Ministry of Grace Church

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Truth to Learn

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to all Christians of all ages.

Behind the Words

Ekklēsia is the Greek word translated “church.” This word is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of the verb kaleō, meaning “to call.” It literally refers to “the called out ones.” Originally, this word referred to an assembly of citizens who were called out by civil authorities. It is used throughout the New Testament, however, to refer to the church, either a local assembly or the world-wide church.

“Sanctified” is translated from the Greek verb hagiadzō, which is based on hagos, meaning “that which inspires awe.” The basic meaning of hagiodzō is “to set apart from common use as something without blemish to be used in the service of God.”

The word “saints” is from the same root as hagiadzō. It refers to someone whom God has declared to be without sin.

“All” is translated from the Greek word pas, which carries the idea of “oneness and a totality of the whole.”

Meaning Explained

Paul wrote this letter to the ekklēsia in Corinth. Ekklēsia is roughly equivalent to the word sunagōgē (synagogue), which specifically refers to “those who have been gathered together.” However, sunagōgē is used in the New Testament to refer to a gathering of people of the Jewish faith. Early in the life of the New Testament church, the gathering of Christian believers was referred to as an episunagōgē to distinguish it from a gathering of Jews only. The term ekklēsia was first used by Christ as recorded in Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 16:18, 18:17) and is used by all of the other New Testament writers with the exception of Mark.

Paul says that we are “called saints.” This does not simply mean that we are referred to as saints, but that we are saints who have been “called” or “appointed” as saints by God. In the New Testament, Christians are often referred to as saints. It means that God has set us apart from the rest of humanity because He has declared us to be righteous, or without sin. In the third chapter of Romans, Paul goes to great lengths to explain that although we are all sinners, the price of that sin has been paid by the blood of Christ and, as a result, we who believe have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. As part of granting us that righteousness, God set us apart for His use; therefore, all believers are saints. It is not an act of the church or a pronouncement from the Pope that makes us saints; it is a pronouncement of God.

Paul specifically wrote this letter to the saints in Corinth, but he makes it very clear in today’s verse that the teaching in this letter is to all Christians. In his address he says, “with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.” This means that if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then this letter was also written to you.

Application

As we take our daily walk through this letter from the Apostle Paul, keep in mind that he wrote it to you!