Commentary on Corinthians - Volume 1 Author(s): Calvin, John (1509-1564) (Alternative) (Translator) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: Commentary on Corinthians is an impressive commentary. Calvin is regarded as one of the Reformation©s best interpret- ers of scripture. He frequently offers his own translations of a passage, explaining the subtleties and nuances of his translation. He has a penchant for incorporating keen pastoral insight into the text as well. He always interacts with other theologians, commentators, and portions of the Bible when interpreting a particular passage. Further, this volume also contains informative notes from the editor. Calvin©s Comment- ary on Corinthians should not be ignored by anyone inter- ested in the books of Corinthians or John Calvin himself. Tim Perrine CCEL Staff Writer This volume contains Calvin©s commentary on the first 14 chapters of 1 Corinthians. Subjects: The Bible Works about the Bible i Contents Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1-14 1 Translator's Preface 2 Facsimile of Title Page to 1573 English Translation 16 Timme's 1573 Preface 17 Calvin's First Epistle Dedicatory 18 Calvin's Second Epistle Dedicatory 21 The Argument 24 Chapter 1 31 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 32 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 38 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 43 1 Corinthians 1:14-20 51 1 Corinthians 1:21-25 61 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 65 Chapter 2 71 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 72 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 74 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 78 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 85 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 89 Chapter 3 94 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 95 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 99 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 105 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 112 Chapter 4 118 ii 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 119 1 Corinthians 4:6-8 126 1 Corinthians 4:9-15 130 1 Corinthians 4:16-21 139 Chapter 5 144 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 145 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 151 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 155 Chapter 6 161 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 162 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 170 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 174 Chapter 7 181 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 182 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 185 1 Corinthians 7:6-9 189 1 Corinthians 7:10-17 195 1 Corinthians 7:18-24 202 1 Corinthians 7:25-28 206 1 Corinthians 7:29-35 210 1 Corinthians 7:36-38 217 1 Corinthians 7:39-40 221 Chapter 8 223 1 Corinthians 8:1-7 224 1 Corinthians 8:8-13 231 Chapter 9 236 1 Corinthians 9:1-12 237 1 Corinthians 9:13-22 245 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 254 Chapter 10 258 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 259 1 Corinthians 10:6-12 266 iii 1 Corinthians 10:13-18 274 1 Corinthians 10:19-24 280 1 Corinthians 10:25-33 285 Chapter 11 290 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 291 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 303 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 310 1 Corinthians 11:30-34 324 Chapter 12 329 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 330 1 Corinthians 12:8-13 335 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 341 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 346 Chapter 13 350 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 351 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 354 1 Corinthians 13:9-13 359 Chapter 14 364 1 Corinthians 14:1-6 365 1 Corinthians 14:7-17 369 1 Corinthians 14:18-25 378 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 385 1 Corinthians 14:34-40 393 Indexes 399 Index of Scripture References 400 Index of Scripture Commentary 404 Greek Words and Phrases 405 Hebrew Words and Phrases 414 Latin Words and Phrases 416 French Words and Phrases 419 iv This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. 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Written permission is required for commercial use. v Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1-14 Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1-14 COMMENTARIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS BY JOHN CALVIN TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COLLATED WITH THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH VERSION BY THE REV. JOHN PRINGLE VOLUME FIRST CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY GRAND RAPIDS, MI http://www.ccel.org 1 Translator©s Preface Translator's Preface TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE The Sixteenth century was distinguished by a large and valuable accession of Expositors of the Sacred Volume. Mosheim reckons up not fewer than fifty-five writers, who, in the course of that century, devoted their labors, to a greater or less extent, to the interpretation or illustration of the inspired writings — a circumstance which at once indicated the progress of the principles of the Reformation, and contributed most materially to their diffusion. Nor were expository treatises, in illustrations of the Sacred Scriptures, simply increased in number; they were marked by a decided improvement in point of intrinsic value. It is to the honor of a large proportion of the Interpreters of that age, that, rejecting the practice so well exposed by Bishop Horsley, of “drawing I know not what mystical meanings, by a certain cabalistic alchemy, from the simplest expressions of holy writ,” they made it their endeavor, in every case, to ascertain the true meaning of the Spirit of God, by a careful examination of the text and context. In unbending integrity of purpose in the investigation of the Inspired Oracles — which must be regarded as one of the primary excellences of an Expositor — John Calvin is sur- passed by none in his own, or indeed in any age. His readers, even where they may not be prepared to adopt his interpretation of a passage, cannot fail to perceive that it is his sincere desire and honest endeavor to ascertain its true meaning. His uprightness of design is more especially observable in connection with passages bearing on controverted points. In such cases the candid reader will discover no disposition to wrest a single expression for the purpose of enlisting it on the side of a particular system of opinion; but, on the contrary, the utmost fairness of interpretation is uniformly apparent. Every one that is acquainted with Calvin’s history, and considers the trying scenes through which he was called to pass, must feel astonished that he should have found leisure to prepare, in addition to all his other writings, Commentaries on nearly the whole of the Sacred Scriptures. That he wrote so much, and more especially as an Expositor, appears to have been chiefly owing to the frequent and urgent solicitations of his intimate and beloved Farel, who “not merely entreated Calvin, but frequently urged him with great vehemence to write one Commentary after another, from a conviction that he possessed the gifts requisite for exposition in a very extraordinary manner, and that, with the blessing of God, his works of this kind would be extensively useful. ‘Being an inconsiderable man myself,’ said he, ‘I am wont to require very much from those that possess the greatest excellence, and often press them hard to labor beyond their strength.’ It was his conviction that every one who had received superior talents was bound to devote them to the advancement of the kingdom of God.” 1 1 Kirch-hoffer’s Life of Farel, pp. 281, 282. 2 Translator©s Preface The Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians form a most important part of the Sacred Writ- ings. Though not so systematic as the Epistle to the Romans, they contain many passages, bearing directly on the fundamentally important doctrines of the Christian system, while they are of the highest utility in connection with Practical Theology. The disorders that had unhappily crept into the Church at Corinth, gave occasion for the Apostle’s handling at greater length than in any of his other Epistles various important points as to doctrine and worship; while the relaxed state of discipline that had begun to prevail among them rendered it necessary to exhibit more fully the principles which ought to regulate the administration of the Christian Church. In this the overruling hand of Him who brings good out of evil is strikingly apparent. While in the selection of the particular places into which the Gospel was first introduced, and in which Christian Churches were first planted, there is a display of Divine sovereignty which it is beyond our power for fathom, this at least is abundantly manifest, that the places selected were not those in which the triumphs of the Gospel were likely to be most easily affected, but quite the reverse. As the skill of the workman appears so much the more strikingly, when the tools employed by him are few and simple, and the materials to be wrought upon are hard and unyielding; so the wonders achieved in the first ages of the Church, through the foolishness of preaching.