Address (1-3). Thanks be to God (4-9). Judgment Ap. Paul about the Corinthian parties (10-17). The Gospel is not the wisdom of men (18-31)

1 - 3 Ap. Paul and his colleague Sosthenes send greetings to the Corinthian Church.

1 Called Apostle, see Rome 1.1. - Sosthenes brother. From the book of Acts we know about Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth (XVIII:17). It is very possible that he was converted to Christianity by Paul and became his collaborator. Ap. Paul probably mentions him here as a person well known to the Corinthians.

2 Churches. In ordinary Greek the word Church (εκκλησια) denotes an assembly of citizens who are called from their homes on some public matter (cf. Acts 19.40 - meeting). In the terminology of the New Testament, this word retains the same meaning. Here God convenes or calls sinners to salvation through the preaching of the Gospel (Gal. 1.6). Those who are called form themselves into a new society, the head of which is Christ. - God's. This word refers to the One who convened the community and to whom it belongs. And in Old Testament there was a term: Kehal Jehova- the assembled society of Jehovah. But there new members of the community appeared through bodily descent from those previously called by God, and here, in Christianity, the Church grows through the free, personal joining of all who can believe in Christ. - Sanctified in Christ Jesus. Word sanctified indicates the state in which believers find themselves thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ. To accept Christ within oneself by faith means to assimilate to oneself the holiness that He embodied in His Person. - Called saints- see Rom 1.7 - With everyone... with this addition of Ap. reminds the too proud (1 Corinthians 14.36) Corinthian Christians that besides them there are other believers in the world with whom they must go hand in hand in their moral development. - Calling the name. This expression was used in the Old Testament (Isa 43.7; Joel 2.32) only about calling on Jehovah (in LXX). Expression Name contains an idea creatures(Exodus 23.21). - Gentlemen. This title designates Christ as the One to whom God has given dominion over the world. The Church consists of persons who recognize this power of Christ over the world. - Everywhere. The Christian Church here appears to have already spread throughout the world (cf. 1 Tim. 2.8). - Theirs and ours. This word should be related to the expression: Our Lord Jesus Christ(Chrysostom). Ap. wants to say that the Lord is one for all believers, both the flock and the shepherds! this is a protest against those who, exalting the preachers - the listeners of Christ, forgot about Christ the Lord Himself (cf. 1 Cor 1.3,5,22,23).

3 Grace and peace. - see Rom 1.7.

4 - 9 Before proceeding to expose the shortcomings of the Corinthian Church, Apostle. speaks of what is good in this Church. He thanks God for grace in general and especially for those grace-filled gifts that the Corinthians have, and expresses confidence that Christ will bring them safely to the end of their earthly journey, so that they can fearlessly face the terrible judgment of Christ.

4 In gratitude, what Ap. praises God for the state of the Corinthian Church, there is no flattery or irony. Ap. He knows how, while denouncing people, to appreciate at the same time their known real merits, and the Corinthians had such virtues. - Grace. This word denotes not only spiritual gifts, but in general everything that is given from God to people through Christ - justification, sanctification, strength for new life.

5 Because... Here the Apostle points out a new fact which proves the reality of the fact mentioned in verse 4. Only from the new state of grace of the Corinthians could the abundance of spiritual gifts that the Corinthian Church possessed come about. - In a word(λογος). Here is Ap. understands those gifts that were expressed in the inspired speeches of believers (the gift of tongues, prophecy, teaching - see below chapters XII-XIV). Cognition(γνωσις). Here is Ap. means understanding the stories of our salvation and the application of Christian dogmas in life. - It’s great that Ap. talking about gifts Spirit, not about fruits Spirit, such as in the last to Solun. (1 Thess. 1.3; 2 Thess. 1.3 et seq.). These “fruits” of the Spirit - faith, hope and love - therefore, the Corinthians still had too little to thank God for.

6 For...- more correct: according to how (in Greek - καθωσ). Ap. wants to say that the testimony (i.e., preaching) about Christ was established among the Corinthians in a special way, precisely by being accompanied by a special outpouring of spiritual gifts: nowhere, therefore, was there such an abundance of spiritual gifts as in Corinth.

7 So... this expression depends on the word enriched themselves(Article 5) - Not in any talent... Under talent(χαρισμα) of course here (according to the thought of verse 5) is a new spiritual power or ability that first one Christian or another received from the Holy Spirit. Of course, the Holy Spirit in this case did not supplant the soul of the person himself: He only elevated and sanctified the innate abilities of the human soul, giving them the opportunity for their fullest development. - Waiting... The Corinthians had a tendency to imagine themselves as having already achieved Christian perfection (1 Cor 6:8), especially in relation to knowledge. Ap. here he makes it clear to them that such perfect knowledge cannot yet exist in this life - they must wait for the revelation that will be given at the second coming of Christ, when the secret will become apparent (cf. Rom 2.16).

8 Which, i.e. Christ - To end, i.e. until the 2nd coming of Christ, which the believers then expected as soon to follow. Neither the day nor the hour was revealed to them when it was actually supposed to come (Luke 12.35,36; Mark 13.32).

9 Ap. does not mean by this that God will save the Corinthians, no matter how they behave. On the contrary, at the end of the 9th and beginning of the X-th chapter, he clearly shows that a lack of faith and obedience can completely destroy the work of saving them begun by God. Obviously, the Apostle's confidence in the salvation of the Corinthians is based on the assumption that the Corinthians themselves will contribute to the cause of their salvation. As in the expression: you are called The idea is not only about the calling of God, but also about the free acceptance of this calling, and preservation in communion with Christ presupposes the Corinthians’ own desire, their own steadfastness in this matter.

10 - 17 From the praise of Ap. moves on to blame. Rumors reached him about the division of the Corinthians into parties: Pavlov, Apollos, Cephas and Christ, and he expresses his condemnation of this partisanship. First of all, he turns to those who formed the special party that bore his name, and says that he did not give any reason for this at all.

10 Brethren. The apostle calls the readers this way because not all of them were converted to Christianity by him and therefore could not be called children him, as the apostle called, for example, the Galatians (Gal. 4.19). - In the name of the Lord..., i.e. by virtue of the knowledge they have about person and activity ( Name- ονομα) of the Lord I. Christ. - So that you all say the same thing, i.e. so that they do not say what Ap lists. in Art. 12th - they were not divided into parties, but represented a single church society. - And there were no divisions between you. The thought just expressed in a positive form is now repeated in a negative form. - Connected. The word used here in the Greek text (καταρτιζειν) means: to collect, put together (eg various parts of a machine), prepare a worker for work (Eph 4.12), organize what is in disorder. In relation to the Corinthian Church, this word undoubtedly has the last of the indicated meanings, but it can also be understood in the sense of uniting all the disparate parts of the church organism into one whole, i.e. in the first meaning. How this connection can be made is indicated in the following expressions: in the same spirit And in the same thoughts. Under in spirit(νους) better understand (cf. 1 Cor. 2.16) the Christian worldview in general, the understanding of the Gospel as a whole, and under thoughts(γνωμη) - opinions, views on certain points of Christianity (cf. 1 Cor 7.25). The Apostle thus expresses the wish that unanimity prevail among the Corinthians, both in the general understanding of Christian truth and in the way of resolving individual issues raised by the needs of Christian life.

11 - 12 After this preliminary admonition, Ap. depicts those circumstances in the life of the Corinthian Church that prompted him to address his readers with an exhortation. - Chloe's pets. These could have been either the children or slaves of this woman, who probably lived in Corinth. - They say to you. - more precisely from Greek: “each of you speaks.” The Apostle wants to point out by this the general enthusiasm for the spirit of partisanship. Every Corinthian considered it his duty to belong to one of the parties mentioned here. - I am Pavlov, I am Apollosov- see the introduction to the message. - Ap. shows particular tact in the distribution of parties. In first place he puts their adherents, as having deserved his reproach, and this shows that he himself is far from any self-exaltation. - What distinguished the Pavlovs’ party from the Apollosovs’ party? this was not any difference in essence (1 Cor 3.5 et seq.; 1 Cor 4.6), but only in the form of teaching. The Apostle Paul considered Apollos to be the successor his affairs in Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered” (1 Cor 3.6) he says, depicting the establishment of the Gospel in Corinth. - And I am Christ's. Some Church Fathers and new interpreters consider these words to be the confession of Paul himself, which he here expresses in opposition to people who bow to the authority of the preachers of the Gospel. But this fourth statement is undoubtedly something symmetrical to the first three preceding it and is subject to the same reproach that sounds in the words of the apostle: “each of you says”... - There are many assumptions about the party of Christ, but all of them have little evidence. Some (Renan, Meyer, Heinrici) see in this party a protest against worship of the apostles and believe that Christ's generally went against the exclusive authority of the Apostles; others suggest that this party included the most educated pagan Christians who wanted to make Christ the supreme leader of life, as Socrates was for his disciples. Still others saw in the members of this party people who, through visions, found it possible to enter into direct communication with Christ. Fourth opinion (Godet) suggests that these were Jews who converted to Christianity, who were proud of their theocratic advantages and, being representatives of the primacy - the Jerusalem - Church, wanted to gradually subjugate the Corinthian Christians to the yoke of the Mosaic Law. Christ's they called themselves because they imagined that they understood Christ’s intentions better than anyone else. At the same time, however, to please the Greek Christians, they introduced elements of Greek theosophy into their teaching, to which Ap. Paul hints in 2 Epistle. to Corinth. (2 Cor 10.5 and 2 Cor 11.3 and 4). This explains the Apostle’s lively polemic against confusing human wisdom with the Gospel (1 Cor 3.17-20): here the Apostle does not mean the party of Apollos, but the party of Christ. It could be that Christ's held the same view of Christ as the heretic Cerinthus, who did not recognize Christ in the man - the Jew Jesus, crucified on the cross. They could believe, just like Cerinthus, that Christ was separated during the suffering from the man Jesus: this Jesus died on the cross, which is why he deserves damnation (cf. 1 Cor. 12.3), and Christ sits in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, and He is the only one that Christians should honor. So. Thus, in Christ’s people one can see “Gnostics before Gnosticism.” - The most plausible assumption is Lutgerfa. This scientist doesn't find any enough good reasons to be seen in the party Christ's- Judaists. On the contrary, he sees in them supporters of the idea of ​​human freedom in Christianity that have gone too far. These are the “pneumatic libertines” (something like our Doukhobors). The Apostle Paul, in their opinion, stopped halfway to Christian freedom: he does not have the spirit, strength, courage, confidence in victory and self-awareness, which are the qualities of a real pneumatic. He is fearful in his relationship to God and to the Christian community and to the world, but they always behave as if they were free, fearing nothing. They were finally emancipated from any dependence on the apostles, even from the obligation to study in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture, since, according to their conviction, they directly entered into communication with Christ, and this communication gave them the highest wisdom, made them “gnostics,” i.e. who know all the secrets of life. What did such unbridled freedom that they preached lead to? Christ's- this can be judged by the fact that the Apostle speaks about in the first chapter. (the case of the incest).

13 Was Christ divided? Paul addresses this reproach to the party Christ's who believed that she alone had true Christ, while other Christians obviously worship someone else. No, Ap wants to say. - Christ is the same for all Christians! You cannot make Christ the property of any party! - Was Paul crucified for you?... this and the next question show the absurdity of the behavior of those who called themselves Paul's instead of calling themselves disciples of Christ. The first question, in particular, relates to the activity of Christ as a redeemer, and the second to His position as the Head of the Church.

14 - 16 Ap. thanks God for entrusting him with another, more important task than performing baptism - the work of preaching (cf. v. 17). If he frequently baptized those who converted to Christianity, they could say that he does this to glorify his name, or even that he baptizes in his own name. In the then religious ferment, when new systems and new cults were appearing everywhere, such an outstanding preacher as Paul could easily have founded my religion, make one believe in yours name, and not in the name of Christ... Of those baptized by himself, Paul mentions the head of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth - Crispus (Acts 18.8) and Gaius, in whose house the Apostle Paul lived at one time (Rom. 16.23). The third exception was the house of Stefanos ( Stefanov), who was among the deputies who came to Paul from Corinth to Ephesus.

17 The logical connection between verses 16 and 17 can be expressed as follows: “if I performed baptism, it was only an exception from general rule; for this was not part of the duties of my ministry.” The work of proclaiming the gospel - this is what the calling of the Apex consisted of. Pavel! this matter, of course, is much more difficult than performing the sacrament of baptism on persons already prepared for baptism. Proclaiming the Gospel is like throwing a net to catch fish, and this was the calling of the Apostle, and baptizing is like taking out a fish that has already been caught from the net. Therefore, Christ did not baptize Himself, but left this task to His disciples (John 4.1 and 2). - Not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. Paul wants to say that he remained only a proclaimer of the Gospel of Christ, without resorting to any special means to attract more listeners (he did not dress his sermon in the garb of an oratorical work). Next, he did nothing to form his own party. Under wisdom(σοφια) Paul's words are, of course, a correctly developed system, a religious philosophy. This wisdom words made the new religion a source of a satisfactory explanation of the being of God, the being of man and the life of the world. But Paul here does not mean the preaching of Apollos, which was in direct connection with his own (1 Cor 3.4-8), but the wisdom of this world (v. 20), which is abolished by the Gospel (1 Cor 3.20) and which serves only to desecrate the temple of God (1 Cor 3.17,18). It is most natural here to see the denunciation of those false teachers who called themselves Christ's and spread absurd opinions about Christ and Christianity in Corinth (2 Cor 11.2-11). This one wisdom of the word or the false teaching of Christ abolished the cross of Christ. The expression to abolish or devastate (κενουν) means an action that steals from a known object its essence and its strength. And, indeed, Corinthian gnosis (see above opinion Lutgerfa) abolished, deprived of all power and significance the feat of the cross of our Savior: since Christ left Jesus while Jesus was hanging on the cross, it means that the feat of Jesus on the cross had no redemptive significance for humanity. This is what the passion for false knowledge (gnosis) of the Corinthian Christians led to, and the Apostle did not want to have anything to do with such false sages...

18 - 31 In contrast to the teaching of the party of Christ, Apostle. says that the Gospel in its essence is not wisdom, not a philosophical system in which everything is proven and deduced through correct conclusions. This is clear from the fact that the focal point of the Gospel is the cross - the suffering and death of Christ the Savior, which both for Jews and Greeks seemed to contradict their prevailing idea of ​​the Savior. This is clear from the composition Christian Church in Corinth, the majority of which consists of uneducated people.

18 Among the Corinthian Christians there are those (mainly the party of Christ) to whom Paul’s sermon seems devoid of wisdom because the content of this sermon is the cross of Christ. These people whom Ap. rightly calls dying, i.e. those who are deprived of salvation in Christ do not want to see the revelation of God in the Cross. God, who is revealed in the crucified Christ, according to these people, cannot be God. People generally think of God as an Almighty Being who acts to achieve the goals He sets out by performing miracles and extraordinary signs. On the contrary, the crucified Christ saves people by His humiliation, by His apparent weakness. However, for true Christians, whom Ap. calls rescued in view of the fact that their earthly career has not yet been completed by them, in the preaching of the cross there is that Divine saving power that they so need (cf. Rom. 1.16).

19 - 20 Etc. Isaiah told the Jewish politicians that God would save Jerusalem from the invasion of Sennacherib Himself, without the help of these politicians, who only harmed their state with their cunning (Isaiah 29.14). This is what God does - the Apostle wants to say here - even now, with the salvation of the world. He saves people from destruction in an unusual and inappropriate way from the point of view of human wisdom - namely through highest manifestation Their love, whereby human wisdom must withdraw in shame from the arena of its activity, can no longer act as leaders of humanity to the salvation of either sages(σοφος), i.e. Greek philosophers (cf. v. 1 Cor. 1.22), nor scribes(γραμματεις), i.e. Jewish learned rabbis, who - both of them - willingly entered into disputes and reasoning with those who came to them to study (expression: co-questionnaire generalizes both of the above-mentioned categories of sages). - of this century, i.e. this temporary life, to which the Apostle contrasts life after the Last Judgment. - How did it happen, however, that these sages of the world left the stage? this happened due to the fact that God made human wisdom a real foolishness. He offered humanity a salvation that was at odds with the demands that human wisdom made on every teaching that took upon itself the task of saving humanity, and human wisdom, by rejecting this salvation, clearly showed its madness or unreason before everyone. - This world. This is not the same as the above expression of this century. There only time was indicated, the period of activity of the sages, but here it is indicated character, the direction of their wisdom: this is the wisdom of humanity that has renounced God.

21 For. The apostle here points out the reason why God dealt so severely with the wise men. - When. Ap. means here a well-known fact - the gradual immersion of the human mind into the abyss of error during the times of paganism, which Ap. calls elsewhere sometimes ignorant(Acts 17.30). - In the wisdom of God. This is the book of nature in which the wisdom of God is revealed to a reasonable person (see Rom 1.20 and Acts 14.17; Acts 17.27). A person can, observing the life of nature, the expediency of all its phenomena, come to the idea of ​​the existence of a Wise Creator and Provider of the universe. But human reason (cf. Rom. 1.21) did not turn out to be faithful to this task and deified the creation itself instead of glorifying the Creator. If some philosophers created for themselves the idea of ​​a single and all-good God, it was a rather vague and abstract concept that they were unable to establish beyond the thresholds of their schools. The gods of the people, who ruled over their conscience, held fast in place, and only to Israel, through a special revelation, was the true knowledge of God communicated. - It was good. God found the best (pleasing to Him) a means to save people. The mind turned out to be unsuitable - and God calls upon another spiritual force to serve the cause of salvation. - The foolishness of the sermon. The mind cannot understand and accept the new means of salvation, which is now proposed by God; this means seems to it to have a stamp on it foolishness, unreasonableness. This is what the crucifixion of the Messiah represented to the mind! Such foolishness was imprinted in the eyes of the sages on the well-known sermon of the Apostles about Christ (κηρογμα delivered with the member τοϋ) - Believers. Faith is the new spiritual force that God now calls to action instead of reason. Man must now respond to the manifestation of Divine love not with an act of reasoning, but with a matter of trust. God now demands from man not logical research, but devotion, a contrite conscience and a believing heart. - That. The general idea of ​​this verse is this. People were unable to use their reason as they should in order to know and find salvation for themselves in this, and therefore God showed them a new means of salvation - faith in Him, faith in the Crucified One, which seemed completely unreasonable to the sages, but which really saves those who can cultivate it in himself. Ap. here he explains why he does not tell the Corinthians what constitutes the product of human wisdom itself: this wisdom has already been condemned by God to destruction!

22 - 23 The preaching of Christ crucified was unacceptable to the Jews, because they looked for strength in the Messiah, the ability to perform miraculous signs (Mark 8.11 et seq.). For the Greek cultural world, the most important thing in the new religion was its conformity with the requirements of reason; they wanted to see in religion wisdom, at least of heavenly and not earthly origin. Meanwhile, Ap. preached that Christ was crucified. This was completely inconsistent with the Jewish concept of the Messiah - the great king and conqueror of his enemies, but to the Greeks this whole story seemed to be a simple fable. - But didn’t Christ do signs for the Jews? Yes, He did, but all His signs and wonders were erased from their memory when they saw Him hanging on the cross. They, of course, thought then that He had previously deceived them with His miracles, or that He Himself was an instrument of the devil’s power.

24 But the same Jews and Greeks, to whom the preaching of the cross seemed unreasonable, look at the cross completely differently as soon as they become believers. The latter are named here by Ap. called, thus putting forward the appearance of divine activity - vocation- before human - assimilation through faith in the truths of the gospel. - Christ appears by God's power And God's wisdom. God exists Creator and in Christ we become a new creation(Eph 4.24) - this reflects God’s power, God’s omnipotence. On the other hand, God is herself wisdom, and in the Lord Jesus Christ all the secrets of eternal Divine wisdom are revealed (Eph 1.8,9).

25 To explain how the weak and foolish from a human point of view were a manifestation of God's power and wisdom, Apostle. says that in general it is impossible to measure the wisdom and power of God by human standards. What seems weak and foolish to people, in fact, in the hands of God is much more valid than all the best human creations: it is wiser than people with all their wisdom, and stronger than people with all their strength. - It should be noted that Ap. here he speaks only about the relationship of human and Divine wisdom to the matter of human salvation. That's really all there is to it best products human wisdom has no power before the Divine economy if they act independently as rivals of Christianity in the matter of saving people. But Ap. doesn't deny high value human wisdom, how quickly it goes itself to the light of Divine revelation, preparing a person for the assimilation of salvation given by Christ.

26 That God did not need worldly wisdom to carry out His plans is evidenced by those whom He chiefly called at the founding of the Church in Corinth. These were mainly workers from the harbors of Corinth, various shipbuilders and other people of the lower strata of society who could not boast of either nobility, power, or nobility of origin.

27 - 29 From ancient inscriptions in the Roman catacombs it is clear that in Rome the majority of Christians belonged to the lower or middle class of society (bakers, gardeners, tavern owners, freedmen, sometimes lawyers). Minucius Felix designates Christians as indocti, impoliti, rodes, agrestes (VII:12). This circumstance, which also took place in Corinth, represents the most striking evidence that Christianity conquered the world without any external help, but through its own internal strength. God’s goal in this was to humble human pride, which prevented man from turning to God for help, having first recognized his weakness (cf. Rom 3.27).

30 - 31 Instead of pride, believers should kindle in themselves a feeling of gratitude to God for His great mercies. - From Him you too. Here we should add the expression: you exist (in Greek εστε). Previously, one might say, they did not exist (cf. 1 Cor 1.28), but now, thanks to God, they represent something very important. - In Christ Jesus. Christ gives them in abundance everything that they were deprived of in the opinion of the world, and what exactly he gives is said in the following words. First of all, He became for them wisdom from God, - i.e. higher wisdom than human, the lack of which, perhaps, the Corinthian Christians regretted - righteousness and sanctification, - i.e. gives real righteousness to people and leads them along the path of holiness to their intended goal (cf. Rom. 1.18 and Rom. 6.1 et seq.). Finally Christ became for us redemption those. introduces us into the eternal glory that He Himself has, resurrects our bodies and glorifies us thereafter in His Kingdom (cf. Rom 8.18-30 and Lk 21.28; Eph 1.1, Eph 3.1, Eph 4.30; Heb 11.35). - Boast in the Lord. These words express the main idea of ​​the entire section, beginning with the 13th verse. It is not the teachers of faith that should be praised, but Christ Himself - to Him alone belongs the Glory! (Although near Jeremiah Ave. Lord of course Jehovah, but Ap., obviously, mainly denotes by this name Christ).

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Chapter 17.
Father of lies

While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the lot of the wicked. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). The death spoken of here is not the death spoken of to Adam, for all mankind bears the penalty for his iniquity. This speaks of the “second death” (Revelation 20:14), which is in direct contrast to eternal life. The only one who promised Adam life in case of disobedience was the great deceiver. The statement made by the serpent to Eve in Eden: “No, you will not die,” was the first sermon about the immortality of the soul. Yet this declaration, resting solely on the authority of Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom, and is accepted by the greater part of mankind as readily as it was received by our first parents. The divine sentence: “The soul that sinneth shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20) was summed up as follows: The soul that sinneth shall not die, but shall live forever. One can only be amazed at the blindness that makes people so gullible in relation to the words of Satan and so unbelieving in relation to the words of God.

As a result of Adam's sin, the entire human race became subject to death. Everyone goes to the grave equally. And, on the other hand, the plan of salvation offers everyone liberation from the grave. “There will be a resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust.” (Acts of the Apostles 24:15). “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22). But a boundary is drawn between these two classes. “All who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who did good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who did evil into the resurrection of condemnation.” (Gospel of John 5:28, 29). Those found worthy of the resurrection of life are “blessed and holy.” “The second death has no power over them.” (Revelation 20:6). But those who have not received forgiveness through repentance and faith will face retribution for lawlessness - “the wages of sin.” They will suffer punishment of varying duration and severity according to their deeds, which will ultimately end in a second death. Since, according to His justice and mercy, God cannot save the sinner in his sins, He deprives him of life, the right to which he himself has lost and has proven with his life that he is unworthy of it. Thus says the inspired writer: “It is not yet long, and the wicked will not be; look at his place, and he is not there.” (Psalm 36:10). “And they will be - as if they were not there.” (Obadiah verse 16). Covered in shame, they will disappear into hopeless eternal oblivion.

This will put an end to sin and all the grief and destruction it causes. The psalmist says: “You... have destroyed the wicked, you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy has no weapons at all.” (Psalm 9:6, 7). John in Revelation, looking into future eternity, heard the hymn of praise of the entire Universe, and not a single false sound disturbed its harmony. All creation, both in heaven and on earth, brought glory to God. (Revelation 5:13). There will not be a single lost soul blaspheming God in its endless torment; no wretched creatures in hell will mingle their groans with the hymns of the saved.

The statement made by the serpent to Eve in Eden: “No, you will not die,” was the first sermon about the immortality of the soul. Yet this declaration, resting solely on the authority of Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom, and is accepted by the greater part of mankind as readily as it was received by our first parents.

Reward before trial?

Before they can enter into the dwellings of the saints, their deeds must be examined, their characters and actions must be examined by God. All will be judged according to what is written in the books and will receive a reward according to their deeds. This judgment will not take place at death. Notice what Paul said: “For He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts of the Apostles 17:31). Here the apostle clearly speaks of the establishment of a certain time in which the judgment of the world would take place, and which was then still in the future.

Jude also refers to this time: “He keeps the angels who did not retain their dignity, but left their habitation, in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” And then he quotes the words of Enoch: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His saints [Angels] to execute judgment on all.” (Jude 6, 14, 15). John says: “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened... and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:12).

But if some dead are already rejoicing in heaven, while others are tormented in hell, then why also the future judgment? The teaching of God's Word concerning these important matters is definite and clear, and even the simplest of people can understand it. But what can a sincere person find fair and reasonable in the generally accepted theory? How can the righteous, after the investigative trial, hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! ... enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21), when they have already been with Him, perhaps for long centuries? And the wicked will be gathered from all corners of hell to hear the sentence from the mouth of the Judge of all the earth: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into eternal fire”? (Gospel of Matthew 25:41). Oh, what a terrible mockery! What a shameful accusation against the wisdom and justice of God! Nowhere in Holy Scripture do we find such a statement that immediately after death the righteous receive their reward and the wicked receive their punishment. Neither the patriarchs nor the prophets left us such assurance. Neither Christ nor His apostles made any hint regarding this. The Bible clearly teaches that those who die do not immediately go to heaven. They are spoken of as sleeping until the resurrection. (1 Thessalonians 4:14; Job 14:10-12). On the day when the silver chain is broken and the golden band is torn (Ecclesiastes 12:6), all the thoughts of a person disappear. Those who go to the grave remain silent. The dead know nothing of what is done under the sun. (Job 14:21). The weary righteous rest in blissful rest. Time, whether it is long or short, is equal to one moment for them. They are sleeping; and the trumpet of the Lord will awaken them to glorious immortality. “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible... When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then the saying will be fulfilled, which is written: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:52-54). And when they awaken from their deep sleep, their thinking will be restored there, it was interrupted at the moment of death. The last moment of their consciousness was struck by the edge of death; the last thought that dawned on them told them that they had become the prey of the grave. When they will rise from the grave, their first joyful thought will result in a victorious cry: "Death! where is your sting? Hell! where is your victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Perversion of the teachings of the Bible

The ministry of holy angels, as presented in Holy Scripture, is one of the most comforting and precious truths for every follower of Christ. But this biblical truth has been clouded and distorted by the errors of popular theology. The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed from pagan philosophy and introduced into the Christian faith during the great apostasy, took the place of the truth that is so definitely and clearly stated on the pages of Holy Scripture, namely, that “the dead know nothing.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Many have come to believe that “the ministering spirits which are sent out to minister to those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14) are the spirits of the dead. And this belief prevails in spite of the definite testimony of the Bible about the existence of heavenly angels and their close connection with the history of man, even before any human being died.

The Root and Foundation of Spiritualism

“Reformed Protestants rejected the idea of ​​hell and purgatory, although this idea remained part of Roman Catholic theology... Both Martin Luther and John Calvin considered the punishments of hell to be eternal, but figurative, the most comprehensible torments, alienating from God.” -U.S. News & Word Report, March 25, 1991, p. 59.

The doctrine of man's conscious state after death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are in the presence of God and the holy angels and have much more knowledge than they had before, why don’t they return to earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as popular theologians teach, the spirits of the dead hover over their friends on earth, why shouldn’t they communicate with them, warn them against misfortune and console them in grief? How can those who believe in a conscious state of man after death reject what comes to them in the form of Divine light delivered by glorified spirits? And in this sacred way, as it is considered, Satan works, bringing his intentions to fruition. Fallen angels carrying out his commands appear to people as messengers from the spiritual world. By convincing people to believe that they have a connection with the dead, the prince of darkness exposes their minds to his magical influence.

“Reformed Protestants rejected the idea of ​​hell and purgatory, although this idea remained part of Roman Catholic theology... Both Martin Luther and John Calvin considered the punishments of hell to be eternal, but figurative, the most comprehensible torments, alienating from God.” -U.S. News & Word Report, March 25, 1991

"Seducing spirits"

He [Satan] has the power to present to people the appearance of their dead friends. The fake is perfect; familiar appearance, words, voice are reproduced with amazing accuracy. Many rejoice that people dear to them live happily in heaven, and, not suspecting any danger, they “listen to seducing spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1).

When they are inclined to believe that the dead are returning to communicate with them, Satan causes the appearance of those who went to the grave unprepared. They claim that they are happy in heaven and even occupy a high position there; Thus the misconception is widely spread everywhere that there is no difference between the righteous and the wicked. These supposed visitors from the spirit world sometimes make warnings that turn out to be true. Having thus insinuated themselves into the confidence of man, they present teachings that undermine faith in Holy Bible. While outwardly showing deep interest in the welfare of their friends, they try to instill in them extremely dangerous delusions. The fact that they set forth certain truths and can sometimes predict future events gives their lies credibility, and many accept their false teachings as readily and believe them as unreservedly as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is removed, the spirit of grace is rejected, and the blood of the Covenant no longer has any holy meaning. Spirits deny the Divinity of Christ and even put the Creator on the same level as themselves. And in this way, hiding under a new mask, the great rebel continues to wage his struggle against God, which began in heaven and has been going on for almost six thousand years on earth.

The Bible clearly teaches that those who die do not immediately go to heaven. They are spoken of as sleeping until the resurrection.

Evil spirits really exist!

Many try to explain spiritualistic manifestations by attributing them entirely to fraud and sleight of hand by the medium. However, while indeed the results of the deception were often presented as genuine manifestations, there were. and apparent manifestations of supernatural power. The mysterious knockings with which modern spiritualism began its existence were not the fruit of human cunning and deceit, but the direct work of evil angels, who thus advanced one of the most successful, soul-destroying delusions of men. Many will be trapped in the belief that alcoholism is only a human deception, but when they come face to face with manifestations of supernatural power, they will be deceived into mistaking them for the great power of God.

Such people have overlooked the testimony of Holy Scripture regarding the miracles performed by Satan and his agents. Thanks to satanic cooperation, Pharaoh's magicians imitated the work of God. The Apostle Paul says that before the second coming of Christ the same satanic power will operate. The coming of the Lord will be preceded by “the work of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9,10). And the Apostle John, describing the miraculous power that will manifest itself in last days, says: “And he performs great signs, so that he brings down fire from heaven to earth before people. And with the miracles that it was given to him to perform... he deceives those who live on earth.” (Revelation 13:13, 14). This is not about fraud. People are deceived by the miracles that Satan's agents actually perform without just pretending to do so.

The Prince of Darkness, who for so long has exercised his gigantic power of thinking in the work of deception, skillfully applies his temptations to people of all classes and under all conditions. To educated and well-mannered people he presents spiritualism in the most subtle intellectual forms, and many thus fell into his network. About the wisdom offered by spiritualism, the Apostle James says that it “is not wisdom coming from above, but earthly, spiritual, demonic.” (James 3:15). This, however, the great deceiver hides when the disguise best serves his purpose. He, who came to Christ in the desert of temptation as a shining seraphim, also appears to people as an angel of light. He appeals to the mind with sublime themes, fires the imagination with all sorts of exciting pictures and appeals to the senses with colorful descriptions of love and generosity. He inspires the human mind with the imagination of sublime flights, instilling in people a great sense of confidence in their own wisdom, so that they reject the Eternal One in their hearts. This mighty being, who took the Savior of the world to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory (Matthew 4:8-9), will present his temptations in such a way as to deceive the senses of those who will not be protected Divine power.

People are deceived by the miracles that Satan's agents actually perform without just pretending to do so.

Beware of networks!

But no one should be deceived by the false claims of spiritualism. God has illuminated the world with sufficient light that its inhabitants will be able to detect the snares and wiles of the devil. As has already been shown, the teaching of spiritualism is fundamentally opposed to the definite and clear teaching of Holy Scripture. The Bible teaches that the dead know nothing and think nothing; that they have no part in anything that is done under the sun; that they know nothing of the joys or experiences of those who were once dear to them on earth.

Moreover, God expressly forbade all communication with the spirits of the dead. In the days of the Jews there were also people who, like modern spiritualists, claimed that they had a connection with the dead. But the Bible speaks of such “spirits of friends,” as these aliens from another world were called, as “demonic spirits.” (Revelation 16:14; compare Numbers 25:1-3; Psalm 105:28; 1 ​​Corinthians 10:20). Any communication with such spirits was considered an abomination before God, and it was most solemnly announced that the culprits would be subject to mortal punishment. (Leviticus 19:31; 20:27). Even the word “witchcraft” is spoken with contempt these days. People think that claims about the possibility of communication with evil spirits are fables belonging to the dark Middle Ages. But. spiritualism, numbering hundreds of thousands and even millions of adherents, has penetrated into the scientific world, churches, legislative bodies and even into the courts of kings, being nothing more than a disguised revival of the greatest deception of ancient witchcraft, condemned and prohibited by God.

Even if there were no other proof of the true character of Spiritualism, the mere fact that the spirits make no distinction between righteousness and sin, between the noble and pure apostles of Christ and the most depraved servants of Satan, is enough to open the eyes of the Christian to this great deception. . These spirits of lies, posing as the apostles, contradict everything that the latter wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit while still living on earth. They deny the Divine origin of the Bible and thus destroy the foundation of Christian hope and remove the light that illuminates the way to heaven. Satan induces people to believe that the Bible is nothing more than fiction or just a book that was useful at the dawn of mankind, but is now not worthy of serious attention and can be discarded as outdated. And in order to fill the place of the Word of God, he offers spiritualistic manifestations. He is especially vigilant on this point, and through this channel he induces the world to believe whatever he wants it to believe. He leaves the book that will judge him and his followers in the shadows, where he needs it. He made the savior of the world no more than an ordinary man. And just as the Roman guards who guarded the tomb of Jesus spread the lies instilled in them by the priests and elders in order to deny His resurrection, so do the adherents of various spiritual manifestations, trying to create the impression that there was nothing miraculous in the life of our Savior. By thus relegating Jesus to the background, they call attention to their own miracles as being far superior to the works of Christ.

Astrologer Joan Quigley said Thursday that the astrological advice she gave to Nancy Reagan during Ronald Reagan's presidency influenced the course of history in both big and small ways... she predicted the timing of some events that occurred during his presidency, not only to the minute, but sometimes to the second. -The Morning News Tribune, Friday, March 16, 1990

I light a white candle in the name of purity and blessing. I read the Bible and call directly to the beings. I tell them that they are trapped and that I am here to get them out of there." -Psychic Teresa Carol, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington, October 30, 1988

Spiritualism Invades Christianity

Modern spiritualism is changing some of its forms and putting on Christian clothes, this is true. But the principles of his teaching have been preached and published for many years, and therefore nothing can hide his real character. These teachings can neither be denied nor hidden.

Even in this present form, being no more worthy of a tolerant attitude towards him than before, he is an even more dangerous deception due to his even greater insidiousness. If in the past spiritualism rejected Christ and the Bible, it now pretends to accept both. The Bible is interpreted as it pleases the unregenerate heart, while its solemn and living truths are devalued. Love, the main property of God, has been reduced to the level of pathetic sentimentalism, making almost no distinction between good and evil. The justice of God, His warnings against sin, the demands of His holy law, are all ignored. People are taught to treat the decalogue as a dead letter. The senses of men are captivated by pleasant and enchanting fables, which induce them to reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is rejected as before, but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people that they do not notice the deception at all.

Only a few have a correct idea of ​​the seductive power of spiritualism and the danger of its influence. Many people are interested in it only out of curiosity. They do not truly believe in him and would be horrified at the thought of submitting to the power of spirits. But they dare to enter forbidden territory, and the powerful destroyer exerts its power over them against their will. Only once having placed their minds at his disposal do they become his slaves. And yours own strength they will no longer be able to free themselves from under his insidious spell. Only the power of God, sent in answer to the most earnest prayer of faith, can set these deceived, entangled souls free.

The prophet Isaiah says: “And when they say to you: “Turn to the callers of the dead and to the sorcerers, to the whisperers and ventriloquists,” then answer: Should not the people turn to their God? Do the dead ask about the living? Turn to the law and revelation. If They do not speak like this word, there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:19,20) If people were ready to accept the truth so clearly set forth in the pages of Holy Scripture regarding the nature of man and the state of the dead, they would then see statements and manifestations of spiritualism, the work of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.But, instead of giving up the freedom that is so pleasant to the carnal heart and abandoning beloved sins, many close their eyes to the light and go forward, regardless of any warnings, and so until Satan entangles them in his nets, and they become his prey. Since “they did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation,” then “for this reason God will send them strong delusion, so that they will believe a lie.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11).

Only a few have a correct idea of ​​the seductive power of spiritualism and the danger of its influence. Many people are interested in it only out of curiosity.

Those who resist the teachings of spiritualism are fighting not only with people, but also with Satan and his angels. They fight against principalities, powers and spirits of wickedness in high places. Satan will not yield an inch of his territory unless he is driven back by the force of heavenly messengers. God's people should be able to meet him as our Savior did - with the words, "Thus it is written." Satan can still quote the Scriptures now as he did in the days of Christ, and he will pervert the teachings of the Bible to further his deception. Those who wish to remain strong in this dangerous time must understand for themselves the testimony of Holy Scripture.

Demons will pose as relatives

Demonic spirits will appear to many under the guise of dead relatives or friends and will proclaim to them the most dangerous delusions. These visitors will appeal to our tenderest feelings and will perform miracles to give greater power and authority to their words. We must be prepared to meet them with the biblical truth that the dead know nothing, and that those who appear in their guise are none other than demonic spirits.

We stand on the eve of “the time of temptation which will come upon the whole world, to try those who live on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10). All those whose faith is not firmly founded on the Word of God are caught by unrighteous deception” (2 Thessalonians 2:10) to subjugate the children of men, and his deceptions will constantly increase. But he can only achieve his goal when people voluntarily give in to his temptations. Those who sincerely strive to acquire the knowledge of the truth and struggle to purify their souls through obedience, who do everything possible on their part to prepare themselves for the coming struggle, will find in the God of Truth reliable protection. “And as you have kept the word of My patience, I will also keep you” (Revelation 3:10), says the Savior’s promise. He would rather send all the angels of heaven to protect His people than suffer one soul who trusted Him to be overcome by Satan.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the terrible deception that will befall the wicked, and which will incline them to believe that they are safe from the judgments of God. “We have made an alliance with death, and we have made a pact with the underworld; when the all-destroying scourge passes, it will not reach us, because we have made lies our refuge, and we will cover ourselves with deceit.” (Isaiah 28:15). The class of people described here also includes those who, in their stubborn impenitence, will flatter themselves with the hope that there is no punishment for the sinner; that all men, no matter how corrupt they may be, will be taken to heaven and become like the angels of God. But they are much more likely to enter into an alliance with death and a pact with the underworld who reject the truths provided by Heaven as a protection for the righteous in the days of trouble, and seek refuge in the lies offered by the devil - in the deceptive claims of spiritualism.

“There shall not be among you a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, a charmer, a conjurer of spirits, a magician, or an inquirer of the dead who leads his son or daughter through the fire; For everyone who does this is an abomination to the Lord, and for these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.” - Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

5:1 hut. Those. physical body.

we have. Confidence in implementation: “we already have, but have not yet entered into possession.”

from God is a dwelling place in heaven, a house... eternal. This probably refers to the resurrection body.

5:3 naked. Those. incorporeal.

5:4 Paul's desire is for a future resurrection body free from infirmities and imperfections.

mortal. The present physical body.

was absorbed in life. Future, new life in heaven will consume our present existence.

5:5 pledge. See com. to 1.22.

5:7 Paul again emphasizes the contrast between the invisible spiritual realm of God's presence and action and the world perceived by our physical vision.

5:10 This verse talks about different degrees of heavenly reward. Although Christians' sins are forgiven and they do not face punishment in hell (Rom. 6:23; 8:1), everyone will nevertheless appear before Christ on the day of judgment and everyone will receive different rewards for what they have done in this life (Matt. 6:20; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Cor. 3:12-15); at this judgment the intentions and motives of men's hearts will become apparent and will be assessed (1 Cor. 4:5).

5:11 fear of the Lord. This is not a fear of eternal condemnation, but a reverent fear of upsetting Christ with one’s behavior and actions (v. 10). Such fear should have served to sober up and correct those Corinthians who annoyed Paul; this fear is a means of sobering up and correcting many careless Christians throughout history.

We are open to God. God sees not only people’s actions, but also their motivation.

5:12 who boast in appearance. The false apostles in Corinth (11:13) were typical representatives of those who live in the image of this world and boast about external things, rely on themselves and are carried away by various lusts - the desire for wealth, power, honor.

5:13 If we lose our temper. This probably refers to moments of prayerful worship of God, when Paul was overwhelmed by a keen sense of the presence of God. The Greek word used here does not imply a loss of perception of the surrounding reality.

5:14 love of Christ. This expression is preferably understood to mean “the love that comes from Christ” (although grammatically it can be understood differently: “the love that we feel for Christ”).

one died for all. The word "all" refers to all Christians (all those who believe in Christ); The pronoun “everyone” is understood equally at the end of a phrase.

5:16 Paul emphasizes spiritual judgment and spiritual evaluation human life and life circumstances. Having come to know the love of Christ, Christians cease to evaluate people according to the criteria of this world - the ability to consider them in the perspective of the great work of salvation accomplished by God in Christ Jesus increases. The opinions and assessments of this world no longer matter now that participation in God’s new creation is available to all who are in Christ.

even if they knew Christ according to the flesh. When Christ was judged in an earthly way, He was rejected and crucified as a blasphemer and a rebel. But from a divine perspective, Christ is the true Messiah and Son of God, through whom renewal and reconciliation with God are given to those who believe in Him.

5:17 in Christ. Unity with Christ is the result of redemption. Believers are chosen by God (Eph. 1:4.11), justified (Rom. 8:1), sanctified (1 Cor. 1:2) and glorified (3:18) “in Christ.” Paul's focus is on the incomparable significance of the believers' unity with the Savior. Since Christ Himself is the “second Adam” in whom humanity is reborn (1 Cor. 15:45; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:10), since He is the inaugurator of the era of the fulfillment of messianic promises (Gal. 1:4; cf. . Matthew 11:2-6), the spiritual unity of the believer with Christ is nothing more than participation in the “new creation”.

5:18 All things are from God. The entire economy of salvation, the entire history of redemption has God as its center. Paul recognizes that all things are done by His will, His power and for His glory (Rom. 11:36).20 If this verse is addressed directly to the people of Corinth, then Paul is pleading with the Christians there that those who have sinned will be reconciled to God. From a theological point of view, this is a completely valid interpretation, for in some sense we should all strive daily again and again for reconciliation with God (Matt. 6:12; 1 John 1:9). However, Art. 16-21 reflect more than just the situation in Corinth. They are addressed to the whole world. Moreover, in the Greek text there is no pronoun “you” after the verb “we ask.” Therefore, it is more likely that Paul is simply conveying here the call of his gospel to all nations: “Be reconciled to God.” Reconciliation means the restoration of communication in love after a former estrangement.

5:21 This verse contains the essence of the Gospel teaching: God “imputed” our sin to Christ. God, as the Judge, placed responsibility for our sin on Christ, and therefore determined that Christ should bear the punishment for this sin (Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 2:24). This verse tells us that Christ bore our penalty for our sin in our place, and shows why He did so.

so that we... may become righteous before God. Another translation: “that we may become the righteousness of God in Him.” God not only imputed our sin to Christ, but also imputed the perfect righteousness of Christ to us (decided that it belonged to us).

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Comments on Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST CORINTHIANS

THE GREATNESS OF CORINTH

Just one glance at the map shows that Corinth was destined for an important place. Southern Greece is almost an island. In the west, the Gulf of Corinth juts deep into the land, and in the east it borders the Sardonic Gulf. And so, on this narrow isthmus, between two bays, stands the city of Corinth. This position of the city inevitably led to Corinth becoming one of the greatest trade and commercial centers of the ancient world. All communication routes from Athens and northern Greece to Sparta and the Peloponnesian Peninsula passed through Corinth.

Not only communication routes between southern and northern Greece passed through Corinth, but most of the trade routes from the western to the eastern Mediterranean. The southernmost point of Greece was known as Cape Malea (now Cape Matapan). It was a dangerous cape, and “to go around Cape Malea” sounded in those days the same way as “to go around Cape Horn” sounded later. The Greeks had two sayings that clearly showed their opinion on this: “Let him who sails around Malea forget his home,” and “Let him who sails around Malea first make his will.”

As a result, the sailors chose one of two paths. They sailed up the Sardonic Gulf and, if their ships were small enough, dragged them across the isthmus and then lowered them into the Gulf of Corinth. The isthmus was called Diolkos - a place through which one is dragged. If the ship was too large, then the cargo was unloaded and carried by porters across the isthmus to another ship standing on the other side of the isthmus. These seven kilometers across the isthmus, where the Corinth Canal now passes, shortened the journey by 325 km, and eliminated the dangers of traveling around Cape Malea.

It is clear what a major commercial center Corinth was. Communication between southern and northern Greece passed through it. Communication between the eastern and western Mediterranean, even more intense, was most often carried out through the isthmus. There were three other cities around Corinth: Leheule - on the west coast, Cenchrea - on the east coast, and Scoenus - a short distance from Corinth. Farrar writes: "Luxury goods soon appeared in the markets visited by all the peoples of the civilized world - Arabian balsam, Phoenician dates, ivory from Libya, Babylonian carpets, goat's down from Cilicia, wool from Laconia, slaves from Phrygia."

Corinth, as Farrar puts it, was the vanity fair of the ancient world. People called it the Greek Bridge, it was also called the Hot Spot of Greece. Someone once said that if a person stood for long enough in Piccadilly Circus in London, he could eventually see every person in the country. Corinth was the Piccadilly of the Mediterranean. In addition to this, the Isthmian Games were also held there, which were second in popularity only to the Olympic Games. Corinth was a rich, populous city, one of the largest shopping centers ancient world.

THE DECISION OF CORINTH

Corinth gained worldwide fame due to its commercial prosperity, but it also became the personification of immoral life. The very word “Corinthian,” that is, living the Corinthian way, became part of Greek language and meant leading a drunken and depraved life. This word was included in English language, and during the regency, Corinthians were the name given to young people who led a riotous and reckless lifestyle. The Greek writer Aelian says that if a Corinthian ever appeared on stage in a Greek drama, he was sure to be drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with revelry. The city was a source of evil known throughout the civilized world. The Acropolis hill rose above the isthmus, and on it stood a large temple of the goddess Aphrodite. At the temple lived a thousand priestesses of the goddess Aphrodite, priestesses of love, sacred prostitutes who came down from the Acropolis in the evenings and offered themselves to everyone for money on the streets of Corinth, until the Greeks had a new saying: “Not every man can afford to go to Corinth.” In addition to these gross sins, even more subtle vices flourished in Corinth, which were brought with them by merchants and sailors from all over the then known world. And therefore Corinth became not only synonymous with wealth and luxury, drunkenness and intemperance, but also synonymous with abomination and debauchery.

HISTORY OF CORINTH

The history of Corinth is divided into two periods. Corinth is an ancient city. Thucydides, the ancient Greek historian, states that the first triremes, Greek warships, were built in Corinth. According to legend, the ship of the Argonauts was built in Corinth Argo. But in 235 BC, tragedy befell Corinth. Rome was busy conquering the world. When the Romans tried to conquer Greece, Corinth led the resistance. But the Greeks could not withstand the disciplined and well-organized Roman army, and in the same year, General Lucius Mummius captured Corinth and turned it into a pile of ruins.

But a place with such a geographical position could not remain empty forever. Almost exactly one hundred years after the destruction of Corinth, in 35 BC, Julius Caesar restored it from ruins, and Corinth became a Roman colony. Moreover, it became the capital, the center of the Roman province of Achaia, which included almost all of Greece.

During the time of the Apostle Paul, the population of Corinth was very diverse.

1) Veterans of the Roman army lived in it, who were settled here by Julius Caesar. After serving his term, the soldier received Roman citizenship, after which he was sent to some new city and given a plot of land to settle there. Such Roman colonies were established all over the world, and the main backbone of the population in them were veterans of the regular Roman army, who received Roman citizenship for their faithful service.

2) As soon as Corinth was reborn, merchants returned to the city, since its excellent geographical position gave it significant advantages.

3) Among the population of Corinth there were many Jews. The newly built city offered excellent commercial prospects, and they were eager to take advantage of them.

4) Small groups of Phoenicians, Phrygians and peoples from the east also lived there, with strange and historical manners. Farrar puts it this way: "It was a mixed and heterogeneous population, consisting of Greek adventurers and Roman townspeople, with a corrupting admixture of Phoenicians. There lived a mass of Jews, retired soldiers, philosophers, merchants, sailors, freedmen, slaves, artisans, merchants, brokers." . He characterizes Corinth as a colony without aristocracy, traditions, or established citizens.

And so, knowing that the past of Corinth and its very name were synonymous with wealth and luxury, drunkenness, debauchery and vice, let us read 1 Cor. 6,9-10:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals,

Neither thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

In this hotbed of vice, in the most seemingly unsuitable city for this in all of Greece, Paul performed one of his greatest deeds, and in it one of the greatest victories of Christianity was won.

PAUL IN CORINTH

Apart from Ephesus, Paul remained in Corinth longer than in any other city. At the risk of his life, he left Macedonia and moved to Athens. Here he did not achieve much, and therefore went further to Corinth, where he remained for eighteen months. It will become clearer to us how little we know about his work when we learn that all the events about these eighteen months are summarized in 17 verses (Acts 18,1-17).

Upon his arrival in Corinth, Paul settled with Aquila and Priscilla. He preached with great success in the synagogue. After the arrival of Timothy and Silas from Macedonia, Paul redoubled his efforts, but the Jews were so hostile and implacable that he had to leave the synagogue. He moved to Just, who lived next door to the synagogue. The most famous of those converted by him to the faith of Christ was Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue; and among the people, Paul’s preaching also had great success.

In 52, a new governor, the Roman Gallio, known for his charm and nobility, arrived in Corinth. The Jews tried to take advantage of his ignorance and kindness and brought Paul to his trial, accusing him of “teaching people to honor God not according to the law.” But Gallio, in accordance with the impartiality of Roman justice, refused to examine their accusation and did not take any measures. Therefore, Paul was able to complete his work here and then went to Syria.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH CORINTH

While in Ephesus, Paul learned in 55 that not all was well in Corinth, and therefore wrote to the church community there. It is likely that the Corinthian correspondence of Paul that we have is incomplete and that its layout is broken. It must be remembered that it was not until the year 90 or so that Paul's letters and epistles were first collected. It seems that they were available in various church communities only on pieces of papyrus and were therefore difficult to collect. When the letters to the Corinthians were collected, they apparently were not all found, they were not collected completely, and they were not arranged in the original sequence. Let's try to imagine how this all happened.

1) There was a letter written before 1 Corinthians. IN 1 Cor. 5:9 Paul writes: “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with fornicators.” Obviously, this is a reference to a previously written letter. Some scholars believe that this letter was lost without a trace. Others believe that it is contained in 2 Cor. 6.14-7.1. Indeed, this passage echoes the above theme. In the context of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, this passage is somehow not readable. If we move directly from 2 Cor. 6.13 ko 2 Cor. 7.2, we will see that the meaning and connection are perfectly preserved. Scholars call this passage the "Previous Message." Initially, the messages were not divided into chapters and verses. The division into chapters was not undertaken before the thirteenth century, and the division into verses not earlier than the sixteenth. Therefore, organizing the collected letters presented great difficulties.

2) Various sources told Paul that all was not well in Corinth. a) Such information came from Chloe’s household ( 1 Cor. 1.11). They reported quarrels tearing apart the church community. b) This news reached Paul and with the arrival of Stephen, Fortunatus and Achaic in Ephesus ( 1 Cor. 16,17). Which personal contacts complemented the current state of affairs. c) This information came with a letter in which the Corinthian community asked Paul to give instructions on various issues. 1 Cor. 7.1 begins with the words "What have you written to me about..." In response to all these messages, Paul wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians and sent it to the Corinthian church with Timothy ( 1 Cor. 4,17).

3) This letter caused, however, a further deterioration in relations between the members of the church, and although we have no written information about this, we can conclude that Paul personally visited Corinth. In 2 Cor. 12:14 we read: "And so in third time I'm ready to come to you." In 2 Cor. 13,1,2 he writes to them again that he will come to them the third time. Well, if there was a third visit, then there should have been a second. We only know about one thing, stated in Acts 18.1-17. We have no information about Paul's second visit to Corinth, but it was only two or three days' sailing from Ephesus by ship.

4) This visit did not lead to anything good. Things only escalated and eventually Paul wrote a stern letter. We learn about him from some passages in Second Corinthians. IN 2 Cor. 2:4 Paul writes: “Out of great sorrow and troubled heart I wrote to you with many tears...” In 2 Cor. 7:8 he writes: “Therefore, if I saddened you with the message, I do not regret it, although I did regret it; for I see that that message saddened you, however, for a while.” This letter, as a result of mental suffering, was so severe that he was saddened to send it.

Scientists call this message A stern message. Do we have it? Obviously, this is not 1 Corinthians because it is not heartbreaking or harrowing. It is also obvious that at the time of writing this message the situation was not hopeless. If we now reread the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, we will encounter a strange circumstance. From chapters 1-9, complete reconciliation is visible, but from chapter 10 a sharp change occurs. Chapters 10-13 contain the most heartbreaking things Paul ever wrote. They clearly show that he was deeply hurt, that he was insulted as never before or since. His appearance, his speech, his apostleship, his honor are attacked and criticized.

Most scholars believe that chapters 10-13 are the Strict Epistle, and that it was misplaced in the compilation of Paul's epistles. If we want to have an accurate understanding of Paul's correspondence with the Corinthian church, we need to read chapters 10-13 of 2 first, and chapters 1-9 after them. We know that Paul sent the Stern Letter to Corinth with Titus ( 2 Cor. 2, 13; 7,13).

5) Paul was concerned about everything connected with this letter. He couldn't wait for Titus to return with an answer and went to meet him (2 Cor. 2.13; 7.5.13). He met him somewhere in Macedonia and learned that everything had turned out well and, perhaps, in Philippi, he wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, chapters 1-9, a letter of reconciliation.

Stalker said that Paul's letters lift the veil of obscurity from early Christian communities, telling us what was happening within them. This statement best characterizes the letters to the Corinthians. Here we see what the words “caring for all the churches” meant to Paul. We see here both a broken heart and joy. We see Paul, the shepherd of his flock, taking their concerns and sorrows to heart.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH CORINTH

Before proceeding to a detailed analysis of the messages, we will compile a chronology of correspondence with the Corinthian community.

1) The previous message which, May be, amounts to 2 Cor. 6,4-7,1.

2) The arrival of the household of Chloe, Stephen, Fortunatus and Achaic and Paul’s receipt of the message to the Corinthian church.

3) In response to all this, the First Epistle to the Corinthians was written and sent with Timothy to Corinth.

4) The situation worsens even more, and Paul personally visits Corinth. This visit turns out to be unsuccessful. It weighed heavily on his heart.

5) As a result of this, Paul writes a Stern Epistle, which probably... composes chapters 10-13 of 2 Corinthians , and it was sent with Titus.

6) Unable to bear waiting for an answer, Paul sets out on the road to meet Titus. He meets him in Macedonia, learns that everything has been formed and, perhaps, in Philippi writes chapters 1-9 of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: A message of reconciliation.

In the first four chapters of First Corinthians the issue of discrepancies in God's Church in Corinth. Instead of being united in Christ, it was split into sects and parties identifying themselves with various Christian leaders and teachers. It was Paul's teaching that caused this schism, due to the fact that the Corinthians thought too much about human wisdom and knowledge and too little about the pure mercy of God. In reality, despite all their supposed wisdom, they were still in an immature state. They thought they were wise, but in reality they were no better than children.

APOSTOLIC PREFACE (1 Cor. 1:1-3)

In the first ten verses of this letter, the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned no less than ten times. Paul had a difficult letter to write: he had to deal with the difficult situation that had developed in the Corinthian church, and therefore his first and all subsequent thoughts were about Jesus Christ. We sometimes try to resolve a difficult situation in the church in a spirit of justice, relying on legal norms and codes. Sometimes we try to overcome difficult problems relying only on our own spiritual strength and common sense. Paul acted differently. In a difficult situation for him, he turns to Jesus Christ and tries to solve this problem in the light of the crucifixion and the love of Christ.

His preface tells us two problems:

1) It tells us something about the church, about Church of God located in Corinth, that is, not about the Church of Corinth, but about the Church of God. For Paul, every group of people, no matter where it was, was part of the one and united church of God. He would not speak of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland; he would not define the Church by its geographical location, which would give it a purely local character; still less would he define ecclesiastical brotherhood by this or that sect, group, or denomination. If we thought the same about the church, we would think more about what unites us than about what divides us.

2) The Preface also tells us about the individual Christian. Paul notes three characteristic features in him.

A) he is sanctified in Christ Jesus. Verb to sanctify (hagiatso) means to set aside a place for God, to sanctify it by making a sacrifice. The Christian is dedicated to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; a Christian - one of those for whom Christ died, knows about this and clearly realizes that only through this sacrifice do we all belong to God.

b) they are called saints. These two words are expressed in one Greek word hagios. Hagios denotes a person or thing that is dedicated to God and serves Him. This word defines the temple or sacrifice intended for God. So, a person dedicated to the service of God, being in His possession, had to prove, by his life and his character, that he was worthy of it. Thus hagios becomes important called saint.

But originally this word meant separation. Human Hagios is different from others, because he is separated from ordinary people and singled out from them specifically in order to belong to God. Adjective chosen one the Jews defined themselves as a people, they were holy, chosen ones by the people hagios laos, a people entirely different from all other nations, because they belonged in a special way to God and were specially set apart for the service of God. When Paul calls Christians hagios, he means that they are different from other people, since they belong to God in a special way and are predestined for His service. This difference of theirs does not at all exclude them from worldly life, but will manifest in ordinary life such qualities that are characteristic of them.

V) they all call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place, with them and with us. A Christian is a member of a church community that includes both earth and heaven. If we would sometimes lift our eyes beyond our narrow circle and think of ourselves as part of the Church of God, embracing the whole world, it would bring us all great benefit.

3) In this passage, Jesus Christ is more closely defined. Paul speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ and adds - their Lord and ours. No one person, no one church has a monopoly on Jesus Christ. He is Lord our, but He is also the Lord of all people. This is the amazing miracle of Christianity, that the love of Jesus Christ belongs to all people, that “God loves each of us as if he loved only one.”

THE URGENCE OF THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (1 Cor. 1:4-9)

Three things are important in this passage about prayer of thanksgiving.

1) About a fulfilled vow. When Paul preached to the Corinthians, he told them that Christ could do certain things for them. And now he laudably declares that everything that he had previously said that Christ could do has come true. Some missionary once in ancient times told the Pictish king: “If you accept Christianity, you will see many miracles, and they will all come true.” Strictly speaking, you cannot force a person to accept Christianity. We can only say to him, “Try it and see what happens,” in the confidence that if he converts, he will see that everything we say is the truth.

2) About the grace received. Paul uses one of his favorite words here, charisma, that is “a gift given voluntarily to a person”; a gift that he did not deserve, which he could not have earned. This gift of God is given to people, according to Paul, in two different ways:

a) There is salvation charisma, God's gift. Man could never by himself enter into a right relationship with God. Salvation is an undeserved gift that comes solely from the generous love of God (cf. Rom. 6,23).

b) The grace of God gives a person various gifts that he can possess and use in life ( 1 Cor. 12,4-10; 1 Tim. 4,14; 1 Peter. 4.10). If a person is given the gifts of speech, healing, arts or crafts, music - they are gifts of God. If we fully realized this, it would give new meaning to our lives. The talent and profession that we possess are not our achievements - they are a gift from God, and therefore we are responsible for them. They should not be used for personal gain or prestige, but for the glory of God and the good of men.

3) About the final goal. The Old Testament repeatedly repeats the words about Lord's Day. On this day, according to the Jews, God will intervene directly in the history and life of mankind; on this day the old world will be destroyed and a new one created; it will be the Day of Judgment and everyone will be judged. Christians adopted this concept, but they interpreted Lord's Day How Day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when Jesus returns again to the world in all his power and glory.

And it really must be Judgment Day. The old English poet Caedmon painted a picture of the Day of Judgment in one of his poems. He depicted a crucifix in the center of the earth, emitting a strange light that has the properties of X-rays, removing masks and masks and showing everyone in their true form. Paul believed that a person who believes in Christ could face the Day of Judgment without fear, because he would not be clothed in his own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, so that no one could accuse him of anything.

THE CHURCHED CHURCH (1 Cor. 1:10-17)

Paul begins the task of his letter: to correct the situation that has created in the church in Corinth. He wrote his letter from Ephesus. Christian slaves from the house of a rich lady named Chloe visited Corinth and brought with them a story of strife and discord.

Paul addresses the Corinthians twice as to the brothers. As the old commentator Beza said: “There is a hidden argument in this appeal.” Firstly, he softens the reproach just made, which is made not by a teacher with a stick in his hand, but by a person motivated only by love. Secondly, such an appeal was supposed to show them how wrong their feuds and discords were. They are all brothers and should live in brotherly love.

In trying to reconcile these split sections of the church community, Paul uses two interesting phrases. He asks them so that they all say the same thing, that is, he pursues a goal resolve differences - an expression usually used by warring parties when reaching an agreement. He wants them "...were united in the same spirit and in the same thoughts," using it in its medical meaning as connect a broken bone, or a dislocated joint is set. Disagreements in the church community are unnatural and must be corrected for the sake of the health and effectiveness of the body of the entire Church.

Paul sees four groups in the Corinthian church: they have not yet broken away, the schism is within the church. Paul uses the Greek word to describe the situation schismatism, meaning a hole in the cover. The church at Corinth is in danger of becoming as unsightly as a torn veil. It should be noted that the named pious individuals - Paul, Cephas and Apollos - had nothing to do with schism and contention in the church. There was no contradiction or rift between them. Their names were assigned by certain groups of people without their knowledge or consent. Indeed, it often happens that so-called supporters become a bigger problem than opponents. Let's take a closer look at these groups and try to figure out what each of them stood for.

1) One group stated "I am Pavlov." Undoubtedly, this group included mainly people of non-Jewish origin. Paul always preached the gospel of freedom and the end of the rule of law over men. It is likely that this group of Corinthian Christians sought to convert the freedom preached by Paul into license and licentiousness, and to use their newfound Christianity to justify their licentiousness and personal self-will. The German theologian Bultmann said that the Christian indicative often leads to an imperative. Representatives of this group of Corinthian Christians forgot that the Christian indicative of the Gospel led to the Christian imperative of Christian ethics. They forgot that they were saved not to be free to sin, but to be free not to sin.

2) Representatives of the other group argued "I am Apollosov." IN Acts 18.24 given short description character of Apollos. He was a Jew from Alexandria, "eloquent and versed in the Scriptures." At that time, Alexandria was the center of intellectual life. It was there that learned men created a school of allegorical interpretation of Scripture, and derived extremely complex interpretations from very simple passages. Here is one example of their activities: in the work of Barnabas of Alexandria, from a careful analysis of the verses Life 18.23; 14:14, they drew the following conclusion: Abraham had 318 household members, whom he circumcised. In Greek writing there are 18 - and the Greeks used letters with a specific meaning as numerical signs; so after iotas should eta, that is, the first two letters of the name Jesus (Iesus). The Greeks denoted the number 300 with the letter “T” - a symbol of the crucifixion; therefore, Barnabas concludes, this event in the story of Abraham is a prediction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the Cross! Further, the Alexandrians were great fans of literature. In essence, it was they who contributed intellectual moment into Christianity. All those who asserted the "I of Apollo" undoubtedly belonged to the intellectual wing of the Corinthian church community, which sought to turn Christianity into a philosophy rather than a religion.

3) There was also a group there that claimed “I Kifin".(Ceeth is the Hebrew name corresponding in Greek and Latin to Peter.) Most of them were Jews who tried to teach that a person still had to keep the Jewish law. These were legalists who exalted the law and, thereby, downplayed the importance of grace,

4) And there were those who claimed “I Christ." This can be explained in different ways: a) In the Greek manuscripts there is no punctuation at all, and there is no spacing between words. It is quite possible that this is not a special group being singled out, but that this is a commentary from Paul himself. Maybe he dictated like this: I am Pavlov; I am Apollosov; I am Kifin - but I am Christ's. Perhaps this is Paul's commentary on the extremely unpleasant situation that has developed. b) If this assumption is not true, and a group is still described, then it must have been a small, persistent group of people who claimed to be the only true Christians in the Corinthian church community. Their real mistake was not that they claimed to belong to Christ, but that they acted as if Christ belonged exclusively to them. This expression quite clearly defines a small, intolerant, self-righteous group.

It should not be thought that Paul is downplaying the importance of baptism. The people baptized by Paul were special converts. The earliest convert appears to have been Stephen ( 1 Cor. 16.15). Crispus was once the leader of a Jewish synagogue (Acts 18.8). Gaius may have been a stranger with whom Paul lived (Rome. 16.23). But the most important thing is that the baptism was carried out in the name of Christ.

In Greek, this phrase means the closest connection. So, for example, giving money in the name of a person meant paying his current account. To sell a slave in the name of a man meant to give that slave into his absolute possession. A soldier of the Roman army swore allegiance in the name of Caesar: and he belonged entirely to the emperor. Expression in the name of someone implies absolute ownership. In Christianity, this phrase carries an even greater meaning: it means that a Christian not only completely belongs to Christ, but is also identified with Him in some special way. But, in general, what Paul wants to say is this: “I am glad that I was so busy preaching, for if I had baptized, it might have given some of you reason to say that I baptized you into my possession, and not into Christ’s.” . Paul does not diminish the significance of baptism, but only takes care that not a single action of it could be misinterpreted, as if he counted them as his own and not as Christ’s.

Paul states that he was telling the people the story of the crucifixion in the simplest terms. He had no intention of decorating it with rhetoric and wit. Paul wanted to draw attention not to language, but to facts, not to the author, but to his story. Paul's goal was precisely to show people not himself, but Christ, in all His greatness.

STUMBLING STONE FOR THE JEWS AND MADNESS FOR THE HELLENES (1 Cor. 1:18-25)

For both cultured Hellenes and devout Jews, the story that Christianity told them seemed sheer madness. Paul begins by freely using two quotations from Isaiah (Isa. 29.14; 33:18) in order to show how unreliable human wisdom is, how easily it can fail. He cites the irrefutable fact that despite all human wisdom, humanity has not found God. It is still blind and continues to grope for Him. And these searches were ordained by God to show people the helplessness of their situation and thereby prepare the only true path to His acceptance.

What was the Christian gospel? If we analyze the four famous sermons contained in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2.14-39; 3.12-26; 4.7-12; 10:34-43), we will see that in Christian preaching contains certain constant elements: 1) the statement that the great time promised by God has come; 2) a brief summary of the history of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; 3) the statement that all this happened in fulfillment of ancient prophecies; 4) a statement about the second coming of Jesus Christ; 5) an insistent call to repentance and acceptance of the promised Holy Spirit.

1) For the Jews, this sermon was a stumbling block for two reasons:

a) It was incomprehensible to them that the One who ended his life on the cross could be the Chosen One of God. They referred to their law, which directly stated: “For cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Deut. 21.13). For the Jews, the very fact of the crucifixion not only did not prove that Jesus was the Son of God, but, on the contrary, “finally refuted it. This may seem strange to us, but the Jews, even reading Isaiah 53, could never imagine the suffering Messiah. The cross was and remains a stumbling block for the Jews, preventing them from believing in Jesus.

b) The Jews were looking for signs. If the golden age, the age of God, has come, then amazing events must occur. At the same time that Paul was writing his epistles, many false messiahs were coming forward, all of them enticing the gullible with promises of working miracles. In 45, a man named Theudas appeared, convincing thousands of people to abandon their affairs and follow him to the Jordan River, promising that at his word the waters of the Jordan would part and he would lead them across the river on dry land. In 54, a man from Egypt appeared in Jerusalem, claiming to be a prophet. He encouraged thirty thousand people to follow him to Olivet mountain, promising that at his word the walls of Jerusalem would fall. This is exactly what the Jews expected. In Jesus, they saw a modest and humble man, deliberately avoiding exciting spectacles, serving people and ending his life on the cross. Such a person, in their opinion, could not be God’s Chosen One.

2) For Hellenes, such evangelism seemed foolhardy for two reasons:

and for Hellenes God's defining characteristic was apatheia. It is not simple apathy, but a complete inability to feel. The Greeks argued that if God can feel joy and sadness, anger and grief, then this means that at such a moment God was influenced by a person who, therefore, turned out to be stronger than this god. Therefore, they argued, God must be devoid of all emotions so that no one and nothing could influence him. A suffering god, according to the Hellenes, is already an incompatible concept.

The Greeks believed, as Plutarch stated, that involving God in human affairs meant insulting him. God is, of necessity, completely independent and impartial. The Hellenes found the very idea outrageous incarnations God into human form. Augustine, who was a great scientist long before the adoption of Christianity, said that he found parallels in the Greek philosophers for almost all the ideas of Christianity, but never encountered among them the statement: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Greek philosopher of the 2nd century. Celsus, who energetically attacked Christianity, wrote: “God is good, beautiful and happy, and he is in that which is most beautiful and best. If, however, he condescends to people, this causes changes in him, and changes are necessarily for the worse: from good to bad, from beautiful to ugly, from happy to unhappy; from better to worse. And who would want to undergo such a change? Mortals change naturally, but immortals must remain unchanged forever. God would never agree to such a change." A thinking Hellene could not even imagine the incarnation of God, and considered it completely implausible that He who suffered as Jesus did could be the Son of God.

b) The Hellenes sought wisdom. Originally Greek word sophist meant wise man in the positive sense of the word; but over time it acquired the meaning of a person with a dexterous mind and a sharp tongue, a kind of intellectual acrobat, with the ability to brilliantly and eloquently prove that white is black and bad is good. It denoted a person who spent endless hours discussing unimportant trifles and was not at all interested in solving the issue, but only enjoying “intellectual excursions.” Dio Chrysostom describes the Greek sophists as follows: “They croak like frogs in a swamp. They are the most worthless people on earth, because, being ignorant, they imagine themselves wise; like peacocks, they boast of their fame and the number of their disciples, like peacocks with their tails.”

The skill that the ancient Greek talkers possessed, perhaps, cannot even be exaggerated. Plutarch says of them: “They delighted their voice with cadences of modulations of tones, creating a reflected resonance.” Their thoughts were not about the subject of conversation, but about how they spoke. Their thoughts could be filled with poison, and their speech was honeyed. Philostratus says that the sophist Adrian enjoyed such fame in Rome that when it became known that he would speak before the people, the senators left the senate, and the people their games, and went in crowds to listen to him.

Dio Chrysostomos depicts these so-called wise men and a picture of their competitions in Corinth itself at the Isthmian Games: “One can hear a mass of insignificant sophist scoundrels shouting and scolding each other, students of their opponents, arguing over trivial subjects, big number writers reading their stupidest works, many poets reciting their poems, many magicians demonstrating their miracles, soothsayers interpreting the meaning of signs, tens of thousands of eloquent speakers plying their trade." The Greeks were literally poisoned by eloquence, and Christian preachers with with their direct and obscure sermons they seemed rude and uneducated, deserving ridicule rather than respect and attention.

Against the background of the lifestyle of the Hellenes and Jews, the preaching of Christianity seemed to have little chance of success; but, as Paul said, “The foolish things of God are wiser than men, and the weak things of God are stronger than men.”

TRIUMPH OF THE DESTROYED (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

Paul was pleased that the church was mainly composed of simple and meek people. But in no case should it be thought that the early church consisted only of slaves. It is clear from the New Testament that representatives of the upper strata of society also became Christians. These were, for example, Dionysius in Athens (Acts 17.34), Sergius Paulus, proconsul of the island of Crete (Acts 13:6-12), ladies of noble birth in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:4,12), Erastus, city treasurer, probably in Corinth (Rome. 16.23). During the time of Nero, Pomponia Grecina, the wife of Plautus, the conqueror of Britain, suffered martyrdom for being a Christian. Under the Emperor Domitian, in the second half of the first century, Flavius ​​Clemens, the emperor's cousin, was martyred for Christianity. At the end of the second century, Pliny, ruler of Bithynia, wrote to Emperor Trajan that Christians were found in all levels of society. But still, the majority of Christians consisted of simple and modest people.

Around 178, Celsus wrote one of the most strident works against Christianity ever written. And he ridiculed precisely the interest of the common people in Christianity. He stated that the Christian point of view is supposedly the following: “Let no educated, no wise or prudent person accept Christianity, for we consider them evil; but if anyone is ignorant, if anyone lacks common sense and cultural education, if anyone is stupid, let him come to us boldly." About Christians, he wrote: "We see them in their homes: wool carders, fullers and shoemakers, the most uneducated and rude people." He said that Christians " like a host of bats or ants crawling out of their anthills; they are like frogs gathered around a swamp for a philosophical conversation."

This is exactly what they said about Christianity. There were about sixty million slaves in the Roman Empire. Before the law, a slave was a “living instrument,” a thing, not a person. The owner could throw away an old slave, just as he would throw away an old shovel or hoe. He could have fun torturing his slaves and could even kill them. There were no marriage laws for slaves; like lambs in a flock, their children also belonged to their owner. Christianity transformed people who were things into true men and women; nay, into sons and daughters of God. It gave those who were not respected a sense of self-worth. It gave eternal life to those who did not have the right to control their own lives. It assured them that even if they meant nothing to the world, they were very important in the eyes of God. It testified to them that although they were of no value to other people, God sacrificed His only begotten Son for them. Christianity was and remains the most sublime idea in the whole world.

Paul concludes this passage with quotes from Jeremiah 9 , 23-24. As Bultmann put it: self-praise, or the desire to be recognized, is one of the most fundamental sins. True faith begins only when we realize that we ourselves cannot do anything, but that God can do everything, and that He does everything. It is amazing that it is the person who has realized his weakness and the shortcomings of his wisdom who later turns out to be stronger and wiser. Life experience shows that a person who believes that he himself can cope with everything ultimately fails.

Four characteristics given to people by Christ should be especially emphasized:

1) Christ is ours wisdom. Only by following Him can we go straight, and only by listening to Him can we hear the truth. He is truly the Supreme in life.

2) Christ is ours righteousness. Throughout Paul's epistles, righteousness means right relationship with God. We ourselves can never achieve it through our own efforts. We receive it only by realizing through Jesus Christ that it is given to us not for what we have done for God, but for what He has done for us.

3) Christ is ours consecration. Only in the presence of Christ can our life become what it should be. Epicurus used to tell his disciples: “Live as if Epicurus were constantly seeing you.” But in our relationship to Christ there is no “as if.” A Christian always goes with Him, and only then does his garment remain unspotted.

4) Christ is ours redemption. Diogenes complained that people flock to eye and dental doctors, but never go to a person who could cure their soul (he meant philosophers). Jesus Christ can free a person from past sin, deliver him from present helplessness and from fear of the future. He frees man from the slavery of his “I” and from sin.

Commentary (introduction) to the entire book of 1 Corinthians

Comments on Chapter 1

A fragment of church history, the like of which does not exist. Weisecker

Introduction

I. SPECIAL POSITION IN THE CANON

1 Corinthians is a "book of problems" in the sense that Paul addresses the problems ("As for...") facing the community in the wicked city of Corinth. In this capacity, the book is especially needed for today's churches, torn apart by problems. Separation, hero worship of leaders, immorality, disputes over the law, marriage problems, questionable practices and regulations regarding spiritual gifts are all addressed here. However, it would be wrong to think that the entire book is devoted to problems! This same Epistle contains the most beautiful work about love not only in the Bible, but in all world literature (chapter 13); wonderful teaching about the resurrection - both Christ's and ours (chapter 15); teachings on the sacrament (chapter 11); commandment to take part in material donations. Without this Message we would be much poorer. It is a treasure trove of practical Christian teaching.

All scholars agree that the First Epistle to the Corinthians that we have named came from the pen of Paul. Some (mainly liberal) researchers believe that there are some “alien insertions” in the letter, but these subjective assumptions are not supported by manuscript evidence. 1 Corinthians 5:9 appears to refer to a previous (non-canonical) letter from Paul that was misunderstood by the Corinthians.

External evidence in favor of 1 Corinthians is very early. Clement of Rome (c. 95 AD) speaks of the book as “the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul.” The book was also quoted by such early church authors as Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. It is included in the list of the Muratori canon and follows the Epistle to the Galatians in Marcion's heretical canon, the Apostolikon.

Internal evidence also very strong. Besides the fact that the author himself calls himself Paul in 1.1 and 16.21, his arguments in 1.12-17; 3,4.6.22 also prove Pauline authorship. Coincidences with Acts and other letters of Paul and strong spirit sincere apostolic concern excludes forgery and makes the arguments in favor of the authenticity of his authorship more than sufficient.

III. WRITING TIME

Paul tells us that he is writing from Ephesus (16:8-9, cf. v. 19). Since he labored there for three years, it is most likely that 1 Corinthians was written in the latter half of this long ministry, sometime in 55 or 56 AD. e. Some scholars date the Epistle even earlier.

IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND TOPIC

Ancient Corinth was (and is) located in southern Greece, west of Athens. During the time of Paul, its location was advantageous: trade routes passed through the city. It became a major center of international trade, with a lot of transport coming into it. Since the religion of the people was perverted, the city soon turned into a center of the worst forms of immorality, so that the very name “Corinth” became the personification of everything unclean and sensual. It had a reputation for being so debauched that it even coined a new verb "korinthiazomai", meaning "lead a vicious lifestyle".

The Apostle Paul first visited Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18). At first he, with Priscilla and Aquila, who, like him, made tents, worked among the Jews. But when the majority of Jews rejected his preaching, he turned to the Corinthian pagans. Souls were saved by the preaching of the Gospel, and a new church was formed.

About three years later, while Paul was preaching in Ephesus, he received a letter from Corinth reporting serious problems facing the community. The letter also asked various questions about the Christian life. In response to this letter, he wrote First Epistle to the Corinthians.

The theme of the Epistle is how to correct the worldly and carnal church, which takes lightly those attitudes, mistakes and actions that so worried the Apostle Paul. As Moffatt aptly puts it, “the church was in the world, as it should be, but the world was in the church, which it should not be.”

Because this situation is still not uncommon in some communities, the significance of 1 Corinthians remains enduring.

Plan

I. INTRODUCTION (1.1-9)

A. Greeting (1,1-3)

B. Thanksgiving (1.4-9)

II. TROUBLES IN THE CHURCH (1.10 - 6.20)

A. Divisions among believers (1.10 - 4.21)

B. Immorality among believers (Chapter 5)

B. Litigation between believers (6:1-11)

D. Moral laxity among believers (6:12-20)

III. THE APOSTLE'S ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHURCH (Ch. 7 - 14)

A. About marriage and celibacy (Chapter 7)

B. About food sacrificed to idols (8.1 - 11.1)

B. About the veil for women (11.2-16)

D. About the Lord's Supper (11:17-34)

D. About the gifts of the Spirit and their use in the Church (Ch. 12 - 14)

IV. PAUL'S ANSWER TO THOSE DENYING THE RESURRECTION (Ch. 15)

A. Certainty of the resurrection (15:1-34)

B. Refutation of the arguments against the resurrection (15:35-57)

B. Final call in light of the resurrection (15.58)

V. FINAL INSTRUCTIONS (Ch. 16)

A. About fees (16.1-4)

B. About my personal plans (16.5-9)

B. Final instructions and greetings (16:10-24)

I. INTRODUCTION (1.1-9)

A. Greeting (1,1-3)

1,1 On the way to Damascus Paul was called up become apostle of Jesus Christ. This call came not from men, not through men, but directly from the Lord Jesus. "Apostle" literally means "sent". The first apostles were witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. They could also perform miracles to prove that the message they preached came from God. Paul could indeed repeat the words of Gerhard Terstigen: Christ, the Son of God, sends me to the midnight lands. I received initiation from His pierced hands.

When Paul wrote, he was with him brother Sosthenes, that's why Paul includes his name in the greeting. It is impossible to say for sure whether this is the same Sosthenes who is mentioned in Acts (18:17) - the leader of the synagogue, publicly beaten by the Greeks. Perhaps this leader had been saved by Paul's preaching and was now helping him in the gospel.

1,2 The letter is addressed primarily Church of God located in Corinth. It is encouraging and inspiring to know that there is no such immoral place on earth where it would be impossible to establish a community that belongs to God. The church at Corinth is further described as sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints. "Consecrated"- here “separated from the world for God”; this word characterizes position all who belong to Christ. Concerning practical condition, they must set themselves apart by living holy day by day.

Some argue that sanctification is a special act of grace that eradicates man's sinful nature. This verse refutes such teaching. The Corinthian Christians were far from practical holiness, which should be manifested in the life of the believer, but the fact remains that they occupied the position consecrated By God.

As saints, they were members of a great brotherhood: the called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place, with them and with us. Although the instructions in this Epistle are addressed to the saints of Corinth, they are also addressed to all members of the worldwide brotherhood who acknowledge Christ as Lord.

1,3 First Corinthians is in a special sense a letter about the lordship of Christ. Discussing numerous problems in the life of the community and individuals, the apostle constantly reminds his readers that Jesus Christ is Lord and awareness of this great truth should accompany everything we do.

Verse 3 is a typical Pauline greeting. In words "grace and peace" he summarizes the entire Gospel. Grace- the source of all good, and world- the result of accepting the grace of God, filling a person’s life. These great blessings come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Pavel mentions without hesitation, in one breath Lord Jesus Near By God our Father. This is one of hundreds of similar expressions in the NT, which implies the equality of the Lord Jesus with God the Father.

B. Thanksgiving (1.4-9)

1,4 Having finished his greeting, the apostle moves on to give thanks for the Corinthians and for the amazing work of God manifested in their lives (vv. 4-9). A noble characteristic of Paul's life was his constant desire to find something worthy of thanksgiving in the lives of his fellow believers. If their practical lives were not particularly commendable, he at least thanked God for what He did for them. This is exactly the case here. The Corinthians were not, as we would say, spiritual Christians. But Paul can still give thanks for the grace of God given them in Christ Jesus.

1,5 The grace of God bestowed upon the Corinthians was especially evident in the fact that they were generously endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul celebrates the gift words and all knowledge; this seems to mean that the Corinthians received the gift of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, and exceptional knowledge. Word associated with external expression, and cognition- with inner understanding.

1,6 The fact of having these gifts confirmed that God was doing His work in their lives, and Paul meant this when he said: "...for the testimony of Christ is established in you." They heard testimony of Christ, they received it by faith, and God testified that they were truly saved by giving them these wonderful opportunities.

1,7 In the possession of gifts, the Corinthian church was not inferior to any other. But the mere possession of gifts was not in itself a sign of true spirituality. In reality, Paul was thanking God for something that the Corinthians themselves were not directly responsible for. Gifts are sent down by the ascended Lord regardless of a person’s own merits. If a person has a gift, he should not be proud of it, but humbly use it for the Lord.

The fruit of the Spirit is something completely different. What is important here is the extent to which a person has submitted himself to the control of the Holy Spirit. The apostle could praise the Corinthians not for the manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit in their lives, but only for what the Lord gave them by His authority and over which they had no control. Later in this letter the apostle will have to rebuke the saints for the abuse of these gifts, but here he expresses gratitude that they received these gifts in such an unusual way.

Corinthians awaited the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bible scholars disagree whether this refers to the coming of Christ for the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-18), the coming of the Lord with the saints (2 Thess. 1:6-10), or both. In the first case, Christ will appear only to believers, while in the second He will appear to the whole world. The believer eagerly awaits both the rapture and the glorious appearance of Christ.

1,8 Paul expresses confidence that the Lord and approve saints to end, so they can be innocent in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, it is striking that Paul gives thanks for what God will do, not for what the Corinthians did. Because they had trusted in Christ, and God had confirmed it by giving them the gifts of the Spirit, Paul was confident that God would keep them for Himself until Christ came for His people.

1,9 Paul's Optimism for the Corinthians Is Based on Faithfulness God who called them into the fellowship of His Son. He knows that God paid a great price so that they could become partakers of life Our Lord, and therefore will never allow them to slip out of His hands.

II. TROUBLES IN THE CHURCH (1.10 - 6.20)

A. Divisions among believers (1.10 - 4.21)

1,10 Now the apostle is ready to begin discussing the problem divisions in church (1.10 - 4.21). He begins with a loving exhortation, calling for unity. Instead of commanding with the authority of an apostle, he pleads with the gentleness of a brother. At the core of the call for unity is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and since the name signifies Person, the basis of the call is all that the Lord Jesus is and all that He has done. The Corinthians exalted the names of men; it only led to divisions. Paul will exalt only the name of the Lord Jesus, knowing that this is the only way to unity among the children of God. Say one thing- Means to be united in the same thoughts, be in agreement. This implies unity in loyalty and devotion. Such unity is possible when Christians think like Christ. In the following verses, Paul will tell you how they can actually think like Christ.

1,11 News about disputes in Corinth reached Paul through pet Chloins. By naming his informants, Paul lays down an important principle of Christian conduct. We should not spread news about our fellow believers unless we want our name to be mentioned. Following this example today would prevent idle gossip - the scourge of the Church today.

1,12 Sects or factions arose in the local church, each of which proclaimed someone as its leader. Some preferred Pavel, other Apollos, third Keefe(Peter). Some even claimed to belong Christ, apparently meaning that, unlike everyone else, only they belong to Him!

1,13 In verses 13-17, Paul indignantly condemns sectarianism. The formation of factions in the Church denied the unity of the Body Christ. To follow human leaders is to neglect Him who was crucified for them. To be called by a person's name is to forget that through baptism they confirmed their devotion to the Lord Jesus.

1,14 The growth of factions in Corinth forced Paul thank God because he baptized only some from the community there. Among those whom he baptized, Paul names Crispus and Gaia.

1,15-16 He wouldn't want anyone to said that He baptized into your own Name. In other words, he was not trying to win converts or make a name for himself. Its sole purpose is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon further reflection, Paul remembered that Stephen's house was also baptized, but doesn’t remember whether he baptized someone else

1,17 He explains that first of all Christ sent his Not in order to baptize, and so that evangelize. This in no way means that Paul did not believe in baptism. He has already named some of the baptized them. Rather, it means that baptism was not his main business; he probably entrusted this work to others, perhaps to some Christians in the local church. However, this verse argues against the view that baptism is essential to salvation. If this were true, Paul would be here expressing gratitude for not saving any of them except Crispus and Gaius! This assumption is untenable.

In the last part of verse 17, Paul moves easily into the next verses. He preaches the good news not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. He knew that to the extent that his oratory, or rhetoric, impressed people, that is how much he failed in his attempt to bring true meaning to the fore. the cross of Christ.

We can better understand the following verses if we remember that the Corinthians, like the Greeks, greatly valued human wisdom. They treated their philosophers as folk heroes. Apparently, to some extent this spirit penetrated into the Corinthian community. There were people in it who wanted to make the Gospel more acceptable to the intelligentsia. Believing that it was not taken seriously in academia, they wanted to make the message more intellectual. Apparently, such worship of intellectuality was one of the reasons that led to the emergence of groups around human authorities. Trying to make the gospel more acceptable is completely misguided. God's wisdom is fundamentally different from human wisdom, and there is no point in trying to reconcile the two.

Paul shows how foolish it is to exalt people and emphasizes that this is inconsistent with the true nature of the Gospel (1:18 - 3:4). First of all, he notes that the word about the cross is the opposite of everything that people consider to be true wisdom (1:18-25).

1,18 The word about the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing. As Barnes aptly puts it, “Death on the cross was associated with the idea of ​​everything shameful and dishonorable; and the message of salvation only through the suffering and death of a crucified person could only evoke complete contempt in their hearts.”(Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, p. 14.)

The Greeks loved wisdom (the literal meaning of the word "philosophy"). But there was nothing in the Good News that was attractive to their intoxication with knowledge.

For those being rescued The Gospel is the power of God. They hear the message, accept it by faith, and a miracle happens in their lives spiritual rebirth. Notice the solemn statement of this verse: There are only two classes of people—those who are lost and those who are saved. There is no middle ground. People may love their own human wisdom, but only the Gospel leads to salvation.

1,19 The fact that the Gospel will oppose human wisdom was predicted by Isaiah (29:14): “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and destroy the understanding of the prudent.” S. Lewis Johnson, in the Wycliffe Bible Commentary, notes that in context, "these words are God's condemnation of the policy of the 'wise men' of Judah who sought an alliance with Egypt to counter the threat of Sennacherib." (S. Lewis Johnson, "First Corinthians", The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 1232.) How true it is that God takes pleasure in achieving His purposes in ways that seem foolish to people. How often does He use methods which the wise men of this world would ridicule, but which nevertheless achieve the desired result with amazing accuracy and efficiency. For example, human wisdom convinces people that they can deserve or earn their salvation. The gospel sweeps away all human efforts to save oneself and presents Christ as the only way to God.

1,20 Paul goes on to issue a bold challenge: "Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the questioner of this age?" Did God consult them when He conceived His plan of salvation? Would they even have been able to come up with such a plan of redemption if they had been guided by their own wisdom? Can they refute anything God has said? The answer to this is a resounding “no!” God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness.

1,21 Man cannot of his own wisdom know God. Over the centuries, God has given mankind this opportunity, but the result has always been failure. Then it pleased God preach the cross to save the believers And sermon this seemed stupid to people. The foolishness of preaching means the cross. Of course, we know that this is not foolishness or stupidity, but to the unenlightened human mind it seems stupid. Gaudet said that verse 21 contains the entire philosophy of history, the contents of entire volumes. One should not rush past it in a hurry, one should think deeply about its great truths.

1,22 U Jews has become a habit demand miracles. They took the following position: we will believe if they show us a miracle. In its turn, Hellenes(Greeks) were looking for wisdom. They were interested in human reasoning, arguments, logic.

1,23 But Paul did not cater to their desires. He says: "We preach Christ crucified." As someone said, "he was not a sign-loving Jew or a wisdom-loving Greek, but a Savior-loving Christian."

For the Jews Christ was crucified temptation. They were waiting for a powerful commander who would free them from Roman oppression. Instead, the Gospel offered them a Savior nailed to a shameful cross.

For the Hellenes Christ was crucified madness. They could not understand how the One who died, as it seemed to them, so weak and unlucky, could even solve their problems.

1,24 Strange as it may seem, exactly what the Jews and pagans were looking for can be found in the Lord Jesus in an amazing way. For those who hear His call and trust in Him, for Jews and Greeks, Christ becomes God's power and God's wisdom.

1,25 In fact, there is neither weakness nor stupidity in God. In verse 25 the apostle says that things seem unwise from God (in man's opinion) actually wiser than men at their best. And what it seems God's weaklings turns out stronger, than anything humans can do.

1,26 Having talked about the Gospel itself, the apostle turns his attention to those whom God calls with the Gospel (vv. 26-29). He reminds the Corinthians that among those called There are not many wise according to the flesh, not many strong, not many noble. It is often emphasized that the text does not say “not one,” but says "A little". This slight difference enabled a noble English lady to testify that she was saved by one word.

The Corinthians themselves did not belong to the intellectual elite of society. They were captivated not by pompous philosophy, but by the simple Gospel. Why then was human wisdom held in such esteem? Why did they extol preachers who tried to make the message acceptable to worldly wisdom?

If people wanted to build a house of worship, they tried to attract the most prominent members of their society. But verse 26 teaches us that God passes over those whom people value highly. Usually He does not call those whom this world extols.

1,27 God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong things. As Erich Sauer says, "the more primitive the material, the higher the honors for the master (if the same level of art is achieved); the smaller the army, the greater (if the same level of achievement is achieved) a great victory) the conqueror deserves praise."(Erich Sauer, The Dawn of World Redemption, p. 91.)

God chose trumpets to bring down the walls of Jericho. He reduced Gideon's army from 32,000 men to 300 in order to put the Midianite troops to flight. He gave Samegar an ox goad to kill the Philistines. He made Samson forcefully defeat an entire army with the jawbone of a donkey. And our Lord also fed more than five thousand with just a few loaves and fishes.

1,28 Concluding a list of what someone has called "five ranks in God's army of fools," Paul adds the ignorant of the world and the humiliated and meaningless. Using such unsuitable material, God abolishes the significant. In other words, He loves to accept people who are insignificant in the eyes of the world in order to glorify Himself. These verses should be a rebuke to Christians who fawn on the great and famous and ignore the humbler saints of God.

1,29 God chooses those who are insignificant to the world only for the purpose that all the glory belongs to Him, and not to man. Salvation is the work of His hands alone, and He alone is worthy of praise.

1,30 Verse 30 further emphasizes that everything we are and everything we have comes from Him - not from philosophy, and therefore man has nothing to boast about. Firstly, Christ has become wisdom to us.

He is the wisdom of God (v. 24), the One whom the wisdom of God chose as the way of salvation. Having Him, we by our very position have wisdom that guarantees our complete salvation. Secondly, He is ours righteousness. By faith in Him we are considered righteous before a holy God. Thirdly, He is ours consecration. We ourselves can do nothing for our own holiness, but in Him we are sanctified by office, and by His power we are transformed from one stage of sanctification to another. Finally, He is ours redemption; here, undoubtedly, the final redemption is spoken of, when the Lord will come and take us home, where we will be with Him, and our spirit, soul, and body will be redeemed.

Traill clearly defines the truth:

"Wisdom apart from Christ is ruinous folly; righteousness apart from Christ is guilt and condemnation; sanctification apart from Christ is filthiness and sin; redemption apart from Christ is bondage and bondage."(Robert Traill, The Works of Robert Traill, Vol. 2, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 1975, p. 234.)

A. T. Pierson connects verse 30 to the life and ministry of our Lord:

"His works, His words, His actions show that He is the wisdom of God. Then His death, burial and resurrection: these are connected with our righteousness. Then His forty days' walk among men, His ascension, after which He sent down the Spirit and sat down at the right hand of God , - this is connected with our sanctification. And, finally, His coming, connected with our redemption.(Arthur T. Pierson, The Ministry of Keswick, First Series, p. 104.)

1,31 God has determined that all these blessings should be given to us in Lord. Therefore, Paul urges: "Why glorify people? They cannot do any of the above for you."

Synodal translation. The chapter is voiced by role by the studio “Light in the East”.

1. Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly! But you also condescend to me.
2. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God; because I have betrothed you to one husband, in order to present you to Christ as a pure virgin.
3. But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted, deviating from the simplicity in Christ.
4. For if someone came and began to preach another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you received another Spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel, which you did not receive, then you would be very lenient towards him.
5. But I think that I have nothing lacking against the highest Apostles:
6. Although I am ignorant in words, I am not ignorant in knowledge. However, we are completely known to you in everything.
7. Did I sin by humiliating myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the Gospel of God to you freely?
8. I caused expenses to other churches, receiving from them maintenance for serving you; and, being with you, although I suffered from lack, I did not bother anyone,
9. For my lack was supplied by the brethren who came from Macedonia; and in everything I tried and will try not to be a burden to you.
10. According to the truth of Christ in me, I will say that this praise will not be taken away from me in the countries of Achaia.
11. Why am I doing this? Is it because I don't love you? God knows! But as I do, so I will do,
12. So as not to give an opportunity to those who seek an opportunity, so that whatever they boast about, they will be found to be the same as we.
13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14. And no wonder: because Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light,
15. Therefore, it is not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness; but their end will be according to their works.
16. I will also say: almost no one makes me unreasonable; and if not so, then accept me at least as unreasonable, so that I too can boast a little.
17. What I say, I will say not in the Lord, but as if in foolishness, given such courage for praise.
18. As many boast in the flesh, so will I boast.
19. For you, men of understanding, willingly tolerate foolish people:
20. You endure when someone enslaves you, when someone devours you, when someone robs you, when someone is arrogant, when someone hits you in the face.
21. I am ashamed to say that we did not have enough strength for this. And if anyone dares to boast about anything, then (I will say foolishly) I dare too.
22. Are they Jews? and I. Israelis? and I. Abraham's seed? and I.
23. Servants of Christ? in madness I say: I am more. I was much more in labor, immensely wounded, more in prison, and many times near death.
24. Five times the Jews gave me forty stripes minus one;
25. Three times I was beaten with sticks, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea;
26. I have been on journeys many times, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from fellow tribesmen, in dangers from pagans, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brethren,
27. in labor and in exhaustion, often in vigils, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness.
28. In addition to extraneous adventures, I have a daily gathering of people, taking care of all the churches.
29. Who faints, with whom would I not faint? Who is tempted, for whom would I not be inflamed?
30. If I must boast, I will boast in my weakness.
31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed forever, knows that I do not lie.