Chap. xvi. Of dissension brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. 18 For they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad, therefore, on your behalf; but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. 23 Gaius mine host,c and Gaius mine host, Gaius or Caius, with whom I lodge. and offences. of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, saluteth and Quartus a brother. you, 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 25 Now, to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, (according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith :) 27 To God only wise, be Glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe, servant of the church at Cenchrea. PREFATORY REMARKS TO THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. CORINTH was a rich and luxurious city in Achaia, situated upon the isthmus, which connected the Peloponnesus, now Morea, with the northern part of Greece. It was favourably situated for commerce; and at the time this Epistle was writfen, about A. D. 57, it was one of the most celebrated cities in Greece for its learning and magnificence, and no less for the profligacy and wickedness of its inhabitants. St. Paul first visited Corinth about A. D. 51, and establish Salutations and I. Corinthians. thanksgivings. ed a flourishing church, in which were some Jews of note, but the greater part were idolatrous Gentiles. After several years absence a false teacher appeared among them, and introduced division and disorder. In this situation of the church some of the members wrote to Paul for advice and direction, and not being able to visit them again so early as he intended, about A. D. 57, he wrote this first Epistle, in which he reproves the false teacher and his adherents; and because they had ridiculed him as rude in speech, he informed them, that in preaching the Gospel, Christ had ordered him to avoid the enticing words of man's wisdom. He told them, their luxurious manner of living was inconsistent with the purity of the Gospel, and sharply reproved them for referring their disputes to Heathen courts of justice for settlement. The apostle then answers certain questions concerning marriage, celibacy, and divorce. He proves his apostleship, which the false teacher had presumed to question, declares it sinful to sit down with Heathens in an idol's temple to partake of the sacrifices,-gives rules for the behaviour of both sexes in the public assemblies, rebukes the whole church for the indecent manner, in which they had celebrated the Lord's Supper, proves against the opinion of the Greek philosophers and Jewish Sadducees, not only the possibility, but the certainty of the resurrection of the dead, and exhorts the Corinthians to make collections for the saints at Jerusalem, who were reduced to great distress. ¶ THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE, TO THE CORINTHIANS. CHAP. I. 1 After salutation and thanksgiving, 10 he exhorteth to unity, 12 and reproveth their dissensions. 18 God destroyeth the wisdom of the wise. PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs & ours: 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, & from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, & in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions a mong you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, That every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul Pa 14 I thank God that I bap a To be baptized into the name of any person, or into a person, signifies, to enter one's self a disciple of him, into whose name he is baptized, and to profess that he submits himself implicitly to his authority, and receives his doctrines and rules. to unity, &c. tized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ b should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,c I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,d and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.e 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world.f 21 For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. b Gross of Christ. The doctrine of salvation through the cross, or the sufferings and death of Christ. c It is written, Isaiah, xxix. 14. def The Wisdom of the wise, the wisdom of this world, and the understanding of the prudent, are expressions of singular import, and signify the false doctrines of the Jewish teachers, and Gentile philosophers. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. of God, &c. AND I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you,a save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit, we speak wisdom among them that are perfeet;b yet not the wisdom of this world, nor the princes of this world,that come to nought; 7 But we speak the wisdom of Gode in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew; for a Not to know any thing: not to make known or teach any thing among you. b Them, that are perfect, those who were fully instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, and were become sincere disciples of Jesus Christ. c The wisdom of God, salvation by Jesus Christ. had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,d Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man e receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. d It is written, Isaiah Ixiv. 4. e The natural man, one who makes his senses, passions, and prejudices the measure of truth, and the rule of his conduct. preaching. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. CHAP. III. 16 1 Milk is fit for children. Men the temples of God: 17 which must be kept holy. AND I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,a even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye belieyed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers to gether with God; ye are a Carnal, fleshly, weak or stupid, and under the influence of the pas sions. |