1: The inscription of the Epistle, wherein he chiefly goeth about to procure the good will of the Corinthians towards him, yet notwithstanding so, that always he letteth them to wit, that he is the servant of god and not of men. 2: If he be an apostle, then he must be heard, although he sometimes reprehend them sharply, seeing he hath not his own cause in hand, but is a messenger that bringeth the commandments of Christ. 3: He joineth Sosthenes with himself, that this doctrine might be confirmed by two witnesses. 4: It is a Church of God, amongst it hath great faults in it, so that it obey them which admonish them. *: Acts 15:9 1 Thessalonians 4:7 5: A true definition of the catholic [meaning universal] Church which is one. a: The Father sanctifieth us, that is to say, seperateth us from the wicked, in giving us to his son, that he may be in us, and we in him. *: Romans 1:7 Ephesians 1:1 Colossians 1:22 2 Timothy 1:9 Titus 2:13 b: Whom God of his gracious goodness and mere love hath separated for himself: or whom god hath called to holiness: the first of these two expositions, showeth from whence our sanctification commeth: and the second showeth to what end it tendeth. *: 2 Timothy 1:22 c: He is said properly to call on God, who crieth unto the Lord when he is in danger, and craveth help at his hands, and by the figure Synecdoche it is taken for all the service of God: and therefore to call upon Christ's name, is to acknowledge and take him for very God. 6: the foundation and the life of the Church, is Christ Jesus given of the father. 7: Going about to condemn many vices, he beginneth with a true commendation of their virtues, lest he might seem after to descend to chiding, being moved with malice or envy: yet so, that he referreth all to God, as the author of them, and that in Christ, that the Corinthians might be more ashamed to prophane and abuse the holy gifts of God. 8: He toucheth that by name, which they most abused. d: Seeing that whiles we live here, we know but in part, and prophecy in part, this word (all) must be restrained to the present state of the faithful: but by speech he meaneth not a vain kind of babbling, but the gift of holy eloquence, which the Corinthians abused. 9: He showeth that the true use of these gifts consisteth herein, that the mighty power of Christ might thereby be set forth in them, that hereafter it might evidently appear, how wickedly they abused them to glory and ambition. e: By those excellent gifts of the Holy Ghost. *: Titus 2:11 Philippians 3:20 10: he sayeth by the way, that there is no cause why they should please themselves so much in those gifts which they had received, seeing that those were nothing in comparison of them which are to be looked for. f: He speaketh of the last coming of Christ. *: 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and 5:23. 11: He testifieth that he hopeth well of then hereafter, that they may more patiently abide his reprehension afterward. And yet together therewithal showeth, that as well the beginning as the accomplishing of our salvation, is only the work of God. g: Here he calleth them blameless, not whom man never found fault with, but with whom no man can justly find fault, that is to say, them which are in Christ Jesus, in whom there is no condemnation. See Luke 1:6. *: 1 Thessalonians 5:24 h: True and constant, who doeth not only call us, but giveth us the gift of perseverance also. 12: having made an end of the preface, he cometh to the matter itself, beginning with a most grave obtestation, as though they should hear Christ himself speaking, and not Paul. 13: The first part of the epistle, wherein his purpose is, to call back the Corinthians to brotherly concord, and to take away all occasion of discord. So then this first part concerneth the taking away of schisms. Now a schism is when men which otherwise agree and consent together in doctrine, do yet separate themselves one from another. i: Knit together, as a body that consisteth of all his parts fitly knit together. 14: He beginneth his reprehension and chiding by taking away of an objection: for that he understood by good witnesses, that there were many factions among them. And therewithal he openeth the cause of dissensions, because that some did hang on one doctor, some on another, and some were so addicted to their selves, that they neglected all doctors and teachers, calling themselves the disciples of Christ only, shutting forth their teachers. j: the matter i would say to you, is this. *: Acts 18:24 15: the first reason why schisms ought to be eschewed: be cause Christ seemeth by that means, to be divided and torn in pieces, who cannot be the head of two diverse and disagreeing bodies, being himself one. 16: Another reason: because they cannot without great injury to God, so hang to men as of Christ: which thing no doubt they do, which allow whatsoever some man speaketh, even for his persons sake: as these men allowed one selfsame Gospel being uttered of one man, anode did lothe it being uttered of another man. So that these factions were called by the names of their teachers. Now Paul setteth down his own name, not only to grief no man, but also to show that he pleadeth not his own cause. 17: The third reason taken of the form and end of baptism, wherein we make a promise to Christ, calling on also the name of the Father, and the Holy Ghost. Therefore although a man do not fall from the doctrine of Christ, yet if he hang upon some certain teachers, and despise others, he forsaketh Christ: for if he hold Christ his only master, he would hear him, teaching by whosoever.. 18: He protesteth that he speaketh so much the more boldly of these things, because that through God's providence, he is void of all suspicion of challenging disciples unto himself, and taking them from others. Whereby we may understand, that not the scholars only, but the teachers also are here reprehended, which gathered themselves flocks apart. *: Acts 18:8 19: the taking away of an objection: that he gave not himself to baptize many amongst them: not for the contempt of baptism, but because he was chiefly occupied in delivering the doctrine, and committed them that received his doctrine to others to be baptized, whereof he had store. And so he declared sufficiently haw far he was for all ambition: whereas on the other side, they, whom he reprehendeth, as though they gathered disciples unto themselves and not unto Christ, bragged most ambitiously of numbers, which they had baptized. 20: Now he turneth himself to the doctors themselves, which pleased themselves in brave and ambitious eloquence, to the end that they might draw more disciples after them. He confesseth plainly that he was like unto them, opposing gravely, as it became an apostle, his example, against their perverse judgements: So that this is another place of this epistle, touching the observing of a godly simplicity both in words and sentences in teaching of the gospel. *: Chapter 2:13 1 Peter 1:16 k: With eloquence: which Paul casteth off from him not only as not necessary, but also as flat contrary to he office of his apostleship: and yet had Paul this kind of eloquence, but it was heavenly, no of man, and void of painted words. 21: the reason why he used not the pomp of words, and painted speech: because it was God's will to bring the world to his obedience by that way, whereby the most idiots amongst men might understand, that this work was done of God himself without the art of man. Therefore as salvation is set forth unto us unto us in the gospel by the cross of Christ, then which nothing is more contemptible, and more far from life, so God would have the manner of the preaching of the cross, most different from those means, with which men do draw and entice other, either to hear or believe: therefore it pleased him by a certain kind of most wise folly, to triumph over the most foolish wisdom of the world, as he had said before by Isaiah, that he would. And hereby we may gather, that both these doctors which were puffed up with ambitious eloquence, and also their hearers, strayed far away from the end and mark of their vocation. l: The preaching of Christ crucified, or the kind of speech which we use. *: Romans 1:16 m: It is that wherein he declareth his marvellous power in saving his elect, which would not so evidently appear, if it hung upon any help of man, for so, man might attribute that to himself, which is proper only to the cross of Christ. 22: The apostle proveth, that this ought not only not to seem strange, seeing that it was foretold so long before, but declareth further, that God is wont to punish the pride of the world in such sort, which so pleaseth itself in its own wisdom: and therefore that that is vain, yea, a thing of nothing, and such as God rejecteth as unprofitable, which they so carefully laboured for, and made so great accompt of. *: Isaiah 29:14 n: Where art thou, O thou learned follow, and thou that spendest thy days in turning thy books? o: Thou that spendest all thy time in seeking out the secret things of this world, and in expounding all hard questions: and thus triumpheth he against all the men of this world, for there was not one of them that could so must as dream upon this secret and hidden mystery. 23: He showeth that the pride of men was worthily punished of God, because they would not behold God, as meet was they should, in the most clear glass of the wisdom of the world, which is the workmanship of the world. p: By the world he meaneth all men which are not born anew, but remain as they were, when they were first born. q: In the workmanship of this world, which hath the marvellous wisdom of God engraved in it, so that every man may behold it. 24: The goodness of god is very wonderful, for while he goeth about to punish the pride of this world, he is very provident and careful for the salvation of it, and teacheth men to become fools, that they may be wise to God. r: So he calleth the preaching of the gospel, as the enemies supposed it: but in the mean season he taunteth them very sharply, who had rather charge God with folly, then acknowledge their own, and crave pardon for it. *: Matthew 12:38 25: A declaration of that which he said: that the preaching of the gospel, is foolish. It is foolish, sayeth he, to them whom God hath not endued with new light, that is to say, to all men being considered in themselves: for the Jews re2qquire miracles, and the Grecians arguments, which they may comprehend by their wit and wisdom: and therefore they do not only not believe the gospel, but also they mock at it. Notwithstanding in this foolish preaching, there is the great virtue and wisdom of God, but such as those only which are called do perceive: God showing most plainly, that even then when mad men think him most foolish, he is far wiser them they are: and that he surmounteth all their might and power, when he useth most vile and abject things, as it hath appeared in the fruit of the preaching of the gospel. 26: A confirmation taken of those things which came to pass at Corinth, where the church especially consisted of the basest and common people, insomuch that the philosophers of Greece were driven to shame when they saw that they could do nothing with their wisdom and eloquence, in comparison of the apostles, whom notwithstanding they called idiots and unlearned. And herewithal both he beat down their pride: for God did not prefer them before those noble and wise men because they should be proud, but that they might be constrained even whether they would or not, to rejoice in the lord, by whose mercy, although they were the most abjects of all, they had obtained in Christ, both this wisdom, and all things necessary to salvation. s: What way the lord hath taken in calling you. t: After that kind of wisdom which men make accompt of, as though there were none else: who because they are carnal, know not spiritual wisdom. u: Which in mans judgement are almost nothing. v: To show that they are vain and unprofitable, and nothing worth. See Romans 3:31 w: Flesh, is oft, as we see, taken for the whole man: and he useth this word, flesh, very fitly, to set the weak and miserable condition of man, and the majesty of god, one against the other. x: Whom he cast down before, now he lifteth up, yea, higher then all men: yet so, that he showeth them, that all their worthiness is without themselves, that is, standeth in Christ, and that of God. 27: He teacheth that especially and above all things, the gospel ought not to be contemned, seeing it containeth the chiefest things that are to be desired, to wit, true wisdom, the true way to obtain righteousness, the true way to live honestly and godly, the true deliverance from all miseries and calamities. *: Jeremiah 9:24 2 Corinthians 10:17 z: Let him yield all to God and give him thanks: and so by this place is man's free will beaten down, which the Papists so dream of. |
Chapter 11. After the salvation, 10. which in effect is an exhortation, 12. he reprehendeth the Corinthian's sects and divisions, 17. and calleth them from pride to humility: 20. For, overthrowing all worldly wisdom, 23, 25. he advanceth only the preaching of the cross. Paul 1 called to
be an 2 apostle of Jesus Christ,
through the will of God, and our brother 3 Sosthenes, |