From: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
1-9. With slight variations almost all St Paul’s letters begin in the
same kind of way: there is a greeting (vv. 1-3), which carries the name
of the writer, information on the addressee(s), and the conventional
phrase; and an act of thanksgiving to God (vv. 4-9), in which the
Apostle refers to the main qualities and endowments of the Christians
to whom he is writing. By comparing his letters with other letters that
have come down to us from the same period, it is quite apparent that St
Paul usually begins his letters in the style of the time. yet he does
not entirely follow this rigid pattern: he changes the usual
opening–“Greeting!” (cf. Acts 15:23; 23:26)–to this more personal
one, which has a pronounced Christian stamp: “Grace to you and peace.”
Also, the way in which he introduces himself and describes those he is
addressing tells much more than a simple “Paul to the Corinthians:
greeting!” Even his words of thanksgiving convey tenderness and
warmth–and their tone is not merely human, for he attributes to God
the virtues he praises in the faithful.
The Fathers of the Church have drawn attention to this characteristic
of Paul’s letters–the way he manages to convey a deep doctrinal
message in a familiar style, nicely suited to whomever he happens to be
addressing: “A doctor”, St John Chrysostom explains, “does not treat
the patient in the same way at the start of his illness as when he is
recovering; nor does a teacher use the same method with children as
with those who need more advanced tuition. That is how the Apostle
acts: he writes as suits the needs and the times” (“Hom. On Rom”,
Prologue).
- Peace of soul, that “serenity of mind, tranquillity of soul,
simplicity of heart, bond of love, union of charity” of which St
Augustine spoke (“De Verb. Dom. Serm.”, 58), originates in the
friendship with God which grace brings with it; it is one of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23). This is the only true kind of
peace: “There is no true peace, just as there is no true grace, other
than the grace and peace which come from God,” St John Chrysostom
teaches, “Possess this divine peace and you will have nothing to fear,
even if you be threatened by the direct danger, whether from men or
even from the demons themselves; whereas see how everything is a cause
of fear for the man who is at war with God through sin” (“Hom. on 1
Cor”, 1, “ad loc”.).
4-9. After the greeting, words of thanksgiving conclude the
introduction to the letter, before St Paul begins the doctrinal part.
He reminds the Corinthians that they owe their privileged position to
God. They, like all Christians, received God’s grace in Christ, and
that grace has enriched them in every way, for it causes man to share
in God’s very nature (cf. 2 Pet 1:4), raising him to an entirely new
level of existence. This transfiguration enables a person, even here,
to know the perfections of God’s inner life and to partake of that
life–albeit in a limited, imperfect way–through the theological
virtues of faith, hope and charity, which grace brings and which
elevate the mind and will to know and love God, One and Three.
St Paul teaches the need to give thanks to God and he sets us an
example in this regard. Obdurate sinners fail to acknowledge the
benefits God gives them (cf. Rom 1:21), but Christians should always
base their prayer on gratitude to God (cf. Phil 4:6). “Nothing charms
God more than a heart that is grateful either on its own account or on
account of others” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on 1 Cor”, 2, “ad loc”.).
continued…
