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The fruit and manner I. Corinthians. of our resurrection.

that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead,c if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour ?d

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.e

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, f what advantagBeing baptized for the dead, it is

supposed may signify, immersed in, or exposed to, sufferings, & to death, for believing and testifying the resurrection of the dead. Our Lord calls

his sufferings and death, a baptism, see Luke xii. 50. and Matt. xx. 23. The apostle's reasoning here seems to be this; What benefit can they ever receive, who are baptized for the dead, or who suffer death, for believing and testifying the resurrection of the dead, if there be no resurrection, after which they may be rewarded?

d Jeopardy, danger. Why do we expose ourselves to death every hour by preaching this doctrine ?

e By my boasting concerning you, for your faith in Christ Jesus, I am in danger of death daily.

f Fought with beasts, &c. Under the Roman emperors one mode of punishing condemned criminals, was, to expose them to fight for their lives with ferocious wild beasts. they killed the beast, they were ei

If

eth it me if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.

33 Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good

manners.

34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God; Ispeak this to your shame.

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up ? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body, that shall be, but bare grain, g it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 There is one glory of the

ther acquitted, or reserved for another trial, as the nature of the offence might be. It is probable that Paul here alludes to a contest of this kind, in which he had been obliged to engage.

Bare grain, naked, without stalk, blade, or ear.

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sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead; it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption :

43 It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written,h The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adami was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.j.

It is written Gen. ii. 7.

i Christ is called the last Adam, because believers receive their sanctified, spiritual nature, & their immortal bodies from him, as mankind have derived their corrupt nature, & mortal bodies from the first Adam.

j As the earthy man Adam was after the fall, such also earthy men, the wicked, shall be at the resurrection; and as the heavenly man Christ Jesus is at present, such also heavenly men, the righteous, shall be.

over death.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh aud blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; (for the trumpet shall sound;) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory ? m

k We, the righteous, shall not all die; but such of us, as shall be alive at the coming of Christ, shall be changed; that is, our earthy, corruptible body shall be changed into a spiritual, incorruptible body.

I That is written, Isa. xxv. 8.

m Here the apostle, in joyful anticipation of the release of the righteous from the power of death and the grave, triumphantly exclaims,

Exhortations to charity. I.Corinthians. Timothy commended.

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

CHAP. XVI.

1 The brethren's wants must be relieved. 10 Timothy commended. 19 Friendly admonitions, and salutations.

NOW, concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

3 And, when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality

unto Jerusalem.

4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me. 5 Now I will come unto you,

Where now, O Death! is thy sting, with which thou killedst the saints? Christ has wrested it from thee; and where, O Grave! who so long hast held them captive, is now thy victory, since they all, by the captain of their salvation, are rescued from thy dominion?

when I shall pass through Macedonia; (for I do pass through Macedonia ;)

6 And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.

7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.a

9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

10 Now, if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear; for he wor keth the work of the Lord, as I also do.

11 Let no man, therefore, despise him; but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me; for I look for him with the brethren.

12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren; but his will was not at all to come at this time, but he will come when he shall have convenient time.

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

14 Let all your things be done with charity.b 15 I beseech

you,

brethren,

a Pentecost was an annual feast of the Jews, in commemoration of giv ing the law on mount Sinai. b Charity, love.

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(ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)c

16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth, with us, and laboureth.

17 I am glad of the coming of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they have supplied.

18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours; therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.

19 The churches of Asia salute d you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Have addicted, &c. Have devoted themselves to assisting the saints, and to preaching the Gospel.

de Salute, greet; to wish peace, health, and prosperity.

and admonitions.

20 All the brethren greet e you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.

21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.

22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha. f 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with in Christ Jesus. Amen.

you all

The first epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus.

f Anathema signifies a thing devoted to destruction;-Maran-atha signifies, The Lord comes. He, who loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, will be accursed at his coming; or the words may here signify, let him be forever excommunicated or separated from your communion and so ciety.

PREFATORY REMARKS

TO THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS.

PAUL in his first Epistle xvi. 5, had promised to visit the Corinthians; but as he had in that letter given orders for the correction of certain abuses, and for the punishment of a notorious offender, he thought best to defer his visit longer, than he at first intended, that, before he appeared in person, he might know the state of the church, and what regard they paid to his letter. But Titus not returning so soon, as was expected, and Paul anxious for his safety, set out to meet him. He first went to Troas, but not finding him there, he proceeded to Mac

The church

II. Corinthians.

comforted, &c. edonia, where after tarrying a few days Titus arrived. Much encouraged by the favourable account which he gave of the Corinthians, Paul wrote this second Epistle about A. D. 57, within a year after writing the first, to confirm the sincere in their attachment to him, and separate the rest from the false teacher, who had led them astray.

In order to understand this Epistle, we must recollect, there were two parties in the Corinthian church, one of which Paul commends for its fidelity and obedience; the other he sharply reproves for its irregularity, and for the suspicion it endeavoured to excite respecting his apostleship.

In this Epistle the apostle recounts his suffering for the sake of the Gospel-apologizes for deferring his visit-requests a liberal contribution for the poor brethren in Judea-assures the Corinthians, that he had laboured to teach them, not from ambitious motives, but with the single desire of promoting their best good-vindicates himself from the aspersions of those, who had presumed to question his authority as an apostleand exhorts to unity, peace, and perfection.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE, TO THE CORINTHIANS.

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be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

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