Salutation, vs. 1–3. Introduction, vs. 4–9. The divisions which existed in the Church at Corinth, vs. 10–16. Defence of the Apostle’s mode of preaching, vs. 17–31.
Introduction to the Epistle. Vs. 1–9
PAUL declares himself to be a divinely appointed messenger of Christ, v. 1. In this character he addresses the church at Corinth, as those who were sanctified in Christ, and called to be saints. He includes in his salutation all the worshippers of Christ in that vicinity, v. 2; and invokes upon them the blessings of grace and peace, v. 3.
The introduction is as usual commendatory. He thanks God for the favour shown to the Corinthians; for the various gifts by which the gospel had been confirmed among them, and by which they were placed on a full equality with the most favoured churches, vs. 4–7. He expresses his confidence, founded on the fidelity of God, that they would be preserved from apostasy until the day of the Lord, vs. 8, 9.
1. Paul, called (to be) an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes (our) brother.
Paul, so called after his conversion and the commencement of his labours among the Gentiles. His Jewish name was Saul. It was common for the Jews to bear one name among their own people, and another among foreigners.
Called (to be) an apostle, that is, appointed an apostle. The apostleship being an office, it could not be assumed at pleasure. Appointment by competent authority was absolutely indispensable. The word apostle means literally a messenger, and then a missionary, or one sent to preach the gospel. In its strict official sense it is applied only to the immediate messengers of Christ, the infallible teachers of his religion and founders of his church. In calling himself an apostle Paul claims divine authority derived immediately from Christ.
By the will of God, that is, by divine authority. Paul was made an apostle neither by popular election, nor by consecration by those who were apostles before him; but by immediate appointment from God. On this point, see his explicit declaration, Gal. 1:1.
And Sosthenes (our) brother. In the Greek it is the brother. He was a brother well known to the Corinthians, and probably one of the messengers sent by them to the apostle, or whom they knew to be with him. In Acts 18:17 a man by this name is mentioned as the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, and a leader of those who arraigned Paul before the judgment seat of Gallio. This identity of name is not a sufficient proof that the person was the same, especially as the name was a common one. The companions of the apostles, whom he associates with himself in his salutations to the churches, are not thereby placed in the position of equality of office and authority with the apostle. On the contrary, they are uniformly distinguished in these respects from the writer of the epistles. Thus it is “Paul the apostle,” but “Sosthenes the brother;” or, “Paul the apostle and Timothy the brother,” Col. 1:1, and elsewhere. They are associated in the salutation, not in the epistle. Very probably Sosthenes was the amanuensis of Paul in this instance, and Timothy in others.
2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called (to be) saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.
To the church of God. The word church is used in Scripture as a collective term for the people of God, considered as called out from the world. Sometimes it means the whole number of God’s people, as when it is said, Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, Eph. 5:25. Sometimes it means the people of God as a class, as when Paul said, he persecuted the church of God, Gal. 1:13. Sometimes it means the professing Christians of any one place, as when mention is made of the church in Jerusalem, Antioch, or Corinth. Any number, however small, of professing Christians collectively considered may be called a church. Hence we hear of the church in the house of Philemon, and in the house of Aquila and Priscilla, Rom. 16:5. It is called the church of God, because it belongs to him. He selects and calls its members, and, according to Acts 20:28, it is his, because he has bought it with his blood.
To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. This is explanatory of the preceding clauses, and teaches us the nature of the church. It consists of the sanctified. The word (ἁγιάζω) translated to sanctify, means to cleanse. And as sin is presented under the twofold aspect of guilt and pollution, to sanctify, or to cleanse from sin, may mean either to expiate guilt by an atonement, or to renew by the Holy Ghost. It is used for expiation by sacrifice in Heb. 2:11, 10:14, 13:12 and elsewhere. The word also means to render sacred by consecrating any person or thing to the service of God. In the present case all these ideas may be united. The church consists of those whose guilt is expiated, who are inwardly holy, and who are consecrated to God as his peculiar people.