_Collection for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem,_ 1-4. The occasion of this “collection” was the “great dearth” which a Christian prophet who came from Jerusalem to Antioch predicted would come upon the Empire, and which came to pass in the reign of Claudius. It fell, as we know, with great severity up... [ Continue Reading ]
_Miscellaneous Matters,_ 5-18. 1 Corinthians 16:5. BUT I WILL COME UNTO YOU, WHEN I SHALL HAVE PASSED THROUGH MACEDONIA; FOR I DO PASS THROUGH MACEDONIA ‘I am going to do so.' (Those who wrote the subscription to this Epistle, misunderstanding these words, as if they meant, ‘I am now passing through... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:6. BUT WITH YOU IT MAY BE THAT I SHALL ABIDE, OR EVEN WINTER which he actually did, as we learn from Acts 20:2-3, where it is said, “We came into Greece (meaning Corinth, its capital, with which he had most to do), and there abode three months,” which were “winter” months. The summe... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:7. FOR I DO NOT WISH TO SEE YOU NOW BY THE WAY as formerly intended (see on 1 Corinthians 16:5), FOR I HOPE TO TARRY A WHILE WITH YOU, IF THE LORD (the Lord Jesus, as appears) PERMIT that is, if when the time comes it appear that the way for it has been left open by Him who is “Head... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:8. BUT I WILL TARRY AT EPHESUS UNTIL PENTECOST. _N.B._ The allusion here to Pentecost fixes the _date_ of this Epistle, while that to Ephesus shews _from whence it_ was written.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:9. FOR A GREAT DOOR AND EFFECTUAL IS OPENED [1] UNTO ME, AND THERE ARE MANY ADVERSARIES. He is eager to enter in on a wide and most hopeful field of missionary usefulness, nothing daunted by the resistance expected: compare 2 Corinthians 2:12, “When I came to Troas, to preach Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:10. NOW IF TIMOTHY COME, SEE THAT HE BE WITH YOU WITHOUT FEAR. Probably it was his youth (1 Timothy 4:12), his delicate constitution (1 Timothy 5:23), and possibly a certain gentleness and softness of character thereby engendered that dictated this kindly word, to encourage him shou... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:11. LET NO MAN THEREFORE DESPISE HIM: BUT SET HIM FORWARD (at parting) ON HIS JOURNEY IN PEACE, THAT HE MAY COME UNTO ME: FOR I EXPECT HIM WITH THE BRETHREN those brethren, probably, mentioned in next verse, besides Erastus. And he came accordingly; for we find him with the apostle... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:12. BUT AS TOUCHING APOLLOS OUR BROTHER, I BESOUGHT HIM MUCH TO COME UNTO YOU WITH THE BRETHREN probably a deputation of brethren (Titus and two others) sent to Corinth to complete its “collection” before the apostle's arrival (2 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 8:18; 2 Corinthians 8:... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:13. WATCH YE, STAND FAST IN THE FAITH, QUIT YOU LIKE MEN ‘play the man,' ‘be manly,' BE STRONG. In the Greek of the Old Testament we find these words more than once together (Psalms 27:14; Psalms 31:24).... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:14. LET ALL THAT YE DO BE DONE IN LOVE. While the four preceding things express the sterner features of Christian duty, this pours suavity into them, and, being itself “the bond of perfectness,” encircles and beautifies the whole character.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:15. NOW, I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN (YE KNOW THE HOUSE OF STEPHANAS, THAT IT IS THE FIRST-FRUITS OF ACHAIA) the earliest Achaean converts. In Romans 16:5 this, according to the received text, is said of Epænetus; but the reading there is wrong: it should there be “the first-fruits of A... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:16. THAT YE ALSO BE IN SUBJECTION UNTO SUCH in respectful deference unto them, as estimable servants of Christ, AND TO EVERY ONE THAT HELPETH IN THE WORK, AND LABOURETH. The same collocation of “work” and “labour” is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Revelation 2:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:17. AND I REJOICE AT THE COMING OF STEPHANAS the same, no doubt, as in 1 Corinthians 16:15 and 1 Corinthians 1:15, AND FORTUNATUS [1] AND ACHAICUS of whom we only know that they were members of the Corinthian Church who had visited the apostle at Ephesus, and probably were the beare... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:18. FOR THEY REFRESHED MY SPIRIT AND YOURS as if the refreshing of his spirit by their visit was a refreshing of theirs who sent them, so thoroughly does he identify his feelings with theirs (see 2 Corinthians 7:3), ACKNOWLEDGE YE THEREFORE THEM THAT ARE SUCH recognise their worth,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Conclusion,_ 19-24. 1 Corinthians 16:19. THE CHURCHES OF ASIA SALUTE YOU Proconsular or Roman Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital. Seven of these churches are named in the book of Revelation. This Christian “salutation” was no unmeaning ceremony: it was the Hebrew “Peace be unto you” in its hig... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:20. ALL THE BRETHREN SALUTE YOU. SALUTE ONE ANOTHER WITH A HOLY KISS. This custom, which prevailed among the Jews, came doubtless from the East, where it still prevails as the mode of friendly recognition. Its adoption into the churches, as a symbol of a higher fellowship, would, in... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:21. THE SALUTATION OF ME PAUL WITH MINE OWN HAND. This “which was the token in every Epistle” of his (2 Thessalonians 3:17) was his way of attesting the genuineness of the Letter. This, it appears, was far from superfluous; for we learn from 2 Thessalonians 2:2 that spurious Epistle... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 16:22. IF ANY MAN LOVETH NOT THE LORD [1] that is, the Lord Jesus, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA see on 1 Corinthians 12:3; also Galatians 1:8-9. [1] There can be no question that the words “Jesus Christ” here were not in the original text. MARAN ATHA. This is the Aramaean or Syriac expression... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 23. THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU. Ver. 24. MY LOVE BE WITH YOU ALL IN CHRIST JESUS. AMEN. Some critics take this indicatively, “My love _is_ with you all.” But this seems flat. That of our Authorised Version is much the more expressive, and the closing “Amen” seems to confirm... [ Continue Reading ]