INTRODUCTION TO FIRST CORINTHIANS 1 This chapter contains the general inscription of the epistle, the usual salutation, and a special thanksgiving for blessings received; after which the apostle intimates the occasion of his writing, the divisions about their ministers, which gives him an opportuni... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST,.... The author, or rather the writer of the following epistle; for the Holy Ghost was the author and dictator of it, and which was never doubted: he is described by his, name Paul, though his Jewish name was Saul; and very probably he being a Jew by birt... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH IS AT CORINTH,.... This epistle is inscribed to the saints at Corinth; who are described by their being "the church of God", a particular congregated church; a number of persons gathered out of the world, and joined together in holy fellowship, carrying on the worship of... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE BE UNTO YOU, AND PEACE FROM GOD,.... This is an usual salutation in all Paul's epistles; Romans 1:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
I THANK MY GOD ALWAYS ON YOUR BEHALF,.... Now follows a thanksgiving for various blessings bestowed upon this church, which is a proof of the apostle's great affection for it, and how much its welfare lay at his heart. The object of thanksgiving is God, for as he is the author of all mercies, the gl... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IN EVERYTHING YE ARE ENRICHED BY HIM,.... This is still a continuation of the thanksgiving for this church, that they were "enriched", or plentifully and abundantly provided for by Christ, with all grace, with all the riches of grace; with his own unsearchable riches, of which they were made pa... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN AS THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST WAS CONFIRMED IN YOU. By "the testimony of Christ" is meant the Gospel of Christ, which bears a testimony to his deity, his incarnation, his obedience, sufferings, and death, his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at God's right hand, and interce... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT YE COME BEHIND IN NO GIFT,.... Ordinary or extraordinary; a detail of the gifts which were bestowed on them is made in 1 Corinthians 12:8; by which it appears that they were not inferior in gifts to any of the churches: WAITING FOR THE COMING; or "the revelation" OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST;... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL ALSO CONFIRM YOU UNTO THE END,.... The author of this blessing of confirmation is not the Lord Jesus Christ, though he is mentioned in the latter part of 1 Corinthians 1:7; and seems to be the antecedent to the relative "who" in this, but is not, for this confirmation is made in him; see 2... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD IS FAITHFUL, BY WHOM YE WERE CALLED,.... These words contain arguments, assuring the saints of their confirmation in grace, and of their being preserved blameless to the day of Christ, taken from the faithfulness of God, who is always true to his promises: whatever he has said, he will do it; he... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN,.... The apostle having observed the many favours and blessings bestowed on this church, proceeds to take notice of the divisions and contentions which were fomented in it; and in the most kind and tender manner entreats them to take every proper step to prevent schisms a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT HATH BEEN DECLARED UNTO ME, OF YOU, MY BRETHREN,.... Lest the above advice of the apostle should be thought to be impertinent and needless, and to proceed upon groundless suspicions and jealousies of his, he signifies that he not only had some broad hints of their contentions and divisions, b... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THIS I SAY THAT EVERYONE OF YOU SAITH,.... This the apostle affirms not upon his own personal knowledge, but upon the credit of the report the house of Chloe had made unto him; and his meaning is not that every individual member of this church, but that many of them, and the far greater number o... [ Continue Reading ]
IS CHRIST DIVIDED?.... Some read the words as an assertion, "Christ is divided"; that is, his body, the church, is divided by such factions and parties; though in some copies μη, the note of interrogation, is put before the clause, and so to be rendered, "is Christ divided?" no; his human body was n... [ Continue Reading ]
I THANK GOD THAT I BAPTIZED NONE OF YOU,.... The Alexandrian copy and the Syriac version read, "I thank my God"; not that the apostle disliked the ordinance of baptism, or the administration of it; and much less that he thought it criminal, or an evil in him to perform it; nor was he at any time dis... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST ANY SHOULD SAY THAT I HAD BAPTIZED IN MY OWN NAME. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, "lest anyone should say that ye were baptized in my name"; and the Ethiopic version renders it, "that ye might not say we have been baptized in his name". This gives th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I ALSO BAPTIZED THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANAS,.... The same name with "Stephanios", or "Stephanio" in Pliny e. Before he says he had baptized none but Crispus and Gaius; but recollecting things, he corrects himself, and observes, that he had also baptized the household of Stephanas, who by the Gree... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR CHRIST SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE,.... Some think the apostle refers to his particular mission from Christ, Acts 26:16 in which no mention is made of his administering the ordinance of baptism; but no doubt he had the same mission the rest of the apostles had, which was to baptize as well as preach;... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS,.... Not of the Christian's cross, which he is to take up and bear for the sake of Christ; though this is a doctrine taught by Christ, and his apostles, and found to be true by the saints in all ages; and is what is had in great aversion and contempt, being very disagr... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT IS WRITTEN,.... The passage referred to is in Isaiah 29:14 where it is read, "the wisdom of their wise men shall perish; and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid"; and is rendered by the Septuagint, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE IS THE WISE? WHERE IS THE SCRIBE?.... These are the apostle's own words; though he may allude to Isaiah 33:18 where there are some phrases much like these, but the meaning is very different. Though they are interpreted by the Talmudists g in a sense pretty near the apostle's; for thus they rem... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AFTER THAT IN THE WISDOM OF GOD,.... These words contain a reason proving the infatuation of men, with respect to "the wisdom of God"; by which may be meant either Christ, who is the wisdom of God, was in the world, and yet the world of the Jews, and their chief Rabbins among them, with all thei... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE JEWS REQUIRE A SIGN,.... The Jews had always been used to miracles, in confirmation of the mission of the prophets sent unto them, and therefore insisted on a sign proving Jesus to be the true Messiah; except signs and wonders were wrought, they would not believe; and though miracles were wr... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED,.... Regardless of the sentiments and opinions of Jews and Gentiles, of what the one required and the other sought after; and in opposition to all their senseless and groundless cavils, the apostle and his fellow ministers continued preaching the doctrine of salvation... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO THEM WHICH ARE CALLED,.... Effectually, by the grace of God, not merely externally, but internally; these have other sentiments of Christ, and the doctrine of salvation by him; for being called out of darkness, and savingly illuminated by the Spirit of God, they see wisdom, beauty, glory, e... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD,.... Not that there is any such thing as "foolishness" in God, nor the least degree of weakness in him; but the apostle means that which the men of the world esteem so, and therefore, by an ironical concession, calls it by those names; by which is intended either Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE SEE YOUR CALLING, BRETHREN,.... That is, those that were called by the grace of God among them; for as circumcision and uncircumcision stand for circumcised and uncircumcised persons, and election for elect persons, and righteousness for righteous persons, Romans 3:30 so here "calling" design... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GOD HATH CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD,.... So the Jews, in distinction from their wise Rabbins and doctors, call others, טפשין דעלמא, "the fools of the world" p; the persons whom God made choice of from all eternity, as appears by his calling them in time, are such who with respect to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD,.... Who are reckoned the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things; men of mean birth, education, and business of life: AND THINGS THAT ARE DESPISED; and set at nought, as poor persons generally are; yet God HATH CHOSEN them; even the poor of this world, r... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. That is, "in the presence of God", as some copies, and the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read; not in their blood, birth, families, lineage, and natural descent; nor in their might, power, and dominion; nor in their riches, wealth, and substance; nor in the... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OF HIM ARE YE IN CHRIST JESUS,.... These words, as they direct to the proper object of glorying, Christ, so they show the high honour the called ones are brought to in and through Christ, and are opposed to their outward meanness, folly, weakness, poverty, and contempt. They are first of God the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT, ACCORDING AS IT IS WRITTEN,.... Jeremiah 9:23. HE THAT GLORIETH, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD; not in his own wisdom, riches, and strength; but in Christ, as his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.... [ Continue Reading ]