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 has been made clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by {Chloe's people}, that there are quarrels among you.
Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."
Now I rejoice over the arrival of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because these make up for your absence,
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 did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, not with {clever speech}, lest the cross of Christ be emptied.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who [is] from God, in order that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
Does anyone among you, [if he] has a matter against someone else, dare to go to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman." But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. read more. The husband must fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
The husband must fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband [does]. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife [does].
The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband [does]. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife [does]. Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and [then] you should be {together} again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control.
Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and [then] you should be {together} again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control. But I say this as a concession, not as a command. read more. I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way.
I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way. Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: [It is] good for them if they remain as I [am].
Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: [It is] good for them if they remain as I [am]. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn [with sexual desire]. read more. To the married I command--not I, but the Lord--a wife must not separate from [her] husband. But if indeed she does separate, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce [his] wife. Now to the rest I say--not the Lord--if any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if any wife has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother, since otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such [cases]. But God has called us in peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? But to each one as the Lord has apportioned. As God has called each one, thus let him live--and thus I order in all the churches. Was anyone called [after] being circumcised? He must not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? He must not become circumcised.
Was anyone called [after] being circumcised? He must not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? He must not become circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. read more. Each one in the calling in which he was called--in this he should remain. Were you called [while] a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of [it]. For the one who is called in the Lord [while] a slave is the Lord's freedperson. Likewise the one who is called [while] free is a slave of Christ. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Each one in [the situation] in which he was called, brothers--in this he should remain with God. Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, [because it] is weak, be strengthened so that [he] eats the food sacrificed to idols?
[No], but that [the things] which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons. You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, {asking no questions} for the sake of the conscience,
But if someone says to you, "This is offered to idols," do not eat [it], for the sake of that one who informed [you] and the conscience.
but every woman who prays or prophesies with uncovered head dishonors her head, for she is one and the same with the one whose [head] is shaved. For if a woman does not cover herself, let her [hair] be shorn off. But if [it is] shameful for a woman to [have her head] shorn or shaved, let her cover her [head].
Because of this, the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on her head, on account of the angels.
But in giving this instruction I do not praise [you], because you come together not for the better but for the worse.
the women must be silent in the churches, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but they must be in submission, just as the law also says.
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve,
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what sort of body do they come?"
Now concerning Apollos our brother, I urged him many [times] that he should come to you with the brothers, and he was not at all willing that he should come now, but he will come whenever he has [an] opportunity.
now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to [the will of] God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us. For grief according to [the will of] God brings about a repentance [leading] to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death. read more. For behold how much diligence this very [thing], being grieved according to [the will of] God, has brought about in you: what defense [of yourselves], what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with [it] well [enough]! For I consider myself in no way to be inferior to the preeminent apostles.
Are they Hebrews? I [am] also! Are they Israelites? I [am] also! Are they descendants of Abraham? I [am] also!
I have become a fool! You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for [I am] in no way inferior to the preeminent apostles, even if I am nothing.