Chapter 1
In this chapter we have, I. The
preface or introduction to the whole epistle (v. 1-9). II. One principal
occasion of writing it hinted, namely, their divisions and the origin of them
(v. 10–13). III. An account of Paul’s ministry among them, which was
principally preaching the gospel (v. 14–17). IV. The manner wherein he preached
the gospel, and the different success of it, with an account how admirably it
was fitted to bring glory to God and beat down the pride and vanity of men (v.
17 to the end).
Verses 1-9
We have
here the apostle’s preface to his whole epistle, in which we may take notice,
I. Of the
inscription, in which, according to the custom of writing letters then, the name
of the person by whom it was written and the persons to whom it was written are
both inserted. 1. It is an epistle from Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, to
the church of Corinth, which he himself had planted, though there were some
among them that now questioned his apostleship (ch. 9:1, 2), and vilified his
person and ministry, 2 Co. 10:10. The most faithful and useful ministers are
not secure from this contempt. He begins with challenging this character: Paul,
called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God. He had
not taken this honour to himself, but had a divine commission for it. It was
proper at any time, but necessary at this time, to assert his character, and
magnify his office, when false teachers made a merit of running him down, and
their giddy and deluded followers were so apt to set them up in competition
with him. It was not pride in Paul, but faithfulness to his trust, in this
juncture, to maintain his apostolical character and authority. And, to make
this more fully appear, he joins Sosthenes with him in writing, who was a
minister of a lower rank. Paul, and Sosthenes his brother, not a
fellow-apostle, but a fellow-minister, once a ruler of the Jewish synagogue,
afterwards a convert to Christianity, a Corinthian by birth, as is most
probable, and dear to this people, for which reason Paul, to ingratiate himself
with them, joins them with himself in his first salutations. There is no reason
to suppose he was made a partaker of the apostle’s inspiration, for which
reasons he speaks, through the rest of the epistle, in his own name, and in the
singular number. Paul did not in any case lessen his apostolical authority, and
yet he was ready upon all occasions to do a kind and condescending thing for
their good to whom he ministered. The persons to whom this epistle was directed
were the church of God that was at Corinth, sanctified in Christ Jesus, and
called to be saints. All Christians are thus far sanctified in Christ
Jesus, that they are by baptism dedicated and devoted to him, they are under
strict obligations to be holy, and they make profession of real sanctity. If
they be not truly holy, it is their own fault and reproach. Note, It is the
design of Christianity to sanctify us in Christ. He gave himself for us, to
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us to himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works. In conjunction with the church at Corinth, he
directs the epistle to all that in every place call on the name of Christ
Jesus our Lord, both theirs and ours. Hereby Christians are distinguished
from the profane and atheistical, that they dare not live without prayer; and
hereby they are distinguished from Jews and Pagans, that they call on the name
of Christ. He is their common head and Lord. Observe, In every place in the
Christian world there are some that call on the name of Christ. God hath a
remnant in all places; and we should have a common concern for and hold
communion with all that call on Christ’s name.
II. Of the
apostolical benediction. Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father,
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. An apostle of the prince of peace must be a
messenger and minister of peace. This blessing the gospel brings with it, and
this blessing every preacher of the gospel should heartily wish and pray may be
the lot of all among whom he ministers. Grace and peace-the favour of God, and
reconciliation to him. It is indeed the summary of all blessings. The Lord
lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, was the form of
benediction under the Old Testament (Num. 6:26), but this advantage we have by
the gospel, 1. That we are directed how to obtain that peace from God: it is in
and by Christ. Sinners can have no peace with God, nor any good from him, but
through Christ. 2. We are told what must qualify us for this peace; namely,
grace: first grace, then peace. God first reconciles sinners to himself, before
he bestows his peace upon them.
III. Of
the apostle’s thanksgiving to God on their behalf. Paul begins most of his
epistles with thanksgiving to God for his friends and prayer for them. Note,
The best way of manifesting our affection to our friends is by praying and
giving thanks for them. It is one branch of the communion of saints to give
thanks to God mutually for our gifts, graces, and comforts. He gives thanks, 1.
For their conversion to the faith of Christ: For the grace which was given
you through Jesus Christ, v. 4. He is the great procurer and disposer of
the favours of God. Those who are united to him by faith, and made to partake
of his Spirit and merits, are the objects of divine favour. God loves them,
bears them hearty good-will, and bestows on them his fatherly smiles and
blessings. 2. For the abundance of their spiritual gifts. This the church of
Corinth was famous for. They did not come behind any of the churches in any
gift, v. 7. He specifies utterance and knowledge, v. 5. Where God has
given these two gifts, he has given great capacity for usefulness. Many have
the flower of utterance that have not the root of knowledge, and their converse
is barren. Many have the treasure of knowledge, and want utterance to employ it
for the good of others, and then it is in a manner wrapped up in a napkin. But,
where God gives both, a man is qualified for eminent usefulness. When the
church of Corinth was enriched with all utterance and all knowledge, it was fit
that a large tribute of praise should be rendered to God, especially when these
gifts were a testimony to the truth of the Christian doctrine, a confirmation
of the testimony of Christ among them, v. 6. They were signs and wonders and
gifts of the Holy Ghost, by which God did bear witness to the apostles,
both to their mission and doctrine (Heb. 2:4), so that the more plentifully
they were poured forth on any church the more full attestation was given to
that doctrine which was delivered by the apostles, the more confirming evidence
they had of their divine mission. And it is no wonder that when they had such a
foundation for their faith they should live in expectation of the coming of
their Lord Jesus Christ, v. 7. It is the character of Christians that they wait
for Christ’s second coming; all our religion has regard to this: we believe it,
and hope for it, and it is the business of our lives to prepare for it, if we
are Christians indeed. And the more confirmed we are in the Christian faith the
more firm is our belief of our Lord’s second coming, and the more earnest our
expectation of it.
IV. Of the
encouraging hopes the apostle had of them for the time to come, founded on the
power and love of Christ, and the faithfulness of God, v. 8, 9. He who had
begun a good work in them, and carried it on thus far, would not leave it
unfinished. Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be
kept by him, and confirmed to the end; and those that are so will be
blameless in the day of Christ: not upon the principle of strict justice,
but gracious absolution; not in rigour of law, but from rich and free grace.
How desirable is it to be confirmed and kept of Christ for such a purpose as
this! How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege, whether for ourselves or
others! To be kept by the power of Christ from the power of our own corruption
and Satan’s temptation, that we may appear without blame in the great day! O
glorious expectation, especially when the faithfulness of God comes in to
support our hopes! He who hath called us into the fellowship of his Son is
faithful, and will do it, 1 Th. 5:24. He who hath brought us into near and
dear relation to Christ, into sweet and intimate communion with Christ, is
faithful; he may be trusted with our dearest concerns. Those that come at his
call shall never be disappointed in their hopes in him. If we approve ourselves
faithful to God, we shall never find him unfaithful to us. He will not
suffer his faithfulness to fail, Ps. 89:33.
Verses 10-13
Here the
apostle enters on his subject.
I. He
extorts them to unity and brotherly love, and reproves them for their
divisions. He had received an account from some that wished them well of some
unhappy differences among them. It was neither ill-will to the church, nor to
their ministers, that prompted them to give this account; but a kind and
prudent concern to have these heats qualified by Paul’s interposition. He
writes to them in a very engaging way: "I beseech you, brethren, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ; if you have any regard to that dear and
worthy name by which you are called, be unanimous. Speak all the same thing;
avoid divisions or schisms’’ (as the original is), "that is, all
alienation of affection from each other. Be perfectly joined together in the
same mind, as far as you can. In the great things of religion be of a mind:
but, when there is not a unity of sentiment, let there be a union of
affections. The consideration of being agreed in greater things should
extinguish all feuds and divisions about minor ones.’’
II. He
hints at the origin of these contentions. Pride lay at the bottom, and this
made them factious. Only of pride cometh contention, Prov. 13:10. They
quarrelled about their ministers. Paul and Apollos were both faithful ministers
of Jesus Christ, and helpers of their faith and joy: but those who were
disposed to be contentious broke into parties, and set their ministers at the
head of their several factions: some cried up Paul, perhaps as the most sublime
and spiritual teacher; others cried up Apollos, perhaps as the most eloquent
speaker; some Cephas, or Peter, perhaps for the authority of his age, or
because he was the apostle of the circumcision; and some were for none of them,
but Christ only. So liable are the best things in the world to be corrupted,
and the gospel and its institutions, which are at perfect harmony with
themselves and one another, to be made the engines of variance, discord, and
contention. This is no reproach to our religion, but a very melancholy evidence
of the corruption and depravity of human nature. Note, How far will pride carry
Christians in opposition to one another! Even so far as to set Christ and his
own apostles at variance, and make them rivals and competitors.
III. He
expostulates with them upon their discord and quarrels: "Is Christ
divided? No, there is but one Christ, and therefore Christians should be on
one heart. Was Paul crucified for you? Was he your sacrifice and
atonement? Did I ever pretend to be your saviour, or any more than his
minister? Or, were you baptized in the name of Paul? Were you devoted to
my service, or engaged to be my disciples, by that sacred rite? Did I challenge
that right in you, or dependence from you, which is the proper claim of your
God and Redeemer?’’ No; ministers, however instrumental they are of good to us,
are not to be put in Christ’s stead. They are not to usurp Christ’s authority,
nor encourage any thing in the people that looks like transferring his authority
to them. He is our Saviour and sacrifice, he is our Lord and guide. And happy
were it for the churches if there were no name of distinction among them, as
Christ is not divided.
Verses 14-16
Here the
apostle gives an account of his ministry among them. He thanks God he had
baptized but a few among them, Crispus, who had been a ruler of a
synagogue at Corinth (Acts 18:8), Gaius, and the household of Stephanas,
besides whom, he says, he did not remember that he had baptized any. But how
was this a proper matter for thankfulness? Was it not a part of the apostolical
commission to baptize all nations? And could Paul give thanks to God for his
own neglect of duty? He is not to be understood in such a sense as if he were
thankful for not having baptized at all, but for not having done it in present
circumstances, lest it should have had this very bad construction put upon
it—that he had baptized in his own name, made disciples for himself, or set
himself up as the head of a sect. He left it to other ministers to baptize,
while he set himself to more useful work, and filled up his time with preaching
the gospel. This, he thought, was more his business, because the more important
business of the two. He had assistants that could baptize, when none could
discharge the other part of his office so well as himself. In this sense he
says, Christ sent him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not so
much to baptize as to preach. Note, Ministers should consider themselves sent
and set apart more especially to that service in which Christ will be most
honoured and the salvation of souls promoted, and for which they are best
fitted, though no part of their duty is to be neglected. The principal business
Paul did among them was to preach the gospel (v. 17), the cross
(v. 18), Christ crucified, v. 23. Ministers are the soldiers of Christ,
and are to erect and display the banner of the cross. He did not preach his own
fancy, but the gospel-the glad tidings of peace, and reconciliation to God,
through the mediation of a crucified Redeemer. This is the sum and substance of
the gospel. Christ crucified is the foundation of all our joys. By his death we
live. This is what Paul preached, what all ministers should preach, and what
all the saints live upon.
Verses 17-31
We have here,
I. The
manner in which Paul preached the gospel, and the cross of Christ: Not with
the wisdom of words (v. 17), the enticing words of man’s wisdom (ch.
2:4), the flourish of oratory, or the accuracies of philosophical language,
upon which the Greeks so much prided themselves, and which seem to have been
the peculiar recommendations of some of the heads of the faction in this church
that most opposed this apostle. He did not preach the gospel in this manner,
lest the cross of Christ should be of no effect, lest the success should
be ascribed to the force of art, and not of truth; not to the plain doctrine of
a crucified Jesus, but to the powerful oratory of those who spread it, and
hereby the honour of the cross be diminished or eclipsed. Paul had been bred up
himself in Jewish learning at the feet of Gamaliel, but in preaching the cross
of Christ he laid his learning aside. He preached a crucified Jesus in plain
language, and told the people that that Jesus who was crucified at Jerusalem
was the Son of God and Saviour of men, and that all who would be saved must
repent of their sins, and believe in him, and submit to his government and
laws. This truth needed no artificial dress; it shone out with the greatest
majesty in its own light, and prevailed in the world by its divine authority,
and the demonstration of the Spirit, without any human helps. The plain
preaching of a crucified Jesus was more powerful than all the oratory and
philosophy of the heathen world.
II. We
have the different effects of this preaching: To those who perish it is
foolishness, but to those who are saved it is the power of God, v. 18. It
is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but unto those
who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God, v. 23, 24. 1. Christ crucified is a stumbling-block to the Jews. They
could not get over it. They had a conceit that their expected Messiah was to be
a great temporal prince, and therefore would never own one who made so mean an
appearance in life, and died so accursed a death, for their deliverer and king.
They despised him, and looked upon him as execrable, because he was hanged on a
tree, and because he did not gratify them with a sign to their mind, though his
divine power shone out in innumerable miracles. The Jews require a sign, v. 22.
See Mt. 12:38. 2. He was to the Greeks foolishness. They laughed at the story
of a crucified Saviour, and despised the apostles’ way of telling it. They
sought for wisdom. They were men of wit and reading, men that had cultivated
arts and sciences, and had, for some ages, been in a manner the very mint of
knowledge and learning. There was nothing in the plain doctrine of the cross to
suit their taste, nor humour their vanity, nor gratify a curious and wrangling
temper: they entertained it therefore with scorn and contempt. What, hope to be
saved by one that could not save himself! And trust in one who was condemned
and crucified as a malefactor, a man of mean birth and poor condition in life,
and cut off by so vile and opprobrious a death! This was what the pride of
human reason and learning could not relish. The Greeks thought it little better
than stupidity to receive such a doctrine, and pay this high regard to such a
person: and thus were they justly left to perish in their pride and obstinacy.
Note, It is just with God to leave those to themselves who pour such proud
contempt on divine wisdom and grace. 3. To those who are called and saved he
is the wisdom of God, and the power of God. Those who are called and
sanctified, who receive the gospel, and are enlightened by the Spirit of God,
discern more glorious discoveries of God’s wisdom and power in the doctrine of
Christ crucified than in all his other works. Note, Those who are saved are
reconciled to the doctrine of the cross, and led into an experimental
acquaintance with the mysteries of Christ crucified.
III. We
have here the triumphs of the cross over human wisdom, according to the ancient
prophecy (Isa. 29:14): I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to
nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? v. 19, 20, All the valued learning of this world was
confounded, baffled, and eclipsed, by the Christian revelation and the glorious
triumphs of the cross. The heathen politicians and philosophers, the Jewish
rabbis and doctors, the curious searchers into the secrets of nature, were all
posed and put to a nonplus. This scheme lay out of the reach of the deepest
statesmen and philosophers, and the greatest pretenders to learning both among
the Jews and Greeks. When God would save the world, he took a way by himself;
and good reason, for the world by wisdom knew not God, v. 21. All the
boasted science of the heathen world did not, could not, effectually bring home
the world to God. In spite of all their wisdom, ignorance still prevailed,
iniquity still abounded. Men were puffed up by their imaginary knowledge, and
rather further alienated from God; and therefore it pleased him, by the
foolishness of preaching, to save those that believe. By the foolishness
of preaching—not such in truth, but in vulgar reckoning.
1. The
thing preached was foolishness in the eyes of worldly-wise men. Our living
through one who died, our being blessed by one who was made a curse, our being
justified by one who was himself condemned, was all folly and inconsistency to
men blinded with self-conceit and wedded to their own prejudices and the boasted
discoveries of their reason and philosophy.
2. The
manner of preaching the gospel was foolishness to them too. None of the famous
men for wisdom or eloquence were employed to plant the church or propagate the
gospel. A few fishermen were called out, and sent upon this errand. These were
commissioned to disciple the nations: these vessels chosen to convey the
treasure of saving knowledge to the world. There was nothing in them that at
first view looked grand or august enough to come from God; and the proud pretenders
to learning and wisdom despised the doctrine for the sake of those who
dispensed it. And yet the foolishness of God is wiser than men, v. 25.
Those methods of divine conduct that vain men are apt to censure as unwise and
weak have more true, solid, and successful wisdom in them, than all the
learning and wisdom that are among men: "You see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called, v. 26, etc. You see the state of Christianity; not many
men of learning, or authority, or honourable extraction, are called.’’ There is
a great deal of meanness and weakness in the outward appearance of our
religion. For, (1.) Few of distinguished character in any of these respects
were chosen for the work of the ministry. God did not choose philosophers, nor
orators, nor statesmen, nor men of wealth and power and interest in the world,
to publish the gospel of grace and peace. Not the wise men after the flesh,
though men would apt to think that a reputation for wisdom and learning might
have contributed much to the success of the gospel. Not the mighty and noble,
however men might be apt to imagine that secular pomp and power would make way
for its reception in the world. But God seeth not as man seeth. He hath chosen
the foolish things of the world, the weak things of the world, the base and
despicable things of the world, men of mean birth, of low rank, of no liberal
education, to be the preachers of the gospel and planters of the church. His
thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor his ways as our ways. He is a better
judge than we what instruments and measures will best serve the purposes of his
glory. (2.) Few of distinguished rank and character were called to be
Christians. As the teachers were poor and mean, so generally were the converts.
Few of the wise, and mighty, and noble, embraced the doctrine of the cross. The
first Christians, both among Jews and Greeks, were weak, and foolish, and base;
men of mean furniture as to their mental improvements, and very mean rank and
condition as to their outward estate; and yet what glorious discoveries are
there of divine wisdom in the whole scheme of the gospel, and in this
particular circumstance of its success!
IV. We
have an account how admirably all is fitted, 1. To beat down the pride and
vanity of men. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise—men of no learning to confound the most learned; the weak
things of the world to confound the might—men of mean rank and
circumstances to confound and prevail against all the power and authority of
earthly kings; and base things, and things which are despised—things
which men have in the lowest esteem, or in the utmost contempt, to pour
contempt and disgrace on all they value and have in veneration; and things
which are not, to bring to nought (to abolish) things that are—the
conversion of the Gentiles (of whom the Jews had the most contemptuous and
vilifying thoughts) was to open a way to the abolishing of that constitution of
which they were so fond, and upon which they valued themselves so much as for
the sake of it to despise the rest of the world. It is common for the Jews to
speak of the Gentiles under this character, as things that are not.
Thus, in the apocryphal book of Esther, she is brought in praying that God
would not give his sceptre to those who are not, Esth. 14:11. Esdras, in
one of the apocryphal books under his name, speaks to God of the heathen as
those who are reputed as nothing, 2 Esdras 6:56, 57. And the apostle Paul
seems to have this common language of the Jews in his view when he calls
Abraham the father of us all before him whom he believed, God, who calleth
those things that are not as though they were, Rom. 4:17. The gospel is
fitted to bring down the pride of both Jews and Greeks, to shame the boasted
science and learning of the Greeks, and to take down that constitution on which
the Jews valued themselves and despised all the world besides, that no flesh
should glory in his presence (v. 29), that there might be no pretence for
boasting. Divine wisdom alone had the contrivance of the method of redemption;
divine grace alone revealed it, and made it known. It lay, in both respects,
out of human reach. And the doctrine and discovery prevailed, in spite of all
the opposition it met with from human art or authority: so effectually did God
veil the glory and disgrace the pride of man in all. The gospel dispensation is
a contrivance to humble man. But, 2. It is as admirably fitted to glorify God.
There is a great deal of power and glory in the substance and life of
Christianity. Though the ministers were poor and unlearned, and the converts
generally of the meanest rank, yet the hand of the Lord went along with the
preachers, and was mighty in the hearts of the hearers; and Jesus Christ was
made both to ministers and Christians what was truly great and honourable. All
we have we have from God as the fountain, and in and through Christ as the
channel of conveyance. He is made of God to us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption (v. 30): all we need, or can desire. We are
foolishness, ignorant and blind in the things of God, with all our boasted
knowledge; and he is made wisdom to us. We are guilty, obnoxious to justice;
and he is made righteousness, our great atonement and sacrifice. We are
depraved and corrupt; and he is made sanctification, the spring of our
spiritual life; from him, the head, it is communicated to all the members of
his mystical body by his Holy Spirit. We are in bonds, and he is made redemption
to us, our Saviour and deliverer. Observe, Where Christ is made righteousness
to any soul, he is also made sanctification. He never discharges from the guilt
of sin, without delivering from the power of it; and he is made righteousness
and sanctification, that he may in the end be made complete redemption, may
free the soul from the very being of sin, and loose the body from the bonds of
the grave: and what is designed in all is that all flesh may glory in the
Lord, v. 31. Observe, It is the will of God that all our glorifying should
be in the Lord: and, our salvation being only through Christ, it is thereby
effectually provided that it should be so. Man is humbled, and God glorified
and exalted, by the whole scheme.
Excerpt from:
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
Visit www.e-sword.net
and www.ccel.org
