PREFACE TO THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS.

ever since remained. Under this deteriorating government, it is greatly reduced; its whole population amounting only to between 13 and 14,000 souls. It lies about 46 miles to the east of Athens; and 342 south-west of Constantinople. A few vestiges of its ancient splendour still remain; which are objects of curiosity and gratification to all intelligent travellers.

As we have seen that Corinth was well situated for trade, and consequently very rich; it is no wonder that, in its heathen state, it was exceedingly corrupt and profligate. Notwithstanding this, every part of the Græcian learning was highly cultivated here; so that before its destruction by the Romans, Cicero (Pro lege Manl. cap. v.) scrupled not to call it totius Græciæ lumen, The eye of all Greece. Yet the inhabitants of it were as lascivious as they were learned. Public prostitution formed a considerable part of their religion; and they were accustomed, in their public prayers, to request the gods to multiply their prostitutes! and, in order to express their gratitude to their deities for the favours they received, they bound themselves by vows, to increase the number of such women; for commerce with them, was neither esteemed sinful nor disgraceful. Lais, so famous in history, was a Corinthian prostitute, and whose price was not less than 10,000 drachmas. Demosthenes, from whom this price was required by her, for one night's lodging, said, I will not buy repentance at so dear a rate." So notorious was this city for such conduct, that the verb xogiviasolar to Corinthize, signified to act the prostitute; and Kogivia sogn, a Corinthian damsel, meant a harlot, or common woman. I mention these things the more particularly, because they account for several things mentioned by the Apostle in his letters to this city and things which, without this knowledge of their previous Gentile state and customs, we could not comprehend. It is true, as the Apostle states, that they carried these things to an extent that was not practised in any other Gentile country. And yet, even in Corinth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, prevailing over universal corruption, founded a Christian Church!

Analysis of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

This Epistle, as to its subject matter, has been variously divided; into three parts by some, into four, seven, eleven, &c. parts by others. Most of these divisions are merely artificial, and were never intended by the Apostle. The following seven particulars comprise the whole

I.-The Introduction, ch. i. 1–9.

II.-Exhortations relative to their dissensions, ch. i. 9. and to ch. iv. inclusive.

III.-What concerns the person who had married his step-mother; commonly called the incestuous person, ch. v. vi. and vii.

IV. The question concerning the lawfulness of eating things which had been offered to idols, ch. viii. ix. and x. inclusive.

V. Various ecclesiastical regulations, ch. xi-xiv. inclusive.

VI. The important question concerning the resurrection of the dead, ch. xv.

VII.-Miscellaneous matters, containing exhortations, salutations, commendations, &c. &c. ch. xvi.

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE

ΤΟ

THE CORINTHIANS.

Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle.

Year of the Constantinopolitan æra of the world, as used by the emperors of the East in their diplomata, &c. and thence also called the "civil æra of the Greeks," 5564-Year of the Alexandrian æra of the world, or Greek ecclesiastical epocha, 5558-Year of the Antiochian æra of the world, 5548-Year of the Eusebian epocha of the creation, or that used in the Chronicon of Eusebius, and the Roman Martyrology, 4284-Year of the Julian Period, 4764-Year of the Ussherian æra of the world, or that used in the English Bibles, 4060-Year of the minor Jewish æra of the world, 3816-Year of the greater Rabbinical æra of the world, 4415-Year since the Deluge, according to archbishop Ussher, and the English Bible, 2404-Year of the Cali Yuga, or Indian æra of the Deluge, 3158-Year of the æra of Iphitus, or since the first commencement of the Olympic Games, 996-Year of the two hundred and eighth Olympiad, 4-Year from the Building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, who flourished in the time of the first Punic war, and who is styled by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, an accurate writer, 803. (This epoch is used by Diodorus Siculus)-Year from the building of Rome, according to Polybius, 807-Year from the building of Rome, according to Cato and the Fasti Consulares, and adopted by Solinus, Eusebius, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, &c. 808-Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro, which was that adopted by the Roman emperors in their proclamations, by Plutarch, Tacitus, Dio Cassius, Gellius, Censorinus, Onuphrius, Baronius, and by most modern chronologers, 809. N.B. Livy, Cicero, Pliny, and Velleius Paterculus, fluctuate between the Varronian and Catonian computations-Year of the epocha of Nabonassar, king of Babylon, or that used by Hipparchus, by Ptolemy in his astronomical observations, by Censorinus and others, 803. (The years of this era constantly contained 365 days, so that 1460 Julian were equal to 1161 Nabonassarean years. This epoch began on Feb. 26, B. C. 747; and, consequently, the commencement of the SO3d year of the era of Nabonassar, corresponded to the IVth of the Ides of August, A. D. 55.)-Year of the æra of the Seleucidæ, or since Seleucus, one of the generals of Alexander's army, took Babylon, and ascended the Asiatic throne, sometimes called the Grecian æra, and the æra of Principalities, in reference to the division of Alexander's empire, 368-Year of the Cæsarean æra of Antioch, 104-Year of the Julian æra, or since the Calendar of Numa Pompilius was reformed by Julius Cæsar, 101-Year of the Spanish æra, or since the second division of the Roman provinces among the Triumviri, 94. (This epoch continued in use among the Spaniards, till A. D. 1383, and among the Portuguese till about A. D. 1422.)-Year since the defeat of Pompey, by Julius Cæsar, at Pharsalia in Thessaly, called by Catrou and Rouillé, the commencement of the Roman empire, 104-Year of the Actiac, or Actian æra, or proper epocha of the Roman empire, commencing with the defeat of Antony by Augustus, at Actium, 86-Year from the birth of Jesus Christ, 60-Year of the vulgar æra of Christ's nativity, 56-Year of the Dionysian Period, or Easter Cycle, 57-Common Golden Number, or year of the Grecian or Metonic Cycle of 19 years, 19, or the seventh Embolismic-Jewish Golden Number, or year of the Rabbinical Cycle of 19 years, 16, or the second after the fifth Embolismic-Year of the Solar Cycle, 9-Dominical Letters, it being Bissextile or Leap-year, DC; D standing till the twenty-fourth of February, or the sixth of the Calends of March, (the two following days after Feb. 23, or the seventh of the Calends of March, being named the sixth of the same month,) and the other letter for the remainder of the year-Jewish Pass-over, (15th of Nisan,) Saturday, April 17, or the XVth of the Calends of May-Number of Direction,

Chronological Notes

I. CORINTHIANS.

relative to this Epistle.

or number of days on which Easter Sunday happens after the 21st of March, 28-Mean time of the Paschal Full Moon, at Corinth, (its longitude being twenty-three degrees to the east of London,) according to Ferguson's Tables, April 19, or the XIIIth of the Calends of May, at fifteen minutes and fifty-eight seconds past eleven at night. (The reason of the discrepance of the fifteenth of Nisan with the day of the mean Paschal Full Moon arises from the inaccuracy of the Metonic cycle, which reckoned 235 mean lunations to be precisely equal to nineteen solar years, these lunations being actually performed in one hour and a half less time. The correspondence of the Pass-over with the mean Full Moon, according to the Julian account, was in A. D. 325.)-True time of the Paschal Full Moon at Corinth, according to Ferguson's Tables, the XIIth of the Calends of May, (April 20,) at fifty-seven minutes and forty-one seconds past five in the morn. ing-Easter Sunday, April 18, or the XIVth of the Calends of May-Epact, or moon's age on the twenty-second of March, or the Xth of the Calends of April, 18-Year of the reign of Nero Cæsar, the Roman emperor, and fifth Cæsar, 3Year of Claudius Felix, the Jewish Governor, 4-Year of the reign of Vologesus, king of the Parthians, of the family of the Arsacidæ, 7-Year of Caius Numidius Quadratus, governor of Syria, 6--Year of Ismael, high-priest of the Jews, 2-Year of the reign of Corbred I., king of the Scots, brother to the celebrated Caractacus, who was carried prisoner to Rome, but afterwards released by the emperor, 2-According to Struyk's catalogue of eclipses, which he collected from the Chinese chronology, the sun was eclipsed at Canton in China, on the 25th of December of this year, or on the VIIIth of the Calends of January, A. D. 57. The middle of the eclipse was at twenty-eight minutes past twelve at noon; the quantity eclipsed at this time being nine digits and twenty minutes. The day of this eclipse was on the 19th of Tybi, in the 804th year of the Nabonassarean æra, and on the 24th of Cisleu of the minor Rabbinical, or Jewish æra of the world 3816, or 4415 of their greater æra-Roman Consuls, Q. Volusius Saturninus, and P. Cornelius Scipio.

CHAPTER I.

The salutation of Paul and Sosthenes, 1, 2. The apostolical benediction, 3. Thanksgiving for the prosperity of the church at Corinth, 4. In what that prosperity consisted, 5-9. The apostle reproves their dissensions, and vindicates himself from being any cause of them, 10-17. States the simple means which God uses to convert sinners, and confound the wisdom of the wise, &c. 18-21. Why the Jews and Greeks did not believe, 22. The mat'ter of the apostle's preaching, and the reasons why that preaching was effectual to the salvation of men, 23—29. All should glory in God, because all blessings are dispensed by Him through Christ Jesus, 30, 31.

NOTES ON CHAP. I.

Verse 1. Paul, called to be an apostle] Bishop Pearce contends that a comma should be placed after xλros called, which should not be joined to Amosoλos apostle: the first signifies being called to, the other sent from. He reads it, therefore, Paul the called; the apostle of Jesus Christ. The word xros called, may be here used, as in some other places, for constituted. For this, and the meaning of the word apostle, see the Note on Rom. i. 1.

Jude 1. John 17. 19. Acts 15. 9.- Rom. 1. 7. 2 Tim. 1.9.

the Corinthian church, it was necessary that he should be explicit in stating his authority. He was called, invited to the gospel feast; had partaken of it, and by the grace he received, was qualified to proclaim salvation to others: Jesus Christ therefore made him an apostle, that is, gave him a Divine commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Through the will of God] By a particular appointment from God alone; for, being an extraordinary messenger, he As the apostle had many irregularities to repreheud in derived no part of his authority from man.

Sosthenes our brother] Probably the same person men- them; and they had all knowledge; so that they perfectly tioned Acts xviii. 17. where see the note. comprehended the doctrines which they had heard.

Verse 2. The church of God which is at Corinth] This church was planted by the apostle himself, about A. D. 52, as we learn from Acts xviii. 1, &c. where see the Notes. Sanctified in Christ Jesus] 'Hylaoμevois, separated from the corruptions of their place and age.

Called to be saints] Kyros dios, constituted saints; or invited to become such; this was the design of the gospel: for Jesus Christ came to save men from their sins.

With all that in every place, &c.] All who profess Christianity, both in Corinth, Ephesus, and other parts of Greece or Asia Minor: and by this we see, that the apostle intended that this Epistle should be a general property of the universal church of Christ; though there are several matters in it, that are suited to the state of the Corinthians only.

Verse 6. As the testimony of Christ, &c.] The testimony of Christ is the gospel which the apostle had preached, and which had been confirmed by various gifts of the Holy Spirit, and miracles wrought by the apostle.

Verse 7. So that ye come behind in no gift] Every gift and grace of God's Spirit was possessed by the members of that church, some having their gifts after this manner, others

after that.

Waiting for the coming of our Lord] It is difficult to say whether the apostle means the final judgment, or our Lord's coming to destroy Jerusalem, and make an end of the Jewish polity.-See 1 Thess. iii. 13. As he does not explain himself particularly, he must refer to a subject with which they were well acquainted. As the Jews, in general, conBoth theirs and ours] That is, Jesus Christ is the com- tinued to contradict and blaspheme; it is no wonder, if the mon Lord and Saviour of all. He is the exclusive property apostle should be directed to point out to the believing Genof no one church, or people, or nation. Calling on, or in-tiles, that the judgments of God were speedily to fall upon voking the name of the Lord Jesus, was the proper distin- this rebellious people, and scatter them over the face of the guishing mark of a Christian. In those times of apostolic earth; which shortly afterwards took place. light and purity, no man attempted to invoke God, but in the name of Jesus Christ: this is what genuine Christians still mean, when they ask any thing from God for Christ's

SAKE.

Verse 3. Grace be unto you] For a full explanation of all these terms, see the Notes on Rom. i. 7.

Verse 4. For the grace—which is given you] Not only their calling to be saints, and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus; but for the various spiritual gifts which they had received, as is specified in the succeeding verses.

Verse 5. Ye are enriched-(ye abound)—in all utterance] Ev TaVTI λoyw, in all doctrine, for so the word should certainly be translated and understood. All the truths of God, relative to their salvation, had been explicitly declared to

Verse 8. Who shall confirm you] As the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you; so, in conscientiously believing and obeying, God will confirm you through that testimony. See ver. 6.

In the day of our Lord Jesus.] In the day that he comes to judge the world, according to some; but, in the day in which he comes to destroy the Jewish polity, according to others. While God destroys them who are disobedient, he can save you who believe.

Verse 9. God is faithful] The faithfulness of God is a favourite expression among the ancient Jews; and, by it, they properly understand the integrity of God, in preserving whatever is entrusted to him. And they suppose that in this sense, the fidelity of man may illustrate the fidelity of God;

in reference to which they tell the two following stories. That ye all speak the same thing] If they did not agree “Rabbi Phineas, the son of Jair, dwelt in a certain city, exactly in opinion on every subject; they might, notwithwhither some men came who had two measures of barley, standing, agree in the words which they used to express which they desired him to preserve for them. They after- their religious faith. The members of the church of God wards forgot their barley, and went away. Rabbi Phineas, should labour to be of the same mind, and to speak the same each year, sowed the barley, reaped, threshed, and laid it up || thing, in order to prevent divisions; which always hinder the in his granary. When seven years had elapsed, the men re- work of God. On every essential doctrine of the gospel, turned, and desired to have the barley with which they had all genuine Christians agree: why then need religious comentrusted him. Rabbi Phineas recollected them, and said, munion be interrupted? This general agreement is all that "come and take your treasure," i. e. the barley they had the apostle can have in view; for, it cannot be expected that left; with all that it had produced for seven years. Thus, any number of men should, in every respect, perfectly coinfrom the faithfulness of man, ye may know the faithfulness cide in their views of all the minor points, on which an exact of God." conformity in sentiment is impossible, to minds so variously constituted as those of the human race. Angels may thus agree, who see nothing through an imperfect or false medium; but, to man, this is impossible. Therefore, men should bear with each other; and not be so ready to imagine that none have the truth of God but they and their party.

"Rabbi Simeon, the son of Shetach, bought an ass from some Edomites, at whose neck his disciples saw a diamond hanging they said unto him, Rabbi, the blessing of the Lord maketh rich, Prov. x. 22. But he answered-The ass I have bought, but the diamond I have not bought therefore he returned the diamond to the Edomites. Thus, from the fidelity of man, ye may know the fidelity of God." This was an instance of rare honesty, not to be paralleled among the Jews of the present day; and probably among few Gentiles. Whatever is committed to the keeping of God, he will most carefully preserve; for, he is faithful.

Unto the fellowship, &c.] Els nowvwvav, into the communion or participation of Christ, in the graces of his Spirit, and the glories of his future kingdom. God will continue to uphold and save you, if you entrust your bodies and souls to him. But, can it be said that God will keep what is either not entrusted to him; or, after being entrusted, is taken away?

Verse 11. By them which are of the house of Chloe] This was doubtless some very religious matron at Corinth, whose family were converted to the Lord; some of whom were probably sent to the apostle to inform him of the dissensions which then prevailed in the church at that place. Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, mentioned chap. xvi. 17. were probably the sons of this Chloe.

Contentions] Epides, altercations; produced by the 15para divisions, mentioned above. When once they had divided, they must necessarily have contended, in order to support their respective parties.

Verse 12. Every one of you saith] It seems, from this expression, that the whole church at Corinth was in a state Verse 10. Now, I beseech you, brethren] The apostle of dissension: they were all divided into the following sects, having finished his introduction, comes to his second point, || 1. Paulians, or followers of St. Paul: 2. Apollonians, or exhorting them to abstain from dissensions, that they might followers of Apollos: 3. Kephians, or followers of Kephas: be of the same heart and mind, striving together for the || 4. Christians, or followers of Christ. See the Introduc hope of the gospel. tion, sect. v.

By the name of our Lord Jesus] By his authority, and The converts at Corinth were partly Jews, and partly in his place; and on account of your infinite obligations || Greeks. The Gentile part, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, to his mercy, in calling you into such a state of salvation. might boast the names of Paul and Apollos: the Jewish,