With All

When Paul wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, he associated them with saints everywhere: “to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, to [those] sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours” (1 Cor. 1: 2). What he wrote to the Corinthians was applicable, relevant and of interest to every member of the body of Christ, even though it is probable that no one outside Corinth got sight of what was written until perhaps long afterwards. The Corinthians themselves, as both the initial recipients and the focus of the epistle, were to understand from Paul’s form of address to them that they were associated with saints elsewhere—indeed, with “all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Certainly, the Corinthians had a formal status as “the assembly of God which is in Corinth” but clearly the apostle wished to impress upon them that they could not evade the common bond they had with all Christians as being united together in one body, and that what they did had implications, not just for themselves, but for the whole. Of course, local matters were to be sorted in Corinth, but they could not pretend that this made them independent in the sense of absolute autonomy. They governed locally—but not only on behalf of themselves, but on behalf of the whole.   

   The second epistle to the Corinthians is also addressed “to the assembly of God which is in Corinth” but associated the local assembly this time with “all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia” (2 Cor. 1: 1). Achaia was a large province (possibly containing many assemblies), but it was clearly still a much narrower field than that addressed in the first epistle. Some might dismiss the earlier address to “all that in every place” (1 Cor. 1: 2) as only conveying the sense that the epistle contained principles for Christians everywhere, without implying that Corinth had an ecclesiastical bond with them. This limited interpretation cannot be forced upon “all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia” (2 Cor. 1: 1), for clearly the principles in the second epistle also apply to all Christians, and not just those in Achaia. Now Corinth was the capital of Achaia, and clearly influential in that regard—but Scripture does not tell us that fact, and so there is no reason for the Bible student to make anything of it. I think the point the apostle is making is simply a reminder to the Corinthians that they were associated with saints elsewhere, whether their immediate neighbours, or saints universally. Such ecclesiastical links beyond what is local should not be so generalised as to be of no practical bearing. The second epistle closes with a salutation from “all the saints” (2 Cor. 13: 13), while the first has “All the brethren salute you” (1 Cor. 16: 20). What is presented is a genuine relationship—real fellowship.