1 Corinthians 1

Ver. 1. — called to be an apostle] See note on Rom. i. 1.

— Sosthenes] Most probably “the chief ruler of the synagogue” of the Jews at Corinth, who was “beaten before the judgment seat by the Greeks,” Acts xviii. 17. Dr. Wells. If so, we must suppose that he was afterwards converted to the Gospel. Dr. Macknight.

— both their’s and our’s:] The Lord, I say, both of you to whom I write, and of me who write. Dr. Whitby.

— not with wisdom of words.] Not with philosophical niceties and fine terms of rhetorical. Pyle.

— the cross of Christ] The doctrine of Christ crucified. Dr. Whitby.

— wisdom, &c.] As being the author of that evangelical wisdom, which far excels the wisdom of the philosopher and scribe, and even that legal constitution which is called the wisdom of the Jews, Deut. iv. 6: the Author of justification, as procuring for us that remission of sins, which the law could not give, Gal. ii. 21; ii. 21: the Author of sanctification, as procuring for, and working in, us, not only an external and relative holiness, as was that of the Jews, but true and eternal holiness, Eph. iv. 24, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit: the Author of redemption, not from the Egyptian bondage or Babylonish captivity, but from the servitude of Satan, the dominion of sin and death, and from “the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God,” or “the redemption of the body,” Rom. viii. 21, 23. Dr. Whitby.

Chap. II. Whereas their new teachers of the Gentile part undervalued the Apostle for his want of deep speculation and eloquence; he tells them, the plainness and great importance of the Christian doctrine of a crucified Saviour stood in no need of such arts to recommend and set it off; but would be disparaged by the use of them, to ver. 6: human philosophy being utterly unenforceable for discovering things that are matters of pure revelation: which, as they are dictated only by the inspiration, and effected by the wisdom and power of God, can never be attained by the utmost progress of mere human reason. If therefore men would be duly instructed in Christianity, they must apply themselves, not to philosophy, but Scripture; not to an eloquent orator, but an inspired Apostle. Pyle.

Ver. 1. And I, brethren, when I came to you, &c.] After a long parenthesis, the Apostle here resumes what he had said in the seventeenth verse of the former chapter, that he preached the Gospel in all plainness. This accusation was brought against him, and he declares himself ready to confess it. Dr. Hammond.

— not with excellency of speech or of wisdom.] That is of human wisdom. Dr. Whitby. I did not endeavour to set it off with any ornaments of rhetorick, or the mixture of human learning or philosophy; but plainly declared it to you as a doctrine coming from God, revealed and attested by Him. Locke.

— the testimony of God.] The Gospel is so styled, because God gave witness to the truth of it, partly by the prophecies contained in the Old Testament, as also

1 Corinthians 1:2

2. Unto the church of God] The “sanctified in Christ Jesus,” the “saints called,” seem here to be words of the same import, denoting such as are called out of the world, and separated from others, through faith in Christ, to be a peculiar people to God, as the Jews were before; all Christians being, by virtue of this calling, “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people,” 1 Pet. ii. 9; though many members of the church of Corinth, and of other churches, wanted the inward sanctification of the Holy Spirit. So that the word “saints,” in many places of the Acts, and of the Epistles, is as large as the word “Christians;” and stands opposed, not to the unsound Christians, but to the heathen world. Dr. Whitby.

— with all that in every place &c.] Though the Epistle was written to correct the disorderly practices of the Corinthians, it contained many general instructions, which could not fail to be of use to all the churches in the province of Achaia likewise, and even to Christians in every place. Dr. Macknight. From this passage it appears, that St. Paul’s Epistles, though occasionally written and directed to particular churches, were designed for the use of all Christians. Dr. Whitby.

— that — call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,] This in the New Testament is the character of a Christian, that he is one who “calleth on the name”

1 Corinthians 1:4

4. — for the grace of God] Here the context seems to restrain this phrase to the favour of God shewn to the Corinthians in vouchsafing these spiritual gifts. So Rom. xii. 6; Eph. iv. 7, 8; 1 Pet. iv. 10. Dr. Whitby.

1 Corinthians 1:5

5. — in all utterance, and in all knowledge:] That is, the gift of tongues; and the knowledge of all mysteries, or the gift of prophecy. Dr. Whitby. Those very powers and graces, both for understanding and preaching the Gospel, by which you were first brought to the faith of it. Pyle.

1 Corinthians 1:6

6. — the testimony of Christ] The Gospel is called “the testimony of Christ,” because therein testimony is given concerning Christ, namely, that He is the Son of God, &c. Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 1:7

7. So that ye come behind in no gift:] Ye are inferiour to no other Christian churches in any extraordinary endowments of the Holy Spirit. Pyle.

— waiting for the coming &c.] The Apostle means, that by these gifts, and by this earnest of the Spirit, they had encouragement to expect or wait for the second coming of the Lord. Burkitt, Dr. Whitby.

1 Corinthians 1:8

8. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, &c.] That is, He will do all that is requisite on His part, to render you unblameable to the end; so that you shall not fail of it through any want of Divine grace necessary to that end, or any unfaithfulness to His promise on the part of God, who hath already reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ, to “present you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not

Paul exhorteth to unity. He reproveeth their dissensions. Anno DOMINI 59. c 1 Thess. 5. 24.

1 Corinthians 1:9

9. — unto the fellowship of his Son] To the knowledge of the Gospel, and participation of the graces reached out to you therein. Dr. Hammond.

1 Corinthians 1:10

10. Now I beseech you, brethren, &c.] The Apostle here proceeds to one of the chief occasions of his writing this Epistle, concerning which, as a most important duty, he beseeches and exhorts them with the most pathetic earnestness. Pyle, Burkitt. As if he had said, That therefore, to which I first exhort you, and that with all earnestness possible, as the prime addition to those gifts and graces that are among you, is this; that ye all teach the same doctrine, and nourish charity and unity, that there be no divisions in your churches, but that ye be compacted and united, as members of the same body, in the same belief and affections. Dr. Hammond.

— by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.] Emphatically set in opposition to those, under whose names they ranked themselves into parties and divisions. Pyle.

— divisions] As the original expresses it, ‘schisms.’ There are only three places in the New Testament, in which the word occurs; namely, here; and chap. xi. 18; and xii. 25. In this place the “schism” appears to have consisted in the formation of religious parties, which pretended to follow, one the cause of St. Paul, and another that of Apollos. In chap. xi. 18, the change is grounded upon the adoption of new modes, which some had wantouly introduced in the administration of the sacrament. And in chap. xii. 25, the offence of schism appears to have consisted in the violation of that subordination of teaching, ministering, and governing, which was originally appointed in the church. “Schism” therefore may be defined to be an open violation of church unity, when individuals assume to themselves the power either of forming new communions; or of instituting new rites; or of creating a new ministry, in opposition to such as have been established by regular authority, as being the ministry and the ordinances originally of apostolic institution. Dr. Nott.

— that ye be perfectly joined together &c.] This is the first duty, which the Apostle recommends to the consideration of the Corinthians in this Epistle; and the last, which he recommends to them in his other Epistle, 2 Cor. xiii. 11: intimating to us thereby, that this unity in judgment and affection is the first and last thing to be respected among Christians, as being both the beginning and perfection of Christianity. Burkitt.

1 Corinthians 1:11

11. — my brethren.] This name of union and friendship is used here twice together by St. Paul, in the

of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:12

12. — I am of Paul.] Of the Gentile part of the church of Corinth, some preferred St. Paul, as being their spiritual father, 1 Cor. iv. 14, 15; others preferred Apollos, as an “eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures,” Acts xviii. 24. Meanwhile the Jewish Christians preferred St. Peter, as the chief Apostle of the circumcision out of the territories of Judea. Dr. Whitby.

— and I of Christ.] While others slight us all, and pretend Christ to be their only master. They either pretended their doctrines to have been learned immediately from Christ Himself; or else they were zealous for circumcision, alleging the example of Christ Himself. Pyle. It is hence very observable, that for any one to say, “I am of Christ,” in opposition to His lawful ministers, is as faulty as to say, “I am of Paul, or of Peter,” &c. in opposition to Christ, or any other of Christ’s Apostles or ministers. Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 1:13

13. Is Christ divided?] Did Christ institute more than one religion, or preach different and contradictory doctrines, as your different sects of philosophy are wont to do? Pyle.

— were ye baptized in the name of Paul?] So as to be called the disciples of St. Paul. Dr. Whitby. His disciples we are, in whose name we are baptized; and that is not in the name of any man, but in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Burkitt.

1 Corinthians 1:14

14, 16. Crispus—Gaius:—the household of Stephanas:] The first of these was the chief ruler of a synagogue, Acts xviii. 8; the second, a principal man in the church of Corinth, Rom. xvi. 23; “the household of Stephanas” were the first converts in all Achaia, 1 Cor. xvi. 15. Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 1:17

17. — not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel.] That is, not principally to baptize, which others might do as well, but to publish the Gospel to them that never heard it. Dr. Hammond. The writers of the Old and New Testaments, almost every where, agreeably to their Hebrew idiom, express a preference given to one thing before another, by an affirmation of that which is preferred, and a negation of that which is opposed to it. And so we must understand here. Bp. Pearce. See Acts xxii. 21; and xxvi. 16, 17; ix. 15; xxii. 15. St. Paul’s commission to baptize was comprised in the general commission given to Christ’s Apostles for that end, Matt. xxviii. 19. That was not, say the Greek expositors, his great business; for to baptize is easy to any, who is admitted to sacred orders; but to preach the Gospel at its promulgation required a Divine revela-

God destroyeth the wisdom of the wise by the foolishness of preaching.

Amo DOMINI 50. with wisdom of || words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1 Corinthians 1:18

18. For the preaching of the cross &c.] The preaching of a crucified Saviour, requiring belief in, and obedience to, Him who was shamefully put to death, may seem a ridiculous thing to impenitent unbelievers; but to us, who have come unto Christ by repentance and faith, it is the most glorious evidence of the power of God. Dr. Hammond.

1 Corinthians 1:20

20. Where is the wise?] Or, the philosopher of the Greeks? “where is the scribe?” or the learned in the law of the Jews? “where is the disputer of this world?” that is, he, who by studied disquisitions and disputations, searches after what has hitherto been esteemed, either by Jew or Greek, the wisdom of this world? Dr. Wells.

— made foolish the wisdom of this world?] Shewed that sort of learning or knowledge, on which the unbelieving Jews or Gentiles value themselves, to be of no use to the attainment of eternal salvation, wherein consists what alone deserves to be called wisdom? Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 1:21

21. — in the wisdom of God] By permission of God’s wise providence. Pyle.

— by wisdom] By means of its false wisdom. Dr. Wells.

— by the foolishness of preaching] By the preaching of the cross of Christ, esteemed both by Jew and Gentile a foolish absurd doctrine. Dr. Wells.

The meaning and language of St. Paul will be accounted for, by considering what led him to this kind of expression. The doctrine of the cross, and of the redemption of the world by the death and passion of Christ, was received by the great pretenders to wisdom and reason with scorn and contempt. The “Greeks,” says the Apostle, “seek after wisdom, but Christ crucified is to the Greeks foolishness.” The pride of learning and philosophy had so possessed the polite parts of the heathen world, that they could not submit to a method of salvation which was above the reach of their philosophy, and which refused to be tried by the disputes and subtitles of their schools. The Apostle, ver. 17, says, “Christ sent him to preach the Gospel not with the wisdom of words.” The wisdom of the world, thus discarded, took its revenge of the Gospel, and called it “the foolishness of preaching.” Be it so, says the Apostle, yet by this foolishness of preaching God intends saving those who believe: for this method is of God and not of man; and “the foolishness of God is

this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:22

22. For the Jews require a sign.] It is plain from the Gospel history, that our Lord wrought many “signs,” John xx. 30; Acts ii. 22. Yet the Jews perpetually demanded of Him “a sign,” and “a sign from heaven,” Matt. xii. 38; xvi. 1. Since the Apostle wrought great miracles in confirmation of the Gospel, the Jews demanded probably the same sign as the Pharisees sought from our Lord Himself. For as Daniel had foretold the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, to receive the kingdom, the Jews expected that Christ would make His first appearance in the clouds, and by some great exertion of power wrest the empire of the world from the Romans. Hence the preaching of Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumblingblock. Pyle, Dr. Macknight.

— the Greeks seek after wisdom.] Some extraordinary philosophical discovery. Dr. Wells. Deep speculation and refined eloquence. Pyle.

The Greeks or Gentiles did not object to the Gospel, that the authority of it wanted the proof of signs from heaven; but that the preaching of it wanted the recommendation of what they called “wisdom.” Neither the manner of the Apostles’ teaching was adorned with that plausible oratory, of which they were so fond; which soothed the ears and entertained the imagination; which could make a bad cause victorious, and a good one suspected: nor yet was the matter of their discourse made up of curious speculations; abstruse points in philosophy debated with acuteness; theories, built upon slender foundations to great heights, then attacked with subtle objections, and defended with more subtle refinements. These were the delight of the learned Greeks: and agreeable to this was the treatment which they gave to the Gospel of Christ. Its doctrines had nothing amusing to mimic full of trifling curiosity: its precepts had many things disgusting to human sensuality and pride: its proofs were inconsistent with their prevailing notions. So it was rejected without examination by persons whom the irony of Job suits perfectly well, “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you,” chap. xii. 2. It ought to surprise no one, that this sort of men, who have always been too common in the world, and never more than now, should scorn Christianity. While they continue such, they cannot embrace it. Abp. Secker.

God hath chosen the weak. I. CORINTHIANS. Christ our wisdom, righteousness, &c.

Amo DOMINI 50. both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:24

24. — the power of God, and the wisdom of God.] “The power of God,” in respect of the miracles wrought for the confirmation of the doctrine: “the wisdom of God,” in respect of the wonderful contrivance of man’s redemption by these means. Dr. Wells. Thus we are taught, that we should not presume to sit in judgment on the methods of Providence; since, how foolish or how weak soever they may seem to us, they will be found in His hand to be the wisest and the strongest. Bp. Sherlock.

1 Corinthians 1:25

25. — the foolishness of God — the weakness of God] That is, what the unbelieving Greeks account “foolishness,” and the unbelieving Jews account “weakness.” Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 1:26

26. For ye see your calling, brethren, &c.] Ye see, my brethren, the condition of Christianity: how that now, in this entrance of the Gospel, not many that are worldly wise and deeply learned, not many mighty, &c. are called. Bp. Hall.

1 Corinthians 1:27

27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world &c.] Who were the persons to whom our Saviour’s commission to His Apostles was given? those who were best qualified and able to carry it into execution? the rich, the wise, the mighty of this world? No: they were chiefly a few poor fishermen; of low parentage and education; of no learning or eloquence; of no policy or address; of no repute or authority; despised as Jews by the rest of mankind, and as the meanest and worst of Jews by the Jews themselves. What improper persons were these to contend with the prejudices of all the world, the superstitions of the people, the interests of the priests, the vanity of philosophers, the pride of rulers, the malice of the Jews, the learning of Greece, and the power of Rome! Bp. Newton. The majesty and power of God are never more clearly seen, than when He makes choice of “the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” Bp. Sherlock.

1 Corinthians 1:28

28. — things which are not.] That is, the Gentiles, who are esteemed base and looked upon as nothing by the Jews, “to bring to nought,” or to abolish, “things that are;” namely, to become God’s church and people, and so to cause the Jewish church and economy to cease. Dr. Whitby.

1 Corinthians 1:30

30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus.] It is of God’s grace and favour, that ye, who believe, partake, through faith and obedience of the Gospel, of the merits of Christ Jesus. Dr. Wells.