Interpretation of the first letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians

1. Information about Corinth and the Corinthians 2. The foundation of the Church of Christ in it (Acts 18) 3. Reason for writing the message 4. Time and place of writing 1. Inscription and greeting (1 Cor. 1, 1–3) 2. Beginning of the letter (1 Cor. 1:4–9) a) The Apostle thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:4-7). b) The Apostle expresses the hope that God will preserve them to the end (1 Cor. 1:8-9) Corinth lies on the isthmus connecting Greece proper with the Morea, or Peloponnese. It was built supposedly one and a half thousand (1400) years before the birth of Christ by Sisyphus and was called Ether; then it was ruined by someone and restored by Corinth, the son of Marathon, or Pelops, from whom it received its name. During the Achaian War, Lucius Mummius ruined it to the ground in 146 BC, and in 44 Julius Caesar restored it, after which it quickly rose and became the first city of Achaia, the seat of the proconsuls: it increased in number of inhabitants, flourished with sciences, arts and cheerful life. What distinguished it were the isthmian games and the church of Aphrodite with a special institution attached to it. Both attracted a lot of people to it. Corinth is a representative of Greek frivolity, frivolity and sensual pleasures. 2. The foundation of the Church of Christ in it (Acts 18) Saint Paul brought the holy faith here and founded the Church of Christ here on his second Apostolic journey, after he enlightened Philippi, Thessaloniki, Beria and Athens with the faith. The evil Jews drove him out, after Philip, and from Thessaloniki with Beria. Why, leaving Silas and Timothy in Macedonia to monitor the progress of affairs, he headed to Hellas and, after a short, but not useless, stay in Athens, moved to Corinth. Here he met the kind and hospitable Aquila and Priscilla, Jews originally from Pontus, who had previously lived in Rome and moved to Corinth on the occasion of the expulsion of all Jews from Rome by Claudius. Aquila was a screen-maker, and Saint Paul knew this skill; they got together, and Saint Paul began to live in their house. If Aquila and Priscilla had not previously been taught the way of the Lord, then now, one must assume, they were the first to learn about it from Saint Paul, believed and were baptized, and became his assistants in this matter. Saint Paul lived with them, feeding on the labor of his hands, and went to preach on Saturdays in the Jewish synagogue, where he convinced the Jews and Greeks, who confessed the true God, although they did not accept circumcision, that there is no salvation except in the Lord Jesus Christ. Speech about the Savior was not strange for the Jews. This is their coming, Promised Savior. It was only necessary to prove that Jesus Christ is exactly this One, by fulfilling all the prophecies on Him. The entire conversation of the Apostle revolved around this, both in other places and here. Judging by the importance of the subject, it could not be that St. Paul's conversations were limited to the synagogue. Probably, people came to his house, and he was invited to theirs by others who wanted to know the truth more precisely and quickly satisfy the revived joyful presentiment that it had finally been revealed and was being offered to everyone. But, as can be seen, at first the Apostle restrained himself somewhat, not knowing what turn things would take in Macedonia. When Silas and Timothy came from there with good news, then the Spirit urged him to more persistently testify to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. He usually did this by proving that all the prophecies were definitely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. One must assume that there were quite a few Jews in Corinth: where there is trade that promises profit, there is a Jew. Their number especially increased here after Klavdiev’s order. (One might think that the greetings of the Apostle in the letter to the Romans, so unusually many, applied to the Jews who were converted by him in Achaia and then returned to Rome.) In Acts, two leaders of the synagogue are mentioned (1 Cor. 18, 8, 17) Crispus and Sosthenes. If there were not two synagogues there, then there was one, which gathered so many people that one leader was not enough for it. If there were many Jews, then there were not a few of them who believed; However, there are not so many that they could overshadow those who did not believe. But since the latter were bolder and felt like masters in the synagogue, they did not limit themselves to silent unbelief, but publicly opposed the Apostle, slandering both him and the Lord’s way, which he preached. Why did Saint Paul, no longer hoping to act on his brethren in this place, leave the synagogue with an action and word that was intelligible, however, for the Jews. He shook off the dust of his clothes and said to them: “Your blood is on your heads; I am clean; From now on I am going to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). He shook off his clothes according to the commandment of the Lord, and uttered a bloody threat, perhaps because at that time he was telling the circumstances of the death of the Savior and remembered the word of the Jerusalem Jews: “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). The meaning of his words is this: the blame for your destruction is on yourself; I'm clean of it. I showed you the path of salvation and proved that there is no other. Don't want to believe? - Stay in your destruction. The motivation for such a word was not hatred and rejection of one’s brethren, but the hope of irritating them and arousing zeal for seeking salvation. That’s why he didn’t go far from them, but right there near the synagogue, in the house of a certain Justus, who worshiped God, he established Christian meetings and a place for the announcement of those who had not yet believed, who nevertheless wanted to hear the word of the Gospel. Not only Jews gathered here, but also pagans, who not only worshiped God, but, perhaps, did not believe in any God. The work of evangelism became more successful and many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized. Meanwhile, however, while the reasonable Jews could certainly be brought to their senses by the way of action of the Apostle Paul, among the foolish and evil it aroused irreconcilable rage and enmity against him. This effect could have been especially produced by the fact that the Apostle left the synagogue with such blasphemy, and even more so that many Jews and proselytes came to him, if not all, then almost all, and that other Corinthians, who were seeking the truth, were no longer drawn to the synagogue, but to him. Such enmity could not hide from Saint Paul and could not help but bother him, given the consequences it had already experienced in Thessaloniki and Beria so recently. Why, writing to the Thessalonians, at this initial time of his stay in Corinth, he asked them to pray, “that he might be delivered from evil people” (2 Thessalonians 3:2). It is true that he understood this circumstance when he wrote to the Corinthians themselves: “and I was in you with much fear and trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). Did he even think about leaving the city, according to the Savior’s commandment - to flee to another when they are persecuted in one (Matthew 10:14). At least this can well explain the need for the Lord to appear to him in order to inspire him. The Lord appeared to him in a vision at night and said: “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you and no one will harm you; because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10). Strengthened by this phenomenon, the Apostle remained in Corinth and stayed there for a year and a half, teaching the Corinthians the word of God. Besides this wondrous appearance of the Lord to the Apostle, the book of Acts does not say whether there was anything else from above; but the Apostle himself testifies that God did not deprive the Corinthians of tangible evidence that he was a true Apostle through signs, wonders and powers (2 Cor. 12:12). Consequently, there too the Apostle healed the sick, cast out demons, revealed the thoughts of the heart, commanded the elements, and the like. Such signs were everywhere inseparable companions of the preaching of the Gospel. And they converted, not the word of wisdom, which Saint Paul did not pursue, despite the presence of wise men among those who heard his word. He himself says that especially in Corinth his preaching was short; he spoke only about Jesus Christ Crucified, as the only Savior of people, under the condition of faith in Him. And that this is undoubtedly true, how could he prove this to a pagan? He did not prove, but only said: look, in the name of this Crucified One I say to the sick: be healthy, and he becomes healthy. Believe that He is definitely the Savior. And everyone believed, whose heart was not hardened, and whose eyes the god of this age did not manage to blind so much that they could not see the light even in broad daylight. Thus, through the labors of the Apostle, hastening the Lord and confirming the word with subsequent signs, a large Church was finally founded in Corinth. There were believers in Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1), the harbor and suburb of Corinth, and in other places in Achaia (2 Cor. 1:1). It must be assumed that Saint Paul did not all sit in Corinth, but went out to other cities and towns preaching the Gospel, as he was guided and inspired by the Spirit of God. The composition of this Church included mainly pagans, the majority of the pagan population; but, as has already been noted, there were quite a few Jews. Judging by worldly relations, there were not many wise people among the believers, but there were some; There weren’t many nobles, but there were some; There weren't many rich people, but there were some. There are not many of them everywhere. Most were simpletons, poor and unlearned, but there were also scientists, rich and powerful. These external differences were smoothed out, however, more or less by the influence of spiritual perfections; and in general about the composition of the Church one could say in the words of the Apostle to the Galatians: “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28). The body of the Church was healthy and distinguished by all the gifts with which the Lord then deigned to fill the believers. Here was revealed “the word of wisdom and understanding... the granting of healings... the operation of powers... prophecy... spiritual reasoning... the birth of tongues... the telling of tongues...”. faith, able to remove mountains, and so on (1 Cor. 2:7–10, 13:1–3, 14:26). Such manifestations of the power of God in believers may have been even more attractive to faith than extraordinary actions on behalf of the Apostle himself. For this tactile confirmation was given that faith in the Lord is not in vain, but brings into such closeness with God that the believer becomes an instrument for the manifestation of His power. Probably all this happened while the holy Apostle was still there. One of the believers who is remembered by name is Justus, in whose house there were, presumably, the first church meetings; Crispus is the ruler of the synagogue, who believed with the whole house and was baptized by the Apostle Paul himself (Acts 18:7-8); Gaius - after the host of Pavlov (Rom. 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14), also baptized by Saint Paul; Stephen, who was baptized by him and was so praised with the whole house (1 Cor. 1:16, 16:15): Chloe with her household (1 Cor. 11); Fortunatus, Achaic (1 Cor. 6:17) and a certain Epenetus beloved (Rom. 16:5); Thebe, Deaconess of Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1–2). Sosthenes, who was beaten on the occasion of the uprising against Paul not as a Christian (Acts 18:17), probably later became a sincere believer and was with Saint Paul in Ephesus when the epistle was written (1 Cor. 1). Also Erast the city builder (economist) and Kuart (Rom. 16:23; 2 Tim. 4:20). It is not for nothing that the memory of all of them has been preserved and committed to writing. It is true that they were the closest collaborators of the holy Apostle in establishing the Church there and zealous continuers of his work. When the Church was settled and its order was firmly established, the Apostle had to go to another place. This, of course, would have happened by itself, but a circumstance happened that accelerated the Apostle’s departure from Corinth. The Jews there were extremely irritated against Saint Paul and, seizing him, brought him to trial before the proconsul Gallio, “saying that he teaches people to honor God not according to the law” (Acts 18:13). Gallio refused to examine the matter of faith, and not concerning civil relations, and sent them away from him. It is not known how Saint Paul escaped from their hands; but no one dared to touch him, although the proconsul clearly expressed: deal with it as you know, and Saint Paul was in the hands of them - his enemies. Only Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, suffered: he was beaten right there before the judgment seat, beaten by everyone, probably the same ones who “with one accord attacked Paul” (Acts 18:12). Over the head of St. Paul there was clearly God's protection; however, it was not safe to tempt the Lord any longer, and he decided to leave Corinth, yielding to the malice of his enemies and the Gospel. The remaining “days of content” (Acts 18:18) were probably used by Saint Paul for final orders regarding the order in the Church and its governance, for the election and ordination of primates, as Saint Paul usually did in all places. Having arranged everything and said goodbye to the brethren, he finally departed from Cenchrean harbor straight to Ephesus, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. After Saint Paul’s departure from Corinth, the Jews, perhaps, would have begun, not without success, to reject those who believed in the Lord and prevent those who had not yet believed from converting, insisting on the Divine dignity of the Law of Moses and all the institutions of the Old Testament Church. But the Lord arranged opposition to them in one man strong in speech, who, at His behest, first came from Alexandria to Ephesus, and from there to Corinth. This was Apollos, a Jew, born and raised in Alexandria, a man of eloquence and knowledge of the Scriptures. Saint Paul, having sailed from Corinth, visited Ephesus for a short time, promising to come to them on purpose and stay with them longer. Then he went to Jerusalem, from there to Antioch, where, after staying a short time, he undertook his third apostolic journey, so that, having visited the previously planted Churches, he would reach Ephesus. While Saint Paul was making this wide circuit, the said Apollos arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria. He was burning in spirit with faith in the Lord, but was taught only the rudiments of the Lord’s path, knowing only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Aquila and Priscilla, hearing him, accepted him and more precisely told him the way of the Lord. He was faced with the need to go to Achaia. When he intended to leave there, the Ephesian believers, led, of course, by Aquila and Priscilla, gave him letters of recommendation to the Christians there. Arriving there, Apollos, by the grace of God, greatly helped those who believed. For he powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 18:24-28). The action of Apollos in Corinth brought many benefits to the Christians there, and St. Paul likened his preaching there to watering garden or vegetable plants. This means that his word flowed abundantly and watered the souls of everyone, gathering in them ever greater evidence that now the power of the law must pass away and that after it the only true faith remains faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His word seemed to be directed primarily to the Jews, but it was no less edifying for the pagan believers, assuring that faith in the Lord is not something new, but is from the ages a predetermined image of salvation not only for the Jews, but for all people. This both consoled them and encouraged them, making it clear that from the beginning God thought about them no less than about the Jews. How long Apollos stayed in Corinth is unknown. While writing the epistle, he was again in Ephesus with the Apostle. That he left an impression in Corinth can be judged by the fact that the Corinthians wanted to see him again and asked St. Paul to send him to them; but he himself was not drawn to Corinth, so he did not rush there, despite the begging of Saint Paul (1 Cor. 6:12). This limits external actions for the creation of the Corinthian Church. She now had to mature on her own, under the guidance of God-given primates through Saint Paul and through the action of the grace of the sacraments that she had received and accepted and the power of the Divine teaching taught to her. She was mature. It is believed that Saint Paul was in Corinth once again before writing the letter, and not only was there, but also wrote a letter there earlier than the one we have with the first letter. Both assumptions are well explained by two or three phrases in the present epistles, but they do not contribute at all to the understanding of their content, but, on the contrary, make it completely inexplicable how those disorders could have arisen in Corinth, the correction of which the first epistle is aimed at. If Apollos stayed in Corinth for six months, a year, then after six months or a year Saint Paul visited him, then wrote some more after some time, then when will any problems creep in? On the contrary, without these assumptions, the Corinthians seem to act on their own for two or two and a half years. What wonder if, subject to the influence of the surrounding discordant society, they little by little allowed some deviations from action that was strictly consistent with Christian principles? And only at this point could Saint Paul say to the Corinthians: “I will not come to you because I am proud” (1 Cor. 4:18). No matter how long he was not with them, some began to be careless and, out of pride of mind, introduce something new, which turned out to be dishonest. So it seems that those who do not adhere to such assumptions do better. Saint Paul was working in the establishment of the Church in Ephesus and other places in Asia, when news reached him about the fornication of one of the Corinthian Christians, so extraordinary that it cannot be found even among the pagans (1 Cor. 5:1). This rumor, vague at the beginning, received definiteness from the household of Chloe the Corinthian, who, being probably on trade business in Ephesus, told the Apostle about this, and especially about the fact that in some part of the Corinthian Christians “zeal is the essence” (1 Cor., 11) - disputes, competitions, of course, about objects of faith, based, however, not on the principles of faith, but on considerations of the mind - and that these disputes reached the point that believers are pestered by one, others by another, still others by a third of the main instigators and leaders of the dispute: from this, something began to appear in the Corinthian Church that looked like the formation of parties. The publishers did not explain what exactly the matter was. The apostle saw that it was necessary to act to stop evil, but he could not begin this task, not understanding well what exactly was happening in Corinth. For this purpose, he sent Saint Timothy there, so that he could figure out what was going on there and stop the riots as soon as he could (1 Cor. 4:17). Meanwhile, the time was approaching for Saint Paul himself to leave Ephesus and Asia, and he decided, having arranged everything necessary here, to visit the Macedonian and Achaian Churches, stay in Jerusalem, and then head to Rome. Why, sending Saint Timothy, he ordered him to take the path through Macedonia, intending to follow him himself, or to set off upon receiving news from him about the Corinthian competitions. Having ordered this, the Apostle himself remained for a while in Asia (Acts 19:22). At this time, Stefan, Fortunatus and Achaic, sent from the Corinthian Church, came to him with a message from her and with verbal instructions. The message, perhaps, was all limited to asking for resolution of some perplexities, but in words those sent told the Apostle in detail everything that was happening in Corinth. They pointed out many disturbances, but as they concerned individuals and particular cases, while the body of the Church remained healthy and shone with perfection and grace, the Apostle testified that those sent calmed his spirit (1 Cor. 16:18). It’s true, he expected that he didn’t know what was going on there; and when they told everything, he saw that these were all accidents that were very easy to correct; why he calmed down, although he was not indifferent to everything that was happening there, for later he said that he wrote to them about these malfunctions in the pain of his heart (2 Cor. 2:4). The messengers confirmed what Chloe's household had said about competitions and fornication and, moreover, they conveyed many other things again, such as: about litigation in pagan courts, about riots at love suppers, about the attempt of some women not to cover their heads in the Church and, perhaps, about the unbelief of some in the resurrection of the dead; the message asked questions about marriage and celibacy, about eating food sacrificed to idols and about the use of the gift of tongues in the Church; or maybe the primates wrote in it about all the faults, but those sent only confirmed it and more precisely determined what was the matter. From just listing these malfunctions it is clear that they did not concern the entire body of the Church, but private individuals and special cases. But how could they spoil the entire Church if they were left without correction? Saint Paul did not leave anything unattended, but discussed everything according to the principles of Christ’s faith, in order to correct what was faulty, resolve perplexities and dispel doubts. This is the motivation and purpose of the message. What each malfunction consisted of can be seen from the message itself and will be explained during the interpretation. But we consider it necessary to make a remark in advance regarding what the “zeal” that was in Corinth means. The new Western commentators looked at this too thoughtfully. In their opinion, entire communities were formed between the Corinthian Christians, each with its own name: now Pavlova, now Apollos, now Kifina, now Christ; and not only with the name, but also with their special teaching, which they try to portray as best they can. But the very content of those chapters in which Saint Paul speaks about the zeal of the Corinthians does not allow us to look at it this way. True, at the very beginning he listed that in Corinth they allegedly say: “I am Pavlov, I am Apollosov, I am Cephas, I am Christov” (1 Cor. 1:12); but further in his entire speech, which extends over four chapters, you will not find a single word that would directly relate either to Pavlov, or to Apollos, or to Kiefin’s teaching. There is only a discussion about the unreliability of human wisdom and its blindness in the affairs of God. If the simplest person, having made a division similar to the above, would not leave it aside in order to talk about a completely different subject, then much less can one expect this from St. Paul. From this we conclude that there were no supposed communities with the aforementioned names among the Corinthian Christians. Those who assume this are carried away by the convenience of assigning several teachings to each community in contrast to others; This only gives them convenience: “I am Kithin.” Kifin?! - This is certainly a Judaizer. Once the opinions of the Judaizers have been determined, our speculators have no difficulty in constructing a system of teaching for the Cethian community. Get away with it. But, carried away by this success, they begin to build the systems of Paul, Apollos, and Christ; They type a lot of words, but cannot say anything definite - they talk into the wind. This should make them understand, but I don’t want to fall behind such a rosy hypothesis. So, among our hypothesizers, the images of the teachings of Paul, Apollos, and Christ are empty talk. What they say about the Kifins gives a definite idea, but the question is, where do they get the instructions to characterize this community? Is it from this epistle, or from those words that follow the indication of that division in St. Paul? - No; everything comes from other epistles, especially Galatians. Why not from this message? Because not a word is said about it here. Now, everyone, consider whether it is possible for Saint Paul to restrain himself and not say a word against the Judaizers, if he knew that they were in Corinth, and they were the ones he designated by: “I am Cephas”? - Impossible. Even if he had only imagined that they were somehow approaching Corinth from a distance, then he would not have failed to tell the believing Corinthians about them: but here he would have remained silent, knowing that they were already in Corinth and called themselves Cephas? – You can’t think that. From here it directly follows that there were no Judaizers in Corinth, and that the Apostle did not mean them when he said: “I am Cephas.” And if: “az Kifin” does not mean the community of the Kifins, then: “az ubo Pavlov, az Apollosov” also does not mean communities. And all the construction of hypotheses is nothing more than just a dream. But if not this, then what do the words of the Apostle mean? All our interpreters: Saint Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret, Saint Damascus, Ecumenius, Theophylact and Ambrosiastes say that in Corinth some Christians identified themselves not under these, but under other persons; but the Apostle, not wanting to sharply rebuke them, put his own and other names in order to express that if one should not be distinguished by these high names, separating from others, then even more so by some less significant of the Corinthians themselves. St. Chrysostom says: “The Corinthians did not speak like that about him (St. Paul), nor about Peter, nor about Apollos; but he shows that if such persons should not be placed in such a relation to oneself (as a head and an exceptional teacher), then even more so others. For if one should not be called by the names of Paul, Apollos and Cephas, then much less others. Thus, he only lists these names in order to quickly heal their illness. Moreover, he makes his speech less unpleasant by not mentioning by name those who divided the Church.” Here are the words of Blessed Theodoret: “The Corinthians called themselves after the names of other teachers; but Paul put forward his and Apollos' names; He also added the name of the supreme Apostle, teaching that it is unfair even to make such a use of these names (that is, to consider ourselves disciples of any one of them exclusively, with neglect of others).” Others express themselves this way too. Who are these, whose names the Apostle hid? - Not heretics or false teachers of any kind, but some of those who were famous for their worldly wisdom, who, having accepted Christianity, did not enter into its spirit, did not abandon their high opinion of this wisdom and, relying on it, undertook to judge the objects of faith. This naturally gave rise to disputes and competitions. In disputes, one wins, the other sometimes wins. The winner becomes the subject of surprise and attracts admirers. So one in one thing, another in another, a third in a third case, or subject, remained the winner, attracted readers and became their guide. Here are the divisions, completely empty, childish. The main role here was played by claims to wisdom and art in words. This could not occupy and captivate all Christians; but whoever was interested and carried away, he pestered some person who set the tone in some respect, boasted about him and boasted to others, reproaching them: what is yours? Here is my chosen one - an example of perfection. You are tasteless and don’t know how to choose who is worth it. That exactly this kind of division existed, the Apostle well defined it with the words: “I have transformed Apollos into myself... so that you are not proud of one another” - του ετερου. Εις - someone, υπερ του ενος because of one thing, that is, someone whom someone considers smarter and more eloquent, and is ready to listen to him in everything - κατα του ετερου, before another, his comrade (1 Cor 4:6). That is, their entire quarrel occurred because one said to the other: mine is smarter and more eloquent, you and yours are worth nothing. These are childish speeches and should not be taken seriously; but whoever knows Greek frivolity and enthusiasm will not consider this insignificant. There was a time when the whole of Constantinople was divided into three parts, one standing for Saint Chrysostom, the other for Basil the Great, the third for Gregory the Theologian. The whole debate revolved around “better.” For me, Chrysostom is better, I don’t want to listen to anyone, go away. Another said the same about Basil the Great, a third - about Gregory the Theologian. It was a childish argument, but there was a lot of movement and it was worth the effort to stop it. Similar things must have happened in Corinth. There were no false teachings there. All the disagreement revolved around: mine is better. But it must be assumed that those themselves who aroused surprise to themselves, some with wisdom, some with the art of speech, not only did not oppose such a movement, but also supported it in some way. That's why it was worth denunciation and worth sparing. Saint Paul covered them. Wanting to stop evil, he does not speak against anyone in particular, but blocks the very source of evil, extreme respect for human wisdom and the art of speech. This is what he talks about in the first section. Saint Chrysostom, in his preface to conversations about this message, speaks about them like this: “some spontaneously made themselves leaders of the people, who pestered first one, then another - some as rich, others as wise and capable of teaching something more; and these, having attracted him to themselves, boasted that they taught the doctrine better than others. All this came from the madness of external philosophy; she was the source of evil; That’s why they separated, having also learned this from philosophers who rebelled against each other, constantly contradicting each other’s teachings and trying to add something new to what was previous. They suffered from such a disease because they relied on their own reasoning in everything. Since those who were the cause of the division of the Church, ashamed to appear to be doing this out of ambition, covered up their passion with the fact that they teach a teaching that is more perfect and wiser than others, Paul first of all rebels against this illness, wanting to pull out the root of evil and stop the division that has arisen from there, and he rebels with great power. Thus, since all evil came from pride and from the fact that some considered themselves to know more than others, he puts it down first of all.” The course of affairs described before indicates the place where the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians was written - Ephesus. It is enough to confirm this by citing the words of the Apostle: “I will remain in Ephesus until the Penticost” (1 Cor. 16:8). It was written at the end of his stay there. For in the letter he writes that he sent Saint Timothy to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:17), punishing them so that they would receive him better (1 Cor. 16: 10), and in Acts it is written that he sent him from Ephesus just before he himself was about to leave it (1 Cor. 19: 21-22). According to the calculation of years, this falls in 58 or 59. In addition to the circumstances of the origin of this letter, there is a need for the following assumption: Saint Paul intended to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, but the indignation of Demetrius the silversmith against him did not allow him to stay there until that time. He left there earlier. But that didn't change his plan. What is accelerated here is delayed in the Troas, which was not included in the calculation. - In Troas, he delayed a little, waiting for Saint Titus, whom he, before a quick and forced departure from Ephesus, sent to Corinth by sea, to accurately observe what effect his message would have on the Corinthians, commanding him to hasten to meet him with the news. Saint Paul was expecting him in Troas and, without waiting, crossed over to Macedonia, where he found Saint Timothy, who had not yet left for Corinth, and where Saint Titus met him, with news of the affairs of the Corinthian Church, which gave Saint Paul the occasion to write his second letter to the Corinthians. This explains why in the second epistle Titus is the main protagonist, while in the first only Timothy is mentioned. The content of the message, as required by the reason for writing it, is varied. The Apostle sets forth more than one subject, and what the state of the Corinthian Church gave rise to, he wrote about. The message is written as response letters are written, point by point. Why can’t we indicate two or three parts when dividing it, so that we can then calculate the subparts? All subjects of the message are equal to each other and are considered separately. It is therefore better to divide it into sections. After the preface, in which the inscription and greeting (1 Cor. 1, 1-3) and then the beginning of the message (1 Cor. 1, 4-9) will go: Second section (1 Cor. 5 and 1 Cor. 6). Fifth department at church meetings (1 Cor. 11:2-34). 1. Inscription and greeting (1 Cor. 1, 1–3) The inscription and greeting are, in general, the same as in all messages. But in particular, some sayings, presumably, were inserted by the holy Apostle for the purposes of the letter - these are: “called, by the will of God... sanctified in Christ Jesus... with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” They could very clearly respond in the hearts of those who were suffering from discord due to the election of teachers for themselves, according to the respect that their superstitious wisdom showed them. But if these words were accepted by the readers in this meaning, then from them a similar connotation passed on to all others; so in this very ordinary beginning of the letter the beginning of admonition was laid. 1 Corinthians 1:1. Paul, called an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes brother. Saint Paul calls himself called because it was so, in order to show that although he was not one of the 12, like them he was called directly by the Lord Himself, therefore he has the same authority as them. But since he does not show this in every message, the reason why he put it here was probably the special purposes of the message. This is how our interpreters look at it, trying to outline the Apostle’s thought from different angles. In causing discord between the Corinthians, who were divided according to teachers, there were, of course, instigators who presented themselves as precisely understanding the work of Christ and the Church, interpreters of the will of God, as if they were second Apostles. Calling themselves called, the Apostle says to them: I am called, and how are you? “I,” he says, “am not a self-ordained Apostle, how did you ordain yourself as an Apostle?” (Ecumenius). He reminds those who were carried away by their speculations to do the same. - “I was sent by Christ, not self-ordained, like your current new teachers” (Theophylact). "Apostle Jesus Christ". After that, these ordinary words received a special connotation, such as: “You borrow names from people, but I call myself not from people, but from Him who called me and made me an Apostle of Jesus Christ” (Theodoret), or this: “Our teacher Christ, why did you make people your teachers?” (Ecumenius). “Why are you adding yourself to the list of students of human teachers?” (Theophylact). - Or this: “It was not I myself, he says, who invented what I was taught, and did not comprehend it with my own wisdom, but having been called when I persecuted and devastated the Church. Here, one might say, everything belongs to the Caller, and nothing belongs to the called, except obedience. Your teacher is Christ; but you consider people to be the leaders of teaching” (St. Chrysostom). "By the will of God". It was the will of God to call me and appoint me as the Apostle of the tongues. It pleased Him to bring me to you and make you hear His word. “God wanted you to be saved in this way” (St. Chrysostom), “He wanted me to be your Apostle. Why do you want other teachers now? Do you want to go against God? (Theophylact). "Sosthenes brother". It is true that Sosthenes was known to the Corinthians and was held in high esteem by them; otherwise Saint Paul would not have included him among himself. But who was he? It is very likely that it was the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth who was beaten on the occasion of the indignation there against St. Paul (Acts 18:17). These beatings cannot be explained otherwise than by some contact of Sosthenes with the preaching of St. Paul. If he was not yet a Christian then, he was inclined to be so; beatings for Christ could not remain without a trace for him: they usually attracted grace. It is very likely that he abandoned Judaism, clung to St. Paul and was his helper. That is why he is called a brother, not only as a Christian, but also as a unanimous collaborator. This is what Theodoret believes; Saint Demetrius of Rostov agrees with him. Saint Chrysostom and others do not say anything about this, but only make moral instructions from this arrangement with themselves - the Apostle and Sosthenes. So Saint Chrysostom says that Saint Paul “expressed humility by placing alongside himself someone who was much smaller than him; for there is a great distance between Paul and Sosthenes. If, despite such a distance, he placed the inferior along with himself, then what can those who despise those of equal honor say? The Apostle did this “to the shame of the highly wise Corinthians, who looked down on everyone” (Theophylact). The Apostle said this as if: “Do not think that by arrogating to myself the dignity of a teacher, I am superior to you. Behold, I place Sosthenes alongside myself, and call him brother, and together with him I send a message, making him a partner in all that is mine. Why am I attacking you? - Because the exaltation of learning is harmful to you. This is not at all useful to you, and those who listen to you deviate from the proper order because of you, and through this the single body of the Church is divided into parts” (Ecumenius). 1 Corinthians 1:2. The Church of God existing in Corinth, sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, the same and ours. “Everything that has been said contains a cure for the disease, because it connects that in which, unfortunately, separation has occurred. And firstly, the Apostle calls the Corinthians the one Church of God and adds: “about Christ Jesus,” and not about this or that. He calls them both called and saints and connects them with those who have believed in the whole universe, teaching that it is necessary not only for them to remain in one mind, but also for all who believed the saving preaching to have one way of thinking, as constituting a single body of the Lord Christ” (Theodoret). This is a general idea of ​​the content of the present place. Our other interpreters explain some sayings in more detail. "The Church of God existing in Corinth". “The “Church” is not this or that, but “God’s.” Do you see how with every expression he casts down their arrogance, raising their minds to heaven in every possible way? He calls the “Church” “God’s”, expressing that there must be unity in it; for if it is “God’s,” then it is united and is one not only in Corinth, but throughout the entire universe. The name of the Church is not a name of division, but of unity and harmony” (St. Chrysostom). Moreover, “if you are the Church of God, then how do you distribute yourself among people?” (Ecumenius). "Sanctified in Christ Jesus". This explains why they are the Church of God. Because they are sanctified; and they are sanctified when, by faith, they receive holy baptism and the laying on of hands or anointing. The grace of the Holy Spirit indwelling them made them sanctified. “What is sanctification? - Washing, cleansing. He reminds them of the uncleanness from which he delivered them, and teaches them humility, for they are sanctified not for their own good deeds, but because of God’s love for mankind” (St. Chrysostom). “And this is what is important, and not the earthly wisdom with which you exalt yourself” (Theophylact). "Called saints". Called to holiness, they gave their word to live in holiness and received the grace of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments to exactly fulfill this word. Those who perform it are holy. But the source of everything is title. A calling came from above, they believed, and as a result they became holy. “And the very fact that you are saved by faith is not from you, he says: for you were not the first to come, but were called, so that even this little thing does not entirely belong to you. Although you began having been guilty of many evils, you owe this not to yourself, but to God. Therefore, in his letter to the Ephesians, he says: “Salvation is by grace through faith, and this not from yourselves” (Eph. 2:8). And faith does not entirely belong to you, for you yourself did not believe before God, but obeyed when you were called” (St. Chrysostom). "With all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus in every place." “The name is not so-and-so, but the Lord. Everywhere. Although the letter was written only to the Corinthians, it refers to all believers throughout the universe, expressing that the Church should be one everywhere, although it is located in different places. The place divides, but the Lord unites, as the common Lord of all. Just as those who are in one place, when they have many masters who disagree with each other, are divided, and the place does not in the least contribute to their being in unity, because the masters give them different orders and each demands his own, so those who are in different places, when they do not have different masters, but only one, do not lose agreement from place to place, because one Lord unites them. So, he says, you Corinthians must be in agreement not only with the Corinthians, but also with all believers throughout the entire universe, as having a common Lord” (St. Chrysostom). The words: “the same and ours” seem to refer more closely to “in every place,” as an explanation. Others accept it that way. And let them be accepted. But the words “in every place” are clear in themselves and their explanation is unnecessary. Therefore, our holy interpreters αυτων τε και ημων - they and we are referred not to “in every place,” but to “with all those who call on the Lord,” and from here they derive an important thought as an incentive to unity, that the Lord is equally the Lord of them, that is, of all those who call, and ours with you. Saint Chrysostom says that this whole passage should be understood as if it read: “grace and peace to you who are in Corinth, who are called saints, not to you alone, but together with everyone in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours.” The Apostle added a second time - ημων, so that any of the foolish would not think that he was allowing division when he said: “the name of our Lord.” Therefore, at the end he again added αυτων τε και ημων, in order to make it clear that he meant: “Our Lord and theirs.” So is Theodorit with Ecumenium and Theophylact. 1 Corinthians 1:3. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “In good time the Apostle wished them grace and peace, as they were divided and at odds with each other; He presented not only the Father, but also the Son as the giver of grace and peace, thereby proving the equality of the Father and the Son” (Theodoret). Both grace and peace are from God. Grace brings peace, and where there is no peace, it is doubtful that there will be grace there. “Therefore, I wish that you always have both of these blessings, so that you do not fall away from grace or from the world, disagreeing with each other. But how did you distribute yourselves among different persons - people, and seek grace and favor from them, as if from teachers? (Theophylact). 2. Beginning of the message (1 Cor. 1:4–9) a) The Apostle thanks God for the grace of faith and spiritual gifts given to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4–7), b) hoping that He will keep them innocent to the end (1 Cor. 8–9). a) The Apostle thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:4-7). Thanks to God for the grace of faith and for the gifts to the Corinthians, Saint Paul, among the gifts, names only the gift of speech and reason, because these subjects concerned the wrongs of the Corinthians, but he mentions in general about the other gifts that they are not deprived of a single one. With this beginning, “intending to expose, he first delights the ears in order to make them capable of receiving medicine; Meanwhile, what he said is not false, because he thanks God for the gifts that were actually given to him” (Theodoret). 1 Corinthians 1:4. I always thank my God for you, for the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. "I thank God." “What Saint Paul teaches others when he says: “Let your requests be made to God with thanksgiving” (Phil. 4:6), he himself does, inspiring us to begin everything with these words and to thank God first of all. For nothing pleases God more than gratitude both for oneself and for others. Why does Saint Paul begin almost every epistle like this, but here it was more necessary to do it than in others. For whoever gives thanks gives thanks as one who feels a good deed, and, as it were, repays for the grace given; grace is neither duty, nor reward, nor retribution. Everyone needs to know this, especially the Corinthians, who were inclined to side with those who divided the Church” (St. Chrysostom). "My God". “Out of great love, he assimilates to himself what belongs to everyone and calls God his own, as the Prophets usually expressed: “God, my God!” At the same time, he inspires them (the Corinthians and us) to say the same thing. He who says this, abandoning everything human, turns to Him whom he calls with great love. For this can be said by someone who, constantly turning to God from everyday things, prefers Him to everything and constantly thanks not only for the grace already given, but also for every good that he receives, and praises Him. Therefore, he did not just say: “I thank you,” but “always about you,” teaching them to always thank, and not to anyone else, but only to God” (St. Chrysostom). There is no exaggeration in the word “always”, and to explain it there is no need to further understand it: always when I stand in prayer, for you can always have a grateful heart, regardless of any activities or deeds. Equally, all other reverent feelings for God - fear of God, hope, surrender to the will of God, and especially love - can and should be constantly had. Whoever has them abides unceasingly with God and prays unceasingly. He thanks for the Corinthians, and meanwhile how many faults he exposes in them! From this we must conclude that the body of the Church was healthy and that infirmities broke through only on the outskirts, disturbing, of course, and endangering the entire Church, but not penetrating it all. “The grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus.” Here we mean the grace of faith in Christ the Lord with all the spiritual benefits of which it makes believers partakers. It is a great blessing from God when a locality, and especially a people, is enlightened by faith! In Christ Jesus there is unsearchable spiritual wealth. Those who cling to Him by faith immediately receive everything essential that is necessary in order to be a real Christian, and then, as they are faithful and successful in life in Christ the Lord, they are gradually taught other things, and there is no end to this completion. The Apostle here remembers everything that has already been communicated to the Corinthian Church, which they already possessed. Those who were faulty among them were reminded with these words: “So, if grace has been given to you, why are you arrogant? Why are you arrogant? And through whom is it given? Is it through me, or through another Apostle? – No, but through Jesus Christ, for this means the expression: “about Christ Jesus” (St. Chrysostom). “Through Jesus Christ, and not through so-and-so. Why do you listen to people (as if everything is from them)? (Theophylact). “Through Christ the Lord the Father has given you all things” (Ecumenius). 1 Corinthians 1:5. For you have been enriched in everything about Him, in every word and in every mind. ““Be rich in everything.” Through whom? – Again through Him (that is, the Lord Jesus Christ). And not just “be rich,” but “in everything.” So, you have wealth, and the riches of God, and in everything, and through the Only Begotten; what an ineffable treasure” (St. Chrysostom). He gives the reason why he said that grace was given to them in Christ Jesus. Therefore, he says, if you are rich in everything spiritually, then you are rich through Him. Remember what you were and see what you are now. You had nothing that you now have; but as soon as you believed and clung to the Lord, you see how you became rich in spirit. Or the impact of thought on “in everything”, and “as if” οτι – refers to “thank you”. I thank God for the grace that he has enriched you with everything. "In every word and in every mind". “These are the particular types of spiritual gifts, for it is said: “To one was given the word of wisdom, and to another the word of understanding, concerning the same Dus” (1 Cor. 2:8)” (Theodoret). By “word” we can mean the Word of God - Divine revelation, everything that God was pleased to reveal in the Lord Jesus Christ and communicate to people through the Apostles. All this Word, he says, has been handed over to you, you are enriched by it. Then he adds: “and reason.” Not only was the word conveyed to you, but its meaning was interpreted, and you were brought to understand it; You understand the entire economy of salvation to be complete and rich. So, the Apostle wanted to express: the whole will of God has been told to you and you have understood it, both are rich. This is a gift to you in Christ Jesus from God the Father. And I thank Him for this for you. Or by “word” the Apostle means the gift of speech, not natural, but grace-filled, the gift of clearly, accurately and convincingly expounding Divine teaching. And his thought is this: not only do you fully understand everything, but you also know how to express everything well. So Saint Chrysostom: “in every word” - not external, but God’s. There is understanding without words, and there is understanding with words. There are many who have reason and do not have words, just like the ignorant and who do not know how to clearly express what they contain in their minds. But you, he says, are not like that, but you are capable of understanding and speaking.” So are all ours. Since the Corinthians also had problems in using the gift of speech, it is very appropriate to assume that the Apostle understands this gift here too. The gift of speech, or the proper presentation of Christian teaching in the Church, is a gift of high price. It is beyond understanding: for with this only a person becomes rich in himself, and thereby riches others. 1 Corinthians 1:6. How the testimony of Christ will be known in you. “Likewise” - καθως, since, judging by the fact that the “testimony of Christ”, the testimony of Christ, of His Divinity, incarnation, suffering and death, resurrection and ascension, of the remission of sins for His sake and the bestowal of grace, and of the future hopes established on Him, is generally the preaching of Christ or the Gospel (Photius in Ecumenia and Theodorite), – “to be known” – εβεβαιωθη, firmly certified. Two thoughts are possible: it has become established in your mind, you have found its foundations solid and are convinced of its truth; and confirmed, proven by irrefutable arguments that it is true, comes from above and obliges us to accept it. These arguments were the signs and wonders that accompanied the gospel. “The Apostle calls the performance of miraculous signs the announcement of the Gospel, because they proved the truth of the sermon” (Theodoret). “You did not accept the sermon through the arguments of external wisdom, but through the signs and grace-filled gifts that you were honored with” (Theophylact). This last evidence combines both thoughts. They are also united by Saint Chrysostom: “Not by external philosophy,” he says, and not by external teaching, but by the grace of God, you learned the dogmas of truth and were confirmed in the testimony of the Lord, that is, in preaching. For you were rewarded with many signs, many wonders, unspeakable grace when you accepted the preaching. So, if you have been established by signs and grace, why do you waver?” What does the Apostle confirm by this? - That the grace of God was richly poured out on them. That this is exactly so, I, he says, judge by the way your preaching has become established. 1 Corinthians 1:7. For you will not be deprived of a single gift, awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Yako” – ωστε, so. Grace has been poured out upon you richly, so that I must say that you are not lacking in any talent. What is given everywhere is given to you. No Church has anything more than you have. But what gifts does the Apostle mean? - Or those with whom they were enriched: “for they were also involved in prophetic grace, they spoke in different languages, which the Apostle later shows more clearly” (Theodoret); or those that the Apostle revealed in himself among them, “that is, the signs that were revealed to them among them, as he says in his second letter to them: “For the signs of the Apostle were done... in you in signs, and wonders, and powers. What is there that you have lost more than other churches” (2 Cor. 12:12-13)?” (Saint Chrysostom). Both of them are all a matter of grace, the generosity of which the Apostle displays throughout this small initial section, so that later he can more boldly express corrective lessons to them. Saint Chrysostom sees here an indication of the first type of talent. But this gave rise to such an important question for him: “if they are enriched with every word and lack no gift, then how are they called carnal? If they had all this in the beginning, how much more so now? Why does he call them carnal? “I cannot say to you,” he says, “as if you were spiritual, but as if you were carnal” (1 Cor. 3:1). What can I say to this? - That they, having at first believed and received all kinds of gifts, later became negligent. Or if not so, then not both are said to everyone, but one to those worthy of reproof, and the other to those worthy of praise. And that they still had gifts, he says about this like this: “other to have a psalm, to have a revelation, to have a tongue, to have a legend: let everything be for creation...” And again: “let two or three prophets speak” (1 Cor. 14, 26, 29). We can also say that, as we usually talk about most of them as a whole, so he said here. In addition, it seems to me that he is hinting at his deeds, that is, at signs. Thus, he either, as I said, recalls his deeds, or says this to those who are even more worthy of praise. For there were many saints there who dedicated themselves to the service of the saints and became the firstfruits of Achaia, as he says at the end of the epistle (1 Cor. 6:15). On the other hand, even if the praises were not very close to the truth, they are prudently given in order to predispose them to accept the word. Whoever speaks strictly from the very beginning blocks the ears of the weak from hearing his words. If the listeners are equal to him in dignity, they become angry; if much lower than him, then they indulge in grief. To prevent this from happening, he apparently begins with praise: the praise itself did not relate to them, but to the grace of God; for remission of sins and justification is a gift from above. Therefore, he especially expands on those things in which God’s love for mankind is expressed, in order to better heal them from their illness.” “To those who wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “To those who are expecting” – απεκδεχομενους, waiting with a strong, intense desire, as if holding outstretched hands in order to receive what is expected. “Revelation” - the second coming of the Lord, when He will openly appear to everyone and be seen by everyone. Even now He is with everyone, as He promised: “Behold, I am with you until the end of the age.” But there is something hidden, and then it will appear openly. Then His power, greatness and glory will be revealed in all its splendor, as the Judge of the entire universe; all the greatness of His Kingdom will be revealed. What is the connection between these words and the previous speech? It says ahead: the Lord called you, revealed His will to you, provided you with all gifts; Now you have nothing to expect from Him, you have everything. You have one thing to look forward to - His second coming. You look up to him. And be in this hope, doing, of course, everything that this obliges you to do, that is, remaining unshakably faithful to His holy will. Having expressed the Apostle's thought in this way, we come directly to what is said in the next verse, where the Apostle expresses the hope that the Lord will indeed keep them so to the end. Consequently, these words stand here as a transition to the next. Our dogmas end with the second coming of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. In the moral structure of a Christian, when he truly walks, all attention also rests on these last moments. He stands in them and uses them to maintain his energy and vivacity. The Corinthians learned this from the Apostle, who almost always reduces his speeches to these last hopes of Christians when he expresses his well-wishes. He does the same now, writing to the Corinthians. He mentioned this as if in passing, in order to express the subsequent goodwill, but his words themselves already evoked a whole series of intelligible thoughts. Saint Chrysostom says: “Look with what wisdom, having rejected them from everything human, he brings them into fear, reminding them of the Last Judgment and showing that not only a good beginning is required, but also an end. With talents and with any virtue, you need to remember this day; and it takes a lot of work to get to the end. He calls this day “revelation,” expressing that although it is still invisible, it is there, it is coming now, and then it will appear. Therefore, you need to have patience; For this reason you have been worthy of miracles, so that you may remain strong.” b) The Apostle expresses the hope that God will preserve them to the end (1 Cor. 1:8-9) 1 Corinthians 1:8. He will also strengthen you even to the end, even though you are innocent, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said that everything was supplied and equipped for the journey; ahead is only the revelation of Christ. But the gap is long. The apostle says: do not think that you are left alone. The Lord, whom you wait for, will be your helper and guardian on your journey. He will establish you in faith and in living by faith, and will present you guiltless of anything at His day. This is my hope for you! Such is my good wish for you! - “It will confirm” - βεβαιωσει, and will give you moral firmness, and will assure you that you will not waver, you will remain firm “to the end” - whether until the end of your life, until the minute of the appearance of the Lord - in any case until the moment when your eternal fate must be decided. “Innocent” is the goal and fruit of the affirmation, so that you will appear innocent both in faith and in life. “I wished them both confirmation and impeccability” (Theodoret). - “On the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,” that is, on the day of judgment: for it is the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9. God is faithful, Who quickly called His Son Jesus Christ our Lord into fellowship. This is what St. Paul bases his hope on! On God's fidelity to Himself, His promises and orders. – The very fact that someone receives existence is a sign of God’s great favor - His desire to bless man: for God cannot give existence for suffering. But the fact that someone is called into the communion of the Son of God is such an order as if someone took someone by the hand and led him into the chambers of delight. You are called, he says, into the fellowship of the Son of God. The Son of God said that where He is, there His servant will be; and He is at the right hand of God in glory and majesty. Therefore, the same awaits you. This is God's will for you! – One thing remains for you - to remain faithful servants of the Son of God. The Lord will confirm you in this - He will confirm you if you yourself do not prevent Him from doing this for you. Saint Chrysostom says to this: “God is faithful,” he says, that is, true. If He is faithful, He will do what He promised; and He promised to make you fellow members of the Only Begotten Son; For this purpose He called, “unrepentantly for the gifts and calling of God” (Rom. 11:29). He speaks about this now first of all, so that after strong accusations they do not fall into despair. What God promised will certainly be fulfilled, unless we ourselves strongly resist, just as the Jews, when called, did not want to accept the benefits. This depended no longer on the Caller, but on their ingratitude. He wanted to give, but they did not want to accept and thus deprived themselves of what was offered. If He called them to a difficult and grave task, then at least their disobedience would not deserve forgiveness, but at least they could refer to it. If they are called to purification, to justification, to sanctification, to redemption, to grace, to the gift, to the good things prepared for them, “for which eye has not seen and ear has not heard” (1 Cor. 2:9), if God calls, and calls Himself, then can those who do not turn to Him be worthy of forgiveness? Therefore let no one blame God. For unbelief does not come from Him who calls, but from those who disobey. But you say: it would be possible to bring those who don’t want to? - No; God does not do violence or coercion. And who, calling for honors, crowns, celebrations, will drag someone against the will of the bound one? Nobody; because this is characteristic of the coercive. He sends you to Gehenna against your will, but He calls you into the Kingdom voluntarily; leads those bound and weeping into the fire, but not so to countless blessings, for the blessings themselves would not be desired if they were not by their nature such that they were strived for voluntarily and in the consciousness of their great dignity.” You might be interested in: