1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Paul writing to the Corinthian congregation, mid-argument for the resurrection, having just called himself the least of the apostles (v.9).

The words — εἰμι (eimi), "I am," appears twice in rapid succession: "I am what I am," a deliberate self-referential loop that echoes the divine "I AM" of Exodus 3:14 without claiming the same weight.

The thread — 2 Corinthians 3:5 states the same principle from the other side: competence comes from God, not self. Philippians 2:13 grounds both willing and acting in God's work within the believer.

Why it lands — Paul does not ask the reader to admire his labor; he asks them to stop counting their own effort as the source of it. The verse removes the ground from under self-congratulation and places it under grace instead.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Cross-references

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
Ephesians 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
2 Corinthians 10:12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
Galatians 2:8 For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:5 In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
2 Corinthians 12:11 I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.