History of writing
A magnificent rich city, located on the main trade routes, the center of culture and education - this was Corinth, which was said to have surpassed in importance even Athens (from which it was only 78 km away).
This is how a modest-looking man who came here around 51 or 52 saw him. A native of the city of Tarsus in Cilicia, the Jew Saul had long been known as the Apostle of Christ - Paul.
Useful materials
The 18th chapter of the Apostolic Acts tells about Paul's arrival in Corinth. He came to the city from Athens, where he also preached God’s word.
By this time, his old acquaintances from Rome, Achilla and his wife Priscilla, had settled in Corinth. St. Luke, the author of “Acts,” writes that Paul remained with them “because of the same craft... for their craft was making tents” (Acts 18:3), thus, the Apostle was not a burden to his friends, providing for himself, helping they have to earn their bread.
Founding of the first community
Pavel spent 18 months in the city. Initially he preached to local Jews. But after some of them were outraged by his preaching, the Christians converted by Paul began to gather in a separate house that belonged to one of them, Justus (Acts 18:6-8).
Although St. Luke says that “many” of the Corinthians believed; historians doubt that initially there were a significant number of Christians - most likely no more than a few dozen.
Perhaps, after the attacks of the Jews, St. Paul even fell into some cowardice, for he was sent a vision that strengthened him.
The Lord Himself told him:
“Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will harm you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).
However, the numerical growth of the Christians of Corinth occurred after Paul's departure. And this was not without difficulties.
Iconography: Paul, the Apostle Dates: XV century. Early 15th century (1410s). Icon painting school or art center: Moscow school Icon painter: Andrey Rublev Origin: The rank could be included in the iconostasis of both the princely Assumption Cathedral and the neighboring Nativity Cathedral of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Material: Wood, tempera Icon dimensions: height 160 cm, width 109 cm Half-length image of the apostle Pavla in a three-quarter turn. Inv. No. 12865. © State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Chapter VIII
An exhortation to help Titus in collecting alms for the Jerusalem Christians (1-15). Recommendation to the brethren sent by Paul (16–24).
To convince the Corinthians Apostle. reminds them what Christ did out of love for people (cf. Phil. II: 6 et seq.).
What should motivate the Corinthians even more to collect alms is that they not only made collection as something obligatory for every Christian, but also applied a special desire or zeal to this matter, even earlier than the Macedonians. Busse translates the second half of the verse as follows: “who, even if they did not begin to do (collection), still already had the desire to do so.” The Syriac translation renders this passage as follows: “not only by desire, but also by deed.”
The Apostle explains that alms should be given according to means, so that a person does not remain poor. In fact, if such an unlimited distribution of one’s fortune took place, then the number of beggars would grow and grow, and those who again received alms should immediately give what they received to those from whom the alms were received, and who themselves remained completely poor. Moreover, the Apostle could not demand such alms, because this would mean demanding from all Christians together that they rise to the highest level of Christian perfection (cf. Luke 10ff.).
Splits and falls
It is believed that after Paul left, other preachers of the Lord came to the city. Among them were:
- Apollos, a good acquaintance of Aquilla and Priscilla, friends of Paul; they met him in Ephesus;
- perhaps the disciples of the Apostle Peter, as well as other preachers.
As often happens, out of special love for these eloquent teachers of high spiritual life, the Corinthian Christians began to overly venerate Apollos, Peter, and especially remembered the departed Paul.
The Corinthians were also greatly annoyed by the temptations of a rich city, which were so difficult to compatible with Christian asceticism. Having learned about this, Paul writes his letters to the young community.
1 Corinthians | Chapter 1
This chapter contains:
I. Preface, or introduction, to the whole epistle, v. 1-9.
II. What was the main reason for writing the epistle, namely, the divisions among the Corinthians and their source, v. 10-13.
III. An account of Paul's ministry among them, chiefly in the preaching of the gospel, v. 14-17.
IV. The method used by the apostle in preaching the gospel, and the various successes thereof, and the description of how this method was remarkably conducive to the glorification of God, and the humiliation of the pride and vanity of men, v. 17-31.
Verses 1-9 . These verses constitute the apostle's preface to the whole epistle, in which it may be observed:
I. An inscription containing, in accordance with the rules of writing letters of that time, the names of the person who wrote the message and those to whom it was addressed.
Note: Everywhere in Christendom there are those who call on the name of Christ. God has His remnant in all places, and we are to care for and fellowship with all who call on the name of the Lord.
1. How we can receive this peace from God in and through Christ.
Goal of request
Both messages are imbued with concern for the converts, on the one hand, subject to unreasonable “neophyte” jealousy, on the other - Christians, surrounded by worldly temptations, often found themselves captive of passions, making spiritual mistakes that required healing. In addition, many philosophical and religious teachings widespread in Corinth also posed a temptation for the young community. Both Apostolic writings are dedicated to this.
Interpretation of the first and second instructions of the Holy Apostle Paul
Paul begins his 1st epistle by calling himself “called by the will of God to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:1), reminding that the words he once spoke to the Corinthian Christians were not spoken from himself.
“Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. ch. 1-4)
And this reminder was not superfluous. There was no peace in the community due to constant splits. And the reason for them was, in fact, human, worldly wisdom associated with the authority of this or that Christian teacher, which is why Christians declared: “I am Cephas,” “I am Apollosov,” or “Pavlov.”
Grieving over such foolishness, Paul, the spiritual father of the community, recalls his sermon in Corinth: how he came to a city unknown to anyone here, being “in weakness and in fear and in great trembling” (Acts 18:3). By whom were the Corinthians converted? Is it really a humble preacher? Is it not the Lord Himself?
“Who is Paul? who is Apollos? They are only ministers through whom you believed, and this as the Lord has given to each one” (1 Cor. 3:5)
And the Christians themselves - how many of them are the mighty of this world? “Look, brethren, who you are called: not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many of you are mighty, not many of you are noble; But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the strong things” (1 Cor. 1:26). So is it worth being proud of, and what?
The Fall (1 Cor.:5-6)
Saying that some of the believers became proud of their supposed righteousness, Paul most of all grieves that this righteousness does not exist even according to human reasoning.
Can a fornicator, a libertine, be a Christian? And in the community of Corinth, which had just begun Christian life, there already appeared a man who could not cope with his passions, so that “instead of a wife he has his father’s wife”: incest, disgusting even for many pagans. Mentions St. ap. Pavel also:
- idolaters who worship both Christ and pagan gods;
- covetous self-interested people;
- drunkards;
- thieves;
- slanderers, constantly falling into condemnation.
Yes, there are many of these sins in the world surrounding the Church. But when the one who commits them is also called a brother, a Christian, “you shouldn’t even eat with someone like that” (1 Cor. 5:11). The words of the Apostle addressed to such false brethren are terrible:
“And I, being absent in body, but present with you in spirit, have already decided, as if I were with you: to hand over the one who has done such a deed to your congregation in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with my spirit, by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Satan for destruction flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 5:3-5)
The Apostle also condemns the widespread attachment to material values in the rich city. With deep sorrow, he speaks about the greed of believers: those who seek the Kingdom of Heaven quarrel over the values of this world, and even go to pagan courts to sue. So what is their Christianity?
Questions of the Faithful (1 Cor. 7-12)
But what Paul said is not a condemnation for the fallen. Already from chapter 7 of the epistle we learn: it turns out that the Apostle’s writing is not just sorrow for his spiritual children, but an answer to their questions.
No matter what mistakes Christians made, they loved their spiritual mentor and asked him how to live among the pagan world, how to act correctly according to the commandments.
About marriage
Speaking about marriage, the teacher of the Corinthians does not deny marriage, but reminds: “the image of this world is passing away.” Therefore, it is better to take care of your soul, and not about worldly affairs, pleasing your husband or wife.
Does this mean that the faithful should leave their wives and husbands? No, moreover: even if the spouse is an unbeliever, it is better to stay with him - who knows whether salvation will come through a believing wife or husband?
So, there is no need for excessive, unreasonable abstinence; however, the Apostle recognizes virginity as the best marriage, for it is easier to please the Lord.
Christians and pagans
Several chapters (8 and 10) are devoted to a burning question for the community of a pagan city: should we communicate with people of other faiths? The answer is simple: yes. But human communication does not mean spiritual intimacy.
Accept the treat, but refuse it if you know that the food is sacrificed to idols. Come visit your pagan neighbor - but do not visit pagan temples. So, a Christian is intolerant of paganism, but not of people who have not yet been enlightened by faith.
Behavior in the temple
Answers St. Paul also answered questions about how to behave in a prayer meeting. Here again is sorrow for the weakness of spiritual children. Some people are unreasonably arrogant, some women try to teach without being consistent with their dignity, others dress inappropriately.
But what is most upsetting is the “agape”, the supper of love, at which believers are supposed to help the poor, even the hungry, and yet “everyone hastens before others to eat his food, so that some are hungry, and others are drunk” (1 Cor. 11:21). ).
Do the faithful distinguish the temple of God from “houses to eat and drink”? Are they aware of the consequences? After all, from such “agape,” the Apostle writes, “many of you are weak and sick, and many die,” for, according to the word of the saint, they are gathering for their own condemnation (1 Cor. 11:30, 34).
Are everyone miracle workers?
Once again Paul returns to the theme of divisions among believers. Who is higher, whose service is greater? He writes that the Church is the one body of Christ. And for each believer there is God’s own plan, and therefore the talents are different. There is no point in quarreling over this:
“If the leg says: I do not belong to the body because I am not a hand, then does it really not belong to the body? And if the ear says: I do not belong to the body, because I am not an eye, then does it really not belong to the body? If the whole body is eyes, then where is the hearing? If everything is hearing, then where is the sense of smell? (1 Cor. 12:15-17)
So, to envy your neighbor is unreasonable and even ungodly.
Introduction.
An ancient Greek legend tells of Sisyphus, who was the king of the city of Corinth. For his blatant disrespect for the gods, he was sentenced by them to eternal useless labor - rolling a huge stone up the mountain. But every time, as soon as Sisyphus reached the top of the mountain with his stone, it rolled down to its foot, and Sisyphus had to start all over again. The 20th century writer and philosopher Albert Camus sees in this legend about the Corinthian king a prototype of the aimless and absurd existence of modern man.
But if Camus had not only read the two letters of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, but also accepted them with his heart, then perhaps he would have looked at things differently, for they contain a guiding thread for lost humanity... They were proud and selfish, the Corinthians who lived in the times of the Apostle Paul - like their legendary king, who depended on the capricious Zeus; and this was clearly felt in their way of thinking and living. But in the first century AD, the city of Corinth was visited by a merciful and loving God in the person of His messenger Paul.
The Apostle Paul came to Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-18), most likely in the spring of 51 A.D. (judging by the fact that the proconsul Gallio took up his duties in Achaia later, and precisely in July 51). In Corinth, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, who left Rome in 49, obeying the decree of Caesar Claudius, forbidding Jews to live in the capital of the empire. Aquila and Priscilla made tents, and the apostle also fed on this.
Since nothing is said about the conversion of this married couple, it seems that they were already Christians when Paul met them. They were close spiritually, belonged to the same people, and practiced the same craft. It is not surprising that the apostle took a liking to them.
According to his custom, Paul also visited the synagogue in Corinth, taking part in the service; He tried to convince the Jews who gathered there that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. And having lost the opportunity to testify in the synagogue, the apostle began to hold meetings in the neighboring house of the pagan Justus, who, listening to Paul, believed in Christ (Acts 18:7). Justus was one of the many people in Corinth who came to the Lord.
Humanly speaking, Paul probably had reason to doubt the number of true believers in Corinth. The fact is that this ancient city has long been famous for the cult of pleasing the flesh that reigned there. Homer also wrote about the wealth of Corinth in the Iliad. And the ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his famous “Republic” calls prostitutes “Corinthian girls.” The name Corinth was used more than once in Greek literature when talking about immorality and debauchery.
So the playwright Aristophanes even invented a new word - “corinthiazomai” - to designate an extramarital affair. According to the ancient writer Strabo, the main source of both wealth and debauchery of Corinth was the temple of the goddess of love Aphrodite with its thousands of prostitutes. There was even a saying: “Not every man can go to Corinth.”
Almost a hundred years after 146 BC no one visited this city, which, having rebelled against Rome, then suffered terrible destruction. In fact, only a few columns in the Temple of Apollo survived. And the inhabitants were killed or sold into slavery. But the excellent location of the city was the reason that this place was not empty for long: in 46 BC, Emperor Julius Caesar restored Corinth as a Roman colony. And in 27 BC it became the capital of the province of Achaia. The proconsul Gallio, who ruled in Corinth, allowed the Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel without hindrance. It was to this new Corinth, which, however, retained its old vices, that the Apostle Paul came in 51.
“A still more excellent way” (1 Cor. 13)
“Be zealous for spiritual gifts, and I will show you an even more excellent way” - this is how the Apostle ends chapter 12 of the letter. What kind of path is this? The most important thing in Christianity is love. This is the inner state of the soul, without which it is simply unthinkable to be saved: you can speak in the tongues of angels, perform miracles of faith, but without love all this is nothing.
“Love is long-suffering, it is kind, love does not envy, love is not arrogant, is not proud, does not act rudely, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
These words of the Message are a real hymn of love. But where is the way to it? How to change your heart? "Recipe" of St. Paul does not give - is there such a thing for human weaknesses?
The Apostle only says: Love is a property of Eternity. And it is given by God. Therefore, be zealous for spiritual gifts, show your will. The Lord will arrange the rest: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will cease” ( 1 Cor. 13:9-10). Nowadays there is faith, hope and love in the world. “But love is the greatest of them all.”
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St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote about this in a letter to friends:
“Love for your neighbor is the greatest pleasure! And what consoles me, especially in my friendly relationships, is that the reason for these relationships is God. He, as Scripture says, “is holy and sanctifies all things” (Heb. 2:11). He is the source of every true good, every true, pure pleasure...”
Spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14-15)
It is for love that the Lord gives spiritual gifts. Chapter 14 is devoted to two of them. These are the gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy. How Paul talks about everyday things about how many of the faithful have “glossolalia,” the gift of the Holy Spirit to preach the faith in different languages, how many Corinthians are prophets.
Therefore, marveling at the sins of the Corinthian Christians condemned by the Apostle, let us remember: even though they were sinners, they had gifts that we do not have. This means that we achieved love, which many of us cannot even imagine.
To such Christians Paul reveals secrets in chapter 15 - this is again an answer to one of the questions of the faithful, about the resurrection of the dead. Paul's words lift the veil on this mystery - what will the resurrected bodies be like? How will the resurrection happen? “...it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; sown in humiliation, raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; the natural body is sown, the spiritual body is raised” (1 Cor. 15:42-44)
The Message ends with greetings, hope for a speedy meeting and obedience of the disciples.
Spiritual father and children (2 Cor. 1-2)
The second message begins, as it were, with justifications.
Interesting fact
Apparently, Paul, whom the Corinthians were expecting, did not come to them. Interpreters believe: because he tried to avoid open conflict with part of the community dissatisfied with his severity.
However, chapter 2, although it begins with the words that Paul “did not want to come” to the disciples “with grief,” still says that the believers fulfilled some of the commands and spiritual advice: for example, Paul asks them to forgive someone who had sinned, who apparently was punished by the community.
The saint emphasizes: it is not enough to grieve over sin, you need to do it “towards repentance,” for “worldly sadness produces death,” and repentance is a change of soul.
