Reference: CORINTHIANS
American
EPISTLE 1. This was written by Paul at Ephesus, about A.D. 57, upon the receipt of intelligence respecting the Corinthian church, conveyed by members of the family of Chole, 1Co 1:11, and by a letter from the church requesting advice, 1Co 7:1, probably brought by Stephanus, etc., 1Co 16:17. Certain factions had arisen in the church, using his name and those of Peter, Apollos, and of Christ himself, in bitter partisan contentions. In the first part of this letter he endeavors to restore harmony among them, by reuniting them to the great and sole Head of the church. He then takes occasion to put them on their guard against teachers of false philosophy, and resting their faith on the wisdom of men instead the simple but mighty word of God. He proceeds, in 1Co 5, to reprove them for certain gross immoralities tolerated among them, such as they had formerly practiced like all around them, but which he charges them to banish form the church of Christ. He replies to their queries respecting celibacy and marriage, and the eating of food offered to idols; and meets several errors and sins prevalent in the church by timely instructions as to disputes among brethren, decorum in public assemblies, the Lord's supper, the resurrection of believers, true charity, and the right use of spiritual gifts, in which the Corinthian Christians excelled, but not without a mixture of ostentation and disorder. He directs them as to the best method of Christian beneficence, and closes with friendly greetings.
EPISTLE 2. This was occasioned by intelligence received through Titus, at Philippi. Paul learned of the favor reception of his former letter, and the good effect produced, and yet that a party remained opposed to him-accusing him of fickleness in not fulfilling his promise to visit them; blaming his severity towards the incestuous person; and charging him with an arrogance and assumption unsuited to his true authority and his personal appearance. In the course of his reply he answers all these objections; he enlarges upon the excellence of the new covenant, and the duties and rewards of its ministers, and on the duty of the Corinthian Christians as to charitable collections. He then vindicates his own course, his dignity and authority as an apostle, against those who assailed him. His last words invite them to penitence, peace, and brotherly love. This epistle seems to have been written soon after the first.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by those of the family of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
NOW with regard to those things concerning which ye have written unto me, it were good for a man not to touch a woman.
I rejoice in the arrival of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus; because what was lacking from you, they have supplied.
Watsons
CORINTHIANS, Epistles to. St. Paul left Corinth A.D. 53 or 54, and went to Jerusalem. From Ephesus he wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians, in the beginning of A.D. 56. In this epistle he reproves some who disturbed the peace of the church, complains of some disorders in their assemblies, of law suits among them, and of a Christian who had committed incest with his mother-in-law, the wife of his father, and had not been separated from the church. This letter produced in the Corinthians great grief, vigilance against the vices reproved, and a very beneficial dread of God's anger. They repaired the scandal, and expressed abundant zeal against the crime committed, 2Co 7:9-11.
To form an idea of the condition of the Corinthian church, we must examine the epistles of the Apostle. The different factions into which they were divided, exalted above all others the chiefs, ???? ???? ???? ?????????? [the very chiefest Apostles,] 2Co 11:5; 12:11, whose notions they adopted, and whose doctrines they professed to follow, and attempted to depreciate those of the opposite party. While, then, some called themselves disciples of Paul, Cephas, or Apollos, others assumed the splendid appellation of Christ's party. Probably they affected to be the followers of James, the brother of our Lord, and thought thus to enter into a nearer discipleship with Jesus than the other parties. The controversy, as we shall see from the whole, related to the obligation of Judaism. The advocates of it had appealed, even in Galatia, to Cephas and James, for the sake of opposing to Paul, who had banished Jewish ceremonies from Christianity, authorities which were not less admitted than his own. The question itself divided all these various parties into two principal factions: the partisans of Cephas and James were for the law; the friends of Paul adopted his opinion, as well as Apollos, who, with his adherents, was always in heart in favour of Paul, and never wished to take a part in a separation from him, 1Co 16:12. The leaders of the party against Paul, these ?????????????, [false apostles,] as Paul calls them, and ?????????????????? ??? ?????????? ???????, [transformers of themselves into the apostles of Christ,] who declared themselves the promulgators and defenders of the doctrines of Cephas, and James, were, as may be easily conceived, converted Jews, 2Co 11:22, who had come from different places,
See Verses Found in Dictionary
For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of Christ should be slighted.
Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
DARE any of you, having a matter of controversy with another, sue for judgment before the unjust, and not before the saints?
NOW with regard to those things concerning which ye have written unto me, it were good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of the whoredoms, let every man have his own wife, and every wife her own husband. read more. Let the husband render to the wife due benevolence, and in like manner also the wife to the husband.
Let the husband render to the wife due benevolence, and in like manner also the wife to the husband. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not power over his own body, but the wife.
The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: in like manner also the husband has not power over his own body, but the wife. Defraud not one another, except it may be by consent occasionally, that ye may have more leisure for fasting and prayer; and come together again, lest Satan tempt you through your incontinence.
Defraud not one another, except it may be by consent occasionally, that ye may have more leisure for fasting and prayer; and come together again, lest Satan tempt you through your incontinence. But in this I speak my opinion only, not authoritatively. read more. For I would that all men were even as myself: but every man hath his peculiar gift from God, one of this sort, and another of that.
For I would that all men were even as myself: but every man hath his peculiar gift from God, one of this sort, and another of that. I say then to the unmarried and the widows, that it is becoming them if they abide as I am.
I say then to the unmarried and the widows, that it is becoming them if they abide as I am. But if they have not the gift of continence, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. read more. But to the married not I command, but the Lord, That the wife be not separated from the husband: and even if she should be separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the others I speak, not the Lord, If any brother hath a wife unbelieving, yet she chuseth to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the wife which hath a husband not a believer, and he chuses to dwell with her, let her not put him away. For the husband that believeth not is sanctified by the wife, and the wife who believeth not is sanctified by the husband: else indeed your children were unclean, but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving person depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in these cases, but God hath called us unto peace. For how knowest thou, O wife, but thou shalt save thy husband? and how knowest thou, O husband, but thou shalt save thy wife? Nevertheless as God has bestowed the gift on every man as the Lord hath called every man, so let him walk, and so I give command in all the churches. Is any man called being circumcised? let him not affect uncircumcision. Is any man called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not affect uncircumcision. Is any man called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the observance of the commandments of God. read more. Let every one abide in the calling in which he is called. Art thou called being a slave? let it give thee no concern; but if thou canst also obtain thy freedom, rather make use of it. For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord's freed man: in like manner also, he that is called, being a free man, is the servant of Christ. Have you been redeemed with a price? become not the slaves of men. Let every one, brethren, in the vocation wherein he is called, therein abide with God. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I offer my opinion, as having obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful.
NOW concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.
For if any man see thee that hast knowledge, sitting in an idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
But that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to daemons, and not to God: and I would not have you in communion with daemons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of daemons: ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and the table of daemons.
Every thing which is sold in the shambles eat, asking no question for conscience sake;
But if any person say unto you, This is an idol's sacrifice, eat not of it, for his sake who pointed it out, and for conscience sake. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
but every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled, dishonoureth her head; for it is one and the same thing, as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not veiled, let her hair be clipped: but if it would be scandalous for a woman to appear clipped or shaved, let her be veiled.
Therefore ought the woman to retain upon her head [this badge of authority], because of the angels [of the churches].
But in the matter I am going to denounce, I do not commend you, that ye meet together not for the better, but for the worse.
Let your women be silent in the churches: for it is not permitted to them to speak: but to be in subjection, as also the law saith.
and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
Afterwards he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
But will any man say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
As concerning brother Apollos, I besought him much that he would come to you with the brethren; but it was not at all his wish to come at this time: but he will come when he can find a good opportunity.
Now I rejoice, not that ye have been made sorrowful, but that ye have sorrowed unto repentance; for ye have been made sorry in a godly manner, that ye might receive damage from us in nothing. For sorrow of a godly sort worketh repentance unto salvation never to be repented of, but worldly sorrow worketh death. read more. For behold this very thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly manner, how great diligence did it produce in you! yea, what apologizing! yea, what indignation! yea, what fear! yea, what earnest desire! yea, what zeal! yea, what vengeance! In every step ye have approved yourselves as pure in this affair.
For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him. For I reckon myself to be nothing inferior to the very chief of the apostles.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Have I become a fool in boasting? ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing have I been inferior to the very chief apostles, though I be nothing.