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Pelagius

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 465 passages across 8 books

Commentary

21–40 of 465
1 Corinthians 7:2

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

People who want to be promiscuous argue that God commanded us to have sexual relations, so that the earth would be filled with human beings. But God is quite capable of making humans out of the earth, as he did at the beginning, so this is no excuse.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 7

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

The Lord must come before a husband or a wife.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 7

1 Corinthians 7:18

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

Someone who has been circumcised should not think that this is going too far, or regret it, because in its own day it was necessary. But neither should he seek to convert the uncircumcised to that practice.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 7

1 Corinthians 7:20

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

God does not care about our social status but about our will and mind.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 7

1 Corinthians 7:40

But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Happy is the woman who has a husband. Happier still is the widow who can remain chaste with little effort on her part. But happiest of all is the virgin, who can attain to the highest prize without struggling.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 7

1 Corinthians 10:8

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Note that it was not just idolatry which led to death [but their immorality as well].

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 10

1 Corinthians 11:3

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

The man is head of the woman in the natural order but not in Christ, in whom there is neither male nor female. Nevertheless, Paul wanted women to be subject to their husbands. God is the head of Christ’s humanity, because the divinity which was in the human Jesus controlled his doings.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 11

1 Corinthians 11:4

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

Paul was complaining because men were fussing about their hair and women were flaunting their locks in church. Not only was this dishonoring to them, but it was also an incitement to fornication.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 11

1 Corinthians 11:24

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

In blessing the bread even before his suffering, Jesus left behind a last commemoration, or memorial. This is rather like someone who, when about to go on a journey, leaves some token of himself with his loved one, so that whenever she looks at it she will be reminded of his goodness and love toward her.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 11

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The dim mirror is the law of Moses, which contains everything in types and shadows.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 13

1 Corinthians 14:8

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

If it is uncertain whether the bugle is sounding for relaxation or for war, nobody will get ready for battle. The latter is how your own words should be understood, for they are meant to prepare soldiers for spiritual warfare.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 14:11

Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

Any language we cannot understand we look down on as barbaric.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 14:16

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

Paul is thinking here of laypeople, who do not hold office in the church.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 14:17

For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

Here Paul explains what he said above, which is that a believer should be a blessing to everyone.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 14:23

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

On the day of Pentecost the Jews said that the apostles were full of new wine. It is more or less the same thing here.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 14:24

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

The unbeliever is convicted when his conscience is struck by the teaching being given.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 14

1 Corinthians 15:2

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

The resurrection of the body is the whole point of our gospel message. Without it, all the works of prayer and fasting which we do are meaningless.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15

1 Corinthians 15:4

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Hosea [6:2] says: “He will revive us after two days; he will raise us up on the third day.”

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15

1 Corinthians 15:13

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

The one depends on the other. Either you believe both, or you believe neither.

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15

1 Corinthians 15:14

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Some heretics claim that there is a resurrection of the soul but not of the body, though this makes no sense. How can there be a resurrection of something which has not fallen into the ground and died?

COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15

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