Remembering the parts of an epistle from yesterday, you can deduce that today we are looking at the opening of the epistle.  Paul introduces himself to us and uses a key term:  apostle.  Apostle is one who is sent.  Jesus is the Apostle (capital A) who was sent by God;  There were twelve apostles (or so); We are all apostles in the sense that God sends us into the world to do good as his ambassadors.  Obviously Paul is not putting himself in the same category as Christ.  He is calling on the authority that is his because he fulfills the qualifications of being the 14th apostle sent directly by Christ.  That is if you include Judas Iscariot (dubious) and Matthias.  Some say that Paul should have been chosen to replace Judas Iscariot and not Matthias.  Have you thought of yourself as an apostle sent by God with a message to communicate?  What does your life communicate?

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

¹Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

 ²To 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:

 ³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Questions:

1. How did Paul become an apostle according to verse one?
2. To which two groups is the letter addressed?
3. What does Paul wish for his congregants?
4. Was this section of the letter just a formality?
5. What do you wish for those in your small group or church?  How are you active in bringing that about?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. How many times is Jesus mentioned in this short introduction?
2. How many times is God (the Father) mentioned in this opening?
3. How many times is Paul mentioned?
4. What words describe the expectation of continual growth Paul has for followers of Christ?
5. What relationship to Jesus connects Paul with his readers?

Interpretation

1. Who could Sosthenes be?
2. Are sanctification and ‘called to be holy’ the same thing?
3. Why does Paul desire grace and peace for the church at Corinth in particular?
4. What does Paul mean by ‘called’ here?
5. Who, apart from the Corinthians, did Paul expect to read this letter?

Application

1. Do you have a sense of God’s calling?  What does that mean for you?
2. If you are a member of a church, do you think that you and those around you are daily becoming more holy?
3. What binds you together with other believers, even with Paul?
4. How might Jesus be seen as your Lord?
5. What are grace and peace?  Do you give them?  Do you receive them?  How or when?