1 Corinthians 14:33

The apophthegm of 1 Corinthians 14:32 exemplifies the universal principle of order in God's works; cf. the deduction drawn in 1 Corinthians 11:3. God's gift of the Spirit submits itself to the receiver's will, through whose direction its exercise is brought into regulated and edifying use: “For God is not (a God) of disorder (or seditionis, Cv [2167]), but of peace”. To suppose that God inspires His prophets to speak two or three at a time, to make a tumult in the Church and refuse control, would be to suppose Him the author of confusion, of chaos instead of cosmos. ἀκαταστασία (see parls.) is a word of the LXX and later Gr [2168], denoting civil disorder or mutiny; it recalls the σχίσματα and ἔριδες of 1 Corinthians 1:10 f., 1 Corinthians 11:18 f., to which emulation in the display of spiritual powers seems to have contributed. “As it is in all the Churches of the saints”: in evidence of the “peace” which God confers on human society, P. can point to the conduct of Church meetings in all other Christian communities a feature proper to “assemblies of the saints ”. Here is a final and solemn reason why the prophets of Cor [2169] should practise self-control and mutual deference: cf. 1 Corinthians 11:16; also 1 Corinthians 1:2 b, and note; 1 Corinthians 16:1. On the connexion of the ὡς clause, see Ed [2170] or El [2171] W.H [2172] attach it to 1 Corinthians 14:31, regarding 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 a as a parenthesis; but this breaks the continuity of 1 Corinthians 14:31-32; nor does it appear that “all the churches” had the superabundance of prophets that necessitated the restrictions imposed in 1 Corinthians 14:29-31. Other leading editors (Tisch., Mr [2173], Hn [2174], Hf [2175], Bt [2176], Gd [2177]) link this qualification to the following context; but it comes in clumsily before the impv [2178] of 1 Corinthians 14:34, and the repetition of ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις is particularly awkward. On the other hand, the ref [2179] to the example of the other Churches appropriately concludes the Apostle's appeals on the weighty subject, of universal interest, which has occupied him throughout this chapter.

[2167] Calvin's In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[2168] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[2169] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[2170] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[2171] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[2172] Westcott and Hort's The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

[2173] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[2174] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[2175] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[2176] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[2177] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

[2178] imperative mood.

[2179] reference.