Reference: Corinthians, First Epistle To The
Easton
was written from Ephesus (1Co 16:8) about the time of the Passover in the third year of the apostle's sojourn there (Ac 19:10; 20:31), and when he had formed the purpose to visit Macedonia, and then return to Corinth (probably A.D. 57).
The news which had reached him, however, from Corinth frustrated his plan. He had heard of the abuses and contentions that had arisen among them, first from Apollos (Ac 19:1), and then from a letter they had written him on the subject, and also from some of the "household of Chloe," and from Stephanas and his two friends who had visited him (1Co 1:11; 16:17). Paul thereupon wrote this letter, for the purpose of checking the factious spirit and correcting the erroneous opinions that had sprung up among them, and remedying the many abuses and disorderly practices that prevailed. Titus and a brother whose name is not given were probably the bearers of the letter (2Co 2:13; 8:6,16-18).
The epistle may be divided into four parts:
(1.) The apostle deals with the subject of the lamentable divisions and party strifes that had arisen among them (1-4).
(2.) He next treats of certain cases of immorality that had become notorious among them. They had apparently set at nought the very first principles of morality (5; 6).
(3.) In the third part he discusses various questions of doctrine and of Christian ethics in reply to certain communications they had made to him. He especially rectifies certain flagrant abuses regarding the celebration of the Lord's supper (7-14).
(4.) The concluding part (15; 16) contains an elaborate defense of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which had been called in question by some among them, followed by some general instructions, intimations, and greetings.
This epistle "shows the powerful self-control of the apostle in spite of his physical weakness, his distressed circumstances, his incessant troubles, and his emotional nature. It was written, he tells us, in bitter anguish, 'out of much affliction and pressure of heart...and with streaming eyes' (2Co 2:4); yet he restrained the expression of his feelings, and wrote with a dignity and holy calm which he thought most calculated to win back his erring children. It gives a vivid picture of the early church...It entirely dissipates the dream that the apostolic church was in an exceptional condition of holiness of life or purity of doctrine." The apostle in this epistle unfolds and applies great principles fitted to guide the church of all ages in dealing with the same and kindred evils in whatever form they may appear.
This is one of the epistles the authenticity of which has never been called in question by critics of any school, so many and so conclusive are the evidences of its Pauline origin.
The subscription to this epistle states erroneously in the Authorized Version that it was written at Philippi. This error arose from a mistranslation of 1Co 16:5, "For I do pass through Macedonia," which was interpreted as meaning, "I am passing through Macedonia." In 1Co 16:8 he declares his intention of remaining some time longer in Ephesus. After that, his purpose is to "pass through Macedonia."
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And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,
And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Wherefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears.
For it has been shewn to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of the house of Chloe, that there are strifes among you.
But I will come to you when I shall have gone through Macedonia; for I do go through Macedonia.
But I rejoice in the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus; because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.
For out of much tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye may be grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards you.
I had no rest in my spirit at not finding Titus my brother; but bidding them adieu, I came away to Macedonia.
So that we begged Titus that, according as he had before begun, so he would also complete as to you this grace also;
But thanks be to God, who gives the same diligent zeal for you in the heart of Titus. For he received indeed the entreaty, but, being full of zeal, he went of his own accord to you; read more. but we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the glad tidings through all the assemblies;
Hastings
CORINTHIANS, FIRST EPISTLE TO THE
1. Occasion of the Epistle.
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panting after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turning aside the way of the meek; and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.
And every one who hears these my words and does not do them, he shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand;
for he taught them as having authority, and not as their scribes.
Verily I say to you, that there is not arisen among the born of women a greater than John the baptist. But he who is a little one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.
And he said to them, All cannot receive this word, but those to whom it has been given;
And having chosen them elders in each assembly, having prayed with fastings, they committed them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; keeping yourselves from which ye will do well. Farewell.
And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul.
And when both Silas and Timotheus came down from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in respect of the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
But Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised.
And having all laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, they beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio troubled himself about none of these things.
But a certain Jew, Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, who was mighty in the scriptures, arrived at Ephesus.
And having spent three months there, a treacherous plot against him having been set on foot by the Jews, as he was going to sail to Syria, the resolution was adopted of returning through Macedonia.
And having spent three months there, a treacherous plot against him having been set on foot by the Jews, as he was going to sail to Syria, the resolution was adopted of returning through Macedonia.
but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and we came to them to Troas in five days, where we spent seven days.
But from Miletus having sent to Ephesus, he called over to him the elders of the assembly.
Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
What then shall we say? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?
For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith.
Timotheus, my fellow-workman, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
For it has been shewn to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of the house of Chloe, that there are strifes among you. But I speak of this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
But I speak of this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is the Christ divided? has Paul been crucified for you? or have ye been baptised unto the name of Paul?
For Christ has not sent me to baptise, but to preach glad tidings; not in wisdom of word, that the cross of the Christ may not be made vain.
Where is the wise? where scribe? where disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
Where is the wise? where scribe? where disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence, and to nations foolishness;
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence, and to nations foolishness;
For consider your calling, brethren, that there are not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many high-born.
And I, when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.
But we speak wisdom among the perfect; but wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who come to nought.
which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.
and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Now these things, brethren, I have transferred, in their application, to myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us the lesson of not letting your thoughts go above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up one for such a one against another.
insulted, we entreat: we are become as the offscouring of the world, the refuse of all, until now.
to deliver him, I say, being such, to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
I have written to you in the epistle not to mix with fornicators; not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the avaricious and rapacious, or idolaters, since then ye should go out of the world.
For what have I to do with judging those outside also? ye, do not ye judge them that are within?
Dare any one of you, having a matter against another, prosecute his suit before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not then know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy of the smallest judgments?
Do ye not then know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy of the smallest judgments? Do ye not know that we shall judge angels? and not then matters of this life? read more. If then ye have judgments as to things of this life, set those to judge who are little esteemed in the assembly. I speak to you to put you to shame. Thus there is not a wise person among you, not even one, who shall be able to decide between his brethren! But brother prosecutes his suit with brother, and that before unbelievers. Already indeed then it is altogether a fault in you that ye have suits between yourselves. Why do ye not rather suffer wrong? why are ye not rather defrauded? But ye do wrong, and defraud, and this your brethren.
And these things were some of you; but ye have been washed, but ye have been sanctified, but ye have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful to me, but all things do not profit; all things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
All things are lawful to me, but all things do not profit; all things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God will bring to nothing both it and them: but the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. read more. And God has both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up from among the dead by his power. Do ye not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then, taking the members of the Christ, make them members of a harlot? Far be the thought.
Do ye not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then, taking the members of the Christ, make them members of a harlot? Far be the thought. Do ye not know that he that is joined to the harlot is one body? for the two, he says, shall be one flesh. read more. But he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may practise is without the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. Do ye not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God; and ye are not your own? for ye have been bought with a price: glorify now then God in your body.
But concerning the things of which ye have written to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman;
But to the married I enjoin, not I, but the Lord, Let not wife be separated from husband;
But concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give my opinion, as having received mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
But she is happier if she so remain, according to my judgment; but I think that I also have God's Spirit.
But concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know, (for we all have knowledge: knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
For if any one see thee, who hast knowledge, sitting at table in an idol-house, shall not his conscience, he being weak, be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to the idol? and the weak one, the brother for whose sake Christ died, will perish through thy knowledge. read more. Now, thus sinning against the brethren, and wounding their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore if meat be a fall-trap to my brother, I will eat no flesh for ever, that I may not be a fall-trap to my brother.
Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
have we not a right to take round a sister as wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
If others partake of this right over you, should not rather we? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.
So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless to others, so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in announcing the glad tidings.
Know ye not that they who run in the race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.
For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them: (now the rock was the Christ;)
No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man's nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation make the issue also, so that ye should be able to bear it. Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Be my imitators, even as I also am of Christ.
Be my imitators, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, that in all things ye are mindful of me; and that as I have directed you, ye keep the directions.
But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her own head to shame; for it is one and the same as a shaved woman.
Therefore ought the woman to have authority on her head, on account of the angels.
When ye come therefore together into one place, it is not to eat the Lord's supper.
For I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread,
Ye know that when ye were of the nations ye were led away to dumb idols, in whatever way ye might be led.
And God has set certain in the assembly: first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers; then miraculous powers; then gifts of healings; helps; governments; kinds of tongues.
Let your women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not permitted to them to speak; but to be in subjection, as the law also says. But if they wish to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in assembly.
But let all things be done comelily and with order.
and that he was buried; and that he was raised the third day, according to the scriptures;
Now if Christ is preached that he is raised from among the dead, how say some among you that there is not a resurrection of those that are dead?
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the assemblies of Galatia, so do ye do also.
But perhaps I will stay with you, or even winter with you, that ye may set me forward wheresoever I may go.
And with this confidence I purposed to come to you previously, that ye might have a second favour;
But I call God to witness upon my soul that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth.
But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.
So then, if also I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of him that injured, nor for the sake of him that was injured, but for the sake of our diligent zeal for you being manifested to you before God.
And I give my opinion in this, for this is profitable for you who began before, not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.
For I know your readiness, which I boast of as respects you to Macedonians, that Achaia is prepared since a year ago, and the zeal reported of you has stimulated the mass of the brethren.
Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are we.
This third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every matter be established.
for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body.
for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body.
Paul and Timotheus, bondmen of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers;
wherefore we have desired to come to you, even I Paul, both once and twice, and Satan has hindered us.
of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.
but I do not suffer a woman to teach nor to exercise authority over man, but to be in quietness;
men who as to the truth have gone astray, saying that the resurrection has taken place already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Smith
Corinth'ians, First Epistle to the,
was written by the apostle St. Paul toward the close of his nearly three-years stay at Ephesus,
which, we learn from
probably terminated with the Pentecost of A.D. 57 or 58. The bearers were probably (according to the common subscription) Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus. It appears to have been called forth by the information the apostles had received of dissension in the Corinthian church, which may be thus explained: --The Corinthian church was planted by the apostle himself,
in his second missionary journey.
seq. He abode in the city a year and a half.
A short time after the apostle had left the city the eloquent Jew of Alexandria, Apollos, went to Corinth,
and gained many followers, dividing the church into two parties, the followers of Paul and the followers of Apollos. Later on Judaizing teachers from Jerusalem preached the gospel in a spirit of direct antagonism to St. Paul personally. To this third party we may perhaps add a fourth, that, under the name of "the followers of Christ,"
sought at first to separate themselves from the factious adherence to particular teachers, but eventually were driven by antagonism into positions equally sectarian and inimical to the unity of the church. At this momentous period, before parties had become consolidated and that distinctly withdrawn from communion with one another, the apostle writes; and in the outset of the epistle, 1Cor 1-4:21, we have this noble and impassioned protest against this fourfold rending of the robe of Christ.
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And he remained there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God.
And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,
And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Wherefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears.
But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which have been freely given to us of God:
I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase.