1 Corinthians Study 2: An Urgent Call to Contend

Greetings (1:1-9)

I. The Call of God on the Believer’s Life

A. Author (1:1)

1. Paul

a. Called as an apostle of Christ

b. Called through the will of God

2. Sosthenes

B. Audience (1:2-3)

1. Characteristics

a. Church of God at Corinth

b. Sanctified in Christ Jesus

c. Saints by calling

2. Charis

II. The Grace of God in the Believer’s Life (1:4-9)

A. Thanksgiving to God (1:4-8)

1. For the Gift of Grace to Them

2. For the Degree of Grace in Them

a. Made spiritually rich in every way

1) In every word

2) In every acknowledgment

3) In every gift

b. Made positionally secure in Christ

1) To the end

2) Unaccused in the day of the Lord

B. The Faithfulness of God (1:9)

| 1:1 |

Pau/loj klhto.j avpo,stoloj Cristou/ VIhsou/ dia. qelh,matoj qeou/ kai. Swsqe,nhj o` avdelfo.j

Paul, called1.1b apostle1.1a of Christ Jesus through (the) will1.1c of God, and Sosthenes, the brother

th/| evkklhsi,a| tou/ qeou/ th/| ou;sh| evn Kori,nqw|( h`giasme,noij evn Cristw/| VIhsou/( klhtoi/j a`gi,oij( su.n pa/sin toi/j evpikaloume,noij to. o;noma tou/ kuri,ou h`mw/n VIhsou/ Cristou/ evn panti. to,pw|( auvtw/n kai. h`mw/n\

to the church1.2a of God which exists in Corinth, (the ones) having been (effectually) sanctified1.2b,c in Christ Jesus, (ones) called holy,1.2d together with all the ones who (continually) call (on their behalf) upon1.2e the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every locale, theirs and ours:

ca,rij u`mi/n kai. eivrh,nh avpo. qeou/ patro.j h`mw/n kai. kuri,ou VIhsou/ Cristou/Å

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

One of the fascinating aspects of studying Paul’s epistles is discovering how Paul works the theme of each letter into his greeting. His greetings are always delivered with purpose. Some are more obvious than others (e.g. Gal. 1:1). The letter to Corinth is no different. Some might say that Paul wants to begin his letter on a positive note, to soften the blow to follow. That’s not necessarily the case. As we study Paul’s greeting in this letter we will find many terms given in simple, summary fashion that Paul will elaborate on in great detail in the chapters and verses to come. The overall theme of the greeting, as the lesson title suggests, is the firm position of the Corinthians in Jesus Christ. The strategy of the apostle is inspired: base the exhortation on how the Corinthians are to conduct themselves whether in wisdom or in walk or in worship - as well as their oneness in the body - in this physical-temporal realm of life on the timeless reality of their position in Christ. To put it simply, the Corinthians are now citizens of the kingdom of heaven. They are to live according to the constitution of the kingdom! Paul’s first step, then, in supervising the effort to shore up the disintegrating walls of the Christian church in Corinth is to address the foundation of positional truth concerning the relationship of the believer to Christ. This truth becomes the basis of all the teaching to follow.

(1) Paul, called apostle (klhtos apostolos) of Christ Jesus – Paul is a “called apostle.” He is not called an apostle nor is he called to be an apostle (NIV, NRSV, NKJV). The construction describes his unique role in service to God (“apostle”) and the resulting state from his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road (“called”). The indefinite article, “an,” most versions employ is misleading in the sense that it tends to trivialize Paul’s title. The absence of the definite article in Greek does not mean the writer is “generalizing” the noun. Rather, the idiom stresses the qualitative nature of the noun. Paul is emphasizing the nature or authority behind his letter rather than merely giving his title. The significance of Paul’s apostolic authority is stated in I Cor. 14:37-38 (NASB): “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.”

(2) through (the) will of God – Paul’s calling was not of his own volition (Acts 9:1-18). Paul did not choose this apostleship nor did men confer this apostleship upon him (Gal. 1:1). God called Paul to apostleship through His will. Paul did not deserve the

call. When God called him he was the worst of blasphemers of God and the most zealous persecutor of the church (Gal. 1:13-14). Paul himself stated that he was unfit to be called an apostle because of the persecution he led (I Cor. 15:9). Yet he was under compulsion to fulfill his calling (I Cor. 9:16) of preaching the Gospel. The preposition, through (dia), describes the means of the calling not the source. His calling came from Jesus Christ (apostle of Jesus Christ). Christ was the source of his authority and calling (cf. Jn. 15:16) as well as God (Gal. 1:1).

(3) Sosthenes the brother – According to Acts 18:17, Sosthenes was the leader of the synagogue in Corinth. After Gallio brushed aside the accusations of the Jews against Paul, there was a riot during rich unidentified men beat Sosthenes. Whether this is the same Sosthenes Paul refers to in verse 1 is uncertain. The use of the definite article,  “the brother,” indicates the individual as someone well known to the Corinthian believers and probably a man of influence in the church.

(4) to the church of God which exists in Corinth – Paul states four things about the church in Corinth:

i. church of God – They belong to God. They are His assembly.

ii. (effectually) sanctified in Christ Jesus – They have a “standing position” of being set apart (sanctified) in the person of Christ. All the major versions translate “in Christ” (except NLT, which has “by means of Christ”). The preposition used, en, does not communicate personal agency in the NT. “Effectually” does not appear in the text but expresses the force of the perfect tense of the participle, {hgiasmenois (“ones having been sanctified”).

iii. (ones) called holy (klhtois {agiois) -  Basically same construction and force as in v.1, “called apostle.” They are not called to be holy nor does it mean that someone calls them holy. The state they have been placed into as a result of God’s call is one of holiness. Though they be carnal in their walk, positionally speaking, they are holy unto God.

iv. together with all the ones who continually call (on their behalf) – They are a part of the invisible church universal. They are united spiritually with all those who call upon the name of the Lord for help. The phrase “on their behalf” is not in the text, however the middle voice of the participle, epikaloumenois (“ones who are calling upon”) suggests action initiated by someone on his or her own behalf. Note the phrase “in every locale” which reinforces the existence of visible local churches operating independently of one another yet in spiritual oneness with each other in Christ. The final phrase, “theirs and ours,” affirms that Christ is not divided but He is one Lord over all in the church (cf. 1:13).

| 1.2a Lexical Definition: [N] (DFS), church (1577) > ekklhsia (evkklhsi,a) – church, assembly gathering; lit. ones called out (from ek and kalew). It denotes people who have gathered or assembled for a purpose. The term is used 114 times in the NT, but only twice in the Gospels (Matt. 16:18; 18:17). It is used 23 times in Acts. Paul uses the term 62 times in his letters – half in I, II Cor.! (I Cor. 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32; 11:16, 18, 22; 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33, 34, 35; 15:9, 16:1, 19). 1.2b Lexical Definition: [ADJ-PART] (RPR), ones having been sanctified (37) > {agiazw (a`gia,zw) – to make holy, to sanctify, set apart, to consecrate, to purify. The term means to set aside or to make suitable for ritual purposes, to treat as holy, to sanctify by contact with what is holy. It is used in the NT of the setting apart of the believer for God (Acts 20:32) and the separation of the believer from the world in his behavior (Jn. 17:17). Sanctification comes by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18), through His blood (Heb. 13:12), through the sacrifice of His body once and for all (Heb. 10:10). Paul notes that sanctification is an act of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:16). The verb appears 28 times in the NT, 4 in I Cor. (1:2; 6:11; 7:14 (2)). 1.2c Grammatical Note: [PERF] ones having been sanctified – The perfect participle stresses an existing characteristic of the believers in Corinth as the result of a past action. Furthermore, the passive voice points out that they were recipients not initiators of the work of sanctification. They are individuals who were placed in a state of sanctification at an unspecified point in the past and they continue in that position. 1.2d Lexical Definition: [ADJ] (DMP), ones holy (40) > {agios (a`,gioj) – holy, saint, sacred. The term was originally used to describe the quality possessed by things and persons that could approach a deity. Used in the NT of that which is dedicated to God, reserved for His service. It denotes that which is worthy of God; pure, free from contamination. All who are believers in Christ are “saints” – the title is never used in the NT of a privileged few who attained God’s favor, but it is a state of all believers into which God called us by His grace while we were yet sinful (Vine, p. 546). The term is used 233 times in the NT, 94 referring to the Holy Spirit. The term appears 12 times in I Cor. (1:2; 3:17; 6:1, 2, 19; 7:14, 34; 12:3; 14:33; 16:1, 15, 20). 1.2e Lexical Definition: [ADJ-PART] (PMR), ones calling upon (1941) > epikalew(evpikale,w) – to call upon; [MV] to appeal, call upon someone as a witness (esp. in legal usage). The LXX uses the term of calling upon God in prayer (Ps. 50:15; 53:4; 86:5; 89:26; 91:15). Used as a legal term to appeal to a higher court (e.g. Acts 28:19). Used 30 times in the NT, 20 in Acts. Only here in I Cor. (cf. Rom. 10:13).   |

(5) grace to you and peace – Paul greets his audience with these words in each of his letters. Both epistles to Timothy are unique in that he adds “mercy” to the greeting. This is probably because strong, courageous leaders in the church need God’s mercy in a special way. The greeting is personal combining the traditional Greek greeting of “grace” and the Hebrew “peace” (“shalom”). This is appropriate for a body composed of Jew and Greek. What is significant is that Paul asks this grace and peace be bestowed upon them equally by “God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.” He communicates unity in the Godhead by governing “God” and “Christ” by one preposition (apo). Furthermore, Paul speaks boldly of the deity of Christ by referring to Christ as Lord in the same breath as God as Father.

Euvcaristw/ tw/| qew/| mou pa,ntote peri. u`mw/n evpi. th/| ca,riti tou/ qeou/ th/| doqei,sh| u`mi/n evn Cristw/| VIhsou/(

I give thanks1.4a to my God always concerning you on account of the grace1.4b of God, which was given to you in Christ Jesus,

| 1:5 |

o[ti evn panti. evplouti,sqhte evn auvtw/|( evn panti. lo,gw| kai. pa,sh| gnw,sei(

(to the effect) that in every (way) you were made rich1.5a in Him, in every (type of) word and every (type of) knowledge, 1.5b

kaqw.j to. martu,rion tou/ Cristou/ evbebaiw,qh evn u`mi/n(

inasmuch as the testimony of the Christ was (firmly) established1.6a among you,

(1) I give thanks to my God always – It is Paul’s habit to give thanks ([PRES] ‘Customary’ > eucaristew) to God concerning the Corinthians. His thanksgiving is not “for them,” but is on the basis of (epi + [DAT]) the grace of God given to them by virtue of their being in Christ Jesus. Two important things to note about this statement are: 1) the action of “was given” is past tense ([AOR]) so the gift is not being given or will be given, but was given at some point previously; 2) the giving is qualified – it is done in Christ.

(2) that in every (way) you were made rich in Him – Paul expands ([CONJ] ‘Epexegetical,’ {oti)  on what he means by the grace of God given to the Corinthians in Christ. By this he means they were made rich in Christ in every kind of word (i.e., “teaching”) and every kind of knowledge ([ADJ] ‘Distributive’ > pas). The focus is not on the grace of God in saving them, but in His grace in enriching them fully as a church body. They have been enriched in every way. Their enrichment is described as a past action on the part of God ([AOR] > ploutizw). One of the major problems in the Corinthian church was the wrong use of knowledge; the use of it to puff up oneself rather than to edify one another. It was “individualized knowledge.” Prior notes that this statement from Paul is not about individual believers but about the believers in Corinth collectively, as the church. He writes, “If we are to know the fullness of God’s blessing, if we are to experience all the gifts of His grace which are ours in Christ, it has to be together in fellowship. No individual Christian can claim to be ‘not lacking in any spiritual gift’” (Prior, pp. 23-24). Paul will develop the themes of godly knowledge and wisdom and their use from v. 10 of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 6. He will develop the theme of the speaking gifts (teaching, prophecy) in chapters 12-14. Although as a body the Corinthian church was fully enriched in these graces of God, they were deficient in their deployment of these gifts due to their extreme individualism and rush to personal exaltation.     

| 1.5a Lexical Definition: [F-VB] (API), you were made rich (4148) > ploutizw (plouti,zw) – to make rich, to cause to have abundance. The root word means to flow or fill. It has the basic sense of “fullness of goods” (TDNT, p. 873). It occurs only 3 times in the NT (I Cor. 1:5; II Cor. 6:10; 9:11).1.5b Lexical Definition: [N] (DFS), knowledge (1108) > gnwsis (gnw/sij) – knowledge, understanding, insight. The force of the term is on the actual possessing of information rather than the information itself. It refers to the knowing that comes from divine enlightenment (Lk. 1:77; I Cor. 1:5) or claims to a special higher, secret knowledge available to only a select few (I Tim. 6:20). The word describes the perception of things as they are rather than mere opinion. Godly knowledge is a gift of grace for the purpose of edification of the body (note the error of the experts in law in Lk. 11:52). The gift of knowledge is not for the goal of personal learning (TDNT, pp. 119-121). It occurs 29 times in the NT, 23 by Paul, 10 in I Cor (1:5; 8:1, 7, 10, 11; 12:8; 13:2, 8; 14:6), and 6 in II Cor. (2:14; 4:6; 6:6; 8:7; 10:5; 11:6). All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3). Peter notes that with knowledge there is a need for self-control (II Pet. 1:6). |

(3) inasmuch (kaqws) as the testimony of the Christ was (firmly) established among you – Paul elaborates on what he means by the enrichment of the Corinthians in every way: “inasmuch as” ([CONJ] ‘Explanatory,’ kaqws, Robertson-Plummer, p. 6) the testimony ([N] > marturion) of Christ  ([GEN] ‘Objective’) was firmly planted ([AOR] > bebaiow ) among them. Individuals can be witnesses to Christ apart from the presence of other believers. Collectively, however, the church rightly aligned to God and His Word is a powerful testimony to the surrounding culture of the love and holiness of God.

| 1:7 |

w[ste u`ma/j mh. u`sterei/sqai evn mhdeni. cari,smati avpekdecome,nouj th.n avpoka,luyin tou/ kuri,ou h`mw/n VIhsou/ Cristou/\

resulting1.7a in your not lacking1.7b in any gift while eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

o]j kai. bebaiw,sei u`ma/j e[wj te,louj avnegklh,touj evn th/| h`me,ra| tou/ kuri,ou h`mw/n VIhsou/ Îcristou/ÐÅ

who also will (firmly) establish you until (the) end free from accusation1.8a  on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1) resulting in your not lacking in any gift – We have seen the explanation of the enriching in Christ in v. 5 (in every way – every word, every knowledge) and the

evidence of the enriching in v. 6 (testimony to Christ firmly established). In v. 7 Paul notes the result of the enriching: the Corinthians are not lacking in any gift. God’s provision is sufficient to meet their every need. What’s more, if their spiritual equipping comes from God, what is their basis for boasting? Paul will explore the issue of gifts in the church and the unsightly competition for gifts in chapters 12-14.

(2) while eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ – The gifts that God gives us are ours while we wait ([ADV-PART] “Temporal” > apodecomai) for the return of Christ. Recall how Jesus spoke of the fact that He would be leaving the disciples “in the world” even though they were no longer “of the world” (Jn. 17:15-16; cf. Phil. 3:20). Jesus had promised to send the disciples a Helper who would guide them in all truth (Jn. 16:7-13). The Holy Spirit is given as a Helper and Counselor to all believers. The Holy Spirit distributes gifts in accordance with the design of God for the mutual edification of believers while we are still in the world. We should thank God enthusiastically that He has provided for our needs during this time in which we eagerly anticipate the revealing ([N] > apokaluyis) of Christ. 

(3) who also will (firmly) establish you until (the) end free from accusation on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ – This is a profound statement confirming the eternal security of the believer. The Corinthian church has already been established as a living testimony to Christ. Now Paul states that Christ will firmly establish ([FUT] > bebaiow, L.D. 1.6a) them as “free from accusation” for the duration until the end ([ACC] ‘Time’ > telos). From the perspective of God, this problem-filled, carnal church in Corinth is not just acquitted of their sin but they are not even charged! The reason is their standing in Christ. The point of time for their “non-accusing” is the Day of the Lord (en th {hmera, [DAT] ‘Time’) - a time of the Lord’s judgment on all mankind culminating in the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). Believers in Christ do not stand before God in this judgment. The judgment seat for believers is the Bema (Rom. 14:10, 12; I Cor. 3:10-15; II Cor. 5:10). The majority of passages, both OT and NT, dealing with the Day of the Lord emphasize the Day as a time of unprecedented wrath from God upon the enemies of His people. It is a day when all the enemies will be violently destroyed and all things are made right. The wicked are damned and the righteous vindicated. (For further study on this complex topic, see Jer. 46-51; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:14-18; Zech. 12-14; the Olivet Discourse in Matt. 24-25; Rev. 4-20.)       

| 1.8a Lexical Definition: [ADJ] (AMP), free from accusation (410) > anegklhtos (avne,gklhtoj) – not accused, absence of accusation, blameless, irreproachable. The literal force is “not called in” in the sense of called before a judge or arraigned. Here is another use of the root kalew (5 diff. variations of kalew in vv. 1-9). The term does not merely mean acquittal but rather the very absence of accusation (Vine, pp. 68-69). The term appears 5 times in the NT (I Cor. 1:8; Col. 1:22; I Tim. 3:10; Ti. 1:6, 7). As an adjective the term describes a characteristic or state of the Corinthians, and all believers: according to the promise of Christ we are established as non-accused believers.   |

| 1:9 |

pisto.j o` qeo,j( diV ou- evklh,qhte eivj koinwni,an tou/ ui`ou/ auvtou/ VIhsou/ Cristou/ tou/ kuri,ou h`mw/nÅ

Faithful (is) the God, through whom you were called into fellowship (with) His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1) Faithful (is) the God – The conclusion of Paul’s greeting to the Corinthians: faithful ([ÞSEÜ]) is God (Deut. 7:9; Ps. 100:5; Heb. 6:18; 10:23). By this statement Paul affirms the trustworthiness of God in fully granting all the Corinthian church would need to serve Him. Due to the fidelity of God, the Corinthians lacked nothing. Furthermore, God is trustworthy when it comes to their eternal security. Their salvation is secured not because of their faithfulness but because of God’s. There is something Paul does not say but strongly implies: the Corinthians are not faithful. The letters to the Corinthians are not tales of the faithfulness of the church. Paul uses the adjective for faith (pistos) seven times in the two epistles, none to describe faith or trustworthiness as a character trait of the Corinthians. In fact, two of the uses again speak of the faithfulness of God (I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 1:18; cf. Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2 where Paul speaks of the faithfulness of the Ephesian and Colossian churches).

(2) through whom you were called into fellowship (with) His Son – Paul depicts God as the agent through whom the Corinthians were called (kalew, L.D. 7.17a). This is interesting in that God is the One who calls us to salvation (Rom. 8:30; II Tim. 1:9). How is God both the source and the intermediary agent? Paul ingeniously instructs the Corinthians that God is fully responsible for their position in Christ – they had nothing to do with it from the standpoint of personal merit. This is the same for all believers. Our only contribution to the work of salvation is faith, but even that is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8). Our faith is not a meritorious work or meritorious attribute. It is God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit who perform the work of salvation whether as source or intermediate agent, three Persons – one God. The calling of God that Paul focuses on is fellowship ([N] > koinwnia) with God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The term means community. Just as the first church in Jerusalem had all things in common, so the Corinthians had all things in common in and with Christ and one another, positionally-speaking. They had not learned to live this reality. It is fitting that Paul would end his greeting on this note since this is an epistle addressing division in the body of Christ. He has set the table. He has presented the truth regarding the full benefits of being positionally “in Christ.” He will now charge them with operating in the world of Corinth in accordance with this calling and status.

The first thing that a local church should do when addressing issues of divisiveness is to remember its calling and purpose.  We discussed the purpose of the church in lesson 1. In this lesson, we have studied the calling of the church; its secure position in Christ. Of note is the fact that nowhere in these nine verses was the church called to do or accomplish anything. Paul simply reminded the church at Corinth of the nature and quality of its calling in Christ. In the chart below, note the different aspects of God’s perfect call upon the church, how He equipped the church for effective ministry, and how that relates to Paul’s teaching to follow.

1. Read the first couple of verses from the first chapter of each of Paul’s epistles. From these verses along with what we have discussed in this study, what have you learned about the nature and purpose of the apostolic ministry?

2. Define the security of the believer. What evidence in I Corinthians 1:1-9 is present to support the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer? Be specific. Consider not only the words themselves but think about the grammatical evidences as well.

3. The church was founded to be a living constitution of the kingdom of God. Name the provisions of this constitution of the kingdom according to I Corinthians 1:1-9. Think about your own church. What provisions does your church actively demonstrate to the world? Which ones are missing?

4. How can a church as carnal as the one in Corinth be given the promise that Christ will establish them without even an accusation until the day of His return?

5. How can a church, being fully enriched with spiritual gifts from God so that they are lacking nothing, still be struggling with divisive attitudes?

| Sanctified in Christ (5-11:1) Made rich in every way (1-6)Every WordEvery Knowledge Testimony of Christ confirmed in (2, 16) Called into fellowship with the Son of God (6:15-20)  |

| Christ shall establish you (15)to the endfree from accusation   |