Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
the church of God—He calls it so notwithstanding its many blots. Fanatics and sectaries vainly think to anticipate the final sifting of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:27-30). It is a dangerous temptation to think there is no church where there is not apparent perfect purity. He who thinks so, must at last separate from all others and think himself the only holy man in the world, or establish a peculiar sect with a few hypocrites. It was enough for Paul in recognizing the Corinthians as a church, that he saw among them evangelical doctrine, baptism, and the Lord's Supper" [CALVIN]. It was the Church of God, not of this or of that favorite leader [CHRYSOSTOM].
at Corinth—a church at dissolute Corinth—what a paradox of grace!
sanctified—consecrated, or set apart as holy to God in (by union with) Christ Jesus. In the Greek there are no words "to them that are"; translate simply, "men sanctified."
called to be saints—rather, "called saints"; saints by calling: applied by Paul to all professing members of the Church. As "sanctified in Christ" implies the fountain sources of holiness, the believer's original sanctification in Christ (I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14; I Peter 1:2) in the purposes of God's grace, so "called saints" refers to their actual call (Romans 8:30), and the end of that call that they should be holy (I Peter 1:15).
with all that in every place call upon . . . Christ—The Epistle is intended for these also, as well as for the Corinthians. The true CATHOLIC CHURCH (a term first used by IGNATIUS [Epistle to the Smyræans, 8]): not consisting of those who call themselves from Paul, Cephas, or any other eminent leader (I Corinthians 1:12), but of all, wherever they be, who call on Jesus as their Saviour in sincerity (compare II Timothy 2:22). Still a general unity of discipline and doctrine in the several churches is implied in I Corinthians 4:17; I Corinthians 7:17; 11-16; 14-33, 36. The worship due to God is here attributed to Jesus (compare Joel 2:32; Matthew 4:10; Acts 9:14).
both theirs and ours—"in every place which is their home . . . and our home also"; this is added to include the Christians throughout Achaia, not residing in Corinth, the capital (II Corinthians 1:1). Paul feels the home of his converts to be also his own. Compare a similar phrase in Romans 16:13 [CONYBEARE and HOWSON]. "Ours" refers to Paul and Sosthenes, and the Corinthians' home [ALFORD]. BEZA better explains, "Both their Lord and our Lord." All believers have one and the same Lord (I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:5); a virtual reproof of the divisions of the Corinthians, as if Christ were divided (I Corinthians 1:13).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 1 Corinthians 1:2:
Joel 2:32
Zephaniah 2:11
Acts 9:13
Romans 10:12
Ephesians 6:24
Philippians 2:10
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