Sunday, January 18, 2026
Second Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany 2A)
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Sermon Audio
As we gather… Paul had many reasons to be upset and concerned with the Church in Corinth. In many ways this was a dysfunctional congregation that was not following God’s will. Nonetheless, Paul opens the letter writing, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Despite all the sin and unholiness, Paul still calls them holy in Christ Jesus and saints! As we look the Christian Church today, we can be disillusioned by the sin and false teaching that abides in it. Nonetheless, the Church is Christ’s Church, and He is working to forgive our sins, call us to new life, and wash us clean with covering us with His holiness. The Church is full of sinners, yet Christ daily and richly forgives us.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
St Paul might as well have written this letter to the church here, today. The church of Corinth was a mess. The next few weeks we will read from Paul’s first letter to Corinth in our Epistle readings, and on top of that, we just so happen to be starting (have just started) an in depth look into this letter in our Bible Study after the service. We will go on to see all of the issues that trouble the church in Corinth. Divisions over who is the best pastor, adultery, misuse of the Sacrament of the Altar, misunderstanding of how to use God-given spiritual gifts, and problems with earthly authority are just a few of the issues that plague this church. Nothing much has changed in the church over the past 2000 years or so, has it? Before Paul gets out his scalpel and starts to cut off these sins that have become attached to the church that this letter is going to face head on, it is important to note what Paul does. He gives them something to numb the pain of the coming surgery. He gives them assurance. He gives them hope. He reminds them that they have been called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ, and so have you.
Some form of the word called is used five times in these nine verses. To call is not a word that one can do on their own. To be called by someone, you must hear the person calling out. To be called by Christ is to be summoned outside of one’s self. We like to enter into our own dark echo chambers and hear nothing but our own praise, make ourselves our own gods. To be a part of Christ is to be called out of the inward gazing of our own selfish heart and to be joined to something that is greater than ourselves. We are in the season of Epiphany. The season of revealed light. Christ is the light of the world who has called us out of the darkness of our inward gazing echo chamber into His marvelous light. To be called into Light in this dark world is not an easy task. Paul knows this. He sees the struggles of the church of Corinth and first wants them to know of the call that they have been called into. He immediately puts the focus on Jesus Christ and trusts that those who have been called by Christ hear His words with gladness and act upon them with eagerness. All Christians are called to different tasks and spiritual gifts in this world, but Jesus calls them all with the same confession. The confession that John the Baptist gave to his followers in our Gospel reading: Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.
The first time that Paul uses the word called is to describe himself. “Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes.” The word “called” in this verse describes St Paul. He is one who was called by the will of God for one expressed purpose. He is called to be an apostle, or a sent one, of Jesus Christ. He is a pastor. He even immediately puts Sosthenes in there with him in that first verse. He would go on in the verses that follow our passage to place himself on equal grounds with Cephas, which is Peter, and Apollos. They are all given to bring God’s people the confession that Jesus is the Lamb of God. These men hold the same office and Jesus is their head. He sent them and has united them in their confession. These pastors were called with a special job to do. They are not greater than anyone else but have been called to a specific task and sent by Christ. They are watchmen in the darkness, warning of its dangers and pointing people to the light of Christ. They have been sent to deliver God’s atoning Word and administer His blessed Sacraments to the people whom God has called as saints. Paul reminds the Corinthians who Jesus has called him to be for their sake, before reminding them who they are called to be in Christ.
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The church of God is called to be saints. The second time Paul uses “called” refers to the calling of the church of God. The word is the same, but Paul’s calledness is a different one than the saints at Corinth. You, brothers and sisters in Christ, have been called to be saints out of the darkness of the world. You have been made holy in Christ Jesus. He makes you saints. He is continuing to work in you to make your light shine among men. The light within you is the light of Christ that was given to you in your baptism and through the continued hearing of His word. Here you are made one with Christ and enriched in everything in Him. He continues to sanctify you through the eating of His body and blood. Christ has called you to Him and set His faithful sent one to be your pastor so you remain in Him. Just as Paul was called to keep this message straight for Corinth and for us today, Christ continues to set his faithful messengers with His faithful people to ensure that those whom He calls remain faithful to Him. He sends them to ensure that His saints are equipped for the good works that God has set before them. You who are sanctified in Christ bear His light in this darkened world wherever you go. Jesus knows that our adversary the devil is the prince of darkness and the father of lies and wants to conceal the light of Christ. One of the lies our adversary loves to tell is to make Christ’s called ones feel alone.
St Paul’s third use of the word “to call” is almost in the same breath as when he told the Corinthians that they were called to be saints in Christ Jesus. He immediately unites that calling with all of those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. You are not alone, O saints of Hill Country (Faith). You who have been given the confession that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, call upon Him. Those who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved. This is the first time in this passage that we have been given the ability to call out. Our crying out isn’t a lonely call. It is one that is united to the church throughout the world. It is united with those who have first been called by God so that they can call upon God. Our call is directed at our Lord Jesus Christ and no one else. He is the only one we can call upon in the day of trouble. Our LORD is the only one who gives rest to those who call upon Him. Jesus is our rest. To ensure that His light isn’t covered by the darkness of sin and the devil, our LORD has placed us within His church. The beacon of His light. Light shines brighter, gives off more warmth, and is not easily snuffed out when it is gathered together. Jesus provides us with His called watchmen in the dark to make sure His people always see His light. Christ is our Light who brings us out of darkness, washes us, and feeds us. He calls us and gives us the ability to call upon Him so that we can be assured that we are His. We know that Jesus is the Word who is lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path.
To follow the path that Christ has enlightened for us is not an easy task. The devil wants nothing but to draw us back into the darkness. Paul knows that the darkness is always out to devour the light. Walking the path is treacherous. We must walk the path, but this is only possible because the grace of God was given to us in Christ Jesus, enriching us in Him in all speech and knowledge. Jesus is the one who establishes the good confession that He is the Lamb of God in us. He is the one that called us into His light. He establishes our foot on the path and will continue to do so. Paul is going to spill a lot of ink in the coming pages showing how the church has erred, but first he assures them that they have been called to be Christ’s people. He will go on to call them to repentance and show them how to walk as those called into the light of Christ. No matter how rocky the path is at times we can trust that God will guide us and continue to send the light His Word so that we do not stumble. Even when His called watchmen’s words put light on sins that we have tried to cover, we know that the light is from the LORD for the purpose of keeping the church on the path of Christ. We confess our sins, flee from their darkness, and walk in His light. God wants all of us to eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in His light so that we may be found guiltless in the day of the LORD. “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The fourth use of “call” in our passage is a sneaky one in English, guiltless. The Greek word for guiltless comes from the word “to call”. It could literally be said “up-called in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Guiltless is the sense that this turn of phrase is meant to convey, but it is interesting that even our guiltlessness before God on Judgment Day is a calling. Jesus is once more the caller and we are the ones up-called, guiltless, because Jesus has established us that way and He will sustain us to the end in Him. He has come into the world. He walks the lighted path, living a perfect life that is required, that we never could. He took that perfect life to the cross to be the eternal day of the Lord in which the world went dark so that it could become lightened in Him. When light broke that Easter morning, Jesus Christ, the light of the world brought eternal light that no darkness can overcome. He defeated the forces of darkness: sin, death, and the devil for us. He establishes us in His light so we can bask in His eternal light. Jesus is the one who establishes the good confession that He is the Lamb of God, that lightens your path, and sustains you to the end, guiltless for His sake. All because God is faithful.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The faithfulness of God is what causes our calling. The fifth and final use of the word “to call” in our passage places us firmly in the fellowship of His faithfulness through Christ. He has done all of these things for the sake of Christ. He has called you. God who is faithful has called you into this fellowship of Christ here in this place. He has placed you in the tender care of one of His called watchmen. He has sanctified you in the waters of Holy Baptism in Christ Jesus and sustains you in His Word, calling you to be saints. He continues to feed you in Holy Communion; The communion of the saints and with the saints that call upon the Lord Jesus, here and throughout the world, past, present, and future. He establishes and sustains you guiltless to the end in Christ Jesus. You are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Believe it. Trust it. Live it. Christ will make sure of it for His name’s sake. Thanks be to God!
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard and keep you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.