at this trade, with his wife J'riscilla, he entered into partnership with them. They had been expelled from Rome by a decree of Claudius, in A.D. 52, and had probably been converted to Christianity by the unknown disciples who had founded the Roman Church. With them St. Paul formed a happy and lifelong friendship, and by toiling with them, he was able to earn a living, which was, however, so scanty that it often barely sufficed even for his .simple wants ( Acts xx. 34; eh. iv. 11, 12; ix. 4, 12; 2 Cor. vii. 2; xi. 9). After a time he was joined by Silas and Timotheus, who not only aided him effectually in his mission work, but also brought a welcome supply for his needs from the Church of Philippi, the only Church from which he ever consented to accept pecuniary aid (2 Cor. xi. 9; Phil. iv. 15). The mission was successful. Crispus the ruler of the synagogue was baptized, with all his house. The Jews, however, as a body, showed such determined opposition, that he had to leave; their synagogue altogether and turn to the Gentiles. He went with his converts to a room near the synagogue, which was placed at his disposal by a proselyte named Justus, and there, amid much physical weakness and mental depression, he preached for many months. His labours brought about the conversion of many Gentiles (Acts xviii. 8), and the founding of Churches, not only in Corinth, but also at Cenchrere and other towns of Achaia (2 Cor. i. 1; Rom. xvi. 1). The Jews, 'filled with bitter hatred against him, seized the opportunity offered them by the arrival of a new proconsul-Marcus Annreus Novatus (Gallio ), a brother of Seneca-to accuse him of acting contrary to Law. Gallio, indeed, dismissed their accusation with true Roman contempt; but the strong indignation of the apostle against his obstinate and infatmted fellow-countrymen breaks out in his First Epistle to the Thess:1lonians (1 Thess. ii. 14--16), the earliest of his extant Epistles, which, like the Second, was written from Corinth. After staying for some time longer at Corinth, he sailed to Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem, and, returning from thence to Antioch, set out with Timothy and others on his third missionary journey. Fulfilling his promise that he would revisit Ephesus, he made that city his head-quarters for nearly three years (Acts xx. 31).
DATE AND DESIGN OF THE EPISTLE.
It was during the latter part of his residence in the Ionian metropolis- probably a little before Pentecost, A.D. 57-that he wrote his First Letter to the Corinthians. His intention had been to leave Ephesus shortly and to sail to Corinth. After a brief stay with the Church, he purposed to visit Macedonia, and then to return to Corinth, in order that, after a second visit, the Church might help him forwarcl on his way to Jerusalem (2 Cor. i. 15-17). The news which he received from Corinth frustrated this plan lie had informed them of it (apparently) in a lost letter, in which he had iv INTRODUCTION 'l'O
al~o given them a rule "not to company with fornicators," of which they had mistaken the duo significance. Ilnt in eh. xvi. he had silently indicated his change of plan, and this had led his •.lpponents to charge him with insincerity and frivolity (2 Cor. i. 17). But the reason for this change of plan had been the o.ccount of the evil state of the Church at Corinth, which he had received, first from A polios; then from a letter which the converts had addressed to him; and lastly from some members of" the household of Chloe." From Apollos he must have beard generally that some of the brethren were only too likely to ;;uccumb to the perils of the heathendom by which they were surrounded; and he must have told the apostle that there was pressing need for him to meet the yearning wish of all the most faithful converts by paying them a visit as soon as possible. The letter of the Corinthians themselves revealed the existence of some genuine perplexity and of many eager and unhealthy speculations. 1. They had asked many questions about marriage and celibacy; about second marriages; about mixed marriages; about the marriage of wards and daughters. 2. They wishecl for direction in the bitter disputes which had arisen between "the strong" and " the weak " on the question of "meats offeretl to idols." 3. They had asked w:p.ether men or women ought to appear in the assem 11ies with their heads covered or uncovered. 4. They had difficulties about the relative value of spiritual gifts, and the way to regulate the phenomena of glossolaly (" speaking with the tongue"). 5. They were perplexed with material difficulties about the resurrection. 6. They asked about the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. 7. They invited Apollos to pay them another visit. There were many points in this letter which gave ground for anxiety; but this was as nothing to the grief with which St. Paul heard the tidings 1rought by Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus-tidings which he should l,aYe heard from the Church, but which their letter had passed over with a reticence which was little honourable to their faithfulness and sincerity. First of all, he learnt that the Church was rent by a deplorable party spirit. A pollos and others, especially some emissaries from or representa- tives of the mother Church of Jerusalem, had visited Corinth during St. Paul's long absence, and the consequence had been that various factions had rallied round different teachers. One party still adhered to the name of Paul; others preferred the stately rhetoric and Alexandrian refinements of A pollos; others claimed allegiance for the name of Cephas ; and some Judreo-Christians, probably of the narrowest school, vainly wished to mono- polize for their section the name of Christ himself. Then grave scandals and abuses had been caused in the Church meetings by the forwardness of women, by the egotism of rival orators, and moat of 'l'lrn FIRST EPISTLE '1'0 THE CORINTHIANS.