I will be working my way through 1 Corinthians in preparation for a seminary course I will be teaching this summer. My goal in the following blog entries is to think in a personal way on this letter. I have studied the letter in my technical ways in the past, wrote my doctoral thesis on it, and have preached on it at points. Now I just want to listen to it.
1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
What catches my attention with this opening verse is that Paul was not alone when he wrote this letter. Paul always seemed to have a partner with him in ministry. I have been in lonely ministry assignments when it seems that few if any person walked beside me in the active ministry. It can be discouraging when there is no one to share an idea with or to go with you to a conference or on a pastoral visit. Some of this was my own fault for not developing another person in a mentoring situation, but some of my ministry places have been small and there were just not many people to fill this role. There are many benefits in having others in ministry with us. One is from our own perspective of having someone to share the burdens and loads of caring for others’ souls. Another is from the other person’s perspective of having someone to teach him or her about ministry. We don’t know all the background of how Sosthenes came to know Paul. He is mentioned in Acts 18:17, so it is possible he was a convert under Paul’s ministry and joined him in his mission.
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