1 Corinthians 16

Cnap. XVI. Ver. 1—24. Divers admonitions and salutations to the church at Corinth.—We humbly conceive, that the last verse of the preceding chapter connects more properly with the present. From the consideration of the resurrection, and judginent to come, the apostle earnestly exhorts the Corinthians to steadfastness and diligence in the work of the Lord, and especially in the duty of Christian benevolence, under the consideration that their labour “was not in vain,” for great would be their reward in heaven. He then proceeds to urge upon them a provision for the poor saints; and particularly, as that was now the usual day of meeting for devotion, that on the first day of the week, each one should deposit something in the treasury of the church, as God had prospered him, for their poor brethren at Jerusalem, who were doubtless much harassed by their infidel countrymen in that city.

-““The churches of Galatia and Phrygia (says Dr. Paley) themselves attached to Apolios, in order to cover their opposition to the apostle: yet St. Paul greatly desired and exhorted that eminent minister to go among them, with Timothy and Erastus, or with Stephanas and his friends, when they returned to Corinth. ~ Ver. 22. Anathema Maran-atha.— When the Jews lost the power of life and death, they used, nevertheless, to pronounce an Anathema on_ persons who, according to the Mosaic law, should have been executed, and such a minds them that the Lord Jesus Christ will come himself and punish it.”— Bishop Patrick in Doddridge. This is the passage supposed to be referred to in the preceding verse, as written with his own hand.

Flavel, on one occasion, preached from the above passage. At the conclusion of the service, when Fiavel arose to pronounce the benediction, he paused, and said, ““ How shall I bless this whole assembly, when every person in it, who loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, is Anathema Maran-atha?’ The solemnity of this address

Notes on the verses

Cherem,) or accursed…… Now, to express their faith that God would, one way or another…. interpose, to add that efficacy to his own sentence which they could not give it, ii is very probable they might use the words Maran-atha; that is, in Syriac, the Lord cometh, or he will surely and quickly come to put this sentence in execution….. In beautiful allusion to this, when the apostle was speaking of a secret &lienation from Christ, maintained under the forms of Christianity, (which might perhaps be the case among many of the Corinthians,) as this was not a ernme capable of being convicted and censured in the Christian church, he re- CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE FIR {CorinTs, favoured by its situation between two seas, rose to the summit of dignity and splendour.

From its extensive commerce, it aboundea with riches, and was furnished with all the accommodations, elegances, and _superfluities of life; and far exceeded all the cities in the world in the magnificence of its public buildings, such as temples, palaces, theatres, porticoes, cenotaphs, baths, and other edifices. But wealth produced luxury, and luxury a total corruption of manners; so that the inhabitants became infamous to a proverb, lasciviousness in particular being not only tolerated, but forming a considerable portion of their religion. Notwithstanding this, the arts, sciences, and literature, still continued to flourish, every part of the Grecian learning being highly cultivated; so that before its destruction by the Romans, Cicero (pro lege Manl.

c. 5.) serupled not to call it, “The light of all Greece.” It possessed numerous achools, in which philosophy and rhetoric were taucht by able masters; and strangers resorted thither from all quarters to be instructed in the sciences. Attention to these circumstances will account for several things mentioned by the Apostle in his letters to this city; which things, without this knowledge of their previous Gentile state and customs, we could not comprehend. It is indubitably certain, as the Apostle states, that they carried these things to an extent that was never practised in any other Gentile country; and yet, even in Corinth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, effecting what learning and philosophy were utterly unable to accomplish, prevailed over universal corruption and depeer.

so much so that it became the seat of a flourishing Christian church! e have already seen, that the peace of this church had been disturbed by false teachers, who made great pretensions to wisdom, eluquence, and knowledge of the Christian liberty; and that it was to compose these differences, to correct certain abuses, and to answer various questions relative to which they had written to the Apostle, that he composed this “nistle to the Church of Corinth. With what consummate skill and soundness ur argument he establishes doctrines, meets objections, and refutes erroncous opinions, the at- {Twat St. Paul was the author of this Epistle has never been doubted, and 1s am>ly confirmed by interna!

evidence; from which it appears, that it was written by the Apostle in Macedonia. and probably at Philippi, as the subscription affirms, after the uproar at Ephesus, about a year after the precedinz and in consequence of the accounts which he had received of the favourable reception of the first; and afterwards sent to the Corinthians by Titus and his associates. Accordingly the Apostle justifies himself from the charge of levity, or worldly policy, in delaying his journey to Corinth, assigning those reasons for this part of his conduct which could not have been disclosed with propriety til] the effect of his former epistle had appeared; declares the justice affected the audience; and one gentleman, a person of rank, was so overcome by his feelings, that he fell senseless to the floor.

P. S. The superscription to this Epistle, which states it to have been written from Philippi, is so plainly opposed to verse 8, in this chapter, and to other parts of this Epistle, that it is almost universally rejected as spurious and unauthentic; particularly by Doddridge, Macknight, and Paley. The former says, “I hope it will be remembered, that uo credit is to be given to any of these additions, which have been very presumptuously made, and, I think, very imprudently retained.” ST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. tentive reader need not be informed; while bis candour, love, faithfulness, and holy zeal, are apparent in every page. The Corinthians abounded in knowledge, science, eloquence, and various extraordinary gifts and endowments, and for these the Apostle gives them full credit; but, in many cases, distinctly enongh marked 1n this Epistle, they were grossly ignorant of the genius and design of the gospel.

Many, since their time, have put words and observances in place of the weightier matters of the law, and the spirit of the gospel. The Apostle has taken great pains to correct these abuses among the Corinthians; and to insist on that great unchangeable and eternal truth, that love to God and man, filling the heart, hallowing the passions, regulating the affections, and producing universal benevolence and beneficence, is the fulfilling of the whole law; and that all professions, knowledge, and gifts, without this, are absolutely useless. Did this Epistle contain no more than what is found in the thirteenth chapter, it would be an unparalleled monument of the Apostle’s deep acquaintance with God; and an invaluable record of the sum and substance of the gospel, left by God’s mercy to the church, as a touchstone for the trial of creeds, confessions of faith, and ritual observances, to the endof time.

Though this Epistle contains more local matter, and more matter of private application, than any other in the New Testament; and though, PaAna? it may possess less matter for general use than other parts 0 the Sacred Writings, yet it is both highly interesting and useful; gives an in- | sight into several] customs, and not a few forms of speech, and circumstances relative to the discipline of the primitive church, which we can find no where else; shows us how many improper things may, in state of ignorance, or Christian infancy, be consistent with a sincere belief of the gospel, and a warm and zealous attachment to it; reads a very awful lesson to those who disturb the peace of society, and make schisms in the church of Christ, and confirms, nfusteatane and defends, many of the most important parts of Christian doctrine and practice.]—Bagséer.

of his sentence against the incestuous po and gives suitable directions respecting his restoration; expatiates on his own conduct in the Christian minigtry, intermixing many exhortations with the avowal of his motives and fervent affections in the sucred work; excites them, with great address and earnestness, to complete their contributions for their poor brethren in Judea, poet the manifold advantages ef such services; contrasts more directly, yet evidently with zreat reluctance, his own gifts, labours, sufferings, and conduct, Me the pretences of their false teachers, showing himself to be “not a w A inferior to any of the apostles; and concludes with various admonitions an affectionate good wishes and prayers.]—Bagster.

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