This epistle is inscribed to the saints at Corinth; who are described by their being \u201cthe church of God\u201d, a particular congregated church; a number of persons gathered out of the world, and joined together in holy fellowship, carrying on the worship of God together, and walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; a very high character this, to be called the church of God, which is the pillar and ground of truth: and it may be observed, that this is here given to a people, among whom were many irregularities, errors, disorders, and divisions; which shows, that a church of God is not to be unchurched for everything that is amiss in them: they are further described by the place of their abode, Corinth, the \u201cmetropolis\u201d of Achaia; a very large and opulent city, a place of great trade and commerce, and famous both for its wealth and wisdom; but not so famous for anything as this, that there was a church of Christ in it; of the city of Corinth, (see Gill on \u201cActs 18:1\u201d); and of the church, (see Gill on \u201cActs 18:8\u201d). The members of it in general, for it cannot be thought to hold good of every individual, are said to be<\/p>\n
Not by baptism, for they were sanctified before that; but were set apart, or chosen in Christ from all eternity, to grace here, which sense the word \u201csanctified\u201d is sometimes used; and to whom Christ they were sanctified by his Spirit in his name, out of that and holiness which is in him: wherefore it follows; for though they were chosen to holiness in Christ, and unholy; though Christ had given himself for them to sanctify and purify uncalled were impure; they fell in Adam, and became both unholy and unclean, and were so in their lives and conversations; nor are their own free will, but were become such through the powerful grace of principles of holiness were wrought in them; and by which they were called And this epistle is not only inscribed to these saints at<\/p>\n
as in Achaia, of which Invocation of the name of Christ not only respects prayer to him, but being given to Christ, and perforated in his name, is a very considerable Ethiopic version here styles him, any but a divine person, one that is truly and properly God, without phrase, either, as some think, refers to \u201cevery place\u201d and so Syriac, and Arabic versions; and the sense is, that whether in was, or the Corinthians were, or any of the other saints in signifying, that invocation of God is not confined to any particular place, rather it refers to \u201cour Lord\u201d, and shows that Christ is the common Lord of therefore ought to love one another.<\/p>\n