An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

2 COR. 1. 1. To the Church of God, which is at Corinth, &c.

The Nature of a Church hath been considered, with the Marks thereof, from the name [Greek or Hebrew] given here to the society of believers at Corinth. So that we might dispatch this, only in that the word Church is used in the singular number, The Church at Corinth, not Churches. It's disputed, What one Church it was, whether one single Congregation exercising all Church-government within it self; or a combined and collective Church, united into one, but consisting of particular Congregations: and it may seen probable, that this Church of Corinth was a combined or associated Church, partly because Act. 18. we may read of much people that God had in that place; and therefore Paul staid above a year there, which argued a multitude of converts. The plenty also of their Teachers and Officers, with the diversity of tongues. And lastly, in that 1 Cor. 16. 19. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned, with the Church in their house. It is true, what is meant by the Church in an house is controverted; we find the expression four times in Scripture, Rom. 16 15. where Aquila and Priscilla are saluted, with the Church in their house. So 1 Cor. 16. 19. these persons are mentioned again with the Church in their house. Col. 4. 15. There one Nymphas is saluted with the Church in his house. Phil. 2. There likewise Philemon is mentioned, with the Church in his house. Mr. Mede doth from hence infer, That even in the Apostles days, and so in the primitive times, that the Christians had public places, fixed and settled, being set apart for the public Assemblies to worship God in, answering those places of Arnobius and others, who told the Heathens they had no Templa, nor Aras; he saith, these mentioned in the Texts named, did set apart, some piece of their house for that end. But it should seem by other passages, that in the Apostles days there were no fixed places for to meet in. Therefore sometimes they meet in one house, and sometimes in another; yea, They went from house to house. Others they think, by the Church in their house, is meant many believers. For they say, Whereas when other families are saluted, only some are named; sometimes the Master of the house is omitted, as, Salute the household of Narcissus, because he was thought to be an infidel.