Talk 2: Thanking God despite the problems (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
Today we’re going to make a start on the text of 1 Corinthians, but first let’s take a quick look at why Paul wrote this letter.
The general purpose of the letter is revealed by its contents and may be summarised as follows:
- to set right disorders in the church
- division (chs 1-4)
- immorality (chs 5-6)
- public worship (chs 11-14)
- to answer questions
- eg on marriage (ch 7). Cf Now for the matters you wrote about (7:1) with Now about (7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1, 16:12)
- to correct doctrinal misunderstanding
- on Christian liberty (chs 8-10)
- on the resurrection (ch 15)
So let’s make a start on the text.
Today we’ll be looking at Ch.1:1-9 which I’ve titled Thanking God despite the problems
We’ll begin by reading verses 1-3 where Paul greets the Corinthians
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
v1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God
Paul is confident of his apostolic authority. He is called by Jesus to be a ‘sent one’ (see Acts 9). This was the will of God. He stresses this to the Corinthians.
If they did not recognise his authority, they would not obey his instructions.
But he needed to be sure of his authority too. We need to know who we are in God.
And our brother Sosthenes
Possibly the synagogue ruler who had opposed Paul in Acts 18:17.
If so, it was an amazing conversion. Now he’s one of Paul’s valued companions.
But Sosthenes was a common name and so probably a different person is referred to here.
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours:
ekklesia (church) comes from the verb ekkaleo which means ‘call out’
In using the term Paul is stressing their separation from the world.
They are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy or saints.
Christians are called saints in the NT because they are God’s people (cf Israel) not necessarily because of their moral condition.
It was God’s church in Corinth. It did not belong to the Corinthians.
Here the local church is referred to, but in 15:9 Paul uses ekklesia to refer to the church universal.
together with all those everywhere
All who call on the name of the Lord Jesus, wherever they are, are sanctified in him.
The letter was not just written to the Corinthians.
It has a universal application. Its general principles may be applied to Christians of all cultures and generations, but some of its specific instructions would be meaningful to the Corinthians alone. It was written for an ad hoc situation in Corinth.
Call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Compare Joel 2, Acts 2, Romans 10: whoever shall call…
Paul in his thinking connects an expression that in the OT refers to Jehovah with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The deity of Christ is implicit throughout his writings. Right at the beginning of his letter Christ is exalted. Note the close link with the Father in verse 3.
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul adapts a traditional secular greeting (chairein – rejoice) to charis (grace) and combines it with the Jewish shalom (peace) to make his own Christian greeting, Grace and Peace. These two words summarise his theology.
Now in vv4-9 Paul moves from greeting (vv1-3) to thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (4-9)
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge –
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
There were problems in the church – very serious ones – but Paul saw the Corinthians as they were in Christ. That is how we should see each other – and ourselves.
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge
Again, in him. Every area of our lives is enriched because we are in Christ.
Paul possibly has in mind here spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and words of knowledge – Note the reference to spiritual gifts in v7
However he may well be speaking in more general terms about speaking and knowledge.
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
Confirmed here means ‘validated’. The Gospel message was validated by the change in their lives. Plummer suggests three possibilities:
- a) established durably (cf v8)
- b) verified by its influence on character
- c) was brought home to them by the witness of the Spirit
However, the following verse suggests that a charismatic change is in mind here.
Further, in you (Gk. en humin) may be translated in your midst.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
spiritual gift
NIV has supplied the word spiritual which is not in the Greek. Charisma is an actualisation of God’s charis (grace). The word is used not only of spiritual gifts as in 1 Corinthians 12, but also of natural gifts (eg 1 Cor. 7:7).
However, in the light of the connection with the second coming here, very possibly spiritual gifts are referred to, for they are a foretaste of the age to come (cf Ephesians 1:13, Hebrews 6:4-5).
As you eagerly wait for…. Christ …. to be revealed
Here Christ’s coming is referred to as a revelation (apokalupsis). Other expressions used are ‘end’ (telos), ‘day’ (hemera), ‘appearing’ (epiphaneia), and ‘coming’ (parousia). They are used pretty much interchangeably in the NT and in my view it is a mistake to try to distinguish between them at least chronologically.
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you strong to the end
What an amazing promise, bearing in mind the state of the Corinthians
on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Compare the OT the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-20, Joel 2:31). For Paul the Lord is none other than Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful
fellowship with his Son
This is also the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:13, Phil. 2:1)
Summary – thanking God despite the problems
The problems:
disorders in the church
division (chs 1-4)
immorality (chs 5-6)
public worship (chs 11-14)
doctrinal misunderstanding
on Christian liberty (chs 8-10)
on the resurrection (ch 15)
Things Paul thanks God for:
4 I always thank God for you because of
his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way–in all your speaking and in all your knowledge–
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 He will keep you strong to the end,
so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.