Conflict Management - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

 

Lesson 2: The Apostle’s Greeting

 

 When we read a letter, we do not normally dwell on the salutation—“Dear so and-so”—because we know it is not really an expression of endearment any more than the closing “Sincerely yours” signifies the author’s faithfulness. These are common conventions, whether from a friend or on junk mail (see Barton 1984:1314). If we read it at all, we skip—or, at best, skim—the opening and closing lines, and look instead to the body of the letter. That is where the important material is.  We generally approach NT letters the same way, skipping the opening verses to get to the important elements. There is some justification for this in that Paul starts most of his epistles to churches the same way. His letterhead, which is another element we simply note in passing—is “Paul, an apostle.” Instead of “Dear” he writes “Grace and peace to you.”¹⁴ Nevertheless, he sometimes includes other elements that set a tone for the letter, and we should be alert for these.

 

       I.    The Apostle’s Greeting 1:1-9

             A. His address (vv. 1-3)

 

1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1.        From Paul and Sosthenes

2.        To the church in Corinth

a.     This is not an additional audience, but associates in holiness.

b.    God’s will for the Corinthians is the same as His will for all believers: “to be holy.” ¹⁵

  NB: Although this is God’s will for all believers, it is not a common element in Paul’s typical salutation and may indicate a particular concern he has for the Corinthians. In any case, the letter is, to some extent, church-specific.

                   3.    With a blessing from God

             B. His thanksgiving (vv. 4-9)

 

1 Cor 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

 

                   1.    For God’s grace to them in Jesus (v. 1)

a.     The effectiveness of his personal testimony

b.    The abundance of their spiritual gifts        2.      For God’s faithfulness to them in Jesus (v. 8)

a.     “You eagerly await”

b.    “Strong to the end”

c.     “Blameless on the day”

 

Application: Although it may be difficult to establish an order to the items in a church’s doctrinal statement, this is certainly important and one that appears in many such declarations. Does it appear in ours?¹⁶