1522 and 1545.
In this epistle, St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be united in faith and doctrine, and to see that they learn well the main thing, namely, that Christ is our salvation, on which all reason and wisdom stumble.
2. For just as now in our time, when the gospel has come to light, there are many foolish saints (who are called red spirits, enthusiasts and heretics), who have become wise and learned all too early, and in the face of great art and wisdom can keep themselves equal or in harmony with no one: One wants to go out here, the other out there, as if it were a great disgrace if each one did not advance something special and throw up his own wisdom, which in turn cannot make fools of anyone, since they basically neither know nor understand anything about the real main thing, even though they talk about it a lot with their mouths.
(3) In the same way, when St. Paul had taught his Corinthians the Christian faith and freedom from the law, the foolish saints and unseasonable men of learning found each other, broke up the united teaching, and made division among the believers. One wanted to be Pauline, the other Apollonian, one Petrine, the other Christian. One wanted circumcision, the other did not. One wanted marriage, the other did not. One wanted to eat things sacrificed to idols, the other did not. Some wanted to be free in body, some wanted to walk in hair, and the like, until they came to the point that one abused his freedom and took his stepmother in marriage, and some thought nothing of the resurrection of the dead, and some not much of the sacrament; and it went on wildly and quite disorderly, that everyone wanted to be master, and to teach, and to do with the gospel, sacrament, and faith, as seemed good to him. And in the meantime they left the main thing, that Christ is our salvation, righteousness, and redemption, as if they had long since torn it to shreds. How then
Such piece can not stay on the track, where mail begins to be clever and wise.
4. all things, as it is also now with us: after we have opened the gospel to the Germans, by the grace of God, each one also wants to be the best master and to have the Holy Spirit alone, just as if the gospel was preached for this reason, that we should show our wisdom and reason in it and seek glory, so that these Corinthians may well be an example to our people at this time, who also need such an epistle. But it must be so, and should be so according to the Gospel, that foolish saints and unseasonable men of wisdom cause trouble and distress, so that those who have proved themselves (as St. Paul also says here) may be revealed.
For this reason St. Paul severely punishes and condemns such harmful wisdom. And makes such nosy saints fools again, saying badly that they know nothing of Christ nor of the spirit and gifts of God given to us in Christ, and should still begin to learn. They must be spiritual people who understand. Wanting to be wise and pretending to be clever in the Gospel is just the right trouble and hindrance to recognize Christ and God. To stir up mobs and discord, clever reason and wisdom may well serve to make vain mad saints and wild Christians. But they may never recognize our Lord Christ; they become fools again, and let themselves be humbly taught and led by the simple word of God. This is what he does in the first four chapters.
In the fifth, he punishes the great fornication of the one who took his stepmother and wants to banish him and give him to the devil. This indicates that he needs a proper way of banishment, that he is to be cast over the public vices with the approval of the believing community, as Christ also teaches in Matth. 18, 17.
*This preface is found in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 63 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 63, p. 138. The shorter beginning of this preface is also found in the Hall volume, p. 153.
(7) In the sixth, he punishes wrangling and quarreling in the courts, especially before the heathen and unbelievers, and teaches that they should settle matters among themselves or suffer injustice.
In the seventh, he gives instruction on chastity and marital status. Praise chastity and virginity, that they are useful to wait for the gospel, as Christ also teaches Matth. 19, 12. about the chaste, who are chaste for the sake of the gospel or the kingdom of heaven. But Paul wants to keep them free and unconstrained, and without a greater sin; otherwise it is better to be free than chastity, which is in constant heat.
(9) In the eighth to the twelfth he deals with various ways of guiding and keeping weak consciences in external matters, such as eating, drinking, clothing, and having the sacrament. He also warns that the strong should not despise the weak, since he himself, even though he is an apostle, has abstained from many things, since he would be right to do so. For this the strong may well be afraid, because so many perished in Israel a long time ago, who were all brought out of Egypt by miracles. And makes beside it some information of wholesome doctrine.
(10) In the twelfth and thirteenth, he deals with how there are various gifts of God, among which love is the best, that they should not rise up, but serve one another with one accord, because it is One God, One Lord, One Spirit, and all One, however diverse it may be.
In the fourteenth he teaches the preachers,
1) "zu" is missing in the Erlanger, but is in the Weimar Bible.
2) In the original: bis aufs.
Prophets and singers, that they use their gifts properly, and only for the betterment, not for their own honor, preach their sermons, art and intellect.
In the fifteenth he punishes those who have taught and believed wrongly about the resurrection of the flesh.
In the last he exhorts them to brotherly help in temporal food for the needy.
1. 3) The epistle to the Romans was written by St. Paul about faith and works, almost properly. But in this first one, to the Corinthians, he addresses various things that have arisen from it.
(2) And in the first place, he deals with how the gospel does not rhyme with worldly wisdom; and finally, that nature and the cross are contrary to each other, that human wisdom does not suffer God's wisdom.
In the third and fourth chapters he teaches what the apostles should be considered. For the sects came from preferring some apostles to others, just as the Greek and Roman churches were divided over St. Peter.
4th On the fifth, he teaches the right ban, that public sinners should be punished and not suffer.
On the sixth, he punishes the judicial acts as unchristian beings.
On the seventh he gives instruction in chastity, first to widows (as he himself was), second to married women, third to virgins.
7. from the eighth to the twelfth he acts in many ways etc.
3) According to the first edition of 1522, the beginning of the preface reads more briefly like this: