V. An entirely new subject, to which the concluding words of the last chapter form a natural introduction, is now treated of. Intelligence has reached the Apostle, through the members of Chloe’s household (1 Corinthians 1:11), or through general report, that a member of the Corinthian Church has cau... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS REPORTED COMMONLY. — Better, _There is absolutely said to be fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles._ All the best MSS. omit the word “named.” The force of the statement is that the fornication was of such a kind (with a stepmother) as even the Gentile wo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE ARE PUFFED UP. — Better, _And are ye puffed up?_ &c. We have instances of similar sentences beginning with “and,” Luke 10:29. The Apostle cannot mean that they actually gloried in this act of sin, but that their temper of mind was of that kind which he has already described in the earlier Cha... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I VERILY. — The Apostle had fully made up his mind that this offender must be removed, and insists on the Corinthians doing it. So that the previous words imply they might as well have done it without waiting for his interference. AS ABSENT IN BODY. — Better, omit “as,” which is not in the best... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.... AND MY SPIRIT. — These two verses contain the apostolic sentence on the offender, and may read thus: “I have already myself decided, in the name of our Lord Jesus, you being gathered together, and my spirit (as in 1 Corinthians 5:3), in the power of our Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED. — The object of this punishment was the destruction of the flesh, and the salvation of the man.... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR GLORYING IS NOT GOOD. — There is possibly a reference here to some boasting regarding their spiritual state contained in the letter which had reached St. Paul from Corinth, and to which part of this Epistle is a reply. (See 1 Corinthians 7:1.) So long as there is that one bad person amongst you... [ Continue Reading ]
PURGE OUT THEREFORE THE OLD LEAVEN. — It is not the offending man who is here spoken of, but it is the spirit in the Church which tolerated the evil, and which is to be purged out of their midst that they may become actually (a new lump) as they are by profession (unleavened). CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS... [ Continue Reading ]
OLD LEAVEN — _i.e.,_ in their old state generally; and then the Apostle proceeds to particularise. Sincerity and truth are to take the place of malice and wickedness in the continuous life of the Christian. St. Chrysostom well remarks: “He said ‘Let us keep the feast’ as pointing out that the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
I WROTE UNTO YOU IN AN EPISTLE. — These words have given rise to some controversy as to whether the Apostle here refers to some former Epistle addressed to the Corinthian Church, and which has not been preserved, or whether the reference is not to this Epistle itself. It has been suggested by some w... [ Continue Reading ]
YET NOT ALTOGETHER WITH THE FORNICATORS OF THIS WORLD. — This is a limitation and explanation of the command given not to associate with fornicators. It would have been almost impossible for the command to be literally obeyed without the Christian withdrawing altogether from the business of life, so... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW I HAVE WRITTEN UNTO YOU.. _._ — i.e., “But what I meant was” that you were not to associate with a Christian guilty of these things. It may seem strange that the word “idolater” should be included in this category; for in what sense could a “brother” be a worshipper of idols? It is probable... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT HAVE I TO DO ...? — The Apostle in this verse at once explains the grounds of the limitation of his remarks to Christians, and seems to hint also, by the form of expression here, that the Corinthian Church ought to have been able to have understood his remarks as only applicable to themselv... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD JUDGETH. — In the best MSS. the verb is in the future tense: _God will judge._ He is the judge of the whole earth; we are to leave the heathen world in His hands. THEREFORE PUT AWAY... — Better omit “therefore.” The Apostle in this passage adopts the form of pronouncing sentence on great crimin... [ Continue Reading ]