Greetings to Corinth.

1 Corinthians 1.1-9.

I’ve already commented on bits and pieces of 1 Corinthians—mostly the parts having to do with supernatural gifts—but I should probably discuss the letter as a whole, should I? Yeah, why not.

Kórinthos (today’s “ancient Corinth,” Greece, 5km southwest of modern Corinth) was the capital of the Roman province of Achaea. Julius Caesar had completely destroyed the city on his way through in 44BC, and had rebuilt it as a Roman city, so it was way more Roman than Greek. Lots of pagan Greek temples… but lots of Latin inscriptions instead of Greek ones. Lots of visitors; more trade than the city could actually handle; plenty of cultural diversity. Including Jews, who moved in at the same time Caesar reestablished the city—so in that sense, they’d always been there.

The huge amount of trade which came through the town, had the effect of making money and wealth the thing which established status in that city. Not caste, like you found in the rest of the Roman Empire. In many ways it made Corinth a lot like the United States: Status came from what you had and what you could accomplish, not your family. Not that people didn’t still have their prejudices, which could still blindside and ruin you when you thought those things shouldn’t be relevant anymore. (Some things never do change.)

Paul of Tarsus had lived in Corinth from the years 50 to 51, working as a tentmaker and tanner, and trying to teach in synagogue until the Jews had enough of him. Ac 18.1-11 A few years later, probably 54 or 55, Paul and Sosthenes wrote this letter. It’s not the only letter to Corinth; scholars speculate there were three, and of course the New Testament includes two of ’em, presented in order of length: 1 Corinthians is longer, and likely written earlier, although there’s always the chance it might not be.

So Paul you’ve heard of. There’s a Sosthenes who was president of the Corinthian synagogue, who got beaten by a mob after the Corinthian Jews unsuccessfully tried to get Paul condemned by the Roman proconsul. Ac 18.12-17 He might be the same Sosthenes who wrote this letter, but there’s nothing in the scriptures about him later becoming Christian. His predecessor Crispus certainly did Ac 18.8 —and some people have speculated Crispus is Sosthenes’s family name; that it’s all the same guy. But that’s pure speculation. Sosthenes is a common ancient Greek name.

Of course Paul brings up Corinth’s wealth in the introduction to the letter:

1 Corinthians 1.1-9 KWL

1Paul, invited to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,

and brother Sosthenes

2to God’s church existing in Corinth,

made holy in Christ Jesus,

invited to be saints,

with all those invited to go by the name of our master, Christ Jesus,

in every place, both theirs and ours:

3Grace to you, and peace

from God our Father and master Christ Jesus.

4I always say grace to my God about you all,

on top of God’s grace,

which he gives you in Christ Jesus.

5For in God you’re made wealthy in everything;

in every teaching and every knowledge,

6as the witness of Christ confirms in you all.

7Thus none of you are lacking in any supernatural gift

as you’re awaiting the revelation

of our master Christ Jesus;

8At the End, Jesus will also confirm you all as not guilty

on the Judgment Day of our master Christ Jesus.

9Trustworthy God!—through whom

you’re invited to a partnership with his son, our master Christ Jesus.

You notice Paul contrasts Corinth’s earthly wealth with God’s supernatural wealth—“in God you’re made wealthy in everything.” You got knowledge. Supernatural gifts. Grace. And when Jesus returns, you won’t be judged, because he doesn’t judge those who heed his message and trust the One who sent him. Jn 5.24

Invited to participate.

Four times in today’s passage, Paul and Sosthenes use the word κλητὸς/klitós, “invited.” It gets translated “called” in the King James Version, and most other English-language bibles follow its lead. Thing is, “called” gives people more of an idea of ordered or summoned or commanded… and this is not that. Yeah, klitós could be used to describe someone who’s been summoned to court. But more often it’s about the fact someone chose you to attend something, ’cause they want you there. You can opt out, or beg off, and disappoint them. But please don’t.

I bring this up because there’s an element of free will in God’s calling, which way too many Christians either don’t acknowledge, or straight-up say doesn’t even exist. They think if God calls us, it’s a summons; we gotta go; we’ve no say in it. It’s not fellowship and partnership with his son, Christ Jesus: It’s the Almighty exercising his sovereign power to decree that we be Christian, as he’s always determined we’d be.

But no. Paul was invited to be an apostle, same as Jesus went to all his students and invited them to follow him. Same as Jesus invites us to follow him. We can choose not to! But please don’t.

And the Corinthians were in the same boat as Paul, and us: Invited to likewise follow Jesus. Invited to become saints, i.e. people who are separated for God’s purposes, and don’t act and think like everyone else because we act like Jesus. Invited to go by Jesus’s name, whether we use the name “Christian” or “Christ-follower” or any other label which shows we’re with him. Invited to partner with Jesus in spreading his kingdom.

It should be obvious these are free-will invites, because after all… lookit all the Christians who are “called” to do all this stuff too, yet don’t do any of it. They suck at following Jesus, suck at being holy, suck at spreading his kingdom, even suck at saying, “I’m Christian” because they don’t want their pagan co-workers to know they’re meant to follow Jesus’s higher standard; they’d much rather blend in with the pagans. If these people were predetermined to do all this stuff, we’d see a lot fewer fleshly Christians! But we don’t. They haven’t accepted God’s invites.

The Corinthians did. Which is why, despite the tons of flaws the apostles are gonna bring up in this very letter, Paul could still say “the witness of Christ confirms in you all” 1Co 1.6 that these folks really did belong to Jesus. They really were following him. Really badly sometimes! But still.

And because of this, at the End, when Jesus judges the world, he’s not gonna judge them. He knows them. They’re his. They were part of his entourage at the second coming.

But till that happens (the sooner the better!), they waited for it, same as we are. ’Cause God’s trustworthy, and they’ve learned to trust him. He invited them to, and they responded with yes. They could’ve said no; plenty of people still say no—even as they claim no really, they’re Christian. Fruit says otherwise. Don’t join them. Join him.