John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 15:10

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." — 1 Corinthians 15:10 (ASV)

And his grace was not vain. Those who set free will in opposition to the grace of God, so that whatever good we do may not be ascribed wholly to Him, wrest these words to suit their own interpretation — as if Paul boasted that he had by his own diligence taken care that God’s grace toward him had not been misdirected.

Hence they infer that God, indeed, offers His grace, but that the right use of it is in man’s own power, and that it is in his own power to prevent its being ineffectual. I maintain, however, that these words of Paul give no support to their error, for he does not here claim anything as his own, as if he had himself, independently of God, done anything praiseworthy.

What then? So that he might not seem to glory to no purpose in mere words, while devoid of reality, he says that he affirms nothing that is not openly apparent. Further, even admitting that these words intimate that Paul did not abuse the grace of God, and did not render it ineffectual by his negligence, I maintain, nevertheless, that there is no reason on that account why we should divide between him and God the praise that ought to be ascribed wholly to God, inasmuch as He confers upon us not merely the power of doing well, but also the inclination and the accomplishment.

But more abundantly. Some refer this to vainglorious boasters, who, by detracting from Paul, endeavored to set off themselves and their merits to advantage, as, in their opinion at least, it is not likely that he wished to enter into a contest with the Apostles. When he compares himself, however, with the Apostles, he does so merely for the sake of those wicked persons who were accustomed to bring them forward for the purpose of detracting from his reputation, as we see in the Epistle to the Galatians (Galatians 1:11). Hence the probability is that it is of the Apostles that he speaks when he represents his own labors as superior to theirs. And it is quite true that he was superior to others, not merely in respect of his enduring many hardships, encountering many dangers, abstaining from things lawful, and perseveringly despising all perils (2 Corinthians 11:26); but also because the Lord gave to his labors a much larger measure of success. For I take labor here to mean the fruit of his labor that appeared.

Not I, but the grace. The old translator, by leaving out the article, has given occasion for mistake to those who are not acquainted with the Greek language, for in consequence of his having rendered the words thus — not I, but the grace of God with me, they thought that only half of the praise is ascribed to God, and that the other half is reserved for man.

They, accordingly, understand the meaning to be that Paul labored not alone, inasmuch as he could do nothing without co-operating grace, but at the same time it was under the influence of his own free will and by means of his own strength. His words, however, have quite a different meaning; for what he had said was his own, he afterwards, correcting himself, ascribes wholly to the grace of God — wholly, I say, not in part, for whatever he might have seemed to do, was wholly, he declares, the work of grace.

A remarkable passage certainly, both for laying low the pride of man and for magnifying the operation of Divine grace in us. For Paul, as if he had improperly made himself the author of anything good, corrects what he had said and declares the grace of God to have been the efficient cause of the whole.

Let us not think that there is here a mere pretense of humility. It is in good earnest that he speaks thus, and from knowing that it is so in truth. Let us learn, therefore, that we have nothing that is good but what the Lord has graciously given us, and that we do nothing good but what He worketh in us, (Philippians 2:13) — not that we do nothing ourselves, but that we do nothing without being influenced — that is, under the guidance and impulse of the Holy Spirit.