1 Cor 1:1 “Paul, called by a heavenly vocation, an apostle, and Sosthenes.” This Sosthenes was the ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, converted to Christ by Paul. On account of the faith he was severely beaten by the Jews before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18). Later he was with Paul at Ephesus, and after his death he was numbered among the saints on the 28th of November.
1 Cor 1:2 “Sanctified in Christ”—that is, cleansed by baptism and thus endowed with true and sanctifying holiness. “Called saints,” that is, called to a holy and exalted state; understand: “he writes and greets.”
1 Cor 1:4 “Grace of God.” In Greek and Syriac, this means “grace,” that is, gratuitous gifts received from heaven.
1 Cor 1:5 “In him,” that is, through Christ, or through the merits of Christ. “You have been made rich in every word and knowledge,” that is, you abound in an abundance of evangelical preachers and teachers, and from this flows a rich supply of knowledge of the mysteries of faith and of the Christian vocation. I suspect that the author has been influenced by the Septuagint, Prov 22:21, which reads: "I therefore teach thee truth, and knowledge good to hear; that thou mayest answer words of truth to them that question thee." The two words (logos = word, γνώσει = knowledge) are found together, 1 Cor 12:8 where they are identified as charisms, spiritual gifts. Tirini's interpretation may have also been influenced by 1 Cor 4:15.
1 Cor 1:6 “Just as”—from this it follows that a sure testimony of Christ and of his religion has been given to the world and confirmed “in you,” firmly established and flourishing.
1 Cor 1:7 “Waiting meanwhile in hope for the revelation of Christ,” namely, at his second coming for judgment, so that whatever is still lacking for full and perfect beatitude may then be supplied to you in the heavenly palace.
1 Cor 1:9 “Faithful,” that is, God is truthful—supply: in fulfilling what he has promised—namely, that he furnishes you with all the helps on his part that are necessary, so that, in the grace you have received, you may persevere steadfastly until the end of life in righteousness and in the “fellowship of his Son,” that is, in communion with all the treasures of the Church. Thus Ambrose, Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Anselm.
But if here the Church is called the “society of Jesus,” why should heretics object if the Jesuits—since this very name has been granted to them so often by the Supreme Pontiffs—make use of it, not to diminish anything from others, but to stir themselves up by this name and continually remind themselves of their duty, namely, that, like a military legion united to its leader Jesus and bound by a special vow, they should fight bravely for the promotion of the glory of God and the salvation of souls. On this matter see Jacob Gretser, Julius Nigronius, Francis Montanus, and others who have written apologies for this Society.
1 Cor 1:10 “That you be perfect.” In Greek, κατηρτισμένοι (katērtismenoi), that is, as Theophylact explains, fitted together and harmoniously compacted among yourselves.
1 Cor 1:11 “For it has been reported to me by those who are of the household of Chloe”—so also the Syriac.
1 Cor 1:12 “That each one of you,” that is, each of those among you who contend contentiously and ambitiously about the excellence of their teacher; for I do not believe this was a common fault of all. “Says” and boasts: one says, “I am of Paul,” a catechumen, disciple, and client of the Apostle of the Gentiles—of such holiness, such doctrine, such renown—I glory in such a master and leader. Another says, “But I am of Apollos,” preferring to submit himself to the teaching of a man so eloquent, so polished, so magnificent. A third says, “Indeed, I am of Cephas,” that is, of Peter, as being the prince of all the apostles and the monarch of the whole Church. Finally, another, as though despising all human teachers, says, “I am of Christ.” Otherwise, without contempt for others, all ought to say, “I am of Christ,” as Ambrose, Theophylact, and St Thomas remark.
1 Cor 1:13 “Has Christ been divided?” That is, are there many Christs? Or is Paul’s Christ one thing and the Christ of Cephas or of Apollos another? Is there not one and the same Christ who is preached by them all—who “was crucified for you all” and “in whose name you were all baptized”? Or do you perhaps, with unheard-of blasphemy, wish Paul or Cephas to be your Christ—crucified for you—and yourselves to have been baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Cor 1:14 “I give thanks to God,” and to divine providence, that, in order to remove the occasion of this intolerable blasphemy, “I baptized none of you” with my own hands, “except Crispus,” the ruler of the synagogue among you, “and Gaius,” my host.
1 Cor 1:16 “And the household of Stephanas,” a man, according to Theophylact, distinguished for faith, charity, and zeal. On the occasion of this schism, St Thomas and others teach that the Greeks shaped the formula of baptism so that they do not say, “I baptize you,” but “Let the servant of Christ be baptized,” lest anyone be given occasion to say, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Cephas.”
But Erasmus, Faber and other innovators argue foolishly from this by parity of reasoning: “Therefore it is wrong for one to say, ‘I am of Thomas,’ another, ‘I am a disciple of Francis,’ another, ‘a son of Dominic.’” For the diverse schools of philosophers and theologians, or the various monastic institutes, do not divide the Church into partisan factions with respect to those things that are essential to the Church, as happened in this Corinthian schism—where the power and excellence of baptism and of faith were believed to depend on the ministers themselves no less than on Christ—but they introduce only varied and useful exercises of minds and talents with respect to things that are accidental and entirely free. Indeed, the religious orders themselves contribute to the greater splendor, strength, and usefulness of the Church, just as in one city there is a variety of craftsmen, in one court a variety of ministers, and in one army a variety of cohorts and legions.
Against the innovators, however, you may justly and deservedly turn back schisms even worse than those of Corinth, who boast: “I am of Luther,” “I am of Calvin,” “I am of Menno,” “I am of Gomarus,” “I am of Arminius,” and so forth—most shamefully and obstinately dissenting in the essential articles of faith and religion.
1 Cor 1:17 “Christ did not send me to baptize,” or to administer the other sacraments usually entrusted to parish priests—understand: principally or ordinarily. The primary task of my apostleship or mission is to preach. Hence the Council of Trent prescribes to bishops that they should exercise this duty themselves unless they are lawfully impeded.
“Not in the wisdom of word,” that is, not with affected eloquence and ornamental speech, “lest it be emptied,” that is, rendered vain and fruitless, at least in the opinion of men, “the cross,” that is, the passion of Christ—namely, if men should suppose that they were drawn to the faith and consequently attained righteousness and salvation not so much by the merits of Christ as by the force of human eloquence. Thus St Chrysostom.
CONTINUE
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