Reference: CORINTHIANS
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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.
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For it was manifested to me concerning you, my brethren, by them of Chloe, that there are contentions with you.
And of what ye wrote to me: good for a man not to touch a woman.
And I rejoice at the arrival of Stephanas and Fortunatus and : that they have filled up your necessity.
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,
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For Christ sent me not to immerse, but to announce good news: not in wisdom of word, lest the cross of Christ be made void.
And we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit from God; that we might know things bestowed upon us as a gift by God.
Dare any of you, having an affair with another, be judged by the unjust, and not by the holy ones?
And of what ye wrote to me: good for a man not to touch a woman. And, on account of fornication, let each have his own wife, and let each have her own husband. read more. Let the husband return to the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife to the husband.
Let the husband return to the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife to the husband. The wife of her own body has not power, but the husband: and likewise also the husband of his own body has not power, but the wife.
The wife of her own body has not power, but the husband: and likewise also the husband of his own body has not power, but the wife. Deprive ye not one another, except somewhat of an agreement for a time, that ye might have leisure for fasting and prayer; and again upon the same ye might come together, lest Satan tempt you for your want of self command.
Deprive ye not one another, except somewhat of an agreement for a time, that ye might have leisure for fasting and prayer; and again upon the same ye might come together, lest Satan tempt you for your want of self command. And this I say according to indulgence, not according to order. read more. For I will all men to be as also myself. But each has his own favor of God, the one truly thus, and the other thus.
For I will all men to be as also myself. But each has his own favor of God, the one truly thus, and the other thus. And I say to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they remain also as I.
And I say to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they remain also as I. And if they have not self command, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to be set on fire. read more. And to the married I announce, (not I, but the Lord,) The wife not to be separated from the husband: And if also she be separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to the husband: and the husband not to send away the wife. And to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she assents to dwell with him, let him not send her away. And the woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he assents to dwell with her, let her not send him away. For the unbelieving husband was consecrated in the wife, and the unbelieving wife was consecrated in the husband: for then are our children unclean; and now are they holy. And if the unbelieving is separated, let him be separated. A brother or a sister has not been reduced to slavery in such things as these: and God has called us in peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, if thou shalt save the husband or what knowest thou, O hushand, if thou shalt save the wife? Except as God divided to each, as the Lord has called each, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. Whoever was called circumcised? let him not be drawn to himself. Whoever was called in uncircumeision? let him not be circumcised.
Whoever was called circumcised? let him not be drawn to himself. Whoever was called in uncircumeision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commands of God. read more. Each in the calling which he was called, in this let him remain. A servant wert thou called? let it not concern thee: for if thou art able to be free, rather make use of it. For the servant called in the Lord, is the freedman of the Lord: likewise also the freedman called, is the servant of Christ. Ye were bought for a price; be ye not servants of men. Each, in what he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God. But for virgins I have not an order of the Lord: and I give an opinion as compassionated by the Lord to be faithful.
And concerning sacrifice to idols, we know, (for we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, and love builds the house.
For if any one see thee having knowledge reclining in the idol's temple, shall not his consciousness, being weak, be built up to eat the sacrifices to idols;
But, that what things they sacrifice the nations sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I will not ye be partakers of demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and the table of demons.
Every thing being sold in the market, eat, ye, interrogating nothing through consciousness:
And if any one say to you, This is sacrificed to an idol, eat not, for him making it known, and consciousness: for of the Lord the earth, and its fulness:
And every woman praying or prophesying with head uncovered shames her head: for it is one and the same to her having been shaved. For if the woman is not covered, let her also be shorn: and if shameful to the woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
Therefore the woman ought to have power upon the head for the angels.
And this announcing I approve not, that not for the better come ye together, but for the worse.
Let your women be silent in the churches: for it has not been committed to them to speak; but to be subjected, as also says the law.
And that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve:
Then was he seen by James; then by all the sent.
But some one will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
And concerning Apollos, the brother, I besought him much that he would come to you with the brethren: and the will was not altogether that he should come now; and he will come when he should have leisure.
Now I rejoice, not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved to repentance: for ye were grieved according to God, that ye be injured in nothing by us. For grief according to God works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but grief of the world works death. read more. For behold, this same that ye grieve according to God, what care it wrought in you, but defence, but indignation, but fear, but anxious desire, but zeal, but punishing! In every thing ye recommended yourselves to be holy in this affair.
For if he coming proclaim another Jesus, which I proclaimed not, or ye receive another spirit, which ye received not, or other good news, which ye received not, ye have held up well. For I reckon myself to be nothing greatly inferior to the sent.
Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they Abraham's seed? I also.
I have been mad boasting; ye forced me: for I ought to have been recommended by you: for I was not greatly inferior to the sent, if also I am nothing.