The life and work of St. Paul

CONDITION OP THE CHTJECH AT CORINTH. 385
kav-note of his own claim to authority, and of the unity and holiness which they so
deeply needed.
" "
Observe, too," says St. Chrysostom, how he ever nails them
down to the name of Christ, not mentioning any man either Apostle or teacher
but continually mentioning Him for whom they yearn, as men preparing to awaken
those who are drowsy after a debauch. For nowhere in any other Epistle ia the
name of Christ so continuously introduced ; here, however, it is introduced frequently,
and by means of it ho weaves 1
together almost his whole exordium."
2. Although he has united Sosthonos* with him in the superscription, he
continues at once in the first person to tell them that ho thanks God always for the
with which
grace given them in. Christ Jesus, for the eloquence and knowledge
they were enriched in Hun, so that in waiting for the Apocalypse of Christ, they
were behindhand in no spiritual gift and as ; the testimony of Christ was confirmed
among them, so should Christ confirm them to be blameless unto the end, since God
was faithful, who had called them unto the communion of His Son Jesus Christ our
Lord.*
3. That communion leads him at once to one of the subjects of which hia heartis
full. He has heard on indisputable authority, and not from one person only, of
schisms and strifes among them, and he implores them by the name of Christ to
strive after greater unity in thought and action. 4 They were saying, " I am cf
Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Kephas, and I of Christ." What! has Christ been
parcelled into fragments r 6 Some of them called themselves his party but had hs
;
been crucified for thorn ? had they been baptised into Aw namo ? It may be that
Apollos, fresh from his discipleship to John's baptism, had dwelt very prominently
on the importance of that initial rite ; but so liable were men to attach importance
to the mere human minister, that Paul, like his Master, had purposely abstained
from administering it, and except Crispus and Gaius and, as he afterwards recalls,
Stephanas and his household ho cannot remember that he has baptised any of them.
and that not in wisdom of utter-
Christ had sent him not to baptise, but to preach ;
ance, that Christ's cross might not bo rendered void. The mention of preaching
brings him to the aberrations of the Apollonian party. They had attached immense
importance to eloquence, logic, something which they called and exalted as wisdom.
He shows them that they were on a wholly mistaken track. Such human wisdom,
such ear-flattering eloquence, such superficial and plausible enticements, he had
deliberately rejected. Of human wisdom he thought little. It lay under the ban
of revelation. 6 It had not led the world to the knowledge of God. It had not
saved the world from the crucifixion of Christ. And, therefore, he had not preached
to them about the Logos, or about JEons, or in Philonian allegories, or with philosophical
refinements. He had offered neither a sign to the Jews, nor wisdom to the
Greeks. What he had to preach was regarded by the world as abject foolishness
it was the Cross it was the doctrine of a crucified Messiah, which was to the Jews
revolting ; of a crucified Saviour, which was to the Greeks ridiculous ; but it pleased
entire community, and holds no " bishops " responsible for the disorders, and fox carrying out the
axcommunication.
1 1 Cor. i. 13. The name of Christ occurs no less than nino times iu the first nine verses.
* Whether the Sosthencs of Acts xviii. 17, who may have been subsequently converted (Wetst.
H. 57(5), or an unknown brother, we do not know. He may have been one of the bearers of the
"
Corinthian letter to Ephcsus ona ef ;
ths seventy, and afterwards Bishop of Colophon " (Euseb.
H . B. i. 12).
*
1. 49. Observe the perfect sincerity of tho Apostle, lie desires, aa always, to thank God
on behalf ef his converts ; here, however, ho has no moral praise to imply. Tho Corinthians have
received rioh spiritual blessings and ebaowittjfaitf. but he CPU not speak of thorn as he does cf tiia
Thessalouians or Philippians.
* " "
Ver. 10, vot KOI . . . yv, iutus in crcdeudis, et Bfintentia prolati in agendis (Bengel).
* It is
deeply
instructive to observe that St. Paul here refuses to eater Into the differences of
view from which the parties sprang. He does not care to decide which section of wrangling
" theologians " or " churchmen " is right and which is wrong.
He denounces the tpMt of party as
a sin and a shame where unity between Christians is the first of duties and the greatest of
advantages.
6 i. 20. rov