1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Co 1:1–9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
I would commend to those of you who listen to sermons online a sermon by Dr Nelson at Concordia Seminary in St Louis, MO. But in case you can not look it up, look in the text and find how many times Jesus Christ appears. Then think of who St Paul is giving thanks for. But here was the real focus "with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." But for me the question in this text leads to the main question the Corinthians are struggling with: who do we have fellowship with?
Christians gather together in different places throughout the world to call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can call upon his name in a small town or Mega town. We can call upon his name in the belly of a fish and from the highest Mount. Some people go upon a Mountain to pray. Other people go into a desert to pray or even behind closed doors. But all those people are united in the same family.
Jesus teaches us to pray to our Father in Heaven. St Paul tells us God has called us into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ. This would mean that all people everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ are our brothers and sisters. We are in fellowship with all of them. But why are there still divisions? In order to answer that question I think we need to read through the rest of 1 Corinthians.
There are people who deny is Bodily Resurrection, the true presences of his body and blood in the Lord's supper, the true work of the Holy Spirit to call people to faith, the free gift of the Gospel (not by works), sexual immorality, the Law still has a place in the Christian life, and the Power of Christ Crucified. We will keep reading through 1 Corinthians.
Even if you have denied these things in the past, call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians listen to the testimony concerning Christ Jesus. He is the one who has died for the forgiveness of our sins. He has made you guiltless before our Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ has joined you with the saints to strengthen and encourage you in the true faith. So we can have fellowship with one another as children of our Heavenly Father.
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