1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:2

[aa] call upon the name of Jesus Christ] Ἐπικαλεῖσθαι signifies to be surnamed, Matt. x. 3, Luke xxii. 3, Acts i. 23, and iv. 36, and vii. 59, and in many other places, and so in a passive, not active signification. Agreeable to this, ἐπικαλεῖσθαι ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, is, to be called by the name of Jesus Christ, as an agnomen or supernomination, which notes the special relation we have to him; as the spouse of that husband whose name is called upon her, Isa. iv. 1, (which is the direct literal notation of ἐπικαλεῖσθαι here,) or as the servant to that master, by whose name he is called also; and so ἐπικαλούμενοι ὄνομα Χριστοῦ is but a periphrasis of Christians, and no more. In this sense will it be most proper to

1 Corinthians 1:3

I have all reason to bless and magnify the name of God, which purposely sent our Lord Jesus Christ into the world, and by that, and his many other gracious acts of his particular providence, hath shewed himself to be a most merciful and gracious Father unto us;

1 Corinthians 1:4

Who in all the pressures that have befallen me, hath eminently relieved and succoured me, and by those experiences hath enabled me to refresh and cheer up all those that are in any affliction.

1 Corinthians 1:5

By this one consideration, of which I have had

[b] utterance] The notion of λόγος in this place is somewhat uncertain, both because it, and the knowledge following, may either be the matter wherein the Corinthians are said to be enriched, or else somewhat in the apostles, the means by which they were enriched in Christ. If it be taken the first way, then it will denote speech or utterance, ability in instructing others, and must be applied only to them that had such gifts in the church, and not to the whole church of Corinth; and thus it seems to be used 2 Cor. viii. 7. As ye abound in every thing, in faith, and word, and knowledge: where as faith, so the other two are gifts and graces in them, such are σπουδή and ἀγάπη, diligence and love, that are after mentioned. And the other parts of that verse, ἐν παντὶ περισσεύετε, ye abound in every thing, agreeing so well with ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε here, ye were enriched in all, it is most reasonable to determine, that this same is the meaning of ἐν λόγῳ, in word or speech here also. But because there is some difference betwixt abounding and being made rich, and the latter of them refers peculiarly to the gaining of the riches, and so to the means of acquiring them, it is therefore possible, that it may there be that which, as a gift, was inherent in them, and so be agreeable to the rest of the graces mentioned there, and yet here be the means by which they were enriched; and if so, then it will signify the preaching of the word, the doctrine of the gospel as it is first preached and made known to men that had not before received it, as when we read of preaching the word, that notes the doctrine of Christ as it was taught by him, or the articles that were to be believed of him, his death and resurrection, &c. This is wont to be set opposite to διδασκαλία, doctrine, (see 1 Tim. v. 17.) which is the further instructing of them that have formerly received the faith; and accordingly it may be so taken here, where it is set opposite to γνῶσις, knowledge, which is the explication and unfolding of the mysteries of religion, and may well be here the watering of Apollos, which was superadded to the planting of Paul, and both of them together make up that which follows, ver. 6, the testimony of Christ confirmed in you, the testimony of Christ being the gospel, ch. ii. 1, as it is first preached, (so John xxi. 24, where it is distinguished from the very writing of it, and so 1 John i. 2, but especially Rev. i. 2,) and the confirming of it is the further declaring, and proving, and explaining of it; the first being prerequired to the baptizing of any, the second useful for the fitting them for that imposition of hands which we ordinarily call confirmation.

[c] knowledge] That the word γνῶσις here signifies the further explication of the Christian doctrine, may appear, not only by the use of it in other places, (see note [c] on 2 Pet. i,) λόγος γνώσεως, the word of knowledge, ch. xii. 8, that is, being able to explain mysteries, (as λόγος σοφίας, the word of wisdom there, is being able to speak parables, or to use other such ways of veiling wise conceptions,) but especially by the circumstances of the context here, the gospel’s being confirmed in them, ver. 6. And this of γνῶσις being here set down as a χάρισμα, a special gift, and the being made rich in every thing, (particularly in word and knowledge,) being all one with coming behind, or being wanting (ὑστερεῖσθαι) in no gift, ver. 7, this is again according to what we see ch. xii. 8.

1 Corinthians 1:6

[d] confirmed] The word βεβαώσιν, to establish, applied here to μαρτύριον, testimony, may perhaps literally refer to the forensic customs among the Jews, where there being three parts of their judicial process, 1st, מוֹבָה רַב, the entering of the cause; 2dly, מִכְוָה רַב, stabilitio litis, “the establishment of the matter in dispute;” 3dly, חֶקֶר רַב, Job xxix. 16, the searching into the cause, the second of these may be here literally rendered βεβαίωσις, confirmation or establishment. For that second consisted in the interposing of an oath on one side, which is therefore called ἀντιλογίας πέρας, Heb. vi. 16, the end of contradiction, that is, of that affirming and denying, which was formerly lawful betwixt the actors, till the oath on one side had given the judge some reason to incline that way, and that is said to be εἰς βεβαίωσιν in that place, for the settling or establishing the cause, in that sense wherein the Roman law saith, Ὅρκος ἐπιφερόμενος ἀμφισβήτησιν τέμνει, (Psellus Συνοψ. Νομ. v. 1243,) “an oath takes off the judge from that dubiousness that before he was in, one affirming and the other denying the same thing. By analogy to this, the preaching of the gospel by the apostles being called μαρτύριον, a testimony or witness, viz. that which the apostles gave in to the testifying the truth of the gospel, (being eyewitnesses thereof,) this testimony may be said to be established or confirmed, when beside the first preaching of it, more light and knowledge and evidences have been afforded to the removing of all ignorance or doubt from men’s minds. And so the meaning of the phrase here, μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαίωθη, will be clearly this, that the gospel which we first preached, the testimony which we gave of Christ, hath since by sufficient probation been made good among you, to incline you to consent to the truth of it.

1 Corinthians 1:8

Which Christ will, I doubt not, give you grace to hold out till this time comes, and to be found sincere Christians at that time when all others shall be destroyed.

1 Corinthians 1:9

For of this be confident, that God will make good his promise, and having called you to the knowledge of the gospel and participation of the graces reached out to you therein, will never fail you in any thing else that is needful for you, if you do not fail yourselves.

1 Corinthians 1:10

That therefore which I first exhort you to, 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.

1 Corinthians 1:11

This exhortation, I suppose, ye have need of, having had information by those of Chloe’s family, (see ch. xvi. 17,) that there are schisms among you.

1 Corinthians 1:12

My meaning is, that some pretend their doctrine was taught them peculiarly by Paul, and differs from what others teach; others, that they have theirs from Apollos, or from Peter, or from Christ himself.

1 Corinthians 1:13

Now ye must know that the doctrine of Christ must not differ from itself; and therefore if Paul preach any thing contrary to what Christ taught, Paul must not be heeded in comparison with Christ, the foundation of your faith being not Paul but Christ.

14—16. For my part, I am so far from pretending any such matter, from having baptized you into the faith of Paul, that I never did baptize above two of

¹⁰ hath been established among you. ¹¹ revelation, ἀποκάλυψιν. ¹² communication, or, participation, convulias: see note [c] Acts ii. ¹³ exhort, παρακαλῶ. ¹⁴ not schisms, μὴ σχίσματα. ¹⁵ into, els.

1 Corinthians 1:17

For Christ did not principally send me to baptize, which others may do as well, but to publish the gospel to them that never heard it; yet not this, that I am more eloquent than others, and so fitter for the work; for this is not my way of publishing it, to attract men to the faith by any persuasion of human eloquence, but only by doing as Christ hath done before me, by venturing my life in doing it. This was the great means by which Christ meant to obtain belief, sealing his doctrine with his blood; and if I should let eloquence endeavour to supply that place, I should disparage Christ’s way.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching a crucified Saviour, requiring belief to him, obedience to him who was shamefully put to death, and believing on whom may probably bring the same on us, may seem a ridiculous thing to impenitent unbelievers, but to us, which have come in to Christ by repentance and faith, it is the most glorious evidence of the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:19

And thereby is fulfilled that saying of Isaiah, ch. xxix. 14, that God will dispose of things quite contrary to what the wise men of the world would expect.

[e] wisdom] The word σύνεσις signifies three things in these books: sometimes the mind or intellectual faculty, Mark xii. 33, where God is to be loved with all thy mind, (see note [l] on Rom. i.); 2dly, an

1 Corinthians 1:20

Let all the philosophers and learned or searching men, the Jewish interpreters of scripture, shew me so many men brought to reformation and virtuous living by their precepts as we have done by this ridiculous way, at it is believed, of preaching the crucified Saviour, or the doctrine of that Christ which was put to death by the Jews. Doth it not appear that all the deep wisdom of the world is become absolute folly in comparison with it?

[ʃ] disputer] What is the meaning of συζητητής in this place is not easy to determine, because, as the word itself, so the adjunct αἰώνος τούτου, is very capable of a double notion: for if αἰώνος τούτου be rendered of this world, then it will seem to signify the heathen world, and so σοφός, and γραμματεύς, and συζητητής all be interpreted accordingly, σοφός, the wise moralist, as the seven wise men of Greece and Socrates after, who, for the moral learning, was by the oracle proclaimed the wisest man in the world, and γραμματεύς, “the learned philologer, literator,” as Tertullian renders it, and συζητητής, the searcher or indagator into the nature of things, which the Hebrews call העולם הזה, this world, the philosopher or natural magician. And so the next words would incline one to understand the place, the wisdom of the world, ver. 20, and the world which by wisdom knew not God, ver. 21, looking most directly upon the heathen philosophers, who are by Baruch described in these words, ch. iii. 23, οἱ ἐκζητοῦντες τὴν σύνεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, they that seek out, or search, wisdom on the earth. But then if αἰώνος τούτου be rendered, of this age, then it may more probably refer to the Jews; as ἄρχοντες τοῦ αἰώνος τούτου, ch. ii. 6, must signify the chief of the Jews of that age, which crucified Christ, ver. 8, that is, caused him to be crucified, and there is mention of those, vv. 22 and 23; and then σοφός may belong to the Jew, and denote their חכמי המחקר, naturalists, that undertook to know every work of the creation; and so likewise γραμματεύς will belong to the Jew, and signify him that is skilled in their laws, and which interpreted them to the people according to the literal sense, their doctors; and then συζητητής will have a peculiar notion among them also: for it was the custom of the Jews for many of the learned among them to sit in the synagogue, and to speak all of them by way of discussion or debate to the same matter, (as to find out the true sense of a piece of scripture,) and to that custom 1 Cor. xiv. 29 seems to refer, Let the prophets speak, two or three, &c., whence it is that this synagogue, where they did this, is called בית המדרש, the house of searching or inquisition; and to that custom perhaps refers that which is said of Christ, Luke ii. 46, that in the midst of the doctors he heard and asked questions. So he that interprets the scripture mystically and allegorically is called בעל המדרש, the master of inquiry or mystical disquisition, and absolutely הדרש, a searcher or inquirer, that is literally συζητητής, and that mystical or allegorical sense דרך דרש, the way of inquiry, and מדרש, συζήτησις, and so מדרש תהלים, inquisitio Psalmorum, “the searching of the Psalms;” see Elias Levita in the word מדרש. And then the συζητητὰ αἰώνος τούτου will be the Jewish doctors which among themselves inquired into the truth of scriptures, (which Christ seems to call ἐρευνᾶν τὰς γραφὰς, searching the scriptures, John v. 39,) but found not Christ there, as they might have done, believed him not. Thus is the word used Acts vi. 9, where several men are said to rise up συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ, talking with Stephen, as the Jewish doctors use to do one with another about the sense of scripture; and Acts ix. 29 it is said of Paul, that ἐλάλει καὶ συνεζήτει πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὰς, he talked and debated with them about the sense of scriptures concerning the Messias. This custom of the Jews seems to be referred to by this word, but yet whether the other circumstances of the place, which refer it rather to the

1 Corinthians 1:21

For when the heathen world with all their study of philosophy, which is the consideration of God’s infinite wisdom in the creation and government of the world, did not come to the true knowledge of God, and when the Jewish world, depending on their knowledge of the Mosaical law, did not discern or acknowledge God in the miracles and sufferings and doctrines of Christ, God was then pleased to send us apostles to preach (without any flourish of rhetoric) this gospel of Christ, so scorned by the wise men of

1 Corinthians 1:22

For as the Jews require some sign or prodigy from heaven to be shewed them, to persuade them the truth of the gospel, so the Greeks look for profound philosophy in the gospel, and scorn it because they think they find not that there.

1 Corinthians 1:23

And yet are not we discouraged from going on in our course, professing him, in whom we believe, to have been crucified, and knowing that that is a mighty deterrent and discouragement to the Jews, who looked for a victorious Messias that should rescue them out of their enemy’s power, and to the Gentiles a ridiculous thing, who are gratified with nothing but eloquence or profound knowledge;

1 Corinthians 1:24

But to the believers, (see note [c] Matt. xx.,) both Jews and Gentiles, matter of greatest admiration, there being more divine power and wisdom expressed in this ordering of things so, that the Messias should be crucified, than in any thing that the Jews or Gentiles could have thought on.

1 Corinthians 1:25

For of the actions and dispositions of God’s counsels, that which in man’s opinion hath least wisdom in it, is infinitely to be preferred before all that men deem wisest; and that which men think hath nothing of strength or virtue, hath much more of power in it than any thing else, it being much a more glorious act of power to raise Christ from the dead than not to have permitted him to die, as it was a more likely way to bring any piously disposed person to receive the doctrine of Christ, when he laid down his life for it, than if he had been the most prosperous in this world.

1 Corinthians 1:26

Accordingly ye may observe who the men are among you that are wrought on or converted by the gospel; not principally the learned politicians, the great or noble families;

1 Corinthians 1:27

But the course which God hath chosen to take now in Christ is that that the world will count foolish; and this on purpose that by the success of that the wise men of the world may be put to shame: it is that which the world counts weak, that it may appear how much more power there is in that which

²⁰ scandal, σκάνδαλον. ²¹ Or, Gentiles: for the King’s MS. reads ἰθένει. ²² to them the called, αὐτοῖς τοῖς κλητοῖς. ²³ For the foolish part, Ὅτι τὸ μωρόν. ²⁴ weak part, τὸ ἀσθενές. ²⁵ look upon, βλέπετε.