1 Cor 1-5

So Paul is writing a letter to a church again. What's new?

There are divisions, there is immorality in the church. There is quarreling and jealously. There is idolatry, and the list goes on as we read the letter. But there are also so many encouraging verses here.

1:2 "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours"

1:8 "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

1:26,30-31 "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ... It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

3:6-7 "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

Our hope, our salvation, our righteousness is found in Christ alone. Nothing we can do will do it. We also have no control over others' salvation, but can only play our part in God's ultimate plan. We may not have been much when we were called; steeped in sin, powerless, enslaved, weak, useless. But God called us and has redeemed us by His cross to live anew in Him, filled with the Spirit of Power.