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1. CORINTHIANS.

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11 For it hath been declared | saith, I am of Paul; unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house

of Chloe, that there are con

tentions among you.

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Apollos; and I of and I of Christ.

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13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized

12 Now this I say, that every one of you in the name of Paul?

a Ch. iii. 4.- b Acts xvii. 24. xix. 1. Ch. xvi. 12.

communion or participation of Christ, in the graces of his Spirit and the glories of his future kingdom. God will continue to uphold and save you, if you intrust your bodies and souls to him. But can it be said that God will keep what is either not intrusted to him; or, after being intrusted, is taken away?

Verse 10. Now I beseech you, brethren] The apostle having finished his introduction comes to his second point, exhorting them to abstain from dissensions, that they might be of the same heart and mind, striving together for the hope of the gospel.

By the name of our Lord Jesus] By his authority, and in his place; and on account of your infinite obligations to his mercy in calling you into such a state of salvation.

That ye all speak the same thing] If they did not agree exactly in opinion on every subject, they might, notwithstanding, agree in the words which they used to express their religious faith. The members of the church of God should labour to be of the same mind, and to speak the same thing, in order to prevent divisions, which always hinder the work of God. On every essential doctrine of the gospel all genuine Christians agree: why then need religious communion be interrupted? This general agreement is all | that the apostle can have in view; for it cannot be expected that any number of men should in every respect perfectly coincide in their views of all the minor points, on which an exact conformity in sentiment is impossible to minds so variously constituted as those of the human race. Angels may thus agree, who see nothing through an imperfect or false medium; but to man this is impossible. Therefore, men should bear with each other, and not be so ready to imagine that none have the truth of God but they and their party.

Verse 11. By them which are of the house of Chloe] This was doubtless some very religious matron at Corinth, whose family were converted to the Lord; some of whom were probably sent to the apostle to inform him of the dissensions which then prevailed in the church at that place. Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, mentioned chap. xvi. 17, were probably the sons of this Chloe.

Contentions] Epides, Altercations; produced by the oxioμara, divisions, mentioned above. When once they had divided, they must necessarily have contended, in order to support their respective parties.

Verse 12. Every one of you saith] It seems from this expression that the whole church at Corinth was in a state of dissension: they were all divided into the following sccts: 1. Paulians, or followers of St.

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Paul; 2. Apollonians, or followers of Apollos; 3. Kephians, or followers of Kephas; 4. Christians, or followers of Christ. See the Introduction, sect. v.

The converts at Corinth were partly Jews, and partly Greeks. The Gentile part, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, might boast the names of Paul and Apollos; the Jewish, those of Kephas and Christ. But these again might be subdivided; some probably considered themselves disciples of Paul, he being the immediate instrument of their conversion, while others might prefer Apollos for his extraordinary eloquence.

If by Kephas the apostle Peter be meant, some of the circumcision who believed might prefer him to all the rest; and they might consider him more immediately sent to them; and therefore have him in higher esteem than they had Paul, who was the minister or apostle of the uncircumcision: and on this very account the converted Gentiles would prize him more highly than they did Peter.

Instead of Christ, Xpiorov, some have conjectured that we should read Kpirov, of Crispus; who is mentioned ver. 14. And some think that Xpiorov, of Christ, is an interpolation, as it is not likely that Christ in any sense of the word could be said to be the head of a sect, or party, in his own church; as all those parties held that gospel, of which himself was both the author and the subject. But it is very easy to conceive that, in a church so divided, a party might be found, who, dividing Christ from his ministers, might be led to say, "We will have nothing to do with your parties, nor with your party spirit; we are the disciples of Christ, and will have nothing to do with Paulians, Apollonians, or Kephians, as contradistinguished from Christ." The reading Κρισπου for Χριστου is not acknowledged by any MS. or Version.

Verse 13. Is Christ divided?] Can he be split into different sects and parties? Has he different and opposing systems? Or, is the Messiah to appear under different persons?

Was Paul crucified for you?] As the gospel proclaims salvation through the crucified only, has Paul poured out his blood as an atonement for you? This is impossible, and therefore your being called by my name is absurd; for his disciples you should be, alone, who has bought you by his blood.

Were ye baptized in the name of Paul?] To be baptized in, or into the name of one, implied that the baptized was to be the disciple of him into whose name, religion, &c., he was baptized. As if he said: Did I ever attempt to set up a new religion, one

Paul is sent rather to preach

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14 I thank God that I bap-|Stephanas: besides, I know tized none of you, but Crispus not whether I baptized any and

Gaius;

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15 Lest any should say that I 17 For Christ sent me not to bad baptized in mine own name. baptize, but to preach the gospel:

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"not with

16 And I baptized also the houshold of wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ

Acts xviii. 8.- b Rom. xvi. 23.—— Ch. xvi. 15, 17.

founded on my own authority, and coming from myself? On the contrary, have I not preached Christ crucified for the sin of the world; and called upon all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, to believe on Him?

Verse 14. I thank God that I baptized none of you] None of those who now live in Corinth, except Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, Acts xviii. 8. And Gaius, the same person probably with whom Paul lodged, Rom. xvi. 23, where see the notes. Dr. Lightfoot observes: "If this be Gaius, or Caius, to whom the third epistle of John was written, which is very probable when the first verse of that epistle is compared with Rom. xvi. 23, then it will appear probable that John wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. I wrote, says he, unto the church-What church? Certainly it must have been some particular church which the apostle has in view, and the church where Gaius himself resided. And if this be true, we may look for Diotrephes (3 John ver. 9) in the Corinthian church; and the author of the schism of which the apostle complains. See the Introduction, sect. viii.

Verse 15. Lest any should say, &c.] He was careful not to baptize, lest it should be supposed that he wished to make a party for himself; because superficial observers might imagine that he baptized them into his own name-to be his followers, though he baptized them into the name of Christ only.

Instead of eẞanrioa, I have baptized, the Codex Alexandrinus, the Codex Ephraim, and several others, with the Coptic, Sahidic, later Syriac in the margin, Armenian Vulgate, some copies of the Itala, and several of the Fathers, read &ẞаTTIσonтe, ye were baptized. And if we read iva, so that, instead of lest, the sentence will stand thus: So that no one can say that ye were baptized into my name. This appears to be the true reading, and for it Bp. Pearce offers several strong arguments.

Verse 16. The houshold of Stephanas] From chap. xvi. 15, we learn that the family of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, probably converted and baptized by the apostle himself. Epenetus is supposed to be one of this family. See the note on Rom. chap. xvi. 5.

I know not whether I baptized any other.] I do not recollect that there is any person now residing in Cerinth, or Achaia, besides the above mentioned, whom I have baptized. It is strange that the doubt bere expressed by the apostle should be construed so as to affect his inspiration! What, does the inspiration of prophet or apostle necessarily imply that he

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must understand the geography of the universe, and have an intuitive knowledge of all the inhabitants of the earth, and how often, and where they may have changed their residence! Nor was that inspiration ever given so to work on a man's memory that he could not forget any of the acts which he had performed during life. Inspiration was given to the holy men of old that they might be able to write and proclaim the mind of God in the things which concern the salvation of men.

Verse 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize] Bp. Pearce translates thus: For Christ sent me, not so much to baptize as to preach the gospel: and he supports his version thus--"The writers of the Old and New Testaments do, almost every where (agreeably to the Hebrew idiom), express a preference given to one thing beyond another by an affirmation of that which is preferred, and a negation of that which is contrary to it: and so it must be understood here, for if St. Paul was not sent at all to baptize, he baptized without a commission; but if he was sent, not only to baptize but to preach also, or to preach rather than baptize, he did in fact discharge his duty aright." It appears sufficiently evident that baptizing was considered to be an inferior office; and though every minister of Christ might administer it, yet apostles had more important work. Preparing these adult heathens for baptism by the continual preaching of the word, was of much greater consequence than baptizing them when thus prepared to receive and profit by it.

Not with wisdom of words] Ουκ εν σοφια λογου. In several places in the New Testament the term λoyog is taken not only to express a word, a speech, a saying, &c., but doctrine, or the matter of teaching. Here, and in 1 Thess. i. 5, and in several other places, it seems to signify reason, or that mode of rhetorical argumentation so highly prized among the Greeks. The apostle was sent, not to pursue this mode of conduct, but simply to announce the truth; to proclaim Christ crucified for the sin of the world; and to do this in the plainest and simplest manner possible, lest the numerous conversions which followed might be attributed to the power of the apostle's eloquence, and not to the demonstration of the Spirit of God. It is worthy of remark that, in all the revivals of religion with which we are acquainted, God appears to have made very little use of human eloquence, even when possessed by pious men. His own nervous truths, announced by plain common sense, though in homely phrase, have been the general means of the conviction and conversion of sinners. Human eloquence

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and learning have often been successfully employed in defending the out-works of Christianity; but simplicity and truth have preserved the citadel.

It is farther worthy of remark that when God was about to promulgate his laws he chose Moses as the instrument, who appears to have laboured under some natural impediment in his speech, so that Aaron his brother was obliged to be his spokesman to Pharaoh; and that, when God had purposed to publish the gospel to the Gentile world-to Athens, Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome, he was pleased to use Saul of Tarsus as the principal instrument; a man whose bodily presence was weak, and his speech contemptible, 2 Cor. x. 1, 10. And thus it was proved that God sent him to preach, not with human eloquence, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect, but with the demonstration and power of his own Spirit; and thus the excellence of the power appeared to be of God, and not of man.

Verse 18. For the preaching of the cross] 'O Xoyos yap ò тov σravρov, The doctrine of the cross; or, the doctrine that is of or concerning the cross; that is, the doctrine that proclaims salvation to a lost world through the crucifixion of Christ.

is foolishness with God.

20'Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

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21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching

Isai. xliv. 25. Rom. i. 22.- —h Rom. i. 20, 21, 28 See Matt. xi. 25. Luke x. 21.

their schemes of natural religion and morality, have not been able to save one soul! No sinner has ever been converted from the error of his ways by their preaching or writings.

Verse 20. Where is the wise-the scribe-the disputer of this world?] These words most manifestly refer to the Jews; as the places (Isai. xxix. 14; xxxiii. 18; and xliv. 25) to which he refers cannot be understood of any but the Jews.

The wise man, ropog, of the apostle, is the chakam of the prophet, whose office it was to teach others.

The scribe, ypaμμarevs, of the apostle, is the sopher of the prophet; this signifies any man of learning, as distinguished from the common people, especially any master of the traditions. The disputer, ovlητητηg, answers to the

derosh,

or darshan, the propounder of questions; the seeker of allegorical, mystical, and cabalistical senses from the holy scriptures. Now as all these are characters well known among the Jews, and as the words auvos TOUTOV, of this world, are a simple translation of by olam hazzeh, which is repeatedly used to designate the Jewish republic, there is no Is to them that perish foolishness] There are, pro- doubt that the apostle has the Jews immediately in perly speaking, but two classes of men known where view. This wisdom of theirs induced them to seek the gospel is preached: añoμevo, the unbelievers out of the sacred oracles any sense but the true one; and gainsayers, who are perishing; and coloμevo, the and they made the word of God of none effect by obedient believers, who are in a state of salvation. To their traditions. After them, and precisely on their those who will continue in the first state, the preach- model, the schoolmen arose; and they rendered the ing of salvation through the merit of a crucified doctrine of the gospel of no effect by their hypercriSaviour is folly. To those who believe, this doctrine tical questions, and endless distinctions without differof Christ crucified is the power of God to their sal-ences. By the preaching of Christ crucified God vation; it is divinely efficacious to deliver them from all the power, guilt, and pollution of sin.

Verse 19. For it is written] The place referred to

is Isai. xxix. 14.

made foolish the wisdom of the Jewish wise men ; and, after that the pure religion of Christ had been corrupted by a church that was of this world, God rendered the wisdom and disputing of the schoolmen foolishness, by the revival of pure Christianity at the Reformation. The Jews themselves allow that nothing is wise, nothing strong, nothing rich, without God.

"Our rabbins teach that there were two wise men in this world; one was an Israelite, Achitophel, the other was a Gentile, Balaam; but both were miser

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise] Twv oopwv, Of wise men of the philosophers who in their investigations seek nothing less than God, and whose highest discoveries amount to nothing in comparison of the grand truths relative to God, the invisible world, and the true end of man, which the gospel has brought to light. Let me add, that the very dis-able in this world." coveries which are really useful have been made by men who feared God, and conscientiously credited divine revelation: witness Newton, Boyle, Pascal, and many others. But all the sceptics and deists, by

"There were also two strong men in the world; one an Israelite, Samson, the other a Gentile, Goliah; but they were both miserable in this world."

"There were two rich men in the world; one an

Christ crucified is the

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to save them that believe. the Jews a stumbling-block,

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22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.

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and unto the Greeks foolish-
ness;

24 But unto them which are

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23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the

John vi. 60, 66. Rom. ix. 32. Gal. v. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 8. c Ver. 18. Ch. ii. 14. d Rom. i. 4, 16. Ver. 18.

■ Matt. xii. 38. xvi, 1. Mark viii. 11. Luke xi. 16. John iv. 48. Isai. viii. 14. Matt. xi. 6. xiii. 57. Luke ii, 34. Israelite, Korah, the other a Gentile, Haman; but both ing signs, and never saying, It is enough. But the these were miserable in this world. And why? Be-sign which seems particularly referred to here is the cause their gifts came not from God." See Schoettgen. In truth, the world has derived very little, if any, moral good, either from the Jewish rabbins or the Gentile philosophers.

Verse 21. For after that in the wisdom of God] Dr. Lightfoot observes, "That copia rov Otov, the wisdom of God, is not to be understood of that wisdom which had God for its author, but that wisdom which had God for its object. There was, among the heathen, copia tns duoɛwç, wisdom about natural things, that is, philosophy; and oopia rov Oeov, wisdom about God, that is, divinity. But the world in its divinity could not, by wisdom, know God." The plain meaning of this verse is, that the wise men of the world, especially the Greek philosophers, who possessed every advantage that human nature could have, independently of a divine revelation, and who had cultivated their minds to the uttermost, could never, by their learning, wisdom, and industry, find out God; nor had the most refined philosophers among them just and correct views of the divine nature, nor of that in which human happiness consists. The work of LUCRETIUS, De Natura Rerum, and the work of CICERO, De Natura Deorum, are incontestable proofs of this. Even the writings of Plato and Aristotle have contributed little to remove the veil which clouded the understanding of men. No wisdom but that which came from God could ever penetrate and illuminate the human mind.

assumption of secular power, which they expected in the Messiah ; and because this sign did not appear in Christ, therefore they rejected him.

And the Greeks seek after wisdom.] Such wisdom, or philosophy, as they found in the writings of Cicero, Seneca, Plato, &c., which was called philosophy, and which came recommended to them in all the beauties and graces of the Latin and Greek languages.

Verse 23. But we] Apostles, differing widely from these Gentile philosophers

Preach Christ crucified] Call on men, both Jews and Gentiles, to believe in Christ, as having purchased their salvation by shedding his blood for them.

Unto the Jews a stumbling-block] Because Jesus came meek, lowly, and impoverished; not seeking worldly glory, nor affecting worldly pomp; whereas they expected the Messiah to come as a mighty prince and conqueror; because Christ did not come so, they were offended at him. Out of their own mouths we may condemn the gainsaying Jews. In Sohar Chadash, fol. 26, the following saying is attributed to Moses, relative to the brazen serpent: "Moses said, This serpent is a stumbling-block to the world. The holy blessed God answered: Not at all; it shall be for punishment to sinners, and life to upright men." This is a proper illustration of the apostle's words.

Unto the Greeks foolishness] Because they could not believe that proclaiming supreme happiness through a man that was crucified at Judea as a malefactor could ever comport with reason and common sense; for both the matter and manner of the preaching were opposite to every notion they had formed of what was dignified and philosophic.

By the foolishness of preaching] By the preaching of Christ crucified, which the Gentiles termed μopia, foolishness, in opposition to their own doctrines, which they termed copia, wisdom. It was not by the foolishness of preaching, literally, nor by the foolish preaching, that God saved the world; but by that | In Justin Martyr's dialogue with Trypho the Jew gospel which they called μwpia, foolishness; which was, in fact, the wisdom of God, and also the power of God to the salvation of them that believed. Verse 22. For the Jews require a sign] Instead of onpelov, a sign, ABCDEFG, several others, both the Syriae, Coptic, Vulgate, and Itala, with many of the Fathers, have onμela, signs; which reading, as undoubtedly genuine, Griesbach has admitted into the text. There never was a people in the universe more difficult to be persuaded of the truth than the Jews: and had not their religion been incontestably proved by the most striking and indubitable miracles, they Bever would have received it. This slowness of heart to believe, added to their fear of being deceived, induced them to require miracles to attest every thing that professed to come from God. They were a wicked and adulterous generation, continually seek

we have these remarkable words, which serve to
throw light on the above.
"Your Jesus," says
Trypho, "having fallen under the extreme curse of
God, we cannot sufficiently admire how you can
expect any good from God, who place your hopes
E' avoρwnоv oravρwlɛvra, upon a man that was
CRUCIFIED." The same writer adds: ""
They count us
mad, that after the eternal God, the Father of all
things, we give the second place, aveρwπ σтaνρw-
Oevri, to a man that was crucified." "Where is your
understanding," said the Gentiles, "who worship for
a God him who was crucified?" Thus Christ cruci-
fied was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the
Greeks foolishness. See Whitby on this verse.

Verse 24. But unto them which are called] Toig Anrois. Those, both of Jews and Greeks, who were by the preaching of the gospel called or invited to the

God has chosen the foolish

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power of God, and the wisdom 28 And base things of the
world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, "to
bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his pre-
sence.

25 Because the foolishness of
God is wiser than men; and
the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called;

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27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

a Col. ii. 3.b John vii. 48.- Matt. xi. 25. d Rom. iv. 17. 5. See Ps. viii. 2.Le Ch. ii. 6.iii. 27. Eph. ii. 9.——6 Ver. 24.- —h Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.

James ii. f Rom. Rom.

marriage feast, and have accordingly believed in Christ Jesus; they prove this doctrine to be divinely powerful, to enlighten and convert the soul, and to be a proof of God's infinite wisdom, which has found out such an effectual way to glorify both his justice and mercy, and save, to the uttermost, all that come to him through Christ Jesus. The called, or invited, Kλŋro, is a title of genuine Christians, and is frequently used in the New Testament. 'Ayios, saints, is used in the same sense.

Verse 25. The foolishness of God is wiser, &c.] The meaning of these strong expressions is, that the things of God's appointment, which seem to men foolishness, are infinitely beyond the highest degree of human wisdom; and those works of God, which appear to superficial observers weak and contemptible, surpass all the efforts of human power. The means which God has appointed for the salvation of men are so wisely imagined and so energetically powerful, that all who properly use them shall be infallibly brought to the end-final blessedness, which he has promised to them who believe and obey.

Verse 26. Ye see your calling] Tŋy know. The state of grace and blessedness to which ye are invited. I think ẞETETE Tŋv kλŋow, &c., should be read in the imperative: Take heed to, or consider your calling, brethren; that (òri) not many of you are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: men is not in the original, and Paul seems to allude to the Corinthian believers in particular. This seems to have been said in opposition to the high and worldly notions of the Jews, who assert that the divine Spirit never rests upon any man, unless he be wise, powerful, and rich. Now this divine Spirit did rest upon the Christians at Corinth, and yet these were, in the sense of the world, neither wise, rich, nor noble. We spoil, if not corrupt, the apostle's meaning, by adding are called, as if God did not send his gospel to the wise, the powerful, and the noble, or did not will their salvation. The truth is, the gospel has an equal call to all classes of men; but the wise, the mighty, and the noble, are too busy, or too sensual, to pay any attention to an invitation so spiritual and so divine; and therefore there are few of these in the church of Christ in general.

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30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and "righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 31 That, according as it is written, 'He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2 Cor. v. 21. Phil. iii. 9.-- John xvii. 19. iv. 25. * Eph. i. 7.——— Jer. ix. 23, 24. 2 Cor. x. 17.

Verse 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things] God has chosen by means of men who are esteemed rude and illiterate to confound the greatest of the Greek philosophers, and overturn their systems; and, by means of men weak, without secular power or authority, to confound the scribes and pharisees, and in spite of the exertions of the Jewish sanhedrin, to spread the doctrine of Christ crucified all over the land of Judea, and by such instruments as these to convert thousands of souls to the faith of the gospel, who are ready to lay down their lives for the truth. The Jews have proverbs that express the same sense as these words of the apostle. In Shemoth Rabba, sect. 17, fol. 117, it is said: "There are certain matters which appear little to men, yet by them God points out important precepts. Thus hyssop in the sight of man is worth nothing, but in the sight of God its power is great; sometimes he equals it to the cedar, particularly in the ordinance concerning the lepers, and in the burning of the red heifer. Thus God commanded them in Egypt, Exod. xii. 22: And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, &c. And concerning Solomon it is said, 1 Kings iv. 33: And he discoursed of trees, from the cedar on Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. Whence we may learn that great and small things are equal in the eyes of the Lord, and that even by small things He can work great miracles."

Verse 28. And base things-and things which are despised] It is very likely that the apostle refers here to the Gentiles and to the Gentile converts, who were considered base and despicable in the eyes of the Jews, who counted them no better than dogs, and who are repeatedly called the things that are not. By these very people, converted to Christianity, God has brought to nought all the Jewish pretensions; and by means of the Gentiles themselves, He has annihilated the whole Jewish polity; so that even Jerusalem itself was, soon after this, trodden under foot of the Gentiles.

Verse 29. That no flesh should glory] God does his mighty works in such a way as proves that though he may condescend to employ men as instruments, yet they have no part either in the contrivance or energy by which such works were performed.

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