Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 1:6
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
6. even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift ] The testimony of Christ is St Paul’s preaching concerning Christ. It was ‘confirmed’ by the outpouring of His Spirit.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Even as – Kathos. The force of this expression seems to be this, The gospel of Christ was at first established among you by means of the miraculous endowments of the Holy Spirit. Those same endowments are still continued among you, and now furnish evidence of the divine favor, and of the truth of the gospel to you, even as – that is, in the same measure as they did when the gospel was first preached. The power to speak with tongues, etc. 1 Cor. 14 would be a continued miracle, and would be a demonstration to them then of the truth of Christianity as it was at first.
The testimony of Christ – The gospel. It is here called the testimony of Christ, because it bore witness to Christ – to his divine nature, his miracles, his Messiahship, his character, his death, etc. The message of the gospel consists in bearing witness to Christ and his work; see 1Co 15:1-4; 2Ti 1:8.
Was confirmed – Was established, or proved. It was proved to be divine, by the miraculous attestations of the Holy Spirit. It was confirmed, or made certain to their souls by the agency of the Holy Spirit, sealing it on their hearts. The word translated confirmed ebebaiothe, is used in the sense of establishing, confirming, or demonstrating by miracles, etc.; in Mar 16:20; compare Heb 13:9; Phi 1:7.
In you – en humin. Among you as a people, or in your hearts. Perhaps the apostle intends to include both. The gospel had been established among them by the demonstrations of the agency of the Spirit in the gift of tongues, and had at the same time taken deep root in their hearts, and was exerting a practical influence on their lives.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. As the testimony of Christ, &c.] The testimony of Christ is the Gospel which the apostle had preached, and which had been confirmed by various gifts of the Holy Spirit, and miracles wrought by the apostle.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By which knowledge and utterance the testimony of Christ, that is, the gospel, which containeth both the testimony which Christ had given of himself, and which the apostles had given concerning Christ; (the gospel is called the testimony of God, Rom 2:1; 2Ti 1:8😉 others understand the gifts of, the Spirit (for the Spirit is one of the witnesses upon earth, 1Jo 5:8); was confirmed in you; by the miraculous operations wrought by the apostles, as some think; but the way of confirmation here spoken of by the apostle seemeth rather to be understood of their knowledge and utterance. The gospel, and the doctrine of it, and the mission of the Holy Spirit, were confirmed to them and to the world by the knowledge which God had given the apostles, and these Corinthians, of the great things of God; and their ability to communicate this knowledge unto others, for the honour of God, and the good of others.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. According as the testimony of(of, and concerning) Christ (who is both the object and author ofthis testimony [BENGEL];1Co 2:1; 1Ti 2:6;2Ti 1:8) was confirmed among[ALFORD] you; that is, byGod, through my preaching and through the miracles accompanying it(1Co 12:3; Mar 16:20;2Co 1:21; 2Co 1:22;Gal 3:2; Gal 3:5;Eph 4:7; Eph 4:8;Heb 2:4). God confirmed(compare Phi 1:7; Heb 2:3),or gave effect to the Gospel among (or better as English Version,“in”) the Corinthians by their accepting it andsetting their seal to its truth, through the inward power of HisSpirit, and the outward gifts and miracles accompanying it [CALVIN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. By “the testimony of Christ” is meant the Gospel of Christ, which bears a testimony to his deity, his incarnation, his obedience, sufferings, and death, his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at God’s right hand, and intercession for the saints; to redemption by his blood, justification by his righteousness, pardon and atonement of sin by his sacrifice, and complete salvation by his obedience and death. This, as it had been preached to the Corinthians, was confirmed and established among them, by the signs and miracles with which it was attended; by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, particularly of prophecy bestowed on many of them; and by the internal power and energy of the Spirit, accompanying and applying it to their souls.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Even as (). In proportion as (1Th 1:5) and so inasmuch as (Phil 1:7; Eph 1:4).
The testimony of Christ ( ). Objective genitive, the testimony to or concerning Christ, the witness of Paul’s preaching.
Was confirmed in you ( ). First aorist passive of , old verb from and that from , to make to stand, to make stable. These special gifts of the Holy Spirit which they had so lavishly received (ch. 1Co 12) were for that very purpose.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Witness of Christ [ ] . Testimony concerning Christ. See on Joh 1:7. Compare Act 1:8; 2Ti 1:8.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Even as the testimony of Christ.” (Greek kathos) “Just as” the (Greek marturion) “Witness or testimony of Christ” (as Savior and Lord) – Paul had borne this witness by which they had been saved and begun their Christian testimony, 1Co 15:1-4; 1Co 6:19-20.
2) “Was confirmed in you.” (Greek ebebaiothe) was confirmed or certified” in you all. These brethren had professed faith in Christ, been baptized, come behind in no spiritual gift, and supported Paul in his ministry. In these four manners the testimony of Christ had been confirmed in them to the extent that Paul thanked God always for them, in spite of their imperfections. In spite of our imperfections, may we resolve that the testimony of Christ shall be confirmed in us Act 1:8; Mat 5:15-16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
6. Even as the testimony, etc. Erasmus gives a different rendering, to this effect, “that by these things the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them;” that is, by knowledge and by the word. The words, however, convey another meaning, and if they are not wrested, the meaning is easy — that God has sealed the truth of his gospel among the Corinthians, for the purpose of confirming it. Now, this might be done in two ways, either by miracles, or by the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. Chrysostom seems to understand it of miracles, but I take it in a larger sense; and, first of all, it is certain, that the gospel is properly confirmed in our experience by faith, because it is only when we receive it by faith that we “set to our seal that God is true” (Joh 3:33.) And though I admit that miracles ought to have weight for the confirmation of it, yet we must go higher in search of the origin, namely this, that the Spirit of God is the earnest and seal. Accordingly, I explain these words in this manner — that the Corinthians excelled in knowledge, inasmuch as God had from the beginning given efficacy to his gospel among them, and that not in one way merely, but had done so both by the internal influence of the Spirit, and by excellence and variety of gifts, by miracles, and by all other helps. He calls the gospel the testimony of Christ, or respecting Christ, because the entire sum of it tends to discover Christ to us,
“
In whom all the treasures of knowledge are hid” (Col 2:3.)
If any one prefers to take it in an active sense, on the ground that Christ is the primary author of the gospel, so that the Apostles were nothing but secondary or inferior witnesses, I shall not much oppose it. I feel better satisfied, however, with the former exposition. It is true that a little afterwards (1Co 2:1) the testimony of God must, beyond all controversy, be taken in an active sense, as a passive signification would not be at all suitable. Here, however, the case is different, and, what is more, that passage strengthens my view, as he immediately subjoins what it is (48) — to know nothing but Christ. (1Co 2:2.)
(48) “ Quel est ce tesmoignage;” — “What this testimony is.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) Even as the testimony of Christ.The testimony which St. Paul bore to Christ, and from Christ, was confirmed among them by this full bestowal of spiritual gifts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Testimony of Christ The apostolic testimony to Christ’s history and doctrine.
Was confirmed Was firmly grounded in your faith.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Co 1:6. Confirmed in you Among you. Doddridge. As they could not but know that they had received these gifts by the hand of St. Paul, this expression suggests a rational and tender argument to reduce them to their former affection to him, as their spiritual father.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Co 1:6 . ] According as , introduces the relation of that happy condition of things ( ) to its cause. See on Joh 13:34 ; Joh 17:2 ; 1Co 5:7 ; Eph 1:4 ; Phi 1:7 ; Mat 6:12 .
.] characteristic designation of the Gospel , the publishers of which bear witness of Christ . Comp 2Ti 1:8 ; Act 1:8 ; Act 3:15 , al [115] ; 2Th 1:10 ; 1Pe 5:1 . Comp . , 1Co 2:1 .
] is rendered by most: is confirmed [117] has been accredited (Mar 16:20 ; Rom 15:8 ; Heb 2:3 , al [118] ); comp also Rckert: “evinced as true by its effect on you;” and Ewald: “ guaranteed among you by signs of the power of the Holy Spirit.” So too, in substance, Hofmann. It is more in keeping, however, with the logical relation of . . [120] to the foregoing, as well as with the of 1Co 1:8 (comp 2Co 1:21 ; Col 2:7 ), to explain it of the gospel becoming firmly established in their souls (by stedfast faith), so that the opposite is expressed by the Johannine (Joh 5:38 ). Comp Billroth and de Wette.
] in animis vestris .
[115] l. and others; and other passages; and other editions.
[117] “Non de confirmatione externa verbi, quae fit per miracula, sed de confirmatione interna , quae fit per testimonium Sp. St.,” Calovius. Chrysostom understood it of both ; Theodoret, Theophylact, and otters, of the miracles only.
[118] l. and others; and other passages; and other editions.
[120] . . . .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
Ver. 6. The testimony of Christ ] The gospel, called also the testimony, Isa 8:20 . To the law, and to the testimony.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
6. . . ] the witness concerning Christ delivered by me.
, as indeed , ‘siquidem.’
., was confirmed , took deep root , among you; i.e. ‘as was to have been expected, from the impression made among you by my preaching of Christ.’ This confirmation was internal , by faith and permanence in the truth, not external, by miracles.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Co 1:6 . is objective gen [83] to “the witness to Christ,” coming from both God and man (1Co 15:3-11 , 2Th 1:10 ); otherwise in 1Co 2:1 ; cf. Rom 1:2 , “the good news of God about His Son”. indicates the well-established truth of the message (see, e.g. , 1Co 15:15 ), its beneficial and welcome nature (see Rom 1:16 f.). , “(the witness about Christ) was made sure among you”; its reality was verified. By outward demonstration miracles, etc.; or by the inner persuasion of a firm faith, “interna Spiritus virtus” (Cv [84] )? The latter certainly, in Pauline usage (see parls.: but not to the exclusion of the former); cf. 1Co 2:4 f., and notes; 1Co 12:10 , ; also 1Th 1:5 f., 1Co 2:13 , Gal 3:5 ; the two went together , (Cm [85] ). At first discouraged, Paul had preached at Cor [86] with signal power, and his message awakened a decided and energetic faith; see 1Co 2:1-5 , 1Co 15:1 ; 1Co 15:11 ; Act 18:5-11 .
[83] genitive case.
[84] Calvin’s In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii .
[85] John Chrysostom’s Homili ( 407).
[86] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
testimony. Greek. marturion. Always rendered “testimony”, save Mat 24:14. Act 4:33; Act 7:44. Jam 5:3. In these “witness”.
Christ. App-98.
confirmed. Greek. bebaioo. See Rom 15:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
6. . . ] the witness concerning Christ delivered by me.
, as indeed, siquidem.
., was confirmed,-took deep root, among you; i.e. as was to have been expected, from the impression made among you by my preaching of Christ. This confirmation was internal, by faith and permanence in the truth, not external, by miracles.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 1:6. , even as) That the Corinthians wanted nothing, he declares from this, that the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them. The particle is here demonstrative.- , of Christ) Christ is not only the object, but the author of this testimony, Act 18:8, note.-, was confirmed) by Himself, and by the gifts and miracles, which accompanied it, 1Co 12:3; 2Co 1:21-22; Gal 3:2; Gal 3:5; Eph 4:7-8; Heb 2:4.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 1:6
1Co 1:6
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:- The testimony concerning Jesus was confirmed by the miracles wrought and the gifts bestowed, making sure that the things spoken were from God.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the: 1Co 2:1, 1Co 2:2, Act 18:5, Act 20:21, Act 20:24, Act 22:18, Act 23:11, Act 28:23, 1Ti 2:6, 2Ti 1:8, 1Jo 5:11-13, Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 6:9, Rev 12:11, Rev 12:17, Rev 19:10
was: Mar 16:20, Act 11:17, Act 11:21, Rom 15:19, 2Co 12:12, Gal 3:5, Heb 2:3, Heb 2:4
Reciprocal: Joh 15:26 – he
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE WITNESS CONCERNING CHRIST
The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
1Co 1:6
Christianity means, first of all, the testimony of Christ; that is to say, the witness concerning Christ. Now this is what the great Apostle urges over and over again. He is always urging it. He presents himself everywhere to men as a witness for the Person of Christ.
I. The message which he brings is first and foremost a testimony concerning Him.And this was something wholly new in the history of religious teaching. There had been religious teachers; there had been philosophers by the score before St. Paul came. They had their doctrines; they had their systems; they had their theories, which they presented to mens minds, and which they offered to mens acceptance. St. Paul, too, had his system and his doctrines to propose to men, which he did hold up and propose to men; but they lay in the background of all that he taught. What he put prominently forward first, and what was the one thing which he gave his life in order that he might press upon the minds and souls of men, was the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, as he over and over again says, lived, died, was buried, rose, ascended, is ever at the right hand of God, and ever living with His Church and people upon earth. It was this testimony of Christ which he is everywhere delivering; it is the same testimony of Christ which is the prime element of our Christianity too. It is true there are great doctrines presented to our mindsdoctrines that are most magnificent in their sweep, and most glorious in their truth, most mighty in their power, most precious in their meaning, but they all of them hang upon the Person of Christ. It is the testimony of Christ which makes them all what they are.
II. And yet Christianity in its true essence means something more than this testimony of Christ.It means this first, but it means much more besides. And St. Paul expresses the further meaning of the religion which he taught in the brief, terse sentence of the text. He says to his converts in the city of Corinth, The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. And what he means to say is that that testimony of Christ, which he delivered to them, took deep root in the hearts of those who became followers of Christ, and laid hold of the springs of their being. It is quite clear that this was so. St. Paul came to the great city of Corinth, and there he delivered the testimony of Christ to such as would listen to him. Most men, of course, refused to listen. They laughed at what seemed such folly to them. They scoffed at the humbler tent-maker who ventured to teach them. They were angry, some of them, with him, and the anger of some went on until the days of persecution. Nevertheless, there were some who did listen, and when they listened, the testimony of Christ, which Paul delivered, laid strange hold upon them which they could not explain. The Person of Christ, of which he talked to them a great deal, rose up before their spirits and minds as a great reality, and then it was to them the very refuge that they wanted from their sins and the sorrows of their life. It was the very rock on which they wanted to plant their feet for safety; it was the very light that they wanted to guide them; it was the very hope which they wanted as they thought of death and whatever it might be that comes after death. The testimony of Christ was confirmed in them.
III. And here is the further meaning of the essence of true Christianity. It is not only the revelation of Christ to men; it is that first and foremost, but besides that it is the drawing of men to Christ. St. Pauls first object was to bring Christ to men, but the reason why that was his first object was that he might eventually bring men to Christ. The testimony of Christ has been delivered to us, not simply to add to the stock of our human knowledge, or to move our wonder and admiration. Christ is held up to us, not simply as a beautiful statue, attracting our wonder and admiration and homage by its beauty and its glory, while all the time it is only like cold and lifeless marble. No! He is held up as a living Person, stretching His hands to us, moving Himself towards us, calling us by His loving voice, and Whom we find to be warm and living. Christ is held up to us in the New Testament that we may be drawn to His feet in humble penitence and faith and love, and then, what always follows, that we may be gradually renewed after His image.
Illustration
It would be a foolish thing to say, as men sometimes do say, in the newspapers and elsewhere, that all our modern controversies upon matters of doctrine are a mere waste of words and time, and that it matters really very little whether we accept, for instance, the Thirty-nine Articles of the English Church or the Decrees of the Council of Trent. Doctrine is of great importance, but it is of less importance than the testimony concerning Christ Himself. St. Paul wrote elaborate treatises to set forth and to enforce doctrines. There are treatises by the hundred written to-day to uphold some doctrines and to demolish others. But all these things do not touch the centre of our faith. They are all secondary to the great foundation truth that the Son of God came into the world in the Person of Christ, lived, died, rose, ascended, lives for ever, promising to us who have sinnedthat means all of uspardon and peace and life. It is the testimony of the Person of Christ which first meets the hunger of human souls.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
1Co 1:6. This verse shows ‘the preceding one has special reference to the spiritual gifts that were bestowed on the church at Corinth, since that was the primary purpose of those gifts (Mar 16:20; Eph 4:8-15).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 1:6. even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, by its marvellous transformation of one of the un likeliest communities (2Co 3:1-3).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Vv. 6. This verse may be understood in two ways: some (Meyer, Edwards, etc.) regard it as indicating the cause of that abundance of gifts which has just been mentioned. They then apply the term , was confirmed, or rather affirmed, to an internal fact: in consequence of the depth and firmness of faith with which the gospel impressed (affirmed) itself in you. To support this meaning, they rely on the of 1Co 1:8; but we shall see that this ground proves nothing, because there the idea of confirmation applies, not to the gospel, but to the persons of the Corinthians. This explanation is not in keeping with the natural meaning of , according as, which indicates rather a mode than a cause. The sense seems to me quite different: the apostle means, not that the wealth of their gifts is due to the depth and solidity of their faith, which would be contrary to the spirit of the whole passage, but that these gifts have been the mode of confirming the gospel specially granted to the Church of Corinth. Elsewhere, God could confirm the apostolic preaching otherwise; by miracles, for example, or by moral virtues, fruits of the Spirit; comp. Heb 2:3 : The salvation which, having at the first been spoken by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him, God Himself bearing witness with them by signs and wonders and by distribution of the powers of the Spirit; also, 1 and 2Th 1:3 and Gal 3:2. The conj. agrees perfectly with this meaning: Thus, and not otherwise, did the Divine confirmation of the testimony rendered to Christ take place among you.
The term testimony is here used to denote preaching, because this is essentially the attestation of a historical fact (1Co 1:23-24). The gen. denotes the subject of the testimony, and not its author. It would be otherwise with the gen. , of God, if this reading were adopted with the Vatic.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
even as the testimony of [about] Christ was confirmed in you [Paul here asserts that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which characterized the times when he preached to them and converted them, were still equally manifest among them]:
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
6, 7. As the testimony of Christ is confirmed in you, so that you are deficient in no gift. The Greek word charisma here occurring is the very identical word used to denote those nine extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost (Ch. 1Co 12:8-11). Hence we see that some of them actually possessed all of these spiritual gifts which you find in that catalogue of nine, and which Paul expounds in chapters 12 and 14. Expecting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. e., the same personal Jesus whom they had seen with their eyes, and whose voice they had heard with their ears, and whose body they had taken by the hand, having flown up from Mt. Olivet into heaven, is going to come back where we can recognize Him with our physical senses as before His ascension. Paul lived in constant expectancy of His glorious appearing, and made this great fact of the Lords return to the earth exceedingly prominent in all of his ministry, as we see unmistakably in every epistle. As we are eighteen hundred years nearer this glorious revelation of Jesus again on the earth, we should be on the constant lookout.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 6
The testimony of Christ; the evidence of the gospel of Christ.–Confirmed in you; made clear and convincing to your minds.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
1Co 1:6. Testimony of the Christ: 2Ti 1:8 : probably Paul’s witness about the Messiah. Cp. Act 1:8, You shall be my witnesses. For Paul thought, probably, of Christ more frequently as the great matter than as the preacher of the Gospel. That Paul’s preaching is here called a testimony, agrees with the Epistle to the Romans, of which the argument rests on five unproved assertions which Paul accepted because they came from the lips of Christ. See my Romans, dissertation i. 3.
Took-a-firm-place: same word in Rom 15:8; (cp Rom 4:16;) there objectively, here subjectively. The testimony was fully believed by you, and thus became an immovable conviction in you.
According as etc.] Their enrichment in utterance and knowledge was a result proportionate to their firm belief of the Gospel. For, a firm grasp of the great foundation truths enables us to make progress in all Christian knowledge, and to speak out suitably, clearly, and forcefully the word we have believed.
1Co 1:7. So that etc.: result of their firm faith, and therefore a negative parallel to in everything you have been enriched.
Fall-short: Rom 3:23; 1Co 8:8; 1Co 12:24; 2Co 11:5; 2Co 11:8; 2Co 12:11 : in view either of others who have more, or of our own need. Here, probably the latter. It is the exact opposite of enrichment.
Gift-of-grace; Rom 1:11, (see note,) Rom 12:6; 1Co 7:7; 1Co 12:4; includes all spiritual gifts wrought by the favor of God. All such are capacities for spiritual growth, and for usefulness to others; and are therefore spiritual wealth. No such capacity was lacking to the church at Corinth. And these gifts were a result of their firm faith.
Revelation of etc.: 1Pe 1:7; 1Pe 1:13 : the sudden uplifting, at the great day, of the veil which now hides our Master from our view. Spiritually, He is already (Gal 1:16) unveiled to us. Since the appearance of Christ will be an outward objective fact, He is said (Col 3:4) to be manifested: since He will be actually seen by all, His appearance is also a revelation. See under Rom 1:17; Rom 1:19.
Waiting for: Rom 8:19; Rom 8:23; Rom 8:25. They already possessed spiritual gifts which were a proof of God’s favor: while at the same time they were eagerly looking forward to that day when Jesus will visibly appear to bring in the final glory. These added words remind us that the Christian life is essentially a looking forward to future glory. All present enrichment is but an earnest of the better things which Christ, at His coming, will bring.
Fuente: Beet’s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament
1:6 {9} Even as the testimony of Christ was {e} confirmed in you:
(9) He shows that the true use of these gifts consists in this, that the mighty power of Christ might be set forth in them, that hereafter it might evidently appear how wickedly they abused them for glory and ambition.
(e) By those excellent gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Corinthians’ reception of these gifts had corroborated the truthfulness of the gospel. Giving these gifts was one of the ways God validated the gospel message in the early history of the church (cf. Gal 3:2-5; Heb 2:3-4).