1
Called to Be Saints (1:1–3)
Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is
at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints
by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:1–3)
Rather than placing their names at the end of a letter,
as is the modern custom, ancient Greeks put their names at the
beginning, allowing readers to immediately identify the author. In a
joint letter, the names of the others involved in sending the message
were also given. Paul always gave his name at the beginning of
his letters and frequently named other church leaders who, in some
degree or other, joined him in writing. In 1 Corinthians he mentions
Sosthenes, and in 2 Corinthians, Timothy (2 Cor. 1:1; cf.
Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1).
Next was given the name of the addressee, the person or
persons to whom the letter was sent, which for the present letter was
the church of God which is at Corinth. Then words of greeting
or blessing were often given, as in v. 3. Paul used such a threefold
salutation in all of his New Testament letters.
Paul also generally referred to himself as an
apostle, not for the purpose of identity—that is to distinguish
himself from other Pauls in the church or simply to inform his
readers of his office—but to indicate at the very beginning that he
was writing first of all as an emissary of the Lord. His apostleship
established his authority. Even in his letters to Timothy, his close
associate and “true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2), Paul calls
attention to his apostleship (1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1). Only in
Philippians, the Thessalonian letters, and Philemon does he not
mention his apostleship in his opening words.
His description of himself as an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God was not a reflection of pride or
self-glory. He was not flaunting his position of authority, as some
speakers and writers often do with their titles, degrees, and
accomplishments. Self-glory was the furthest thing from Paul’s
intent. Later in this same epistle he refers to himself as “the
least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God” (15:9).
Sometimes, however, it is important to establish one’s
right to speak authoritatively on a subject. A person, for instance,
who has no medical degree or training or experience would never get a
hearing at a conference on medicine. A person’s credentials give
some indication as to whether or not what he has to say should be
taken seriously. Paul did not mention his apostleship in order to
gain honor as an individual but to gain respect as a teacher of God’s
Word. He was not an apostle by his own appointment, or even by the
church’s appointment, but by God’s appointment—by the will
of God. At the outset he wanted to establish that what he had to
say was said with God’s own authority. Since his message was so
corrective, this was of great necessity.
Five Reasons for Paul’s Asserting His Apostleship
I believe there are perhaps five reasons why Paul,
unlike the other apostolic writers, was so careful to assert his
apostleship in his letters. First of all, he was not a part of the
twelve. He had not been called by Jesus during His earthly ministry
to be one of the inner circle of disciples who accompanied Him
“beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was
taken up from us” (Acts 1:22). Of that original group, one (Judas)
was disqualified and was later replaced by Matthias (Acts
1:21–26)—who, though identified by casting lots, was chosen by
God (v. 24). With the selection of Matthias the apostolic ranks were
again complete. Beginning at Pentecost the apostles were clearly the
authoritative voice of the gospel. When Peter gave his message at
that time, he did so “taking his stand with the eleven” (Acts
2:14; cf. v. 37), and the infant church in Jerusalem devoted itself
to “the apostles’ teaching” (v. 42). The apostles were the
Lord’s supreme earthly representatives, and they preached and
taught with His authority. With Christ as the “corner stone,” the
apostles were the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20).
As far as we know, however, Paul never saw or heard
Jesus during that time. Paul was first known to the church as a
bitter enemy and persecutor, “breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1; cf. 8:1). He not only had not
chosen to be a follower of Christ but had chosen to oppose Christ’s
followers with all his might. Even after his conversion there was no
way he could retroactively become one of the twelve. Yet he declared
himself to be an apostle, based on the same foundational
qualifications as those of the twelve. He, too, had seen the
resurrected Christ (Acts 9:3–6, 17; 22:11–15; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8)
and he, too, in unique revelations, had been specifically chosen by
the Lord to be an apostle (1 Cor. 1:1). He was concerned to establish
the fact that he was equal to the twelve as a foundational teacher of
revealed truth.
Second, I believe that he emphasized his apostleship
because of his dealings with detractors and false teachers, by whom
he was continually being challenged and harassed. The Judaizers were
particularly strong and persistent in opposing Paul’s authority and
doctrine and in questioning his motives. Even some who claimed to be
his friends resisted his leadership and questioned his teaching. Such
ridicule and persecution Paul considered to be badges of apostleship.
“For,” he said, “I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of
all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to
the world, both to angels and to men” (4:9). In spite of denials,
Paul’s teaching was true and reliable, for he was a divinely-called
apostle of Jesus Christ.
Third, Paul emphasized his apostleship because of his
relationship to Christ. This emphasis was for the benefit of fellow
believers. The Christians in Jerusalem, especially, had not been sure
about the genuineness of Paul’s faith. Having known him, or known
of him, as Saul of Tarsus, the fierce persecutor of the church, they
had difficulty believing that he could now be a reliable Christian
leader, much less an apostle (Acts 9:26). Their fears were, of
course, also fed by the accusations and detractions of the false
teachers. It was not hard to believe the worst about him. Christians
in other places also had misgivings. Legalistic Judaizers, for
example, had confused many Christians in Galatia both about the
gospel (Gal. 1:6; 3:1–5) and about Paul’s authority in teaching
it (1:11–2:10). He therefore carefully reminded the Corinthian
church of his full apostolic authority in writing this letter to
them, pointing out that, when he had ministered among them, he did so
in God’s power and wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1–7).
Fourth, Paul emphasized his apostleship to point up his
special relationship to the church in Corinth itself, which was “a
seal of[his] apostleship in the Lord” (9:2). They, of all people,
should recognize his special calling and position. Their very
existence as a body of believers was a proof of his right to address
them with divine authority. He had been the instrument God used to
bring them to salvation.
Fifth, Paul emphasized his apostleship in order to show
his special relationship to God as His emissary. He was an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God. He was saying, in effect,
“What I say to you is delegated by God. I am His apostle, and my
message to you is God’s message to you.”
When the Jewish supreme court, the Sanhedrin, was asked
to arbitrate a serious dispute or to give an interpretation regarding
Jewish law or tradition, they would send their decision by an
apostolos to the parties involved, who were often represented
through a synagogue. As far as the message was concerned, the
apostolos possessed the full authority of the Sanhedrin. He
did not speak for himself, but for the Sanhedrin. Yet he was more
than a messenger. He was an emissary, an envoy, an ambassador. Paul
was God’s envoy, God’s ambassador (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20),
God’s apostolos. While among them he had not preached his
own message to the Corinthians, but God’s message. He was not now
writing his own message to them, but God’s message.
In light of the twelve, in light of false teachers, and
in light of his relationship to Christ, to the Corinthian church, and
to God the Father, Paul was fully an apostle. He was careful to
establish the legitimacy of his apostleship in order to establish the
legitimacy of his message.
The Purposes and Responsibilities of the Apostles
Apostles were chosen by God to work in the founding and
forming of the church, after which time apostleship ceased. When all
the apostles had died, the office of apostle no longer existed. They
were selected, sent, and empowered by God for that period in the
history of the church, which was over when their lives were over. As
the human founders and foundation of the church, the apostles had
particular purposes and responsibilities.
First, as eyewitnesses, they were to preach the
gospel—the true, complete, and authoritative gospel of Christ’s
substitutionary atonement by His death and resurrection and of
salvation by faith in Him (1 Cor. 1:17–18; cf. 9:14). Their
teaching was equivalent to Christ’s teaching. As will be developed
in a later chapter, there is no distinction, as some interpreters
maintain, between what Paul (or Peter or James or John) teaches in
the New Testament and what God teaches. Paul’s statement in 1
Corinthians 7:12 (“I say, not the Lord”), for example, simply
indicates that Jesus, during His earthly ministry, gave no specific
teaching on the subject being discussed (that of a believer’s
remaining with an unbelieving spouse). As an apostle, Paul was
qualified to teach in behalf of Christ, and his teaching was as
authoritative as if spoken from Jesus’ own lips.
The apostles also were to be devoted to prayer and to
ministering the word (Acts 6:4) and to equipping believers for
service in order to build up Christ’s Body (Eph. 4:11–12).
Finally, they were to evidence their apostleship by performing
miracles (2 Cor. 12:12).
Sosthenes our brother may have been Paul’s
amanuensis, or secretary, at the time this letter was written. The
fact that his name is included in the greeting, however, indicates
that he not only penned the letter but fully agreed with Paul about
its message.
This is no doubt the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts
18, one who knew the Corinthian situation well. He had been a leader
of the synagogue at Corinth, probably replacing Crispus, the former
leader who had become a believer (Acts 18:8). On one occasion
Sosthenes was beaten for his involvement in bringing Paul before the
civil court at Corinth (Acts 18:12–17). Some ancient manuscripts of
the text report that the Jews beat him and other manuscripts report
that the Greeks beat him. If by the Jews, it no doubt was because he
represented them so poorly at court. If by the Greeks, it was because
they resented his taking up their court time with a matter that
concerned only Jewish religion.
Now, however, Paul could refer to Sosthenes as “our
brother,” indicating that some time after the incident just
mentioned—and perhaps partly because of it—this former opponent
of the gospel, like Paul himself, had become a Christian. Having
likely been converted under Paul’s preaching and having worked with
the apostle for perhaps a year or more in Corinth, Sosthenes was
known and respected by the Corinthian believers whom he now joined
Paul in writing.
Sainthood
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those
who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all
who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their
Lord and ours. (1:2)
The church to whom Paul was writing was not the church
of the Corinthians but the church of God which was located at
Corinth. The church is a body of people who belong not to themselves
or to any leader or group but to God. Believers, whether pastors,
officers, or ordinary members in the church, together compose
Christ’s earthly Body and all are called to be stewards of it (Eph.
4:11–13). We are not our own, individually or collectively, but
have all been bought with the price of Christ’s blood (1 Cor.
6:20).
position and practice
All believers have been sanctified in Christ Jesus
and are saints by calling. A saint, as the term is used in the
New Testament, is not a specially pious or self-sacrificing Christian
who has been canonized by an ecclesiastical council. The Greek word
translated saint is hagios, meaning “set apart one,”
or “holy one.” The Corinthian believers were holy in God’s
sight, regardless of their sinful living and distorted doctrine. They
were saints because they had been sanctified (from hagiazō),
set apart from sin, made holy in Christ Jesus.
According to Scripture, every true believer in Jesus Christ—whether
faithful or unfaithful, well known or unknown, leader or follower—is
a set apart person, a holy person, a saint. In the biblical sense,
the most obscure believer today is just as much a saint as the
apostle Paul. This is the believer’s position in Christ.
Holiness, in that positional sense, is not a matter of
good works, of holy living. As Christians we should live holy lives,
but holy living does not make us holy. To the extent our living is
holy, it is because, in Christ, we already are holy and have
the counsel and power of His Holy Spirit. We are holy because the
Sanctifier (the One who makes holy) has already sanctified us in
response to our trust in Him (Heb. 2:11). Christ’s work, not our
own, makes us holy. We are “saints by calling.” That refers to
the efficacious call of God to salvation (1:24, 26).
Like all believers, the Corinthians were saints
because God called them to be saints (cf. Gal. 1:6; Eph. 4:1, 4; Col.
3:15; 1 Tim. 6:12; 1 Pet. 2:9, 21; 3:9; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 1). “We
have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all” (Heb. 10:10; cf. v. 14). By His own sacrificial work
on the cross, Jesus Christ sanctifies those who believe in Him. He
sets them apart (the root meaning of hagiazō) for Himself,
cleanses them, and perfects them. God provides holiness through His
Son. Man’s part is to claim holiness, to claim sainthood, by faith
in the Son (Acts 26:18). We have a new nature, the divine nature, and
have escaped the corruptions of the world, possessing all things
related to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3–4).
Paul’s declaring all the Corinthian believers to be
saints was quite a declaration in light of the things—very evident
from the rest of this letter—that characterized their living. The
Corinthian church was far from being saintly in the sense in which
the term is often used. They were particularly worldly and immoral,
yet in his opening words Paul stressed that every one of them who had
truly believed in Jesus Christ was saved and was a saint. Not only
are all saints saved, but all the saved are saints. Every believer
has the right to call himself a saint. None of us is worthy of the
title, but God has declared us to be saints because of our trust in
His Son. Our practice, our behavior in our humanness, needs to be
conformed to our “saintly” new divine nature.
Paul seems to have been especially determined to make
that truth clear to the Corinthians. Virtually the entire letter of 1
Corinthians, beginning with 1:10, deals with wrong doctrine and wrong
behavior. It seems that nearly every serious doctrinal and moral
error imaginable could be found within that congregation. Yet Paul
begins the letter by calling them saints. In practice they were gross
sinners, but in position they were pure saints. We should note that
there were, no doubt, some in the church who were not saints at all,
who were unbelievers (16:22).
It is important for every Christian to keep in mind the
great difference between his position and his practice, his standing
and his state. God sees us as righteous, because He sees us through
His righteous Son, who has taken our place, and because He has
planted in us a righteous new nature. Without keeping this important
and encouraging truth in mind, it is impossible to clearly understand
1 Corinthians or any other part of the New Testament.
Presidents do not always act presidentially, diplomats
do not always act diplomatically, kings do not always act kingly—but
they are still presidents, diplomats, and kings. Christians do not
always act like Christians, but they are still Christians.
Some years ago a young boy, whose father was a pastor,
was put in jail for stealing some merchandise from a department
store. His father happened to be playing golf with some of the church
leaders at the time and received a call while on the golf course to
come down to the jail to get his son. Thinking it was a mistake, the
pastor took the other men with him to the police station, where
embarrassment abounded. The deepest impression of the incident left
on the boy’s mind was made by the repeated reminders he received
from those men, and from many others afterward, about who his father
was. “Having a father like yours,” they would ask, “how could
you have done what you did?” Yet as humiliating and painful as the
experience was, the boy knew he was still his father’s son. He had
not acted like a son of his father should have acted, but he was
still a son.
As Christians one of the strongest rebukes we can have
when we sin is to be reminded of who our Father is. And reminding
ourselves of whose we are should be one of our strongest deterrents
to sin. Remembering our position can compel us to improve our
practice.
Further, Paul increased the Corinthians’ sense of
responsibility by reminding them that they were linked in spiritual
life to all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. This is added to heighten
their sense of identity and responsibility with all “who have
received a faith of the same kind as ours” (2 Pet. 1:1).
Before Paul took the Corinthians to task for their
failures as Christians, he carefully and lovingly reminded them that
they were Christians. They belonged to God and to each other
in a far-reaching fellowship. That in itself should have been a
rebuke to them and no doubt pierced the consciences of those who were
at all spiritually sensitive. In 1:2–9 he summarizes their position
and their blessings as believers in Jesus Christ, as children of God,
as saints. “Look at what you are! Look at what you have!” Only
then does he say, “Now I exhort you, brethren” (1:10).
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. (1:3)
Paul used a common form of Christian
greeting (cf. Rom. 1:7; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 John 3;
Rev. 1:4; etc.). Grace
is favor, and peace
is one of its fruits. Peace (Greek eirēnē)
was used as the equivalent of the Hebrew shālôm,
still the most common Jewish greeting today. The peace of which Paul
speaks here is “the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension” (Phil. 4:7). It is the peace that only Christians
can have, for only Christ can give it (John 14:27). The world does
not have and cannot give that kind of peace. The greeting “grace
and peace” is appropriate only for believer to believer, because it
speaks of blessings that only they possess.
1 WE ARE
SAINTS
2 WE ARE
PICKED TO FOLLOW JESUS BY HIM
Relationships are Important
1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ
through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth,
to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,
with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 1:1–3
Paul
begins this letter, which will eventually have in it some very stern
criticism, with a reminder of the relationships which he and its
recipients share. This is how he begins nine of the letters usually
attributed to him in the New Testament. Actually, he was following
the custom of first-century letter writing, which was to give the
name of the writer, the name of those receiving the letter, and a
greeting.
Here, though, Paul gives a distinctly Christian
character to his introduction. The ordinary salutation of the day was
“grace and peace.” But Paul gave a whole different dimension to
it by adding “from God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” His
expansion of a phrase that ordinarily meant little more than “hello”
became a reminder to them of God’s unmerited favor (grace) and of
the wholeness and unity (peace) God brings into our lives through His
Son.
Paul felt that it was important for his readers to
remember the common relationship that they shared in God’s call. He
used the word “called” in relationship to himself and to
them. He was called “to be an apostle of Jesus Christ” and
they were called “to be saints.” The mention of his
apostleship was an affirmation of the authority which God had given
him, and it was particularly significant in view of the fact that
there were those in Corinth who questioned his authority. It is
equally interesting to note that when he wrote to churches where his
authority was not questioned, he identified himself merely as “Paul”
(Phil. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1:1). On the other hand, whenever
his authority had been questioned he referred to himself as an
apostle (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; Col. 1:1). Paul was a wise communicator,
and he always kept in mind those to whom he was writing when he
introduced himself.
It is important, though, to understand that Paul did not
use the term “apostle” lightly, for it defined his whole
ministry. Paul understood clearly the call that was his because he
knew that an apostle was a person sent by God for a specific purpose.
The whole idea of apostleship is found in the statement of Jesus, “As
the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). And the
“specific purpose” for which God called Paul was first revealed
through Ananias. Paul’s mission was to take the gospel of salvation
to “Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15–16).
His task was not to set up programs or build structures but to carry
a message of love and healing. Those of us in the church today who
are called to be apostles to a hurting world would do well to model
ourselves after Paul, for he knew that the need of the world was not
as much for programs as for persons.
In verse 2 Paul tells his readers that the same God who
called him to be an apostle had called them to be a different kind of
people. This is really what the phrase “sanctified in Christ
Jesus” means. The Greek verb form for “sanctified” means to
set apart for God; as a noun, the word describes a thing or a person
that has been devoted to the possession or service of God.
The root idea is that of separation. The Christian is to
be different—separated—because he or she belongs to God. Paul
goes on to stress the fact that his readers, the Corinthian church
members, were “called to be saints” (v. 2), even as he was
“called to be an apostle” (v. 1). He means that we are
invited into the Christian life by God’s invitation and not by some
human initiative.
For Paul, “called” was a dynamic word. He recalls
when God called him to preach the gospel (Acts 1:1–19). And he
remembers when God called many of the people to whom he was writing
to salvation, not just as individual Christians but as the “church
of God.” For even as Israel was the congregation of God in the Old
Testament days, so the church was God’s congregation in the New
Testament time. Paul wanted the members of this small congregation in
Corinth to be reminded that they were a part of that larger purpose
of God for mankind. Thus in an ordinary greeting Paul has reminded
them of the relationship they have to each other and to God in such a
way that it will be easier for them to hear his message to them.
It is important for us to remember that in all matters
of communications relationships are very important. When I was a
professor in a theological seminary, one of my graduating students
had just been called to his first church, and he invited me to have
lunch with him to celebrate the occasion.
While we ate, I kept him talking by asking him to tell
me everything he knew about the church, the community, the
leadership, the opportunities, and about the specifics of his move
from the campus to his new church location. We also talked in general
terms about preaching and pastoral care because his experience in
both of these areas was limited. Then when we got onto the subject of
the leadership role he would play with the congregation, he surprised
me with a suggestion that had been given to him by one of his
classmates.
“I’ve been told,” he said, “that if I want to
make changes at the church, I’d better do it when I first get there
because after I’ve been there awhile people will be less likely to
follow my leadership.”
At first I was shocked by the idea, but then I realized
that in a nation where the average pastor serves his church less than
three years, this would be an expected philosophy. However, I don’t
agree with this idea at all. It seems to imply that the more a pastor
and the congregation get to know each other the less they can
accomplish. Actually, the opposite is true, for it is the sharing of
the common experiences of life and in working together through both
good and bad times that relationships are built and a larger
potential for leadership is created. After more than a decade of
working with my congregation in Houston, I had a much better feel for
where they were in their understanding and interest, what their real
needs were, and how best to communicate with them effectively. The
new broom may sweep cleaner but the old broom has the potential for
sweeping more wisely1
Notice it is “unto the church of God which is at
Corinth.” It is called the church of God because He is the One who
is the Architect of the church. The letter is directed to the
“sanctified in Christ Jesus.”
The church is at Corinth, but it is in
Christ Jesus. The address of the church is not important, but the
person of Christ is all–important. What does it mean to be a
Christian? It means to be in Christ! Whether you are at Corinth or at
Los Angeles, at Ephesus or at New York City is incidental. The
important question is: Are you in Christ Jesus?
Paul calls them “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” The
term sanctification is used in several different ways, as we
have already seen in Romans. Here it is positional
sanctification, which is the position we have in Christ. When
sanctification is joined to God the Father or God the Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ, then it is generally positional. When sanctification is
connected with the Holy Spirit, then that is practical
sanctification. We will learn in verse 30 that Christ has been made
unto us sanctification—along with wisdom and righteousness and
redemption. He is our sanctification.
You see, friend, you are not going to heaven until you
are perfect—I am not either. And I am not perfect, not even near
it. The fact of the matter is that if you knew me like I know myself,
you wouldn’t listen to me. But wait a minute! Don’t tune me out
because, if I knew you like you know yourself, I wouldn’t speak to
you. So let’s just stay connected here, if you don’t mind.
Sanctification is a position we have in Christ. If you
have trusted Him, He has been made over to you your sanctification.
You are as saved right now as you will be a million years from now
because you are saved in Christ. You cannot add anything to that.
There is also a practical sanctification, which
is something that varies. These Corinthians don’t sound like
sanctified saints. The work of the Holy Spirit was not very much in
evidence in their lives. But they were positionally sanctified
in Christ Jesus.
They were “called to be saints”—again, note that
“to be” is in italics, which means it is not in the original.
Just as Paul was a called apostle, they were called
saints. We are also called saints. We do not become saints by what we
do; we become saints because of our position in Christ. The word
saint actually means “set aside to God.” Every Christian
should be set aside to God. For example, the pans and vessels that
were used in the tabernacle and later in the temple were called holy
vessels. Holy? Yes, because they were for the use of God. On what
basis is a child of God a saint or holy? On the basis that he is for
the use of God. This is the position that we have. I repeat again,
one is not a saint on the basis of what one does. All of mankind is
divided between the “saints” and the “ain’ts.” If you
“ain’t” in Christ, then you are an “ain’t.” If you are in
Christ, then you are a “saint.”
The Corinthians are called saints together “with all
that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours.” Possibly it would be more correct to say, “with
all that in every place, both theirs and ours, who call upon the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord.” This also indicates that the teaching of
this epistle is addressed to the church at large, which is composed
of all who call upon the Lord Jesus, whether it be in Corinth or
elsewhere.
Now Paul uses his usual introduction: “grace and
peace.”2
Set apart by God (vv. 1–3). The word
church in the Greek language means “a
called-out people.” Each church has two addresses: a geographic
address (“at Corinth”) and a spiritual address (“in Christ
Jesus”). The church is made up of saints, that is, people who have
been “sanctified” or “set apart” by God. A saint is not a
dead person who has been honored by men because of his or her holy
life. No, Paul wrote to living saints, people
who, through faith in Jesus Christ, had been set apart for God’s
special enjoyment and use.
In other words, every true believer is a saint because
every true believer has been set apart by God and for God.
A Christian photographer friend told me about a lovely
wedding that he “covered.” The bride and groom came out of the
church, heading for the limousine, when the bride suddenly left her
husband and ran to a car parked across the street! The motor was
running and a man was at the wheel, and off they drove, leaving the
bridegroom speechless. The driver of the “get-away car” turned
out to be an old boyfriend of the bride, a man who had boasted that
“he could get her anytime he wanted her.” Needless to say, the
husband had the marriage annulled.
When a man and woman pledge their love to each other,
they are set apart for each other; and any other relationship outside
of marriage is sinful. Just so, the Christian belongs completely to
Jesus Christ; he is set apart for Him and Him alone. But he is also a
part of a worldwide fellowship, the church, “all that in every
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2). A defiled
and unfaithful believer not only sins against the Lord, but he also
sins against his fellow Christians.3
1:2 sanctified … called to be
saints. The word “saints” (lit. “holy ones”) calls attention
to the distinctive status of God’s people as those set apart by God
for Himself. Paul often uses it to identify the Christians to whom he
writes (e.g., Rom. 1:7). The description “sanctified” underlines
this reality of the Christian life. The Corinthians were plagued by
ethical problems and this letter touches repeatedly on the subject of
holiness. Significantly, however, Paul encourages them here in a
pastoral way by reminding them that by God’s grace they have
already made a definitive break with sin and now serve the Lord Jesus
Christ (6:11). The goal of progressive holiness is realistic because
God has already changed their hearts (Rom. 6:1–14; Gal. 5:24, 25).4
1
Chafin, K. L., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1985). 1,
2 Corinthians (Vol. 30, pp. 22–25). Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
2
McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru
the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 Corinthians)
(electronic ed., Vol. 44, pp. 14–15). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The
Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 568).
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
4
Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The
Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition)
(p. 2016). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.
