1 Cor.

MENT.

2

Irregularities of the Corinthians:

[2.] The Devil therefore, seeing that a great and populous city ARGU- had laid hold of the truth, a city admired for wealth and wisdom, and the head of Greece; (for Athens and Lacedæmon were then and since in a miserable state, the dominion having long ago fallen away from them ;) and seeing that with great readiness they had received the word of God; what doth he? He divides the men. For he knew that even the strongest kingdom of all, divided against itself, shall not stand. He had a vantage ground too for this device; the wealth, the wisdom of the inhabitants. Hence certain men, having made parties of their own, and having become self-ordained, put themselves at the head of the people, and some sided with these, and some with those; with one sort, as being rich; with another, as wise, and able to teach something out of the common. Who on their part, receiving them, set themselves up forsooth to teach more than the 1 c. 3. 1. Apostle did: at which he was hinting, when he said, 'I was not able to speak unto you as unto spiritual; evidently not his inability, but their infirmity, was the cause of their not having 2 c. 4. 8. been abundantly instructed. And this, Ye have been rich without us, is the remark of one pointing that way. And this was no small matter, but of all things most pernicious; that the Church should be torn asunder.

And another sin too, besides these, was openly committed there: namely, a person who had had intercourse with his stepmother not only escaped rebuke, but was even a leader of the multitude, and gave occasion to his followers to pride themselves 3 c. 5.2. [on him.] Wherefore he saith, 3 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned.

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3

And after this again, certain of those who as they pretended were of the more perfect sort, and who for gluttony's sake used to eat of things offered unto idols, and sit at meat in the temples, were bringing all to ruin.

Others again, having contentions and strifes about money, committed unto the heathen courts all matters of that kind in which they were concerned.

Many persons also wearing long hair used to go them; whom he ordereth to be shorn.

e S. Irenæus, iii. v. 1; points out this as a main topic of heretical teaching. "These most futile of Sophisters affirm that the Apostles taught feignedly, after the capacity of the hearers, and gave answers after the prejudices

about among

of those who enquired of them, discoursing with the blind blindly according to their blindness, with the feeble according to their feebleness, and with the erring according to their error."

Occasion, Course, and Tone, of St. Paul's Argument. 3

There was a certain fault besides, no trifling one; their eating in the churches apart by themselves, and giving no share to the needy.

And again, they were erring in another point, being puffed up with the gifts; and hence jealous of one another; which was also the chief cause of the distraction of the Church.

λεσε.

The doctrine of the Resurrection too was lame' and unsound1ix among them for some of them had no strong belief that there is any resurrection of bodies, having still on them the disease of Grecian foolishness. For indeed all these things were the progeny of the madness which belongs to Heathen Philosophy, and she was the mother of all mischief. Hence likewise they had become divided; in this respect also having learned of the philosophers. For these latter were no less at mutual variance, always, through love of rule and vain glory, contradicting one another's opinions, and bent upon making some new discovery in addition to all that was before. And the cause of this their condition was, their having begun to trust themselves to reasonings.

[3.] They had written accordingly to him by the hand of Fortunatus and Stephanas and Achaicus, by whom also he himself writes; and this he has indicated in the end of the Epistle: not however upon all these subjects, but about marriage, and virginity. Wherefore also he said, Now concerning the things whereof ye2 c. 7. 1. have written to me, &c. And he proceeds to give injunctions, both on the points about which they had written, and about which they had not written; having learnt with accuracy all their failings. Timothy too he sends with the letters, knowing that letters indeed have great force, yet that not a little would be added to them by the presence of the disciple also.

Now whereas from a feeling of shame, those who had divided the Church among themselves, lest they should seem to have done so for ambition's sake, contrived clokes for what had happened, their teaching (forsooth) more perfect doctrines, and being wiser than all others; Paul sets himself first against the disease itself, plucking up the root of the evils, and its offshoot, the spirit of separation. And he uses great boldness of speech: for these were his own disciples, more than all others. Wherefore he saith, 'If unto others I be not an Apostle, yet doubtless I am unto 3 c. 9. 2. you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye. Moreover they were in a weaker condition (to say the least of it) than the others. Wherefore he saith, For I have not spoken unto you as unto c. 3. 1, 2. οὐδὲ spiritual; for hitherto ye were not able, neither yet even now are ye for TE.

Course of St. Paul's Argument.

1 COR. able. (This he saith, that they might not suppose that he speaks ARGU- thus in regard of the time past alone.)

MENT.

However, it was utterly improbable that all should have been corrupted; rather there were some among them who might be called very holy. And this he hath signified' in the middle 1 c.4.3, of the Epistle, where he says, To me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you: and adds, these things I have in a figure transferred unto myself and Apollos.

6.

Since then from arrogance all these evils were springing, and from men's thinking that they knew something out of the common, this he purgeth away first of all, and in beginning saith,

f It appears by the subsequent commentary on these verses, that S. Chrysostom understood the Apostle to be alluding in them to persons among the

Corinthians, who had suffered from unjust censure and party spirit. See Hom. ii. §. 1; xi. near the end; and the opening of Hom. xii.

Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [1.] SEE how immediately, from the very first beginning, he (1.) casts down their pride, and dashes to the ground all their fond imagination, in that he speaks of himself as called. For what I have learnt, saith he, I discovered not myself, nor acquired by my own wisdom, but while I was persecuting and laying waste the Church. Now here of Him that calleth is every thing of him that is called, nothing, (so to speak,) but only to obey.

:

Of Jesus Christ. Your Teacher is Christ; and do you write yourselves by the names of men, as patrons of your doctrine?

By the will of God. For it was God who willed that you should be saved in this way. We ourselves have wrought no good thing, but by the will of God we have attained to this salvation; and because it seemed good to Him, we were called, not because we were worthy.

And Sosthenes our brother. Another instance of his modesty: he puts in the same rank with himself one inferior to Apollos: for great was the interval between Paul and Sosthenes. Now if where the interval was so wide he stations with himself one far beneath him, what can they have to say who despise their equals?

Unto the Church of God. Not" of this or of that man," but of God.

Which is at Corinth. Seest thou how at each word he puts down their swelling pride; training their thoughts in every

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Nature and Extent of Church Unity.

HOMIL. way for heaven? He calls it too the Church

I.

of God;"

shewing that it ought to be united. For if it be " of God," it is united, and it is one, not in Corinth only, but also in all 1izzan the world: for the Church's name1 is not a name of separation, via: pro- but of unity and concord.

perly an assembly. To the sanctified in Christ Jesus. Again, the Name of Jesus; the names of men he findeth no place for. But what is Sanctification? The Laver, the Purification. For he reminds them of their own uncleanness, from which he had freed them; and so persuades them to lowliness of mind; for not by their own good deeds, but by the loving-kindness of God, had they been sanctified.

Called to be Saints. For even this, to be saved by faith, is not, saith he, of yourselves; for ye did not first draw near, but were called; so that not even this small matter is yours altogether. However, though you had drawn near, accountable as you are for innumerable wickednesses, not even so would the grace be yours, but God's. Hence also, 2 Eph.2. writing to the Ephesians, he said, 2By grace are ye saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; not even the faith is yours altogether; for ye were not first with your belief, but obeyed a call.

8.

With all who call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not" of this or that man," but " the Name of the Lord."

[2.] In every place, both theirs and ours. For although the letter be written to the Corinthians only, yet he makes mention of all the faithful that are in all the earth; shewing that the Church throughout the world must be one, however separate in divers places; and much more, that in Corinth. And though the place separate, the Lord binds them together, being common to all. Wherefore also uniting them he adds, both theirs and ours. And this is far more powerful [to unite,] than the other [to separate.] For as men in one place, having many and contrary masters, become distracted, and their one place helps them not to be of one mind, their masters giving orders at variance with each other, and drawing each their 3 S. Mat. Own way, according to what Christ says, 3 Ye cannot serve God 6. 24. and Mammon; so those in different places, if they have not

different lords but one only, are not by the places injured in