1 Corinthians: Not in VainSample

The letter of 1 Corinthians sometimes comes with a bit of a reputation. It’s often portrayed as if Paul were simply pulling up the church at Corinth on a whole range of different issues. And, as we’ll see, there’s certainly truth in the idea that they had their fair share of problems. 

But what do you notice as you read these opening verses? I’m always surprised at how positive Paul is. 

On one level, it begins like many of his letters: details of who it’s from; a greeting; a prayer. And yet these opening words are loaded with a significance that will make increasing sense as the book unfolds. 

For a start, just count the number of times Jesus’ is mentioned or referred to in this passage. On my count, it averages out as more than once every verse! Straight from the off, we’re being focused on Jesus. Everything is connected to him. Everything we have comes from him. There’s no room for pride or independence. Now, that’s quite a challenge for a self-focused culture – and the Corinthians would have certainly felt that! 

And did you spot where Paul’s emphasis goes in the last few verses? In verses 7–9, the lens is focused again onto Jesus’ coming return (he will be ‘revealed’ on the ‘day of our Lord Jesus Christ’). It’s the first hint that the Corinthians were vastly mistaken when it came to the timeline they were living their lives by. They’d lost confidence in this future, and it meant they’d become besotted with the world around them. 

Paul begins by encouraging us with these twin-themes of our identity in Christ and the reality of his return. They will run through this book like the writing in a stick of rock – and it’s just what we need, because it can be so easy for our gaze to shift onto ourselves and how much we can get out of this life.

Reflection: 

How much does Jesus run through your life like the writing in a stick of rock? 

Does the reality of his return impact your life today?

Pray that through 1 Corinthians God would be at work in your life.