Commentary - 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Bird's-eye view

In these opening three verses, the Apostle Paul lays the entire foundation for his dealings with the troubled church at Corinth. This is not mere throat-clearing; every phrase is packed with theological dynamite. Paul establishes his authority, not on his own resume, but on the sovereign call and will of God. He defines the church, not by its subjective performance (which was, as we shall see, abysmal), but by its objective standing in Christ, they are sanctified, they are saints. He extends the letter's relevance beyond Corinth to the entire catholic church, unified by its common confession of Jesus as Lord. And he bestows the foundational blessings of the new covenant, grace and peace, which flow not from a generic deity, but specifically from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This salutation is a gospel concentrate, establishing who is speaking, who is being spoken to, and the divine resources that make the entire relationship possible.

In short, before Paul addresses a single one of their carnal, factional, and outrageous problems, he first reminds them of who they are in Christ. Their identity is not rooted in their spiritual giftedness, their favorite preacher, or their moral success, but in the electing will of God, the sanctifying work of Christ, and the effectual call of the Spirit. This objective reality is the only platform from which their subjective chaos can be addressed and corrected.

Outline

Context In 1 Corinthians

First Corinthians is a letter of robust pastoral correction. The church in Corinth was a mess, gifted, but a mess. They were plagued by divisions, arrogance, sexual immorality, lawsuits between believers, confusion about marriage, idolatry, disorders in worship, and doctrinal error concerning the resurrection. Paul is writing to bring apostolic order to this charismatic chaos. But notice how he begins. He does not lead with a catalogue of their sins. He leads with a declaration of their status. The entire letter must be read in light of this opening. The reason Paul can command them to "be perfect" and to "cleanse out the old leaven" is because, in Christ, they are already "saints" and have been "sanctified." The imperatives of the Christian life are always grounded in the indicatives of the gospel. He is calling them to become what they already are.

Key Issues

The Gospel Foundation

Before a single nail can be hammered straight in the rickety structure of the Corinthian church, the foundation must be exposed and declared solid. Paul does not begin by chiding them, but by grounding them. He grounds his own authority in the will of God, and he grounds their identity in the work of Christ. This is crucial. If you get the foundation wrong, any repairs you make to the superstructure are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The foundation is not our obedience, our wisdom, or our spiritual fervor. The foundation is the sovereign grace of God that calls apostles and makes saints. Paul is about to bring heavy correction, but it is correction offered within the family, on the basis of a shared identity and a shared Lord. The problems in Corinth were severe, but not so severe that the grace of God was not greater. This opening is a massive declaration that the resources for their repentance and restoration are found outside of themselves, in the very God who called them into being.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Paul does not introduce himself as a man with bright ideas or helpful suggestions. He leads with his rank, his office. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ. This was a unique, foundational office in the church, and Paul's claim to it was contested by some. So he immediately states the basis of his authority: he was called to it, and this call was not the result of a congregational vote or his own ambition, but was by the will of God. His authority is derived, delegated authority. He speaks for King Jesus. To disregard Paul is to disregard the God who sent him. This is not arrogance; it is the necessary establishment of credentials before delivering a message of immense importance. He also includes Sosthenes, who was likely his amanuensis or secretary. Sosthenes may well have been the same man who was the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth and was beaten by the mob (Acts 18:17). By calling him "our brother," Paul places himself alongside Sosthenes in the family of God, even while maintaining the unique authority of his apostolic office.

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

The address is rich. He calls this deeply flawed assembly the church of God. Objectively, that is what they were, despite their subjective failures. They belonged to God. He then describes them in two ways. First, they have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. This is a perfect participle, indicating a past action with ongoing results. At the moment of their conversion, they were set apart, made holy, in their union with Christ. This is their positional reality. Second, they are called as saints. "Saints" is not a title for a spiritual elite; it is the New Testament's ordinary name for all Christians. It means "holy ones." They were called to be the very thing that, in Christ, they already were. Then Paul broadens the scope. This letter is not just for the Corinthians. It is for all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. To "call on the name" is an Old Testament phrase for worshiping Yahweh (Gen 4:26; Joel 2:32). Paul applies it directly to Jesus, a clear statement of His deity. This act of worship unites the messy church in Corinth with every true believer everywhere. And Jesus is their Lord and ours, the one Master of the one, universal church.

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here we have the standard apostolic blessing, and it is anything but standard. Grace (charis) was the Greek greeting, and peace (eirene, the equivalent of the Hebrew shalom) was the Jewish greeting. Paul combines and baptizes them. Grace is God's unmerited favor, the fountainhead of all blessing. Peace is the result of that grace, peace with God, and the wholeness and well-being that flows from it. You cannot have the peace of God without first receiving the grace of God. And notice the source: from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul yokes the Father and the Son together as the single divine source of these blessings. This is another profound, almost casual, assertion of the deity of Christ. The Father and the Son are co-equal in their ability to bestow divine grace and peace upon the church. This is the divine provision that the Corinthians need to hear everything else he is about to say.

Application

The opening of this letter is a potent medicine for two opposite sicknesses that afflict the modern church: arrogance and despair. For the church that is proud of its programs, its numbers, or its doctrinal precision, Paul’s greeting is a humbling reminder. Whatever we have is a result of grace. Our status as "saints" is not an achievement but a gift, secured by Christ and applied by the will of God. We are not saints because we are good; we are saints because God in His mercy has called us and set us apart in His Son.

For the church that is despairing over its failures, its internal squabbles, and its manifest sins, the church that feels very much like the Corinthian church, this greeting is a shot of pure hope. Our standing before God does not depend on our performance this week. We are "the church of God." We "have been sanctified in Christ Jesus." This is our objective reality, and it does not waver. Therefore, we can face our sins honestly, without pretending and without despairing. We can get up and fight again, not in order to make ourselves saints, but because God has already declared that we are saints. The grace and peace of God are not a reward for our success; they are the fuel for our repentance and reformation.

Finally, we must see that our local troubles and triumphs are part of a much larger story. We are united with "all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." This should cure us of our provincialism. The Lord we serve in our small corner of the world is the same Lord they are serving in Iran, China, and Nigeria. He is their Lord and ours. This should drive us to prayer for the whole church and give us a broad, catholic vision for the unstoppable advance of Christ's kingdom.