1 Corinthians 1:2

‘Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called sanctified ones (saints) with all those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in every place, theirs and ours.'

‘Sanctified in Christ Jesus.' The tense of the verse is perfect passive signifying something done in the past the benefit of which continues into the present, thus literally ‘have been and therefore are sanctified'. It is noteworthy that the members of this church, with all their failings, are described by Paul as ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus'. To be sanctified means to be ‘set apart for God for a holy purpose', and that holy purpose is the perfecting of them that they may be presented before Him irreproachable, holy and without blemish because they are in Christ (Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:13). Their being ‘in Christ' both guarantees their acceptance because they are acceptable in Him, and the process of transformation that will take place because being ‘in Him' can only result in such transformation.

Thus they are seen as set apart for a holy purpose, and that is described as not through any merit of their own, but because they are ‘in Christ Jesus'. By becoming one with Him through faith, evidenced by the Spirit's work among them and in baptism, they share His holiness and His holy purpose. He is made to them their sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), and this work is to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2). They are sanctified because they are in Him the sanctified One. Thus God looks at them through the perfect sanctification of Christ, the One Who was totally in accordance with the Father's will. ‘In Him' they are totally acceptable in God's sight. This is then to be carried out into practise in holy living because it is an original act followed by the working of His power (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Note the order ‘Christ Jesus'. His emphasis here is on the separateness of Jesus Christ from the world. He is ‘the Christ' Jesus, the One set apart by God, and they have been set apart in Him.

Here then Paul is calling the attention of the Corinthian church to their holy calling, preparatory to seeking to set right much that is wrong among them. He is reminding them that they are now sanctified in Christ, and holy in Him, separated from the world in Him, and therefore now needing to become holy in practise. In that great city of Corinth, city of immorality and philosophical speculation, Jesus Christ through Paul had set a colony of Heaven (Philippians 3:20), set apart to God and in process of being made perfect.

The New Testament speaks of ‘sanctification' in a number of ways which need to be carefully differentiated. As we have said, to sanctify means ‘to set apart for a holy purpose, to make holy as being closely connected with God' and from the Christian point of view that finally means to make “God-like in purity, goodness and love”. This is something only God can do for us.

The Bible tells us that once He has made us His Own through our responding in faith to His work on the cross and His offer of salvation, we are first put in the position of ‘having been sanctified' (aorist tense, something done once for all - 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11), and therefore ‘set apart' for God once for all. We are set aside as His for His own use. This is because ‘in Christ' we are made holy with Christ's holiness, and thus covered with His purity. And this is why we can approach God so confidently. It has put us in a state whereby we ‘are sanctified' once for all and accepted as holy in His presence (Acts 20:32; Acts 26:18; Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:10) These verses all use the perfect tense signifying - ‘having been sanctified and therefore now are sanctified' - referring to a past happening which continues in effect into the present. We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all (Hebrews 10:10). And that sanctification includes the work within us through which we are born from above (John 3:6) and receive the indwelling Christ (Galatians 2:20) and life through the Holy Spirit. We become separated off to Christ, ‘members of Christ' and ‘temples of God' (1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

But the result of being put in this position is that we will then be ‘in process of being sanctified' (set apart by being made holy) by Christ Jesus and the Spirit. The purity of Christ, which has been set to our account, and attaches us to God, must now become reproduced in our lives. We must therefore go through the process of ‘being set apart for God' by being constantly changed by the Spirit (present tense - Hebrews 2:11; Hebrews 10:14; compare Romans 6:19; Rom 6:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). This is what most Christians usually think of when they think of ‘sanctification'.

And if we are His it is guaranteed that He will carry out this work in us (Philippians 2:13). This is the same process as salvation from a slightly different point of view. We are saved through God's work of sanctification, which like salvation is ours the moment we respond in faith, and this work goes on being active in our lives until we go to be with Him, having been made holy and unblemished before Him. And so it was with the Corinthians.

‘Called sanctified ones (saints).' The title of ‘saint' is true of all who are ‘sanctified in Christ'. It does not therefore ever in Scripture refer to a select few Christians, for it does not so much refer to practical holiness as to holiness imputed and imparted in Christ. They are Temples of God through the ‘Holy' Spirit Who is in them (1 Corinthians 6:19). All who are His are thus ‘saints' (holy ones), those who are set apart in holiness to be made holy. They are be seen as set apart to God with the intention of their becoming God-like. They are ‘holy ones', chosen out and awaiting their full potential, being changed from glory into glory by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

‘With all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place.' Here he stresses that all who belong to Christ and call on His name are called ‘saints'. Thus Paul ensures that the Corinthians recognise that they are not superior to others in this, and yet share with all other Christians this wonderful privilege. To ‘call on the name' means that they have cried to Him for forgiveness and mercy, have claimed the benefit of His name and what He is, and what He has done for them, and now worship Him. Thus they have been ‘made holy', set apart for God by His Spirit, with a view to being made perfect in holiness.

This fact that Christians ‘call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ', signifying honour and worship (compare Genesis 4:26; Genesis 12:8 and often), demonstrates Paul's view of Christ, for here Jesus receives through it the honour due to Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament (and the New), demonstrating His Oneness with Him. Indeed in the right context ‘Lord' is the Greek equivalent of Yahweh (see Philippians 2:8 where the name above every name is the name of Yahweh).

‘In every place.' This phrase in this kind of context is unique to this epistle. Paul is thus especially stressing his and their unity with all Christians worldwide. He is concerned lest they fail to recognise that they belong to one worldwide gathering of God's people, and see themselves as but a group of ‘wisdom societies' in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12). He wants them to know that he himself too has no limited vision, but acknowledges all, and is at one with all, and sees them all as one. He wants them to see that they are part of one whole worldwide body.

‘Both theirs and ours.' This can only refer back to ‘Lord'. Paul is stressing that He is Lord of all in every place who call on Him, including being Lord of Paul and Lord of the Corinthian church. They are all to unite as one in acknowledging His Lordship for He has sanctified them to Himself.

Some have suggested applying ‘both theirs and ours' to ‘every place', but that is hardly likely. Apart from the fact that it would be almost an irrelevance, it is doubtful if Paul saw himself as belonging to any one place or was even bothered about it. He was a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 3:20), as were they. He had long since left Tarsus and Jerusalem behind. He was not interested in geography, what he was concerned about was people's spiritual position.