CHAP. XIV. OF THE TWO EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. SECT. I. Of the city of Corinth: and when, and to whom, St. Paul wrote his firft Epifle to the Corinthians. THE THE two Epiftles to the Corinthians appear to have been written about five or fix years after St. Paul's fecond Epiftle to the Theffalonians, which was written at Corinth, while the Apoftle was engaged in establishing a Chriftian community in that city. At Corinth he refided a year and a half: at the expiration of which period he took a journey into Afia, vifited Ephefus, Jerufalem and Antioch, and then paffing through Galatia and Phrygia returned to Ephefus, where he remained three years. During this refidence at Ephesus, and toward the clofe of it, St. Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, as appears from ch. xvi. 8. where he fays, I will tarry at Ephefus until Pentecost.' Further, that it was written at the Eafter preceding this Pentecoft appears from the expreffion ufed by St. Paul, ch. v. 7. ye are unleavened,' that is, ye are now celebrating the feaft of unleavened bread. Now St. Paul's departure from Ephefus after his refidence of three years there, was about the year of Chrift 57: confequently, about that time was written that Epistle to the Corinthians, which is the firft of tl:ofe, which are now extant. In the fubfcriptions to this Epiftle it is faid to have been written from Philippi, contrary to St. Paul's own declaration, which I have juft quoted. This mistake arose probably from a falfe interpretation of ch. xvi. 5. where a Acts xviii. I. II. d Ch. xix. 1. b Ver. 18. • Ver. 20-22. the the Apoftle fays, Μακεδονίαν γαρ διερχομαι, which was understood as denoting, I am now travelling through Macedonia, though it evidently denotes nothing more than my route is through Macedonia.' The city of Corinth was fituated in Achaia, near the Ifthmus, which joins Peloponnefus with the rest of Greece. It had two harbours, which opened to the two neighbouring feas, one of them convenient for the Afiatic, the other for the Italian trade. This fituation contributed greatly to the wealth of the city: and though the Roman general Mummius had levelled it to the ground, yet it rofe again, and gradually arrived at fuch a height of grandeur, as to be entitled to the appellation of the Capital of Greece. Julius Cæfar had greatly contributed to its restoration, and had fent thither Roman colonies. Near this city were celebrated the Ifthmian games: and on this account St. Paul has many allufions to these games in his two Epiftles to the Corinthians. These Epiftles were addreffed, not only to the inhabitants of Corinth, but likewife to the Chriftian communities throughout all Achaia, as appears from the beginning of the fecond Epiftle. There is a paffage in the first Epistle, ch. i. 2. from which one might almost conclude that St. Paul's intention was, that they who conveyed this Epistle to Corinth, fhould in their paffage fhew it to other communities. But an objection to this conjecture is, that St. Paul in many parts of this Epiftle feverely reproaches the Corinthians. To have shewn it therefore to other communities would unavoidably have provoked the Corinthians, which would have been neither confiftent with St. Paul's general caution, nor with the profeffions, which he foon after made in his fecond Epifle to the Corinthians. I believe therefore that the paffage in queftion, 1 Cor. i. 2. T xxλIX TY Θες τη ση εν Κορινθῳ, ἡγιασμένοις εν Χρισῳ Ιησε, κλητοις άγιοις, συν πάσι τοις επικαλεμένοις το όνομα το Κυριά ήμων Ιησε Χρισε εν παντι τοπῳ, αυτών τε και ήμων, relates, not to the f Ch. viii. ix. Corinthians, Corinthians, and to other Chriftian communities in places diftinct from Corinth, but to Chriftians of two different defcriptions in Corinth itfelf, which may be called, according to our prefent modes of expreffion, church-men and diffenters, I understand therefore the Apostle as faying, to the Church of God in Corinth, together with all those who call on the name of Christ, whether they affemble in our place of worship, or in their own.' 'Ayo in the language of the New Teftament denotes Chriftians in general: and, as the Corinthian community was divided into parties, St. Paul diftinguishes from the feparatifts, thofe who affembled in the ufual place of worship, by the title of xantos. This expreffion is borrowed from the Septuagint, in which xanτn aya, the tranflation of PP, denotes a congregation called together for divine worship. The diffenting party at Corinth, which met at their own place of worship, the Apoftle mentions in terms of gentlenefs, and includes under the general appellation of thofe who call on the name of Chrift.' The preceding explanation has likewife this advantage, that it fhews St. Paul has not made ufe of fuperfluous expreffions, and repeated only in different words at the end of the verfe what he had faid at the beginning. SECT. II. The fate of the Christian community in Corinth defcribed. A S the fituation of the Chriftian community in Corinth was very remarkable, a knowledge of it will greatly contribute to the illuftration of St. Paul's two Epiftles to the Corinthians. I will therefore enumerate the most material circumstances attending this church, which at the fame time will throw a light on the other Epiftles, because in these two St. Paul is very minute in respect to the regulation of divine worship. 1. The 1. The Corinthian community confifted, like most others, partly of Jews and partly of Heathens: and hence St. Paul had to combat, fometimes with Jewith fuperftition, at other times with heathen licentioufnefs. Among the Jewish converts was Crifpus, a man of no lefs rank than that of Prefident of a fynagogue". Whether he continued in his office, after he was become a Chriftian, is a queftion which at prefent we cannot decide. That he did continue is a matter not impoffible, because Chriftianity was confidered at that time as a Jewish fect, and the fynagogues were open even to the Apostles. 2. The Chriftian communities in general, during the Apoftolic age, were of a mixed kind: and they contained both hypocrites and profligates. This may be especially affirmed of the Corinthian community *: and we may form fome notion of their conduct from the circumftance, that they came not feldom intoxicated to the celebration of the holy facrament *. 3. The church of Corinth had feveral eminent teachers, befide St. Paul. Crifpus, one of its members, had been prefident of a Jewith fynagogue. Aquilas, with whom St. Paul refided at Corinth inftructed in Christianity a perfon, who afterwards became one of the moft celebrated teachers'; and he is reprefented by St. Paul as one of his principal affiftants, as having merited the greatest confidence. Apollos, a learned and eloquent Jew spent likewife fome time at Corinth": and he appears to have food in high eftimation among the Corinthians. Softhenes alfo muft have been a man of great repute in the Corinthian church: for the first Epiftle is written in the name of Paul and Softhenes ", as the fecond is written in the name of Paul and Timo 1 Cor. i. 1. I have already obferved Ch. x. Sect. 1. that as St. Paul ufually dictated his Epiftles, he fometimes added, the name of his amanuenfis to his own name, and wrote therefore in their joint names. 1 thy. It is difficult to determine who this Softhenes was, for among those who attended St. Paul on his travels, no perfon occurs with this name. Many cóm mentators have supposed him to have been the fame, as the Softhenes mentioned in Acts xviii. 17. and there defcribed as prefident of a Jewish fynagogue: but of their identity we have no proof". When St. Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, Softhenes, Apollos, and Aquilas, were with him at Ephefus. Apollos feems to have left Corinth even in difguft: at least he declined returning thither, when this Epiftle was fent 1. 4 In the Corinthian community feveral fects had arifen, who took their names from their leaders, whom they blindly followed and whofe learning and eloquence they highly extolled. Thefe heads of the Corinthian parties • 2 Cor. i. I. It P The only argument which can be alleged is, that both were called Softhenes. But as different perfons may have the fame name, this argument proves nothing. On the contrary, there is reafon to believe, that they were different perfons. For, the Softhenes, in whose name the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians was written, was undoubtedly a Chriftian: whereas the Softhenes, mentioned Acts xviii. 17. was not only a Jew, but one of St. Paul's bittereft accufers before Gallio. is true that he might have been afterwards converted to Christianity : but this is not probable, for St. Luke not only fays nothing of his converfion, but relates that his accufation of St. Paul, and the public infult, to which he was in confequence expofed, happened only a few days, before the Apoftle left Corinth. Further, the Softhenes, in whofe name the first Epistle to the Corinthians was written, muft have been with St. Paul, when he dictated that Epiftle, that is, at Ephefus: but the Softhenes, who was prefident of a Jewish fynagogue at Corinth, remained there, when St. Paul left that city. At least he is not mentioned, Acts xviii. 18. among thofe, who accompanied the Apostle. Dr. Hoven, in a Corollary annexed to his differtation, De Chriftianorum fæculi primi vita et moribus, afferts that Softhenes and Crifpus were one and the fame perfon. But, as St Paul names Softhenes, 1 Cor. i. 1. and mentions Crifpus, ver. 14. of the fame chapter, it is evident that they were different perfons: for he would furely not have created an unnecessary confufion, in mentioning in so short a compass the very fame person under two different names, $ 91 Cor. i. 1. Acts xviii. 18. 1 Cor. xvi. 12. 1 Cor. i. 11. 12. From what St. Paul fays V. 14-17. one might fuppofe that the leaders of these fects baptized in their own name. |