ENRICHED IN SPEECH AND KNOWLEDGE
Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
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According to the ESV introduction to the letters of Paul to the Corinthians, this letter was written in the spring od A.D. 53, 54 or 55, nearing the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus. The Corinthian church was divided because of the arrogance of its more powerful members. Paul received an oral report and a letter from the Corinthian church. These revealed a church struggling with division, immorality, idolatry, and theological confusion. He wrote them this letter so that they would become a true dwelling place for God’s Spirit, stay faithful to the gospel, and be “guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
In his salutation, he reminds them of his appointment by God’s will and their standing as saints because they have committed their lives to Christ. As in all his letters, he brings grace and peace from God always. In verse 4, we hear Paul’s gratitude to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of their generosity, they were enriched with knowledge and speech to give testimony concerning Jesus. In verse 7, Paul gives them the reason why Christians were equipped with such gifts: so that there is no lack in their lives as they await Christ’s coming. In verse 9, he emphasizes the importance of God’s faithfulness whom He alsoexpects from his own people. When we press on to the promises that Christ gave us, we continue to be blessed with more gifts.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some people misuse the gifts that God has given them?
• Why is the gift of speech and knowledge stressed out by Paul in this letter?