_BY CHRIST'S RESURRECTION HE PROVETH THE NECESSITY OF OUR RESURRECTION, AGAINST ALL SUCH AS DENY THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. THE FRUIT AND MANNER THEREOF, AND OF THE CHANGE WHICH THE FAITHFUL SHALL PASS THROUGH WHO SHALL BE FOUND ALIVE AT THE LAST DAY._ _Anno Domini 57._ FROM Acts 17:32 it appea... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, BRETHREN, &C.— After St. Paul had left the Corinthians, some among them denied the resurrection of the dead, though he had strongly inculcated that doctrine. He therefore confutes their objections by Christ's resurrection, which the number of witnesses yet remaining who had seen him, put p... [ Continue Reading ]
BY WHICH—YE ARE SAVED.— "By which you are brought into a state of salvation; into the way of being completely and eternally saved." The next clause should be rendered, _If you retain those joyful tidings which I delivered unto you._ The words rendered _unless,_ εκτος ει μη, are remarkable, and may s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY.— It has been questioned, where the scriptures foretel that Christ should rise from the dead on the third day. Some think there is a parenthesis: so that the meaning will be, "He rose again according to the scriptures, and this on the third day." Others refer to... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN OF THE TWELVE.— It is certain, that neither _Judas_ nor _Thomas_ was there, and probably James might be absent, (see on 1 Corinthians 15:7.) But as the _council of twenty-three_ among the Jews might be said to be assembled if the greater part were present, though the number might not be complet... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOVE FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN AT ONCE.— This was probably in Galilee, where our Saviour had a very great number of disciples; and though there were no more than a hundred and twenty assembled at Jerusalem when Matthias was chosen, yet it does not follow that there was no such number in Galilee, where... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN OF ALL THE APOSTLES.— The change of phrase from that in the conclusion of the 5th verse, is very remarkable, and probably intimates, that they who were there called _the twelve,_ (that is, the greatest part of the company who used to be so denominated) were not, even _the whole eleven._ On whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AS OF ONE BORN OUT OF DUE TIME.— A birth which comes before its time, (the name which St. Paul here gives himself,) is usually _sudden_ and unexpected, and is also weak and feeble. The former part applies so St. Paul's being made a Christian and an apostle, though it be in regard to the latter that... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, &C.— "For how much soever I be now enriched, and advanced to gifts and graces, and in the honours of the apostolate; and how eminent and successful soever my labours and sufferings have been in the execution of that office, I really am in myself, and in my own acc... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS NOT IN VAIN.— Instead of _was not in vain,_ &c. some render the passage _has not been in vain; for I have laboured._... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW SAY SOME AMONG YOU? &C.— This may well be understood of the head of the contrary faction, and some of his disciples. _First,_ because St. Paul introduces this confutation by asserting his mission, which these his opposers would bring in question. _Secondly,_ because he is so careful to let the C... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN IS CHRIST NOT RISEN.— The argument on which the Apostle dwells in so copious a manner, would appear to be of great moment, whatever the principles were by which the doctrine of the resurrection was assaulted. It could not be said, that that was in its own nature impossible which was accomplishe... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE YET IN YOUR SINS.— The word _sin_ is frequently used for the _punishment_ due to _sin;_ and in that sense it should be understood here: "Ye are yet liable to the punishment of your sins." It is the constant tenor of scripture, that atonement for the sins of the world was made by our great Hig... [ Continue Reading ]
FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST.— "All deceased Christians, not excepting the most excellent of them, who have died for their religion. They have lost their life and being together, on this supposition, in the cause of one, who, if still among the dead, must have been an impostor, and a false prophet.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE OF ALL MEN MOST MISERABLE.— _Most pitiable._ Doddridge. It is quite foreign to the purpose to argue from this text, as some have done, that if there were no future state, holiness and virtue would make men more miserable than they would otherwise be. It is evident that St. Paul here speaks no... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN, &C.— It is a great mistake to imagine that the Apostle is employed throughout this chapter in proving a resurrection: the proof lies in a very narrow compass, chiefly from 1 Corinthians 15:12 and almost all the rest of the chapter is taken up in illustrating, vindicating, or... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE SHALL HAVE PUT DOWN ALL RULE.— _Shall have abolished,_ or _deposed._ The word καταργεομαι generally signifies divesting a thing of some power, whether lawful or usurped, which it formerly had, and of reducing it to an incapacity of exerting that power any more. Thus it is used of _Satan,_ He... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE SON ALSO HIMSELF BE SUBJECT, &C.— "When the Father shall have subjected all things to him, so that it shall appear to every eye that he is indeed Lord of all, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him, who subjected all things to him, by a public act in the midst of this most... [ Continue Reading ]
ELSE WHAT SHALL THEY DO, &C.— "Such are our views and hopes, as Christians; _else,_ if it were not so, _what should they do who are baptized_ in token of their embracing the Christian faith _in the room of the dead,_ who are just fallen in the cause of Christ, but whose places are filled up by a suc... [ Continue Reading ]
I PROTEST BY YOUR REJOICING.— "I protest by your joys, which I do so cordially take part in that I may call them my own.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN, &C.— St. Paul was a Roman citizen, and pleaded his privilege as such, and therefore the chief captain was afraid because he had bound him; for, as Cicero says, _Facinus est vinciri civem Romanum, scelus verberari;_—that is, "it is wicked, or unlawful, to bind a Roman citi... [ Continue Reading ]
EVIL COMMUNICATIONS CORRUPT GOOD MANNERS.— The original words are a quotation from the works of Menander, and are an Iambic verse. Accordingly Dr. Doddridge very well translates them thus: "Good manners are debauch'd by talk profane.... [ Continue Reading ]
I SPEAK THIS TO YOUR SHAME.— May not this probably be said to make them ashamed of their leader, in whom they were so forward to glory? For it is not unlikely that their questioningand denying the resurrection came from their new Apostle, who raised such opposition against St. Paul. Instead of, _Awa... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME MAN WILL SAY, HOW, &C.?— If we will allow St. Paul to know what he says, it is plain from his answers, that he understands these words to contain two questions: _First,_ "How comes it to pass, that dead men are raised to life again;—would it not be better they should live on;—why do they die to... [ Continue Reading ]
EXCEPT IT DIE.— It has been objected to this, that if the seed die, it never bears fruit; but it is certain that the seed in general does consume away in the ground, though a little germen or bud, which makes a part of it, springs up into new life, and is fed by the death and corruption of the rest.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO EVERY SEED HIS OWN BODY.— The Apostle seems more directly to speak of that as its proper body, which is peculiar to that species of grain; yet undoubtedly each ear has a peculiar reference to one individual, as its proper seed, in such a manner, as another of the same species has not: and what fo... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL FLESH IS NOT THE SAME FLESH.— The scope of the passage makes it evident, that by _flesh_ St. Paul here means _bodies;_ as much as to say, that God has given to the several sorts of animals, bodies in shape, texture, and organization, very different one from another, as he has thought good; and s... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE GLORY OF THE SUN, &C.— Some would connect these two verses in the following manner: _There is one glory of the sun,_ &c.—_For one star differeth from another star,_ 1 Corinthians 15:42. _So also in glory is the resurrection of the dead._ But the clause, _So also is the resurrection of t... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS SOWN IN CORRUPTION.— "The body which has now in it such manifest principles of mortality and corruption, which consists now of such brittle and tender parts, that the least disease disturbs, and unfits them for their operations; which is now subject to so many casualties, and has its continuan... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST MAN ADAM WAS MADE A LIVING SOUL;— _An animal with life,_ ψυχη,— _anima,_ whence _animal_ in the preceding verses. See 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and the note on Genesis 2:7. The last clause is not a quotation from Scripture, as some have thought, but what the Apostle adds on occasion of the quot... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST MAN IS OF THE EARTH,— "The first man was from the earth, and so earthly: he was created out of the dust of the earth, and his body was only a mass of animated clay; in reference to which it was said, _'Dust thou art.'_ The second man of whom we speak, is the Lord from heaven: and whatever... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I SHEW YOU A MYSTERY:— _I tell you,_ &c. That is, "a doctrine hitherto unknown, and which you cannot now be able fully to comprehend; for we, the faithful saints of God, shall not all sleep,—shall not all be submitted to the stroke of death; but we shall all, the living as well as the dead,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE, &C.— "For, in order hereunto, (το φθαρτον τουτο) this very individual decaying and corruptible body, which is now liable to putrefaction, and will soon corrupt in the grave, must be new-built, and formed into a state of strength and vigour, of spiritual and incorruptible qualit... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN THIS CORRUPTIBLE, &C.— Or, _And when,_ &c. "When this glorious and long expected event shall be accomplished,—when this corruptible part of our frame shall have put on incorruption, &c. thenshall be fulfilled what is written, Isaiah 25:8. _Death is swallowed up in victory;_ perfectly subdued... [ Continue Reading ]