Who was the book of 1 Corinthians written to, and how is that different from the Old Testament prophets?
Paul addressed 1 Corinthians to the assembly at Corinth—those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, together with all in every place who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Unlike Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah or Daniel, who wrote to the nation of Israel, Paul writes to the called-out assembly, the ekklesia.
Les teaches that the first rule is to determine to whom a portion of Scripture is addressed. Paul is not writing to the nation of Israel as Isaiah, Daniel, or the other Old Testament writers did, nor as the Twelve ministered to Israel. Instead, Paul addresses this epistle to the assembly. Les prefers "assembly" over "church" because the Greek word ekklesia means a called-out assembly; "church" is more of a coin term and not really in the original Greek. The letter goes to those at Corinth in the assembly, sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all in every place who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Sosthenes, co-laboring with Paul, is also named.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
More Questions
Who is 1 Corinthians 1:2 written to, and does it include believers today?
Paul's greeting in verse 2 addresses not only the believers at Corinth and the surrounding area but also believers today, described as the assembly of believers who are called saints and all those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.
Does 1 Corinthians 1:2 describe believers today or only the church at Corinth?
Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 1:2 is not limited to the original readers; it still covers the assembly of believers today — those called saints and all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.