EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
(3)
Grace be unto you, and peace.—This is the usual style of apostolic greeting (
Galatians 1:3;
Ephesians 1:2), and with these words the address and greeting which open the Epistle conclude.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9.
Grace be unto you,&c. — See on
Romans 1:7.
I thank my God always— Whenever I mention you to God in prayer, or on every occasion;
on your behalf— On your account;
for the grace of God which is given you,&c. — For all those spiritual blessings which are freely conferred upon you by God, for Christ’s sake.
That in every thing— With all kinds of spiritual gifts, pertaining to the knowledge and preaching of the gospel;
ye are enriched by him— That is, many among you are;
in all utterance— With great freedom of speech;
and in all knowledge— Namely, of the mystery of the gospel. These gifts the Corinthians particularly admired. Therefore this congratulation naturally tended to soften their spirits, and make way for the reproofs which follow.
Even as the testimony of Christ —The gospel, which testifies of Christ, and declares the will of God concerning the way of saving sinners,
Matthew 24:14;
was confirmed in— Or among,
you— That is, was plainly proved to be from God,
Revelation 19:10, by these gifts bestowed upon you. They knew they had received these gifts by the hand of Paul, and that long before the false teachers came among them, and that they had received none from them. And this consideration was highly proper to revive in them their former reverence and affection for their spiritual father, and to show them how much they were to blame for attaching themselves to teachers who had given them no proof at all either of their divine mission or of the truth of their doctrine.
So that ye come behind— Other churches, and are defective
in no gift— Namely, tending to edification and confirmation in the faith and hope of the gospel;
waiting for the coming—
Την αποκαλυψιν,
the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ— A sure mark of a true or false Christian, to long for, or dread, the second glorious revelation of the Lord Jesus. The apostle speaks here, not of all individual believers at Corinth, but of the church there in general; as having in it many spiritual persons, who possessed all the different spiritual gifts which common believers could enjoy. Accordingly he asked them,
2 Corinthians 12:13,
What is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches? Who shall also —If you faithfully apply to him;
confirm you— In these gifts and graces;
unto the end— Of your lives, and of the time of your trial;
that ye may be blameless— Clear from the guilt of any known sin;
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ— The time of his coming to judgment. Now it is our day, wherein we are to work out our salvation: then it will be eminently
the day of Christ,and of his glory in the saints.
God is faithfulto all his promises, and therefore
to him that hath shall be given: by whom ye were called— By his word and Spirit;
unto the fellowship of his Son—
To partake, through him, of all the blessings of the gospel. And this calling, as if he had said, you should consider as a pledge of his willingness to save you unto the uttermost.
1:1-9 All Christians are by baptism dedicated and devoted to Christ, and are under strict obligations to be holy. But in the true church of God are all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and who call upon him as God manifest in the flesh, for all the blessings of salvation; who acknowledge and obey him as their Lord, and as Lord of all; it includes no other persons. Christians are distinguished from the profane and atheists, that they dare not live without prayer; and they are distinguished from Jews and pagans, that they call on the name of Christ. Observe how often in these verses the apostle repeats the words, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He feared not to make too frequent or too honourable mention of him. To all who called upon Christ, the apostle gave his usual salutation, desiring, in their behalf, the pardoning mercy, sanctifying grace, and comforting peace of God, through Jesus Christ. Sinners can have no peace with God, nor any from him, but through Christ. He gives thanks for their conversion to the faith of Christ; that grace was given them by Jesus Christ. They had been enriched by him with all spiritual gifts. He speaks of utterance and knowledge. And where God has given these two gifts, he has given great power for usefulness. These were gifts of the Holy Ghost, by which God bore witness to the apostles. Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, will be kept by him to the end; and those that are so, will be blameless in the day of Christ, made so by rich and free grace. How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege; to be kept by the power of Christ, from the power of our corruptions and Satan's temptations!
Grace be unto you ... - See the note at
Romans 1:7.
3. peace—peculiarly needed in the Corinthian church, on account of its dissensions. On this verse see on [2282]Ro 1:7.
This is the common salutation in all Paul’s Epistles, only in one or two
mercy is also added.
Grace signifies free love.
Peace signifies either a reconciliation with God, or brotherly love and unity each with other:
See Poole on "Romans 1:7". The apostle wisheth them spiritual blessings, and the greatest spiritual blessings,
grace and peace, and that not from and with men, but
from God our Father, and theLord Jesus Christ.
Grace be unto you, and peace from God,.... This is an usual salutation in all Paul's epistles; See Gill on
Romans 1:7.
{6} Gracebe unto you, and peace, from God our Father, andfrom the Lord Jesus Christ.(6) The foundation and the life of the Church is Christ Jesus given from the Father.