meet. Therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. Receive affectionately; recognise as brethren; cherish, treat kindly all that evince such a spirit. See Notes on ver. 15, 16. The apostle here designs, evidently, that the Corinthians should receive them kindly on their return, and regard with deference and respect the counsel which they might offer, and the message which they might bear from him. 19. The churches of Asia. The word Asia in the New Testament usually denotes Asia Minor in general. See Note on Acts ii. 9. It was sometimes used in a more limited sense, to denote the region around Ephesus, and of which Ephesus was the centre and capital. See Note, Acts xvi. 6. This is the region undoubtedly which is intended here. Salute you. Greet you; send respectful and affectionate Christian_regards. See Note, Rom. xvi. 3. Aquila and Priscilla. See Note on Acts xviii. 26. ¶ Much in the Lord. With affectionate christian salutations; or as Christians. Wishing the blessing and favour of the Lord. With the church that is in their house. Note, Rom. xvi. 5. 20. All the brethren, &c. All the Christians with whom Paul was connected in Ephesus. They felt a deep interest in the church at Corinth, and sent to them christian salutations. With an holy kiss. See the Note on Rom, xvi. 16. 21. The salutation of me, Paul, with mine own hand. It is evident that Paul was accustomed to employ an amanuensis in penning his epistles, see Note on Rom. xvi. 22, though he signed his own name, and expressed his christian salutation in every epistle. 2 Thess. iii. 17. Comp. Col. iv. 18. This gave a sanction to what was 20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. 21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. 22 If any man love 5 not 4 Gal. vi. 11. Col. iv. 18. 2 Thess. iii. 17. 5 Eph. vi. 24. written; was a proof that it was his own, and was a valuable token of affectionate regard. It was a proof that there was no fraud or imposition. Why he employed an amanuensis is not known. Let 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a most solemn and affecting close of the whole epistle. It was designed to direct them to the great and essential matter of religion, the love of the Lord Jesus; and was intended, doubtless, to turn away their minds from the subjects which had agitated them, the disputes and dissensions which had rent the church into factions, to the great inquiry whether they truly loved the Saviour. It is implied that there was danger, in their disputes and strifes about minor matters, of neglecting the love of the Lord Jesus, or of substituting attachment to a party in the place of that love to the Saviour which alone could be connected with eternal life. him be anathema. On the meaning of the word anathema, see Note, ch. xii. 3. The word properly means accursed, or devoted to destruction; and the idea here is, that he who did not believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him, would be, and ought to be, devoted to destruction, or accursed of God. It expresses what ought to be done; it expresses a truth in regard to God's dealings, not the desire of the apostle. No matter what any man's endowments might be ; no matter what might be his wealth, his standing, or his talent; no matter if he were regarded as a ruler in the church, or at the head of a party; yet if he had not true love to the Lord Jesus, he could not be saved. This sentiment is in accordance with the declaration of the scripture every the Lord Jesus Christ, let him | be Anathema1 Maran-atha. 2 where. See particularly, John iii. 36. Mark xvi. 16, and the Note on the latter place. Maran-atha. These are Syriac words, Moran Etho--"the Lord comes; i. e. will come. The reason why this expression is added may be, 1. To give the greater solemnity to the declaration of the apostle; i. e. to give it an emphatic form. 2. To intimate that, though there were no earthly power to punish a want of love to the Saviour; though the state could not, and ought not to punish it; and though the church could not exclude all who did not love the Lord Jesus from its bosom, yet they could not escape. For the Lord would himself come to take vengeance on his enemies; and no one could escape. Though, therefore, those who did not love the Lord Jesus could not be punished by men, yet they could not escape divine condemnation. The Lord would come to execute vengeance himself, and they could not escape. It is probable (see Lightfoot in loco) that the Jews were accustomed to use such a form in their greater excommunication, and that they meant by it that the person who was thus devoted to destruction, and excommunicated, must be destroyed; for the Lord would come to take vengeance on all his enemies. It certainly was not now, for the first time, used as a new kind of cursing by the apostle; but was the application of a current mode of speech to the purpose he had in contemplation. Perhaps, therefore, by inspecting the manners of the East, we may illustrate the import of this singular passage. The nearest approach to it that I have been able to discover is in the following extract from Mr. Bruce; and though, perhaps, this does not come up to the full power of the apostle's meaning, yet, probably, it gives the idea which was commonly attached to the phrase among the public. Mr. Bruce had been forced by a pretended saint, in Egypt, to take him on board his vessel, as if to carry him to a certain place, whereas Mr. Bruce meant no such 1 Gal. i. 8, 9. 2 Jude 14, 15. thing; but, having set him on shore at some little distance from whence he came, "we slacked our vessel down the stream a few yards, filling our sails, and stretching away. On seeing this, our saint fell into a desperate passion, cursing, blaspheming, and stamping with his feet; at every word crying 'Shar Ullah!' i.e. May God send, and do justice!" This appears to be the strongest execration this passionate Arab could use, i. e. "To punish you adequately is out of my power: I remit you to the vengeance of God." Is not this the import of anathema maran-atha? (Tayler in Calmet.) This solemn declaration, or denunciation, the apostle wrote with his own hand, as the summary of all that he had said, in order that it might be attentively regarded. There is not a more solemn declaration in the bible; there is not a more fearful denunciation; there is no one that will be more certainly executed. No matter what we may have, be it wealth, or beauty, or vigour, or accomplishment, or adorning, or the praise and flattery of the world; no matter if we are clevated high in office and in rank; no matter if we are honoured by the present age, or gain a reputation to be transmitted to future times; yet if we have not love to the Saviour, we cannot be saved. We must be devoted to the curse; and the Lord Jesus will soon return to execute the tremendous sentence on a guilty world. How important then to ask whether we have this love? Whether we are attached to the Lord Jesus in such a manner as to secure his approbation? Whether we love him as to be prepared to hail his coming with joy, and to be received into his everlasting kingdom. In the close of the Notes on this epistle, I may ask any one who shall read these pages whether he has this love? And I may press it upon the attention of each one, though I may never see their faces in the flesh, as the great inquiry which is to determine their everlasting destiny. The solemn declaration stands here, that if they do SO 24. In Christ Jesus. Through Christ Jesus; or in connexion with your love to him; i. e. as Christians. This is an expression of tender regard to them as Christian brethren; of his love for the church; and his earnest desire for their welfare. It is in accordance with the usual manner in which Paul closes his epistles; and it is peculiarly tender, affectionate, and beautiful here, when we consider the manner in which he had been treated by many of the Corinthians; and as following the solemn declaration in ver. 22. He loved them; loved them intensely, and was ever ready to express his affectionate regard for them all, and his earnest desire for their salvation. The first epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi by Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus and Timotheus. The no claim to be regarded as inspired. Probably these subscriptions were added a considerable time after the epistles were first written; and in some instances evidently by some person who was not well informed on the subject. See the Note at the end of the Epistle to the Romans. In this instance, the subscription is evidently in its main statement false. epistle bears internal marks that it was written from Ephesus, though there is every probability that it was sent by three of the persons who are here mentioned. It is absurd, however, to suppose that Timothy was concerned in bearing the epistle to them, since it is evident that when it was written he was already on a visit to the churches, and on his way to Corinth. See Notes on ch. iv. 17; xvi. 10, 11. There is not the slightest internal evidence that it was written from Philippi; but every thing in the epistle concurs in the supposition that it was sent from Ephesus. See the Introduction to the epistle. There is, however, a considerable variety among the MSS. in regard to the subscription; and they are evidently none of them of any authority; and as these subscriptions generally mislead the reader of the bible, it would have been better had they been omitted. Salvation, how accomplished, 120. Slave, converted, how to feel and act, Sosthenes, account of, 21. personality and deity of, 54, 63. Victory over death, how to enjoy, 334. Wisdom, worldly, contemned, 36. |