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 hath been declared to me of you, my brethren, by them of the family of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote to me, It is good for a man, not to touch a woman.
I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus: for they have supplied what was wanting on your part.
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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I know not that I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel; but not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, refer it to the unjust, and not to the saints?
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote to me, It is good for a man, not to touch a woman. Yet, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife; and let every woman have her own husband. read more. Let the husband render the debt to the wife; and in like manner the wife also to the husband.
Let the husband render the debt to the wife; and in like manner the wife also to the husband. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband; and in like manner the husband also hath not power over his own body, but the wife.
The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband; and in like manner the husband also hath not power over his own body, but the wife. Withdraw not from each other, unless it be by consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to prayer, and may come together again, lest Satan tempt you through your incontinence.
Withdraw not from each other, unless it be by consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to prayer, and may come together again, lest Satan tempt you through your incontinence. But I say this by way of advice, not by way of precept. For I would that all men were even as myself: read more. but every one hath his proper gift from God, one after this manner, another after that.
but every one hath his proper gift from God, one after this manner, another after that. But to the unmarried and the widows I say, It is good for them, if they remain even as I.
But to the unmarried and the widows I say, It is good for them, if they remain even as I. But if they have not power over themselves, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. read more. The married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband. But if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife. To the rest speak I, not the Lord. If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the wife, who hath an unbelieving husband, that consenteth to live with her, let her not put him away. For the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified by the wife; and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean; but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever will depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not inslaved in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For how knowest thou, O wife, but thou mayst save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, but thou mayst save thy wife? But as God hath distributed to every one, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And thus I ordain in all the churches. Is any one called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
And thus I ordain in all the churches. Is any one called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. read more. Let every one in the calling wherein he is called, therein abide. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou canst be made free, use it rather. For he that is called by the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman; and in like manner, he that is called being free, is the servant of Christ. Ye are bought with a price; do not become the servants of men. Brethren, let every one wherein he is called, therein abide with God. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one who hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Now as to things sacrified to idols, we know: for all of us have knowledge.
For if any one see thee, who hast knowledge, sitting at meat in an idol-temple, will not the conscience of him that is weak be encouraged to eat of the things sacrificed to the idol?
But that what the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. Now I would not that ye should be partakers with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and the table of devils.
Whatever is sold in the shambles eat, asking no questions for conscience sake.
But if any one say to you, This hath been sacrificed to an idol, eat not, for his sake that shewed thee, and for conscience sake.
But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head; for it is the same as if she were shaved. Therefore if a woman is not covered, let her also be shaved: but if it be shameful, for a woman to have her hair shaved off, or cut short, let her be covered.
For this cause also the woman ought to have a veil upon her head, because of the angels.
But in this which I declare, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
Let your women be silent in the churches; for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law also saith.
Afterwards he was seen by above five hundred brethren at once,
After this he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
But some one will say, How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come?
As to our brother Apollos, I besought him much, to come to you with the brethren; yet he was by no means willing to come now; but he will come, when it shall be convenient.
Now I rejoice, not that ye grieved, but that ye grieved to repentance; for ye grieved in a godly manner, so that ye received damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of, whereas the sorrow of the world worketh death. read more. For behold, this very thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly manner, what diligence it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge? In all things ye have approved yourselves to be pure in this matter.
If indeed he that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another Spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. But I suppose that I fall nothing short of the very chief apostles.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
I am become a fool in boasting; but ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended by you: for in nothing have I fallen short of the very chief apostles, though I am nothing.