particular instances, when he says that they are enriched in all things, and specifies what those all things are: the doctrine and word of God. For in these riches it is fitting for Christians to abound; and we ought also to esteem them more highly, and regard them as all the more valuable, to the extent that they are usually disregarded.

I have preferred to retain the phrase in ipso (in him), rather than translate it per ipsum (by him), because in my opinion it has more expressiveness and force. For we are enriched in Christ, since we are members of his body and are grafted into him; indeed, being made one with him, he makes us share with him in everything that he has received from the Father.