If you would like to download and print this transcript, please click here.

GRACE IN THE MESS: Benefits of Sainthood

1 Cor. 1:1-9

What do you think when you hear the word Corinthians?

Maybe you are like me, and you think of Ricardo Montalban in

the Chrysler Cordoba commercial. One of the selling points is

that its seats were made of ‘rich Corinthian leather.’

You have to be my age or older to remember that commercial

and that may be all most people know of Corinthians.

Do you know where Corinth is? I do now, it’s a short drive,

about 45 miles, from Athens in Greece. It lies on the coast of

the Gulf of Corinth. Paul spent 18 months there when he

planted the church in that city on his 2nd missionary journey.

This was a city that sat on the beautiful waters of the

Mediterranean Sea. A port city with ancient wooden ships and

sails gliding over majestic blue waters. The city full of

wonderful foods like olives, grapes, cheeses, meats and wines.

At the time of Paul Greece was under Roman rule, but much

like its glory days under the Greek empire. Corinth is an

ancient city, and much like our country’s cities it was full of

pleasures, tempting the soul of all who entered.

That is the setting for Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Paul had

moved on in his journeys and word had gotten to him about

some troubles the church was having. So, in Pauline fashion,

he wrote them a letter. Actually, it ends up he wrote more

than one letter. We have 2 letters for sure, and some scholars

speculate that Paul had sent as many as 4 letters. Regardless

of how many he may have written, only 2 have made it into

Biblical canon.

1 Corinthians is a very straight forward book and can be

outlined into 3 simple points. They are:

I. Calling & benefits of sainthood 1:1-9

II. Errors & problems in the church 1:10-16:4

III. Personal plans & greetings 16:5-24

Today we are going to knock out one third of this outline,

calling and benefits of sainthood. Here, Paul is simply

reminding the Corinthians of what they have been called to in

Jesus. And Paul is preparing them for the hard words that are

coming in later chapters.

A. Called to be saints 1:1-3

1 Corinthians 1:1-3, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ

Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ

Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those

everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—

their Lord and ours:

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

Jesus Christ.”