As I mentioned previously - the greeting in I Corinthians is
pretty broad. Yet there is the thinking that Chapter 11:1-16
was written just for them - at that time.
Following this thinking a bit - let's look at the greetings of the other
New Testament books aside from the 4 Gospels and Acts...
Romans - no recipient specified
II Corinthians - "To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia"
Galations - "To the churches of Galatia"
Ephesians - "To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus"
Colosians - "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse"
I Thessalonians - "To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"
II Thessalonians - "To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"
I Timothy - "To Timothy, a true son in the faith"
II Timothy - "To Timothy, a beloved son"
Titus - "To Titus, a true son in our common faith"
Philemon - "To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house."
Hebrews - no receipient specified
James - "To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad"
I Peter - "To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."
II Peter - "To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."
I John - no recipient specified
II John - "To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever."
III John - "To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth"
Jude - "to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called."
Revelation - "to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass."
Out of this list - 13 books have such narrow greetings we could assume they
are definitely not for us today. Yet no Christian assumes that (that I know of).
Here are just a few examples of teachings within these 13 books
that are, or almost are, totally unique to that New Testament book.
Most Christians uphold these teachings...
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Colossians 2: 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
1 Thessalonians 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
So why wouldn't we uphold the teachings found in I Corinthians 11:1-16?
This list of all the biblical commands was helpful.
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