THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. THIS Epistle was written to the Corinthians by Paul the Apostle from Ephesus, about the beginning of the year of our Lord 56, in answer to some questions which they had proposed to him in a letter.—(Chap. vii. 1.) The Apostle had resided amongst them, three years previous to the writing of this Epistle, for eighteen months, and had planted the church there. They were chiefly heathen converts. It was conveyed to Corinth by Titus.-(2 Cor. vii. 6, 7; xii. 18.) It contains sixteen chapters. CHAP. I. 1 PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes [the chief ruler of the synagogue, who was beaten before the judgment seat by the Greeks, Acts xviii. 17,] our brother [fellow-labourer in Christ]. 2 Writing unto the church of God [assembly, congregation of Christians,] which is at Corinth, who are made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, [i. e. pray for and expect salvation,] through him who is their Lord and ours; 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God [praise him] 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 [the gift of tongues], and in all knowledge [in the mysteries of the gospel]; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ [the spreading of the gospel] was confirmed in you by your conversion : 7 So that ye come behind [are inferior to] no other christian churches, waiting for the coming [expecting the salvation] of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8 Who shall also confirm you [fulfil his promise of strength unto you] even unto the end, [shall perform his part of the covenant,] that ye may be accounted blameless in the day when Christ shall judge the world. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye are called to the partaking of the benefits of the gospel of Christ. 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all teach the same doctrine, and that there be no divisions [schisms] among 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 hath some preference; and one saith, I am of Paul [I prefer to follow Paul as my rule]; another, I am of Apollos; another, I am of Cephas [Peter]; and another, I am of Christ; these latter neglecting his ministers, and the communion with the church. 13 Is Christ divided? [Is there more than one doctrine of Jesus Christ?] Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God, ye cannot lay this fault to my charge. Ye cannot say I taught you so, or baptized you. I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, [the rulers of the synagogue, Acts xviii 8, principal men of the church of Corinth, Rom xvi. 23.] 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas [the first converts in Achaia]; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For my peculiar gift from Christ was not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with the elegance of human wisdom, lest the plain force of that truth, the salvation of men by the atonement and death of Christ upon the cross, should be made secondary [of none effect]. 18 For this plain truth, that we are saved only by his blood, is to the wise of this world [who, not receiving this only way, must perish] foolishness; [they neither see nor understand the mystery ;] but unto us who are enlightened, it is the power of God unto salvation. 19 For it is written, Isa. xxix. 14, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 And again, Isaiah says, xxxiii. 18, Where is the wise? Where is the scribe [the learned of the the law amongst the Jews]? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God, by his wonderful salvation in Jesus Christ, made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For when God in his wisdom saw that the world by natural wisdom knew him not, it pleased God, by the preaching of Christ crucified, whieh appeared but foolishness to the world, to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign from heaven to induce them to believe, and the Greeks [foreigners who spoke the Greek language] require a learned disquisition: 23 But we preach Christ crucified; to the Jews [who cannot believe him, whom they call a dead malefactor, a means of salvation] a stumblingblock; and to the Greeks, [who by the wisdom of this world cannot understand the mystery,] what appears foolishness. 24 But to them who are called to this heavenly wisdom, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and his weakest things stronger than the strongest. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren [ye see the condition of Christianity]; it depends not upon worldly wisdom; for not many wise men of this world, not many mighty, not many learned, not many noble are called. 27 For God hath chosen the foolish things of this world [foolish inasmuch as they are not according to the world's wisdom,] to confound the worldly wise, and the weak to confound the strong; 28 And the things which are esteemed base and despised in this world hath God chosen, yea, even the Gentiles, who were not a people, [Hos. ii. 23,] to bring to nought the things that are; even the Jews, the people of God. 29 That no flesh [neither Jew nor Gentile] should have any thing of themselves wherewith to glory before God. 30 But by the sacrifice of Christ ye are of God, who is become [is made] unto us the author of wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. 31 That as Jeremiah saith, ix. 24, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. CHAP. II. 1 AND I, brethren, [fulfilling that which I have just said, how that God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise,] came not unto |