Today we continue our close examination of 1 Corinthians 1:2. Although Paul uses the same word hagioi in the first two phrases of this verse, there is a slightly different meaning between the two uses. The first phrase, "sanctified in Jesus Christ," talks about our separation, which is what it means to be a saint. In the second phrase, "called to be holy," Paul is not repeating himself, saying exactly the same thing. He is saying that you are separated unto Christ, and you are called now to go on in terms of what that separation means and become increasingly holy in the context of your life.

The city of Corinth was a city with an interesting location and a long history. It was located on the narrow isthmus of land that divided the upper, northern, main portion of Greece known as Attica, from the southern portion of Greece, the Peloponnese. The capital of the northern portion was Athens. Sparta was the capital city in the southern portion. Between, on this narrow isthmus, lay the city of Corinth. It was a city of commerce, a great city for the mixture of races.

The third of Jesus’ illustrations is of a thief breaking into a house. "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into" (v. 43).
This parable also teaches the sudden and unpredictable coming of the Lord, and is used this way in four other New Testament passages. Paul wrote, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2-3).

The first story Jesus uses to emphasize the suddenness of his coming is the destruction of the earth by flood in the days of Noah. This was a well-known case of God’s judgment of wickedness in history, and it is referred to quite naturally by Old Testament prophets like Isaiah (Isa. 54:9) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:14, 20) and by New Testament writers like the author of Hebrews (Heb. 11:7) and Peter (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5). Jesus refers to it in verses 37-39.

Finally, this text also says something to those who are already Christians. As you think about what is needed to live a Christian life, to live in a way that is honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ, you naturally feel inadequate to such things; and indeed you are. You say to yourself, "Even with my wisdom I am still foolish; even with my strength I am weak; even with my nobility I feel like a nobody; I still fail to achieve; I still have no status in God’s sight." So you say to yourself, "Of what use am I? How can I be useful?" Each of those questions is good, and the insights are excellent. But at this point God speaks to you further and says, "Yes, yes, all these things are true. It is true that I have not chosen the wise, the mighty, the noble. I have chosen people just like you. But look, even though in yourself you are inadequate, I am adequate. And so I want to become your wisdom so that in your newfound wisdom you can make the wisdom of this world look foolish. I want to become your strength so that in your new strength you can tear down strongholds. And I want to become your status so that in your new status you might stand high and speak my word to those who are without it."