1 Corinthians 1:7

describes the result of the firm establishment of the Gospel: ὥστε ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι κ. τ. λ. (ὥστε with inf [87] of contemplated result: see Bn [88] §§ 369 ff.), “causing you not to feel behindhand in any gift of grace”; the mid [89] ὑστερεῖσθαι implies subjective reflexion, the consciousness of inferiority (Ev [90]): similarly in Romans 3:23, “ find themselves short of the glory of God” (Sanday and Headl.); and in Luke 15:14, “he began to feel his destitution ”. The pr [91] inf [92] and ptp [93] of the vbs. bear no ref [94] to the time of writing; their time is given by the governing ἐβεβαιώθη : the strong assurance with which the Cor [95] embraced the Gospel was followed by a shower of spiritual energies, of which they had a lively sense. A χάρισμα (see parls.) is χάρις in some concrete result (see Cr [96] s. v.), a specific endowment of (God's) grace, whether the fundamental charism, embracing all others, of salvation in Christ (Romans 5:16), or, e.g., the special and individual charism of continence (1 Corinthians 7:7). No church excelled the Cor [97] in the variety of its endowments and the satisfaction felt in them. Chaps. 12 14 enumerate and discuss the chief Cor [98] χαρίσματα, setting ἀγάπη in their midst; ethical qualities are included under this term, 1 Corinthians 1:8 f. ἀπεκδεχομένους τ. ἀποκάλυψιν κ. τ. λ. “while you eagerly awaited (or eagerly awaiting, as you did) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The vb [99] is one of P.'s characteristic intensive compounds (see parls.). The anarthrous pr [100] ptp [101] implies a continuous state conditioning that of the foregoing clause: the unstinted plenty of Divine gifts continued while the recipients fixed their thought upon the day of Christ; 1 Corinthians 15:12; 1 Corinthians 15:33 f. show that this expectation had been in many instances relaxed. Romans 8 and Colossians 3 (also 1 John 2:28 to 1 John 3:3) illustrate the bearing of faith in the παρουσία on Christian character; cf. Matthew 25; Luke 12:32 ff., etc. It is an ἀποκάλυψις, an “ unveiling ” of Christ that the Cor [102] looked for; since although they are “in Christ,” still he is hidden (Colossians 3:3 f.); His presence is a mystery (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 5:32). “ Παρουσία denotes the fact of Christ's (future) presence, ἑπιφάνεια its visibility” and splendour, “ ἀποκάλυψις its inner meaning” (Ed [103]); φανέρωσις (it might be added: Colossians 3:4) its open display. The Cor [104] were richly blessed with present good, while expecting a good far exceeding it: “a tacit warning against fancied satisfaction in the present” (Gd [105] : cf. 1 Corinthians 4:8).

[87] infinitive mood.

[88] E. Burton's Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in the N.T. (1894).

[89] middle voice.

[90] T. S. Evans in Speaker's Commentary.

[91] present tense.

[92] infinitive mood.

[93] participle

[94] reference.

[95] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[96] Cremer's Biblico-Theological Lexicon of N.T. Greek (Eng. Trans.).

[97] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[98] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[99] verb

[100] present tense.

[101] participle

[102] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[103] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[104] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[105] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).