1 Corinthians 1

The letter begins in conventional epistolary form with sender, recipients, and greeting, but each element is theologically expanded. Paul identifies himself as "called" to be an apostle "through the will of God," language that grounds his authority in divine initiative rather than personal achievement. Sosthenes is named as "the brother," though his exact role in the composition or delivery of the letter is uncertain. Some identify him with the synagogue ruler of Acts 18:17, but the name was common enough that certainty is impossible.

The recipients are "the church of God that is in Corinth," described as sanctified in Christ Jesus and "called saints." The perfect participle hēgiasmenois presents sanctification as an established status, while klētois hagiois emphasizes divine calling. Paul also links the Corinthians with "all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," widening the horizon beyond one local congregation. The formula echoes Old Testament language of calling on the Lord's name and applies it christologically.

The greeting "grace and peace" adapts common Greek and Jewish epistolary conventions. "Grace" and "peace" come jointly "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," placing Christ within the sphere of divine beneficence. This compressed opening already anticipates central themes of identity, calling, holiness, and the lordship of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1 opens with Paul's formal greeting and thanksgiving before turning immediately to the first major problem in the Corinthian church: factional rivalry. The opening verses establish themes that recur throughout the letter, including divine calling, sanctification, spiritual gifts, the coming of Christ, and God's faithfulness. Paul's thanksgiving is notable because it acknowledges genuine divine grace among believers whose conduct he will soon criticize sharply.

Verses 10-17 introduce reports of divisions associated with allegiance to prominent Christian leaders, and Paul counters them by placing Christ, not the messenger, at the center of baptism and proclamation. Verses 18-31 then provide the theological foundation for this critique. The message of the crucified Messiah overturns conventional measures of wisdom, power, and status. Paul supports this argument with Isaiah and Jeremiah, contrasting human boasting with God's surprising choice of what the world considers weak and insignificant. The chapter therefore frames the Corinthians' social competition as incompatible with the logic of the cross.