The Divine Lamp

1 Corinthians 1:4  I thank my God always concerning you.  A thanksgiving usually follows the greetings in Paul’s letters, and are very important.  Peter Ellis, in his SEVEN PAULINE LETTERS writes: The thanksgiving and prayer , containing an expression of gratitude and prayer to God, expressed in a long periodic sentence whose function, as P. Schubert says, is to ‘focus the epistolary situation, i.e., to introduce the vital theme of the letter’….As an aid to interpretation, the thanksgiving is valuable for the evidence it gives by anticipation of Paul’s purpose in writing as well as for its function in setting the tone the letter will take” (Ellis, P.F. Seven Pauline Letters [Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 1981], pg 9).  The Greek verb eucharisto used here suggests that perhaps Paul is speaking of his prayers at the liturgy.  The reference to always is taken by some to mean that Paul had the mystical gift of continual prayer, but he probably means nothing more than “whenever I thank God, I thank Him concerning you.”

For the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus.  As I noted in my treatment of the letter’s greeting, whenever Paul uses the word grace in a letters address, he is referring to the fullness of God’s salvific bounty rather than specific gifts (see following verses).  Here, Paul appears to have in mind specific gifts (see following verses.

1 Corinthians 1:5 That you are in every way enriched by him, in all utterance and all knowledge.  That in Greek is hoti, which is causal.  What causes Paul to thank God is the enrichment he has bestowed on the Corinthians.  The Corinthians have received many charismatic gifts, which Paul notes with the rather odd phrase “in every way enriched…”   Sometimes the verse is translated to read “you have been completely enriched,” or “in everything thing you are enriched.”  However, “in every way” is preferable given the circumstances of the letter.  The phrase can imply order, and given the disorders in the Church vis a vis  the charismatic gifts of speech (utterance) and knowledge, it is probably order which Paul wants to highlight (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-31).  Every way, all utterance, all knowledge are totality words, emphasizing abundance.  It appears that the Corinthians have become wise in their own estimation of themselves (1 Corinthians 1:26-31), the abundance of gifts which they have received are being viewed by them as some sort of an award from God (1 Corinthians 4:7), hence Paul’s insistence in verse 4 on “the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus”, and on “enriched by him” in verse 5.  The verbs are passive, emphasizing the divine initiative.  Further, “in Christ Jesus” emphasizes his mediatorial function (and consequent subordination of the Corinthians).  “By him” emphasizes the Father as source of their enrichment.  In light of chapter 12, utterance (speech) and knowledge appear to be the gifts most widely received and most widely abused.

1 Corinthians 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you.  Even as is a causal construction (Greek: kathos).  Paul continues his subtle critique of the Corinthians views here.  The gifts have come about only as a result of the testimony of Christ; Paul’s preaching of the Gospel of the crucified and risen Lord.  The message of the cross and the purpose of God’s ministers will form the subject matter of the first part of the body of the letter (1 Cor 1:10-4:16).

1 Corinthians 1:7 As a result you are not lacking in any gift.  The gifts exist as confirmation (vs 6) of the Gospel, the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).  It is only because of the Gospel which comes from God through Christ, that the Corinthians have the gifts they have.

As you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I.e., his second coming.  The gifts are oriented towards this event and ought not to be abused.  Paul will on a number of occasions in this letter refer to the end time.  One end time event will be his special concern in chapter 15, namely, the resurrection of the dead.  Concerning that event, the Corinthians had some mistaken ideas.

1 Corinthians 1:8 Who shall also maintain you unto the end, that you be unreprovable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Continues the end time focus.   Maintain is related to the word confirmed in verse 6.  The verse emphasizes the faithfulness of Christ and should not be pushed into proving the idea of the “assurance of salvation.”  Sinful and unfaithful Christians can hardly presume on the faithfulness of Christ or the Father (vs 9) at the judgment (1 Corinthians 10:6-13; 2 Peter 2:20-22).

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  God’s faithfulness is one of the dominant “God Motifs” of the Scripture.   God who has called us to be holy  (vs 2) has done so for the purpose of bringing us into fellowship (Greek: koinonia) with His son.  Christians are called upon to maintain that fellowship (koinonia) among themselves by avoiding divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10-17), especially at the Eucharist, which is a participation (koinoneo) in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

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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 ApostlEsther 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. This divine choice is rooted in the salvific will of God (see 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1). 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 almost certainly the synagogue official mentioned in Acts of Apostles 18:17. Brother highlights the familial nature of relations among members of the Church, the household of God (Ephesians 2:19-22).

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 Christian 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. As noted, the primary Christian vocation (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 3:12).

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.

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What follows is from a very old commentary and a few ideas expressed here are no longer considered as tenable by most scholars.  I will add footnotes of my own to the text on Tuesday or Wednesday(These will be in bold-face italics, like this notice). The translated text I’m linking to is not the same as that used by Lapide.

1 Corinthians 1:1 Sosthenes was chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth; having been converted to Christ by Paul, he was severely beaten for his faith before Gallio, the Proconsul (Acts 18:17), and after his death was placed among the Saints-November 28th. The identification between the Sosthenes of Acts and the person named here is probably certain, though St Luke does not describe Sosthenes as a Christian but, given the treatment he receives in Acts, it is highly likely that he was converted by St Paul.
1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, grace be unto you and peace from God. For called to be saints the Syriac translates, called and saints. But the Greek is kletos, a word which gives the meaning having a call to holiness, or holy by way of a cause, called to holiness. The adjective is used in this letter only in 1:1 of Paul, here in vs 2 of the Corinthians, and in verse 24 of Christians in general. The verb “kaleo” (to call) or its derivatives is used 12 times in the letter, highlighting it as an important theme.
Note first, that Paul throughout this chapter and everywhere else holds up to admiration this benefit of calling. Secondly, that this and all other benefits be humbly and devoutly ascribed to the Divine benevolence and to the power of humility. Chrysostom has here a noteworthy passage in the moral part of his first homily. You can read what Chrysostom has to say here, in sections 4-6.
Thirdly, it is plain from this, in opposition to Pelagius, that, not for our merits, but by the mere grace of God, have we been called to the faith and the grace of Christ. Note that all Christians were formerly called Saints: not because they were really so, but by way of call, profession, duty. Concerning the necessity of grace see HERE. Concerning the words “all Christians were formerly called saints:” in Lapide’s day, like our own, the term saint was seldom applied to Christians living in this world, the underlying concept however was, and has always been retained (see HERE).
Fourthly, he calls them saints in Christ, that is sanctified through the merits of Christ, namely, in Baptism and its consequent gifts. Concerning the gifts received at Baptism see HERE. See also the index of the Catechism under the heading “Baptism” (sub-heading “effects”).
Fifthly: “the church,” and the “called to be saints” are the same thing. For the latter is in apposition and is explanatory of the former: so that if you ask, What is the Church? I shall answer from this passage of St Paul: It consists of those called to be Saints, or it is a congregation and assembly of the faithful, who have been called to holiness. Our word Church commonly translates the Greek word ekklesia, which is derived from ekkalein, meaning to call someone out. Ekklesia refers to those who have been called out, hence a congregation or assembly. Ekklesia and ekkalein are related to the words kletos and kaleo referred to earlier.
Whence, sixthly, it is evident from here that the Church is visible; for Paul writes these things not to an abstract idea, but “to the church which is at Corinth,” which was able to read and see his letters, as is plain.

Seventhly, from this place it is evident that there is the same Church everywhere, a part of which was the Church at Corinth. Whence he says: “With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours;” i.e., all Christians, wherever they exist; whether with me in this place of ours, or in any other place you please. Theirs, then, is said of the Corinthians, and ours of Paul and Sosthenes. He adds this, that no one might suppose when he said Jesus Christ our Lord, that he meant to say that Christ is the Lord of Paul and Sosthenes alone. So Chrysostom says: “By this Paul tacitly enjoins the Corinthians that they ought to lay aside contention and to be of one mind, as being members of the same Church, and of the same Head, Christ.” Next, he reminds them that he writes this letter specially indeed to the Corinthians, but, nevertheless, that he wishes it to be a circular letter to all Christians, in the same way that the letters of the other Apostles and of the Bishops in those first ages were circular letters. To say that a part of the Church was at Corinthis to give an incorrect formulation. Concerning this, see HERE.
Cajetan’s interpretation of ours, that it means, “Our jurisdiction extends itself to Corinth and to the Corinthians, so that the city and district of Corinth is both theirs and ours,” is forced.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ. “For the grace” means in the Greek: “on account of the grace of God” which is given you in Christ, i.e., through Christ. “The source,” says St Bernard, “of all the springs and rivers is the sea: but the source of all virtue and knowledge is the Lord Jesus Christ: the continence of the flesh, the energy of the heart, the rectitude of the will, all flow from that spring: let the heavenly stream be given back to its source” (by thanksgiving), “so that the faintest parts of the earth may be replenished; ‘I will not give my glory to another’ saith the God’” (Isaiah 48:11).

1 Corinthians 1:5 That in everything ye are enriched by Him (by Christ), in all utterance (of the preaching of the Gospel), and in all knowledge, that is, in spiritual understanding of Him. In other words, I give thanks to God, because by me and Apollos He put before you, richly, the preaching and doctrine of the Gospel and a perception and understanding of it. Certainly the preaching of the gospel brings enrichment and knowledge, most scholars would probably disagree with that ideas applicati