Epiphany 2A 2nd Reading
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Kara Lyons-Pardue | Associate Professor of New Testament, PLNU
In 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 we have Paul’s salutation and thanksgiving sections of the epistle, following his standard letter format: Sender, Recipient, Formulaic Greeting, and Thanksgiving. In keeping with ancient letter-writing customs (quite the opposite of modern letter formatting in which the “from” comes at the end), the sender of the letter names him or herself first: here, Paul and Sosthenes. This is the only letter in which Sosthenes is listed as Paul’s co-sender. It is unlikely that this Sosthenes is the same as the ruler of the synagogue mentioned in Acts 18:17, as that Sosthenes is the representative of a group of Paul’s fellow Jews who unite in a legal attack against him. In general, however, Paul frequently wrote with at least one co-sender (in more than half of his letters, 1 Cor, 2 Cor, Phil, Col, 1 Thess, 2 Thess, and Phlm).
Paul’s self-descriptions vary across his letters, but he most often calls himself an apostle (in Greek, apostolos), as he does here in 1 Cor 1:1. His self-description is compact; it takes only seven words in Greek to say “called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1:1, author’s translation). Paul’s title highlights the divine initiation of his calling and ministry. Apostleship is not something Paul earned or apprenticed in; he had no degree qualifications or humanly-bestowed office. Instead, as Paul insisted on elsewhere (see Gal 1:1, 11-24; 2:1-10), his apostleship came solely from the call and will of God. Sosthenes’s description is much briefer, “the brother,” a term of participation in Christian fellowship.
Verse 2 introduces the addressees, the church of God which is in Corinth. The term that we have come to translate as “church” in Greek, ekklēsia, had both secular and Jewish uses (roughly synonymous with “synagogue” in the Septuagint, the approximately 2nd C. b.c.e. translation of the Hebrew Scriptures). It refers to an assembly of persons (literally, “called out ones”) gathered for some purpose. Already by Paul’s time this term seems to have gained a specialized usage to refer to local Christian communities. Here, this collection of believers is a localized expression of a wider phenomenon characterized as those “who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2).
Paul’s standard greeting, used in nearly every letter that bears his name, is—as here—a wish of “grace and peace” (1:3). This greeting in Greek is charis kai eirēnē. This riffs on the standard Greek greeting, chairein, using instead a crucial Christian term from the same root, charis, which means “grace.” The term for “peace” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term shālôm, the Hebrew term that is at once a greeting and a wish for holistic wellbeing. By combining the two, Paul engaged cross-culturally from the outset (Greek and Hebrew), while highlighting central characteristics of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This grace and peace is not Paul’s to give, but comes from “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3).
Verses 4-9 comprise the “Thanksgiving” section of the letter, so-called because the first word Paul used in v. 4 is “I give thanks” (eucharistō). This section is effusive; it is undoubtable that Paul loved this church he founded. His words of praise and gratitude rest, ultimately, in his confidence in God’s faithfulness (see v. 9).
It is good to pause at this moment in the letter to recognize the real words of gratitude, confidence, and praise that Paul offered to his church in Corinth. In the chapters that follow, Paul answered questions that the Corinthians (or factions thereof) had asked him and addressed issues, mostly quite serious, facing them. Some of his words were harsh (see 4:18-21; 5:1-13). Some of the issues seem, at least to modern readers, to threaten authentic Christian life and faith (see 11:26-34; 15:12-20). And yet Paul’s praise and gratitude in vv. 4-9 to God was not feigned. He was capable of writing a letter to one of his churches without expressing a thanksgiving and, instead, remarking with astonished anger (see Gal 1:6-9). What is clear, upon reflection, is that even the gravest of errors in judgment and behavior were not tantamount to abandoning the gospel. This collection of believers was not without fault and sin, as becomes very clear, yet Paul’s attitude toward them was one of thankfulness.
In fact, one issue that will arise in a significant fashion in the remainder of the letter is that of spiritual gifts and the Corinthians’ inappropriate practice of them (see Chs. 12–14). Here, Paul praised their already-present enrichment in speech and knowledge (1:5), which comes from God’s grace (v. 4). As a result, “the testimony of Christ” has been confirmed among them (v. 6). The witness about Christ and—one may presume—Christ’s cross will form the theological heart of Paul’s argument to follow (see 1:18-25), a testimony Paul already recognizes in their midst.
In the midst of his thanks, Paul did not ignore that growth in this giftedness was needed; there was an apocalyptic tone to his concluding wish in this Thanksgiving section. That is, the Corinthians were not where they need to be, which is no secret to those of us who continue reading the letter further. Paul’s wish was that at the Lord Jesus Christ’s apokalypsis, or revelation (which likely refers to his coming, or return), the Corinthians would not be lacking in any spiritual gift (1:7). It is toward this end that Paul expressed confidence that God would strengthen the Corinthians and, notably (particularly given the elements of blame elsewhere in the letter), keep them blameless unto Christ’s coming.
This theological turn in the Thanksgiving section makes clear something that Wesleyans should not undervalue as we highlight growth in grace and turning away from sin toward holiness of heart and life. This ongoing movement from darkness into light is vital, but it is not accomplished by human will, nor is credit due to our excellent teachers and pastors—even to Paul—for our increased strength or blameless preservation: God will do it. We cooperate with God or can even frustrate God’s purposes in our lives. But Paul does not pause to say “God will strengthen you and keep you blameless … if you follow my good instructions.” Instead, he turns both his role as apostle (remember 1:1?) and the Corinthians’ growth as believers (1:8) over to the power of God.
After all, in the end all human faithfulness pales in comparison to God’s faithfulness. The same God who called Paul (1:1) also called the Corinthian believers (1:9). This faithfulness we see most clearly in fellowship (perhaps better translated “partnership”) with God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 9). It is this called fellowship and unity in Christ that will generate the main theme of unity in Christ that will form the logical foundation of nearly every instruction Paul provides in the letter, beginning with 1:10-17. Despite the challenges, Paul expressed thankfulness for the Corinthians and the reasons for his profound gratitude and confidence were theological: God is faithful (1:9).