COMMENTARY

Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7
Yahweh calls his servant, Israel, to bring the light of salvation to the nations. Here we have the second of the servant songs in Isaiah. The servant tells how Yahweh called and chose him before he was born. For the task of restoring Israel, he was equipped with a mouth "like a sharp sword" and was made like "a polished arrow." Yet, he feels that his labor was in vain. Then Yahweh speaks to him and becomes his strength. However, Yahweh has broadened his task to bring light and salvation not only to Israel but to the whole world.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthian church. In these opening verses of Paul's Corinthian correspondence, he identifies himself in terms of spiritual gifts. Paul reminds them of…