A Letter for Us – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

A text – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to 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:

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 has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— ⁶ just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A reflection:

You probably already know that the city and the church of Corinth lay at the shipping and land crossroads of Greece and also the Roman Empire, so it was filled with diverse people, sophisticated and wealthy folk along with dockworkers and beggars and the entire spectrum of people who live in big harbor towns. This congregation had every advantage, and it was plagued with bad decision-making, immorality, and several conflict-causing problems. Having received news of their latest church fights, Paul wrote to them, and our passage today is his opening paragraph. He reminded them of who he was and who they had been called to be. But he wanted them to know that although they have more than their share of blessings, they are on the road to deep trouble if they keep fighting and acting badly.

Dr Mark Tranvik of Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN, Reformation and Bible scholar, writes this about both us and the church at Corinth:

“Paul has no doubt that the decisive event in the history of the world has begun in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But this event is far from over! It continues until the Lord returns. This is the famous “already…not yet” quality of the Christian faith. Our calling is grounded in Christ, and we have Christ’s promise to strengthen our faith (1:8) until he returns. But we claim nothing for ourselves. We must be especially mindful of our tendency to see ourselves as a ‘finished product.’ When we slip into this kind of thinking, there is a temptation to see ourselves as an island of light in an ocean of darkness. And self-righteous rigidity is sure to follow.” Hence, Dr. Tranvik concludes, the Corinthians’ tendency to judge one another and fight.

Could our passage this week from this letter ever apply to us today? We have been given the grace of God through Christ Jesus. We have been given many gifts and our testimony to our faith has been strengthened the longer we live – if we would only do it – testify to our faith! – we are not lacking in spiritual gifts, and we all are waiting for the revealing of our Lord. The Lord will strengthen us as long as we live. So Paul’s words do apply to us. And what about Dr Tranvik’s warning? Do we see ourselves as a finished product? Do we see ourselves as “an island of light in an ocean of darkness”? I know I have felt superior to others, but I should also keep in mind that any gifts of mine have been given to me for the upbuilding of others, and every human waits for the return of Jesus with the same status as every other human. We are all God’s beloved children. We should not get too big for our britches.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for blessing us. Help us to remember that our blessings are for the benefit of others, and that we are not superior to anyone else just because you have given gifts to us. Amen.