Misinterpretations of 1 Corinthians 1:2 often restrict its address solely to the Corinthian church, ignoring its extension to all believers worldwide who call on Christ's name and thus missing the universal unity of the church. Another error views 'sanctified' and 'called to be saints' as requiring personal moral perfection or elite status earned by works, rather than God's positional declaration of holiness for all who trust in Jesus, fostering legalism over grace-based identity.
I Corinthians 1:2
King James Version (1769)
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1 Corinthians 1:2 conveys the core truth that the church is a universal body of believers sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, encompassing not only the local assembly in Corinth but all people everywhere who call on the name of Jesus Christ as Lord, emphasizing shared faith and unity across locations as 'both theirs and ours,' highlighting God's inclusive call to holiness through Christ.