1:7
Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church was difficult to say the least, but his hope for them was always that they would grow in Christ. There are two mistakes we are prone to making when relationships are difficult. The most common is perhaps to ignore the issues, or to treat them with kid gloves. Paul did not do this, he would address the matters head on. The other is to let the issues turn into personal animosity. Paul did not do this either, when it would have been easy to do so.
1:8
Paul was accused of various things by some in the Corinthian church, not least, that his word was unreliable. For he had not managed to visit them when he said he would. This had happened because of great difficulties that Paul was facing. When that sort of thing happens it is easy for us to take great offence when others accuse us of wrong motives. So Paul explains something of the troubles they had experienced in Asia, or at least the nature of them. They were under such pressure that they despaired of life itself.
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