Adam Clarke

Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.

“This is not to eat the Lord’s Supper - They did not come together to eat the Lord’s Supper exclusively, which they should have done, and not have made it a part of an ordinary meal.”

Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?

“Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? - They should have taken their ordinary meal at home, and have come together in the church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.”

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

“This do in remembrance of me - The papists believe the apostles were not ordained priests before these words. Si quis dixerit, illis verbis, hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Christum non instituisse apostolos sacerdotes, anathema sit: “If any one shall say that in these words…”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

“Ye do show the Lord’s death - As in the passover they showed forth the bondage they had been in, and the redemption they had received from it; so in the eucharist they showed forth the sacrificial death of Christ, and the redemption from sin…”

Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

“Let a man examine himself - Let him try whether he has proper faith in the Lord Jesus; and whether he discerns the Lord’s body; and whether he duly considers that the bread and wine point out the crucified body and spilt blood of Christ.”

That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

“For this cause - That they partook of this sacred ordinance without discerning the Lord’s body; many are weak and sickly: it is hard to say whether these words refer to the consequences of their own intemperance or to some extraordinary disorders inflicted immediately by…”

If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you come together it will not result in judgment.

“And if any man hunger - Let him not come to the house of God to eat an ordinary meal, let him eat at home - take that in his own house which is necessary for the support of his body before he comes to…”

You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

“Ye were Gentiles - Previously to your conversion to the Christian faith; ye were heathens, carried away, not guided by reason or truth, but hurried by your passions into a senseless worship, the chief part of which was calculated only to excite and gratify animal…”

There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

“There are diversities of gifts - Χαρισματων· Gracious endowments, leading to miraculous results; such as the gift of prophecy, speaking different tongues, etc. And these all came by the extraordinary influences of the Holy Spirit.”

There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

“Diversities of operations - Ενεργηματων· Miraculous influences exerted on others; such as the expulsion of demons, inflicting extraordinary punishments, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas the sorcerer, etc., the healing of different diseases, raising the dead, etc.: all these proceeded from God…”

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,

“Word of wisdom - In all these places I consider that the proper translation of λογος is doctrine, as in many other places of the New Testament.”

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

“Those members - which seem to be more feeble - These, and the less honorable and uncomely, mentioned in the next verses, seem to mean the principal viscera, such as the heart, lungs, stomach, and intestinal canal.”

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

“And whether one member suffer - As there is a mutual exertion for the general defense, so there is a mutual sympathy.”

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

“God hath set some in the Church - As God has made evident distinctions among the members of the human body, so that some occupy a more eminent place than others, so has he in the Church.”

Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

“(10.) Rejoiceth not in iniquity - Ου χαιρει επι τῃ αδικιᾳ· Rejoiceth not in falsehood, but on the contrary, rejoiceth in the truth: this meaning αδικια has in different parts of the Scriptures.”

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed.

“(16.) Charity never faileth - Ἡ αγαπη ουδεποτε εκπιπτει· This love never falleth off, because it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things; and while it does so it cannot fail; it is the means of preserving all other graces; indeed, properly speaking, it includes…”

but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.

“But when that which is perfect - The state of eternal blessedness; then that which is in part - that which is imperfect, shall be done away; the imperfect as well as the probationary state shall cease for ever.”

Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

“Now we see through a glass, darkly - Δι’ εσοπτρου εν αινιγματι. Of these words some literal explanation is necessary.”

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue - This chapter is crowded with difficulties. It is not likely that the Holy Spirit should, in the church, suddenly inspire a man with the knowledge of some foreign language, which none in the church understood but…”

The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue - In the Hebrew for instance, the knowledge of the depth and power of which he has got by a Divine revelation, edifieth himself by that knowledge. But he that prophesieth - Has the gift of preaching.”

Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

“Speaking with tongues - Without interpreting. What shall I profit you? - i.e. I shall not profit you; Except I shall speak to you either by revelation - Of some secret thing; or by knowledge, of some mystery; or by prophesying, foretelling some future event…”

Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?

“If the trumpet give an uncertain sound - If, when the soldier should prepare himself for the battle, the trumpet should give a different sound to that which is ordinarily used on such occasions, the soldier is not informed of what he should do, and…”

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue - If my prayers are composed of sentences and sayings taken out of the prophets, etc., and in their own language - my spirit prayeth, my heart is engaged in the work, and my prayers answer all…”

Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

“He that occupieth the room of the unlearned - One who is not acquainted with the language in which you speak, sing, or pray. Say Amen - Give his assent and ratification to what he does not understand.”

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

“I speak with tongues more than ye all - He understood more languages than any of them did: and this was indispensably necessary, as he was the apostle of the Gentiles in general, and had to preach to different provinces where different dialects, if not…”