13 Is Christ's church divided into parties under different leaders? Was Paul crucified for you to make atonement for your sins? Or were ye baptized into the name of Paul, as his disciples ?

14 Since ye reckon yourselves the disciples of the persons who baptized you, rather than of Christ, I give thanks to God, that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Caius:

15 Lest my enemies should say, that into mine own name I had baptized, making you my disciples, and not Christ's; a thought which I utterly detest.

16 And I baptized also the family of Stephanas, my first converts in Achaia. (chap. xvi. 15.) Besides, I do not recollect whether I baptized any other person among you.

17 For Christ hath not sent me to

disciple of him into whose name he is baptized, and to profess that he submits himself implicitly to his authority, and receives his doctrines and rules. In this sense, the Israelites are said, chap. x. 2. to have been baptized into Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea.

Ver. 14.-1. Except Crispus and Caius. Crispus was the ruler of the synagogue at Corinth; and among the first of the Corinthians who were converted by Paul, Acts xviii. 8. Gaius or Caius, was the person with whom the apostle lodged, when he wrote his epistle to the Romans, ch. xvi. 23. Both of them were persons of eminence. The other Corinthians may have been baptized by the apostle's assistants, Silas, Titus, and Timothy.

Ver. 16.-1. Stephanas. Theophylact says, Stephanas was a person of note among the Corinthians. The family of Stephanas seem all to have been adults when they were baptized. For they are said, chap. xvi. 15. to have devoted themselves to the ministry to the saints.

2. I know not whether I baptized any other. Here the apostle insinuates that he is speaking, not by inspiration, but from memory. He did not remember whether he baptized any other of the Corinthians. The Spirit was given to the apostles indeed, to lead them into all truth; but it was truth relative to the plan of man's salvation which was thus made known to them, and not truth like the fact here mentioned, the certain knowledge of which was of no use whatever to the world.

not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,

lest the cross of Christ

should be made of none effect.

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that

perish, foolishness : but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise?

where is the scribe ? where is the disputerofthis world?

Χριςος βαπτίζειν, αλλ' ευαγγελιζεσθαι

Ουκ εν σοφια λογον, ίνα μη κενωπῃ ὁ σταυρος του Χριςου.

18 Ὁ λόγος γαρ ὁ του σταυρου τοις μεν απολλυμε νοις μωρια εςι, τοις δε σωζομενοις ἡμιν δυναμις Θεον εςι.

19 Γέγραπται γαρ Απολω την σοφίαν των σοφων,

και την συνεσιν των συνετών αθετησω.

20 Που σοφος, που γραμ ματευς; που συζητητής του αιώνος τούτου ; ουχι εμωρανεν

Ver. 17.—1 Hath not sent me to baptize, but to preach. The apostles being endued with the highest degree of inspiration and miraculous powers, had the office of preaching committed to them, rather than that of baptizing, because they were best qualified for converting the world, and had not time to give the converted, either before or after their baptism, such particular instruction as their former ignorance rendered necessary. These offices, therefore, were committed to the inferior ministers of the word.

2. Not however with wisdom of speech. Wisdom of speech, σοφια λογο for λογῳ σοφῷ, means learned speech. The observation, that the apostles were sent forth to convert mankind, not by the powers of philosophy and eloquence, was intended to shew the Corinthians, how ill founded the boasting of the faction was, who valued themselves on the learning and eloquence of their teachers. To shew that this is a declaration of the subject which the apostle is going to handle, I have separated it from the clause which goes before it.

3. Be deprived of its efficacy. To have adorned the gospel with the paint of the Grecian rhetoric, would have obscured its wisdom and simplicity, just as the gilding of a diamond would destroy its brilliancy. Besides, it would have marred its operation as a revelation from God. For the evidence and efficacy of the gospel arises, not from its being proved by philosophical arguments, and recommended by the charms of human eloquence, but from its being proved by miracles, and founded on the testimony of God.

Ver. 18. 1. For the preaching which is concerning the cross. ΛογΘ, Word, in scripture, is often used to denote the preaching of doctrine: Acts vi. 2 It is not reason, that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

sent me to baptize, but to baptize, but rather to preach the gospreach the gospel: hel, that I may have leisure to convert unbelievers;

Not, HOWEVER, with wisdom of speech, 2 that the cross of Christ might not be deprived of its efficacy. (See Philip. ii. 7. note 1.)

3

18 For the preaching 1( Tou savρov, 24.) which is concerning the cross, to the destroyed, indeed, is foolishness, but to us, the saved, (Rom. xi. 26. note 1.) it is the power of God.

19 (Fap, 93.) Therefore it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will set aside the knowledge of the intelligent. 2

20 Where is the wise man? Where the scribe??

Not, however, by using philosophical arguments expressed in rhetorical language, that the doctrine of salvation through the cross of Christ, might not be deprived of its efficacy, as a truth revealed of God.

18 For the preaching concerning the cross of Christ as the means of salvation, to the destroyed among the heathen philosophers and Jewish scribes, is indeed foolishness; but to us who are saved from the errors of heathenism and Judaism, it is found to be the powerful means whereby God saves sinners.

19 Because the preaching of a crucified Saviour would be reckoned folly, it is written, I will explode the philosophy of the philosophers, and will set aside the learning of the scribes as useless, by making the preaching of a crucified Saviour, more effectual than either for reforming the world.

20 Where is the philosopher? Where the scribe? Where the sceptic

Ver. 19.-1. It is written, I will destroy, &c. This is a quotation from Isaiah xxix. 14. Behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous work, and a wonder. For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be bid.

2. The knowledge of the intelligent. As the prophet had in his eye the Grecian and Jewish literature, the word ouvir, knowledge, must signify eruditior. ; and ovverov, intelligent, must mean learned men.

Ver. 20.-1. Where is the wise man? The Greek philosophers were first named op, wise men: afterwards they changed the appellation into omao0o01, Lovers of wisdom. That they are meant here is plain from ver. 21. where the Gentiles are said, through wisdom, to have lost the knowledge of God.

2. Where the scribe? The scribes are often mentioned in the gospels. They were an order of learned men among the Jews, much esteemed for their supposed knowledge of the scriptures. Hence they were consulted by He

hath not God made foolish ὁ Θεος την σοφίαν του κοσμου

the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks

seek after wisdom.

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto

the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which

are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

rod concerning the place where the Christ should be born, Matth. ii. 4. If the false teacher was one of this order, the propriety of calling on the scribes to appear with the heathen learned men, to behold the wisdom of this world made foolishness by God, will be evident.

3. Where the disputer 2 By συζητητης, disputer, some understand the Jewish doctors who disputed publicly in the synagogues and schools. Thus we are told, Luke ii. 46. that Jesus sat among the doctors, bearing them, and asking them questions. Others suppose the apostle meant the academies or sceptics, who were great disputers. Jerome on Gal. iii. thought the apostle meant natural philosophers, whom the Jews called sapientes scrutationis.

Ver. 21.1. The world through wisdom. Here the word σοφια, wisdom, signifies the disquisitions of the learned Greeks, to which they gave the name of philosophy, but which at length rendered every thing so doubtful, that these learned men lost the persuasion even of the plainest truths.

Ver. 22.1. The Jews demand a sign. Since the apostle wrought great miracles daily in confirmation of the gospel, the sign which the Jews demanded, was, in all probability, the sign from heaven, which we are told Mark viii. 11. the pharisees sought from our Lord himself. For as Daniel had foretold the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, to receive the kingdom, the Jews expected that the Christ would make his first appearance in the clouds, and by some great exertion of power, wrest the empire of the

of this world? Let them declare what reformation they have wrought on mankind. Hath not God shewn the foolishness of the wisdom of this world; the inefficacy of philosophy in bringing men to the knowledge of God and to the practice of virtue, by leaving them so long to its guidance without effect,

21 For when, in the wise government of God, (Gal. iv. 4. note 1.) experience had shewn, that the world, through philosophy, did not attain the knowledge of God, it pleased God, through what the philosophers call the foolishness of public preaching, to save them who believe the things preached concerning the Lord Jesus.

22 And although the Jews demand a miracle in proof, that Jesus is the Christ, and the Greeks seek wisdom, that is a scheme of philosophy, in the doctrines of the gospel,

23 Yet, we preach salvation through Christ crucified, which to the Jews, indeed, who believe that their Christ will never die, (John xii. 54.) is a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks is foolishness, who think it absurd to speak of being saved by one who did not save himself:

24 But to them who have obeyed the gospel call, both Jews and Greeks, the doctrine of salvation through Christ crucified, is the powerful and wise means by which God accomplisheth their conversion.

world from the Romans. No wonder then, that the preaching of the Christ crucified, was to the Jews a stumbling-block.

Ver. 23.-1. We preach Christ. The Greek word Xgs, Christ, is the literal translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, and both signify an anointed person. Now this name being appropriated by the Jewish prophets to the