1 Corinthians 1:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

1 Corinthians 1:1. Concerning the city of Corinth, see Acts 18:1-2.—a city no less famous for its luxury and vice, than for its wisdom and elegance: but notwithstanding the luxuryof the rich, and the profligacy of the poor, notwithstanding the pride of its wise men, and the prejudices of its priests, St. Paul, without using the charms of eloquence, the advantages of philosophy, the splendour of riches, the favour or concurrence of the great, planted a church among them, and won them to embrace a crucified Saviour. So great was his success, that he abode near two years in this place; but about three years after his departure, the church was overrun with great disorders, and split into various sects and factions. This occasioned thefollowing Epistle, which was written by St. Paul just before his departure from Ephesus, about Easter, (see ch. 1 Corinthians 16:7-8.) in the year of Christ 57, and the third of the emperor Nero. It was intended partly to correct some corruptions and abuses among the Corinthians, and partly to answer certain questions which they had proposed to him. In the introduction he expresses his satisfaction at all the good that he knew of them, particularly at their having the gift of the Holy Ghost for the confirmation of the Gospel; ch. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. After which, he first corrects their corruptions and abuses; first, rebuking the sectaries among them, and defending himself against one or more false teachers, who had alienated most of the Corinthians from him; ch. 1 Corinthians 1:10 to 1 Corinthians 5:1. Secondly, considering the case of a notorious offender, who had married his father's wife, that is, his own step-mother; ordering them to excommunicate this person, and to acknowledge no public fornicator as a brother; ch. 5. Thirdly, reproving them for their covetous and litigious temper, which caused them to prosecute their Christian brethren before heathen courts of judicature; ch. 1 Corinthians 6:1-9. Fourthly, cautioning them against fornication, a vice to which they had been extremely addicted before they were converted, (ch. 1 Corinthians 6:10 to the end,) and which some of them still reckoned among the things indifferent;orwhichmightbepractisedorletalone, without breach of morality. And we can scarcely wonder at this inveterate prejudice, when informed that Corinth was so notorious for fornication and lasciviousness, that a Corinthian woman among the ancients, was a synonimous term for "a prostitute." The natives made the increase of prostitutes one part of their prayers to their gods, and the bringing of prostitutes into the city a part of their vows. In the next place, he answers certain questions which they had proposed; and, first, he determines some questions relating to the marriage-state, ch. 7. Secondly, he instructs them how to act with respect to idol-offerings; ch. viii-ix. 1. It could not be unlawful in itself to eat the meat which had been offered to idols; for the consecration of flesh or wine to an idol did not make it the property of an idol, an idol being nothing, and therefore incapable of property; but some Corinthians thought it lawful to go to a feast in the idol-temples, which at the same time were places of resort for lewdness, and to eat the sacrifices, while praises were sung to the idols: this was publicly joining in idolatry. St. Paul advises to abstain even from such participation as was lawful, rather than give offence to a weak brother; which he enforces by his own example, who had abstained from many lawful things rather than create offence to the Gospel. Thirdly, he answers a third question concerningthe manner in which women should deliver any thingin public, when called to it by divine impulse: ch. 1 Corinthians 11:2-17. And here he censures the unusual dress of both sexes in prophesying, which exposed them to the contempt of the Greeks, among whom the men usually went uncovered, and the women veiled. He also takes occasion here to censure the irregularities committed at their love-feasts, &c. and in the exercise of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost; ch. 1 Corinthians 11:18 to 1 Corinthians 15:1. Fourthly, he affects the resurrection of the dead, which some among the Corinthians doubted, and others denied, ch. 15. He then concludes with some directions to the Corinthian church concerningthe manner of collecting alms, promises them a visit, and salutes some of the members, ch. 16. See Michaelis, Locke, Whitby, Lardner, and Calmet.