PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians
Hodge, Charles, 1797–1878 · 167,870 words · 392 reading sections
INTRODUCTION.
§ 1. Corinth. The Grecian Peloponnesus is connected with the continent by an isthmus from four to six miles wide. On this isthmus stood the city of Corinth. A rocky eminence, called the Acrocorin- thus, rises from the plain almost perpendicularly, to the height of two thousand feet above the level of the sea, and is s…
196 wordsSECTION 2IV INTRODUCTION.
last fallen to the lot of Corinth. It became the chief city of Greece, not only in authority but in wealth, magnificence, literature, the arts, and in luxury. It was characteristic of the place, that while the temple of Minerva crowned the Acropolis of Athens, the Acrocorinthus was the site of the temple of Venus. Of a…
368 wordsSECTION 3INTRODUCTION. V
is in keeping with the character given of him by his contem- poraries. He was one of the victims of the cruelty of Nero.* §2. Paul's Labours in Corinth. As Corinth was not only the political capital of Greece, but the seat of its commercial and intellectual life ; the place of concourse for the people not only of the…
356 wordsSECTION 4VI INTRODUCTION.
Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee ; for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a jear and six months, teaching the word of God among them." (Acts 18, 1-11.) The success of Paul aroused the enmity of the Jews, who determined …
383 wordsSECTION 5INTRODUCTION. VU
may indeed mean that for the third time he had prepared to go to Corinth, but this the context does not suggest, and would really amount to nothing. It was not how often he had purposed to visit them, but how often he had actually made the journey, which was the point on which stress is laid. In ch. 13, 1 he says, "Thi…
732 wordsSECTION 6INTRODUCTION.
words" were those attracted by the eloquence of Apollos, 4. It is scarcely less certain that those who said " We are of Peter " were the Judaizers, as Peter was specially the apostle of the circumcision. There is no evidence, however, from this epistle, that the leaders of this party had attempted to intro- duce into C…
388 wordsSECTION 7X INTRODUCTION.
Paul and Apollos belonging to one class. This, however, does violence to the plain meaning of the passage in 1 Cor. 1, 12. These neutrals were probably the worst class in the congrega- tion, as is commonly the case with those who claim to be Christians to the exclusion of all others. Another great evil in the Corinthi…
376 wordsSECTION 8INTRODUCTION. XI
of the questions of conscience which was answered differently by different parties, and no doubt contributed to promote the divisions existing among them. The turbulent and independent spirit of the people also was conspicuously manifested in their public assembUes. Li- stead of following the instructions of the apost…
329 wordsSECTION 9XU INTRODUCTION.
Paul's protracted sojourn in that city. He tells the Corinthi- ans that he was to visit Macedonia, and would then come to Corinth, but that he must tarry in Ephesus till Pentecost (ch. 16, 5-8.) Comp. also v. 19, which agrees with the account given in Acts 19, 20. 20, 1. 2. After the uproar excited by Demetrius, Paul, …
395 wordsSECTION 10INTRODUCTION. XUl
inconsistent they were with the relation which believers bear to Christ and to each other ; and how careful he had been to avoid all appearance of desiring to be a party leader among them. He had even abstained from baptizing lest any should say he baptized in his own name, ch. 1, 10-16. He had bap- tized only a few am…
387 wordsSECTION 11HV INTRODUCTION.
which he taught, and the words which he used in com muni- eating that truth were taught by the Holy Ghost. If any man neglected what was thus presented, the fault was neither in the doctrines taught nor in the mode in which they were exhibited, but in the objector. The things of the Spirit must be spiritually discerned…
391 wordsSECTION 12INTEODUCTION. XV
that they might learn to estimate ministers aright, and not contend about them. He then contrasts himself as suffering, labouring and despised, with the false teachers and their fol- lowers, and exhorts the Corinthians to be followers of him, and intimates his apprehension that he would have to come to them with a rod,…
367 wordsSECTION 13XVI INTRODUCTION.
Sixthly : Surrounded as the Corinthians were by idolatry, whose institutions pervaded all the relations of society, it be- came a question how far Christians might conform to the usages connected with heathen worship. The most important question was, whether it was lawful to eat meat which had been offered in sacrifice…
374 wordsSECTION 14INTRODUCTION. XVll
direct and manifest intervention of God ; they had been mira- culously guided and miraculously fed in the wilderness, and yet the great majority perished. Their experience should be a warning to the Corinthians not to be overcome by similar temptations, and especially to be on their guard against idola- try, 10, 1-13. …
764 wordsSECTION 15INTRODUCTION. XIX
He illustrates all these points by a reference to the human body. As the body is one, being animated by one soul ; so the church is one, being animated by one Spirit. And as the vital principle manifests itself in different forms in the different members of the body, for the common good ; and as the dif- ferent members…
371 wordsSECTION 16XX INTRODUCTION.
not risen ; and if Christ be not risen, we have no Saviour. He therefore proves, first, the fact of the resurrection of Christ, and then shows that his resurrection secures that of his people, 15, 1-36 ; and finally, that the objection that ma- terial bodies such as we now have, are unsuitable to the fiiture state, is …
334 wordsSECTION 17INTRODUCTION. XXI
heathenism. We see what method Paul adopted in founding the church in the midst of a refined and corrupt people ; how he answered questions of conscience arising out of the rela- tions of Christians to the heathen around them. The cases may never occur again, but the principles involved in their decision, are of perpet…
138 wordsSECTION 18CHAPTER I.
Salutation, vs. 1-3. Introduction, vs. 4-9. The divisions which existed in the Church at Corinth, vs. 10-16. Defence of the Apostle's mode of preaching, vs. 17-31.…
26 wordsSECTION 19Introduction to the Epistle. Vs. 1-9.
Paul declares himself to be a divinely appointed messenger of Christ, V. 1. In this character he addresses the church at Corinth, as those who were sanctified in Christ, and called to be saints. He includes in his salutation all the worshippers of Christ in that vicinity, v. 2 ; and invokes upon them the bless- ings of…
162 wordsSECTION 202 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 1.2.
ment of his labours among the Gentiles. His Jewish name was Saul. It was common for the Jews to bear one name among their own people, and another among foreigners. Called {to be) an apostle^ that is, appointed an apostle. The apostleship being an office, it could not be assumed at pleasure. Appointment by competent au…
425 wordsSECTION 21I. CORINTHIANS 1, 2. 3
called out from the world. Sometimes it means the whole number of God's people, as when it is said, Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, Eph. 5, 25. Sometimes it means the people of God as a class, as when Paul said, he per- secuted the church of God, Gal. 1, 13. Sometimes it means the professing Christians…
464 wordsSECTION 224 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 2.
Becrated. It is not to be inferred from the feet that the apos- tle addresses all the nominal Christians in Corinth as saints and as sanctified in Christ Jesus, that they were all true be- lievers, or that those terms express nothing more than external consecration. Men are uniformly addressed in Scripture according to…
461 wordsSECTION 23I. CORINTHIANS 1, 2.3. 5
called to be saints. A reference to 2 Cor. 1, 1 suggests a bet- ter explanation. It is there said, "To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints which are in all Achaia." The same limitation must be supplied here. This epistle was addressed not only to the Christians in Corinth, but also to all their br…
421 wordsSECTION 246 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 8.4.5.
These infinite blessings suppose an infinite source ; and as they are sought no less from Christ than from God the Father, Christ must be a divine person. It is to be remarked that God is called our Father^ and Christ our Lord. God as God has not only created us, but renewed and adopted us. God in Christ has redeemed u…
401 wordsSECTION 25I. CORINTHIANS 1, 5.6.7. 7
ledge, that is, in every kind and degree of religious knowledge. This interpretation gives a good sense, and is the one very generally adopted. The word (Xdyos) translated utterance, may however be taken in the sense of doctrine, and the word (yvwo-ts) translated knowledge, in the sense of insight. The meaning would th…
379 wordsSECTION 268 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 7.
Such was their strength of faith that the gifts of the Spirit were bestowed upon them as abundantly as upon any other church. This connection of faith with the divine bless- ing is often presented in Scripture. Our Lord said to the father who sought his aid in behalf of his demoniac child, " If thou canst believe, all …
452 wordsSECTION 27I. CORINTHIAKS 1, 7.8. 9
are an earnest, that is, a foretaste and pledge, of those bless- ings which they are to receive in their fulness at the second advent. The Spirit, therefore, awakens desire for that event. See Rom. 8, 23. Eph. 1, 14. The same truth is here implied. The Corinthians had received largely the gifts of the Spirit : the cons…
445 wordsSECTION 2810 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 8.9.
use the expression " final perseverance." Unblamable^ i. e. not arraigned or accused. He is unblamable against whom no accusation can be brought. In this sense it is said " a bishop must be blameless," Titus 1, 6. Y. God will confirm his people so that when the day of judgment comes, which is the day of our Lord Jesus,…
435 wordsSECTION 29I. CORINTHIANS 1, 9. 11
tion, as in 10, 16, "participation of the blood of Christ," 2 Cor. 13, 13, "participation of the Holy Ghost." We are called to be partakers of Christ ; partakers of his life, as members of his body ; and therefore, partakers of his charac- ter, of his sufferings here and of his glory hereafter. This last idea is made s…
452 wordsSECTION 3012 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 10.
10. Now 1 beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but (that) ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. There is but one exhortation in this verse, which is ex- pressed first in general term…
423 wordsSECTION 31I. CORINTHIANS 1, 10.11.12. 13
be divided, but united. This union was to be both in mind and in judgment (vovs and yvw/xry). The former term may refer either to the intellect or feelings. The latter in the New Testament always means judgment or opinion. When the words are united, the former is most naturally understood of feeling, a sense in which t…
393 wordsSECTION 3214 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 12. 13.
teachers, 2 Cor. 11, 13 ; that these teachers were Hebrews, 2 Cor. 11, 22, and that they endeavoured to undermine the au- thority of Paul as an apostle. The two principal parties in Coiinth, therefore, were Gentiles calling themselves the disci- ples of Paul, and Jews claiming to be the followers of Peter. The Gentile …
418 wordsSECTION 33I. CORINTHIANS 1, 13. 14. 15. 16. 16
Christians cannot be divided without violating the bond which binds them to Christ and to one another. Is Christ divided.^ Of course the answer must ,be in the negative. As Christ is incapable of division, as there can be but one Christ, the church cannot be divided. It is contrary to its nature to be split into hosti…
408 wordsSECTION 3416 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 16.
Stephanas was one of the three messengers sent to inform the apostle of the state of the church in Corinth, and to de- hver the letter to which reference is made, ch. 7, 1, comp. 16, 15. 17. Paul says he baptized the household or family of Ste- phanas. Under the old dispensation, whenever any one pro- fessed Judaism or…
437 wordsSECTION 35I. CORINTHIANS 1, 16.17. 17
ance with its terms when revealed. They were in Christ (i. e. converted), not because they were wiser, better, or more dis- tinguished than others, but simply because God had chosen or called them, vs. 26-30. The design of God in all this was to humble men so that he who glories should glory in the Lord. V. 31. 17. Po…
430 wordsSECTION 3618 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 17.18.
speculative manner, so that the truth taught should be pre- sented in a philosophical form. According to this view the doctrine taught would still be the gospel, but the thing re- jected and condemned would be merely the philosophical mode of exhibiting it. 3. The meaning may be, not with a discourse characterized by w…
415 wordsSECTION 37I. CORINTHIANS 1, 18.19.20. 19
of the Son of God as a sacrifice for the sins of men. This doctrine, though to one class, viz., those who are lost, i. e. those certainly to perish, foolishness ; yet to another class, viz., those certainly to be saved, it is the power of God. That is, it is that through which the power of God is manifested and exercis…
403 wordsSECTION 3820 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 20.21.
nation to disprove what he had said. It was too plain to be denied that God had made foolish the wisdom of this world, i. e. he had showed it to be foolish, and dealt with it as such. Among the Jews there were three classes of learned men, dis- tinguished by terms corresponding to those which the apostle here uses. It …
409 wordsSECTION 39I. CORINTHIANS 1, 21. 21
Paul's writings very often refers to something implied but not expressed in the context ; most commonly it refers to the answer to a preceding question. It is so here. * Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? He has^ for, &c.' After that {limhrj) properly, since. This particle, though in the Greek writers…
441 wordsSECTION 4022 I. CORINTHIANS 1, 21.22.23.
by making a doctrine which the wise of this world regarded as absurd the means of salvation. This passage in its connec- tion clearly teaches two great truths ; first, that the cross, or the doctrine of Christ crucified, is the substance of the gospel, that in which its vitality and power consist ; and secondly, that i…
398 wordsSECTION 41I. CORINTHIANS 1, 23.24. 23
demands of neither class. It satisfied neither the expectations of the Jews, nor the requirements of the Greeks. On the contrary, it was to the Jews a stumbling-bloclc. They had anticipated in the Messiah a glorious temporal prince, who should deliver and exalt their nation. To present to them one crucified as a malefa…
396 wordsSECTION 4224 K CORINTHIANS 1, 25.26.
25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. This is a confirmation of what precedes. The gospel is thus efficacious, because the lowest manifestation of divine wisdom exceeds the highest results of the wisdom of men ; and the lowest exercise of God's power is mor…
400 wordsSECTION 43I. CORINTHIANS 1, 26.27.28. 25
The things which elevate man in the world, knowledge, influ- ence, rank, are not the things which lead to God and salva- tion. As there is no verb in the original to agree with these nominatives, " the wise," " the mighty," " the noble," we may either supply the simple substantive verb are : ' You see your calling, not…
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look upon with contempt. Things which are not^ (ra fxri oj/ra,) those who are entirely overlooked as though they had no ex- istence. There is a climax here. God has chosen not only plebeians, but of the plebeians those who were objects of con- tempt, and even those below contempt, too insignificant to be noticed at all…
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plicitly asserted. And it is not only asserted, but it is de- clared to be the purpose of God to make it apparent, and to ibrce all men to acknowledge it. He so dispenses his grace as to make men see with regard to others, and to acknow- ledge w^ith regard to themselves, that the fact that they are in Christ, or true C…
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perfect salvation of his people as to soul and body. Rom. 8, 23. Eph. 1, 14. 4, 30. Heb. 9, 12. _ Those, then, who are in Christ have divine wisdom or the sav- ing knowledge of God and of divine things ; they have a right- eousness which secures their justification. There is no condem- nation to those that are in Chri…
411 wordsSECTION 47CHAPTER n
Continues his defence of his mode of preaching. In vs. 1-5 he shows that he acted on the principles set forth in the preceding paragraph. In vs. 6-9 he shows that the gospel is the true wisdom. The source of this know- ledge, as externally revealed and as spiritually apprehended, is the Holy Spirit, vs. 10-16. Continu…
359 wordsSECTION 4830 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 1.2.3.
may be connected either with the word came, ' I came not with excellency of speech ; ' or with the word declaring^ * I came not declaring with excellency of speech, &c.' The former mode is generally preferred, not only because of the position of the words in the sentence, but also because of the sense. Paul does not me…
415 wordsSECTION 49I. CORINTHIANS 2, 3.4. 31
I came to you^ €yev6fir)v irpos ^/x.as, I came to ^'^u and was with you, see John 1, 2. The weakness of which he here speaks was not bodily weakness ; for although he elsewhere speaks of himself as weak in body, 2 Cor. 10, 10, and as suffering un- der bodily infirmity. Gal. 4, 14, yet here the whole context shows he re…
426 wordsSECTION 508*2 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 4.6.
means * The demonstration of which the Spirit is the author, and which is characterized by power ; ' so that the sense is, the powerful demonstration of the Spirit. Demonstration (ctTroSct^is) setting forth^ exhibition of proof. Paul relied, therefore, for success, not on his skill in argument ' or persuasion, nor upo…
432 wordsSECTION 51I. CORINTHIANS 2, 5.6. 33
it for the precious seed. 2. The proper state of muid in which to preach the gospel is the opposite of self-confidence or care- lessness. The gospel should be preached with a sense of weakness and with great anxiety and solicitude. 3. The suc- cess of the gospel does not depend on the skill of the preacher, but on the …
441 wordsSECTION 5234 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 6.
truth, as opposed to the unrenewed. According to this view, Paul means to say that the gospel, although foolishness to the Greek, was the highest wisdom in the estimation of the truly- enlightened. In favour of this view of the passage, and in opposition to the other, it may be argued, 1. That those who regarded Paul's…
455 wordsSECTION 53I. CORINTHIANS 2, 6.7. 85
the men of the world. Kor of the princes of this world. This designation includes all who take the first rank among men ; men of influence, whether for their wisdom, birth, or power. He does not refer exclusively to magistrates, or princes, in the restricted sense of that term. This seems plain from the con- nection, a…
423 wordsSECTION 5436 I. CORINTHIANS 2, V. 8.
reach of human penetration, and has under the gospel been made known for the salvation of men, is one often presented by the apostle, Rom. 16, 25. 26. Eph. 3, 9. 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew : for had they known (it), they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Which refers to wisdom^ and not …
439 wordsSECTION 55I. CORINTHIANS 2, 8.9. 37
Whatever is true either of the soul or body may be predicated of a man as a person ; and whatever is true of either the di- vine or human nature of Christ may be predicated of Christ as a person. We need not hesitate therefore to say with Paul, the Lord of glory was crucified ; or even, in accordance with the received …
434 wordsSECTION 5638 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 9. 10.
that he intended to quote Isaiah 64, 4, the difficulty is twofold, first, the language or words are different, and secondly, the sense is different. Isaiah 64, 4, (or 3 in the Hebrew) as liter- ally translated by Dr. J. A. Alexander, is : " And from eter- nity they have not heard, they have not perceived by the ear, th…
436 wordsSECTION 57I. CORINTHIANS 2, 10. 11. 12. 39
What was undiscoverable by human reason, God hath revealed by his Spirit. XInto us^ i. e. unto those to whom this revelation, was made, viz. " the holy apostles and prophets," Eph, 3, 5. This revelation was made by the Spirit, for he alone is competent to make it ; for he alone searches the deep things of God. Searches…
432 wordsSECTION 5840 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 12.13.
The apostle had set forth two sources of knowledge, the one, human ; the other, divine ; the one, the informing prin- ciple which is in man ; the other, the informing principle which is of God. And he asserts that the source of that wis- dom or knowledge which he communicated, was not the former, but the latter. It was…
415 wordsSECTION 59I. CORINTHIANS 2, 13. 41
usual method, first, negatively ; and then, positirely. It was not done " in the words which man's wisdom teacheth." This includes two things. The words used by the apostle were neither such as the skill of the rhetorician would suggest, nor such as his own mind, uninfluenced by the Spirit of God, sug- gested. The affi…
432 wordsSECTION 6042 I. CORINTHIANS 2, 13.14.
The other interpretation, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, whether it means comparing the Old Testament with the New, as some say ; or, as others understand it, comparing one portion of the Spirit's teaching with another, is inconsist- ent with the context. Much less can be said in favour of a third interpret…
419 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.