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."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And it happened that [while] Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions [and] came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day [for] three years I did not stop warning each one [of you] with tears.
For it has been made clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by {Chloe's people}, that there are quarrels among you.
But I will come to you whenever I go through Macedonia (for I am going through Macedonia),
Now I rejoice over the arrival of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because these make up for your absence,
For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.
I did not experience rest in my spirit, [because] I did not find Titus my brother, but saying farewell to them, I departed for Macedonia.
So we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun [it], thus he would also complete for you this [act of] grace.
But thanks [be] to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion {on your behalf}, because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out to you. read more. And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [has become known] throughout all the churches.
Hastings
CORINTHIANS, FIRST EPISTLE TO THE
1. Occasion of the Epistle.
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Those who trample the heads of the powerless into the dust of the ground and turn aside the way of the destitute, a man and his father {have sexual relations with} the same girl, so that [they] profane my holy name.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
Truly I say to you, among [those] born of women there has not arisen [one] greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this saying but [those] to whom it has been given.
And [when they] had appointed elders for them in every church, [after] praying with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
[that you] abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. [If you] keep yourselves from {these things} you will do well. Farewell.
And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul.
Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus.
And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized.
So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio.
Now a certain Jew {named} Apollos, {a native} Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus--an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures.
and stayed three months. [Because] a plot was made against him by the Jews [as he] was about to set sail for Syria, he came to a decision to return through Macedonia.
and stayed three months. [Because] a plot was made against him by the Jews [as he] was about to set sail for Syria, he came to a decision to return through Macedonia.
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread and came to them at Troas within five days, where we stayed seven days.
And from Miletus he sent [word] to Ephesus [and] summoned the elders of the church.
({Now this man had} four virgin daughters who prophesied.)
What therefore shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, in order that grace may increase?
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone who is among you not to think more highly of yourself than what one ought to think, but to think {sensibly}, as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each one.
Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my compatriots.
For it has been made clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by {Chloe's people}, that there are quarrels among you. But I say this, that each of you is saying, "I am with Paul," and "I [am] with Apollos," and "I [am] with Cephas," and "I [am] with Christ."
But I say this, that each of you is saying, "I am with Paul," and "I [am] with Apollos," and "I [am] with Cephas," and "I [am] with Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, not with {clever speech}, lest the cross of Christ be emptied.
Where [is] the wise person? Where [is] the scribe? Where [is] the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
Where [is] the wise person? Where [is] the scribe? Where [is] the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness,
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness,
For consider your calling, brothers, that not many [were] wise according to human standards, not many [were] powerful, not many [were] well born.
And I, [when I] came to you, brothers, did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing,
[things] which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in [words] taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual [things] to spiritual [people].
and you [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.
Now I have applied these things, brothers, to myself and Apollos for your sake, in order that in us you may learn not [to go] beyond what is written, lest someone be inflated with pride on behalf of one [person] against the other.
[when we are] slandered, we encourage. We have become like the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all [things], until now.
[I have decided] to hand over such a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
I wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means [did I mean] the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world.
For what [is it] to me to judge those outside? Should you not judge those inside?
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? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if by you the world is judged, are you unworthy of the most insignificant courts?
Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if by you the world is judged, are you unworthy of the most insignificant courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels, not to mention ordinary matters? read more. Therefore, if you have courts with regard to ordinary matters, do you seat these despised [people] in the church? I say [this] to your shame. So is there not anyone wise among you who will be able to render a decision between his brothers? But brother goes to court with brother, and this before unbelievers! Therefore it is already completely a loss for you that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? But you wrong and defraud, and [do] this [to] brothers!
And some of you were these [things], but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. All [things] are permitted for me, but not all [things] are profitable. All [things] are permitted for me, but I will not be controlled by anything.
All [things] are permitted for me, but not all [things] are profitable. All [things] are permitted for me, but I will not be controlled by anything. Food [is] for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will abolish {both of them}. Now the body [is] not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. read more. And God both raised up the Lord and will raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Therefore, shall I take away the members of Christ [and] make [them] members of a prostitute? May it never be!
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Therefore, shall I take away the members of Christ [and] make [them] members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body [with her]? For it says, "The two will become one flesh." read more. But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit [with him]. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God with your body.
Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."
To the married I command--not I, but the Lord--a wife must not separate from [her] husband.
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.
But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion--and I think I have the Spirit of God.
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? For the one who is weak--the brother for whom Christ died--is destroyed by your knowledge. read more. Now [if you] sin in this way against the brothers and wound their conscience, which is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat {forever}, in order that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
Do we not have the right to take along a sister [as] wife, like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Who shepherds a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?
If others share this right over you, do we not [do so] even more? Yet we have not made use of this right, but we endure all [things], in order that we may not cause any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
In the [same] way also the Lord ordered those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel.
What then is my reward? That [when I] proclaim the gospel, I may offer the gospel free of charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all went through the sea,
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed [them], and the rock was Christ.
Temptation has not come upon you except [what is] common to humanity. But God [is] faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, [so that you] may be able to endure [it]. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
Become imitators of me, just as I also [am] of Christ.
Become imitators of me, just as I also [am] of Christ. Now I praise you that you remember me [in] all [things], and just as I handed over to you the traditions, you hold fast to [them].
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.
Because of this, the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on her head, on account of the angels.
Therefore, [when] you come together in the same [place], it is not to eat the Lord's supper.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread,
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led.
and whom God has appointed in the church: first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues.
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. But if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
But let all [things] be [done] decently and according to proper procedure.
and that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures,
Now if Christ is preached as raised up from the dead, how do some among you say that [there] is no resurrection of the dead?
Now concerning the collection for the saints: just as I gave directions about [it] to the churches of Galatia, so you do also.
and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go.
And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill,
But I call upon God [as] witness against my life, that [in order to] spare you, I did not come again to Corinth.
But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ.
Consequently, even if I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong or because of the one who had been wronged, but in order that your diligence {on our behalf} might be revealed to you before God.
And I am giving an opinion in this [matter], because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do [something], but also to want [to do it].
because I know your readiness [to help], [concerning] which I keep on boasting to the Macedonians about you, that Achaia has been ready [to help] since last year, and your zeal has stirred up the majority [of them].
You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ's, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself [is], so also [are] we.
This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you. {By the testimony} of two or three witnesses every word will be established.
because [the] husband is [the] head of the wife, as also Christ [is the] head of the church (he himself [being the] Savior of the body).
because [the] husband is [the] head of the wife, as also Christ [is the] head of the church (he himself [being the] Savior of the body).
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, {on more than one occasion}--and Satan hindered us.
among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, in order that they may be taught not to blaspheme.
But I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but {to remain quiet}.
who have deviated concerning the truth [by] saying the resurrection has already taken place, and they are upsetting 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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So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
And it happened that [while] Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions [and] came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day [for] three years I did not stop warning each one [of you] with tears.
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,
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing [it] to grow.