The History Of The Christian Church Volume 1, Philip Shaff 1819-1893

CHAPTER XII THE NEW TESTAMENT 349 all knowledge,” “coming behind in no gift,” but troubled disturbed the peace and spotted the purity of the conby the spirit of sect and party, infected with a morbid gregation. The apostle contrasts the foolish wisdom of desire for worldly wisdom and brilliant eloquence, with the gospel with the wise folly of human philosophy; rescepticism and moral levity—nay, to some extent pollut- bukes sectarianism; unfolds the spiritual unity and hared with gross vices, so that even the Lord’s table and love monious variety of the church of Christ, her offices and feasts were desecrated by excesses, and that the apostle, gifts of grace, chief among which is love; warns against in his absence, found himself compelled to excommuni- carnal impurity as a violation of the temple of God; gives cate a particularly offensive member who disgraced the advice concerning marriage and celibacy without bindChristian profession.1096 It was distracted by Judaizers ing the conscience (having “no commandment of the and other troublers, who abused the names of Cephas, Lord,” 7:25); discusses the question of meat sacrificed James, Apollos, and even of Christ (as extra-Christians), to idols, on which Jewish and Gentile Christians, scrufor sectarian ends.1097 A number of questions of morality pulous and liberal brethren, were divided; enjoins the and casuistry arose in that lively, speculative, and excit- temporal support of the ministry as a Christian duty of able community, which the apostle had to answer from a gratitude for greater spiritual mercies received; guards distance before his second (or third) and last visit. against improprieties of dress; explains the design and Hence, these Epistles abound in variety of topics, corrects the abuses of the Lord’s Supper; and gives the and show the extraordinary versatility of the mind of the fullest exposition of the doctrine of the resurrection on writer, and his practical wisdom in dealing with delicate the basis of the resurrection of Christ and his personand complicated questions and unscrupulous opponents. al manifestations to the disciples, and last, to himself at For every aberration he has a word of severe censure, for his conversion. Dean Stanley says of this Epistle that it every danger a word of warning, for every weakness a “gives a clearer insight than any other portion of the New word of cheer and sympathy, for every returning offend- Testament into the institutions, feelings and opinions of er a word of pardon and encouragement. The Epistles the church of the earlier period of the apostolic age. It is lack the unity of design which characterizes Galatians in every sense the earliest chapter of the history of the and Romans. They are ethical, ecclesiastical, pastoral, Christian church.” The last, however, is not quite correct. and personal, rather than dogmatic and theological, al- The Corinthian chapter was preceded by the Jerusalem though some most important doctrines, as that on the and Antioch chapters. resurrection, are treated more fully than elsewhere.

Leading Thoughts: Is Christ divided? Was Paul cruciI. The First Epistle to the Corinthians was composed fied for you (1 Cor. 1:13) ? It was God’s pleasure through in Ephesus shortly before Paul’s departure for Greece, in the foolishness of the preaching [not through foolish the spring of a.d. 57.1098 It had been preceded by another preaching] to save them that believe (1:21). We preach one, now lost (1 Cor. 5:9). It was an answer to perplexing Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and questions concerning various disputes and evils which unto Gentiles foolishness, but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the 1096 Such scandals would be almost incredible in a Chriswisdom of God (1:24). I determined not to know anytian church if the apostle did not tell us so. As to the case of incest, 1 Cor. 5:1 sqq., we should remember that Corinth was thing among you, save Jesus, and him crucified (2:2). The the most licentious city in all Greece, and that in the splen- natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God did temple of her patron-goddess on the Acropolis there were (2:14). Other foundation can no man lay than that which kept more than a thousand sacred female slaves (ἱερόδουλοι) is laid, which is Jesus Christ (3:11). Know ye not that ye for the pleasure of strangers. Κορινθία κόρη was the name for are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth a courtesan. Chastity was therefore one of the most difficult in you? If any man destroy the temple of God, him shall virtues to practice there; and hence the apostle’s advice of a God destroy (3:16, 17). Let a man so account of ourselves radical cure by absolute abstinence under the peculiar cir- as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries cumstances of the time. of God (4:1). The kingdom of God is not in word, but in 1097 The question of the Corinthian parties (with special power (4:20). Purge out the old leaven (5:7). All things reference to the Christ party) I have discussed at length in are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient (6:12). my Hist. of the Ap. Church, pp. 285-291. Baur’s essay on this subject (1831) was the opening chapter in the development of Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ (6:15) ? Flee fornication (6:18). Glorify God in your the Tübingen theory. body (6:20). Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumci1098 Comp. 1 Cor. 16:5, 8; 5:7, 8; Acts 19:10, 21; 20: 31.