Interpretation of the First Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Paul the Apostle

Head 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1. Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ called by the will of God. Here is a beginning, which will immediately expose a false teacher. I was called, he says, and I did not invent it myself, nor did I achieve it with my own wisdom, but Christ sent me. I did not ordain myself like your teachers. Jesus Christ. This means that his teacher is Jesus Christ. How do you determine the people who will be your teachers? By the will of God. He saved us and called us, but not because we were worthy of it, but because it was so pleasing to Him. Even now, He wants me to be your apostle. How come you want other teachers? Aren't you then opponents of God? Due to modesty, he also mentions a man who was much smaller than him. He acted in such a way as to shame the haughty Corinthians, who despised everything. To the Church of God which is in Corinth. To the Church, not this or that, but: the Church of God. How is it that you have people as front-men? If you are the Church, you must be in complete unity. Sanctified in Christ Jesus. You are not sanctified in some man, but in Christ, that is. through baptism, not through the wisdom or wealth of which you boast. And only that, he says, that you believed, is not from yourselves, but you obeyed and believed because you were called by God. That is why faith has its beginning in God. If He had not called you, you would not have believed. With all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place. Grace and peace, he says, be not only with you, Corinthians, but with all who call on the name of Christ, and not (the name of) this or that. He mentions believers in every place, to show that all believers, no matter where they are, form one Church. How then did you, living in one city, become divided? On the other hand, he adds ours, because when he said our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, he said: Our Lord and theirs", to show that we have a Bishop in common. Some, after all, understand these words literally: in every place, both with them and with us, i.e. and where we live, and where they live. 3. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace from God. Even before, when we were His enemies, by His grace we received peace, and I pray that you will always have both from God, that is, that you will not fall away either from His grace or from peace, since you live in mutual disagreements. How is it that you attach yourself to people and ask them, like a teacher, for grace and favor? 4. I give thanks constantly. It teaches us to be grateful. This is how he acts in almost every epistle. However, now he is speaking specifically about gratitude, because gratitude follows charity. Charity, on the other hand, is neither a debt nor a salary. Therefore, in this way, he destroys the pride of the Corinthians. Because of his great love, he appropriates God, Who is common to all, for himself. For you, by the grace of God. With this, he also teaches the Corinthians to always be grateful to God and not to their works, because he says: I give thanks to the grace of God and not to your works. Which is given to you in Christ Jesus. That is, through Jesus Christ, not through this or that. Then why do you pay attention to people? 5. That you are enriched in everything in Him. The expression in Him is again used instead of through Him. When, therefore, you have wealth, and that wealth of God, in everything and that through the Only Begotten Himself, how then, you, ungrateful ones, appoint people as your teachers? In every word and every knowledge. There is also a word (letter, speech) without knowledge, when, for example, someone speaks emptyly and without any thought. There is also knowledge without words, when one thinks of sublime objects but does not find the words to express them. You, however, have both speech and divine knowledge so that you can both think and speak. 6. As the testimony of Christ is established in you. The word as stands instead of "through which". Through the word, he says, and knowledge, with which you have enriched yourself, your testimony has also been established, i.e. a sermon about Christ. You did not receive that sermon through external wisdom, but through signs and gifts that you were worthy of. 7. So that you do not lack in any gracious gift. If they did not lack in any grace gift, how is it that he calls them carnal in the following (see ch. 3; 1)? To that we will say: neither were all spiritual, nor were all carnal. That is why everything he is talking about now, he is talking about the spiritual, while in the following he is talking about the carnal. Or, perhaps, at first they received every gift, but then they became careless and began to live according to the flesh. You who await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here he terrifies them, mentioning the Second Coming of Christ. If Christ is going to appear, how come you have other people's superiors? It also shows that virtues are needed in addition to gifts. On that day, gifts will not help the one who has not lived virtuously (cf. Mt. 7:21-23). Finally, the word revelation expresses the thought that Christ is present even now, but hidden, and that he will then be revealed (appear). 8. Who will confirm you to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word establish shows that they waver, and the word blameless shows that they now deserve rebuke. In this Epistle, more often than in others, the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned, in order to remind the Corinthians who saved them and whose name they bear. Christians are called so after Christ, not after some man. 9. God is faithful who has called you into the community of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. That is, God is true. If He is true, and He called us into the community of His Son, that is, in order to glorify us together with His Son in His Kingdom, then it is obvious that He will fulfill what He promised. He invited you, he says, which means that you did not approach because of your own motivation. How then are you proud of your deeds? Note that here is a pronoun that refers directly to the Father. 10. I am begging you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Intending to address them more strictly, he first announces that he is pleading with them through Christ. I, he says, cannot pray to you alone, but I call for help in the name of the Lord, by which you also call yourselves Christians and which you have offended by wanting to be called by the names of men. Shame on you for that! That you all speak the same and that there are no divisions (= schisms) among you What am I asking you for? That you all agree and that there is no dissension (split, division) among you. Although it seems that in that which is divided there are many instead of one, in essence (the one) does not become many (for what is the use if the body is cut into many parts?): in it the unity has failed. Therefore, he very expressively called what was happening between them rifts (rifts). With that word, he clearly shows how deplorable their condition was. But to be established in the same reason (way of thinking, mind, spirit, and the same thought in the same inclination of the will). He said before: that you all speak the same. So that they would not think that agreement consists only in words, he adds: in the same way of thinking in the same mind, reason), i.e. please also think the same. Many people think the same about one thing and different about another. Therefore he added: that you be established (in the same way of thinking). that is, that you think the same completely and about every thing. Many, again, agree in opinion, but differ in the inclination of the spirit (will). For example, when we all have the same faith, but are not united to each other by love, then we think the same, but differ according to the inclinations of the spirit (will). That is why he said: in one opinion (reason, mind) and added: and in one inclination of the spirit (will), so that they would not differ either in terms of faith or in regard to the inclination of the spirit (will). 11. Because I heard about you, my brothers, from Chloe's. In order not to deny it, he also names the witnesses, and so that it does not turn out that he is inventing them, he mentions them by name and says: From Chloe's. There was a home in Corinth, which they called Chloe's. He calls them brothers. Although their sin was undisguised, nothing prevented him from calling them brothers. After all, he didn't even say who had just informed him, but pointed to the whole household in general, so as not to arouse hostility towards someone (certain) of them. Revealing what he heard from others, he uses a milder term: quarrels. However, when he speaks on his own behalf, he also calls it discord, which is far worse than quarrels. 12. And I say this because each one of you says: I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, 1 and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. This is not said by some, but by each of you. After all, the Corinthians did not speak like that, but the apostle shaped his letter in such a way to show them that it is unforgivable to be called Paul's or Cephi's, and even more so to be called by other people's names. I'm Kiffin. He did not mention Peter after himself because of that, in order to exalt himself, but because he thereby showed him greater honor, similar to how he also mentioned Christ at the end. In general, in things that should not have happened, he mentions himself first. And I am Christ's. He does not rebuke them because they say: And I am Christ's, but because not all of them speak like that. Rather, he added it himself, wanting to make the defacement stronger and to show that Christ was being appropriated by a part of them, although the Corinthians did not act in this way. 13. Did Christ divide? Why did you divide Christ? Why did you tear His body apart? These are words filled with anger. Some of the words: Did Christ divide himself were understood in the following way: did Christ divide the Church with the people, then took one part and gave the other to them? Lest Paul be crucified for you? With this, he refutes their inappropriate behavior and mentions his name, so that they do not think that he mentions the names of others out of envy. He did not say: "Did Paul create you or did he create you", but, far more, he points to the unspeakable humanity of Christ and talks about the cross. He didn't even say: "Did Paul die for you", but: was he crucified, thus indicating the seeming dishonor of such a death. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I, he says, baptized many, but in the name of Christ. He talks about baptism because of the fact that dissensions originated from there, because they were called by the names of those who baptized them. It is not about whether someone baptized them, but in whose name he baptized them, because sins are forgiven by Christ, not the one who baptizes. 14. I thank God that I did not baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius. Why, he says, are you proud of the fact that you baptize, when I thank God that I did not baptize? He does not say this to diminish the value of baptism, but to restrain the Corinthians, who flaunted baptism. Baptism is great, but baptism is unimportant (lit. "baptism is not great"). 15. So that no one would say that I baptized in my own name. I say this not because it is really so, but because I am afraid that the disease will not reach such a degree. Namely, if on the occasion when insignificant people were baptizing them, there was such a discord, then in the event that I, who preach baptism, had baptized, some would have attributed to me that I am baptizing in my own name. 16. And I also baptized the house of Stephen. That is, everyone who was in Stefanin's home. He was a prominent and notable man in Corinth. I don't know if I baptized anyone else. He says, I don't care about baptism to such an extent that I don't even remember if I baptized anyone else. How come you are proud of baptism? 17. Because Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Preaching the gospel is far more difficult and requires a particularly steadfast soul. Convincing a man and moving him away from his father's traditions, and perfecting all this in the midst of great dangers, is truly the work of a great and courageous soul. The one who was thus prepared for baptism could be baptized by anyone who had a priestly rank. However, if he was not sent to baptize, then how did he baptize? He was not sent primarily for that, but he was not forbidden to baptize either. He was sent for a more important work, but he was not forbidden to fulfill that which is less important. Not with wise words, so as not to weaken the cross of Christ. After humiliating the arrogance of those who were proud of baptism, he now turns to those who were proud of external wisdom and says: "He (Christ) sent me to preach, but not with wise words, i.e. eloquently and with chosen expressions, so that the cross or the sermon about the cross would not be damaged and humiliated», because that is what the expression means: so that it is not weakened, i.e., that they are shown to be useless and harmful. In addition, if the apostles had preached with wise words, some might say that they were persuading with the power of words and not with the power of what was preached, and that would be a shame and humiliation for the Crucified One. Preaching with simplicity, they showed that everything is perfected by the power of the Crucified. The power of the cross can be weakened in another way. For example, Yelin asks me about something divine, which goes beyond our understanding. If I begin to prove to him by means of syllogisms and external wisdom, I will show myself to be weak, because no reason can explain divine things. Thus, my weakness will be shown as the weakness of the sermon, and thus the cross will also be weakened, because it will be shown to be empty and useless. 18. Because the word about the cross is foolishness to those who perish... Having said that the unbelieving wise men perish, he confirms this with Scripture, because it says: The wisdom of the wise will perish (Isa. 29:14). Think, of course, of external wisdom, because in the wisdom of this world there is no reason (and it is not wisdom), and the reason of those who consider themselves reasonable and learned will be rejected. 20. Where is the sage? Where is the writer? Where is the debater of this century? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? Having cited the testimony from the Scriptures, he proves his thought on the basis of works and deconstructs it, as Jeline - with the words: Where is the wise man, so also the Jews, with the words: Where is the scribe! He called those who base everything on syllogisms and research as disputants. None of them saved us, but the fishermen led us out of our delusion. The phrase, Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness, was used instead: it showed that she was foolish, because she was unable to find the truth. 21. Since, therefore, in the wisdom of God, the world does not know God through wisdom, it pleases God to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. It states the cause by which outward wisdom turned into folly (foolishness). Since in wisdom, which is manifested in creation (because heaven and earth and all creation preach about the Creator, see Ps.18:2 and Rom.1:20), the world (i.e. those who think about the worldly) did not know God (obviously because it was prevented from doing so by wisdom, as he saw in eloquence), God was pleased to save the believers with the simplicity of preaching (which only looked like folly, although, in things, she wasn't like that). Therefore, the Jelins had the wisdom of God as their teacher, i.e. that which is visible in creation, but they did not know God, because they were guided by wisdom that consists in eloquence and which, in fact, is not wisdom. 22. Because the Jews also seek signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom. 23. And we preach Christ crucified... Paul wants to show how God creates opposite effects with opposite means, and says: "When I say believe to a Jew, he immediately, as a confirmation of the preaching, looks for a sign." We, however, preach Christ crucified, and this not only shows no signs but, on the contrary, looks like weakness. And again, that same thing, which seems weak and completely contrary to what the Jews are looking for, leads him to faith, and this shows the great power of God. Jelini, on the other hand, ask us for wisdom, and we preach the cross to them, which means that we preach the crucified God. It seems crazy, but they and the team are convinced. So, isn't this a proof of the greatest power, when it convinces them exactly what is contrary to what they are looking for?» A disgrace to the Jews, and madness to the Jews. To the Jews, he says. The Crucified serves as a scandal because they stumbled over Him, saying: "How can He be God, Who ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, and Who was crucified with robbers?" The Jelins, on the other hand, scoff at this secret as folly, when they hear that only by faith, and not by the syllogisms to which they are so attached, can they understand that God was crucified and that the sermon on the cross is not adorned with eloquence. 24. To those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom. To the unbelieving Jews, he says, Christ serves as a stumbling block, and to the unbelieving Hellenes it looks like madness, because neither of them find in Him the signs and wisdom they are looking for. Called Judeans and Hellenes, i.e. to those called by God as worthy, Christ reveals in Himself both, what they are looking for. Why are you, Judean, actually looking for signs? Here is Christ, God's sign-making power. And you, Jelin, what are you saying? You seek wisdom? Here is Christ, who is the wisdom of the Father. 25. Because the folly of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. He calls the cross foolishness, because that is what they thought of him. However, he is wiser than men: the philosophers occupied themselves with vain and useless objects, and the cross saved the world. Furthermore, he seems weak to them, just as the crucified Christ also seems weak. He is, however, stronger than men, not only because despite the efforts of countless people to trample on this name, he (the cross) flourishes more and more, but also because, as it seems to be a weak weapon, a powerful devil is bound to it. After all, you can also understand it this way: the wise (superwise) in God is called unwise, that is, foolishness or foolishness, and everything that is powerful is called weak (weak), similarly as His overlight is called darkness and darkness (darkness). 2 26. For look, brothers, at you who are called: there are not many wise in the flesh, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Look, he says, and examine those called to faith. You will find that there are not many of you who are wise in the flesh, ie. at first glance and adapted to this life. He did not say: "there are no wise", but: there are not many. Note, then, the power of preaching, because it taught ignorant people such wise dogmas, and showed outward wisdom to be useless. 27. But what is foolish before the world is what God chose to shame the wise; and what is weak before the world, God chose to shame the strong. For Jeline, in fact, the biggest shame was to see how the street craftsman surpasses them in love of wisdom (philosophy), and how the weak and despised humiliate the powerful and rich. 28. And that which is ignoble before the world and humiliated, God chose, and that which is void to destroy that which is. He calls those, which they looked at as if they did not exist, as nothing, and those, which they considered to mean something, as what is. To show them how vain and useless they are, God chose those whom they considered worthless. When you hear: chose, don't think that He inevitably wanted to choose the despised and reject the famous. No. However, as the famous were puffed up in their wisdom and therefore did not accept the sermon, God found that those who were not proud of anything were more able to accept it. 29. That no body should boast before God. God, he says, acted in this way in order to destroy the pride and ostentatiousness of those who thought about the worldly, and to convince them to attribute everything they received from Him to Him and not to show off in front of Him. How come you Corinthians are proud of that? Note, among other things, that we did not say without reason that the reprobate were not worthy of preaching because of their pride. 30. From Him you are also in Christ Jesus. The words: do not understand from Him as a general bringing (from non-being) into being, but as bringing into being. The meaning of these words is as follows: you have become a child of God and from Him, having become His sons, you are in Christ, i.e. through Christ. In other words: the choice of the non-noble (non-noble, non-noble) shows that they are more noble (noble) than all, because they have God as their Father. Who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That is, He made us wise, righteous, holy and free, because that is what the word redemption means, ie. deliverance from slavery. Besides, having chosen the ignoble, He made them noble (noble), because they became sons of God. Thus he made the ignorant wise, becoming wisdom for us. Why didn't he say: "he made us wise", but: we became wise! Therefore, in order to show the abundance of the gift. With that, he seemed to say: he gave himself to us. Expressing himself sublimely about the Son, he added: from God, so that you would not consider Him (the Son) unborn, and turned to His cause, the Father. Finally, note the order: first, he made them wise, freeing them from delusion and teaching them the knowledge of God. Then he made them righteous, granting them forgiveness of sins. Finally, he sanctified them with the Holy Spirit and thus gave them perfect freedom and redemption from all evil. In this way, we belong to Him alone and are only in His dominion. 31. Let it be as it is written: He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. All of this, he says, was done so that no one would consider himself important and boast about himself or someone else, but only praise God, who has given us such great goods. How come you are proud of yourselves and teachers - people? 1. And I, having come to you, brothers, did not come with a lofty word or wisdom to tell you the testimony of God. It is not only, he says, that ignorant and humble people were chosen as disciples of the Gospel, but I, the preacher of the Gospel, have come to announce to you without eloquence and human wisdom the testimony of God, i.e. the death of Christ. Note that the preacher was also a simple and ignorant man and that the subject of the sermon was death and the cross. Despite that, he won. It is obvious, therefore, that the force that made all this is ineffable. What does that mean? Couldn't Paul, if he wanted to, come with wisdom? He himself could not, since he was truly a simple and ignorant man. Christ could do that, who gave him even more than that. However, that would not be favorable for the sermon, because for Christ, there is more glory in the fact that he won over others with Paul's simplicity, than if he had achieved it with wisdom and eloquence. 2. Because I reasoned that I do not know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and that crucified. And Christ, he says, wanted me to be a simple man, so I also think that it is better (that I do not know external wisdom at all, but that I only know that Christ was crucified and that I know how to preach to you about Him). 3. And I was among you in weakness and in fear and in great trembling. He says, I did not come to you lacking only in words, but I also lived among you in weakness, fear and trembling, i.e. among persecutions, temptations and countless dangers. He too, like a man, was afraid of danger, and even trembled because of it. For this reason, he is worthy of great praise, because, being of the same nature as us, he overcame us by his will. With these words, he shows the power of Christ, that is, that He overcame so many obstacles, and at the same time destroys the pride of the Corinthians who relied on wisdom, wealth and strength. 4. Both my word and my sermon would not be in the convincing words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power. My sermon was not decorated with external persuasiveness and eloquence, but consisted in showing the Spirit, that is, it had as its evidence the Holy Spirit Himself. This means that the apostle, either through gracious service to the Logos (Word), announced the faith to his listeners in some unusual way, or that he created signs and wonders, since he added: and powers, i.e. characters. In essence, seeing the dead raised was a powerful proof of the truth of the faith. As demons also create signs by means of appearances, the apostle added the word power, having previously mentioned the Spirit. This showed that his signs depended on the Holy Spirit. After all, the word power can be understood in a different way: since he said that he did not come in wisdom but in weakness, he connects the word in the manifestation of the Spirit to wisdom, and the word power opposes weakness and as if to say: although I suffered persecution and was scourged, I was stronger and stronger, and this serves as the greatest proof of the word. 5. That your faith should not be in human wisdom but in the power of God. Human wisdom is called persuasiveness and eloquence, while under the power of God, as previously shown, it means the strengthening of the weak and persecuted, and also the showing of signs. In this way, Corinthians, your faith was also established - not by the ability to speak persuasively and eloquently, but by the power of God. 6. And we speak of wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the princes of this age who are transitory. Previously, he called the sermon folly because that's what the Jellini called it. However, having proved by his own actions that this is true wisdom, he finally boldly calls the preaching of Christ wisdom and salvation by the cross Death, to destroy death is the work of the greatest wisdom. He calls the believers perfect, because they are truly perfect: since they have despised all earthly strivings towards heaven. He calls external wisdom the wisdom of this age because it is temporary and ends with this age. He does not call the princes of this century demons, as some thought, but wise men who compiled sermons and speakers who were with the people's leaders and elders. Since they are also temporary, he calls them princes of this century and transitory, i.e. to those whose existence will be terminated, not eternal. 7. Rather, we speak the wisdom of God in a hidden secret... He calls preaching about Christ a secret. At the same time, it is also a secret sermon, because even the angels did not know about it before it was heralded. (1 Peter 1:12). We, on the other hand, seeing one thing in her, think of another. I see the cross and suffering and I think of force. I see a servant, and I bow to the Master. The power of wisdom is hidden completely for unbelievers, but only partially for the faithful, because now we see as in a mirror (cf. 1Cor.13:12). Which was predestined by God centuries ago for our glory. The word predestination indicates God's love for us. We are truly loved by the One who has long been ready to give us charity. Thus, centuries ago, God predestined for us the salvation of the cross, the salvation that constitutes the greatest wisdom. He spoke of our glory because He made us partakers of glory. It is a glory for the servant to be a participant in the hidden mystery together with the Master. 8. Which none of the princes of this century knew. Here he calls Herod and Pilate as princes. After all, we will not make a mistake if we mean high priests and writers by princes. The words: this century express, as previously stated, their temporary rule. Because if they had known her, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. As it has already been said, that they knew the wisdom and secrets of the divine economy (household), i.e. the secret of the Incarnation of God, the secret of the Cross, the secret of calling and adopting the Gentiles, the secret of rebirth, adoption and inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, in a word - all the secrets that the Holy Spirit revealed to the apostles. Likewise, if the high priests had known that their city would be conquered 3 and that they themselves would be taken into slavery, they would not have crucified Christ. He called Christ here the Lord of glory. As they considered the cross something shameful (inglorious), it shows that Christ did not lose His glory in the least through the cross. On the contrary, He glorified Himself even more, because He manifested His love for humanity through the cross. So, if they did not know, should they be forgiven for this sin? Of course, if they had repented and converted after that, their sin would have been forgiven (forgiven), as it was forgiven to Paul and many of the Jews. 9. Than as it is written. The words are missing: "that's how it happened." In many places the apostle omits words which are implied. What the eye does not see and the ear does not hear, and what does not enter the heart of man, God has prepared for those who love Him. What has God accomplished for those who love Him? Knowing Christ and salvation through the Incarnation. No human eye has seen it, no ear has heard it, and no human heart has entered it. The prophets did not see with human eyes, nor did they listen with human ears, nor did they understand the revelations about Christ with a human mind (see Isa. 64:4), but with them everything was divine. It is said: The Lord gave me an ear, of course, a spiritual one, and the rest, similar to that. And who are they, that they love God? Believing. Besides, where is that saying written? Maybe it was really written with those words. Now, however, that book does not exist. Finally, perhaps the wise Paul conveyed the following verse with that saying: For they will see what they were not told and they will understand what they did not listen to (Isa. 52:15). 10. And God revealed to us by His Spirit. Someone might ask: if it didn't come to the human heart, then how did you know about it? He answers: God revealed to us by the Spirit and not by human wisdom, because she was not worthy of it, nor could she see the secrets of God. Because the Spirit examines everything, even the depths of God. 11. For who among men knows what is in man except the spirit of man that is in him? Likewise, no one knows what is in God except the Spirit of God. Such, he says, was the secret, and it was so hidden that we could not have found it out from anyone, if the Spirit, Who knows the depths of God, had not taught us. The word examines does not indicate ignorance, but perfect knowledge, similar to what was said about the Father: You examine the hearts (Ps. 7; 10), instead of: you know the depths of the heart. It can also be understood this way: it is said that the Spirit examines the secrets of God, in the sense that he delights in their contemplation. The perfect knowledge of the Spirit is shown in the words that follow: as the spirit of man knows what is in man, so, he says, the Spirit of God knows what belongs to God. Among other things, we learn from this that the Spirit is not of a different essence in relation to the Father, just as the human spirit is not different in relation to man. 12. And we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is from God. He called human wisdom the spirit of this world. We did not receive that wisdom, lest it make our preaching empty and useless. On the contrary, our teacher was a Spirit from God, that is, a being of one essence with God that comes from His essence. To know what God has given us. Spirit, he says, is light, and we received that light so that, being enlightened by it, we would know what was hidden until now. And what is that? What was given to us by God, i.e. everything related to the economy (household) of Christ, that is: how He died for us, how He made us children of God, how He placed us in Himself 4 at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, those who do not have the Spirit do not know these secrets. 13. Which we speak, not with words learned from human wisdom, but learned from the Holy Spirit. We, he says, have more wisdom than the sages of Jeline because they were taught by men, and we speak as the Holy Spirit advises us. Proving spiritually to spiritual. That is, if some spiritual questions arise, we reason about them, ie. we solve them with other spiritual teachings or traditions, So, for example, the spiritual question: is Christ resurrected? We reason about him and resolve him on the basis of another spiritual question, that is, on the basis of the story of Jonah. 5 In a similar way, the question arises: how could the Virgin give birth? It is resolved by the barrenness of Sarah, Rebekah and Elizabeth, who did not conceive according to natural laws, since conception depends on the strength of the womb. In the same way, we solve it by the fact that Eve came without a seed from Adam's ribs, just like the other examples we reason about in connection with the appearance of man in the world. After all, you can understand the words spiritually by proving them like this: on spiritual issues, reason and resolve them only with spiritual people, because only they can understand them. Therefore he added the following: 14. And the spiritual (in the Serbian translation: carnal) man does not receive what is from the Spirit of God, because he is foolish. A soulful person is one who relies on his own thoughts (thoughts) in everything and does not consider that he needs higher help. This is the one who will not accept anything by faith and considers that anything that cannot be proven is foolishness. Therefore, the one who thinks that everything happens according to natural order and does not allow anything supernatural, the apostle calls spiritual, i.e. natural, because his soul deals only with the economy (household, organization) of nature. And just as the eyes of the body, although in themselves beautiful and very useful, can see nothing if there is no light, so the soul, which has become capable of receiving the Holy Spirit, cannot contemplate the divine without Him. And he cannot understand, because it is examined spiritually. He does not understand because these things require faith and cannot be understood by reason. That's what the words mean: it is examined spiritually, that is. it has evidence in faith and the Spirit. 15. Duhovan, on the other hand, examines everything, but no one examines himself. Duhovni, he says, knows everything: he knows that everything present is temporary and that the future is permanent; he knows that he will obtain salvation, and that the unbelievers will be punished. That's why he debunks them, and no one questions him, that is. they cannot unravel it. Likewise, the one who sees sees both his own and what belongs to those who cannot see, while the blind man sees neither his own nor what belongs to him (that is, to the one who sees). 16. For who knows the mind of the Lord, in order to teach Him? He calls the spiritual mind the mind of God. He used the word judge instead of correct. Having said: no one examines the spiritual, he now proves that it is correct. Because whoever knows the Lord's mind in such a way that he decides to judge him, i.e. to correct it. If, therefore, no one can know the mind of the Lord, and such is the mind of a spiritual man, then all the more he cannot teach and correct him. Don't be surprised, he says, that I called the spiritual man and his mind the mind of the Lord. We all have the mind of Christ, because everything we know was revealed to us by Christ. Everything we understand about divine things is given to us by Christ. In other words, the knowledge we have about spiritual matters of faith comes from Christ, so no one can truly judge us. After all, some called the mind of Christ the Father, and some the Holy Spirit. 1. And I, brothers, could not speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal... He had previously broken down the pride of the Corinthians because of external wisdom. However, lest they say: "we are not proud of that, but of spiritual wisdom", he now shows that even in our wisdom they have not reached perfection and that they still belong to the imperfect, so he says that they have not yet heard anything about more perfect things. He said well: I could not, so that they would not say that he did not tell them about the more perfect one because of envy. I could not speak to you as to the perfect, because you are still dealing with the flesh. However, how did they create signs as bodily signs? Indeed, they were as it was said in the beginning. However, it is also possible for someone to create signs and remain corporeal, similar to those people who cast out demons in the name of Christ. Signs are often for the benefit of others, and are often perfected through the unworthy. As little children in Christ. 2. They gave you milk to drink and not food, because you could not yet. But even now you cannot yet, 3. Since you are still carnal. In the mysteries of Christ, he says, you are still little children and that is why I gave you milk to drink, i.e. the simplest teaching, and I didn't even offer you solid food, i.e. a more perfect teaching, because you were not yet able to receive it. In order to destroy their pride, he adds: You can't even now, because you are still thinking about the physical. Do you see that they are unable to receive such a teaching because they will not be spiritual, but remain carnal? For the witness is envy (jealousy), and dissension and dissensions among you, are you not carnal and do you not rule according to man? Everything he said before, he said to the elders, who were proud of their wisdom and the nobility of the race, and now he turns to his subordinates and says: I rightly call you carnal, because there is envy, discord and discord among you. He could have accused them of fornication and of many other vices, but as discords, disagreements and quarrels especially intensified among them, he mentions them. It is important to note that he always associates envy (jealousy) with quarrels. This is because from envy comes strife, and from strife comes discord. However, if all these improprieties exist among you, do you not govern yourself in a human way, i.e. don't you think of the human and earthly? 4. Because when someone says: I am Paul's, and another I am Apollo's (Apollo's), are you not carnal! By the names of Paul and Apollos, it means those who were famous people and teachers among the Corinthians. 5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, to the ministers through whom you believed... By placing his name and Apollo's next to each other, he exactly reaches his goal. He reasoned like this: if we are nothing, what can we say about your teachers? He says that we are servants, not the very root and source of goods, because that Source is Christ. That is why we should not be too proud, because we have passed on to you the goods that we received from God, and everything belongs to Him, the Giver of goods. He did not say: "we are evangelists", but: we are ministers. He said this because evangelism includes only teaching, while service includes works. And that as the Lord gave to everyone. Even that, he says, a little service, we do not have from ourselves, but we received it from the Lord, each according to his measure (lit. each according to a different measure). 6. I planted, Apollos planted and God made it grow. I, he says, first sowed the sermon. By his constant teaching, Apollos did not allow the seed to wither from the heat of the temptation of the cunning, but God made it (the seed) grow. 7. It is not like the one who plants, nor the one who waters, but God who makes it grow. See how, by humiliating himself and Apollos, he makes bearable the humiliation of the wise and rich Corinthian elders, teaching that to Him (God) belong all the gifts. 8. And the one who plants and the one who waters are one... They can do nothing without God's help, and in that sense they are one. How is it that you are arrogant in front of each other, when you are one? And each will receive his wages according to his labor. It could easily happen that those who have worked harder than others in the works of faith become worried when they hear that they are all one. Therefore, he immediately explains his words and says that they are all one in their inability to do anything without the help of God, Who makes them grow up. As for the salary, everyone will be rewarded according to their efforts. He did not say: "according to his work", but: according to his effort. Even if he did not perfect the works, he tried. 9. Because we are God's co-workers. We, the teachers, are God's collaborators, who assist God in saving people, and we are not the culprits (causers) of salvation. That is why we should neither be despised, because we are God's co-workers, nor should we be proud of ourselves, because everything is God's. And you are God's field, God's building. Having said previously: I planted, he continues the simile, and calls them a field. If, on the other hand, you are a field and a building, then you are obliged to call yourself by the name of the Master, and not by the names of the farmer or the builder. Like a field, you are bound to be surrounded by a wall of like-mindedness; as a building, you are bound to be in unity with each other, not divided. 10. By the grace of God that was given to me, I, like a wise builder, laid the foundation... He does not call himself a wise builder because of pretension, but wanting to show that it is characteristic of builders to lay such foundations, that is, Christ. That he really did not say that because of arrogance, can be seen from the words: By the grace of God that was given to me, i.e. wisdom is not my work, but a gracious gift of God. And others build on it; but let everyone watch how he builds. Previously, he spoke with them about unity, and now he speaks about the way of life, calling the work of each person building. 11. Because no one can lay another foundation except the existing one, which is Jesus Christ. It cannot, as long as there is a wise builder. If someone is not a wise builder, he can also lay other foundations, which is where heresies come from. You, Corinthians, have one foundation, and that is Christ. That is why you are obliged to build on that foundation not what comes out of arguments and envy, but virtuous deeds. 12. If anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13. Everyone's work will come to light... From that time, when we received the foundation of faith, each of us builds on it. Some build good works, which are different, some more and some less. For example, virginity is like gold, honorable marriage is like silver, and selflessness is like precious stones. Alms in addition to wealth is already less valuable. Some build bad works, which also have different degrees. Those works, which can burn more easily, are called hay and straw, namely impurity, idolatry, selfishness. Those, on the other hand, which do not burn so easily, are called wood, and these are drunkenness, laughter, and similar vices. Some, after all, understand the opposite, so they call the first vices wood, and the others hay and straw. Because the Day will show, because it will be revealed by fire, and everyone's work will be tried by fire for what it is. He calls the day the day of Judgment. In the fire, he says, it will be revealed, that is. it will be shown what works are in themselves, whether it is gold or something contrary. 14. If anyone's work that he built remains, he will receive the salary. 15. If someone's work burns, he will be damaged. If you have gold or silver, your work will be preserved, and you will be rewarded. If you have hay or the like, your work will not withstand the force of the fire (that's what the expression means: burn), but it will turn out to be ugly. If one were to pass through the river in a golden garment, one would emerge from it even more radiant; however, if someone else were to pass through that same river with hay, he would not only receive no benefit, but would also perish. It will be the same with works. Therefore, faith without good works does not benefit. Here the foundation is Christ; however, works that are not perfected according to the law of Christ are condemned to be burned. 15. And he himself will be saved, but so, as through fire. He himself will not perish like his works, he will not pass into nothingness, but he will be saved, i.e. he will remain whole to burn in the fire. And in our country, wood that does not burn easily and does not turn into ashes is usually said to remain whole in the fire, because it takes a long time to burn. Therefore, the sinner will be at a loss because he worked hard on those actions that will cause him to perish, and because he used all his efforts to lose being (existence) and not exist (because every evil is something non-existent - non-being), similar to when someone would buy himself a corpse instead of a living body at a high price. However, he himself, that is, the sinner, is saved, that is. he remains whole for eternal torment. 16. Don't you know that you are the church of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you! He addresses those who have sinned. See how he successfully makes them feel ashamed. In other words, the grace given to us, that is, by the Holy Spirit, shames the sinner even though it does not highlight his character very clearly, but speaks in general terms. However, if we are the church of God because the Spirit lives in us, it follows that the Spirit is God. 17. If someone destroys the church of God, God will destroy him. That is, they will execute him. Those words do not express a curse, but a prediction about the future. Because the church of God is holy, and that is you. Therefore, the fornicator cannot be holy, because he has ceased to be the church of God, expelling the Spirit Who sanctifies him. Who makes that church? You, if you stay clean. 18. Let no one be deceived... Thinking that it happens differently than I said. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him be foolish in order to be wise. Having spoken gently to the sinner, he turns again to those who prided themselves on external wisdom. Whoever, he says, thinks he is wise, let him be foolish, that is. let him reject external wisdom in order to gain divine wisdom. And just as poverty according to God is riches, and shame is glory, so foolishness (madness) according to God is wisdom. Look: he did not say: "let him reject wisdom", but, far more, let him be mad, that is. let him not think anything of himself, let him not believe his own evidence, but let him follow God as a flock follows its shepherd, and let him believe everything divine. 19. Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. Because it (the wisdom of this world) not only does not help to gain true wisdom, but on the contrary, it prevents us even more from it. Having a high opinion of herself, she rejects divine teaching and thus leaves those who possess her in daily ignorance. That is why God catches them as fools. For it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness. He gives testimony about how human wisdom is foolishness before God and says that God takes the wise as foolish (mad), that is, he subdues them with their own weapons. Despite all their cunning and wisdom, they disintegrate into stupidity and foolishness. For example: some thought that they did not need God and that they could achieve everything by themselves. However, God showed them in action that the power and skill of words did not bring them the slightest benefit, and that they, more than others, needed God - those who thought they would get by without any help. So, in spite of all their skill, in addition to which they considered themselves to be omniscient, they proved to be completely ignorant, being in essential matters less educated than fishermen and tanners. 20. And again: The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless. If the Lord knows that human thoughts are worthless because there is nothing necessary and saving in them, then how do you, Corinthians, nourish thoughts that are against God, and deal with them as useful? 21. Therefore let no one be proud of men, because everything is yours: 22. Be it Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas. It seems as if he is saying this to the subordinates, but he actually demolishes the elders, hinting that they should not be proud of external wisdom, because it is foolishness, nor of spiritual gifts, because they belong to God and are given for the benefit of the subordinates. That's what the words mean: because everything is yours, that is. why are your teachers proud? Why do you inflate and exaggerate them? They have nothing that is their own, because everything they have is given to them for your benefit, and they should be grateful to you. However, he mentioned himself and Peter again. He did this so that his words would not be too heavy and to remind them: if we also received gifts because of you, and if we were appointed as teachers because of you, then all the more your current teachers should not be proud of the gifts as their own property, because it is someone else's good. Or the world, or life, or death, or the present. And the teacher's life, he says, is for you, so that you may learn from them and gain benefit; and death is theirs because of you, because they expose themselves to danger for your salvation. Or otherwise: and Adam's death was for your sake, that you might become wise; and Christ's death is for you, that you may be saved. In short, the whole world is for you, so that through it you may ascend to the Creator and through its perishability learn to yearn for imperishable treasures. For you, it is also the current one, that is. those good (treasures) that God still gives to believers. For you, the future is finally guaranteed. 23. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Christ is not God in the sense in which we are Christ's. We are Christ's as His work and creation, and Christ is God's both as the eternal Son and as the One Who has the Father as His cause. Thus, although the expression is the same, the meaning is different. Namely, not everything is ours in the sense in which we are Christ's; we are Christ's servants and His creation, and everything that exists is nothing but that which serves us, but is not our creation. This is why you act badly if you divide yourself among people, since you belong to Christ. 1. So that people consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. We, the teachers, are nothing but servants. Why do you, forsaking the Master, call yourselves servants? Calling the apostles and teachers of Christ stewards (more precisely, stewards, stewards) of God's mysteries, he showed that not everyone, without distinction, can teach teaching, but one, then and so, to that, then and that way, as needed. What is a secret should not be revealed to everyone, because that is not how a prudent administrator (icon) acts. 2. And the administrator is therefore required to find everyone faithful. That is, it is required that the administrator (by icon) does not appropriate what belongs to the master and does not dispose of anything as the master, but disposes of everything as someone else's property; he does not call what belongs to the master his own, but, on the contrary, he also considers what belongs to the master to be his master's. 3. And I care the least that you or the day of man judge me. The Corinthians suffered from the following disease. Those who were divided among themselves because of the teacher set themselves up as judges, and they mocked and rejected the pious people because of their weakness. On the contrary, wicked people were accepted because of their eloquence, hastily making the following objections: so-and-so is better than so-and-so, this one is lower than this, that one surpasses that one and this one surpasses this one. When Paul said that it is required of the stewards (the stewards) that each one be found faithful, it seemed that he gave reason to judge the life of each of them, which would lead to even greater disagreements. Wanting to prevent this evil and to keep the Corinthians from judgment, he says: and I don't care the least. With that, he seems to say: I consider it my shame to submit to your judgment. In order not to offend them and show that he despises them, he adds: or as the human day judges me. After all, let no one accuse Paul of imprudence, because he says this about himself (no one judged him): in order not to judge others, he takes it upon himself and thereby accomplishes what is necessary. And I do not judge myself either, 4. Because I do not feel anything on my conscience, but therefore I am not justified. And the one who judges me is the Lord. Do not think, he says, that I reject your judgment out of contempt for you or for everyone else. And I consider myself incapable of such an examination. I do not know about any of my sins, because I am not able to judge truthfully and reliably. However, I am not justified by that, that is, I am not clean from sin and it is possible that I have sinned in something without even knowing about it. Only the Lord can judge truthfully and infallibly. From there, conclude how reliable the future Court is. 5. Therefore, do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes. Do you see that Paul, forbidding the Corinthians to judge others, is not speaking on his own behalf? He always transfers to himself what concerns others, and teaches in his image what he intends to teach them. Who will illuminate what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart. Now, he says, wicked deeds are hidden (he means them by the expression hidden in darkness), and the impious and licentious man often appears virtuous. Then, however, God will reveal everything, the very intentions of the heart will be revealed. Someone, for example, praises another here, and that is a good deed. However, it is possible that his intention is bad, because perhaps he is not praising him with a good purpose. The other one, on the contrary, here disfigures someone, but not with the intention of correcting him, but intending to show the weaknesses of his neighbor. Then all similar intentions of the heart will be revealed. And then everyone will be praised by God. He should have said: "either punishment or praise", but the apostle turned their attention to the better side. 6. And this, my brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos (Apollos) for your sake, that you may learn from us not to be wiser than what is written... And this... that is. what was said before of the dissensions, and what afterwards followed. I applied it, he says, to myself and to Apollos, so that you may learn from us not to be wiser than what is written. And Scripture teaches us not to be too proud, saying: He who wants to be first, let him be last (Mk. 9:35) and He who exalts himself will be humbled (Mt. 23:12). There are many other similar lessons in it. About not judging others, it is said like this: Judge not, lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1). So that they don't get angry at each other for someone's sake. This is what he tells the people, introducing diversity in the lesson and directing the letter sometimes to students, and sometimes to teachers and elders, as he does now. Namely, the Corinthians were proud of their teachers in front of each other, that is, the student of one teacher was arrogant in front of the student of another, because he assumed his teacher to be another. He called good such learning a swelling, equating it to a growth or swelling (tumor) and comparing it to a body, bloated by rotten juices or air. 7. Because who singles you out? What do you have that you didn't receive? And if you received it, what are you bragging about as if you didn't receive it? Again he directs the letter towards the teachers and says: who singles you out, and who considers you worthy of praise? A man? However, human judgment is deceptive. May you have something worthy of praise; however, it does not belong to you, but to the one who gave it to you. You got it, and you didn't perfect it yourself. If you did get it, why are you proud as if you didn't get it and as if you achieved it with your own efforts? The one who received must not be proud of what he received, because it belongs to someone else. 8. You have already had your fill; you are already rich… Words filled with resentment. You, he says, have gained everything very quickly! You don't need anything! You have already had your fill, in a short time you have attained perfection and acquired all wealth, knowledge and gifts! Perfection will be reached only in the future century, and you, one might say, already have it now! In essence, your love of glory shows that you have supposedly risen to the very pinnacle of perfection. By these words he shows that they are imperfect, as soon as they behave in such a way. And he says this in the same spirit, showing their unscrupulousness and as if to say: deserving of such gifts, you do not allow us, who have labored for your good, to become participants in them. Oh, that you really reign, that we too reign with you! Oh, if you, he says, would really reign, that is. if you would truly reach perfection! In order for these words not to look like mockery, he adds: that we too may be enthroned with you, that is. that we may obtain the same goods with you: your glory is also mine, since every teacher desires the perfection of his pupils. 9. Because I think that God showed us apostles last, as condemned to death. Words that are characteristic of a grieving man or, rather, one who wants to make others feel ashamed. As, he says, I can see from your actions, God entrusted only us, the apostles, to be the last of all and condemned to death, i.e. ready to die. In fact, from the fact that you became emperor, I can conclude that we, the apostles, are destined to be the last and as condemned. those who suffered so much for Christ's sake. Because we became a sight for both angels and men. We are not exposed to suffering only in some corner, but in all corners of the earth. Since our actions are not unimportant, we are watched not only by men, but also by angels. Namely, our feats are so great that they are worthy of angelic observation (lit. contemplation), because we are not only fighting with people, but also with the forces of evil angels. 10. We are fools for Christ's sake, and you are wise in Christ. He's talking again to shame them. While the apostles were beaten and despised for Christ's sake, the Corinthians were respected and considered wise, and they even boasted that all this is in Christ. That's why he says: how is it possible for such opposites to appear among people who think in the same way? That is not possible. It must be allowed that either our way of thinking or your way of thinking is not in Christ. However, it is unworthy of the apostles of Christ that their way of thinking is not in Christ. Therefore, you are mistaken. We are weak and you are strong; you are famous and we are despised. In other words, they are persecuting us, and you are enjoying security (weakness is always called temptation). And again, you are noble and glorious, and we are despised. He says all this because of great resentment. The meaning is this: how is it possible that we suffer and you enjoy security and live happily? It is obvious, therefore, that you are not in a good state. On the contrary, your present conduct is ungodly and unworthy of an apostle, hence it follows, that you ought not to be proud of it. 11. Until this hour we endure hunger and thirst and nakedness... What, he says, should I mention the previous one? Look at how it is now - how you are drowning in pleasures, and we - quite the opposite. That is, they beat us. This speaks against the arrogant. They are chasing us, but we are running away. It speaks against the rich. And we strive, working with our hands. It shames those who have dared to preach for profit. When we are scolded, we bless, when we are persecuted, we suffer. 13. When they blaspheme us, we pray. Finally, he says, most importantly, we do not consider ourselves unlucky in such adversity. And where can you see it? That's why we respond to those who insult us with the opposite. We bless those who insult us and those who inflict more serious insults on us (that means blaspheming, because it is the most serious insult), we pray, ie. we reciprocate them with mild and meek words (that means supplication, i.e. a mild and meek word). Because of such behavior, Christians are considered foolish! We have become like the garbage dump of the world, everyone's garbage to this day. What is trash? Everything that is cleaned or wiped away as unnecessary, If, for example, someone cleans something dirty with a sponge, he says that it is garbage. Garbage is, therefore, what is removed from an object. The apostle, therefore, says: we are worthy to be rejected and considered trash, not only by you, but by the whole world and all people, and not for some time, but until now. Notice what a Christian must be, notice that he must fight (exercise) until the very end. 14. I am not writing this to shame you, but to teach you as my beloved children. I am not telling you this, he says, in order to shame you, nor with evil and malicious intentions, but I am teaching you as my beloved children. Not just as children but as sweet children. Forgive me if I said something offensive: it is also out of love. He did not say: "to reprimand you", but: to teach you. And who could not bear a father's instruction? 15. Because if you have thousands of teachers in Christ, but you don't have many fathers. What does that mean, you will say, don't others love us? They kiss, but not like me: they are teachers and I am a father. Although children have one father and many teachers, their affection for children is incomparably less compared to the love of the one, ie. father. Note that, among other things, he attached the words: in Christ to the teachers, so as not to disparage them completely. After all, even though he attributed to them (teachers) what was more difficult (because that is the duty of a teacher), he left the primacy of love to himself. Because I gave birth to you in Christ Jesus with the gospel. Explaining in what way he is their father, he says: with the help of Christ, I gave birth to you with the gospel (good news), that is, I do not attribute that work to myself, like many among you, but to Christ. He did not say: "I taught you", but: I gave birth to you. By pointing to nature, he shows them his love for them, as well as the fact that they are his closest disciples, and he expresses this thought throughout this epistle. 16. Please, therefore, imitate me. He says, imitate me in everything: don't be arrogant either with wisdom or wealth, and don't be enemies of your brothers, but show both wisdom and wealth in love for Christ and your brothers. Note the kindness of the heart: it begs, not commands. Giving yourself as a role model is a sign of great courage. 17. That is why I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. Because I care about you like children, I sent Timothy to you. I wanted to come myself and make peace among you. However, as I could not fulfill it, I sent him, my beloved child. He said this in order to show how much he loved them, when he decided to part with Timothy for them and, at the same time, remind them to respect Timothy. Faithful (child) in the Lord, i.e. not in life's (= worldly) works, but in the works of Christ's faith. That's why he will serve you faithfully even in what concerns you. He will remind you of my ways that are in Jesus Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. He did not say: he will teach you, so that you would not be offended (because Timothy was young), but: he will remind you to renew in your memory what you knew before. He calls decisions, rules, customs, and divine laws, which are united with sermons, as paths. To remind you how I behave, that is, that I am not proud, and that I do not introduce discord and quarrels. In Christ, that is. in those ways there is nothing human, but everything is in Christ, or is perfected with the help of Christ. Timothy will also tell you that, as I teach in every church. I have not told you anything new, but, on the contrary, I am teaching everyone the same thing. Shame on you, that only you in the Church have strayed from my ways. 18. Some are puffed up as if I will not come to you. Having said: I have sent Timothy to you, he wishes to prevent them from becoming more negligent in consequence, and says: although I do not come now, my absence has given some reason to be proud. It is precisely for this reason that I will come later. It shows the immaturity of their thinking, because it is only children's nature to create confusion when the teacher is not among them. Who are you, who are proud? Accomplices of the adulterer, who was both wise and rich. They were proud, as if Paul would not disprove them. 19. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills. With these words, he destroys the proud and encourages them to sobriety (vigilance, sober mind). He added well: if the Lord wills, because everything happens according to His approval. And I will not look at the words of those who are arrogant, but at power, 20. For the Kingdom of God is not in words, but in power. Relying on eloquence, the Corinthians despised Paul as an ignorant man. That is why he says: "I will not look at your eloquence, because it is not necessary, but I will look at the force, which is manifested in signs." The Kingdom of God is not preached and established with fancy words, but with signs that have been perfected by the power of the Holy Spirit. 21. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness? He calls it a punishment. Therefore, he says: it depends on you whether I will come to you with one or the other. If you remain careless, I will come and punish you like Elimas (see Acts 13:8-11). There is also a spirit of severity and punishment in him, but he names it on the better side, just as he says of God that he is gentle and merciful and not that he punishes, although that is characteristic of Him as well. 1. It is heard everywhere that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even mentioned among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. He warns everyone in general, so that they would not be careless and that they would not consider this sin as someone else's, but that, on the contrary, they would make sure to correct it as a common impiety. He did not say: "it happens shamelessly", but: it is heard everywhere. If it is forbidden to even hear about such a transgression, is it not far more shameless if it is actually carried out? This all the more refers to you, who are worthy of spiritual secrets. Amplifying the accusation, he says in the following: such as is not mentioned even among the Gentiles. He did not say: "the kind that did not happen", but: the kind that is not mentioned. That someone has a wife of his own. He did not say: "stepmother", but: his father's wife in order to make this blow even stronger by mentioning his father. Besides, being ashamed to mention adultery, he used a more polite term: he has. Be proud of the teaching of that fornicator, for he was wise. Notice the wisdom of the apostle: he does not address the fornicator in any place, as a man ungodly and unworthy to mention him, but speaks to others, as if it were a general transgression. Instead of crying, so that the one who did that deed is expelled from among you. You should weep, he says, because that shame has spread to the whole Church. You should pray with tears, as in the case of sickness and contagion, so that it is cast out from between you ie. to be cut off from you as a common evil. He did not mention the fornicator here either, but said: the one who did that deed. 3. Because I, absent in body but present in spirit, have already condemned, as if I were there, the one who did so. Note his displeasure. He does not allow them to wait for his arrival to decide the fornicator, but rushes to stop the evil and the infection before they spread to the whole body of the Church. The spirit present said because of this, that he would force them to deliver the verdict and, at the same time, to terrify them by knowing how they will judge there and that his spirit, i.e. the gift of transparency, to reveal everything they do. In other words: I have already condemned, as if I was there not allowing them to undertake anything else. He says, I have pronounced the verdict and it cannot be otherwise. 4. In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you and my spirit come together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. In order not to show himself as proud, he also accepts them into the community: In the name of our Lord when you and my spirit gather together, that is, so that the congregation is not composed according to human custom but according to God; that you may be gathered by Christ Himself, in whose name you are gathered. The apostle, however, placed his spirit above them, so that the fornicator would not be worthy of forgiveness, but would be judged justly, as in the presence of the apostles. With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5. That such a person should be given over to Satan. The meaning is twofold. Maybe it is like this: Christ can give you such a grace, that you will be able to hand over the fornicator to Satan, and maybe it is like this: Christ Himself, together with you, will condemn the fornicator. He didn't say: "give up", but: hand over, and in that way secretly opened the door of repentance for him. Again, he did not mention the name. To torment the body, so that the spirit could be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. That is, to hand him over to be tormented by Satan. Namely, if lust is born due to oversaturation of the body, the apostle wants that body to be punished, so that the spirit, that is, the soul, can be saved. After all, it should not be understood as if only the soul is saved, but it should be understood that when the soul is saved, the body is also saved. Some, on the other hand, understand the spirit as a spiritual gift and explain it in the following way: in order to preserve the gift of the spirit as a whole and not to depart from it, as from the ungodly. Such a judgment expresses more concern than punishment. Incidentally, he also mentioned the day of judgment so that the Corinthians, being frightened, would propose healing and that the fornicator would accept it in the same mood. It sets a limit to the devil's influence, similar to what happened with Job, that is. when he (the devil) is allowed to touch only the body, but not the soul. 6. Your boasting is not good. He notes that they themselves did not allow the fornicator to repent, because they praised him. He was one of their sages. Don't you know that a little yeast makes all the dough sour! I worry about you too, he says, not just for him. If evil is not paid attention to, it can infect other members of the Church. Yeast is small in itself, but it leavens the whole dough and turns it into itself. This is how this man's sin will drag down many others. 7. Cast away (lit. clear away), therefore, the old leaven, that there may be a new dough, as you are unleavened. That is, drive out this fornicator or, rather, drive out all other ungodly people (because he calls all evil old leaven). It is not simply said: "cleanse", but: clean, that is, completely clean, so that it is a new dough, which has no admixture of old evil. As you are unleavened, it is said instead: "as you ought to be unleavened", i.e. alienated from the old evil, which during repentance shows itself as both sour and bitter. Because our Passover, Christ, sacrificed himself for us. Having mentioned the unleavened bread, which was used as food at the time of the Passover, and having explained allegorically what the unleavened bread signifies, i.e. a life that is free from evil, he now allegorically explains the Passover itself and says that our Passover is Christ, Who was slaughtered for us. Therefore, we are obliged to take care of unleavened bread, ie. about a life that is clean from all evil. 8. That is why we celebrate not in the leaven of the old, nor in the leaven of wickedness and mischief (cunning). It shows that for Christians, because of the abundance of gifts they have received, every time is a time of celebration. The Son of God became a man and was slaughtered so that you could celebrate - but not with the leaven of old Adam, and not with a life full of evil or, what is worse, cunning, because everyone who does evil is evil, while the one who does it (evil) with a hidden and insidious thought is cunning. But in the unleavened bread of sincerity (purity) and truth. That is, leading a blameless and pure life, in contrast to the vicious one, and true, i.e. unhypocritical, without any guile, a life which is the opposite of cunning. In addition, in the word: truth you can also understand the opposite of the Old Testament archetypes, which were not the truth, while Christians are required to be above the Old Testament archetypes. Finally, by purity you can mean purity in action, and by truth regularity (truthfulness) in contemplation. 9. I wrote to you in the epistle not to mix with harlots. In which letter? In this same one. Namely, when he previously said: Purify the old leaven, pointing to the fornicator, he shows that already from those words it is clear that they must not be mixed with fornicators. However, how could they think that they should shun all fornicators, even those who were among the Jelins, he explains what kind of fornicators he is talking about. 10. But not at all with the fornicators of this world, or with usurpers, or with extortioners, or with idolaters, because you would have to go out of this world. He used the word in general to indicate that the subject is common knowledge. The meaning is this: I do not forbid you to associate with the fornicators of this world in general, ie. with Jelini, because otherwise you should look for another universe. When there are so many Jelins living next to you in one city, how is it possible that you don't hang out with them? 11. And now I have written to you that you should not mix with someone who is called a brother if he is a fornicator, or a usurer, or an idolater, or a reprobate, or a drunkard, or a robber; with such together and not to eat. Do you see that not only one was a fornicator, but that there were others, and that there was not only one vice, but different (vices). However, how can a brother be an idolater at the same time? Just as the Samaritans were once only half pious, so it happened to the Corinthians, that is, some of them still adhered to idols. In addition, the apostle prepares to speak about those who ate from idol sacrifices. He said well: he is called a brother, because everyone who is guilty of the aforementioned sins only bears the name of a brother even though, in essence, he is not a brother. Do not eat together with such people, so that they understand that they are defiled by sin, and that they abstain from it. 12. For what shall I judge those who are outside? He calls those who are outside Jeline, and those who are inside, Christians. He says, I don't worry in the least about those who are outside. They live outside my laws. Therefore, it is superfluous for me to prescribe divine laws to those who are outside the fold of Christ. What the law says, it says to those who are in the law (Rom.3:19). Don't you judge those who are inside? 13. And those who are outside will be judged by God. Some put a period after the negation "no", and then read the following words without question: "you judge those who are inside". In other words, after he previously said: What should I judge those who are outside, the apostle now added: "no", that is, it is not up to me to judge them. Others, however, read in connection with the question: Don't you judge those who are inside! The judgment of God awaits those outside, which those who are inside will avoid if you judge them. And cast out the evil one among yourselves. He reminded them of the Old Testament saying (see Deuteronomy 13:5), wanting to point out that the lawgiver had previously been comfortable with separating ungodly people from the community. In other words: between yourselves, it shows that it will be more beneficial for them themselves, if they throw out the ungodly. 1. Does any of you, having a complaint against another, dare to be judged by the unrighteous and not by the saints? Many were tried in monetary cases before the Jelin judges. as experts in the law. That's why he tries to correct that evil, which he accidentally remembered. Namely, when he mentioned usurers, he was immediately inflamed with zealous concern for those infected with this sin. He did not say: "with the unbelievers", but: with the unjust, because everyone who litigates usually seeks justice. The apostle therefore shows that he will not find her because, he says, the Hellenic courts are unjust; how then will they judge you justly? He calls the believers saints, and with those names he indicates the difference between the former and the latter, because some are unrighteous and others are holy. 2. Don't you know that the saints will judge the world! Because believing, as ignorant, they were unable to judge in lawsuits, it indicates their weight and importance; first, he called them saints, and then he said that they would judge the world. That, after all, should not be imagined as if they will take the seats of judges and will pronounce judgments (because the Lord will judge). On the contrary, they will only condemn. In fact if they, being similar to everyone else, proved themselves to be believers and you to be unbelievers, is that not a condemnation of the unbelievers? And if you are going to judge the world, are you unworthy to judge trifles! Note that he did not say: "from you they will receive judgment", but: you will judge the world, because you, believing, were a model for the world. The saying: unworthy to judge about trifles has the following meaning: it seems that the Corinthians were ashamed to be judged by those who are inside. That is why he says: on the contrary, you should be ashamed when you are judged by those who are outside. Those courts are dirty and not like the ones inside. 3. Don't you know that we will judge the angels, let alone in the things of this world? He calls demons angels. Therefore, we will also condemn the demons, if, regardless of the fact that we are clothed in a body, we show ourselves to be more perfect than they, who are without a body. 4. And when you have trials for the things of this world, you take as judges those who mean nothing in the Church. 5. To your shame I say: Is there not one wise man among you who will be able to judge between his brothers? Wanting to distance them from external judgments, he says: perhaps someone will say that there is no wise man in the Church who could judge in a lawsuit. However, if, according to your opinion, there is not a single wise person in the Church, then it is better to appoint lowly ones as judges, rather than unbelieving ones. After all, I said that for your shame, if there really are so few wise people among you, that simple and ignorant people have to make judgments. He added the words: among his brothers in order to show that in such a case, if there is a dispute with a brother, not much knowledge is needed, and that fraternal affection is most conducive to ending the dispute (discussion). 6. But brother is judged by brother, and that among unbelievers! It is a double evil: it is one thing to be judged with a brother, and the other is to be judged with an unbeliever. 7. And it is quite a shame for you that you have disputes among yourselves. At first he forbade them to judge before the unbelievers, and now he forbids them to judge at all, and says: that is already quite shameful for you, i.e. it is inappropriate and shameful that they had lawsuits among themselves, i.e. that you argue with each other (that's what the words mean: among yourselves). The apostle said it very expressively, because we, Christians, are obliged to consider each other as brothers. Why would you rather not suffer injustice? Why would you rather not take the damage? 8. But you do injustice and cause harm, and that to the brothers! Lots of accusations. The first is that they don't know how to handle an insult. The second is that, on the contrary, they cause harm themselves, and the third is that they do it to their brothers. It would be good, he says, if you don't do and don't suffer damage. However, if one had to choose between the two, then it is better to take the damage. 6. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Concluding the letter with a threat, he amplifies the words and asks them about the matter, which is known to everyone. Here he points to those Corinthians, who said that God loves people and that he will not punish, but will bring everyone into the Kingdom. That is why he says: Do not be deceived, because it is obvious self-deception and delusion that every good is expected here, and to be exposed to punishment there. He puts the one who has already been condemned in the first place. Neither idolaters, nor adulterers, nor fornicators. He calls those on whom a shameful act is committed as fornicators, and then enumerates those who commit shameful acts. Neither adulterers, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor reprobates, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Many wonder why he placed drunkards and reprobates next to idolaters and those who commit shameful acts? Because Christ also said that he is worthy of hell who says to his brother: fool (see Mt. 5:22), and the Jews were led to idolatry by drunkenness. Besides, this is not about punishment, but about deprivation of the Empire. All such sinners are deprived of the kingdom equally, and this is not the place to judge whether there will be a difference in their punishment. 11. And some are like that; but be forgiven and sanctified, and justified by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God. Consider, he says, what evil God has freed you from and what treasures he has bestowed upon you. You too were subject to all the aforementioned vices, but He cleansed you of them. And he didn't just cleanse you, he also sanctified you. In what way? By justifying you. He first cleansed you and then justified and sanctified you, not with the name of this or that teacher, but with the Name of Christ and the Holy Spirit. In other words, those treasures were given to you by the Holy Trinity. Saying that he sanctified them with the name of Christ and the Holy Spirit, he did not point to anything else but the Holy Trinity. 12. Everything is permitted to me, but everything is of no use. As he had previously spoken about the fornicator and as he would soon speak about him again, he brought up the matter of indulging the stomach. From belly-pleasing, in other words, adulterous passion comes first and foremost. He therefore says: I am allowed to eat and drink, but it is harmful for me to be intemperate in food and drink. Everything is allowed to me, but I don't let anything dominate me. I am the master of food and drink, he says. However, if I use them excessively, I will become their servant from their master. He who uses them as he sees fit, he is the master over them. On the contrary, the one who falls into intemperance is no longer a master but becomes a servant, because in that case gluttony becomes his tyrant. Do you see how the apostle showed him, who considered himself a master, that he is a subordinate? Look, each of the Corinthians said: I can give myself to pleasures. The apostle says: you do not surrender to them in order to have power over them, but because you yourself are subject to their power. As long as you are incontinent, you do not have power over the womb (stomach), but the womb has power over you. 13. Meals are for the stomach, and the stomach for meals. Stomach is not a part of our body, but food means excessive use of food. Therefore, the meaning of these words is as follows: the immoderate use of food is the friend and relative of stomach-pleasing, and vice versa. Neither can bring us to Christ; on the contrary, those who are devoted to them refer to each other (intemperance to belly-pleasing and belly-pleasing intemperance). But God will abolish both. Not the stomach, but stomach-pleasing, and not food, but intemperance in food. In the word abolished, some see an indication of the state of the future age, that is, that there will be no need for food or drink. If there will be no place even for the moderate use of food, then intemperance and gluttony will be abolished all the sooner. Saying that together with the abolition of food, the stomach will also be abolished, he expressed the thought that together with satiety, the desire for immoderate consumption will also be abolished. According to others, he concluded his advice with a prayer to end, that is, to stop intemperance and gluttony. And the body is not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. From those words, it can be seen that the apostle is talking about stomach-pleasing in relation to the word about fornication. Otherwise, he should say: the body is not for food, nor for the stomach (stomach pleasure). However, he did not say so. But how? Not for fornication. It shows what the consequences of carnal pleasures are, that is, it shows that it is fornication. The meaning of his words is as follows: the body, he says, was not created to drown in pleasure and to fall into fornication, but it was created to submit to Christ as its head and for the Lord to govern it as head. 14. And God resurrected the Lord, and He will resurrect us with His power. Don't be confused when you hear that God resurrected the Lord; the apostle says so because he condescends to us as to children. And since everyone had lofty ideas about the Father, as about the Source, the apostle also connects the resurrection to the Father and announces that He will resurrect us too. Just as he resurrected our head, and by that I mean Christ, so he will resurrect the other members as well, i.e. us. To confirm his words, he adds: by His power and as if to say: do not doubt what I am saying, because the power of God, which accomplishes great works, can also fulfill that. That Christ's resurrection is linked to the Father as the cause, can be seen from what the Lord said about Himself: Destroy this church and in three days I will raise it up (Jn. 2:19). It is also written about Him that He showed Himself alive (Acts 1:3). Therefore, although He resurrected Himself, that work is attributed to the Father as the cause. 15. Don't you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Again it goes back to the previous advice regarding fornication. However, he armed his words with great horrors. Shall I therefore take the limbs of Christ and make them the limbs of a harlot? He did not say: "unite them with a harlot", but make them the members of a harlot, which is far more terrible. Who will not be horrified to hear these words, that is, that they will take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? No way! 16. Or don't you know that whoever has sex with a harlot is one body with her? Because it was said: There will be two one flesh. It shows what was said, ie. in what way will the members of Christ become the members of the harlot. Through binding, he says, the man becomes one flesh with the harlot. That is why his limbs, which were the limbs of Christ, become the limbs of a harlot. 17. And whoever unites with the Lord is one Spirit with Him. Look, how even by naming the harlot and Christ, he continues and strengthens the accusation. He says that the one who has united with the Lord becomes nothing but a spirit, so that he does not do anything bodily, that is, he becomes spiritual. Union with the Lord gives him the sanctification of the Spirit. With these words, he also showed how the faithful become members of Christ. He prescribes to flee from fornication as from some persecutor, because of whom we cannot be safe even for a moment, and says that we must exert all our strength for this purpose, in order to abstain from him. Every sin that a man commits outside the body is sin, and he who commits adultery with his body sins. Fornication, he says, defiles the whole body. This is precisely why fornicators usually go to the baths, thus testifying that their body is defiled. The fornicator, therefore, sins against the body itself, because it defiles and defiles it. Even though murder is completed by the body, it does not desecrate the whole body. A stone or a tree or some other artifice may be thrown for murder, while fornication cannot be committed without the body: for this reason it is always defiled. After all, the apostle intended to present the gravity of that sin in a magnified form, because the present advice concerns him. Fornication is by no means a vice that is worse than all other vices. I know other solutions to this question. The following solution is also the same: the fornicator sins against his own body in that he does not unite with the desire to beget children, as in the union with a legitimate wife, but rather defiles it in vain by spilling his seed and thus makes it weak. Second solution: the fornicator sins against the woman with whom he has intercourse, because she thereby becomes his body, and therefore, if he has unlawful intercourse with her, he sins against her. After all, the solution of the great Chrysostom is better than all, and I mean the first solution. In addition, some express doubt and ask: «What does it mean? Doesn't envy also dry up the body", and they resolve this question in the following way: envy is a passion and not an action. The apostle is talking about action (here are his words: every sin that a person commits), and not about passion. In fact, envy is not created by us, but it works in us. 19. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you, which you have from God? It's even more frightening, and that's because of the size of the gift, that is. of the Spirit, and by the dignity of the One who gave the gift, i.e. God. He says, you are a church, and a holy one, because you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not desecrate the holy church, and do not make God's gift useless, because you have the gift of the Spirit from God. And you are not yourself. 20. Because you were bought at a high price. You, he says, are under the Lord and you have nothing of your own, not even the body itself. You were bought dearly, that is. By the blood of Christ. Therefore, your bodies belong to another Lord (not to yourself) and you should direct your actions towards what is pleasing to Him. In saying this, he does not invalidate free will, but shows that God, Who has redeemed us, rightly demands that we serve Him. Therefore, glorify God with your body... Since you are bought, he says, glorify God with your body, that is. creating good deeds and keeping it pure and holy. Glorifying God is that when people see your good deeds, they glorify Him. It shows that fornication should not be avoided only with the body, but also with the spirit, so that we do not defile ourselves mentally (because he called the spirit here the thought). Even adultery, which remains in the heart, is forbidden in the Gospel (cf. Mt. 5:2). It constantly reminds us that we do not belong to ourselves, but that we are under the authority of God, who has redeemed our souls and bodies. 1. And for what you write to me... Having corrected the confusion of division, fornication and selfishness, he now lays down rules for marriage and for virginity. Namely, the Corinthians asked him in the letter they sent him, whether they should abstain from women or not? It is good for a man not to touch a woman. It is good, first of all, he says, if every man and not only the priest (as some have badly understood it) does not touch a woman and remains a virgin. However, it is safer, and closer to our weakness, to get married. Therefore he adds the following: 2. But for the sake of (avoiding) fornication, let each one have his own wife, and let each one have her own husband. He talks about both sides. It can happen that the husband is prone to chastity and the wife is not, and vice versa. In words: Because of (avoidance of) fornication it encourages abstinence. If marriage is permitted for the sake of avoiding fornication, then those who are united in marriage should not come together without all moderation, but with prudence. 3. The husband should show his wife his due love, so should the wife show her husband. Consider, he says, that loving one another is your duty. Since it is a duty, you are necessarily obliged to show it to each other. 4. The woman is not the master of her body, but the husband; so the husband is not the master of his body, but the wife. Now he shows that love for one another is truly an inevitable duty. Spouses, he says, are not the masters of their bodies, but the wife is both the servant and mistress of her husband. The maid, because she has no authority over her body, so that she can hand it over to whomever she wants, but the husband rules over it. She is a mistress because of that, because her husband's body is her body, and he has no authority to give it to harlots. Similarly, the husband is the servant and master of his wife. 5. Do not forbid each other, except by agreement and temporarily. That is, a woman must not abstain against her husband's will, just as a husband must not abstain against his wife's will. If one withholds himself against the will of another, it means that he deprives him of himself, similar to what is said about money. However, if they abstain at will, then it is something completely different, when, for example, both husband and wife, by mutual agreement, set a certain time for mutual abstinence. To devote themselves to fasting and prayer. He explains what his expression means: temporary, that is. when the time comes to live in prayer, that is, to pray with special fervor. He did not simply say: "for the sake of prayer", but: in order to surrender to prayer. If the apostle considered married life to be an obstacle to regular daily prayer, how would he have said in another place: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Therefore, that your prayer may be more hearty, refrain from one another: though it does not defile, (marital) union hinders pious action. So that you meet again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your lack of restraint. I, reasoned the apostle, say to unite again. However, I am not setting this for you as a law, but I am prescribing it so that Satan would not tempt you, i.e. lest he incite you to fornication. Although the devil himself is the cause of fornication, it is primarily our lack of restraint, which is why the apostle added: your lack of restraint, because therein lies the cause of the devil tempting us. 6. But I say this as an opinion and not as a command. In order that you may occasionally be deprived of one another, I said it, says the apostle, as an opinion (as a license), i.e. condescending to your weakness, not as an inevitable command. 7. Because I want all people to be like me. Wherever he prescribes some difficult feat, the apostle usually presents himself as an example. That's why he says here: I want everyone to abstain at all times. But everyone has their own gift from God, one like this, the other like that. Staying in virginity, he says, is a gift from God. However, this feat also requires our strength. What does he call a gift? In order to comfort the Corinthians, to whom he inflicted a noticeable blow by not restraining your words (v. 5). Notice, however, that he considers marriage itself a gift, because he said: each one has his own gift from God, this one like this, ie. to dwell in virginity, and that one as such, i.e. the gift of living in conjugal life. 8. And to the unmarried and widows I say: it is good for them if they remain as I am. 9. If they cannot support themselves, let them marry and get married, because it is better to marry and be married than to have sex. Do you see Paul's wisdom? He also points to the primacy of virginity and, at the same time, does not compel abstinence from conjugal relations on those who are unable to abstain, so that otherwise they would not be exposed to a serious fall. If, he says, you feel great violence and burning (because the power of lust is strong), get rid of that toil and sweat so that, if you accept them, you will not fall into even greater evil. 10. And I command the married and the married, not I, but the Lord. Since the Lord gave the law in clear words that marriages should not be divorced except for adultery (cf. Mt. 5:32), the apostle says: not I, but the Lord. After all, Paul's words are also the words of the Lord and not of men, because a little later he says: I think that I also have the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 7:40). That a wife should not be separated from her husband, 11. If she does separate, let her remain unmarried, or let her reconcile with her husband; and the husband should not leave his wife. Separations, he says, occur either because of the love of abstinence, or because of despondency, or for some other reason. It would be better, however, if there was no separation at all. If it does happen, the woman is obliged to stay by her husband's side, if not for the sake of union, then so that he does not bring someone else. If she cannot help herself, let her reconcile with her husband. 12. And to the others I speak, not the Lord. If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, let him not leave her. 13. And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave him. What are you saying? If the husband is an unbeliever, let him stay with the wife; if he is a fornicator, shouldn't he stay with her? Is not unbelief worse than fornication? It is true that it is worse. God, however, asks more for our sins against our neighbors than for sins against Himself, because it was said: Leave your gift there before the altar, and go and first reconcile with your brother (Mt. 5:24). He forgave the one who owed Him ten thousand talents. However, with the one who owed one hundred dinars, he took revenge for the insult (see Mt. 18; 34). It is the same in this case: He ignores the sin of unbelief, which offends God Himself, but punishes the sin of adultery, as a sin against a woman. Some, after all, explain it like this: a person, they say, remains in unbelief due to ignorance, which, of course, can end, as the apostle himself says: For what do you know, woman, perhaps you will save your husband (v. 16)? Fornication, on the other hand, is committed due to obvious depravity. Besides, the fornicator has already separated himself because, having taken his members from the woman, he has made them the members of a harlot. However, since the unbeliever has not committed any sin against carnal union or, rather, through that union, he will, perhaps, be united by faith as well. I'm not even talking about the fact that the order of life will be disrupted and that the Gospel will be exposed to ridicule, if the faithful half is separated from the unfaithful. The apostle, however, relates the considered commandment only to the case when a husband and wife were united by marriage at a time when both were still in unbelief, but later one or the other party converted to faith. Namely, if previously only one half was unbelieving, i.e. only the husband or only the wife, then the believing half was not allowed to marry the non-believer at all. This can also be seen from the words of the apostle, because he did not say: "if someone wants to take an unbelieving woman", but: if a brother has one. He did not simply prescribe that the believing half should live with the unbelieving half, but only in the case that the other half so wishes. That's what the word means: consent, ie. if he wants. 14. For an unbelieving husband is consecrated to a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife is consecrated to a believing husband. The abundance of purity of the believing half overcomes the impurity of the unbeliever. This is what the apostle's words mean, and not that a supposed unbeliever becomes holy. The apostle did not say: "it becomes holy", but: it is sanctified, that is. is overcome by the holiness of the believing half. He says this so that a believing woman would not fear becoming impure if she lived with such a husband. However, the question arises: if the one who unites with the harlot and becomes one flesh with her becomes unclean (cf. 6; 16), it is obvious that the one who unites with the unbeliever will also become one flesh with her. If the first is impure, how is it that the latter is not impure? As for fornication, in that case this is exactly what happens. When fornicators have intercourse with each other, their union is impure, and therefore both are impure. It is different, however, in the case where the believing half lives with the unbelieving half. An unbelieving husband is unclean by his unbelief. The woman, however, did not share with him in unbelief, but in the matrimonial bedroom. There is no impurity in this intercourse, because it is a legal marriage. Therefore, the believing half does not become impure. Otherwise your children would be impure. If the unbelieving half were not overcome by the purity of the believer, their children would be impure or only partially pure. That is, they are not impure. With the heightened expression of the world, the apostle removes the fear of a similar suspicion. If the unbeliever separates, let him separate. For example, if he commands you to either participate in his infidelity or renounce your marital rights, separate. It is better to loose the reins of marriage, than to deprive oneself of holiness. A brother or sister is not bound by slavery in such a case, because God has called us to peace. If your husband quarrels with you because you do not participate in his infidelity, separate from him. In that case, you are not slavishly tied to him, that is. they do not force you to follow him in such acts. It is better to part with him than to fight, because even God does not want that: God has called us to peace. Therefore, if your husband quarrels with you, he himself has given you a reason for separation (= divorce). 16. Because what do you know, woman, maybe you will save your husband! He again appeals to that advice that a wife should not leave her husband, and presents the present question. If, he says, he does not quarrel with you, stay with him and advise him: perhaps you will do something. He presents success as doubtful, on the one hand, so that they would not think that he is placing an inevitable obligation on the woman to fully convince her husband, and on the other hand, because of this, in order to support her hope that she will convert her husband and to prevent her despair. Or what do you know, husband, you might save your wife! 17. Only as God assigns to each, let each live as the Lord has called him. Some read it like this: Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife or not! Then they began the next sentence in this way: Let each one live as God has assigned him, ie. how do you know if you will save her or not? It is quite uncertain. However, if it is uncertain, one should not dissolve the marriage because if you do not save her, you will not harm yourself, and if you save her, you and others will benefit. St. John, however, did not read in that way, but: Only as God assigns to each, let each live as God has called him. Such a reading is incomparably better. The apostle thus seemed to say: there should not be a separation under the pretext of unbelief, but let everyone act as God has favored for him. You are called, having an unbelieving wife. Leave her with you, and do not expel her for unbelief. And so I command all Churches. He therefore said this, knowing that the Corinthians would rather obey him if they heard that he commanded others to do the same. 18. Is anyone called as circumcised? Do not build uncircumcised. It is likely that many, being ashamed of circumcision, resorted to some medical means and brought the circumcised limb back to its original state, adding a foreskin to it. Is anyone called as uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. On the other hand, some, finding something important in circumcision, circumcised themselves after entering the faith. That is why he says that it does not help the faith in the least. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. He says that virtues are always required along with faith, and everything else is either required little or not at all. 20. Let everyone remain in the profession to which he was called. 21. Are you summoned as a slave? Don't worry, but even if you can become free, rather be patient (literally: take advantage of the better). In the profession in which he was called, i.e. in which way of life, in which act and in which state you believed, remain in it. Invocation means bringing to faith. Did you receive the faith as a slave? Do not worry and do not be troubled, because slavery will not harm you in the least. Even if you could become free, use the better, ie. sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others. 22. Because he who is called as a slave in the Lord is a freeman of the Lord; so he who is called as a freeman is a slave of the Lord. The one who was freed from slavery was called a freedman. Therefore, the apostle says: you, who believed as a slave, are free of the Lord, because Christ has freed you from sin and from that external slavery, even if you are a slave. He who does not obey the passions has a noble soul and is not a slave, even if it looks that way. On the other hand, the one who is called to faith as a freeman is a slave of Christ. Therefore, if the name of slavery confuses the slave, let him understand that he has become free in Christ, and that freedom is far more important than human freedom. And again, if the name of freedom exalts the freedman, let him understand that he is a slave of Christ and let him calm down, knowing that he is subject to such a Master and that he is obliged to please Him. Do you see the wisdom with which the apostle teaches both slaves and freemen? 23. You were bought dearly; do not be slaves to men. 24. Each one, brothers, in what he was called, let him remain before God. This he speaks not only to slaves, but also to freemen, advising all Christians not to do anything to please men, and not to obey them, if their commandments are unlawful. This is what the words mean: God bought you, and do not be slaves to men. He does not persuade slaves to fall away from their masters. This can be seen from his following words: in what is called, etc., i.e. if someone is called as a slave, let him remain so. Before God, he added because of this, that through obedience to lawless masters, they would not fall away from God. He was concerned about one and the other, that is, that, under the pretext of obedience to God, the slaves would not fall away from their masters, and on the other hand, that, by showing their masters greater obedience than necessary, they would not fall away from God. 25. And for girls (or: for virgins) I do not have a command from God, but I give advice, like one who has gained grace from the Lord that he is trustworthy (faithful). Previously, he spoke to us about chastity, and now he addresses a more important subject, that is, virginity. He says that the Lord did not give a law, nor that he gave commandments regarding virginity, but that he only said: Whoever can receive, let him receive (Matthew 19:12). That is why, he says, I do not dare to prescribe anything in connection with that subject. It is an important question, but at the same time a dangerous one. After all, I am giving my opinion, ie. advice, because by God's grace I am also worthy to be faithful, i.e. Close to him and the one to whom secrets can be trusted. 26. I think, therefore, that it is good because of the present trouble, that it is good for a person to be like this. In my opinion, he says, it is best for a man to refrain from marriage because of the disadvantages and inconveniences associated with it, and not because marriage is impure. 27. Have you tied yourself to a woman? Don't ask to undress. Have you gotten rid of your wife? He's not looking for a wife. 28. Even if you marry, you have not sinned. In the words: Have you tied yourself to a woman, it shows that marriage, like shackles, brings with it inconveniences. He does not call divorce according to mutual consent, but separation (= divorce) without sufficient reason. If the spouses abstain according to mutual consent, then it is not a divorce. He said: don't look for a wife, and lest you think that he commands celibacy, he adds: Even if you marry, you have not sinned. Look, however, how he imperceptibly encourages virginity, calling marriage fetters and virginity liberation and freedom. And if the girl gets married, she has not sinned. By girl, he does not mean the one who is dedicated to God (such a girl, if she marries, will undoubtedly sin, because in doing so, apart from her Bridegroom - Christ, she will bring an adulterer to her), but she means an unmarried girl. If, therefore, such a woman marries, she will not sin, because marriage does not contain anything impure. But such people will have physical trouble, and I would like to spare you. Trouble is the worries and sorrows associated with marriage. And I, he says, would like to spare you, as my children, and I want you to be free and carefree. Marriage is a bond, and those who are under its yoke have no power over themselves, as previously stated. 29. And this I say to you, brothers, that there is little time left. If in his words: such people will have physical trouble, someone would not add: "but at the same time satisfaction", cutting off any hope of satisfaction and pointing out that there is not much time. Everything rushes towards resolution (decomposition, destruction). The Kingdom of Christ has come near and we must finally show ourselves before Christ. So, if there is any satisfaction in married life, it is unstable and short-lived. From now on even those who have wives should be as if they don't have them. 30. And those who cry as if they are not crying; and who rejoice as if they did not rejoice, and who buy as if they had nothing. 31. And who use this world as if they were not using it. If even those who have wives should be as if they didn't have them, then what is the use of getting married and putting the burden on yourself? What does it mean: as if they don't have them? It means that they don't get attached to marriage and their wife and don't exhaust all their worries on them. In the same way, no one should be too busy with other things: neither sad occasions, which he indicated by the words: those who weep, nor joy, which he indicated by the words: those who rejoice, nor contracts, which he indicated by the words: those who buy. Why, he says, list this and that? Simply, those who use this world should be as if they are not using it, ie. not to attach themselves to him fervently and partisanly. Excessive use, which goes beyond what is necessary, is abuse. Because the form of this world is passing away. It passes and decomposes (disintegrates). Why would you be attached to what is falling apart? With the noun "appearance" he showed that the things of this world just fly in front of the eyes, that they are extremely light, and that they have nothing solid and substantial (essential) in them. And I want you to be carefree. How can they be carefree? If they remain unmarried. That's why he adds the following: He who is unmarried takes care of the Lord, how he will please the Lord; 33. And he who is married worries about this world, how he will please his wife. How can you, Paul, wanting us to be carefree, and why you advise celibacy, say again: Who is unmarried cares for the Lord's? So there are concerns. However, they are not the same, he says, as those associated with marriage. Cares about the Lord are salutary and sweet, and cares in the world are harmful and difficult. In fact, is it not hard and sad to try to please a woman, especially one who likes to adorn herself and seeks gold and pearls and other vain things? This forces unhappy husbands to injustice and soul-destroying things. 34. A woman is also different from a girl. They are different from each other and do not have the same concerns. One takes care of these things and the other takes care of those things. And if their concerns are different, they must choose those that are better and easier. An unmarried woman cares for the Lord, how she will please the Lord, to be holy in body and spirit; and she who is married worries about this world, how she will please her husband. It is not enough to be holy in body, but one must also be holy in spirit, because in that, that is, in the purity of body and soul, true virginity consists. In essence, many, being pure and blameless in body, are defiled in soul. In addition, pay attention to the fact that the virgin is not the one who cares about the world. Therefore, when you see a woman who presents herself as a virgin (girl) and at the same time takes care of worldly affairs, know that she is no different from married women. For both, Paul gave certain characteristics by which we can recognize them - these are not marriage and abstinence, but, on the one hand, great and restless action and on the other, calm occupation of one's affairs. Therefore, the girl is not the one who burdens herself with a lot of useless work. A married woman, on the other hand, continues to worry about how to please her husband and at the same time takes special care of her beauty or, in order to be considered a good housewife, shows herself to be thrifty and hardworking. 35. And I say this for your own benefit, not to set a trap for you. I spoke, he says, about virginity, knowing that it is useful for you, because then you are free from cares and sorrows, and the soul benefits more from it. I did not preach to you because of that, in order to force you to remain a virgin even against your will (because he called coercion a trap). Rather, for polite and persistent service to the Lord in concentration. For this reason, he says, you should live well-mannered and in purity, because what can be more well-mannered and pure than virginity? I told you also because of this, that you, being free from marital inconveniences, would serve the Lord without distraction and always stand before Him, placing all your worries on Him (cf. 1Petr.5:7). 36. If someone thinks that it is ugly for his girlfriend to be unmarried, and if it should be like that, let him do what he wants, make no mistake, let him marry her. If someone, he says, being truly weak in soul, considers it ugly for his daughter to remain a virgin, especially if she has passed the age of maturity, let him, he says, so be it. How? Let him do what he wants, ie. if he wants to marry her, let him marry her, because he will not make a mistake. However, it is better to keep the girl, as he says below. 37. And he who is steadfast in his heart, and has no necessity, and has power over his will, and has decided this in his heart, to keep his girlfriend, does well. 38. Likewise, he who marries his girlfriend does well, but he who does not marry does better. Notice how at the beginning he admires the one who keeps his girlfriend, calling him steadfast and firm and saying that he does his work prudently, because he says: who is steadfast in heart. It means that the one who marries his girlfriend is not stable. In other words: it is not necessary for him to show that the father has the power to offer his daughter a husband, and no one can force him not to marry her. Therefore, honor to him who leaves his daughter unmarried. That is why the apostle praises him because, he says, he does good. However, the one who marries his daughter also does good, because marriage is not a sin. Everything that is not a sin is good. Finally, it is far better if he does not marry her, because that is perfection in good. 39. A woman is bound by law, as long as her husband lives; if her husband dies, she is free to marry whoever she wants, only in the Lord. 40. But it is more blessed, if it stays like that, in my opinion, and I think that I also have the spirit of God. Here he teaches about second marriage. Although he allows it, he considers the one who does not enter into a second marriage to be more blessed. Just as virginity is more exalted than the first marriage, so the first marriage is more exalted than the second. A woman is bound by the law, i.e. by the prudence of the law, she refrains from adultery, from becoming an adulteress through union with another while her husband is still alive. However, if her husband dies, she becomes free from the shackles and laws of her first marriage and is released. Only in the Lord, that is. only with chastity and honor can she enter into a second marriage, for the sake of bearing and raising children, and not because she is attracted by lust. In my opinion, he adds, you would not consider it a necessity, but only an advice, a divine advice. I think, he says, that I also have the Spirit of God. With those words, he shows a great calm mind, because he didn't say: "I have", but: I think I have, that is. I suppose, I think. 1. And we all know about idol sacrifices. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds. Some of the Corinthians were perfect and, knowing that what goes into the mouth does not defile a person (cf. Mt. 15:11), and that idols are wood and stone and cannot do any harm, they indifferently entered the churches and ate from the (meat) of idol sacrifices. Others, however, who were less perfect, when they saw these, themselves entered the churches and offered sacrifices to the idols, but not with the same thought with which the first ones entered, but thinking that the idols were worthy of respect and capable of accepting sacrifices. This incited Paul to zeal, because it harmed both: the perfect by feasting on demonic foods, and the imperfect by leaning towards idolatry. The apostle, therefore, hastens to correct this evil, and according to his custom, leaving the imperfect, addresses the perfect. First of all, he calms their pride with knowledge and says: "You are not the only one who has this knowledge, but we all know that an idol is nothing in the world." That knowledge, however, not only does not bring any benefit, but also harms you, because it exalts and inflates the one who possesses it. It distances him from his neighbor, if he does not have this knowledge and love, which, on the contrary, can build him up. What knowledge without love destroys, love restores and builds, doing everything for the benefit of the neighbor. 2. If someone thinks he knows something, he has not yet learned anything as he should know. It says more here, ie. that knowledge, even when united with love, will be imperfect. No one, even if it were Peter or Paul, knows anything as it should be known. Why then are you puffed up, who have knowledge without love? Even if you had both knowledge and love, you would still not know anything perfectly. 3. And if anyone loves God, God knows him. These words have the following meaning: if someone loves his neighbor, he undoubtedly loves God as well. He, on the other hand, who loves God, was known by God, i.e. God knows him and adopted him. Such a person receives knowledge from God, but even that knowledge is imperfect. Therefore, if you have knowledge, do not be puffed up, because it is not perfect and is not the result of your efforts, but is given to you by God. Look at the measures to tame their swagger. 4. As for eating idol sacrifices, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. Again, they are tamed and generalized by knowledge. We all know, he says, that an idol is nothing in the world. Therefore, there are no idols? There are no statues? They exist, but they are nothing, ie. they have no power. These are not gods, but stones and demons. There were simple people and wise men among the Jelins. Simple people saw nothing but stones in the idols, while the sages believed that divine forces resided in them, which they called gods. That is why the apostle tells the common people that an idol is nothing in the world, and tells the sages that there is no other God but one. Therefore, there are no divine powers living in idols, because God is one, and there is no multitude of gods. 5. Because if there are so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many Lords, 6. But we have only one God the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we are. He said there is no other God. However, as the Jellini were saying that there are many gods, and they would not consider that he (Paul) openly contradicts them, he says: there are so-called gods, i.e. those, who are called so, but who are not really gods. Either in the sky, such as the sun, moon and other stars, which the Jelins deified. Whether on earth, as some of the people, whom they considered to be gods. We have only one God the Father, from whom all things are. This indicates that He is the Creator. And for whom we are: thereby indicating belief in Him and that He has adopted us. It was as if he said: we turned to Him and attached ourselves to Him. And one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom everything is and we through him. Through the Son everything was brought into being; and we are brought to existence and well-being through Him, i.e. we became believers and passed from error to truth. When you hear the words: there is one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ, do not think that only the Father is called God, and the Son is called Lord. The Son is also called God, for example: From whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all (Rom.9:5). Likewise, the Father is called the Lord: The Lord said to my Lord (Ps. 109:11). However, as the apostle addresses the Hellenes, who respected many gods and many lords, he did not call the Son God, so that they, accustomed to polytheism, would not think of two gods. And again, he didn't call the Father Lord either, so that they wouldn't think that we also have many masters. Из истог разлога, тј. condescending to the weakness of the listeners, he did not mention the Spirit here, just as the prophets did not clearly mention the Son because of the weakness of the Jews, so that they would not think of the passionate. That is why he keeps adding: there is no God but one and there is one God and one Lord. Therefore, he called the Father God to distinguish Him from false gods, not to distinguish Him from the Son. In the same way, he called the Son Lord, in order to distinguish Him from false masters and not because He was distinguished from the Father. 7. But not everyone has that knowledge. Not everyone knows, he says, that God is one, that there are not many gods and that idols are nothing. For some, with consciences accustomed to idols, until now eat as sacrifices to idols, and their consciences, being weak, are defiled. He said vaguely: some, wanting to show them in front of everyone. There were many who converted from idolatry to faith, but who until now, even after they believed, eat the meat of idol sacrifices, as idol sacrifices. With a conscience accustomed to idols, that is. having the same opinion about idols as they had before converting to religion, considering them as something and fearing them as those who can harm them. That is why he did not say that idols defile, but that their conscience is defiled, because it is weak and cannot bear that idols are nothing, that by themselves they cannot defile (desecrate) anyone. Understand, then, that those who ate the flesh of idol sacrifices felt something similar to the one who, according to Jewish custom, considered touching the dead to be desecration. Seeing that others do it with a clear conscience, and out of shame in front of them, he himself would do the same. Therefore, he would not be defiled by that, but his conscience would be defiled, since it was condemning him. 8. And eating does not place us before God. Lest someone say: "I eat with a clear conscience, and I don't care if someone is deceived because of their weakness", he explains that even eating the meat of idol victims, even with a determined contempt for idols, has no significance. Even if your brother did not deceive himself, even in that case you would not do anything praiseworthy or pleasing to God, because food does not bring us closer to God. Because we neither gain if we eat, nor lose if we don't eat. In other words, even if we eat, we do not have any advantage over others, nor do we do something that is particularly pleasing to God. Likewise, if we do not eat, we suffer no loss or humiliation. 9. And take care that this freedom of yours does not become a stumbling block for the weak. It scares them. He did not say: "this knowledge of yours", but: this freedom of yours, i.e. do not let your self-will and pride serve as a stumbling block for the weak. They are more accused of not sparing the weak, who should have been helped. 10. Because if someone sees you, who have knowledge, sitting at a table in an idol church, won't his conscience, because he is weak, be encouraged to eat idol sacrifices! If one of the weak sees you, who call yourself perfect, eating idol sacrifices, will he not find a great reason to eat this meat himself, and will he not be fixed in the opinion that an idol is something? Not knowing your thoughts with which you do this, he will undoubtedly consider your action as advice. 11. And because of your knowledge, a weak brother perishes, for whom Christ died. In this way, your perfection will be the cause of the downfall of another, and that of a weak one, for whom Christ died. "If Christ did not refuse to die for him, then how can you not abstain from food, so that he would not be offended by your food", says St. John Chrysostom. 12. And by thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. He did not say: "seducing" but: wounding, in order to indicate their hard-heartedness, when they also wound a weak conscience. He took that sin to the very top of transgression when he said: O Christ, you are sinning. In what sense is that sin perfected against Christ? What is done to His servants, Christ accepts upon Himself; His body was wounded, and His limbs. They destroy what He created through his own slaughter, that is, they destroy salvation. 13. Therefore, if food offends my brother, I will not eat meat forever, so as not to offend my brother. As an excellent teacher, he proves what he is talking about by his own example. He did not say: if he offends Him justly, but: if he offends Him in any way. He did not say: "I will not eat meat sacrificed to idols", but: I will not eat meat at all, even if it is permitted. And again, he did not say: "I will not eat for one or two days", but: all my life, because that means the word forever. Finally, he did not say: "not to execute", but: not to offend. 1. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? He previously said: "If food offends my brother, I will not eat meat at all." So that someone would not consider him ostentatious and glory-loving, he was finally forced to announce that he abstained from what was permitted, so as not to offend someone. And while Christ commanded the preacher of the Gospel to feed on the Gospel (cf. Lk.10:7), i.e., at the expense of those whom he teaches, I, he says, decided that it is better to faint from hunger and not to take anything from you, and to, instead, work with my hands and feed myself from my own labor. It seems that there were also rich teachers among them, who were respected because they taught for free and tried to embarrass Paul. He understood this and, as I said, he did not want to feed himself at the expense of his students, even if he had the right to do so. Thus, he says, I behave, and you do not abstain even from the meat sacrificed to idols. Such, in general, is the thought of this place, which he develops in a few verses. Finally, let's consider each saying individually. Am I not an apostle! So that someone wouldn't say: "You can't take it, and that's why you don't take it", he says: "How? Don't the other apostles take?" "Yes", he will answer. "And now what? Am I not an apostle? the same as they are. Am I not free, that is? nobody forbids me to take it. So that they would not object to him again: "The other apostles are more important than you, because they have seen the Lord", he says: Have I not seen Jesus Christ, our Lord... And after all, like a premature baby, he appeared to me as well (1Cor.15:8) Seeing Christ with his own eyes was a great privilege, because he himself said: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, because I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see ( Lk. 10:23–24). Are you not my work in the Lord? If you are also free, if you are also an apostle, but you have not completed any apostolic work, what does that mean? And Judas was an apostle, and he saw the Lord. That is why he says: You are my work, which means that I have fulfilled the apostolic ministry. When he said that, he also added: in the Lord, that is, I did not fill him with my own power, but with the Lord's power. 2. If I am not an apostle to others, but I am to you. I do not say that I am the teacher of the whole universe, but am I not your teacher? Why didn't I take anything from you, when I had a special right to it? Through such a concession, he confirms his letter even more. Because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. That is, proof. If anyone wants to see if I am really an apostle, I will point to you. You are the seal and confirmation of my apostleship, because among you I have perfected everything that an apostle is obliged to do. 3. This is my defense before those who condemn me. To those who want to know, from where it can be seen that I am an apostle, I will offer you in my defense. Having proved that you have learned everything from me, I will defeat those who condemn me. 4. Don't we have the right (lit. power) to eat and drink? That is, to take what we need from the students. However, we do not use that right, even though we have it. 5. Do we not have the right to take our sister's wife with us, like the other apostles, and the Lord's brothers, and Cephas? The apostles were followed by rich women, who brought them everything they needed and took all the care of it upon themselves, so that they could exclusively engage in preaching. Note that he mentioned the supreme, as the most important, at the end, expressing the following thought: "Why should I talk about the others? And Petar himself acts like that.» He calls Jacob, the bishop of Jerusalem, Josiah, Simon and Judas brothers of the Lord (Matthew 13:55). They are called brothers of the Lord because Joseph was betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 6. Or only I and Barnabas do not have the right to do this? Don't we have the right to live without work and, without working, to support ourselves at the expense of our students? He did not keep silent about Barnabas, who, as he knew, was the same in this respect, since he also lived from his work. 7. Who ever goes to war at his own expense? All soldiers receive support from the state. He duly placed the service of the soldier in the first place, because it is similar to the apostolic service - both in terms of the dangers associated with it, as well as in the struggle with spiritual enemies. Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat its fruit? With that example, he pointed out the difficulties, the multitude of misfortunes and worries. After all, he did not say: he eats the whole crop, but: from the crop. In the same way, he did not say: who does not get rich from crops, but: who does not eat. Thus, it convinces everywhere that only what is necessary and not superfluous is sought. Or who cares for the herd and does not eat from the milk of the herd? He did not say: "he sells sheep or eats them", nor "all milk", but: from milk. This shows that the teacher has to be satisfied with a small reward and the necessary maintenance. By mentioning the shepherd, it indicates that the teacher must have great care. 8. Am I saying this in a human way? Or does the law not say this? Am I confirming it only with human examples? Do I not also have the testimony of Scripture? I can prove that this is also pleasing to God: the law commands the same, which is not from men but from God. 9. Because it is written in the Law of Moses: Do not bind the mouth of the ox that is doing it. There is an abundance of what confirms this subject, so he also gives the example of oxen. Does God care about the oxen? And doesn't he worry? He cares, but not so much that he would give a law about them. That's why he mentioned something else by taking care of the speechless, that is, he taught the Jews to take care of the teachers. From there we know that everything that is said in the Old Testament about the speechless is used to teach people. 10. Or is he speaking precisely for our sake? Because we are writing... He used the word "exactly", as when talking about a well-known subject, so as not to give the listeners a reason to object to anything. Those who plow should plow in hope. The teacher is obliged to cultivate the field of the heart and to work hard with the hope of salary and reward. And who perform, in the hope that they will receive according to their hope. He switched from plowing to threshing, in order to express how hard the apostles are working, because they are engaged in both plowing and threshing. As the one who plows, only hopes, while the one who does, to some extent also enjoys, he said that the one who does, receives according to his hope. So that no one would say: "Are you only offering the reward for such a great effort of the apostles, with which they will receive sustenance", he added; with hope ie with hope for future goods. It is necessary that they also hope for these goods, and much more than what they will eat and drink at the expense of the students, 11. If we sow to you what is spiritual, is it much if we reap from you what is carnal? Here he proves the correctness of that work. You, he says, return unevenly for what you have received. We have sown in you spiritually, and you are giving back to us physically. Is it big? 12. If others use your right, why not us? He points to some false teachers, who took from them arbitrarily and without any shame. That's why he didn't say: if others take, but: if others use your right, that is. if they lord and rule over you, and if they command you as slaves, then don't we, who are true apostles, have greater rights? But we do not use this right. Although we have the right to eat and drink at your expense, we did not exercise that right, so that you would not be offended. And you cannot refrain even from (eating meat) sacrificed to idols, so as not to offend the weak among the brothers! Rather, we endure everything so as not to hinder the gospel of Christ. So that someone wouldn't say: "You didn't need it, that's why you didn't take it", he says: even though we are in great need, we still endure everything - hunger, thirst, and nakedness, so that we don't create any hindrance, that is, any obstacle for the gospel and preaching. 13. Don't you know that those who perform holy service are nourished by the sacred! Not satisfied with the above examples, he cites another place from the law to prove that he had the right to take from the students. As he explained the commandment about the oxen in a figurative sense, he says that the law literally commands that those who perform holy service should eat from the sanctuary, as well as the Levites, who are lower in rank than the priests. He did not say: they are fed by those who offer, but: by the holy, so that those who receive would not be ashamed of being fed by people, but also so that those who give (offerings) would not be ashamed. And those who serve the altar share with the altar. It includes priests and archbishops. The verb indicates continuous service and living. He did not say that they take sacred money, because it indicates moderation and that money should not be collected. He also did not say that they take from those who offer sacrifices, but that they take from the sacrificers. What was offered no longer belonged to those who offered it, but to the church and the altar. He said: they take a part because the blood of the slaughtered victims was poured on the altar, the fat was burned, and the other parts of the meat, such as the breast, the right shoulder and some of the entrails, were taken by the priest (3 Moses 10:14). However, the burnt offerings belonged exclusively to the altar (Lev. 9:12-14). 14. Thus the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel live from the gospel. The strongest of all the evidence he stated at the end. Why should I say, sometimes one and sometimes another? The Lord so commanded, giving a law in agreement with the Old Testament (Lk. 10; 7). As he said before: from the holy things, so he also says here, that they should not feed on the disciples, but on the gospel, so that those who feed them would not become too proud. You don't feed him, he says, but his work - the gospel. He said: to live and not to trade or accumulate wealth. 15. And I didn't use anything from that. I did not use any of the Old Testament examples mentioned, not even the commandment of Christ, to eat and drink what is yours. And I didn't write this so that it would be like that for me. So that someone wouldn't tell him: "What does that mean? You haven't used it so far, but you want to use it in the future, so that's why you're talking about it», he hastens to correct such an opinion and says: I didn't write this so that it would be like that for me, that is. that I would take from you. Because it would be better for me to die than for someone to destroy my praise. I, he says, would rather agree to die of hunger than to allow someone to destroy my praise, i.e. to declare it vain and empty. He said: praise, to express the abundance of his joy. Someone might even say: "He really didn't take it, but he did it with pain and regret." However, he says: I am so far from grief that I even boast about it. 16. Because if I preach the gospel, there is no praise for me, because the obligation also dictates to me; and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. What are you saying? Your praise is not in preaching the gospel, but in free preaching? Is the latter better than the former? No, he says. However, I am commanded to preach the gospel and that is my duty. If I fulfill it, there is no perfection in it. However, if I do not fulfill it, woe to me, because I will be beaten a lot, like one who did not fulfill the will of his Lord (see Lk. 12; 47). Free preaching is an act of free will, and therefore it is a commendable act. The words: the obligation commands me were not uttered in order to abolish free will, but to distinguish the freedom to take and the fear of being punished for not fulfilling the duty. 17. For if I do this of my own free will, I have a salary; if, on the other hand, without my will, the service was entrusted to me. If I had not been entrusted with the work of preaching, I would have perfected it by myself and would have had great and many rewards. If it is entrusted to me, it is obvious that I am not perfecting it by myself, but that I am doing it according to the will of the Bishop. That's what the words mean: without your will. Therefore this work deserves no honor: I am only fulfilling the service entrusted to me. Also note the following. He did not say: if I work without my will, I will not have a reward, in order to show that he will also be rewarded for preaching, although in that case he is acting according to the will of the Bishop. It would be inconsistent with justice if all the apostles did not receive a reward for their preaching, but not such as they will receive, who preached freely. 18. So, what is my salary? To evangelize and expound the gospel of Christ for free, not to use my right in the gospel. For me, it is a great and praiseworthy reward not to use my right to take, and not to use it completely. He always calls taking a right (lit. power), in order to show that even those who took it did not sin at all. He said: in the Gospel, to show that the one who evangelizes and works hard should also take, and that the one who does not work should not take either. 19. Because being free from all, I made myself a slave to all, that I might win over them as much as possible. Speak even more. Not only did I not take, but, being free and subject to no one, I became a slave to everyone, not to one or two, but to the whole universe, and not to please everyone with flattery, but to win more believers, since it is impossible to win everything. 20. And I became to the Jews as a Jew, to win over the Jews. For example, when he circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3). He did not say: Judean, but: as a Judean, to show that that work had a special purpose. To those who are under the law as under the law, to win those who are under the law. By this he means proselytes, or those among the Jews who believed but still kept the law. It was then, when he shaved his head (Acts 18:18) and when he offered sacrifices according to the rite of purification. He did it with a special purpose and publicly, in order to correct those who acted in this way out of conviction. 21. To those who are without law I became as without law. By those who are without the law, he means those who did not have the law of Moses and who converted to the faith from heathenism, such as Cornelius was (Acts ap. 10). When he visited them, Paul condescended to their weakness. Perhaps he also means the Greeks, to whom he also adapted. For example, when he preached before the Athenians, he started from the altar that was with them, and he did not teach them about Christ as God, but as a man, because they could not understand anything like that. They also considered Him as one of their gods, like Heracles 6 or Aesculapius (Asclepius). 7 He always adds the word as, so that you know that Paul was just adapting, although, in fact, he was not like that. Although I was not without the law to God, but I am in the law of Christ, to win those who are without the law. In order not to think that Paul changed his opinion by talking to those without the law, he says: Although I was not without the law, but I am in the law of Christ, i.e. having a law that is higher than the ancient law, the law of Christ. And why is that? To win over those who are without law. 22. To the weak I became as weak, to win the weak. Even now, due to your vacillation and the mood of your spirit, which is prone to scandal, I did not want to feed at your expense. Even in those cases, when, due to the weakness of the hearers, he does not speak clearly about the divinity of the Son or the divinity of the Spirit, know that he becomes as weak to the weak. I was everything to everyone, to save some. And why should I list a lot? I adapted to everyone. Although I didn't hope to save everyone, I wanted to save at least some. And that's even more amazing. It is a great work to work oneself to the point of exhaustion for the sake of a few. He added: at least some, to comfort the teachers. Although no one saves everyone, there is no doubt that some will. That's why you shouldn't be idle. 23. And I do this for the gospel, to be its sharer. He calls the believers, who are saved through the gospel, as the gospel, as he said before: live by the gospel, that is. from believers. I, he says, act in this way, so that together with the believers I would share in the wreaths. He does not speak thus for the sake of it, as if he were doing it for a reward, but to persuade them to do everything for the brethren, hoping to obtain heavenly goods. Notice the calm mind of the apostle. Although he is worthy of preeminence, he places himself on a par with believers in general in sharing good things. 24. Don't you know that those who run on the track all run, and one gets a prize! Having proved that it is necessary for them to condescend to the brothers, he addresses them more strictly. His words have this meaning. Do not think that it is enough for your salvation that you believed and that you entered the arena of the Church. That's a little, just as those on the racetrack don't have much to just run. They, in addition, have to run flawlessly, and that to the very goal. Whoever ran like that, he was the only one who got the prize. You, on the other hand, are in danger of not receiving it because, knowing more than others, you despise your brothers and taste the flesh of idol sacrifices. So run to get it. 25. And everyone who fights abstains from everything. Vi says, you should run like that, to get it. However, this does not happen without love, which you do not have. Although you consider yourself perfect, it is not fair, because you have not yet achieved it. Hinting that there are many shortcomings among them, which included gluttony, fornication and drunkenness, he says: And everyone who struggles in everything abstains, not from this or that, but from everything. Admit, therefore, that you are still far from perfect, and know that receiving the reward is conditioned by abstinence. They, on the other hand, get a perishable wreath, and we get an incorruptible one. It is a distortion. They abstain for the sake of receiving the corruptible crown, and we do not even for the imperishable one! 26. Therefore, I run like that, as if on an unreliable basis. What it means: as in unreliable! That I do everything with a goal: both when I trim and when I cut my hair. I do nothing without thinking and without a goal, like you. What is the purpose of eating the flesh of idol sacrifices, when others perish because of it? None really. By doing so without a prudent foundation, you run as if unreliable, aimless, and futile. As the supreme teacher, the apostle first sets himself as an example. That's how I fight, not like the one who is beaten by the wind. I know whom I will defeat, that is, the devil. You, however, do not defeat him, but use the perfection of knowledge for vanity (vanity). 27. But I exhaust my body and subdue it. Here he points out to them that they have surrendered to belly-pleasing and justify it by calling themselves perfection. I, however, endure every effort, in order to live chastely. Uznuravam means: I fight with the body. Therefore, the apostle wants to show that the struggle with nature is a very difficult feat. The body, he says, is very independent and strong in battle. As he said, "I wreak havoc" and mentioned the bruises, he immediately added: "I conquer," so that you would know that it is not necessary to destroy the body, but rather, as a willing slave, it should be tamed and subdued, which is characteristic of a master and not an enemy. Some people think that I wear out is said instead: I wear out hunger. So that by preaching to others, I myself will not be rejected. And through that, it awakens them to greater vigilance (sober mind). If even for me, he says, it is not enough to preach and teach, but it is also necessary to show myself blameless in everything, then how can you be saved only by faith, when you serve so many passions? 1. And I don't want you to not know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and they all passed through the sea. He enumerates the number of gifts God bestowed upon the Jews and declares that even after such gifts, many did not please God. He says this with the aim of proving that receiving abundant gifts was not beneficial to the Jews. And just as they themselves did not fulfill their duty, so it will not benefit you that you believed and became worthy of the spiritual secrets, if you do not prove yourself worthy of God's grace. All of them, he says, were under the cloud, because God spread the cloud to cover them, and they passed through the sea (cf. 2Moses 13:21 and 14:22). 2. And all were baptized in Moses in the cloud and the sea. Together with Moses, they were under the shadow of the cloud and together they passed through the sea. When they saw that he was the first to cross, then they themselves boldly passed between the waters. The same thing happens with us. Christ was the first to die and rise again, and then we too were baptized, imitating His death through immersion in water, as well as resurrection through coming out of it (water). And everyone was baptized in Moses. This means that he preceded them in the type of baptism, because walking under the cloud and passing through the sea represented the type of baptism. Z. And they all ate the same spiritual meal. 4. And everyone writes the same drink spiritually... Just as we, after being baptized, taste the body of the Lord, so the Israelites, after crossing the sea, tasted the manna (Exodus 16:4). And just as we drink the Blood of the Lord, so they also drank water from a hard rock (Exodus 17:6). Manna and water are called spiritual because they, although they were sensible (tangible, visible), did not appear by natural law but by the gentleness of the Spirit. In addition, together with the body, they nourished souls and brought them to faith. Because they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. As for the food, they didn't need any confirmation, because its strangeness was obvious. However, as for the drink, confirmation was needed, because only the method of obtaining it was unusual. That's why he says: the nature of the rock did not give water (because it would have flowed from there before), but another Rock, that is, Christ, perfected everything. In the words: which followed them, he expressed the thought that Christ was always present and that He was perfecting all miracles. 5. But most of them were not according to God's will, because they were killed in the desert. Although God revealed many signs to them in love and bestowed them with many goods, most of them were not pleasing to Him, they were not according to God's will. Namely, not all were rejected, but many. The words of most of them express the same thought, that is, that their multitude did not serve them in the least, when they did not show acts of love to their Benefactor. With the words they would be killed, it indicates their sudden destruction and the punishments that were sent to them by God. 6. And these would be examples for us not to desire evil as they desired. Like charity, the punishments of the Jews were also examples. It shows that sinners among Christians will not be so punished, but far more than the Jews. Charities to the Jews were pretences, while the good to the Christians are the truth; and as in gifts there is predominance on the side of Christians, so it is in punishments. In the words that we desire no evil, he speaks of all evil in general, because all evil comes from desire (cf. James 1:14-15). Then he presents some types of evil. Why were they so lustful? They were looking for garlic, meat, special gods, as the apostle himself points out below about their idolatry. 7. Nor be idolaters like some of them, as it is written: The people sit down to eat and drink, and rise up to dance. At the beginning he addresses those who ate in idol churches. He shows them that the Israelites fell into idolatry (because they made a circle around the calf and danced in front of it) because of their stomachs. In the same way, you, who have tasted the meat of idol sacrifices for the sake of satisfying your stomach, are in danger of becoming idolaters. Where is your apparent (conceived) perfection, when you are close to idolatry? 8. Nor let us fornicate, as some of them committed fornication, and twenty-three thousand of them fell in one day. Again he mentioned fornication, in order to make his letter more effective through constant distortion. That sin is also born from indulging the stomach. When did twenty-three thousand die? When according to Balaam's advice Midian women appeared in the Israelite camp, attracted young men and through fornication won them over to offer sacrifices to Welphegor. Then the people who were in the camp perished (cf. 4Mois.25:1-9). 9. Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them did, and perished from the serpent. It indicates that the Corinthians, looking for signs, are testing Christ. 10. Nor grumble as some of them grumbled, and perished from That is, from some force that executed them. This shows them that they were impatient in trials, that they grumbled and said: "When will we be happy? When will the troubles pass?» 11. And all this happened to them as an example, and it was written for the instruction of us, on whom the end of the ages has come. He intimidates them in two cases: and then, when he says that it was written for our instruction, and that we too should expect punishments, and that all the more terrible, if we have deserved greater gifts; he intimidates them even then, when he mentions the end of the ages, and announces that after death we will be overtaken by torments, which will not be temporary, but infinite. That judgment is already at the door, because the ages of this world are coming to an end. 12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful not to fall. Again it points to those who were proud of their knowledge. Although you think you are standing, be careful not to fall. And your very belief that you are standing shows that you are not actually standing. You only think so, but in reality you do not stand. However, even if you stand, pride can easily make you fall. 13. No other temptation has befallen you, except that of man; God is faithful who will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but will make the end of the temptation so that you can bear it. He threatened them with the words: Let him who thinks he stands be careful not to fall. However, there were also those who had already endured many trials. So that such people would not say: "Why do you frighten us", he says: "A small and moderate temptation has befallen you", because a little is always called human. Then he consoles them again, convincing them to look to God, who is faithful, that is. true, and will not lie. He promised: Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Mt. 11; 28). Therefore, he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but will arrange for temptation to overtake you in proportion to your strength. After all, every temptation will overcome your strength, if He does not help and provide relief in temptations, i.e. relief quickly and simultaneously with the arrival of temptation. That way, in addition to that quick relief, it will become tolerable for you. He also said: he will put an end to the temptation, so that you can bear it, that is. the temptation will be easy for you and in proportion to your strength. 14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Having reproved them enough, he now softens the rebuke and calls them beloved. After all, he does not forbid them to eat the flesh of idol sacrifices only because it is harmful to the brothers, but he rebukes that act in itself, calling it idolatry, demanding that they quickly depart from it and saying: flee. 15. I speak as wise men; you judge what I say. Calling their action idolatry, he imputes to them a great transgression. Now he softens the severity of his words and appoints the guilty themselves as judges (and this is characteristic only of one who is undoubtedly convinced of the truth of his words), and says: "I don't need other judges. Being wise, judge for yourself.» 16. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? Blessings, that is, thanksgiving. Holding the cup in our hands, we bless and give thanks to the One who shed His Blood for us and made us worthy of unspeakable goods. He did not say: "participation" but community, to express something more, that is, the most intimate union. His words have the following meaning: what is in the cup is the same that flowed from the ribs of Christ. When we receive it, we enter the community, that is. we unite with Christ. Are you not ashamed, Corinthians, that from the cup that delivered you from idols, you pour into the cup of idols? The bread we break, isn't it the community of the Body of Christ! What the Lord did not suffer on the Cross (because His bones were not broken, see Jn. 19; 33-36), He is suffering now, since He is breaking for us, because He says: whom we break. The words: communion of the Body of Christ mean: just as that body is united with Christ, so we are united with Him through that bread. 17. Because there is one bread, we are many one body. Before that he said: the communion of the Body. However, the one who is in union with someone is not the same as him, but something else. Now he publishes something more and says that we are just that body. What is that bread? Body of Christ. What do those who partake of it become? The Body of Christ, and not many bodies, but one Body. Just as bread from many grains becomes one, so we, regardless of our multiplicity, become one Body of Christ. Since we all partake of one bread. That is why we are one. So how can we not preserve love and not be in unity? That is why God gives us His Body, in order to unite us with Himself and with each other. Since the original nature of the body was injured by sin and lost its life, He gave us His sinless and life-giving Body, but similar to ours, so that, by partaking of it, we would unite with Him and live, as far as possible, without sin. 18. Look at Israel in the flesh: those who eat the sacrifices, are they not partakers of the sacrifice! From the simplest example, learn that what you are doing is communion with idols. He said: Israel according to the flesh, because Christians (Israel) are according to the spirit. Note this: he did not say that the Jews were partakers of God, but partakers of the altar, because what was dedicated to God was placed on the altar and burned. He expressed himself differently about the Body of Christ, as about the community of the Body of Christ, because we do not become partakers of the sacrifice, but (partners) of Christ Himself. He was afraid, however, that the listeners, when they hear that God who accepts sacrifices from the Jews can also harm them, might think that the idols, which accept sacrifices from Gentiles, can also harm those who do not offer sacrifices. Therefore he added the following: 19. What, then, do I say? That an idol is something, or that an idol victim is something? I am not dissuading you from idols because they supposedly have the power to harm or benefit you - no, because they are nothing - but because the sacrifice you offer to them does not go to your Lord. He then continues: 20. No, but what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. Therefore, do not approach the enemies of your Lord. If you were to leave the imperial table and go to the table of the condemned, there is no doubt that you would be wrong, but not because it would harm or benefit you, but because your action would be an insult to the imperial table. And I don't want you to be partners with demons, If those who take communion at the mysterious table become partakers of Christ, then those who partake in the demonic table obviously become partakers of demons. 21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, you cannot participate in the table of the Lord and in the table of demons. In the form of advice, he said: I do not want you to be partakers of demons. In order not to neglect that advice, he now expresses the same thought in a negative form: you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. And with the names themselves, he proves that they must abstain from idol sacrifices. 22. Shall we anger the Lord? Are we stronger than Him? He tells them this as a rebuke. Shall we question and anger God, to see if He can punish us when we side with His enemies? To show all the impropriety of such behavior, he says: Are we stronger than Him? It reminds us of a very harsh saying: They provoked me to zeal with that which is not God, they provoked me to anger with their vanities (Deuteronomy 32:21). 23. Everything is free to me, but everything is of no use, So that someone would not complain: "My conscience is clear, and I have the right to act like that", he says: "No, everything is allowed to you because God created you as free, but it is not useful for you to eat from idol sacrifices." If you constantly participate at the idols' tables, you will, step by step, become fond of the idols themselves.» Everything is allowed to me, but everything is not edifying. As I said before, your behavior is not beneficial for you or your brother. It does not build him up, and one could rather say that it destroys him (deconstructs) and perverts his faith. If there is no benefit to you or your brother, then why are you doing it? 24. Let no one seek what is his own, but each one what is another's. Do not keep in mind only that, whether you eat with a clear conscience, but also that, whether your action is edifying. In many places of his epistle, he emphasizes that work as the most necessary. It does not forbid seeking only one's own benefit, but it forbids when it is harmful to one's brother. In such a case, we are obliged to put his benefit above our own and to choose it. 25. Eat everything that is sold in the market, without examining your conscience. With many ingenuities, he confirmed that they were obliged to refrain from tasting the flesh of idol victims. So that they would not be concerned with trifles more than necessary and that they would not renounce what is sold in the market, fearing that it might come from idol sacrifices, he says: "Eat everything that is sold without asking about the sellers, and without researching whether something is being sold from idol sacrifices, as if your conscience is gnawing at you and you want to clear it." Or another way: "So that your conscience doesn't bother you, don't question anything, because during the research you could find out that what is being offered for sale comes from idol sacrifices, so your conscience will be troubled." 26. Because the earth is the Lord's, and everything that is on it. Lord's and not demonic. If the land is the Lord's, the fruits, trees, and animals are also the Lord's. If everything is the Lord's, then there is nothing impure in nature, and everything depends on the thoughts (understanding) of each individual. 27. If one of the unbelievers calls you, and you want to go, eat whatever is offered to you, without examining anything for the sake of conscience. He said well: if you want, because he himself did not want to either advise them or answer them. Do not examine anything, so that in excessive care you do not show fear before idols, and that you keep your conscience clear and untroubled. 28. If someone says to you: This is an idol sacrifice, do not eat it for the sake of the one who led you out and for the sake of conscience; for the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it. I do not command you to refrain because the idol sacrifice is supposedly harmful, but for the sake of the one who informed you that it is an idol sacrifice, so that he would not be harmed and would not think that Christians are not obliged to turn away from idol things. I do not teach you to abstain from idol sacrifices because they are supposedly impure and completely foreign to our Lord. This can be seen from here, which is the Lord's land and everything that is on it, i.e. everything that exists on it. Or like this: abstain from that food, because all the earth is the Lord's, and you can fill yourself with something else, since everything is open to you. 29. But I'm not talking about your conscience, but someone else's. That is, Gentiles. As I said, he might be offended and think that you are pandering to his stomach, or he might think that you, like him, accept idols. So that someone would not say: "Why should you worry about the one who reported you", because before that you said: What should I judge those who are outside (1 Cor. 5:12), he says: "I am not worried about him, but about you, so that you will not be condemned." That is why he added the following: Because why should my freedom be judged by the conscience of another? Freedom is called not paying attention and not being restricted by prohibition. I will, he says, eat freely and without discrimination, but the heathen will condemn me and say: "The Christian faith is vain: they say that they abhor idols, but what is sacrificed to them, they eat!" 30. If I eat with gratitude, why should I be insulted for that, why I give thanks! I, he says, on my part, freely use God's creation, according to the grace of God that established and strengthened me, so that I do not have to be careful. However, the heathen will slander me as if I have hypocritically distanced myself from idols and eat what is sacrificed to them for the sake of pleasing my stomach. The words for what I give thanks for mean: I, for my part, give thanks to God for raising me so high, even above Judean humility, so that I find no harm in anything. However, as I said, the heathen is defamed and slandered. 31. Therefore, if you eat, if you drink, if you do anything else, do it all for the glory of God. Do everything, he says, for the glory of God, because God is not glorified by your present work, and one could even say that it is blasphemed. If someone eats and drinks for the glory of God and when he does not offend anyone, then he does not do it for the sake of satisfying the stomach or for the sake of pleasure, but in order to prepare his body for the creation of virtues. In general, a work is done for the glory of God, when it does not harm anyone through the temptation, but when it does not harm the person himself, as it does harm, which is done for the sake of pleasing people or because of some passionate thought. 32. Do not be a stumbling block (temptation) either to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God. Do not give anyone a reason to slander. This will happen when we do not mislead either the Jew or the Gentile, and all the more so our brothers, because they are the Church of God. Note: he said the most important thing at the end. Christians are obliged to attract others to the faith and not to persecute even their own brothers. By them (brethren) he means all, who were offended because of their temptation of idol sacrifices. 33. Just as I please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit but that of many, so that they may be saved. He declared them guilty of harming both the Gentiles and the Jews, and then commanded them to do a great work. To show them the ease of that work, he cited himself as an example. That he did not seek his own benefit, it can be seen from many things that were said before, for example: I was everything to everyone (1 Cor. 9:22). This is especially evident from the fact that he wanted himself to be judged for the sake of his brothers (cf. Rom. 9:3). 1. Follow my example, as I follow Christ. Do not accept words like me on Christ as an expression of pride, because they were uttered with the aim of encouraging them to imitate them more strongly. If, he says, I imitated Christ, Who did not even spare his own life so that we might live, then can't you imitate me all the more? I am not so much better than you, as He is better than me, because He incomparably surpasses all of us. 2. I praise you, brothers, for remembering all my things... Having finished the letter about tempting idol sacrifices as a grave sin, he now corrects a somewhat lesser sin. Namely, it is their custom to mention less important sins among grave sins. What was that? The fact that women prayed and prophesied with their heads uncovered (then women also prophesied), while men covered their heads when prophesying, like those who practice wisdom (philosophy). Such was the Jelin custom. The apostle had already noticed this, perhaps while he was staying with them. However, some of them obeyed him and some did not. For the obedient, he says: I praise you for remembering all my things. Although he only had in mind that men should not cover their heads, he still says remember all my things. He was always in the habit of judiciously praising those whom the praise could encourage to greater perfection. And keep the traditions as I delivered them to you. From there it can be seen that Paul and the other apostles handed down many things even without Scripture. 3. But I want you to know that the Head of every husband is Christ. Judging from the flow of the letter, he seems to be continuing his discourse with those whom he praises for preserving what he has handed down to them, although, in fact, he is correcting the disobedient. When you hear that Christ is the head of every husband, you should understand: every faithful (believing) husband, because we, who believe, are the Body of Christ, not Gentiles, which is why He is not their head either. And the husband is the head of the wife, and God is the head of Christ. The husband is the head of the wife, because he rules over her. God is the head of Christ, because He is His cause, as the Father is to the Son. What is said about the head does not necessarily have to be understood in the same sense about Christ. Christ is our head both because He is our Creator and because we are His Body. The Father is the head of Christ, as His cause. If, on the other hand, you understand calling the Father the head of Christ by human nature (Christ's), in the sense in which Christ is also called our head, there will be nothing ungodly about it. The Father is called the God of Christ according to human nature (Christ's, see Jn. 20:17). As He wanted to be like us and as He called Himself our brother and our head, then it is nothing strange if He also accepts names of humiliation, and if He has His Father as His head by divinity (by divine nature) by human nature, as His King and God. 4. Every man who prays to God or prophesies with his head covered (lit. wearing it on his head) disgraces his head. A husband (man) is not forbidden to always have his head covered, but only during prayer and prophesying. He didn't say simply with his head covered, but with something on his head. In order to humiliate covering the head not only with clothes, but also with hair, he says that the one who has long hair has it on his head, that is, he has that hair. Why does he shame his head? Because he was appointed as an elder and manager, and yet he shows himself as a subordinate. Covering the head signifies placing authority on the head, while the covering on the head signifies the position of the elder, so it serves as a sign of submission. Or like this: he is ashamed of his head - Christ, he humiliates himself and loses his freedom. Just as a small body shames the head, so does he who was created by God as free and self-governing, but humiliates himself as a subordinate, shames Christ, who is his head as his body. It is worthy of examination, which is why the apostle points it out as a sin. Husband and wife, one of which signifies authority and the other submission, are given many and different things; among other things, that one has an uncovered and the other a covered head. How is it not a sin if one acts against nature, so the husband adorns himself with hair, and the wife does not cover herself? He eradicates this phenomenon as a sign of arbitrariness, which is very destructive in ecclesiastical matters. Heresies also arise from this, each of which goes beyond the limits of what is lawful. 5. And every woman, who prays to God or prophesies with her head bare, dishonors her head; because it's the same when it's cut. There were, I say, women with the prophetic gift, such as Philip's daughters (see Acts Ap. 21:9) and many others. What is he ashamed of his head? By presenting the head as an exile who has abandoned the authority entrusted to him by God. Know also that, as has been said, it is forbidden for the husband to be covered during prayer and prophesying, and the wife is forbidden to be bareheaded not only at that time, but also at any other time. He wants to put it into words because it is the same as a haircut. And just as it is shameful for her to have her hair cut, it is also shameful for her to be bareheaded. Hair replaces the covering and that is why the one who takes off the covering looks like the one who cut her hair. 6. Because if a woman does not cover herself, let her cut her hair; if a woman is ashamed to cut her hair or shave, let her cover herself. He goes on to prove that a woman with a bare head is similar to one with her hair cut. And just as the latter is shameful, so is the first. With all this, he expresses that a woman is always ashamed to be bareheaded. 7. But the husband should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God. As the first reason, he stated that the husband has Christ as his head and therefore should not cover himself. Now he states another reason, namely that he is the glory of God, that is. the vicegerent of God and His image. That is why the representative of the authority of the Holy Father must always appear before Him with the marks of that authority, i.e. with an uncovered head. It serves as a sign that the husband is not subject to any of the earthlings, but that I am the master over all, as an image (icon) of God. And the wife is the glory of the husband. That is the wife is subordinate to the husband. That is why it should have a sign of submission, and a covered head serves as such a sign. 8. Because the husband is not from the wife, but the wife is from the husband. He states the reason why the husband has priority over the wife, that is, the wife was created from his rib, and he was not created for her, but she for him. It is said: Let us make him a helper (Genesis 2:18). How can a husband cover himself, when he is so honored by God? In that case, he will seize the woman's clothes and act as if, having received the diadem, he threw it off his head and put on the clothes of a servant. 9. That is why a woman should have authority over her head, for the sake of angels. According to what has been said, he says, a woman should have a sign of her submission, ie. a covering on her head, if nothing else, at least out of awe before the angels and so that she would not appear shameless in front of them. And just as with a covered head and downcast eyes, a woman proves her loyalty to the position of a subordinate, so also with an uncovered head she shows shamelessness, from which the angels who follow the believers turn away. Saint Clement, the author of the book "Stromata", by angels means the righteous of the Church. A woman, he says, is obliged to cover herself, so as not to tempt them into fornication. 11. However, in the Lord there is neither a husband without a wife nor a wife without a husband. He says this in order to give greater priority to the husband, proving that the wife is of him, for him and under his authority. So that husbands would not be exalted more than necessary, and so that women would not be humiliated, he says that at the original creation a woman was truly created for a husband, but that now even a husband is not born without a wife. After all, it was said in the Lord, ie. everything is created by God, who gives life to the seed and strengthens the womb. 12. For as the wife is from the husband, so is the husband through the wife. The wife, he says, is from the husband. The husband also has this characteristic, that the wife is from him. And the husband is through the wife, that is. the woman serves to give birth to man, while the seed has the greatest effect. That is why man cannot be said with all strictness to be from a woman, but from his father, through a woman, as the one who served to give birth. Paul did not say that about the Lord, but that he was born of a woman (Gal. 4; 4). He was afraid to use the preposition through, so as not to give the heretics a reason to say that the Lord passed through the Virgin as though through a channel, or else he said so because no husband took part in His birth, but He was the fruit of Her womb only. It is not the perfection of the husband, but the perfection of God. If everything is accomplished by the power of God, He Himself established the order in the relationship between husband and wife, and therefore do not argue, but obey. Again he appoints them as judges, in order to fully confirm what he wants. Is it nice for a naked woman to pray to God? Here he hints at something terrible, namely that shamelessness ascends to God. 14. Doesn't nature itself teach you that it is a shame for a husband if he has long hair, 15. And it is a glory for a woman if she has long hair? Because she was given hair instead of a covering. How is it not a shame for the husband to have long hair, when in this way he acquires the appearance of a woman and, although he is appointed as an elder, accepts a sign of submission. For a woman, however, long hair is an honor, because in that case she keeps her own rank. Preservation of the rank, on the other hand, is an honor for everyone. Why is it necessary to put on another covering, if the hair also serves as a covering? So that she would express her subjugation not only by nature, but also by free choice. 16. If someone thinks that they are arguing, we do not have such a custom, nor do the Church of God. Contradiction in similar matters is a work of quarrelsomeness, not reason and knowledge. Perhaps the Corinthians wanted to be wise and indulged in reasoning to prove that this matter was unimportant. Because of this, the apostle says that in our country, and not in other Churches, it is not such a custom, referring either to arguments or to the fact that men have long hair and women do not cover themselves. That is why you oppose not only us, but also the whole Church. The listeners should be shown that nothing is done outside of apostolic custom. 17. And in commanding this I do not praise you. Just as the first believers had everything in common and ate at a common table, so in Corinth, in order to imitate them even if imperfectly, on certain fixed days, perhaps holidays, after communion of St. Shared feasts set in secret. The rich brought food and invited and entertained the poor. Through such a division, this wonderful, friendly and wise custom became corrupted, and not all adhered to it. To correct this, Paul writes to them. And since in the disfiguration of that vice, which was mentioned before all, he had many obedient ones, he says: I praise you. However, as things were different in this matter, he says: In commanding this, I do not praise you, i.e. I'm not praising you because I'm reminding you again and convincing you about what I should be talking about. In your own understanding, you are neither wrong at all, nor do you need advice. Because you don't accumulate for the better, but for the worse. You should make progress for the better and the gatherings should be more generous, and you have reduced the custom that existed: although you gather in one church, you do not therefore do so in order to eat together. That is exactly what is very bad, that you have changed for the worse. 18. Because, first of all, when you gather in the Church, I hear that there are divisions among you. He does not immediately start talking about the tables, but first of all he reprimands them because divisions have arisen among them. And indeed, that is why everyone ate separately, because divisions arose. So that they wouldn't say that those who slander us are lying, he didn't say "I believe", so that he wouldn't make them even more shameless, but neither did "I don't believe", so that it wouldn't be shown that he was disproving them for no reason. That's why he says: I believe some of it. In addition, it is likely that this custom was violated by some, but not all. 19. For there must also be divisions (different opinions, lat. haereses) among you. He is not talking about different opinions regarding dogmas, but about those differences that, for example, concern the table. What does the word need mean? Since you are human, it is both possible and inevitable, because not everyone walks straight. That's why I believe. The Lord Himself spoke similarly: It is necessary for those who are tempted to come ( Mt. 18:7 ), that is. because the wicked live in the world, the tempter will appear and come. To show who are steadfast (experienced, experienced, examined) among you. The words da (Greek: gua) do not mean the cause here, but the effect of the action, as can be seen from many places. When the proud do not accept at their table, then the tested (tested, steadfast) appear, i.e. the poor, for they bear contempt; before this, their patience was not seen. Or he calls those who have been tested (tried, steadfast) who still followed the custom related to the table, because not everyone violated that custom. Therefore, when the violators proved to be untested (unstable), the guardians of customs proved to be tested (steady). 20. Therefore, when you gather in one place, the Lord's Supper is not eaten. Collecting serves as a sign of love and community; in practice, however, there is no such thing. The Lord's Supper is called a communal meal, which imitates the Last Supper, which the Lord ate with His disciples. That's why lunch is called dinner. Note, he says, what you are depriving yourself of: you are depriving yourself of imitating the table of your Master. Because everyone eats their dinner before the others. You have turned that Lord's Supper into your own. While it was common, it was also called the Lord's Supper, because the Master's goods are common to all servants. As each one of you hastens to eat his supper without waiting for the poor, you have dishonored your supper, and made it your own instead of the Lord's, So one starves and the other gets drunk. The poor starve, and the rich get drunk. These are, therefore, two vices: one is that you despise the poor, and the other is that you yourself get drunk and take what you should have offered to the poor. He said expressively: he gets drunk. 22. Don't you have food and drink at home? If you are not going to eat together, why not eat at home? Or do you despise the Church of God? When you turn the Lord's Supper into your own, and eat it yourself, you show contempt for both the Church and the place. And shame those who don't. What saddens the poor is not so much that you do not feed them, as that you embarrass them, exposing their poverty, while you flaunt and get drunk. What can I tell you? Shall I praise you for that? I'm not praising. After debunking their error, he softens his words. He could tell that it deserved a thousand deaths. But what does he say? Why should I praise you! I'm not praising. He did so in order to make them more condescending towards the poor. If he had reproved them strongly to the end, they would have been enraged against the poor, because he reprimands them for them. 23. Because I received from the Lord what I handed over to you. Why does he mention secrets and that Supper? Quite incidentally, in order to convince them that the Bishop (Master) has made everyone worthy of the same table, while you reject and despise the one who is of the same race as you. 3 What does he say he received from the Lord, when he was not with the Lord at that time and when he was a persecutor? So that you would know that even now at the mysterious table, the Lord Himself is imparting secrets, just as then. The Lord Jesus on the night when he was handed over took bread, 24. And, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. Remember, he says, that He gave you that secret as the last one, on the night in which He was handed over to be slaughtered. He didn't even remove his traitor from the table, and you despise your brother! You were taught to give thanks, because He also gave thanks, in order to give us an example, and you do what is unworthy of thanks, because you humiliate the Church and while the other is hungry, you get drunk! Он је свима уопште рекао: Узмите, једите, и при том је Своје Тело, које је преломио подједнако за све, предао на смрт, а ти журиш да једеш и не износиш заједнички хлеб, како би поделио многима, него остављаш самоме себи. What are you saying? Ако би ти творио спомен о Сину или Оцу, савест би те мучила јер ниси испунио оно што је озакоњено и ниси позвао сиромахе и, док твориш спомен Господару, ти једноставно не делиш трпезу. 25. Исто тако и чашу, по вечери, говорећи: Ова је чаша Нови Завет у Мојој крви. И у Старом Завету су постојале чаше, у које су након приношења жртава одливали крв бесловесних (в. 2. Мојс. 4; 6–8), прихватали су је у пехаре и чаше. Дакле, уместо крви бесловесних, која је запечатила Стари Завет, Ја сада полажем Своју крв и њоме запечаћујем Нови Завет. Не збуњуј се када слушаш о крви. Ако си у Старом Завету прихватао крв бесловесних, зар онда сада ниси утолико пре дужан да прихватиш божанствену Крв? Ово чините, кад год пијете, у Мој спомен. And through the glass, he says, you create a memorial to the death of the Lord. How can you then only drink and get drunk, when this terrible cup is given equally to all? 26. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until it comes. You, he says, are obliged to be in such a state of mind, as if you were receiving a sacrifice from Christ Himself, and that same night, and lying in that same place. This dinner is the same, and we are announcing, ie. we mention, that same death, until the Second Coming. 27. So whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. He hints that they themselves receive communion unworthily, because they despise the poor. How is he guilty who receives communion unworthily? By shedding blood too. Just as those who pierced then did not pierce to drink but to spill, so also he who drinks unworthily and therefore has no benefit, sheds blood in vain. The Judeans tore the King's chiton (cloak) and whoever receives communion unworthily throws it into the mud, i.e. he throws it into his soul. Isn't that the same impiety? That is why he is equally guilty. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat from the bread and drink from the cup. When, due to necessity, another appears in Paul's sentence, he usually examines that other as well. It is the same now. It was preceded by a letter about tables. However, as he spoke about St. He deals with secrets, as the most necessary. Pointing out that the greatest treasure is to approach them with a clear conscience, he says: "I do not appoint another judge over you, except yourself. Therefore, justify yourself in front of your conscience, and approach it that way, not when it is a holiday, but when you find yourself clean and worthy." 29. Because whoever eats and drinks unworthily, judgment eats and drinks for himself. Not according to the essence of the Mysteries (because they are life-giving), but according to the unworthiness of the one who approaches, just as looking at the sun is harmful to sick eyes. Not distinguishing the Body of the Lord. That is, without examining and thinking about the greatness of what is before him. If we were aware of what lies before us at a certain time, we would not even need another awakening: that alone would awaken us to watch. 30. That is why many of you are weak and sick and many are dying. Take proof of what I have told you from what is happening among you. Hence examples of premature death, hence many long-term illnesses, since many receive communion unworthily. Aren't those who don't get sick until old age wrong? They are wrong. Those, however, who approach unworthily, face not only punishments here, but even more severe (punishments) await them in the next life. We wouldn't be punished here either if we hadn't sinned, as he says below. 31. For if we had examined ourselves, we would not have been condemned. He did not say "if we had punished ourselves", but "if we had judged and condemned ourselves, God would not have judged us here either, and we would have avoided both here and there punishments". 32. And when the Lord judges us, he rebukes us, so that we are not condemned with the world. As, he says, we do not complete the work so easily and properly, that is. self-condemnation, even God does not treat us unsparingly, but punishes us here in order to have mercy there. He says he is punishing us here. We are not exposed to punishments, but we receive fatherly advice, so that we would not be condemned with the world, ie. with unbelievers. Since they are under the cover of God, by believing here they receive a reward according to their sins. 33. Therefore, my brothers, when you meet to eat, wait for one another. After mentioning punishments and death, he returned again to the letter about the poor. He did not say "give it to one another", but wait, to show that what is being brought there is common, and that we should wait for a common gathering. 34. If someone is hungry, let them eat at home. Words they should be ashamed of. He speaks to them as to children who are irritable when they feel hungry, and condemns their appetites. That's why he takes them out of the church and sends them home, thereby embarrassing them to a great extent. That you do not meet for condemnation. That is, to your own detriment and condemnation. Gatherings are appointed so that those who gather together in love may benefit one another. If it is not like that, then it is better that you are at home. He does not say this so that they would stay at home, but that he would attract them as strongly as possible to collect themselves in a proper way. And I will arrange the rest when I come. It speaks either of some other mistakes that happened among them and required commandments, or that some will probably defend themselves against what was said. If anyone has anything else to say, let them wait for my arrival. He scares them with his arrival so that they calm down and fix things if they have something bad. 1. And about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. That is, about the gifts of the Spirit. Here's what it's all about. All those who believed and were baptized at the beginning received the Spirit. Since He is invisible, external proof of His presence was given: those who received it either spoke in different languages, or prophesied, or worked miracles. Because of this, confusion arose among the Corinthians: those who received more became arrogant, and those who received less envied them. In addition, some soothsayers and false prophets appeared, and it was difficult to distinguish them from divinely inspired prophets. Therefore, it is all being corrected, and primarily the work of the forecaster. 2. You know that when the Gentiles came to you with voiceless idols, how they led you away. He gives the mark of a soothsayer in order to distinguish him from a prophet, and says: he who prophesies in idols, at the urging of an unclean spirit, he seems to be led by someone, retreats, because the spirit has bound him and knows nothing of what he is saying because he is in a state of ecstasy and madness (devilishness). The prophet is not like that, because everything advertises a sober mind. That is the first difference between a demon-possessed soothsayer and a divinely inspired prophet. 3. That is why I give you notice, that no one who speaks by the Spirit of God should say: Anathema on Jesus! And no one can say: Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. And he says this as a sign of the soothsayer: he "anathemizes", that is. blaspheme and slander Jesus. On the contrary, it is the mark of a prophet that he speaks the name of the Lord with great praise. What about the classifieds? How is it that those who do not yet have the Spirit name Jesus? It is not about them now, but about believers and unbelievers. What about demons? Didn't they also call Jesus Lord (see Mk. 5; 7)? They call him that under blows and against his will, but voluntarily and without coercion - never. 4. There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. Having shown the difference between a prophet and a false prophet, he also talks about gifts, because he wants to correct those, among whom confusion has arisen because of them. First, he heals the one who received a smaller gift and laments about it. Why do you lament that you did not get as much as others? It is not an obligation (of God), but a grace and a gift. So be grateful that God, who owes you nothing, still gave you something. In addition, both you and him were given by the same God. He did not give you an angel and God gave him, but the same Spirit gave both of them. 5. And there are different services, but the Lord is the same. He also mentioned the Son, as the Giver of goods. He also spoke about serving, in order to comfort the bereaved. Namely, when he hears the word gift, and if he received less, he could lament that he was deprived of the gift. However, it is not so when he hears the word service, because it indicates toil and sweat. Why then do you lament, when He commanded others to serve more, while He spared you? 6. And there are different actions, but it is the same God Who works everything in everyone. Here he also mentioned the Father, Who causes actions in all believers. In this way he showed you the perfect Trinity. Giving, effecting and serving are one and the same, although they differ in name, because they are equally given by the Spirit, the Son, and the Father. Notice also that he mentioned the Spirit first and the Father at the end. He did it because of those who are too petty in the order. 7. But everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for their benefit. So that someone wouldn't say: «What does that mean? Is it one and the same Lord, and one and the same Spirit, and one and the same God, and yet I received less", he warns and says: "It was useful for you." He calls miracles a manifestation of the Spirit, because it was clear from them that the Spirit dwells in those who were baptized. Then why are you lamenting? Whether you have been given more or less, it can be seen that you have the Spirit. Then why are you worried? 8. For one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit. What was St. John, Son of Thunder (Theologian), and also Paul himself. Note that in connection with the Spirit, the preposition "through" is used here. And to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. Such as many believers had. They themselves had the knowledge, but they could not teach others. Namely, wisdom teaches, since it is a kind of clarity, because it also reveals the hidden. He always mentions one and the same Spirit, in order, as has been said more than once, to comfort the one who received less. 9. And to another faith by the same Spirit. Faith, but not in dogmas, but faith that works miracles, that even moves worse (Matthew 7:20). And to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit. A gift to heal every disease and every weakness. 10. And to another the working of miracles. Such a person could also punish the disobedient, as Paul punished Elimas with blindness (see Acts Acts 13:11), while Peter put Ananias to death (Acts Acts 5:3-5). He who received the gifts of healing could not do this. And to another prophecy, and to another the gift of discernment of spirits.[1] That is, the ability to know who is spiritual and who is unspiritual, who is a prophet and who is a deceiver. And to another different languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. The Corinthians possessed the gift of tongues in abundance. It was because of him that they were so arrogant, because it was the first gift that the apostles received. That's why they considered him more important than the others. However, this is not so. The gift of teaching is more important, and the interpretation of tongues is more important than simply speaking the tongue. 11. And all this is done by one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Again he offers the same consolation, that is, he says that everything is created by one and the same Spirit. He especially closes the mouth of the one who is dissatisfied with his gift, because he says: "As it pleases Him, so He creates." Who are you not to be satisfied? Note that saying also against those who rose up against the Spirit. He, namely, acts not as He is commanded, but as He is pleased. That is why He is Lord and God, and acts as Father, all in all (v. v. 6). 12. Because just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of one body, although they are many, are one body, so is Christ. And with the example of the body, he comforts the one who laments over smaller gifts, proving to him that he is not deprived. As the body is both one and many, since it has members, so the members are also many and one, because they all together make up one body. Where is the difference? Where is it bigger? Where is less, when everything is one? So, he says, Christ too, that is. The Church of Christ, as Christ is the head of the Church, and as the body and the head are one, so know that Christ and the Church are one as the head and the body. Here, instead of the Church, he put the name of Christ. He says, therefore, that in the Church, although it is composed of many parts, we all represent something unique (one). 13. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether we were Jews or Greeks, whether we were slaves or free. Now he shows that the Church is similar to the example of a single body and says: all of us, and I, Paul, were baptized into one body by one and the same Spirit, i.e. that we may be one flesh. I was not baptized with one Spirit and you with another, but we were baptized with one and the same Spirit. That's why I have nothing more than you. We were baptized into one body, ie. that we may be one flesh - both Judeans and Hellenes, both slaves and free. If the Spirit has united those who were so far apart, then so much the sooner, after we have become one, we need not lament, even if there is some difference between us. And we are all filled with one Spirit. It seems that he is talking about the spiritual table, about bread and wine, because with the words: Spirit-filled, he indicated both: both the Blood and the body. After all, it is closer to the truth that he tells us here about the coming of the Spirit, which is perfected at the time of St. baptism, before communion of St. Secrets. Said the watered one, borrowing an example from the trees, which are watered from one and the same source. Therefore, one Spirit has watered and dewed us, and made us parts of one body. 14. Because the body is not one member, but many. It is not surprising, he says, that we are one body despite such a multitude. And the human body, despite its many limbs, is still only one body. 15. If the leg said: since I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it not of the body after all! 16. And if the ear said: since I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it not of the body? It represents the parts of the body speaking and resenting the fact that they are diminished (humiliated) in relation to other parts. He did this so that, by proving the unreasonableness of indignation against bodily members, he would disprove those who, even in the Church, resent the fact that some are greater than them. He mentions two extremities, a leg and an ear; he represents the leg not as he speaks with the eye, but with the hand, which has a slight advantage in relation to it. The ear represents speaking to the eye, for we usually do not envy those who greatly surpass us, but rather those who are slightly greater than us. If, therefore, the leg says: "I am not a part of the body, because I do not occupy the central place like the hand, but I am lower than all", does it not belong to the body because it is not a hand? Whether it will be a part of the body or not does not depend on the place, but on whether it is united with the body or not. In the same way, if the ear also says; "Since I am not an eye, I completely renounce being a part of the body", it will still remain in the place that was determined for it from the beginning and will fulfill its purpose. Likewise, you who, according to your opinion, have received lesser gifts, do not resent it. You are part of the Church of Christ, even if you have been given a lower place. However, when you separate yourself from the Church and when you break the covenant with Her, then you will no longer be part of Her. Therefore, if you want to be a part of the Church, preserve unity with it. If the whole body were an eye, then where is the hearing? As he mentioned the eye and the foot, the ear and the hand, and presented them as reasoning about humiliation and exaltation, and how it was more natural for the Corinthians to be saddened through it and not to be comforted, he now shows that it is useful and necessary for the gifts to be different. If the body were only one limb, where would the other limbs be? Isn't it a shame that you throw away so many limbs and exalt only yourself? 18. And now, God placed the members in the body, each one of them as they wished. He closes their mouths with great force, saying that God willed it so and that he assigned to each individual member its proper place (because it means set). Even the foot, which occupies the lowest place, should not lament, because it pleased God that way, and it is useful for it to be low. Even the head, which is at the top, should not be exalted, because that too is from God, and is not its work. In the same way, in the Church, God placed one lowly, because it is useful for him, while he placed the other high. The first should be satisfied, and the second should not be too proud. 19. And if all were one member, where is the body? 20. Now, however, many members are one body. Note his wisdom: he shuts their mouths with the same thing that seemed to breed despondency, ie. in that the gifts are different and do not have equal honor. If there were no different limbs, there would be no single body. If there were no unified body, there would be no equal honor. Now all have equal honor, precisely because they all unite in one body. Due to the fact that there are different members, a single body is composed, and due to the fact that the body is single (one), they all have equal honor, precisely because they serve the fullness of the single (one) body, because it is said: There are many members, but there is one body. 21. And the eye cannot say to the hand: I don't need you; or again head with feet: you don't need us. Having tamed those who have less gifts, he now directs his letter to those who have greater gifts and exalts himself over those who do not have them. Just as, he says, the eye cannot say to the other members: "I do not need you" (because when one part is missing the whole body is imperfect), so those who have received greater gifts cannot be proud of those who have received lesser (gifts). The former need the latter, because they cannot establish the Church by themselves. He said well, he can't, because something can be desired without actually being like that. 22. But, moreover, which members of the body appear to be weaker, are necessary. 23. And those who seem less honorable to us in the flesh, we give them the greatest honor. 24. Even our disreputable members have a greater reputation... Now he proves that even those limbs that are considered smaller are useful and necessary. They just appear to be smaller, although, in fact, they are not. What are these members, which seem to be the weakest and most dishonorable, while they are, however, necessary? Some say that they are reproductive organs, which are considered shameful and disreputable, but are so necessary that without them there would be no life. And we show them great honor: one can be completely naked, but does not leave these limbs uncovered. Others name the eyes as weak but necessary limbs. Although small and much weaker than the other limbs, they are absolutely necessary. The least honorable and most dishonorable limbs are called legs. We take a lot of care about the eyes, because they are weak. We look after the feet and take care of them, even though they occupy a low place and seem to be less honorable. One can understand in these words three orders: the first members are weak and necessary, for example the eyes; others are less honorable, for example the legs, and others are disreputable, for example the reproductive organs. While the respectable ones don't need it. So that someone would not say: "For what reason would we care about the disreputable and less honorable members, while we would neglect the respectable ones", he says: "We do not despise them, but since they are by their nature respectable, they do not need anything from us." He put it together so that he made it one. What is complex becomes one, and where is greater or less in one? Having given greater honor to the weak member, 25. That there be no discord in the body. He did not say: dishonorable or dishonorable, but: weak, because no member is by nature dishonorable or dishonorable. He said, he gave greater honor to the weaker ones. Do not lament, therefore, because you are honored more than others. Here is the reason: so that there is no discord in the body. If some members were to enjoy our attention and others were left without our care, they would separate from each other, because they would not be able to maintain the covenant (connection, connection). After their division, the other limbs would also be scattered, due to the division in the body. Likewise, you who have received greater gifts, do not be arrogant over those who have received less, so that you too, when they are separated from you, suffer great harm. Rather, all members take care of each other equally. It is not enough, he says, that the members are not divided, but it is necessary that there is great love and agreement between them. Everyone is obliged to take care of the little one, and not only to take care of it, but to take care equally, so that the little ones enjoy the same attention as the important ones. When a thorn sticks in the heel of the foot, the whole body feels and worries: the head bows, the back bends, the stomach and thighs tighten, the eyes watch with great concern, the hands embrace the leg. The same thing happens with the other limbs. 26. And if one limb suffers, all limbs suffer with it; and if one limb is celebrated, all the limbs rejoice with it. A close unity makes both unhappiness and joy common. As we said, when the heel hurts, the whole body suffers. On the contrary, when the head is crowned, then it is glory and joy for the other limbs as well: the eyes become brighter and the whole body becomes beautiful. 27. And you are the body of Christ and members individually. In order not to say: "How can we apply the example of the body and members to us", he says: You are also the body and members of Christ. If there should be no disputes in the human body, does it not mean that there should be none in the body of Christ? Since the fullness of the body of Christ is not only made by those who believe, but by believers who live throughout the universe, he added the members individually. Although they did not make up the whole body, they were still limbs, and individually. In relation to your church, you are the body of Christ, like the whole Church. In relation to the universal Council Church, which exists throughout the world, whose body is made up of local churches and whose head is Christ, you are members, since you are a part of it. 28. God also appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets... God has appointed, who are you to oppose? He placed the apostles in the first place, because they distribute all goods. On the second - prophets, but not from the Old Testament, because they prophesied about the coming of Christ to John (cf. Mt. 11:13), but those who prophesied after the coming of Christ in the New Testament, such as Philip's daughters, Agav and many others. Namely, this grace of the Spirit abounded in every church. He enumerates them in order - first, second, so that, putting the gift of the tongue at the end, he would calm down those who were too proud with it. The prophet makes known everything from the Spirit, and the teacher also from himself, and that is why he is the third. Then the miracle workers, then the gifts of healing. Miracle workers healed the sick and punished enemies, while healers only treated. That is why he placed the first above the others. However, before both of them, a teacher is justly appointed, who teaches both by word and deed. (Gifts) of helping, managing... That is helping the weak and managing and distributing brotherly property. Although it also depends on our care, he calls it a gift of God, convincing us to be grateful, to look to Him and not to be too proud. He placed that gift in the last place, in order to appease those who flaunted it. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are they all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30. Does everyone have gifts of healing? Does everyone speak languages? Does everyone interpret? When the major and minor gifts were listed in order, it was natural for them to be sad. That is why he again comforts those who have lesser gifts. Why, he says, should you mourn, if perhaps you do not have the gift of prophecy? Imagine that you have what the prophet does not have, and what this one has, that one does not have. Such a distribution of gifts, in which each of you would need a neighbor, would be befitting and far more useful to you. 31. Be zealous for greater (literally better) gifts. He secretly hinted to them that it was their own fault that they had received lesser gifts. The word zeal indicates that care is needed on their part, and a greater aspiration towards the spiritual. He didn't say: "bigger", but better, that is. more useful. And I will show you an even higher way. If you will be determinedly zealous for the gifts, along with those paths (to which the word yet indicates), I will also show you a higher path, which leads to all the gifts. By that path he means love. 1. If I speak the tongues of men and angels, but have no love, then I am like a bell that cries out, or a cymbal that clangs. The apostle did not immediately show them the way, but first compared it to that gift which they considered greater, i.e. with the gift of tongues, and shows them that way is incomparably more exalted than this gift, and even than all other gifts, and then indicates how desirable it is. By human languages, he means the languages ​​of all peoples of the universe. Not content with that, he adds another asset: the tongues, he says, of angels. He did not say this because angels supposedly have tongues, but in order to point them to something better and higher than human tongues. Under angelic language is meant their thought power to convey divine thoughts to each other. He called it so for the sake of comparison with our tool of words, similar to the expression: let every knee bow which in the heavens (Phil. 2:10) signified their most earnest submission, since they have no bones. I am, he says, like a ringing bell, that is. I utter my voice, but I speak in vain and trouble others: I profit no one, because I have no love. 2. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge... Not simple prophecy, but the highest, and the knowledge of all secrets. Note: He said about tongues that they are of no use, and about prophecy that it knows all secrets and has all knowledge. In order not to burden them by enumerating individual gifts, he moved on to the root and source of all of them - faith, and all of them. Yes, I move Gore, but I have no love, I am nothing. As moving the mountains seemed like a great work, he mentioned it, and not because, supposedly, all faith can only do that. The Lord presents the moving of mountains as a small faith, when he says: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed (Mt. 17; 20). See how he encompassed all the gifts with prophecy and faith. They are miracles, that is, they consist either in words or in deeds. He didn't say: if I don't have love I'm small and poor, but: I'm nothing. 3. And if I give away all my possessions... He didn't say "if I give a part of my property", but all the property, and he didn't say "I give" (but give away), so that I add service to the loss, and that most carefully. And if I hand over my body to be burned, and I have no love, it does me no good. He did not say "if I die", but he states what is the cruelest of all, that is, to burn alive, and says that without love it is useless. Someone will say: "How can property be given away without love?" This can be answered in two ways. Or the apostle assumed the impossible to be possible, similar to the words: If we and an angel from heaven preach a different gospel to you than we preached to you (Gal. 1:8), since neither he nor the angel even thought of preaching differently. It is expressed in this way in many other places as well (Rom. 8; 39), or differently: it can be given without love, i.e. when it does not happen out of compassion for others, but out of people-pleasing. With love, it happens when someone does it with compassion and burning love. 4. Love endures for a long time, it is beneficial... From there, he begins to enumerate the characteristics of love, and first among them he mentions long-suffering, the root of all wise love. However, as some do not use long-suffering for wisdom, but often mock those who have offended them and hold back, knowing that long-suffering people enrage them even more in anger, he says that love is beneficial, i.e. he exhibits a meek and non-malevolent nature, not like the aforementioned people, who are retentive and malicious. He said this at the expense of those among the Corinthians who loved to argue and who secretly harbored mutual enmity. Someone can be long-suffering, but envious. Love, however, stays away from that too. He said this because of the envious among the Corinthians. That is, love does not act recklessly, but makes the one who possesses it prudent and steadfast (firm). A proud, conceited, frivolous and foolish man. It was said to the frivolous and superficial. One can possess all the mentioned virtues, but they can also be puffed up. Love doesn't have that, but, despite the mentioned virtues, it is calm. He said that against the arrogant. 5. Do not do what is not proper. Not only is love not proud, but even if it experiences extreme hardships for the sake of the one it loves, it will not consider it a shame and dishonor. And Christ, out of love for us, not only suffered an inglorious crucifixion, but considered it His glory. You can also understand it this way: don't do what is not appropriate, that is. do not insult, because nothing is more shameful than a person who insults. It is against those who do not condescend to others. He doesn't ask for his own, he doesn't get irritated... He explains how love does not feel shame: because, he says, it does not seek its own benefit, but the benefit of its neighbor, and considers it its shame when it does not free its neighbor from shame. It is against those who despised the others. Love is not provoked, because it does not do what is not proper, while an angry man cannot preserve decency. Love does not do what is not appropriate and therefore does not get irritated, i.e. she is not quick to anger. It is against those who took offense at the insults of others. Love, he says, endures all evil, is not provoked by anger, and not only does not worship evil, but also does not think about it. Note this too. He does not say: love envies, but stops, gets irritated, but overcomes itself. On the contrary, he says that love resolutely does not allow any evil to show itself, even in its beginning, as he says here: it thinks no evil. And this was said to the Corinthians, so that they would not return an insult for an insult. 6. He does not rejoice in injustice. He does not rejoice when someone suffers injustice, violence or insult. What, he says, is far more important, is that he rejoices with those who are in good thoughts and considers it his glory when the truth advances. It is against the envious. And insults, and blows, and death. That quality is given by her long-suffering. It is against those who devise evil. What can the one whom she loves say, because she herself does not say anything hypocritical, and she does not think that another could speak like that. Love, he says, does not despair because of the one it loves, but hopes that he will always strive for the better. That's what he said to those who despaired. If, contrary to expectations, it happens that the beloved dwells in evil, she courageously endures his shortcomings. She says she endures everything. It is addressed to those who easily feel hostility. 8. Love never stops… It is never removed from the goal, but everything leads to fulfillment. Or what is even better, it does not stop, it is not cut off, it is never interrupted, but it continues in the future age, when everything else will be abolished, which the apostle talks about below. While the prophecies will disappear, tongues will be silent... Having enumerated the offshoots of love, he exalts it again in another way, saying that prophecies will also cease, and that tongues will be silent, and that love will exist permanently and endlessly. Namely, if prophecies and languages ​​exist for that reason, to make faith easier to accept, then it is natural that, when faith spreads everywhere, they will disappear as superfluous, even in the present, and especially in the future age. Knowledge will cease. 9. Because we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10. And when the perfect comes, then that which is partial will cease. If knowledge ceases, will we then live in ignorance? By no means! On the contrary, he says that partial knowledge will cease, when perfect knowledge comes, ie. that which is characteristic of the future life. Then we will not know as much as we know now, but much more. For example, we now know that God always exists, but in what way, we do not know. We also know that the Virgin gave birth, but we do not know how. Then we will learn something more and more useful about those secrets. Having said that what is partial will be abolished with the arrival of the perfect, he also presents an example to explain how great the difference is between present and future knowledge. Now we are like children, and then we will be mature people. And when I became a man, I rejected what was childish. In the age to come I shall have a more mature knowledge; then the small and childish knowledge we have now will be abolished. He then continues: 12. Because now we see as in a mirror, in a puzzle. It explains what was said about the child, and shows that our present knowledge is somewhat obscure, and that it will then be clearer. Now, he says, I see in the mirror. Since the mirror shows clearly enough the object reflected in it, he adds: in a riddle, in order to show with the greatest accuracy the incompleteness of that knowledge. And then we will face to face... He does not say this because God supposedly has a face, but in order to demonstrate the clarity and obviousness of knowledge. Now I know partially, and then I will know as I would know. It doubly humbles their pride, showing that present knowledge is incomplete and not our own. He says, I did not know God, but He Himself knew me. And just as He now knew me and condescended to me, so I will know Him far more then than now. He who sits in darkness does not see the sun and does not strive for its beautiful bow. The light, however, shows itself to him with its beautiful brilliance and, when he notices the sun shining, then he himself aspires to the light. Therefore, the words as I am known do not mean that we will know God as He has known us, but that, as He now condescends to us, we will also ascend to Him. Here is a comparison. Someone found an abandoned child, noble and beautiful. He recognized him, raised him and took him to himself, took care of him, brought him up excellently and finally gave him wealth and introduced him to the imperial palace. A child, while young, does not feel any of that and does not know the humanity of the one who raised him. However, when he grows up, he instantly accepts his benefactor and reciprocates his benevolent love. Here is an example and an explanation of what is hidden in what was said. 13. And now faith, hope and love remain, these three; but the greatest of them is love. There are also gifts of tongues, and of prophecy and knowledge, although they are apparent. When the faith spreads among all, they will be abolished. Faith, hope and love are more constant than them (because it signifies the words a now remains, i.e. it signifies the permanence of these three). Among them is the greatest love, because it will continue in the future century. Having shown that love is a great gift, he further encourages them to strive for it. He did not say "seek love", but hold on to love, requiring increased care. She is moving away from us, and we will have to run a lot if we want to reach her. Take care of spiritual gifts, especially to prophesy. In order not to think that he exalted love with the aim of belittling the other gifts, he adds, take care of spiritual gifts, and above all of prophecy. He said this, objecting to the pride of the Corinthians because of the gift of tongues. 2. For he that speaketh in tongues, speaketh not unto men, but unto God, because no man understandeth, because he speaketh mysteries by the spirit. 3. And he who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement and consolation. He compares tongues to prophesying and shows that they are completely useless in themselves, because they do not speak to men but to God. In other words, they do not speak what is easily understandable and comprehensible to people, but through the Holy Spirit they speak what is mysterious. As those who speak from the Spirit, they create a great work; however, as they are useless to humans, they are lower than prophecy. And it is of the Spirit, but it is very useful: it builds up the hesitant, advises and encourages the careless, comforts the discouraged. Paul always emphasized as more what is more useful. 4. He who speaks in tongues builds himself up, and he who prophesies builds up the Church. Many who spoke in tongues could not explain what they themselves were speaking. Therefore, they were only useful to themselves. The one who prophesies is useful for all listeners. Therefore, as there is a distance between benefit to one and benefit to the Church, so is the distance between tongues and prophesying. 5. And I would like you all to speak in tongues, and especially to prophesy. Since among the Corinthians many spoke in tongues, and so that they would not think that he humiliates tongues out of envy, he says: I would have you all speak in tongues, and not one or two. However, I would like you to prophesy even more, because it is much more useful. Because the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he also interprets that the Church is being built. A prophet, he says, is greater, but he is greater than one who only speaks in tongues and cannot interpret. If he also knows how to interpret, then he is equal to a prophet. Explaining what the tongue speaks vaguely, he builds up the Church. Interpretation was also a gift and was given to some who spoke in tongues and to some who did not. 6. And now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you if I do not speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching? Would you like to know that languages ​​without interpretation are useless? Let me, Paul, your teacher, speak in tongues. Even in that case, there will be no benefit for the listeners, unless I explain something by revelation, ie. as those who have received revelation from God are wont to say. And this is also a form of prophecy, when the thoughts of each are revealed in the presence of many. Or in knowledge, that is. as those who have knowledge can speak and interpret the secrets of God to the listeners. Or in prophecy, that is. when someone talks about the past, the present or the future. Prophecy, therefore, is more extensive than revelation. Or in the lesson, that is. in the form of a teacher's sermon, when talking about virtues or dogmas. And learning benefits the listeners. Some understood the word revelation as saying something easily understandable, clear and obvious, and knowledge - what was said in such a way that it can be known. 7. And soulless things that give voice, whether pipes or fiddles, if they do not give distinct sounds, how will one understand what is being played or played? And why, he says, do I say that the vague is useless, and the clear is useful? If there are no articulate Voices on soulless things, one cannot recognize what they are playing, nor whether one can get pleasure and joy from it. 8. For if a vague voice blows the trumpet, who will prepare for battle? He goes from what is not necessary to what is necessary and says that the trumpet also emits harmonious sounds, so that it attracts some to the battle and draws others away from it. If the trumpet is blown with a vague and indeterminate sound, the soldiers will not prepare, and then what is the use of the sound? 9. Likewise you, if you speak an incomprehensible word with your tongue, how will it be known what you are saying? Because you will be talking to the wind. In order not to ask: "What does this have to do with a pipe and a trumpet", he says: "If you, too, with the gift of language, do not pronounce eloquent words, i.e. clear words, then you will speak in vain and to the wind, because no one will understand you". All the power lies in making the gift useful, because why else would it be given? Is it just because of that, so that the one who received it would benefit from it? If he wants to be of use to others, he should pray to God and through a pure life receive the gift of interpretation, or turn to someone who can interpret. Paul also says this because he wants to unite them with each other, so that they do not think that they are sufficient for themselves, but that they also receive those who can interpret, because then the gift will be more useful. 10. No matter how many kinds of voices there are in the world, none of them are without meaning. How many languages ​​have appeared in the world: Scythian, Indian, Thracian and the languages ​​of other peoples, and all the tribes speak something, because none of them is without a language. 11. If, therefore, I do not know the meaning of the voice, I will be a stranger to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a stranger to me. If I do not understand the meaning of the words, then the one who speaks will be a stranger to me (lit. a barbarian) 8 ie. one who slurs. That's how I will show myself to him, but not because of the weakness of my speech, but because of our misunderstanding. 12. Likewise, you, being zealous of spiritual gifts, strive to abound in those that are for the building up of the Church. Some put a full stop after the word so and you, and interpreted it like this: so you, who speak indistinctly in tongues, look like strangers to the listeners, and then they start again and read: zealots of spiritual gifts... However, St. John Chrysostom reads without separation. As, he says, you are zealous for spiritual gifts, I also want and accept that, as I said before. You, on the other hand, make sure that you get rich with them for the sake of building, that is. for the benefit of the Church. Not only do I not prevent you from speaking in tongues, but I also want you to be enriched by that gift, but only if you will use it for common benefit. 13. Therefore, whoever speaks a language, let him pray to God to interpret. It indicates the way in which that gift will become useful to many. He says: let the one who speaks in tongues pray to God to receive the gift of interpretation. Therefore, it is their own fault that they do not receive the gift of interpretation, since they do not ask God for it. 14. Because when I pray to God in that language, my spirit prays and my mind is fruitless. In ancient times, some, together with the gift of language, received the gift of prayer, and uttered Persian or Roman words, but their minds did not understand what they were saying. That is why Paul says that my spirit, i.e. the gift that moves the tongue begs, but my mind remains unfruitful, because it understands nothing of what is spoken. See how he gradually proved that he who only speaks in tongues is useless even to himself. This is how St. interprets this place. John. Some understand it this way: if I speak in a language but do not interpret, my spirit, i.e. my soul benefits itself, but my mind remains unfruitful, because it does not benefit others. Those who understood the saying in this way, according to my opinion, were afraid of Montana's fallacy. He introduced such heresy that the prophets did not understand their words at all. However, being possessed by the spirit, they spoke something, although they did not understand what they were saying. Here, however, it would be inappropriate, because the apostle did not say that the prophets do not understand their words, but those with the gift of tongues, and not all of them, but only some of them. 15. So what is needed? I will pray to God with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind; I will praise God with my spirit and I will also praise with my mind. What, he says, is more useful? And what should be asked of God? That we pray in the spirit, that is. with a gift, and also with the mind, that is. thought, understanding the words of the prayer. He talks about praise in a similar way. 16. For if you bless with the spirit, how will he who takes the place of an ordinary believer say amen to your blessing, when he does not know what you are saying? When, he says, you give praise, if you are blessed by the spirit, that is. with a spiritual gift through tongues, how will one who is in the place of an ordinary believer, i.e. layman, say amen to your prayer! You spoke words for ages and ages vaguely and in a language unknown to him, which he did not understand, and therefore he did not benefit from it. 17. Because you give thanks well, but others are not edified. So that they don't think that he is resolutely degrading the gift of language, he says: "You give thanks well, but since your neighbor does not benefit from it, your thanksgiving is also useless." 18. I thank my God that I speak more languages ​​than all of you. Lest they think that he is demeaning that gift because he himself does not have it, he says: I speak more languages ​​than all of you. 19. But in the Church I like to say five words with my mind, to teach others, rather than thousands of words with my tongue. With your mind, that is. understanding and understanding my words, and being able to explain them, so that others may benefit. Few thousands of words in the language ie. when I cannot interpret them, because even in that case the benefit is limited to myself. Five words are spoken by each teacher, who provides a suitable remedy for each of our five senses. 20. Brethren, do not be children in mind, but be childish in wickedness, and be perfect in mind. Having shown the place of the gift of tongues, he finally uses a harsh word and reproaches them for being wise as children. Indeed, it is characteristic of children to admire small things because they can astonish, just as languages ​​can, while neglecting the big ones, because they show nothing new, like prophecies. Here, therefore, he convinces them not to be too proud, and even not to know what malice is, just as children do not, but to be perfect in mind, i.e. to judge which gifts are more exalted and useful. Childish in wickedness is he who does no harm to anyone but brings benefit to all, and not only avoids evil, but also achieves virtue, and manages to save himself from temporary things. That lesson is similar to the following: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). 21. It is written in the law: I will speak to this people with foreign tongues and foreign lips, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Again he compares prophecy with tongues and shows its superiority, and what it consists of can be seen from what follows. He usually refers to the entire Old Testament as the Law. That is why here, about the words written at the end of the book of Isaiah, he says that they are written in the Law. The words "They won't listen to me anyway" show that the miracle could have stunned them, but if they weren't convinced, then it's their fault. God always does His work and reveals His purpose, even though He knows that people will not obey. 22. So tongues are not a sign to believers but to unbelievers. Signs amaze, but they do not teach and do not bring benefit, and often they can also harm, like language without interpretation, which is why he goes on (v. 23) and says: will they not say that you are mad? The signs were also given for unbelievers: believers do not need them, because they already believe. And prophecy not to unbelievers, but to believers. Prophecy, he says, is useful for believers, because it teaches them. However, doesn't prophecy also serve the faithful? How then does he say "if all prophesy and one of the unbelievers enters" (v. 24)? It follows that prophecy is also for unbelievers. It can be answered: the apostle did not say that prophecy is useless for unbelievers, but that it does not serve as a useless sign, as tongues are. In short, tongues serve as signs for unbelievers, ie. they serve only to astound them, while prophecy is useful to both believers and unbelievers, disproving them, although it is not called a sign for them. 23. If, therefore, the whole church gathers in one place, and they all speak in tongues, and enter ignorant or unbelieving, will they not say that you are mad! He covertly explains that the gift of language without the gift of interpretation can also be a cause of harm. He says this with the aim of appeasing their pride. They thought that the gift of language made them an object of admiration. Paul, on the contrary, proves to them that he shames them, because he gives them reason to consider them foolish. Lest you think that it depends on the gift itself whether those who have it will be covered with shame, he says: unreasonable people say that you are crazy. Ignorant, he says, or unbelieving, like those who said of the apostles that they got drunk on sweet wine (cf. Acts 2:13). The prudent also benefit from the gift of tongues, as, for example, those who were with the apostles and admired that they spoke of the great works of God (Acts 2:19). 24. And if everyone prophesies, and some unbelieving or ignorant person enters, he is rebuked by all and judged by all. 25. And so the secrets of his heart are revealed, and then he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that indeed God is with us. Do you see how prophecy is useful? It reveals the secrets of the heart and forces the unbeliever to acknowledge God, to fall on his face and say: truly God is with us. God did something similar with Nebuchadnezzar. When Danilo revealed to him the meaning of the dream, he said: Truly your God is God, Who reveals secrets (Dan. 2:47). Know thence also the meaning of what was previously said by revelation (v. 6). And revelation is a type of prophecy. Note also that the Spirit is God, because he says: God is truly with you. Undoubtedly, the Spirit works in the prophets, because he previously said (12:10-11) that prophecies are given by the Spirit. 26. What then, brethren? When you come together, each of you has a psalm, a lesson, a language, a revelation, an interpretation; let everything be for building up. In ancient times, psalms were composed according to the gift, and teaching was also given as a gift. Revelation is called prophecy, which gives the genus its species name. He also mentions the gift of tongues, so that they would not consider that gift completely contemptible and think that it does not even belong to the list of gifts. Let it all be for edification, he says, because it is a special characteristic of a Christian to build and to bring benefit. How can one who has only the gift of tongues build up and benefit? This way: if he joins himself with the one who has the gift of interpretation, and if in alliance they manifest their gifts. 27. If someone speaks in tongues, then let two of them, or at most three, take turns, and let one interpret. I do not forbid speaking in tongues, but not without interpretation. And let a few of them speak in tongues, so that there is no confusion and disorder. And that in order, i.e. consecutively. In any case, there must be an interpreter. 28. If there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the Church, and let him speak to himself and to God. If there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the church, so that it does not appear that he is a foreigner who pronounces what is incomprehensible and incomprehensible to many. If he is so proud and will not be silent, let him speak to himself and to God, that is. without a voice and secretly, within himself, so that his words can be heard only by God and not by men. Look at how it seemed to allow, even though it actually forbids. 29. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others reason. Sorcerers also hid among the prophets. That's why he says let the others reason, so that some sorcerer doesn't hide himself secretly. As already mentioned, there was also the gift of discernment of spirits (12; 10), to distinguish between true and false prophets. He orders two or three to prophesy, in order to preserve propriety and not to hide a sorcerer (false prophet) in the crowd. 30. If he reveals himself to another who is sitting, let the first be silent. 31. For you can all prophesy, one by one, so that all may learn and all may be comforted. Here he teaches them propriety and calmness. When, he says, the Spirit stirs up another, you, the first, remain silent. However, if it would please the Spirit that you also speak, you can all prophesy, one by one. Don't be sad, because you and others can prophesy individually and consecutively. This gift is not limited to one, but is given to all, so that the whole Church may be taught and receive an incentive for virtue. 32. And prophetic spirits obey the prophets. It is for the comfort of one who is commanded to be silent. Those words have the following meaning: do not object, do not oppose. The spirit itself, that is. the gift that is in you, and the working of the spirit that is in you, obeys the gift of another, prompted to prophesy. And if the spirit obeys, then all the more you, who have received the spirit, should not complain. Some understood it this way: pagan soothsayers, once possessed by a demon, could not keep quiet even if they wanted to. It is not like that with our holy prophets: it depends on their will whether they will remain silent or speak. That's what the words mean: prophetic spirits, that is. gifts, obedient to the prophets. So that the one who has that gift would not say: "How can I be silent according to your command, when I speak according to the prompting of the spirit", he says that this spirit which prompts you also obeys you, and it is in your power whether you want to be silent. Therefore, do not invoke the spirit in vain. 33. Because God is not a God of disorder but of peace. 34. As in all the churches of the saints. It shows that God is so pleased to be the first to be silent, because God is not the God of confusion and disorder (and disorder will arise if no one is silent but everyone prophesies), but the God of peace. This peace is maintained in all the churches of the saints, i.e. believers. There are Jeline and Greek churches. Be ashamed of yourself, if you behave differently than they behave in churches. Your wives in the churches to be silent; for they are not permitted to speak, but to obey, as the law also says. Pointing to a good order in everything concerning the gift of prophesying and tongues, that is, that only some prophesy, so that confusion and disorder would not arise from it, he now forbids disorder originating from women and says that they are obliged to remain silent in the church. Then he talks about something bigger, namely that it is fitting for them to be subjugated. Submission, in fact, means silence due to fear, as is the case with female slaves. He calls the Book of Genesis a law, in which it is written: Your will shall be under the authority of your husband, and he shall be your master (3:16). If a woman is destined to be submissive to her husband, then she must be submissive to the spiritual teachers in the church all the more. 35. If they want to learn something, let them ask their husbands at home. In order for someone not to say: "If they remain silent, how will they learn what they do not know?", he answers that they are obliged to learn at home, with their husbands. This makes them modest, and their husbands more attentive, because they are obliged to accurately convey what they hear in church to their wives, according to their questions. Note that women are not allowed to speak in church even about things that are necessary and useful for the soul. Because it is inappropriate for a woman to speak in church. Perhaps they were distinguished by spiritual sermons in the church, and he, on the contrary, says that it is shameful and inglorious for them. 36. Did the word of God come out of you? Or does it just come to you? The word is addressed to someone who might object to it. So you are against it and don't think it is good if a woman is silent in church? Is it because you are teachers and the preaching has passed from you to others? You are a believer, but you are not the first and you are not the only one. That is why you are obliged to gladly accept what is pleasing to the universe. 37. If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him understand what I am writing to you because these are the Lord's commands. At the end, he brought out the most powerful thing, that is, that this is how God commands through me. He who is considered a prophet among you or who has some other spiritual gift, for example the gift of knowledge, will undoubtedly admit this. 38. If someone does not want to know, let him not know. I said it, and whoever wants to will believe it. Such a tone shows a man who does not try to fulfill his desire, but has in mind the general benefit. Paul usually does this when it is not necessary to contradict himself. What is the need for Paul to oppose and to convince that his words are the commandments of God, when he speaks to his disciples and when he already said that he who is spiritual will acknowledge their divinity? Obviously everyone will be quick to call them divine to show themselves spiritual. 39. So, my brothers, be zealous to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. He was talking about gifts, so he included a letter about women, and now he is talking about gifts again. He gives the gift of prophecy the first place, saying be zealous, while he gives the gift of tongues the second place. He did not say "allow", but do not forbid. This is how we usually talk about items that are not necessary: ​​we neither allow them nor forbid them. 40. And let everything be polite and orderly. It's as if in one moment he corrects everything, both what concerned the speaking of languages, and what concerned the women who spoke in the church, and in general everything that was in disarray with them. It will be good and orderly when those who speak in tongues speak with interpreters, and not as if they are going crazy, when the prophets give precedence to each other and when the women are silent. 1. But I remind you, brothers, of the gospel that I preached to you. He moves on to the doctrine of the resurrection, which forms the foundation of our faith. If there is no resurrection, then Christ has not risen either. If he was not resurrected, he was not incarnated and thus all our faith will disappear. Since such wavering existed among the Corinthians (because the external wise men were ready to accept everything but the resurrection), Paul fought for the teaching of the resurrection. He very wisely notes about this, that they have already accepted it by faith. I am not telling you, he says, anything strange, but I am letting you know and reminding you that it was already conveyed to you, but was forgotten. Calling them brothers, he partly calmed them down, and partly reminded them of what made us brothers, that is, because of Christ's appearance in the flesh, in which they could stop believing, and because of baptism, which serves as an image of the Lord's burial and resurrection. He did not say "which you have heard" but which you have received, because they did not receive him only by the letter, but also by works and miracles. He said this to convince them to maintain it as received long ago. In which you stand, 2. Through which you are saved... Although they wavered, he says they stand in him. He deliberately presents himself as ignorant, and warns them that they could not deny it, even if they wanted to. What is the use of standing in it? That you save yourself. If they keep as I told... It is as if he is saying to them: "I am not teaching you anything about what the resurrection is, because you have not even suspected that truth." However, perhaps you should know in what way the resurrection, which I heralded to you, will take place? I am now telling you about what the resurrection will be like". Unless you believe in vain. In order not to make them careless with the words in which you stand, he says "if you hold", unless you have believed in vain, that is. if you are not called Christians in vain, because the essence of Christianity is contained in the doctrine of the resurrection. 3. Because first I gave you what I received... As the teaching of the resurrection is very important, I gave it as I received it. It is the foundation of all faith, and I received it from Christ. Therefore, as I abide by it, you are bound to abide by it. And if you received it at the beginning, you are not right to doubt it now, even temporarily. That Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Those words, obviously, belong to Christ Himself, Who spoke through Paul. Since the Manichaeans would later say that Paul calls sins death and resurrection freedom from them, He was pleased to define them in advance with these words. Christ, therefore, died. By what death? Undoubtedly, carnal, not sinful, because He did not commit sin. If they are not ashamed to say that He also died a sin's death, how then is it said that He died for our sins? If He was a sinner too, how did He die for our sins? He refutes them quite clearly with this remark - according to Scripture, because Scripture always attributes bodily death to Christ. Thus it is said: They pierced My hands and My feet (Ps.21:17) and: They looked at the One whom they pierced (Zech.12:10) and: He would be wounded for our sins, for the transgressions of my people He is going to die (Isa. 53:5-8). So He had a body, because the body is buried. He did not add the words according to Scripture either because the grave was known to everyone, or because the words according to Scripture apply to everyone in general. And that he arose on the third day according to the Scripture. Where in Scripture does it say that He rose again on the third day? In the form of Jonah, but also in many other forms. Also in Isaiah's words: The Lord wants to cleanse Him from wounds, to show Him light, as well as in David's words: You will not leave my soul in hell (15:10). He mentions the first witness, who is the most credible of all. Although the Gospel says that the Lord first appeared to Mary (Mk. 16; 9), among the men he appeared first to Peter as the best of the disciples. The one who first confessed Him as Christ should have seen the resurrection first. He contacted him first because of his renunciation, to show him that he was not rejected. After the Ascension of the Lord, Matthew was counted instead of Judas. How then should Paul tell the twelve? We answer: it is likely that He appeared to Matthew after the Ascension, as He also appeared to Paul, who was called after the Ascension. Some say it's a writer's mistake here. Or else the Lord knew in advance and saw to it that Matthew would be counted among the Eleven, so he appeared to him as well, so that he would not be lower than the other apostles in this respect either. Something similar is expressed by John when he says Thomas, one of the Twelve (John 20:24). Almost everyone will say that according to foreknowledge, He counted Matthew among the other apostles, instead of Judas and after his betrayal and suicide. 6. Then more than five hundred brothers appeared at once. After the evidence from the Scriptures, he cites the apostles and other believers as witnesses. The word more (over, above) is explained by some as "from above", from the heavens, that is. that He appeared from on high and above people's heads in order to convince them of the truth of the Ascension. Others translated it as "more than" five hundred brothers, etc. Most of whom are still alive and some have passed away. I, he says, have living witnesses. The beginning of the resurrection is prepared with the saying of the rest, because he who sleeps, he also rises. 7. Then he appeared to Jacob. To the Lord's brother, whom He appointed as the first bishop in Jerusalem. Because there were other apostles, such as the Seventy disciples. 8. And after all, like a premature baby, he also appeared to me. It is the letter of calm mind. He judiciously used a calm mind, so that when he made a lofty statement about himself, I tried harder than the others, he would not be trusted as a braggart. A premature child is a child that a woman miscarries. As he calls himself unworthy of apostolic knowledge and a rejected man (v. 9), he also called himself premature, as immature in relation to apostolic dignity. Some have taken this title to mean late birth, because Paul is the last of the apostles. Paul, however, is not humbled by the fact that he was the last to see the Lord. Even Jacob is not lower than the other five hundred, because he saw the Lord after them. 9. Because I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecute the Church of God. He makes a judgment about himself: he says, I am not only smaller than the Twelve, but also smaller than all the others. Look, here he mentions those sins, from which he was saved through baptism, in order to show what kind of grace he received from God. Why does he, as a witness of Christ's resurrection, because He appeared to him, list his shortcomings? That's why he deserves more trust. He who, out of sheer righteousness, exposes his own shortcomings will not speak in vain in favor of another. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am. He attributes his shortcomings to himself, and his perfections to God's grace. And His grace that is in me did not remain empty, but I tried harder than all of them. And he said that with humility, because he did not say: "I have become worthy of grace", but: God's grace, which is in me, will not remain empty. How? Because I tried harder than the other apostles. He did not say: "I exposed myself to dangers", but he limited his praise to the humble name of effort. He says this for himself in order to show himself worthy of faith, because the teacher is obliged to be worthy of faith. But not me, but the grace of God that is with me. And the fact that I made an effort is not my perfection, but the work of God's grace. 11. Therefore, either I or they, so we preach and so you believe. Did I try harder or them, but in the sermon, he says, we are all in agreement. And he did not say: "If you do not believe me, believe them", because he would have humiliated himself and shown himself to be a witness of the truth who does not stand in the faith. On the contrary, he says that he is a sufficient witness by himself, and that they are also sufficient by themselves. The word we preach also confirms the truth of his words. 12. And if Christ is preached to have risen from the dead, why do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? He has a wonderful judgment. At the beginning, he proved that Christ was resurrected and that he and the other apostles preached that way. After that, His resurrection confirms the general resurrection, because the other parts of the body follow after the head. He does not include everyone with his accusation, so as not to make them shameless, but says: Some among you speak. 13. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ risen. In order not to say that, although Christ has risen, there is no general resurrection, he confirms the latter and says: "If there is no resurrection, then Christ has not risen either, because one thing confirms the other." Why did He rise again, if not to be our firstfruits?» 14. And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is empty as well. If He, having died, could not rise again, then sin was not eradicated, nor was death abolished. Finally, we preached to you in vain, and you believed in vain. 15. And we show ourselves to be false witnesses of God because we testify against God to resurrect Christ, whom he did not resurrect, if, therefore, the dead do not rise. We show ourselves, he says, as unrighteous, because we have borne false witness against God, saying that He raised Him whom He did not raise. This is what follows unless the dead rise. If such a consequence is senseless (lit. inappropriate), it is also senseless (inappropriate) not to believe that the dead are resurrected. 16. Because if the dead do not rise, neither has Christ risen. 17. And if Christ has not risen, your faith is in vain; you are still in your sins. He defends the same claim again. He resurrected for that, to create (perfect, organize) the universal resurrection. If there is no resurrection, then He was not resurrected either. If this is allowed, then your faith is in vain, which is meaningless. You are still in your sins. If He did not rise, then He did not die, if He did not die, He did not eradicate sin either, because His death is for the eradication of sin, since it was said: Behold the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29). Undoubtedly, He called Him the Lamb because of the covering. If sin is not destroyed, you, of course, remain in it. How then did you believe that you were delivered from him? 18. Then even those who fell asleep in Christ perished. Then those who died for Christ and who witnessed for Him also perished, because there is no resurrection. In general, if there is no resurrection, all those who died in the faith of Christ, in an anxious and sorrowful life, have perished, because they have deprived themselves of worldly pleasures, and after that they will not receive any treasure. 19. And if only in this life we ​​hope in Christ, we are more miserable than all people. If, he says, our everything is limited to this life, and if we who trust, who hope in Christ, exist only in him and if there is no other life there, then we are more unhappy than all, because we have neither enjoyed the goods here, nor, as has been said, will we receive the future ones, since, as some say, we will not be resurrected. Someone might say: only the soul will enjoy. Why? She was not the only one who tried, but her body as well. Where then is justice if the body, which endured the greatest hardships, receives no treasure and only the soul is crowned? 20. But Christ really rose from the dead, and became the firstborn of those who died. Having shown how much nonsense is born due to disbelief in the resurrection, he repeats his words and seems to say: this is what follows if there is no general resurrection and if Christ is not resurrected. However, Christ has risen. That is why there will be a general resurrection, and that nonsense will not happen. He constantly repeats from the dead, in order to shut the mouths of the Manichaeans. If He is the firstborn from the dead, then, undoubtedly, they too must rise. Namely, the first person also has those who follow him, for example, when someone does something and is the first in it, and the others continue to do it. 21. For since through man is death, through man is also the resurrection of the dead. 22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. It adds a reason, which confirms what has been said. It was necessary, he says, that the vanquished nature itself should win and that the fallen should win. What in Adam, that is. in Adam's fall all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. Since Christ was sinless and was not guilty of death, He, although He died willingly, was resurrected, because corruption could not keep Him, the Leader of Life (see Acts Ap. 2:24). All this was directed against the Manichaeans. 23. But each in his own way... So that when you hear that everyone will be resurrected, you would not think that even sinners will be saved, he adds: "As for the resurrection, everyone will be resurrected, but each will be in his own order, i.e. in what he was worthy of". Christ the firstborn, then, about His coming, those who are Christ's. 24. Then the end. Christ also became the Firstborn through resurrection. After him, before the others, those who belong to Him will be resurrected, i.e. believing and pleasing Him, when He descends from heaven (because that is what the words: about His coming) mean. It is fair that the righteous have some advantage during the resurrection itself. Since they will be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord (1Sol.4:17), they will be resurrected first. Sinners, however, as condemned, will wait below for the Judge. Then there is the end of everything and the resurrection itself, because everyone will be resurrected in general. Now only Christ is resurrected, while human works remain as before. Then, however, it will not be like that, but everything will be over. When he hands over the Kingdom to God and the Father... Scripture knows of two kingdoms: one according to adoption, and the other according to creation. According to creation, He reigns over everyone, over the Greeks, the Jews and even over the demons themselves and over those who do not want it. According to adoption, He reigns over believers and saints, who voluntarily submit. It was said about that Kingdom: Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance (Ps. 2:7). All authority has been given to Me (Mt. 28:18). He will hand him over to the Father, that is. organize and finish. Let's imagine that a certain emperor entrusted his son to war with nations that had separated from him. When the son ends the war and subdues those peoples, it can be said that he handed over the war to the father, i.e. showed him that the work he had entrusted to him was finished. Paul, therefore, says that everything will come to an end when the Son subdues everything. Christ will then completely reign over us, when we are no longer divided between God and the prince of this world. He will seize the kingdom seized by the tyrant and thus deliver it free to the Father. When he abolishes all leadership and all authority and power. That is when he wins and tames the cunning forces. They act very strongly now, and then they will cease to act. 25. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. 26. The last enemy will be abolished - death. Since he said that he will abolish the opposing forces, someone might doubt and say: "Perhaps He will weaken and will not be able to do all this", adding that He will not weaken, but will reign, i.e. to be like the Emperor and the Mighty until he subdues all enemies, as well as the last of them - death. The one who subdued the devil obviously also subdued his work, ie. death. How will it be seen that she is conquered, if she does not hand over the bodies she seized? Namely, she will be defeated precisely when her prey is taken away. Therefore, when you hear that He will abolish all headship and all authority, do not fear that He will weaken and will not be able to do it. He will do all things, reigning and directing war, until he has subdued all things. Do you see that the word until is not set for the destruction of what is after it, but for the reason for which it is said? His kingdom lasts and does not weaken until He sets everything in order, and it will exist all the more when He sets everything in order, because His kingdom will have no end (see Lk.1:33). St. Gregory the Theologian says that what He subjugates and places us under His authority is called an empire here. Therefore, when we submit to Him, such His kingdom, i.e. care and action to be subjugated to Him, to end. And just as the builder takes care of the building only until he puts on the roof, and then stops the work of building, so the Son reigns, that is. He establishes His kingdom in us until we become His subjects. 27. Because He subdues everything under His feet. And when he says that everything is subject to Him, obviously, except the One who subjects everything to Him. Because he said of the Son that he would overthrow the enemies, he was afraid that they might consider the Son to be some other, unborn principle. That is why he attributes everything to the Father, saying that He subdued the enemies of the Son. Given that he wrote to the Hellenes, where it was said that Zeus rebelled against his father Chronos, he says that everything was subdued to the Son except the Father, because it was He who subdued everything else to the Son. 28. And when everything submits to Him, then the Son Himself will submit to Him who submits everything to Him. Lest someone say that, although the Father did not submit to the Son, nothing prevented the Son from being stronger than Him, he completely destroys such an assumption and says that the Son will also submit to the Father, showing complete agreement with the Father. Therefore, know that the Father is the cause and source of this power for the Son and that the Son is not any other power, opposed to the Father. Do not be surprised that he used an expression that indicates more humility: when he wants to eradicate something completely, Paul uses strong expressions. For example, when he wants to prove that a believing woman, living with an unbelieving husband, does not suffer any harm, he says that the husband takes revenge (1 Cor. 7:14). He does not say that the husband who remains unbelieving becomes holy, but he shows by an intensified expression that the believing wife suffers no harm. So here too, by mentioning submission, he destroys at the root a cunning thought that could arise in someone, i.e. the thought that the Son, perhaps, is stronger than the Father, if he can accomplish so many works. St. Gregory the Theologian says that the Son, having appropriated all ours for Himself, also considers our submission (obedience) His own. We now oppose God: unbelieving in that they do not acknowledge Him, and believing in that many serve the passions, because of which we are not subject to Him. However, when the former once acknowledge the One whom they now reject and the latter, i.e. we give up passion in this life, then, undoubtedly, it can be said that the Son also submitted. Accepting human nature, He made all of us His own (except sin). That is, that everything depends on the Father and that no one thinks that there are two beginningless and separate principles. When the enemies are under the feet of the Son, and the Son does not oppose the Father but, as befits the Son, obeys the Father, then, of course, God the Father will be all in all. Some say that this means subjugation of everything, signifies the cessation of evil. Namely, when there is no sin, it is obvious that God will be all in all. Then those who have nothing divine in them, or have very little of it, will not be able to indulge in base motives and passions, but we will all be godlike and we will all have God and only Him in us. God will be everything for us: food, drink, clothing, thought, and movement. 29. Otherwise, what will those who are baptized for the dead do, if the dead do not rise at all? Why are they baptized for the dead? When the Marcionite heretics happen to have someone die without being baptized, they hide one of the living under the bier, approach the bier and ask the deceased if he wants to be baptized. The one who hid under the bier responds from there that he wants to, and in that way he is baptized instead of the deceased. When they are accused of that, then they say in their defense that the apostle said so and cite, fools, this saying. However, this is not so. But how? The one who wants to be baptized says the Symbol of Faith, and in it are the following words: I believe in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, he says: what should those do who believed in the future resurrection of dead bodies and who were baptized in that hope, when they were deceived? Why, after all, are people baptized because of the resurrection, i.e. awaiting the resurrection, if the dead do not rise? 30. Why do we expose ourselves to danger every hour? If you do not accept as evidence the confession in words, which the baptized utter, you have the testimony of deeds. All of us apostles are constantly exposed to danger. If there was no resurrection, why would we suffer hardships? If someone ever decides to suffer for the sake of glory, he does it only once. However, the daily suffering of troubles, such as we suffer, serves as the greatest proof of our conviction in the resurrection. 31. Every day I die, so I, brothers, your praises, which I have in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In the words we expose ourselves to danger, he pointed to troubles, and here he states something more, i.e. daily dying. How does he die every day? By his determination and willingness to do so and by enduring hardships that entailed death. Thus, brothers, your praise (literally, I testify about it with your praise...), i.e. I testify to your success, which I am proud of, because the success of the students is praise for the teacher. Then he attributes it to Christ and says: Which I have in Christ Jesus, our Lord, because it is His work and not mine. This he very wisely pointed out to them: just as I boast of your success, so I will be ashamed if you continue to doubt and do not believe in the resurrection. 32. For if I fight like a man with beasts in Ephesus, of what use is it to me? As far as possible, he says, I have fought with beasts. However, what is the use of God delivering me from temptation, if there is no resurrection? He calls the fight with the Judeans and with the goldsmith Demetrius a fight with beasts (see Acts ap. 19). How did they differ from the beasts? If the dead do not rise - let's eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die! If the dead are not resurrected and if there is no bliss there, then we will enjoy worldly goods and the present life, we will eat and drink, because only this is beneficial. He cited here the words of the prophet Isaiah (22:13), mocking the unreasonableness of those who do not acknowledge the resurrection. 33. Do not be deceived: evil conversations corrupt good customs. He begins to advise them, but secretly accuses them of foolishness and recklessness, which the words do not deceive express. He calls customs, which can be easily distorted by deception, good customs. At the same time, it shows that others are attracted to such reasoning. 34. Sober yourself properly, and do not sin. Because some do not know God, I tell you to shame. He tells them as if they were drunk: Sober yourself properly, that is. for his own benefit, because sober people can also be unjust, for example in creating evil. Make no mistake, he says. That's why you don't believe in the resurrection. Those who are aware that they are wicked do not acknowledge the resurrection for fear of punishment. Those who do not believe in the resurrection do not know God, because they do not know God's omnipotence. He didn't say "you don't know", but they don't, in order to ease the accusation. Shame on you I tell you. After he had debunked them long enough, he now consoles them: "I did not say this out of hostility or reproach, but to shame you and, when you are ashamed and start to reason as you should, to lead you to correction." 35. But someone will say: How will the dead rise? And in what body will he come? Two things were suspected: the first was the manner of resurrection, ie. how they will resurrect bodies that have decayed, and others in what kind of body they will resurrect, in this or in another. With the example of grain, he resolves both doubts. 36. Fool, what you sow. The solution takes from what is obvious and what is perfected every day. That is why he calls them unreasonable, because they do not know such an obvious work. What you sow, you perishable - how can you doubt God? - he won't revive, he says, if he doesn't die. He used words that do not apply to seeds, but to bodies. He did not say: "It will not fall unless it rots", but: It will not revive unless it dies. Look at how he gave his letter a completely opposite course: it was incomprehensible to them that we will be resurrected after death, and he says that we will be resurrected precisely because we will die. Otherwise, we would not even be able to be revived, if there were no death. 37. And what you sow, you do not sow a body that will disappear, but a bare grain, be it wheat or some other. As it was said, there were two doubts: one - how we will be resurrected, and the other - in what body. The first, i.e. how we will be resurrected, he resolved: through death, like a seed. Now he explains what kind of body we will be resurrected in and resolves another doubt. He says that he will resurrect the same body, that is. a body of the same essence, but in a more radiant and glorious form. Heretics say that this same body will not be resurrected, because that, they say, is what the apostle is saying when he says: The body that will perish. The apostle, however, does not say that. And what does he say? That you don't sow the grain as it will be, you don't sow it bright and glorious, but naked, but that the ear grows as beautiful. And it is not the same thing that was sown, because it is not a sown ear, i.e. it is not sown as a stalk but as a bare grain. However, it is not completely something else, because it is not an ear from another grain, but from the same one, naked. 38. And God gives him a body as he wants... If God gives us a body, why do you ask in what kind of body we will be resurrected, and you do not believe in the resurrection, when you hear about the power and will of God? God will resurrect the decayed body, he will only resurrect it as more glorious and spiritualized. This can also be seen in the seeds, because the sprouted seed is better (more beautiful) than the one that was thrown into the ground. And to each seed his body. These words indisputably close the mouths of heretics who say that in the resurrection they will not revive this body, but some other body. From here you see that everyone is given their own body. 39. Not every body is the same body, but another body is human, and another is animal, and another is fish, and another is bird. Lest, hearing about the wheat, whose ears are all the same, he would think that all the resurrected bodies will be the same, he shows here that there will be differences among the resurrected (which he mentioned before, speaking each in his own way) and says that not every body is the same, i.e. that not all will be resurrected in the same dignity, but that first the righteous will differ from sinners, just as heavenly bodies differ from earthly bodies, and then the bodies of the righteous will differ to a great extent, as well as the bodies of sinners themselves, which he talks about later. Just as there is a difference between the human body and the body of beasts, as well as the bodies of other animals, so there will be a difference in the punishment of sinners. What is said about the difference between bodies is said about the difference between sinners. 40. And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but one is the glory of the heavenly and the other of the earthly. And here, as previously stated, it indicates the difference between the righteous and the sinful. He calls the bodies of the former heavenly, and the bodies of the latter earthly, and says that one is the glory of the righteous and the other of the sinner, only that it is not glory (because that cannot be understood), but life. 41. Another is the glory of the sun, and another is the glory of the moon, and another is the glory of the stars, because star differs from star in glory. Just as he previously said something about the bodies of sinners, beginning with men and then mentioning birds, animals and fish - because even sinners, who were in the beginning men, fell to the likeness of speechless - so now he points out the differences among the righteous. All, he says, are in glory, but the light of the sun is different from the light of the moon or the light of some other body; and star differs from star in glory, i.e. in the light, because the glory of the stars is the light. Some have taken the heavenly bodies to mean angels, but I don't think that's true. From the fact that he mentioned the sun, the moon and the stars, it is obvious that he is talking about them. 42. Likewise the resurrection of the dead: How? With many differences, as can be seen from the above examples. It is sown in decay, it rises in incorruptibility. When he spoke of the seeds, he used words appropriate to bodies. For example, he says: He will not live unless he dies. Now, when he talks about bodies, he uses words that would be more appropriate for seeds, because he says: It is sown in decay. Sowing here does not mean our conception in the womb, but the burying of dead bodies in the ground and as if to say: the dead body is buried in the ground in decomposition, i.e. therefore, to rot. He said well, he rises, not "springs", so that you would not consider this to be the work of the earth. 43. It is sown in dishonor, it rises in glory. What is more dishonorable (i.e. more humiliated) than the dead? However, they will be resurrected in the glory of incorruption, although not all will receive the same honor. It is sown in weakness, it rises in strength. Not even five days pass and the body can no longer resist decomposition. However, the resurrection in the power of incorruption, and will no longer be subject to any corruption, although incorruption will serve as a greater punishment for sinners. 44. The spiritual body is sown, the spiritual body rises. The soul is that body which governs the forces of the soul and over which the soul lords and rules. Spiritual is that which has the abundant action of the Holy Spirit, who governs it in everything. Although the Spirit is still working in us now, it is not like that and it is not always, because the Spirit moves away from those who sin. Although the Spirit is still present, the body is governed by the soul. Then the Spirit will dwell continuously in the bodies of the righteous. Or maybe he calls an imperishable body spiritual, just not airy and etheric, i.e. that whose essence is air and ether, as Origen says. If you don't believe in incorruptibility, look at the heavenly bodies that have neither aged nor weakened until now. He who made them so will also make our corruptible body incorruptible. What we have in this life. What we will have in the future life, essentially the same but spiritual, indestructible. 45. Thus it is written: the first man, Adam, became a living soul, and the last Adam a spirit that gives life. It is true that the first was written (Genesis 2:7), while the second was not. However, as it happened according to the sequence of events, he says it was written. And the prophet spoke similarly about Jerusalem ( Zechariah 8:3 ) and said that it would be called the city of justice, although it was not literally called that. The Gospel called the Lord Emmanuel. He was not called that, but His works give Him such a name. The first Adam, therefore, was a spiritual man, i.e. he had a body governed by soul forces. The last Adam, the Lord, is the quickening spirit. He did not say that he "lives in the Spirit", but that he is a spirit that gives life. The Lord had the Holy Spirit, which in essence is inherent only to Him; With it he gave life to His body, and with it he bestows incorruption. So, in the first Adam we received a pledge of the present perishable life, and in Christ - a pledge of the future. 46. ​​But it is not first spiritual, but soulful, then spiritual. So that someone would not ask why we now have a worse soul and body, while we will get a spiritual one, he says: because in that order the beginnings of one and the other were set. Adam was before, and Christ after, and it is up to us to always move towards better, and be sure that what is decaying and ugly in you now will be transformed into incorruptible and better. 47. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the other man is the Lord from heaven. So that they do not become negligent towards a pious life, he wants to convince them to live pleasing to God and says that Adam was from the earth, which is why he was called that, because the name Adam signifies the one who is made of earth and dust. He gives a name to the first for worse, and to the second for better, not because he is a man, i.e. received human essence, allegedly came from heaven - as Apollinarius blasphemed - than because there is one person in one Christ. Because of this unity (two natures) it is said that He is a man from heaven. For the same reason, it is said that God was crucified (1Cor.2:8). 48. As the earthling is, so are the earthlings. That is so it will perish and die. Or: those who tied themselves to the earthly will die a sinful death. And as the heavenly is, so are the heavenly. That is they will be just as immortal and glorious even though the second Adam was dying, He was dying to destroy death. Or: those who led a God-pleasing life will be glorified as those who thought of heaven. 49. And just as we bear the image of the earthly, so we will also bear the image of the heavenly. Here the advisory tone of his letter is more clearly manifested. By the image of the earthly name evil, and by the image of the heavenly - good deeds. And just as before we lived in evil, as sons of the earthly who are wise in an earthly way, so now we should live in virtue, in order to preserve the face and likeness of the heavenly. The image of the earthly consists in the following: You are dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19), and the image of the heavenly - in the resurrection of the dead and incorruption. Therefore, if what is said about the resurrection should not be understood in connection with the way of life, then we will also carry the words and the image of the heavenly should be understood in connection with the future event, i.e. that we will carry it. 50. And I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. After he said the image of the earthling, as an explanation he says that the image of the earthling is body (flesh, flesh) and blood, i.e. bodily works and what is inherent in the massiveness (obesity) of the body, which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Nor does decay inherit incorruptibility. That is evil, which destroys the nobility of the soul, cannot inherit that glory and imperishable goods. You can understand that all this was not said about the way of life, but about the resurrection. For example, the words flesh (flesh, flesh) and blood mean that in the future age the present body, which consists of flesh and blood, will not be enjoyed, because there is no food and drink there to feed the present body. Degradability, ie. a corruptible body does not inherit incorruptibility. That is why it is necessary for our body to become spiritual and incorruptible. After all, know that St. Chrysostom understood these words of the apostle as advice for improving life. 51. Here I tell you a secret. Again he returns to the teaching of the resurrection and says that he intends to tell them something terrible and hidden. In this way, he encourages them to have a greater appreciation of what he is about to say, because he is communicating a secret. We will not all die, and we will all change. Although he says, not everyone will die, everyone will change, ie. and those who do not die will be clothed with incorruption. So when you die, don't be afraid that you won't be resurrected. I tell you that some will not die, but that is not enough for them to be resurrected, if they do not change and thus pass from the mortal bodies they had to immortal ones. And just as it is not beneficial for them not to die, so it is not harmful for us to die. And for them the change will serve as death, because in them decay will die, changing into incorruption. 52. Once, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. In the shortest and fastest time, in the blink of an eye, such and such works will be completed. That is very strange. We must marvel not only that they will resurrect rotten bodies or that everyone will receive their own body, but also that everything will be perfected so quickly that it cannot even be described. The words at the last trumpet have been understood by some in the sense of the one written about in Revelation (ch. 7,8 and 9) by the evangelist John. He says that there are seven trumpets, the first of which will kill people, but they will not all die together, but it is, he says, according to God's arrangement, so that those who remain will see that they were the first to perish and repent. The last trumpet will announce the resurrection and the change of those who have already been resurrected, and it will happen in the blink of an eye. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. So that no one would suspect that these works will be completed in the blink of an eye, he confirms the credibility of his words by the power of God, Who completes the work. The trumpet will sound and it will happen, similar to: He said, and they came to be (Ps.32:9). The trumpet signifies nothing but the command and sign of God, which precedes everything. He is not talking about himself, but about those who will be alive then. 53. For this perishable must be clothed in incorruption, and this mortal must be clothed in immortality. Lest someone, when he hears that flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God and that the dead will be resurrected as incorruptible, think that bodies will not be resurrected - because they now consist of flesh (flesh) and blood - he adds that bodies will be resurrected, but not those that are flesh (flesh) and blood, but transformed and incorruptible. These words are spoken against those who say that they will resurrect bodies, but not the same one but another. The apostle says this corruptible and this mortal; not therefore someone else, but this. The body will be this same (because we dress in it). However, death and corruption will be destroyed, because it will be clothed in incorruption and immortality. There is a difference between death and decay, because the word "death" is used only for beings that have a soul, while decay is used for those beings that are soulless. We have something similar to the inanimate (i.e. that without a soul), such as nails or hair, but these too will be clothed in incorruptibility. 54. And when this perishable is clothed in incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed in immortality, then the word that is written will be fulfilled: Victory devours death. When that happens, what was written by the prophet Hosea will be fulfilled. Having said something startling, he assures the truth of his words by the testimony of Scripture. Victory, that is. finally, because the vanquished will destroy herself, and she will have no hope of ever regaining her strength. 55. Where is your sting, death? Where the hell is your victory? As if he saw that it was done in action, he is inspired, exclaims and triumphs, as if he stood on defeated death and stepped on it. Between hell and death you can discover some difference, i.e. hell holds souls, and death holds bodies, because souls are immortal. 56. And the sting is the sin of death. Because she gained strength through him (sin), using him as a weapon or a sting. Just as the scorpion itself is a small animal, but has power in its sting, so also death received power through sin, because otherwise it would be ineffective. This can be seen from the example of the Lord Himself, because death did not find sin in Him, so it could not even act on Him. Why? If there were no law, we would sin in ignorance and not come under such severe condemnation. When the law showed sin, it exposed us to a greater punishment, because we know and sin. He made him strong, not according to his nature, but due to our negligence, because we did not use the law as it should, that is, as a remedy, which he spoke about more in the Epistle to the Romans. Therefore, man, do not doubt the resurrection. You see that sin, which was the instrument of death, was destroyed, and that the law, which accidentally became the power of sin, was abolished. When death is disarmed, it obviously has no power. 57. And thanks be to God who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus struggled (fought), and we were given victory, not by merit or debt, but by the grace and humanity of God the Father, who made us victorious through the feat of His Son. 58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, unwavering, advance constantly in the work of the Lord. Since you know that there will be a resurrection and a reward for both the good and the bad, be firm. He says this because they were wavering about the teaching of the resurrection. Since they did not strive for a virtuous life, thinking that there is no resurrection, he says, "progress constantly in the work of the Lord." The work of the Lord, which the Lord loves and requires of us, is virtue. Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. That is hope that there will be a resurrection and that you will not lose any of your efforts. Before, you did not believe in the resurrection and did not want to labor in vain; now you know that none of your efforts will be in vain. In the Lord means either your effort that is in the Lord, ie. for which you had help from above, or that in the Lord your labor will not be in vain, but that you will receive a reward from him. 1. And as regards almsgiving for the saints, as I arranged according to the churches of Galatia, so do you also. Having finished the dogmatic teaching, he moved on to the chapter on virtue and charity. He calls alms collecting (gathering) what will facilitate the work at its very beginning. What was collected from many was easy for everyone. That is why he encourages them to compete, telling about what others have done and how, he says, the Galatians did it. He did not say "I proposed", but arranged (lit. instituted), so that you would know that it was an imperial institution and that you would not neglect it. 2. Every first day of the week, let each of you leave with you, gathering as much as you can… He calls the first day of the week the Lord's day. And on that very day he offered them alms, reminding them of St. Secrets that are perfected on that day. He very wisely advises everyone to collect as much as they can, ie. what God sends him and what he will have with him. He did not say "bring it right away", so as not to embarrass someone who has little, but let him leave it with himself, and when the time comes, then bring it. So that there are no collections when I come. Not to gather then, he says, when you should give. With the words "When I come" he causes them to be more zealous towards gathering (gathering), because the contributions will be before his eyes. 3. And when I come, those whom you choose I will send with letters to Jerusalem to take your alms. He said well those whom you choose, so that any scandal would be avoided, so that they would not suspect that they want to appropriate something from the collected for themselves. He says I will send with letters, so I will join them myself, and participate in that service with my letters. That work, i.e. contributions, he called alms (literally: grace) to show that they are doing something great, and that they are doing it without regret or coercion, because that is the nature of grace. 4. And if it is worth it for me to go, he will come with me. If, he says, what you collect is so much that it requires my service, I will go too. It also encourages them to be generous. Besides, he wants to have witnesses that he will not take anything for himself. That's why he says he will come with me. 5. And I will come to you when I pass Macedonia; for I will pass through Macedonia. 6. And maybe I'll stay with you or spend the winter, so you can accompany me wherever I go. 7. Because I don't want to see you now incidentally, but I hope to stay with you for a while, if the Lord permits. He didn't say "when I go to Macedonia", so that they wouldn't say: "You assume Macedonians to us", but he said that he would pass through Macedonia, that is. that he will visit the Macedonians briefly and incidentally, and that he will stay with them. This shows that he considers them Macedonians as the most sincere and worthy disciples, because the Corinthian church was large. With words perhaps I will keep frightening those who have sinned. Because of the uncertainty, he adds if the Lord allows, because he did not know whether the Spirit would allow it or not. The Spirit led him where He wanted. Being in Ephesus, he intended to travel from there to Macedonia, to pass through that region and come to them. In many places he proves his benevolence towards them, among other things, by not visiting them just by the way, and by wanting them to accompany him. 8. And I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. And it is a sign of great love, because it tells them where they will be and how long they will stay there. Then he adds a reason and continues: 9. Because a great door has opened for me to work, and there are many opponents. There are many who want to join the faith, and a big door has opened for me to enter them, because they are ripe for service in the faith. The teacher is embarrassed when the students are not zealous. However, when students are ready, there is a wide field for him. Therefore, there are many opponents, because when the devil sees that he is deprived of his servants, he becomes even more agitated and incites his opponents. 10. And if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear... It was likely that Timothy, if he came, would rebuke those who had sinned and rebuke them. Therefore he warns them that the rich wise men should not rise up against him, not because Timothy lacked courage and might fall, but because they themselves would be harmed. He, on the other hand, was fully prepared for danger. He said well at your place. Don't tell me about Jelini, when I ask you what is necessary. Because he is doing the Lord's work just like I am. He preaches and teaches, and like me, which is a great praise for Timothy. Since he is like that, let no one humiliate him. He was young and alone, and he was entrusted to take care of many, and arrogant ones at that. It is also likely that they underestimated him. 11. Therefore, let no one despise him. Send him off in peace to come to me, because I am waiting for him with my brothers. He tells them even more: Let no one despise him. With peace, which means safely, without arguments and fighting, with all submission. I am waiting for a word, he wants to intimidate them, so that they know that Timothy will tell Paul about everything and not to make him sad. At the same time, he shows them that he is worthy of respect, because he considers it so necessary that he waits for him. 12. And as for brother Apollos, I begged him much to come to you with the brothers; and he certainly didn't want to come now... Apollos was older than Timothy and very eloquent. So that they would not wonder why he did not send him instead of Timothy, he says: I begged him a lot. And he didn't say: "He opposed me", but he frees him from reproach and says: He didn't want to come now, that is. it was not pleasing to God. In order not to say that it is just a justification and an excuse, he continues: But he will come when he has the chance. At the same time, it protects him and those who want to see him, comforting them with the hope of his arrival. It shows them that they must not rely on teachers in everything, but that their personal effort is also needed. And not in external wisdom, because in it you cannot establish yourself, but only float. He said that because they were wavering. Be a man, be strong. Because there are bad advisors. He says this because they have fainted. 14. May everything be in your love. He speaks against those who caused confusion and undermined the Church. Whether someone is teaching, whether they are teaching someone, whether they are deconstructing someone - let everything be with love, because through love there will be neither pride nor division. 15. Please, brothers... It should be moved with the following verse: That you also obey such. You know about the house of Stefaninov, the first-born from Achaia. You know and there is no need for me to tell you. He calls the house of Stephen the firstborn of Achaia, either because they were the first to believe, or because they led a godly life. The first should always take precedence over what it serves as a beginning. Achaia calls Jeladus. And to dedicate themselves to serving the saints. They decided to accept the believing poor and serve them, not because someone forced them, but of their own free will. 16. That you also obey such, and everyone who helps and tries. That is that you also participate in monetary expenses and in physical service. He didn't just say "participate", but to obey, commanding them obedience. Lest they think that only Stefanina stands out, he adds: To everyone who helps and tries. In what? In serving the saints, because all such are worthy of respect. In that case, they will also bear their feat more courageously. 17. And I am looking forward to the arrival of Stephaninus and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they filled your absence for me. They informed Paul of the divisions and other errors that had arisen in Corinth. Perhaps it was through them that the Chloes informed him (1Cor.1:11). Since it was natural for the Corinthians to be enraged against them, he says: They filled your absence for me, i.e. they came instead of all of you, and for the sake of all of you they undertook that journey. 18. Because it soothes my spirit and yours. It makes it known that his peace is their peace. As they have calmed me down, then my calmness is useful for you too, and let nothing be said on your part that would be unpleasant to them themselves. Respect, then, such. 19. The churches of Asia greet you. According to his daily custom, he unites all the members of the Church of Christ through a greeting. They greet you very much in the Lord Aquila and Priscilla with their local church. He stayed with them, since they were also engaged in making tents (see Acts ap. 18; 1-3). Notice their virtue in that they turned their home into a church, arranging gatherings of believers in it. 20. All the brothers greet you. Greet each other with a holy kiss. He only mentioned the holy celiv here, because there were many divisions. As he persuaded them a lot to unite, in the end he unites them with a holy kiss, i.e. honest and not hypocritical. 21. The greeting is from my hand, Paul's. He wrote a greeting in his own hand, to show them how much importance he attached to this epistle. 22. If someone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maran ata (Lord, come, i.e. Lord come)! With one word, he intimidated everyone: both fornicators, and those who caused divisions, and those who ate from idol sacrifices, and those who did not believe in the resurrection, and all who caused discord among them and behaved inconsistently with his teaching and tradition. Maran ata (Lord come). He said this partly in order to establish the teaching about the economy and through that also about the resurrection, and partly because he would shame them: the Lord accepted everything on Himself for our sake, and you anger Him, so that some are called by the names of men, and some behave wickedly. He did not use a Greek term, but a Jewish one, ie Aramaic. He spoke to the Corinthians, who attached great importance to the external wisdom and beauty of the Greek language, thus showing them that he did not need it in the least, but to boast of simplicity and to speak in rough language. 23. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. The teacher's duty is not only to persuade, but also to pray. In this way, he helps them doubly: both by teaching and by bringing down higher help through his prayers. 24. My love is with you all. Amen. Since he was spatially far away from them, it is as if he embraces them with the arms of love and says: My love is with all of you, that is. I am with you all, although I am in another place. This shows that although what he wrote shows his grief, it was not written out of anger or rage, but out of love and care. In order not to think that he wants to flatter someone, he adds in Jesus Christ, i.e. there is nothing human or carnal in my love, but it is spiritual and in Christ. And we will pray that, loving one another in Christ, we do not bring into ourselves anything of worldly (lay) love, which is hostile to God. In this way, we will also become worthy of the family of God for whom we long, in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who loves us and to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Apollos was a learned Alexandrian Jew, who was distinguished by the gift of oratory. He taught and spoke correctly about the Lord, although he only knew about "John's baptism". See more about him in the Acts of the Apostles, 18:24-25. " Crispus was an elder of the Corinthian synagogue (see Acts, Ap. 18; 8), and Gaius was a Corinthian Christian who showed hospitality to the apostle Paul (see Romans 16:23). Terms that are primarily related to the so-called apophatic ("negative") theology, which, to put it succinctly, denies the possibility of defining God by any human means, since no human word or thought can express what God is. This type of theology is especially represented by the Cappadocian Fathers (IV century) and, especially, by St. Dionysius the Areopagite (see his work On Mystical Theology). In His human nature. The Old Testament prophet, whose book is one of the 12 books of the so-called "minor prophets", although, in the strict sense of the word, it cannot be classified as prophetic books. Because of disobedience to God, who commanded him to preach repentance to the Ninevites, Jonah was swallowed by a whale and he spent three days in the belly of this animal (like Christ in the grave). Jonah's exit from the whale's belly is interpreted as a prototype of the Resurrection of Christ, because the Lord Himself says: As Jonah was in the whale's belly for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the earth's belly for three days and three nights (Mt. 12:40). The most celebrated hero of Greek mythology, known for his extraordinary strength, which he has been distinguished by since childhood. Famous for having performed twelve great feats and for traveling with the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. His fate is dealt with, among other things, in the plays of Sophocles and Euripides. Greek deity of medical skill, especially revered in Epidaurus. His attribute is a snake coiled around a staff. Among the ancient Greeks, the term "barbarian" primarily referred to language, so they named all those who did not speak the Greek language as barbarians or "barbarophones" (cf. trans.)