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 some of Chloe's family, that there are contentions among you.
Now as to the things concerning which ye wrote to me: it were good for a man not to touch a woman.
I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus: for what was wanting in you, they have made up.
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 baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in fine speech, least the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God; that we might know the things that are graciously bestowed upon us by God:
Dare any of you, having a matter of complaint against another, try it before the unjust, and not before the saints?
Now as to the things concerning which ye wrote to me: it were good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless to prevent whoredoms, let every one have his own wife, and let every woman have 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 of her own body, but the husband; and in like manner also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and in like manner also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Do not withdraw from one another, unless by consent for a season, that ye may attend to fasting and prayer: and come together again, least Satan tempt you through your incontinency.
Do not withdraw from one another, unless by consent for a season, that ye may attend to fasting and prayer: and come together again, least Satan tempt you through your incontinency. But I say this by way of permission, not of command: read more. for I could wish that all men were as I myself am; but every man hath his proper gift from God, one of one kind and another of another?
for I could wish that all men were as I myself am; but every man hath his proper gift from God, one of one kind and another of another? Now to the unmarried and widows I say, it is good for them to continue so, as I do.
Now to the unmarried and widows I say, it is good for them to continue so, as I do. But if they have not the gift of continence, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with lust. read more. But those that are married, not I command, but the Lord, that the wife be not separated from her husband; (but if she separate, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband;) and that the husband put not away his wife. But to the rest say I, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she like to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And if any wife hath an unbelieving husband, and he like to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband: else were your children unclean; but they are holy. But if the unbeliever depart, let them depart; a brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. But God hath called us to peace; for how knowest thou, O wife, but thou shalt save thy husband; or how knowest thou, O husband, but thou shalt save thy wife? However, as God hath distributed to every man, and as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk: and thus I order in all the churches. Is any one called that is circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised: for circumcision is nothing,
Is any one called that is circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised: for circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. read more. In the calling in which every one was called, let him continue. Wast thou called being a slave, be not anxious about it; but if thou canst be made free, prefer it. For he that is called in the Lord being a slave, is the Lord's freed-man: and he likewise that is called being free is the servant of Christ. Ye are bought with a price, do not become the slaves of men. Brethren, in whatever condition every one was when called, let him abide therein with God. But concerning single persons I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgement as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Now as to things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge about them. Knowledge however puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
For if any one see thee, who hast knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him that is weak be encouraged to eat of the things sacrificed to idols?
No: but this I say, that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I would not have you partakers with demons. Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.
Eat then whatever is sold in the shambles, asking no questions for conscience sake:
But if any one say to you, This hath been sacrificed to an idol,---eat it not; for his sake who informed thee, and for conscience-sake: for, as I said, the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, so that thou mayst have food enough without it.
But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoureth man her head; for it is even all one as if she were shaved. For if a woman be not covered, she may as well be shorn: but if it be shameful to a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
For this reason ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the angels.
But whilst I am declaring this, I do not commend you, that ye assemble together not for the better, but for the worse.
Let your women be silent in your assemblies: for it is not permitted to them to speak, but they are to be in subjection, as the law saith.
And that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve:
Afterwards He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
But some will say, How are the dead raised, and with what body do they come?
I much importuned him to come to you with the brethren: but he was not at all willing to come now; though he will come when he has a favorable opportunity.
However, now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were grieved after a godly manner, so that ye received no damage from us. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but 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 apology, what indignation, what fear, what earnest desire, what zeal, what revenge! by all which ye have shewn yourselves to be clear in the affair.
For if he, that cometh to you, preacheth 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 embraced, ye might indeed bear with him. For I think I was not inferior to the very chiefest apostles: and if I am unskilled in speech,
Are they Hebrews? so am I: are they Israelites? so am I: are they the seed of Abraham?
Am I become vain in boasting? ye have forced me to it: for I ought to have been recommended by you, as I have in nothing fallen short of the very chiefest of the apostles, though in myself I am nothing.