During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, St. Paul, having fulfilled his plan to visit Jerusalem for Easter, began his third Apostolic journey from Antioch and "passed through the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order" (Acts 18:22-23 [1]), arrived in Ephesus to establish the Church of Christ there (Acts 19:1 [2]). Then various unfavorable rumors began to reach him about the Corinthian Church that he had abandoned. He wanted to go to Corinth himself directly from Ephesus by sea (2 Cor. 1:15-16 [3]), but not daring to leave Ephesus in his place, he sent his beloved disciple Timothy to Corinth, instructing him to pass through Macedonia and then inform him about everything that was happening in the Corinthian church. Meanwhile, unfavorable rumors about the Corinthian church began to repeat and multiply. Allegedly, one of the Corinthian Christians allowed a kind of fornication that is not allowed among the pagans (1 Cor. 5:1 [4]). Then the household of a certain Christian woman Chloe came to Ephesus and confirmed this rumor to the Apostle, telling him many other evil things, especially grieving the Apostle with stories about various religious disputes and contests (1 Cor. 1:11-12 [5]). It seemed that separate religious parties or sects had arisen in Corinth. Stephen, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who arrived from Corinth, sent from the Corinthian Church, somewhat calmed the spirit of the Apostle (1 Cor. 16:17 [6]), but nevertheless confirmed the existence of many disorders. Having confirmed the rumors of fornication and strife, they relayed many other things again: about lawsuits in pagan courts, about disorders at love suppers, about women not covering their heads in church, about the unbelief of some in the resurrection of the dead. In a special epistle, the Apostle was also offered questions about marriage and virginity, about eating things sacrificed to idols, about the gift of tongues, etc. As a result of this, the holy Apostle Paul decided to send his Epistle to Corinth, in order to heal all the disorders and give an answer to all perplexities. At the same time, he promises to come to them himself (1 Cor. 4:19-21 [7]). An additional reason for writing the epistle, as can be seen from 1 Cor. 16:1-4 [8], there was an arrangement for the collection of financial assistance for Palestinian Christians.After visiting Caesarea, he came to Jerusalem, greeted the church and departed for Antioch. And having spent some time there, he went out, and passed through the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, confirming all the disciples. ^During the sojourn of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper countries, arrived at Ephesus, and finding there some disciples. ^And in this assurance I intended to come to you before, that you might receive grace a second time, and through you to go to Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come to you again; and you would accompany me to Judea. ^There is a true rumor that fornication has arisen among you, and such fornication as is not heard even among the Gentiles, that a man has his father's wife instead of a wife. ^But I have written to you not to associate with him who, calling himself a brother, remains a fornicator, or a covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a swindler; You can't even eat with such a person. For why should I judge even those who are outside? Do you not judge the inner? ^I am glad of the arrival of Stephen, Fortunatus, and Achaicus: they have made up for me your absence. ^but I will come to you presently, if the Lord wills, and I will not try the words of the proud, but the power, for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What do you want? come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness? ^In gathering for the saints, do as I have established in the churches of Galatia. On the first day of the week, let each one of you set aside and save as much as his wealth allows, so that he may not make collections when I come. And when I come, I will send those whom you choose with letters to bring your alms to Jerusalem. And if it is proper for me to go, they will go with me. ^

Time and place of writing

As is clear from the epistle itself, it was written in Ephesus. "I do not want to see you now in passing," writes the Apostle, "I hope to stay with you for a while, if the Lord permits. But in Ephesus I will abide until Pentecost" (1 Cor. 16:7-8). In the Epistle St. Paul writes that he sent St. Timothy to Corinth (1 Cor. 16:10 [1]), and in Acts we find that he sent him from Ephesus before he himself was about to leave it (Acts 19:21-22 [2]). According to the calculation of the years, this falls in the year 58 or 59 A.And if Timothy comes to you, see that he is safe with you; for he is doing the work of the Lord, even as I am. ^When this was done, Paul resolved in the Spirit, having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "Having been there, I must see Rome also." And having sent to Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself remained for a time in Asia. ^

Content and composition

The content of the epistle, as was required by the occasion for writing it, is very diverse: it touches on many subjects, giving exhaustive answers to the questions posed by the Corinthians. It consists of 16 chapters. It begins with the usual inscription and greeting, and also ends with the transmission of greetings.

Exegetical analysis

The content of the epistle, as was required by the occasion for writing it, is very diverse: it touches on many subjects, giving exhaustive answers to the questions posed by the Corinthians. It consists of 16 chapters. It begins with the usual inscription and greeting, and also ends with the transmission of greetings.

Part I

The First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians differs from his other Epistles by the extraordinary variety of questions resolved in it. It differs from the Epistle to the Romans that we have previously considered in that here the holy Apostle Paul has to deal not with Jewish errors, but with Greek culture and Greek sensuality, with Hellenism, which was based on philosophy, not alien to a deep penetration into the spiritual and moral sphere of life. Along with himself, St. Paul humbly mentions "Sosthenes the brother." Blessed Theodoret and St. Demetrius of Rostov believe that this Sosthenes was the same ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, who was beaten on the occasion of a rebellion there against the Apostle Paul (Acts 18:17). The same opinion is held by Bishop Theophan the Recluse, who says that these beatings can only be explained by some kind of contact of Sosthenes with the preaching of St. Paul.All the further content of the Epistle consists of two parts: the first part from the 1st to the 6th chapter contains mainly denunciations, the second part from the 7th to the 15th chapter contains mainly instructions and, finally, the last 16th chapter is a conclusion in which the holy Apostle sets forth his considerations about the collection of alms for Palestinian Christians and about his journey on the road to Corinth, and also conveys the usual greetings. He first commends their faith, expressing confidence that the Lord will confirm them in that faith "to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1:8), and at verse 10 he begins his diatribe. After the holy Apostle Paul, his disciple Apollos preached in Corinth; Christians converted by the holy Apostle Peter also arrived there; there were also Christians from Palestine, who heard the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Inclined to party strife, and apparently still holding to a pagan view of the preachers of the Gospel as philosophers, each founding his own school, the Corinthians began to divide into parties according to the names of the preachers of the Gospel teaching, and called themselves: "I am Paul, I am Apollos, I am Cephanes, I am Christ." In the beginning, this division was based, of course, only on a good feeling of loving affection for this or that preacher, but later such a division could lead to dangerous consequences for the very purity of the faith; In the moral sense, this division has already led to many evil phenomena in the midst of the Corinthian Christian community, which the holy Apostle denounces in his epistle. In view of the fact that the leaders of individual parties, following the example of pagan philosophers, influenced the crowd with eloquence and philosophical reasoning, the holy Apostle in the first chapter characterizes the qualities of the Gospel preaching, in comparison with worldly wisdom – philosophy. For the pagans, who are proud of their learning, the preaching of the cross seems too simple and even madness, while for those who believe the word of the cross is the power of God, which grants salvation. While worldly wisdom (philosophy), which has broken away from the source of wisdom – God – and tried to solve all the problems of life on its own, has proved powerless in the organization of human life, the preaching of the Gospel, which seems to the unbelievers to be foolishness (madness), really grants people everything that is necessary, both for the well-being of their earthly life, and, most importantly, for their eternal salvation. "For the Jews also demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1:22-24). It is important to note here that "the wisdom of God" ("Sophia"), in accordance with many other passages of Holy Scripture, is called none other than the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Further, the Apostle says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weak of God is stronger than men" (1:25), which is evident from the fact that "but God chose the foolishness of the world to shame the wise, and the weakness of the world God chose to shame the strong" (1:27). This was clearly manifested in the fact that the poor, ignoble and unlearned fishermen, such as the holy Apostles, and the majority of the first Christians, also mostly people of low rank and uneducated, by the power of their faith and their preaching, put to shame all the pagan wisdom of scientists and philosophers and led the whole world to the foot of the Cross of Christ. "The God of all," says Blessed Theodoret, "has conquered the learned with the unlearned, the rich with the poor, and caught the universe with fishermen." Why was it necessary? "In order that no flesh should boast in the sight of God" (1:29), in order to humble all pride and arrogance, in order to show that we cannot be saved by ourselves, that Christianity is the way of salvation through humility. The holy Apostle in the second chapter recalls how he came to Corinth humbly with a simple word about the Crucified One, so that the faith of the Corinthians would owe nothing to the wisdom of men, but only to God: "My word and my preaching are not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the manifestation of the Spirit and power" (2:4), "that your faith may not be founded on the wisdom of men, but by the power of God" (2:5). For those who are more perfect in faith, the knowledge of true wisdom is then revealed, the wisdom of God, which surpasses all human understanding and is beyond the reach of the wise men of this world. "But we preach the wisdom of God, which is secret, hidden, which God ordained before the ages for our glory" – this is the image of the dispensation of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ with all its initial principles and with immense consequences in all areas of created existence (2:6-8 [1]). Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him" (2:9). And to us, that is, true Christians, God has revealed this by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (2:10). Preaching about the all-wise mystery of the salvation of people, the Apostles have the "mind of Christ," and therefore only "spiritual" people can accept their teaching in all its depth, that is, those who have established themselves in the spiritual and moral life, who have been reborn spiritually and who accept the truth not only with their minds, but also with their hearts and wills, that is, in the full manifestation of their powers and abilities. A "natural" person, that is, one who has not yet cleansed his soul of sinful attachments, who lives not by the spirit, but by the lower qualities of the soul, "does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, because he considers them foolishness; and cannot understand, because these things must be judged spiritually" (2:14).The content of the third chapter gives reason to assume that in the absence of the holy Apostle Paul of Corinth, his opponents stirred up Christians against him, trying to humiliate his teaching. They apparently pointed out that other preachers of the Gospel, such as the Apostle Peter and Apollos, reveal the truths of Christ's teaching more profoundly and eloquently. Probably responding to such criticisms, St. Paul writes: "And I could not speak to you, brethren, as to spiritual ones, but as to carnal ones, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with solid food, for you were not yet able, and even now you are not able, because you are still carnal," as evidenced by the strife, disputes, and divisions into parties because of different teachers-preachers. Then St. Paul explains how to look at the Apostles. The apostles are only servants of God – "only ministers through whom you have believed" – and the foundation of salvation is in Christ Jesus, for "no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (vv. 1-5 and 11). "I planted," says the holy Apostle Paul: "Apollos watered, but God grew; therefore he who plants and waters is nothing, and God who grows everything. But he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive a reward according to his work. For we are God's fellow-workers, and you are God's field, God's building" (vv. 6-9). The value of the work of each such builder-preacher will be determined at the Last Judgment. There is only one foundation – Jesus Christ, but on this foundation it is possible to build from materials of different value and strength: from gold, silver, precious stones (the pure, healthy teaching of the Word of God) or from wood, hay, straw, (teaching mixed with the inventions of human wisdom or empty eloquence).On the Day of the Last Judgment, "fire will test the work of each one as it is" (vv. 12-14). "And whoever burns his work will suffer; but he himself shall be saved, but as out of fire" (v. 15). According to Blessed Augustine, this saying of the holy Apostle Paul refers precisely to those whom the holy Apostle Peter calls "incomprehensible" (2 Peter 3:16 [2]). This concealment of the apostolic words gives grounds for Roman Catholic theologians to find in them confirmation of their false dogma about the purgatory fire beyond the grave, by which sinners are purified after death. The correct understanding of these words is facilitated by the very comparison with the fire that engulfed the house, which the holy Apostle draws through his speech. "There is fire all around, we need to run through it. What happens here? Some will run almost unscorched, others in varying degrees of scorching, and some will remain in the fire. A similar thing will happen to those whose houses (deeds) will burn in the fire of judgment. Some will go into the fire, others will receive other different degrees of punishment, and others will be pardoned. For although they are all guilty of not building of solid material, their guilt may have different degrees. Others may be guilty without guilt: they labored on a fragile structure, not knowing a better way of building; or perhaps due to circumstances he did not have time to take up the best, or for some other reason he deserves an apology" (Bishop Theophan the Recluse). Perhaps the flock itself is to blame for turning out to be rotten material. Then the pastor will escape condemnation, after a strict review of his life at the incorruptible judgment of God (he will be saved as if from fire).Therefore, teachers-preachers must with great circumspection and caution build the building of the Church of Christ, remembering that every Christian is the temple of God, since the Spirit of God, received by him through the sacraments, dwells in him: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God? and the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (v. 16). The vain wisdom of men can destroy this temple, because "the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God" (v. 19). "But ye are Christ's" (v. 23), that is, since you have believed in Christ, and have become members of his church, you belong to Christ alone, and therefore is it proper for you to be divided because of Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or any other teacher? secret, hidden, which God predestined before the ages for our glory, which none of the powers of this world has known; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ^as he speaks of this in all the Epistles, in which there is something incomprehensible, which the ignorant and unconfirmed, like the rest of the Scriptures, turn to their own destruction. ^

Part II

In the fourth chapter, the holy Apostle points out that in appreciating the comparative importance of the Apostles and thus becoming, as it were, their judges, the Corinthians showed a lack of the main Christian virtue – humility. Proud of their spiritual understanding, the Corinthians forgot that if they had anything of value, they had received it from the Apostles, who could only be judged by the degree of their faithfulness to the work of preaching entrusted to them, and not by any external qualities that depended only on natural gifts (as pagan rhetoricians and philosophers judged). In order to enlighten the Corinthians and arouse in them feelings of gratitude and gratitude to all the Apostles as well as to those who labor for their good, the holy Apostle compares their situation with his own. As he says, you have not yet had time to partake of the firstfruits of faith, and "you are already satisfied, you are already rich, you have begun to reign without us" (v. 8). "We are still in poverty, we are subjected to suffering for preaching, and you have already enjoyed the kingdom" (Theodorite), treat yourselves as if the kingdom of glory has already come, crowns have been distributed, and blessed rejoicing has come. But how can it be without us? We are laboring, enduring all kinds of deprivations, and you have already entered the kingdom" (Bishop Theophan the Recluse). And the Apostle paints a picture of all kinds of sorrows and deprivations that the preachers of the Gospel teaching endure: "We, the last messengers, were destined by God to be, as it were, condemned to death, because we had become a reproach to the world, to angels and men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are in glory, and we are in dishonor" (v. 10) These contrasts must be understood in the sense of accusatory irony. However, Bishop. Theophan the Recluse interprets this differently: the labors and deprivations of the Apostles serve to the glory and honor and confirmation in the faith of those who have believed through their preaching. The holy Apostle concludes his denunciation with the assurance that he does this "not to shame" them, but to bring them to their senses, as his "beloved children." "I do not write these things to your shame, but I admonish you as my beloved children. For although you have thousands of teachers in Christ, yet not many fathers; I have begotten you in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I beseech you, Imitate me, as I follow Christ" (vv. 14-16). The holy Apostle says that although the Corinthians have "thousands of teachers," they have "not many fathers," and that he "begat them in Christ Jesus through the gospel," that is, he is their spiritual father. The holy Apostle Paul himself calls himself the "father" of those who were converted by him to Christianity, and yet the sectarians, groundlessly referring to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, addressed by Him only to the Apostles in Matt. 23:9 [1], deny Orthodox Christian pastors the right to be called "fathers" of believers. In order to bring the Corinthians to their senses, the holy Apostle sent them his trusted disciple Timothy and promised to come to them soon himself. The opponents of the holy Apostle Paul, apparently, spread a rumor that he had not visited Corinth for four years for fear of meeting there with his rivals, stronger than him in word. The Apostle promises, when visiting Corinth, to test "not the words of the proud, but the power, for the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" — in life and in deeds (vv. 17-20 [2]).The fifth and sixth chapters contain denunciations of moral shortcomings.The entire fifth chapter is devoted to the denunciation of the incestuous fornicator, who took "his father's wife" as his wife, that is, presumably, his stepmother. St. Paul reproaches the Corinthians for becoming proud, "instead of weeping better," that is, that the Corinthians should not think highly of themselves, if such abominations are possible among them. In order to avoid further temptation, the holy Apostle commands that even before his coming the guilty person be "delivered up" "to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (vv. 1-5). This is not only excommunication from the Church, outside of which is "the domain of Satan," but also a real punishment, as St. John Chrysostom says, similar to what happened to Job, "although not with the same force: there for the most glorious crowns, and here for absolution from sins, so that Satan may punish him with malignant wounds or some other disease." "Carnal sin in the flesh is punished," explains Bishop Theodosius. Theophanes the Recluse: "emaciated flesh will loosen the bonds of sin, and give the spirit room to repent." "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole dough?" is a severe punishment that this evil example may not infect others, v. 6. Christians in general should be a "new dough" in which there can be no vicious leaven, that is, no sinful passion. "As you are unleavened, for our Passover, Christ, was slain for us" — just as in the face of the Passover lamb the Israelites had nothing leavened in any house, so in the face of our Passover Lamb, Christ the Lord, there should be nothing sinful or passionate (vv. 7-8 [3]). These two verses, with the addition of verses 13-14 from the 3rd chapter of Galatians [4], make up the Apostolic reading at Matins on Great Saturday. In connection with the sin of the incestuous person, the Apostle commands us not to have any fellowship at all with those who, calling themselves Christians, do not abandon their vicious life: "With such a one you do not even eat together" (vv. 9-12). "Cast out the corrupt from among you" – the Apostle points out that such a removal of the sinner, for the sake of freeing society from sinful infection, was commanded already in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 17:7 [5]). The first half of the sixth chapter is devoted to the rebuke of litigation before the unbelievers in the pagan courts (vv. 1-8), and the second half contains denunciations of the passionate life in general and gluttony and fornication in particular. St. John Chrysostom notes that the preceding speech about the internal judgment of the incestuous disposed the Apostle to say that Christians should also consider external worldly affairs themselves, without bringing them to the attention of pagan judges, after which the Apostle again returns to the previous subject – the denunciation of fornication and sensual life in general. "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?" – The Apostle says, as if it were something well-known, that "the saints", that is, Christians, "will judge the world", and therefore it is unworthy for them to turn to pagan tribunals. "Judge" in the sense of "judge", as the Lord says, "the queen of the South will arise and condemn this generation", and "the Ninevites will rise up and condemn this generation" (Matt. 12:41-42), "you also will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28) in the sense that those who believe and become Christians will serve as a condemnation to those who do not believe. "Do you not know that we will judge the angels" – here the fallen angels, that is, the demons, are meant. And here "we will judge" is said in the same sense: "we will condemn".Further, the holy Apostle points out that litigation in itself is unseemly for Christians, who are obliged to live in a brotherly way (v. 7 [6]). These lawsuits are especially reprehensible if they are conducted for sinful reasons with the aim of offending a brother, taking away what belongs to him. From here the holy Apostle proceeds to the denunciation of all kinds of sins, which should not exist in Christian society, as a society of saints (vv. 8-11 [7]). After this, the Apostle again proceeds to the denunciation of fornication. These verses 12-20 are read on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable; all things are lawful for me, but nothing shall possess me" — judging by what is said next about "food," it is said here first of all that it is possible to eat all kinds of food. But the Apostle places two restrictions on this freedom of the Christian: the first is to be useful, the second is not to bind oneself in any way, and in the name of imaginary freedom in this way not to lose true freedom – freedom from all addiction and sin. Therefore, a Christian must protect himself from enslavement to sensuality: gluttony and the passion of fornication associated with it. The crime of fornication is that it defiles both soul and body and is sacrilege, for our bodies, like souls, are members of Christ and belong to God: but the fornicator violates his union with the Lord and defiles his body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (vv. 12-13 [8]; 15-16 [9]; 18-19 [10]). "Therefore glorify God both in your bodies and in your souls, which are God's," the Apostle concludes his accusatory speech, "and do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven; ^For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Because I do not come to you, some of you are proud; but I will come to you quickly, if it pleases the Lord, and I will try not the words of the proud, but the power, for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ^Cleanse therefore the old leaven, that it may be new dough unto you, for ye are unleavened, for our Passover, Christ, was slain for us. Therefore let us celebrate not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of iniquity and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of purity and truth. ^Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us [for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree], that the blessing of Abraham through Christ Jesus might be extended to the Gentiles, that we might receive the promised Spirit by faith. ^the hand of the witnesses must be on him first to kill him, then the hand of all the people; and so destroy evil from among you. ^And it is already very humiliating for you that you have lawsuits among yourselves. Why would it be better for you not to be offended? Why would it be better for you not to endure deprivation? ^But you yourselves offend and take away, and that from your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but they were washed, but sanctified, but justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. ^All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable; all things are lawful for me, but nothing should possess me. Food for the belly, and the belly for food; but God will destroy both. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ^Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take away the members of Christ, that I may make them the members of the harlot? Let it not be! Or do you not know that he who copulates with a harlot becomes one body with her? for it is said, The two shall be one flesh. ^Flee fornication; every sin that a man commits is outside the body, and the fornicator sins against his own body. Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ^

Part III

The seventh chapter begins the second part of the Epistle, which contains instructions in the moral Christian life. In connection with the last denunciation of fornication, the holy Apostle first of all gives instructions concerning marriage and celibacy, or celibacy. The main idea of all these instructions is that virginity is higher than marriage, and therefore should be preferred by Christians; but whoever feels unable to lead a strictly virginal life, it is better for him to marry than to be inflamed, that is, to enslave his soul to the passion of fornication and to be in constant danger of falling into fornication. Thus, the first moral purpose of marriage is to avoid fornication (vv. 1-2 [1]). Husband and wife belong to each other entirely, and have no power over themselves: abstinence from married life is permissible for them only by mutual consent (v. 3-6 [2]). Wishing good to all, the holy Apostle sets up his own celibacy as an example to the celibate and widows, as the best state (vv. 7-8 [3]). Those who are unable to bear the feat of celibacy must marry, but strictly observe marital fidelity and not divorce, even if one of the spouses is unfaithful, for the will of the Lord in general is such that everyone should remain in the calling in which he is called to Christianity (vv. 10-24)." For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children would have been unclean, but now they are holy" (v. 14) — the meaning of this incomprehensible saying is that marriage should not be dissolved if only one of the spouses believed, and the other remained a pagan. In other words, explains Bishop Theodosius. Theophanes the Recluse: "Your marriage, faithful wife, with an unfaithful husband, did not turn into an unlawful cohabitation because you believed; on the contrary, your faith sanctified this marriage and your husband in the marital relationship." In the same way, the children of such a marriage should not be regarded as "unclean" in the sense of illegitimate. The Apostle's goal is to prevent the disintegration of families, which could make a lot of noise and have a harmful effect on the work of preaching. On the other hand, since the unfaithful husband and wife do not turn away from the wife and husband of the faithful, there is hope that they too will eventually be converted, as the Apostle says directly in verse 16 [4] From verses 25 to 40, the Apostle clearly exposes the advantages of celibacy: the celibate are free from "sorrows according to the flesh," that is, sorrows and sorrows of all kinds, related to married life, of which there are many (vv. 25-28 [5]); the transience of our lives and the expectation of the Second Coming of Christ and the Dread Judgment of God should prompt Christians to such an inner mood that "those who have wives should be as if they had none" (vv. 29-31 [6]); "He who is unmarried cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but a married man cares about the things of the world, how to please his wife," etc. (vv. 32-35 [7]) — married life creates many worries that prevent you from fully pleasing the Lord, distract you from serving God. Therefore, the Apostle concludes his instructions, it is better to remain in virginity, although whoever enters into marriage does not thereby commit sin. (v. 35-40).In the eighth chapter, the Holy Apostle gives instruction about the nature of Christian freedom in relation to the suggestion of things sacrificed to idols. Christian freedom does not consist in doing whatever one pleases, guided by one's knowledge of the truth, which in itself is capable of arrogance, but in limiting oneself in the name of love. Rightly considering idols to be nothing, the Corinthians freely entered the pagan temples of idols and participated there in meals, eating things sacrificed to idols. In this way they tempted those brethren who had not yet risen to such an idea of the insignificance of idols, and in whose opinion to eat things sacrificed to idols meant to enter into communion with idols (this the Apostle calls "the conscience of idols" – v. 7 [8]). At the sight of the brethren partaking of things sacrificed to idols, their weak consciences were defiled. In itself, "food does not bring us closer to God: for if we eat, we gain nothing; if we do not eat, we lose nothing" (v. 8), but it must be remembered that man is not only an animal, but a morally free being, and therefore all his actions, including the eating or non-eating of food, in addition to the physiological one, also have a moral significance. Consequently, it is not always possible to be indifferent and sinless to eat or not to eat a certain kind of food, for example, food sacrificed to idols or non-food during the fast established by the Church. Therefore the Apostle decisively concludes: "If food offends my brother, I will never eat meat, lest I offend my brother" (v. 13). But in order to avoid fornication, each one should have his own wife, and each one should have her own husband. ^Husband show his wife due favor; like a wife to her husband. The wife has no authority over her own body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no authority over his own body, but the wife. Do not depart from one another, except by agreement, for a time, for exercise in fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan may not tempt you with your intemperance. However, I have said this as a permission, and not as a command. ^For I desire that all men should be as I am; but each has his own gift from God, one in this way, the other in another. But to the unmarried and to the widows I say, It is good for them to remain as I am. ^Why do you know, wife, whether you will not save your husband? Or do you, husband, know if you will not save your wife? ^Concerning virginity, I do not have the command of the Lord, but I give advice, as one who has received mercy from the Lord to be faithful to Him. Out of present necessity, I admit that it is good for a man to remain like this. Are you united with your wife? Do not seek a divorce. Was he left without a wife? Do not seek a wife. However, even if you marry, you will not sin; and if a virgin marries, she will not sin. But such will have sorrows in the flesh; And I feel sorry for you. ^I say to you, brethren, the time is short, so that those who have wives must be as if they had none; and weeping as if they were not weeping; and rejoicing as not rejoicing; and those who buy as if they did not acquire; and those who use this world as if they did not use it; for the image of this world is passing away. ^And I want you to be careless. He who is unmarried cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but a married man cares about the things of the world, how to please his wife. There is a difference between a married woman and a virgin: an unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but a married woman cares about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not in order to put chains on you, but so that you may serve the Lord decently and unceasingly without distraction. ^But not everyone has such knowledge: some even to this day, with a conscience that recognizes idols, eat things sacrificed to idols as sacrifices to idols, and their consciences, being weak, are defiled. ^

Part IV