1 Corinthians 1: 1-9….From Paul, who is thankful!

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Comment: Paul follows the usual way of correspondence in his time – The writer, the recipient, a greeting and then will follow what the letter is all about. The writer(s) – Paul clearly states in this opening his authority. God has given him his job as an apostle. What does ‘apostle’ mean? Simply a messenger, but in the early church a messenger who had known Jesus when He was on earth. So how does Paul get into that category? Possibly as a young very keen Pharisee in Jerusalem he had heard of, grown to hate and maybe was one of those who cried ‘Crucify, crucify’ in Pilate’s hall. In Acts we hear Jesus making a direct approach to the one then known as Saul – a meeting which totally changed Saul (later changed to Paul). Sosthenes, no doubt a Christian at one with Paul, was the scribe. The recipients – The church at Corinth, made holy because of their relationship with Jesus, now called saints. There is a reference to the world-wide nature of the church, possibly an indication that this letter is meant for the church everywhere and for all time! The greeting – His thankfulness because of their faith and the faithfulness of Jesus.

Prayer: Thank You, that in spite of divisions the church is in Your eyes ‘Your body’. Help us to live in Unity, the Unity of Your Truth, with its allowed diversity.