173 lines
13 KiB
XML
173 lines
13 KiB
XML
<div2 id="iCor.i" n="i" next="iCor.ii" prev="iCor" progress="42.85%" title="Introduction">
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<div class="Center" id="iCor.i-p0.1"><h2 id="iCor.i-p0.2">First Corinthians</h2>
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<p id="iCor.i-p1">Completed by <span class="smallcaps" id="iCor.i-p1.1">Simon Browne</span>.</p>
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</div>
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<hr/>
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<pb id="iCor.i-Page_505" n="505"/>
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<div class="Center" id="iCor.i-p1.3">
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<p id="iCor.i-p2"><b>AN</b></p>
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<h3 id="iCor.i-p2.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
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<h4 id="iCor.i-p2.2">W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E
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R V A T I O N S,</h4>
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<h5 id="iCor.i-p2.3">OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE</h5>
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<h2 id="iCor.i-p2.4">C O R I N T H I A N S.</h2>
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<hr style="width:2in"/>
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</div>
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<p class="indent" id="iCor.i-p3"><span class="smallcaps" id="iCor.i-p3.1">Corinth</span> was
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a principal city of Greece, in that particular division of it which
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was called <i>Achaia.</i> It was situated on the isthmus (or neck
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of land) that joined Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece, on the
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southern side, and had two ports adjoining, one at the bottom of
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the Corinthian Gulf, called <i>Lechæum,</i> not far from the city,
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whence they traded to Italy and the west, the other at the bottom
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of the Sinus Saronicus, called <i>Cenchrea,</i> at a more remote
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distance, whence they traded to Asia. From this situation, it is no
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wonder that Corinth should be a place of great trade and wealth;
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and, as affluence is apt to produce luxury of all kinds, neither is
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it to be wondered at if a place so famous for wealth and arts
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should be infamous for vice. It was in a particular manner noted
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for fornication, insomuch that a <i>Corinthian woman</i> was a
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proverbial phrase for a strumpet, and <b><i>korinthiazein,
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korinthiasesthai</i></b>—<i>to play the Corinthian,</i> is to play
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the whore, or indulge whorish inclinations. Yet in this lewd city
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did Paul, by the blessing of God on his labours, plant and raise a
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Christian church, chiefly among the Gentiles, as seems very
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probable from the history of this matter, <scripRef id="iCor.i-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Acts.18.1-Acts.18.18" parsed="|Acts|18|1|18|18" passage="Ac 18:1-18">Acts xviii. 1-18</scripRef>, compared with some
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passages in this epistle, particularly <scripRef id="iCor.i-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.12.2" parsed="|1Cor|12|2|0|0" passage="1Co 12:2">xii. 2</scripRef>, where the apostle tells them, <i>You
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know that you wee Gentiles, carried away to those dumb idols even
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as you were led,</i> though it is not improbable that many Jewish
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converts might be also among them, for we are told that <i>Crispus,
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the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord, with all
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his house,</i> <scripRef id="iCor.i-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:Acts.18.8" parsed="|Acts|18|8|0|0" passage="Ac 18:8">Acts xviii.
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8</scripRef>. He continued in this city nearly two years, as is
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plain from <scripRef id="iCor.i-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:Acts.18.11 Bible:Acts.18.18" parsed="|Acts|18|11|0|0;|Acts|18|18|0|0" passage="Ac 18:11,18">Acts xviii. 11 and
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18</scripRef> compared, and laboured with great success, being
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encouraged by a divine vision assuring him God <i>had much people
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in that city,</i> <scripRef id="iCor.i-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Acts.18.9-Acts.18.10" parsed="|Acts|18|9|18|10" passage="Ac 18:9,10">Acts xviii. 9,
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10</scripRef>. Nor did he use to stay long in a place where his
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ministry met not with acceptance and success.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="iCor.i-p4">Some time after he left them he wrote this
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epistle to them, to water what he had planted and rectify some
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gross disorders which during his absence had been introduced,
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partly from the interest some false teacher or teachers had
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obtained amongst them, and partly from the leaven of their old
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maxims and manners, that had not been thoroughly purged out by the
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Christian principles they had entertained. And it is but too
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visible how much their wealth had helped to corrupt their manners,
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from the several faults for which the apostle reprehends them.
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Pride, avarice, luxury, lust (the natural offspring of a carnal and
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corrupt mind), are all fed and prompted by outward affluence. And
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with all these either the body of this people or some particular
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persons among them are here charged by the apostle. Their pride
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discovered itself in their parties and factions, and the notorious
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disorders they committed in the exercise of their spiritual gifts.
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And this vice was not wholly fed by their wealth, but by the
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insight they had into the Greek learning and philosophy. Some of
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the ancients tell us that the city abounded with rhetoricians and
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philosophers. And these were men naturally vain, full of
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self-conceit, and apt to despise the plain doctrine of the gospel,
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because it did not feed the curiosity of an inquisitive and
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disputing temper, nor please the ear with artful speeches and a
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flow of fine words. Their avarice was manifest in their law-suits
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and litigations about <i>meum—mine,</i> and <i>tuum—thine,</i>
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before heathen judges. Their luxury appeared in more instances than
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one, in their dress, in their debauching themselves even at the
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Lord's table, when the rich, who were most faulty on this account,
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were guilty also of a very proud and criminal contempt of their
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poor brethren. Their lust broke out in a most flagrant and infamous
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instance, such as had not been named among the Gentiles, not spoken
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of without detestation—that a man should have his father's wife,
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either as his wife, or so as to commit fornication with her. This
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indeed seems to be the fault of a particular person; but the whole
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church were to blame that they had his crime in no greater
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abhorrence, that they could endure one of such very corrupt morals
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and of so flagitious a behaviour among them. But their
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participation in his sin was yet greater, if, as some of the
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ancients tell us, they were puffed up on behalf of the great
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learning and eloquence of this incestuous person. And it is plain
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from other passages of the epistle that they were not so entirely
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free from their former lewd inclinations as not to need very strict
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cautions and strong arguments against fornication: see <scripRef id="iCor.i-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.6.9-1Cor.6.20" parsed="|1Cor|6|9|6|20" passage="1Co 6:9-20">vi. 9-20</scripRef>. The pride of their
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learning had also carried many of them so far as to disbelieve or
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dispute against the doctrine of the resurrection. It is not
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improbable that they treated this question problematically, as they
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did many questions in philosophy, and tried their skill by arguing
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it <i>pro</i> and <i>con.</i></p>
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<p class="indent" id="iCor.i-p5">It is manifest from this state of things
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that there was much that deserved reprehension, and needed
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correction, in this church. And the apostle, under the direction
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and influence of the Holy Spirit, sets himself to do both with all
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wisdom and faithfulness, and with a due mixture of tenderness and
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authority, as became one in so elevated and important a station in
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the church. After a short introduction at the beginning of the
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epistle, he first blames them for their discord and factions,
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enters into the origin and source of them, shows them how much
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pride and vanity, and the affectation of science, and learning, and
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eloquence, flattered by false teachers, contributed to the
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scandalous schism; and prescribes humility, and submission to
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divine instruction, the teaching of God by his Spirit, both by
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external revelation and internal illumination, as a remedy for the
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evils that abounded amongst them. He shows them the vanity of their
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pretended science and eloquence on many accounts. This he does
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through the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.1.1-1Cor.4.21" parsed="|1Cor|1|1|4|21" passage="1Co 1:1-4:21">first four
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chapters</scripRef>. In the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.5.1-1Cor.5.13" parsed="|1Cor|5|1|5|13" passage="1Co 5:1-13">fifth</scripRef> he treats of the case of the
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incestuous person, and orders him to be put out from among them.
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Nor is what the ancients say improbable, that this incestuous
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person was a man in great esteem, and head of one party at least
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among them. The apostle seems to tax them with being puffed up on
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his account, <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.5.2" parsed="|1Cor|5|2|0|0" passage="1Co 5:2">v. 2</scripRef>. In the
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<scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.6.1-1Cor.6.8" parsed="|1Cor|6|1|6|8" passage="1Co 6:1-8">sixth chapter</scripRef> he blames
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them for their law-suits, carried on before heathen judges, when
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their disputes about property should have been amicably determined
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amongst themselves, and in the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.6.9-1Cor.6.20" parsed="|1Cor|6|9|6|20" passage="1Co 6:9-20">close
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of the chapter</scripRef> warns them against the sin of
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fornication, and urges his caution with a variety of arguments. In
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the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.7.1-1Cor.7.40" parsed="|1Cor|7|1|7|40" passage="1Co 7:1-40">seventh chapter</scripRef> he
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gives advice upon a case of conscience, which some of that church
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had proposed to him in an epistle, about marriage, and shows it to
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be appointed of God as a remedy against fornication, that the ties
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of it were not dissolved, though a husband or wife continued a
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heathen, when the other became a Christian; and, in short, that
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Christianity made no change in men's civil states and relations. He
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gives also some directions here about virgins, in answer, as is
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probable, to the Corinthians' enquiries. In the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.8.1-1Cor.8.13" parsed="|1Cor|8|1|8|13" passage="1Co 8:1-13">eighth</scripRef> he directs them about meats offered
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to idols, and cautions them against abusing their Christian
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liberty. From this he also takes occasion, in the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.8" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.9.1-1Cor.9.27" parsed="|1Cor|9|1|9|27" passage="1Co 9:1-27">ninth chapter</scripRef>, to expatiate a
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little on his own conduct upon this head of liberty. For, though he
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might have insisted on a maintenance from the churches where he
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ministered, he waived this demand, that <i>he might make the gospel
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of Christ without charge,</i> and did in other things comply with
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and suit himself to the tempers and circumstances of those among
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whom he laboured, for their good. In the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.9" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.10.1-1Cor.10.33" parsed="|1Cor|10|1|10|33" passage="1Co 10:1-33">tenth chapter</scripRef> he dissuades them, from the
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example of the Jews, against having communion with idolaters, by
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eating of their sacrifices, inasmuch as they could not be at once
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partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils, though they
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were not bound to enquire concerning meat sold in the shambles, or
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set before them at a feast made by unbelievers, whether it were a
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part of the idol-sacrifices or no, but were at liberty to eat
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without asking questions. In the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.10" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.11.1-1Cor.11.34" parsed="|1Cor|11|1|11|34" passage="1Co 11:1-34">eleventh chapter</scripRef> he gives direction about
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their habit in public worship, blames them for their gross
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irregularities and scandalous disorders in receiving the Lord's
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supper, and solemnly warns them against the abuse of so sacred an
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institution. In the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.11" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.12.1-1Cor.12.31" parsed="|1Cor|12|1|12|31" passage="1Co 12:1-31">twelfth
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chapter</scripRef> he enters on the consideration of spiritual
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gifts, which were poured forth in great abundance on this church,
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upon which they were not a little elated. He tells them, in this
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chapter, that all came from the same original, and were all
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directed to the same end. They issued from one Spirit, and were
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intended for the good of the church, and must be abused when they
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were not made to minister to this purpose. Towards the close he
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informs them that they were indeed valuable gifts, but he could
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recommend to them something far more excellent, upon which he
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breaks out, in the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.12" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.13.1-1Cor.13.13" parsed="|1Cor|13|1|13|13" passage="1Co 13:1-13">thirteenth
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chapter</scripRef>, into the commendation and characteristics of
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charity. And them, in the <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.13" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.14.1-1Cor.14.40" parsed="|1Cor|14|1|14|40" passage="1Co 14:1-40">fourteenth</scripRef>, he directs them how to keep up
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decency and order in the churches in the use of their spiritual
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gifts, in which they seem to have been exceedingly irregular,
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through pride of their gifts and a vanity of showing them. The
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<scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.14" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.15.1-1Cor.15.58" parsed="|1Cor|15|1|15|58" passage="1Co 15:1-58">fifteenth chapter</scripRef> is
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taken up in confirming and explaining the great doctrine of the
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resurrection. The <scripRef id="iCor.i-p5.15" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.16.1-1Cor.16.24" parsed="|1Cor|16|1|16|24" passage="1Co 16:1-24">last
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chapter</scripRef> consists of some particular advices and
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salutations; and thus the epistle closes.</p>
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</div2> |