1:1-9. Introduction
In the opening of the
letter, along with greeting and blessing the Christians in Corinth, Paul
reminds them very clearly of who he is and who they are. Paul was called to be
an apostle, authorized by God to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. Later in
the letters, he returns to the subject of the apostolic ministry and what it
involves. The church in Corinth-'all who are called to be God's holy people,
who belong to him in union with Jesus Christ'-is part of the Church of God,
'all people everywhere who worship our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours'.
They are reminded that they are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to be
revealed and it is Paul's hope that they will be found faultless on the Day
when he comes. Paul further reminds them that the God who called them into
fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, their Lord, is to be trusted.
After this powerful
opening, Paul then moves to the distressing news which Chloe's people had
brought him, but about which the Christians at Corinth had kept quiet in their
letter to Paul. We may note in passing that Sosthenes, another Christian who is
with Paul (I: I) is almost certainly the scribe who was writing at Paul's
dictation.