Volume IV
The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.
With John Brown’s marginal references, notes and reflections · Vol. IV, p. 346
Corinth ranked among the most illustrious of the Grecian cities. It was situated on the isthmus that joins the Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece. With a port on each side, it received equally the commercial contributions of Europe and Asia; became first distinguished for arts and commerce, and next (such is ever human abuse of mercies) equally distinguished for luxury, and infamous for licentiousness. Yet here, after the missionary labours of about two years, Paul and his companions succeeded in planting a Christian church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles. But shortly after his departure, false teachers, undervaluing Paul's authority, crept in among them; erroneous and heretical doctrines were inculcated, and sectarian divisions were introduced. Under these circumstances Paul writes this epistle: —1. To support his apostolical authority, and vindicate himself from the calumnies of his adversaries. 2. To correct the abuses that had arisen, and remedy the disorders that had infected the church. 3. To return answers to certain queries that had been addressed to him on some important points of Christian doctrine, management, and morals. These answers and directions, though generally referring to circumstances and practices no longer in existence, are yet, by virtue of the principles involved, of perpetual application to the various emergencies of the Christian church. C.
We learn from ch. 16. 8 that the epistle was written from Ephesus. This is at variance with the subscription which is attached to our English version; but it ought to be remembered that these subscriptions have no divine authority. They are mostly late additions, and some of them are decidedly erroneous. It seems probable from the remark that he intended to leave Ephesus after Pentecost, and from the allusions in ch. 5. 7, that the time of writing was at or about Easter, A.D. 57. P.