Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul begins this epistle differently, because his subject matter is different. He writes that he is an apostle by the will of God, alluding to those false apostles who had not been sent by Christ and whose teaching was not true. There were many sects which had emerged and which preached Christ according to their own whims. They broke up churches, and some of their driedup branches are still with us today. For this reason, Paul sets out everything which is opposed to the heresies and asserts that he is a true preacher because he has been sent by Christ, according to God’s will. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Sosthenes. He was chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth; having been converted to Christ by Paul, he was severely beaten for his faith before Gallio, the Proconsul ( Acts 18:17), and after his death was placed among the Saints.—November28th.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [supply, Paul writes and salutes in praying], grace be unto you and peace from God. For called to be saints the Syriac translates, called and saints. For in the Greek it is not the participle λεγόμενος or κεκλημÎνος, i.e, summoned, named, called; but, κλητὸς a word which denotes having a call to holiness, or holy by way of call, called to holiness.
Note first, that Paul throughout this chapter and everywhere else holds up to admiration this benefit of calling. Secondly, that this and all other benefits he humbly and devoutly ascribes to the Divine benevolence and to the power of humility. Chrysostom has here a n...
CONTENTS
Achaia, or the peninsula commonly called the Morea, had in olden times several famous cities. The metropolis of these was the celebrated emporium of Corinth, famed, says Chrysostom, for its two ports, of which Lechum stood on the Ionian and Schonus on the gean Sea. Hence poets, as, e.g, Ovid (Fasti iv.), frequently called it bimaros.
Corinth is said to have had its foundation from Sisyphus, the robber son of olus, and to have been called Corcyra (Strabo, lib8.), and afterwards Ephyre. Having been destroyed, it was rebuilt by Corinth, son of Marithon, or of Pelops, according to Suidas, or according to others of Orestes, and was called after his name. Cicero, in his speech pro lege Manili, calls this city the light of the whole of Greece. Its natural position was so strong that the Romans found great difficulty in reducing it.
1Corinth abounded in wealth, in merchandise of all kinds, and in metals, especially brass or copper. This Corinthian copper was well known and in great re...
) the happiness of those who, like St. Paul, are called to the sacred ministry, not through human respects, nor by any influence of parents, but by the vocation of heaven.
Ver. 2. We have here the model and origin of all future pastoral letters.
Ver. 3. he gives thanks to God for past favours, and prays for a continuation of graces and blessings.
Ver. 10. He begs that there be no schisms found among them, but that unanimity of sentiment and disposition may reign among them, certain and unequivocal marks of truth.
Ver. 12. He shows that both pastors and flocks should look up to God, as the only source of truth and grace; that it is a crying injustice to withdraw any share of our heart and confidence from God, to fix it on any thing that is not God; as it is to attach ourselves to the ministers of truth, and not to the Truth itself. Therefore, concludes St. Paul, though the Jews call for miracles, and the Gentiles lean upon worldly wisdom, Christians must seek their strength and succ...
Paul called to be an apostle. St. Paul had preached to the Corinthians, and had remained a long time with them, to instruct and confirm them in the faith. During his absence, the faithful of Corinth were divided into several parties, on occasion of some new teachers, who had come amongst them. (Calmet)
It was to heal the wounds caused by these divisions, that the present epistle was written. (St. Thomas Aquinas; Haydock)
And Sosthenes. There are various conjectures made concerning the person St. Paul here mentions. Some are of opinion that this Sosthenes is the same mentioned, Acts xviii. 17. who was beaten before the tribunal of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, when St. Paul was carried before that magistrate. Eusebius says, that Sosthenes was one of the 72 disciples, and a different person from the one mentioned in Acts. Estius takes him to be St. Paul's secretary. The common opinion is, that he was a great sufferer for the faith at Corinth, and St. Paul here mentions him as a man wort...
From the very beginning Paul casts down the Corinthians’ pride, in that he speaks of himself as “called.” “For what I have learned,” says Paul, “I did not discover myself, but it was while I was persecuting the church that I was called. It was God who willed that you too should be saved in this way.” We have done nothing good by ourselves, but by God’s will we have been saved. We were called because it seemed good to him, not because we were worthy.
As Corinth is now the first city of Greece, so of old it prided itself on many temporal advantages, and more than all the rest, on excess of wealth. And on this account one of the heathen writers entitled the place "the rich." For it lies on the isthmus of the Peloponnesus, and had great facilities for traffic. The city was also full of numerous orators, and philosophers, and one." I think, of the seven called wise men, was of this city. Now these things we have mentioned, not for ostentation's sake, nor to make, a display of great learning: (for indeed what is there in knowing these things?) but they are of use to us in the argument of the Epistle.
Paul also himself suffered many things in this city; and Christ, too, in this city appears to him and says, (Act. xviii. 10), "Be not silent, but speak; for I have much people in this city:" and he remained there two years. In this city [Acts xix. 16. Corinth put here, by lapse of memory, for Ephesus]. also the devil went out, whom the J...
1. See how immediately, from the very beginning, he casts down their pride, and dashes to the ground all their fond imagination, in that he speaks of himself as called. For what I have learned, says he, I discovered not myself, nor acquired by my own wisdom, but while I was persecuting and laying waste the Church I was called. Now here of Him that calls is everything: of him that is called, nothing, (so to speak,) but only to obey.
Of Jesus Christ. Your teacher is Christ; and do you register the names of men, as patrons of your doctrine?
Through the will of God. For it was God who willed that you should be saved in this way. We ourselves have wrought no good thing, but by the will of God we have attained to this salvation; and because it seemed good to him, we were called, not because we were worthy.
And Sosthenes our brother. Another instance of his modesty; he puts in the same rank with himself one inferior to Apollos; for great was the interval between Paul and Sosthenes. N...
