Post-feast of the Transfiguration; Holy Martyr Euplus (304)
Dormition Fast.
2 Corinthians 1:1-7; Matthew 21:43-46
Read 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today we begin this second canonical letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Paul had established the Christian community at Corinth, a mix of Jewish and Gentile, somewhere around 50-51 A.D. They were somewhat of an exceptional community in that the Lord bestowed upon them several spiritual gifts. This present letter was sent sometime in 55 A.D. Like any other letter we would write today, it indicates who sent it, to whom it is sent, and an initial greeting.
It’s very interesting how St. Paul qualifies those to whom the letter is sent. The Church of God recognises that the very establishment of a Christian community in Corinth was of the Lord’s will. The word for Church is ekklesia which was used in the Old Testament for a gathering of people. Moses called the people who gathered together to hear the Word of the Lord at Mount Sinai the ekklesia; the same term was used for those who gathered with Solomon to worship the Lord at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
St. Paul uses the term similarly – to refer to the people who gathered in the name of the Lord to hear His Word and to worship Him, that is, to offer praise and sacrifice to Him. Does this sound familiar to you? It is the very pattern of the Divine Liturgy. We who have been made holy (made saints) in the Lord through Baptism, Chrismation, and the Most Holy Eucharist, are called to grow in holiness in our weekly gathering as ekklesia, as the Church.