1._Imitators of me. _From this it appears, how absurdly chapters are divided, inasmuch as this sentence is disjoined from what goes before, with which it ought to have been connected, and is joined to what follows, with which it has no connection. Let us view this, then, as the close of the precedin... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Now I praise you He _passes on now to another subject-to instruct the Corinthians, what decorum ought to be observed in the sacred assemblies. For as a man’s dress or gesture has in some cases the effect of disfiguring, and in others of adorning him, so all actions are set off to advantage by dec... [ Continue Reading ]
3._But I would have you know _It is an old proverb: “Evil manners beget good laws.” (618) As the rite here treated of had not been previously called in question, Paul had given no enactment respecting it. (619) The error of the Corinthians was the occasion of his showing, what part it was becoming t... [ Continue Reading ]
4._Every man praying _Here there are two propositions. The first relates to the _man_, the other to the _woman _He says that the _man _commits an offense against Christ his head, if he _prays or prophesies with his head covered. _Why so? Because he is subject to Christ, with this understanding, that... [ Continue Reading ]
5._Every woman praying or prophesying _Here we have the _second _proposition — that women ought _to have their heads covered _when they _pray _or _prophesy_; otherwise they _dishonor their head _For as the _man _honors his head by showing his liberty, so the _woman_, by showing her subjection. Hence... [ Continue Reading ]
7._The man ought not to cover his head, because he is the image _The same question may now be proposed respecting the _image_, as formerly respecting the_head. _For both sexes were created in the image of God, and Paul exhorts women no less than men to be formed anew, according to that image. The _i... [ Continue Reading ]
8._For the man is not from the woman. _He establishes by _two _arguments the pre-eminence, which he had assigned to men above women. The _first _is, that as the woman derives her origin from the man, she is therefore inferior in rank. The _second _is, that as the woman was created for the sake of th... [ Continue Reading ]
10._For this cause ought the woman to have power _(628) From that authority he draws an argument (629) in favor of outward decorum. “She is subject,” says he, “let her then wear a token of subjection.” In the term _power_, there is an instance of metonymy, (630) for he means a token by which she dec... [ Continue Reading ]
11._But neither is the man without the woman _This is added partly as a check upon men, that they may not insult over women; (634) and partly as a consolation to women, that they may not feel dissatisfied with being under subjection. “The male sex (says he) has a distinction over the female sex, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
12._As the woman is of the man _If this is one of the reasons, why the man has superiority — that the woman was taken out of him, there will be, in like manner, this motive to friendly connection — that the male sex cannot maintain and preserve itself without the aid of women. For this remains a set... [ Continue Reading ]
16._But if any man seem _A _contentious _person is one whose humor inclines him to stir up disputes, and does not care what becomes of the truth. Of this description are all who, without any necessity, abolish good and useful customs — raise disputes respecting matters that are not doubtful — who do... [ Continue Reading ]
His reproof of the fault previously noticed was but a mild and gentle admonition, because the Corinthians sinned in ignorance, so that it was proper that they should readily be forgiven. Paul, too, had praised them in the outset, because they had faithfully _kept his enactments_. (1 Corinthians 11:2... [ Continue Reading ]
18._When ye come together in the Church, I hear there are divisions _Some take the words _divisions _and _heresies_, as referring to that disorder ( ἀταξίαν) of which he speaks soon afterwards. I consider them as having a more extensive signification, and certainly it is not likely that he would emp... [ Continue Reading ]
19._For there must be also heresies _He had previously spoken of _divisions _(1 Corinthians 11:18.) Now he uses the term _heresies_, with the view of amplifying the more, as we may infer, too, from the word _also_, for it is added for the sake of amplification. ( προς αὔξησιν.) It is well known in w... [ Continue Reading ]
20._This is not to eat the Lord’s supper _He now reproves the abuse that had crept in among the Corinthians as to the Lord’s Supper, in respect of their mixing up profane banquets with the sacred and spiritual feast, and that too with contempt of the poor. Paul says, that in this way it is not _the... [ Continue Reading ]
21._For every one of you taketh before others his own supper. _It is truly wonderful, and next to a miracle, (656) that Satan could have accomplished so much in so short a time. We are, however, admonished by this instance, how much antiquity, without reason on its side, can effect, or, in other wor... [ Continue Reading ]
22._Have ye not houses _? From this we see that the Apostle was utterly dissatisfied with this custom of feasting, even though the abuse formerly mentioned had not existed. For, though it seems allowable for the whole Church to partake at one common table, yet this, on the other hand, is wrong — to... [ Continue Reading ]
Hitherto he has been exposing the abuse; (667) now he proceeds to show what is the proper method of rectifying it. For the institution of Christ is a sure rule, so that if you turn aside from it but a very little, you are out of the right course. Hence, as the Corinthians had deviated from this rule... [ Continue Reading ]
24._Having given thanks. _Paul observes elsewhere, that every gift that we receive from the hand of God is sanctified to us by the word and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:5.) Accordingly, we nowhere read that the Lord tasted bread along with his disciples, but there is mention made of his _giving thanks_, (J... [ Continue Reading ]
25._The cup, when he had supped _The Apostle seems to intimate, that there was some interval of time between the distribution of the _bread _and that of the _cup_, and it does not quite appear from the Evangelists whether the whole of the transaction was continuous. (694) This, however, is of no gre... [ Continue Reading ]
26._For as often as ye shall eat. _Paul now adds what kind of remembrance ought to be cherished — that is, with thanksgiving; not that the remembrance consists wholly in confession with the mouth; for the chief thing is, that the efficacy of Christ’s death be sealed in our consciences; but this know... [ Continue Reading ]
27._Therefore he who shall eat this bread unworthily. _If the Lord requires gratitude from us in the receiving of this sacrament — if he would have us acknowledge his grace with the heart, and publish it with the mouth — that man will not go unpunished, who has put insult upon him rather than honor;... [ Continue Reading ]
28._But let a man examine himself _An exhortation drawn from the foregoing threatening. “_If _those that _eat unworthily _are _guilty of the body and blood of the Lord_, then let no man approach who is not properly and duly prepared. Let every one, therefore, take heed to himself, that he may not fa... [ Continue Reading ]
29._He who shall eat unworthily, eateth judgment to himself. _He had previously pointed out in express terms the heinousness of the crime, when he said that those who should _eat unworthily _would be _guilty of the body and blood of the Lord _Now he alarms them, by denouncing punishment; (706) for t... [ Continue Reading ]
30._For this cause_, etc. After having treated in a general way of _unworthy eating_, and of the kind of punishment that awaits those who pollute this sacrament, he now instructs the Corinthians as to the chastisement which they were at that time enduring. It is not known whether a pestilence was ra... [ Continue Reading ]
31._For if we would judge ourselves _Here we have another remarkable statement — that God does not all of a sudden become enraged against us, so as to inflict punishment immediately upon our sinning, but that, for the most part, it is owing to our carelessness, that he is in a manner constrained to... [ Continue Reading ]
32._But when we are judged _Here we have a consolation that is exceedingly necessary; for if any one in affliction thinks that God is angry with him, he will rather be discouraged than excited to repentance. Paul, accordingly, says, that God is angry with believers in such a way as not in the meanti... [ Continue Reading ]
33._Wherefore, my brethren _From the discussion of a general doctrine, he returns to the particular subject with which he had set out, and comes to this conclusion, that equality must be observed in the Lord’s Supper, that there may be a real participation, as there ought to be, and that they may no... [ Continue Reading ]
34._The rest I will set in order when I come _It is probable, that there were some things in addition, which it would be of advantage to put into better order, but as they were of less importance, the Apostle delays the correction of them until his coming among them. It may be, at the same time, tha... [ Continue Reading ]