1 Corinthians 1:1 (ASV)

Passage

Paul, called [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1 Corinthians 1:2 unto the church of God which is at Corinth, [even] them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their [Lord] and ours:

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "will of God", "paul", "apostle", "jesus", "christ", "through", and "sosthenes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "will of God", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "unto the church of God which is...", so "called" and "will of God" should be read forward into that movement. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "will of God" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.