The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 4

CHAPTER I. transition of the word from a title into a proper name. In the two no.mes together The oldest superscription was probably, our Lord is represented as "the Saviour," ~ 'l'o the Corinthians, the first (TTpo, Kop!P- and the anointed Prophet, Priest, and 8/ov, ,rpw.-71)." This is found in i-:, A, B, King, first of the chosen people and then C,D. of all mankind. Throll(rh the will of God Vere. I-3.-The greeting. An opening (comp. 2 Corinthians; Ephesians; Colos- salutation is found in all the Epistles of sians; 2 Tim. i. 1). This special call to St. Paul, and in every Epistle of the New the apostleship is emphatically expanded Testament except the Epistle to the He- in Gal. i. 1. The vindication of the Divine brews and the first Epistle of St. John, both and independent claim was essential to St. of which were more in the nature of treatises Paul's work. It was not due to any per- than letters. sonal considerations, but to the necessity of Ver. 1.-Pe.ul. After the beginning of proving that no human authority could be the first missionary journey (A.D. 45) he quoted to overthrow the gospel which was seems to have finally abandoned his Hebre,v peculiarly" his gospel" (see Gal. i. 11; Eph. name of Saul. Ca.lied. The word " called " iii. 8), of which one main feature was the is nbsettfromA,D,E,and other manuscripts, freedom of the Gentiles from the yoke of but may have been omitted as superfluous. Judaic bondage. And Sosthenes. The asso- It occurs in the greeting of Rom. i. 1, but not ciation of one or more brethren with himself in e.ny other Epistle. The words might in the greeting of his letters is peculiar to also be rendered "e. called or chosen St. Paul. Silas and Timothy are nssociaterl apostle." To be e.n e.postle. He uses this with him in 1 and 2 'l'hessalonians; aud title in every Jetter except the prive.te one Timothy, though so much his junior, in 2 to Philemon, the peculie.rly friendly and Corinthians, Philippians, Uolossians, and informs.I one to the Philippians, e.ud the Philemon; doubtless he woul<l ham been two to the Thesse.lonians, which were associated with St. Pnul in this Epistle had written before the J udaizers had challenged he not been absent (eh. iv. 17; xvi. 10). his claim to this title in its more special The practice arose p11rtly from St. Paul's sense. The Epistle to the Romans is the exquisite courtesy an<l consideration towards first in which he calls himself "a slav6 or his companions, p11rtly from his shrinking Jesus Christ" ( comp. Phil. i. 1 ; Titus i. 1 ; from mere person11l prominence. It is Je.s. i. I;. 2 Pet. i. I; Jude 1). It was ne- owing to the same reasons that in the earlier cessary for him to assert his 1·ight to the Epistles he constantly uses "we" for "I," apostolate in the highest sense of the word, and sometimes when he can only be speak- as one who had received from Christ himself ing of himself (1 Thess. ii. 18). But even e.n n:uthority eq1rnl to that of the twelve (see in the Epistles to the 'l'hesse.lonians he some• eh. ix: 1-5; xv. 9; 2 Cor. xi. 5; xii. 11, 12; times rel11p,es from "we" into "I" (2 Gal. 1. 1-19, etc.). Of Jesus Christ. In Thess. ii. 5). Our brother; literally, the the Gospels the word "Ghrist" is nil but brother ; i.e. one of " the brethren " ( corn p. inv11riably "the Christ," i.e. the Anointed, 2 Cor. i. 1). Of Sostheues nothing what- tho Messi11h. It is the design11tion of the ever is known. He may possibly be the office of Jesus as the promised Deliverer. e.manuensis whom St. l'aul employed for We trnce in the New 'resto.ment the gmdual this letter. Later tm<litiou, which in such T. CORINTHIANS. B  2 THE FinST EPISTLE 'l'O THE COIUNTHIANS. [cu. 1. 1-31.