Jul 09 2008
My notes on 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
I posted notes on 1 Corinth 1:1-9 from Cornelius a Lapide a few days ago which can be used to supplement my notes on verses 1-3 presented here.
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Opening Address: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
vs 1. Paul. Paul is of course the Apostle Paul, originally named Saul, he was from Tarsus in Cilicia (See Acts of Apostles 21:39); “A Hebrew born of Hebrews” (see Philippians 3:4-6), a former persecutor of the Church (see Acts of Apostles 8:1-3; Galatians 1:13-14), he had a revelation of Jesus Christ and was converted on the Damascus road by the will of God who had set him apart to preach the Gospel (Galatians 1:15-16). He, along with others evangelized the city of Corinth over a period of at least 18 months (Acts of Apostles 18:1-18).
Called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Called is a reference to the divine choice of Paul for the mission of Apostle which was bestowed on him (see Romans 1:1). This divine choice is rooted in the salvific will of God (see 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1). God’s wisdom as manifested in the “word of the Cross” (1:18) is a revelation of His will and Paul will have much to say about his Apostleship and ministry in general in this letter. An Apostle is an emissary of someone with authority; in this case Jesus Christ. They have been commissioned by Him and endowed with His authority to communicate to men the gift of reconciliation which Christ, as head of the human race, won on behalf of man (see 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; and CCC 858, 859, 860).
Through the will of God. As already mentioned, this is the salvific will of God towards man. Paul’s ministry, the Apostolic ministry, and the mission of the Church are part of that overall will, which Paul sometimes refers to as the “mystery of God” (see 1 Corinthians 2:1), of which he is a servant (1 Corinthians 4:1). For more on mysterious plan of God see CCC 51, 52, 53. For more from the Catechism, see HERE.
Sosthenes our brother. He is often identified as the synagogue official mentioned in Acts of Apostles 18:17, but this is uncertain. Brother highlights the familial nature of relations among members of the Church, the household of God (Ephesians 2:19-22 and see 1 Cor 4:14-21).
Vs 2. The Church of God which is at Corinth. Ekklesia is the Greek word here translated as Church. In the Greek OT known as the LXX or Septuagint, ekklesia translated the Hebrew qahal, which was used to designate the people of God, often in the context of worship and holiness, two prominent themes in this letter. For more on the city of Corinth, see HERE.
To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Sanctified means literally, “made holy”. In Christ Jesus means: “Incorporated by baptism into Christ, whom God has made our wisdom and our justice, our holiness and our redemption” (see 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11. Jerome Biblical Commentary). The term sanctified, and related words such as holy and holiness, witnesses first and foremost to the fact that Christians have been dedicated to holy use. Only God is holy in essence (Isaiah 6:3), but holiness extend to whatever is taken up into relation with the divine. This involves both a negative and a positive side. Negatively, it means that whatever enters into a relation with the divine must no longer be used profanely. Positively, it means that what is holy is consecrated in a special way to God, as a special possession. Because Christians have been sanctified (made holy) by incorporation into Christ, they must no longer live a profane existence. Such holiness is rooted in God’s choice/calling (Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Peter 2:9). To be saints (holy ones) is the primary vocation of Christians, as the next part of the verse shows.
Called to be saints (see 1:9, 24). As noted, the primary Christian vocation (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 3:12) which should manifest itself in upright conduct.
With all that call upon the name of the Lord. Calling upon the name of the Lord is what the chosen people of God are to do, like the chosen line of Adam, traced through his son Seth (Genesis 4:26). When the sons of Seth (i.e., sons of God, sons of Heaven) began to profane themselves with “the daughters of men” they brought upon themselves divine punishment, with only Noah and his family surviving (Genesis 6:1-13).
vs 3. Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A standard for of greeting for Paul. The standard greeting at the time was simply chairein=greetings. Paul, however, employs the similar charis=a gift freely given. He adds the Greek word eirene= peace, which certainly is to be understood as equivalent to the Hebrew greeting shalom=a total state of well being. When used in the greeting (though not necessarily elsewhere, when something specific may be meant), the words are to understood as designating the fullness of divine blessing.
