2. GREETINGS AND THANKSGIVING - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

 

There is probably no other book in the Bible that addresses as many errors and problems in a church as 1 Corinthians does. Here we find the apostle Paul addressing himself to a seeming plethora of problems, with many more that he didn’t address in the letter.

If we can separate ourselves from what we already know of this epistle to Corinth, and approach the book verse by verse from the beginning, perhaps we can arrive at a more Biblical appreciation of the situation in Corinth and of Paul’s attitude to the church. I am not suggesting that we come up with a new interpretation of 1 Corinthians, just a more balanced one as we approach the book with eyes unprejudiced by current events in the church of which we are a part.

What Paul does in these initial verses is look at the church as it actually is, as part of the body of Christ. This gives us an entirely different perspective of the church at Corinth than the one we probably have maintained throughout the years, given all the background information and knowledge that we have built up in our minds concerning the Corinthian situation.

 

Please read 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

 

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: What does 1 Corinthians 1:1 suggest about Sosthenes? What was his role in the New Testament church?

 

Verse 1: Paul begins his letter to the church in Corinth by identifying himself to them. Immediately he points out that he, the author of the epistle, is that Paul who is the apostle by the will of God (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:1,15). He is a person well known throughout the church world-wide, a believer who’s calling is clearly understood by all who have heard of the apostle. His calling was that from Christ Himself (Acts 9:15), as well as from the church in Antioch (Acts 13:2), and therefore what Paul writes in this epistle has a certain authority (Mt 10:40; 1 Cor 14:37), and that of being written by an apostle commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself.

The apostle’s calling is not a result of self-elevation imposed upon the church through his own scheming and whim, for Paul states that he became such because God so willed it to be. In fact the Greek clearly demonstrates that Paul was passive in the calling process, with God being the active participant (Gal 1:1).

Though the verse when first read may suggest that Sosthenes was also an apostle, it is an interpretation that is far from being what the passage is actually saying. All Paul is simply saying is that Sosthenes is a fellow Christian (who obviously is well known to the Corinthian church). In fact, he may even have been the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth at some time in the past before his conversion (Acts 18:17). This Sosthenes was also with the apostle when he wrote the epistle (perhaps Paul’s amanuensis - 1 Cor 16:21), concurring with what Paul wrote in it.

Verse 2: In this verse Paul identifies just who it is that he is writing to. He is writing to the group of people meeting together as a body in Corinth, a body that belongs to God and is seeking to serve and worship him. The letter is not written to just any grouping of people in Corinth, for the group intended to be the recipients of the letter is that group that belongs to the true God, having been purchased by Him (Acts 20:28; 2 Cor 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1).

This group is further identified by the next phrase in the verse, for it is a group that is set apart as belonging to God in Corinth through its union with Jesus Christ, or in other words, those that believe and call upon Him. In fact they are even identified as saints, being those that have already been set apart from the world as God’s people, through God’s own calling of them out, in order that they be conformed to His image.

In fact it is not only the church in Corinth that Paul is addressing, but the church universal, for Paul draws attention to the universality of the church of God. Paul is perhaps acknowledging the universal and perpetual nature of this epistle for the church throughout the new Testament age. The Corinthian church clearly belongs to this world-wide body of Christ, who's members have all exercised faith in Christ in order to be saved, and that throughout all ages.

QUESTIONS: What are the implications for daily living when one is set apart as a saint?

 

What is Paul seeking to do through these opening verses in 1 Corinthians? Thinking for a moment on what you know of Paul’s purpose in writing to Corinth, can you identify any further reasons for Paul’s approach in these opening verses? Discuss.

 

Verse 3: Paul’s initial words of greeting are those that we recognize throughout the New Testament (Rom 1:7; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3, etc) as being typical of him. He expresses his desire that God might continue to grant the church grace and peace. Grace is that gift of God that is undeserved and that enables the believer to continue on in his/her Christian walk, having already received grace in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to believe and be saved. Peace is that gift of God that a Christian possesses after hostilities have ended between God and the sinner. These blessings Paul longs to see the church actually experience more and more, it already having become an objective fact for them.

QUESTIONS: How is it that the church has already objectively received both grace and peace? If this is so, what exactly is Paul longing to see the church at Corinth blessed with?

 

Verse 4: Paul reveals something of his inner self through verse 4, for the churches are always before the eyes of the apostle, and he is always praying for them. In fact this initial comment regarding the church is similar to other such comments throughout the New Testament epistles by Paul (Rom 1:8; 2 Cor 1:11; Col 1:3, etc).

That the Corinthian church has already received the initial blessing of grace is acknowledged in this verse. The grace that the church has received, and for which Paul is thankful, is clearly from the Lord, for the Greek identifies Christ as active in the giving of this grace and the Corinthians as passive in the receiving of it. Clearly these graces flow because of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done on behalf of sinners.

QUESTION: What is the grace that the Corinthian church has already received?

 

Verse 5: This verse gives something of an explanation of how the Corinthians had been blessed by being in Christ Jesus. Paul’s thoughts are of spiritual things and not material things. In fact the Corinthians have been blessed with all spiritual blessings already, there being nothing they do not have in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 6:1-7; Gal 3:28,29; Eph 1:3-14). But it is important to note that this is so of the believers in Corinth as a church in Corinth, and not as individual believers. No Christian is an island, able to survive and prosper on his own, for he needs the full expression of blessings and gifts as exist in the church for his growth into spiritual maturity.

QUESTIONS: Do you understand why you need the church? Explain what you understand of this idea?

 

Paul highlights the blessing of gospel knowledge that the Corinthians had received by being in Christ. They had the privilege of both knowing the truth and of being able to speak the truth, clearly indicating a knowledge that was well understood and able to be explained.

Verse 6: The knowledge of the gospel, and of Paul’s preaching and teaching was confirmed within the Corinthian Christians by the work of the Holy Spirit, and this is the reason why they have the ability to both know and tell the gospel. There was clear evidence amongst them that they truly were in the faith, for this was evidenced by the exercise of their gifts in these areas.

Verse 7: The Spirit’s work was so complete in the believers at Corinth that they lacked no spiritual gift. All the blessings that flow from the possession of the gospel, the believers in Corinth had. They lacked nothing in this respect.

These gifts with which the church at Corinth had been blessed were being exercised while the church eagerly awaited the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim 4:8; Heb 9:28). They waited, yet they continued faithfully on in the exercise of their gifts.

Verse 8: The believers in the church at Corinth are also blessed in that God will keep them to the very end so that they will not fall away from the faith. When the day of judgment arrives the believers in Corinth will be fully acceptable to God, a blessing which is the result not of their own righteousness, but Christ’s (Col 1:22). They will not be held blamable for Christ has already been blamed in their place.

Verse 9: Is it true that the Corinthian church will persevere to the end? Well, God is faithful, and He has promised that He will keep them. That then is the answer to the question, there can be no doubt, they will be kept.

The whole process of salvation is the result of God’s work, and because it is that, how can it fail in its goal? If the believer has indeed been called into fellowship with Jesus Christ, the believer is completely assured of his eternal salvation (Rom 8:29,30) - for God is faithful who has called him. This is true only of those in His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Individual Discovery

How was it wrong for the Corinthians to say that they were of Christ in 1 Corinthians 1:12? Explain

 

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17/10/2006

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