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9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jefus Christ our Lord.

1o Now I befeech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye all fpeak the fame thing, and that there be rro divifions

among you; but that ye be

.

ο Πισος ὁ Θεός, δι' ε εκε λήθητε εις λήθητε εις κοινωνίαν τε υἱε αυτέ Ιησε Χρισε το Κύριε ἡμων.

10 Παρακαλω δε ύμας, αδελφοι, δια τε ονοματα τε Κύριε ήμων Ιησε Χρισε, ἵνα το αυτο λεγητε πάντες, και

perfedly joined together in μη η εν ύμιν σχισματα, ητε

the fame mind, and in the
fame judgment.

II For it hath been de

clared unto me of you, my

brethren, by them which are
of the houfe of Chloe, that

there are contentions among
you.

12 Now this I fay, that every one of you faith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, τές (δι24. and I of Cephas, and I of

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Chrift.

δε

κατηρτισμένοι εν τω αυτῷ νοι και εν τη αυτή γνώμη.

11 Εδηλώθη γαρ μοι περι ύμων, αδελφοι με, ύπο των Χλόης, ότι εριδες εν ὑμῖν

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Ver. 10.1. By the name of our Lord Jefus Chrif. This may fignify the perfon and authority of our Lord Jefus Chrift. See Eff. iv. 51. Locke is of opinion, that the apoftle, intending to abolish the names of the leaders whereby the parties diftinguished themfelves, befought them by the name of Christ. The fame author mentions this as an inftance, that the apoftle scarcely makes ufe of a word or expreffion, which hath not fome relation to his main purpose.

2. Te be compadily joined, εν τω αυτῷ νωι, by the fame mind; that is, by mutual good affection: for the fame mind, in the fenfe of the fame opinion, is not to be expected in any numerous fociety. We have the fame direction, Rom. xv. 5. thus expreffed, the fame difpofition towards one another. See allo 1 Pet. iii. 8.

3. By the fame, γνώμη, judgment. This word denotes that pradical judgment which precedes volition. The meaning is, that in our deliberations we fhould yield to each other from mutual affection, and from a love of peace. Accordingly, the heathen moralifts described true friendship, as cemented by the fame inclinations and averfions: Idem velle, et idem nolle, &c.

Ver. 11. - 1. My brethren.

Locke obferves that brethren is a name of union and friendship, and that it is twice ufed by the apoftle, in this exhortation to union and friendship.

2. By

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9 Faithful is God, by whom ye have been called to partake of the benefits of the fellowship of his Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. He will, therefore, perform his promise concerning your acquittal at the judgment.

Io Now brethren, fince ye are called into the fellowship of Chrift, I beseech you, by every confideration implied in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye all agree in the fame meafures for promoting the interests of that fellowship, that there be no divifions among you, but that ye be firmly joined (See 2 Cor. xiii. 9. note) as members of one body, by the fame good affection towards each other, and by the fame practical judgment.

III give you this exhortation, because it hath been told me, concerning you, my brethren, by fome of the family of Chloe, with whom I have converfed in this place, that there are (Egides,) violent contentions among you.

12 And, I mention this as an inftance, that each of you faith, peculiar respect is due to me, because I indeed am a disciple of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Peter, and I of Chrift himself.

2. By fome of the family of Chloe. According to Grotius, these were Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, mentioned chap. xvi. 17. who he thinks were Chloe's fons, and the bearers of the letter which the Corinthians fent to the apoftle, chap. vii. 1. That they were the bearers of the letter, may be admitted. But I am of opinion, that the apostle had heard of the divifions at Corinth before thefe meffengers arrived. If fo, the perfons mentioned were not the members of the family of Chloe here spoken of.

Ver. 12.-1. And I of Cephas. This feems to have been the boast of the false teacher. For as he came recommended by letters from Judea, he may have been converted by Peter.

2. And I of Chrift. There were now in the church at Corinth, fome Jews, who having heard Chrift preach, had been converted by him, and who claimed great respect on that account. Chryfoftome thought

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thought this was faid by Paul himself, to fhew the Corinthians that all ought to confider themselves as the difciples of Chrift, and of no other master; otherwise they derogated from the honour due to Chrift.

The Greeks valued themfelves greatly on the fame of their masters in philofophy, and in the arts. This humour, the Corinthians brought with them into the church. For fome, efpecially the heads of the faction, claimed an authority over others, on account of the dignity of the perfons who had converted them, and to whom they had attached themselves as their masters in the gofpel. But others, who reckoned themfelves equally honourable on account of the reputation of their teachers, oppofed their pretenfions. Hence arofe thofe envyings, ftrifes, and divifions, which prevailed in the Corinthian church, and which the apoftle termed, a walking after the manner of men, chap. iii. 3.

Ver. 13.1. Is Chrift divided? In this paffage, as in chap. xii. 12. Chrift fignifies the Chriftian church. By afking, Is Christ divided? the apoftle infinuated that the whole body of Chriftians have him as their only mafter, and that to confider ourselves as the disciples of any other mafter, is to rob him of his honour as our Mafter and Saviour. Others by Christ, understand the minifiers of Christ. Are the faithful minifters of Chrift divided? Do they not all preach the fame doctrine, and labour for the fame end? But according to others, Christ in this paffage means Christ himself. Is he divided? Did one Chrift fend Paul, and another Apollos?

2. Was Paul crucified for you? This queftion implies, that the fufferings of Chrift have an influence in faving the world, which the fufferings of no other man have, nor can have.

3. Baptized into the name of Paul. To be baptized into the name of any perfon, or into a perfon, is folemnly as Locke obferves, to enter one's

felf

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13 Is Chrift's church divided into parties under different leaders? Was Paul crucified for you to make atonement for your fins? Or were ye baptized into the name of Paul, as his disciples?

14 Since ye reckon yourselves the difciples of the perfons who baptized you, rather than of Chrift, I give thanks to God, that I baptized none of you except Crifpus and Caius :

15 Left my enemies should say that into mine own name I had baptized, making you my difciples, and not Chrift's; a thought which I utterly deteft.

16 And I baptized alf the family of Stephanas, my first converts in Achaia. (chap. xvi. 15.) Befides, I do not recollect whether I baptized any other perfon among you.

17 For Chrift hath not fent me to

felf a dif iple of him into whofe name he is baptized, and to profefs that he fubmits himself implicitly to his authority, and receives his doctrines and rules. In this fenfe, the Ifraelites are faid, chap. x. 2. to have been baptized into Mofes, in the cloud, and in the fea.

Ver. 14.1. Except Crifpus and Caius. Crifpus was the ruler of the fynagogue at Corinth; and among the firft of the Corinthians who were converted by Paul, Acts xviii. 8. Gaius, or Caius, was the perfon with whom the apoftle lodged, when he wrote his epiftle to the Romans, ch xvi. 23. Both of them were perfons of eminence. The other Corinthians may have been-baptized by the apostle's affiftants, Silas, Titus, and Timothy.

Ver. 16.-1. Stephanas. Theophylact fays, Stephanas was a perfon of note among the Corinthians. The family of Stephanas feem all to have been adults when they were baptized. For they are faid, chap. xvi. 15. to have devoted themselves to the miniftry to the faints.

2. I know not whether I baptized any other. Here the apoftle infinuates that he is speaking, not by inspiration, but from memory. He did not remember whether he baptized any other of the Corinthians. The Spirit was given to the apostles indeed, to lead them into all truth; but it was truth relative to the plan of man's falvation which was thus made known to them, and not truth like the fact here mentioned, the certain knowledge of which was of no use whatever to the world.

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to baptize, but to preach the
gofpel: not with wisdom of
words, left the crofs of Chrift
should be made of none ef-
fect.

18 For the preaching of
the crofs is to them that
perifh, foolishness: but un-
to us which are faved, it is
the power of God.
5.29:44 19 For it is written, I
will deftroy the wisdom of
the wife, and will bring to
nothing the underlanding of
the prudent.

20 Where is the wife? where is the fcribe? where is the difputer of this world?

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Ver. 171. Hath not fent me to baptize, but to preach. The apoftles being endued with the highest degree of inspiration and miraculous powers, had the office of preaching committed to them, rather than that of baptizing, because they were beft qualified for converting the world, and had not time to give the converted, either before or after their baptifm, fuch particular inftruction as their former ignorance rendered neceflary Thefe offices, therefore, were committed to the inferior minifters of the word.

2. Not however with wisdom of speech. Wisdom of speech, σopic Aoys for λoyw copy means learned speech. The obfervation, that the apotties were fent forth to convert mankind, not by the powers of philofophy and eloquence, was intended to fhew the Corinthians, how ill founded the boafting of the faction was, who valued themfelves on the learning and eloquence of their teachers. To fhew that this is a declaration of the fubject which the apoftle is going to handle, I have separated it from the claufe which goes before it.

3. Be deprived of its efficacy. To have adorned the gofpel with the paint of the Grecian rhetoric, would have obfcured its wifdom and fimplicity, juft as the gilding of a diamond would destroy its brilliancy. Befides, it would have marred its operation as a revelation from God. For the evidence and efficacy of the gospel arises, not from its being proved by philofophical arguments, and recommended by the charms of human eloquence, but from its being proved by miracles, and founded on the teftimony of God.

Ver. 18. For the preaching which is concerning the crofs. Aoy, Word, in fcripture, is often ufed to denote the preaching of doctrine: Acts vi. 2. It is not reafon, that we should leave the word of God and ferve tables.

Ver. 19.

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