The Apostle's Salutation. A. D. 57.
4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which
is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by
him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto
the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have here the apostle's preface to his whole epistle, in which we
may take notice,…
III. Of the apostle's thanksgiving to God on their behalf. Paul begins
most of his epistles with thanksgiving to God for his friends and prayer
for them. Note, The best way of manifesting our affection to our friends
is by praying and giving thanks for them. It is one branch of the communion
of saints to give thanks to God mutually for our gifts, graces, and comforts.
He gives thanks, 1. For their conversion to the faith of Christ: For the
grace which was given you through Jesus Christ, v. 4. He is the great procurer
and disposer of the favours of God. Those who are united to him by faith,
and made to partake of his Spirit and merits, are the objects of divine
favour. God loves them, bears them hearty good-will, and bestows on them
his fatherly smiles and blessings. 2. For the abundance of their spiritual
gifts. This the church of Corinth was famous for. They did not come behind
any of the churches in any gift, v. 7. He specifies utterance and knowledge,
v. 5. Where God has given these two gifts, he has given great capacity
for usefulness. Many have the flower of utterance that have not the root
of knowledge, and their converse is barren. Many have the treasure of knowledge,
and want utterance to employ it for the good of others, and then it is
in a manner wrapped up in a napkin. But, where God gives both, a man is
qualified for eminent usefulness. When the church of Corinth was enriched
with all utterance and all knowledge, it was fit that a large tribute of
praise should be rendered to God, especially when these gifts were a testimony
to the truth of the Christian doctrine, a confirmation of the testimony
of Christ among them, v. 6. They were signs and wonders and gifts of the
Holy Ghost, by which God did bear witness to the apostles, both to their
mission and doctrine (Heb. ii. 4), so that the more plentifully they were
poured forth on any church the more full attestation was given to that
doctrine which was delivered by the apostles, the more confirming evidence
they had of their divine mission. And it is no wonder that when they had
such a foundation for their faith they should live in expectation of the
coming of their Lord Jesus Christ, v. 7. It is the character of Christians
that they wait for Christ's second coming; all our religion has regard
to this: we believe it, and hope for it, and it is the business of our
lives to prepare for it, if we are Christians indeed. And the more confirmed
we are in the Christian faith the more firm is our belief of our Lord's
second coming, and the more earnest our expectation of it.
IV. Of the encouraging hopes the apostle had of them for the time to
come, founded on the power and love of Christ, and the faithfulness of
God, v. 8, 9. He who had begun a good work in them, and carried it on thus
far, would not leave it unfinished. Those that wait for the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ will be kept by him, and confirmed to the end; and those
that are so will be blameless in the day of Christ: not upon the principle
of strict justice, but gracious absolution; not in rigour of law, but from
rich and free grace. How desirable is it to be confirmed and kept of Christ
for such a purpose as this! How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege,
whether for ourselves or others! To be kept by the power of Christ from
the power of our own corruption and Satan's temptation, that we may appear
without blame in the great day! O glorious expectation, especially when
the faithfulness of God comes in to support our hopes! He who hath called
us into the fellowship of his Son is faithful, and will do it, 1 Thess.
v. 24. He who hath brought us into near and dear relation to Christ, into
sweet and intimate communion with Christ, is faithful; he may be trusted
with our dearest concerns. Those that come at his call shall never be disappointed
in their hopes in him. If we approve ourselves faithful to God, we shall
never find him unfaithful to us. He will not suffer his faithfulness to
fail, Ps. lxxxix. 33.
