ns (iv. 17, xvi. 10). The letter itself
was doubtless sent by the hand of returning Corinthians, possibly by the
unnamed brethren referred to in xvi. 11, and was expected to arrive
before Timothy.

_First Epistle._--The first epistle (in many respects the most
systematic of all Paul's letters) is a pastoral letter, dealing both
with positive evils that need correction, and with difficult questions
of practice and of thought upon which advice may be valued. Through it
all there is a genial undercurrent of confidence in the personal loyalty
of the Corinthian church to Paul, its founder and father. We shall be
aided to understand its contents by a brief summary of the tendencies
and conditions at Corinth which it reflects.

First of all there was a lack of supreme devotion to the Cause itself,
which led the Corinthians to forget that they were first, last and
always Christians, and so to form factions and parties. Of these there
were distinguished at least three, attached to the names respectively of
the founder Paul, of the learned Apollos, and of the great
pillar-apostle at Jerusalem, Peter, besides, as many hold, a fourth,
which arrogantly claimed to be the party of Christ (i. 12). What were
the precise motives and principles of these parties cannot be
determined. They do not in any case seem to represent recognizable
definite points of view with regard to the controverted matters that
are taken up in the epistle. Yet some conjectures are possible. Paul and
Apollos were personally on friendly terms (xvi. 12, cf. iii. 5-9, iv.
6), and were understood to be in fundamental agreement. But doubtless
the more elaborate discourses of Apollos were admired, and Paul's
teaching seemed in contrast bare, plain and crude (cf. 2 Cor. x. 10).
The contrast between the Hellenic and Jewish types of thought may well
have played a part also. Paul seems to be replying to such criticisms
brought against him when he declares that he deliberately chose to bring
to Corinth not the "wisdom of men" but the "power of God" (i. 17, ii.
1-5), and informs them that he has a store of wisdom for those who are
ready for it (ii. 6). On the other hand the party of Cephas must have
had Jewish-Christian leanings. A little later, in the second epistle,
such a tendency is seen breaking out into violent opposition to Paul.
The "Christ-party," if, as is probable, it existed, must also have been
a party with a Judaizing turn (cf. 2 Cor. x. 7, xi. 22 f.), perhaps