This is the eleventh matter dealt with by the apostle in this Epistle, a matter concerned with money, mammon, and material possessions. All of fallen mankind is under the domination of mammon and material possessions (Matt. 6:19-21, 24-25, 30; 19:21-22; Luke 12:13-19). On the day of Pentecost, under the power of the Holy Spirit, all the believers overthrew this domination and had all their possessions in common for distribution to the needy ones (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32, 34-37). Because of the weakness of the believers' fallen nature (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 6:1), that practice did not last long. It had already ended by the apostle Paul's time. Hence, the believers needed grace to overcome the power of mammon and material things and to release these things from Satan's domination that they might be offered to the Lord for the fulfillment of His purpose. Resurrection life is the supply for the believers to live such a life, a life trusting in God, not in material possessions, a life not for today but for the future, not for this age but for the coming age (Luke 12:16-21; 1 Tim. 6:17-19), a life that overthrows the usurpation of temporal and uncertain riches. This may be the reason that the dealing with this matter comes after the dealing concerning the reality of resurrection life. In any case, this dealing is related to God's administration among the churches.

Again, this strongly indicates that all the local churches should be the same in their practice (1 Cor. 7:17; 11:16; 14:33).

The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, was a memorial of God's creation (Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8, 11). The first day of the week is a symbol of the Lord's resurrection; it is the day on which the Lord resurrected from the dead (John 20:1 and note 1) and is called "the Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10). The New Testament saints meet and offer their possessions on this day (Acts 20:7), the day of the Lord's resurrection, signifying that they have been resurrected with the Lord (Eph. 2:6) through His resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3) and that they meet in resurrection by the resurrection life, not by their natural life, to remember the Lord and worship God with their offerings.

Lit., grace. This was a kind of fellowship, under the apostle's direction, of the churches in the Gentile world with the church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-2; Rom. 15:25-27).

This Epistle was written in Ephesus, where the apostle stayed for three years on the third journey of his ministry (Acts 19:21-22; 20:1, 31).

By this the Corinthians should have realized that Paul's attitude toward Apollos and his relationship with him were in sharp contrast to their preferences (1 Cor. 1:11-12). His attitude and relationship kept the oneness; their preferences caused division.

Both Paul and Apollos were persons living in the Spirit. Yet, one urged the other to visit the church, but the other did not have the desire to do so. This shows that both had freedom in the Spirit and that the Spirit had freedom in them. This shows also that no one exercised any control over the work of the Lord.

I.e., do not be shaken by any heresy, especially the one that says there is no resurrection.

The objective faith; referring to what we believe.

I.e., those who are strong in the faith and firm in their standing, not like a child in understanding (1 Cor. 14:20) or like little children tossed by waves and carried about by the winds of teaching (Eph. 4:14). To be such men, growth in life is needed (1 Cor. 3:1, 6). The Corinthian believers neglected the growth in life and were short of it.

As defined in 1 Cor. 13.

This must have been by the riches of Christ ministered by one's spirit, which can touch others' spirits.

Our contact and relationship with the saints must be in and by our spirit, not our soulish emotion.

This means that when Aquila and Prisca lived in Ephesus, the church there met in their home (Acts 18:18-19, 26). When they lived in Rome, the church in Rome met in their home (Rom. 16:5; cf. Col. 4:15-16; Philem. 1:2).

Verses 10-21 present a picture of the actual practice of the Body life in a beautiful harmony, not only among the apostle and his co-workers but also between them and the churches for the building up of the Body, which is so strongly stressed in chs. 12—14.

Gk. anathema, meaning a thing or person accursed; i.e., set apart, devoted, to woe. Our loving God makes us those who are blessed of God to share the divine blessings that He has ordained and prepared for us, which are beyond our apprehension (1 Cor. 2:9). Our not loving the Lord makes us those who are accursed, set apart to a curse. What a warning!

Maranatha, from Aramaic, meaning The Lord comes! or, Our Lord come! It is an exclamation reminding us that the Lord's second coming is with judgment.

See note 1 Cor. 15:10^1a.

Not a natural love but love in Christ, love in resurrection (1 Cor. 4:21), the love of God that becomes ours through the grace of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). Of Paul's fourteen Epistles, only this one ends with such a word of the assurance of love. This is because the apostle had been dealing with them with strong rebukes (1 Cor. 1:13; 3:3; 4:7-8; 5:2, 5; 6:5-8; 11:17). He was faithful, honest, and frank toward them in the love of God in Christ (2 Cor. 2:4), without being political. Hence, the Lord honored his dealings, and the Corinthians accepted his rebukes and repented, resulting in their being benefited (2 Cor. 7:8-13).