What does 1 Corinthians 1:4 mean?

Paul begins his letter to this troubled church with some remarkably positive words for them. These are also encouraging for all of us who are Christians. This opening is even more striking because of the bold words of correction Paul will use later. He is writing to respond to wrong behaviors and attitudes he has heard about among them. At the same time, he seeks to answer their questions about how to live as believers in a godless culture.

Paul starts, though, by declaring that his first thought when the believers of Corinth come to mind is to thank God for them. He does this "always," meaning regularly and continually. He expresses that he is truly grateful to God for these people he spent so much time with. Next Paul describes why he is so grateful for them. First, he gives thanks because they have been given grace from God in Christ Jesus. In other words, God has already welcomed them into His family and given them a place with Him in eternity because they came to Him through faith in Christ.

Neither we nor the Corinthians deserve that enormous gift. We have earned quite the opposite with our sin and, in many ways, we continue to fail to live up to the good God has given to us. Paul is so glad for the grace they have received, even as they continue to fail to do what is right in some important ways.