The Corinthians must be treated I. CORINTHIANS. as babes in Christ. i. e. the mind of the Lord. And in this sense the | God were it not so. The men who can despise and apostle seems to have used the words of the Seventy; ridicule this sacred book are those who are too blind for, if we understand avrov here to be the relative to to discover the objects presented to them by this Kupiov, Lord, this verse contains no reason for what brilliant light, and are too sensual to feel and relish went before; whereas, if it be a relative to vovv, spiritual things. They above all others are incapable mind, it affords a reason for what had been said of judging, and should be no more regarded when before, ver. 14." The true translation of the passage, employed in talking against the sacred writings than as used by the apostle, appears to be this: For who an ignorant peasant should be who, not knowing his hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should TEACH alphabet, pretends to decry mathematical learning. IT? And this translation agrees with every part of the context, and particularly with what follows. 1. This chapter might be considered a good model for a Christian minister to regulate his conduct by, or his public ministry; because it points out the mode of preaching used by St. Paul and the apostles in general. This great apostle came not to the people with excellency of speech and of wisdom, when he declared unto them the counsel of God. They know little, either of the spirit of St. Paul or the design of the gospel, who make the chief excellence of their preaching to consist in the eloquence of language, or depth of human reasoning. 3. A new mode of preaching has been diligently recommended-" Scriptural phraseology should be generally avoided where it is antiquated, or conveys did not preach in the words which man's wisdom ideas inconsistent with modern delicacy." St. Paul teacheth-such words are too mean and too low for a religion so divine. That which the Holy Spirit alone can discover, he alone can explain. Let no man dare himself in his word. Let us take care not to profane to speak of God in any other way than he speaks of his truths and mysteries, either by such low and abject ideas as are merely human, or by new and worldly That may be their testi-expressions altogether unworthy of the Spirit of God. 4. It is the glory of God, and ought to be ours, not The natural man to be acceptable to carnal men. always finds some pretence to excuse himself from believing, by looking on the mysteries of religion as being either too much above man or too much below God; the spiritual man judges them to be so much the more credible, the less credible they are to the mony, but it is not God's. The enticing words of man's wisdom are seldom accompanied by the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit. of God." 2. One justly remarks, that "the foolishness of preaching has its wisdom, loftiness, and eloquence; but this consists in the sublimity of its truths, the depth of its mysteries, and the ardour of the Spirit In this respect Paul may be said to have preached wisdom among those which were perfect. The wisest and most learned men in the world, who have seriously read the Bible, have acknowledged that there is a depth and height of wisdom and knowledge in that book of God which are sought in vain any where else and indeed it would not be a revelation from natural man. The opposition, contempt, and blindness of the world, with regard to the things of God, render all its judgments concerning them liable to exception: this blindness in spiritual things is the just punishment of a carnal life. The principal part of the above is extracted from the reflections of the pious Quesnel. CHAPTER III. Because of the carnal, divided state of the people at Corinth, the apostle was obliged to treat them as children in the knowledge of sacred things, 1-3. Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole teachers, 4. The apostle shows that himself and fellowapostles were only instruments which God used to bring them to the knowledge of the truth; and even their sowing and watering the seed was of no use unless God gave the increase, 5-8. The church represented as God's husbandry, and as God's building, the foundation of which is Christ Jesus, 9-11. Ministers must beware how and what they build on this foundation, 12-15. The church of God is his temple, and he that defiles it shall be destroyed, 16, 17. No man should depend on his own wisdom; for the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, 18-20. None should glory in man as his teacher; God gives his followers every good, both for time and eternity, 21-23. But as unto carnal] Ɛaprikois, Persons under the influence of fleshly appetites; coveting and living for the things of this life. Babes in Christ.] Just beginning to acquire some notion of the Christian religion, but as yet very incapable of judging what is most suitable to yourselves, and consequently utterly unqualified to discern between one teacher and another; so that your making the distinctions which you do make, so far from being a proof of mature judgment, is on the contrary a proof that you have no right judgment at all; and this springs from your want of knowledge in divine things. h Acts xviii. 24, 27. xix. 1.- Ch. i. 30. xv. 10. 2 Cor. iii. 5.- k 2 Cor. xii. 11. Gal. vi. 3.- Ps. lxii. 12. Rom. ii. 6. Ch. iv. 5. Gal. vi. 4, 5. Rev. ii. 23. xxii. 12. their carnality; because in the doctrines of these apostles there was no difference: so that what the people were captivated by must be something in their outward manner, Apollos being probably more eloquent than Paul. Their preferring one to another on such an account proved that they were carnal— led by their senses and mere outward appearances, without being under the guidance either of reason or grace. There are thousands of such people in the Christian church to the present day. See the notes on chap. i. 10, &c. Verse 5. Ministers by whom ye believed] The different apostles who have preached unto you the word of life are the means which God has used to bring you to the knowledge of Christ. No one of those has either preached or recommended himself; they all preach and recommend Christ Jesus the Lord. Verse 2. I have fed you with milk] I have instructed you in the elements of Christianity-in its simplest and easiest truths; because, from the low state of your minds in religious knowledge, you were incapable of comprehending the higher truths of the Even as the Lord gave to every man?] Whatever gospel: and in this state you will still continue. The difference there may be in our talents, it is of God's apostle thus exposes to them the absurdity of their making; and he who knows best what is best for his conduct in pretending to judge between preacher and church, has distributed both gifts and graces according preacher, while they had but a very partial acquaint- to his own mind; and, as his judgment is infallible, ance even with the first principles of Christianity. all these dispensations must be right. Paul, thereVerse 3. There is among you envying, and strife, fore, is as necessary to the perfecting of the church and divisions] Znλos kai epiç kai dixooraσial. There of Christ as Apollos; and Apollos, as Paul. Both, are three things here worthy of note: these people but with various gifts, point out the same Christ, were wrong in thought, word, and deed. Znλos, envy-building on one and the same foundation. ing, refers to the state of their souls; they had inward grudgings and disaffection towards each other. Epic, strife or contention, refers to their words; they were continually disputing and contending whose party was the best, each endeavouring to prove that he and his party were alone in the right. Axoorasia, divisions, refers to their conduct; as they could not agree, they contended till they separated from each other, and thus rent the church of Christ. Thus the envying and grudging led to strife and evil SPEAKING, and this led to divisions and fixed parties. In this state well might the apostle say, Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Ye act just as the people of the world, and have no more of the spirit of religion than they. Verse 4. For while one saith, I am of Paul, &c.] It was notorious that both Paul and Apollos held the same creed; between them there was not the slightest difference: when, therefore, the dissentients began to prefer the one to the other, it was the fullest proof of Verse 6. I have planted] I first sowed the seed of the gospel at Corinth, and in the region of Achaia. Apollos watered] Apollos came after me, and, by his preachings and exhortations, watered the seed which I had sowed; but God gave the increase. The seed has taken root, has sprung up, and borne much fruit; but this was by the especial blessing of God. As in the natural so in the spiritual world; it is by the especial blessing of God that the grain which is sown in the ground brings forth thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold: it is neither the sower nor the waterer that produces this strange and inexplicable multiplication; it is God alone. So it is by the particular agency of the Spirit of God that even good seed, sown in good ground, the purest doctrine conveyed to the honestest heart, produces the salvation of the soul. Verse 7. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing] God alone should have all the glory, as the Christ is the A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. I. CORINTHIANS. own reward, according to his own labour. true foundation. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, 9 For we are labourers to-h which is Jesus Christ. 'gether with God: ye are God's bhusbandry, ye are God's building. e 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A.U. C. $99. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; i k 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because 'it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Pet. iv. 11.--g Isai. xxviii. 16. Matt. xvi. 18. 2 Cor. xi. 4. Lk 1 Pet. Gal. i. 7. Eph. ii. 20.- Ch. iv 5.i. 7. iv. 12. Luke ii. 35.- m Gr. is revealed. seed is his, the ground is his, the labourers are his, and who planned it, and under whose direction the whole the produce all comes from himself. Verse 8. He that planteth and he that watereth are one] Both Paul and Apollos have received the same doctrine, preach the same doctrine, and labour to promote the glory of God in the salvation of your souls. Why should you be divided with respect to Paul and Apollos, while these apostles are intimately ONE in spirit, design, and operation? According to his own labour.] God does not reward his servants according to the success of their labour, because that depends on himself; but he rewards them according to the quantum of faithful labour which they bestow on his work. In this sense none can say, I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought. Verse. For we are labourers together with God] We do nothing of ourselves, nor in reference to ourselves; we labour together in that work which God has given us to do, expect all our success from him, and refer the whole to his glory. It would perhaps be more correct to translate Osov yap εoμεv ovveρyou, we are fellow-labourers of God; for, as the preposition ovv may express the joint labour of the teachers one with another, and not with God, I had rather, with Bishop Pearce, translate as above: i. e. we labour together in the work of God. Far from being divided among ourselves, we jointly labour, as oxen in the same yoke, to promote the honour of our Master. Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.] Θεου γεωργιον, Θεου οικοδομη εστε The word yewpytov, which we translate husbandry, signifies properly an arable field; so Prov. xxiv. 30: I went by the FIELD, yewpylov, of the slothful; and chap. xxxi. 16: The wise woman considereth a FIELD, yɛwpyɩov, and buyeth it. It would be more literal to translate it, Ye are God's farm: yewpytov in Greek answers to ¬¬ sadeh in Hebrew, which signifies properly a sown field. Ye are God's building.-Ye are not only the field which God cultivates, but ye are the house which God builds, and in which he intends to dwell. As no man in viewing a fine building extols the quarryman that dug up the stones, the hewer that cut and squared them, the mason that placed them in the wall, the woodman that hewed down the timber, the carpenter that squared and jointed it, &c., but the architect work was accomplished; so, no man should consider Paul, or Apollos, or Kephas, any thing, but as persons employed by the great Architect to form a building which is to become a habitation of himself through the Spirit, and the design of which is entirely his own. αρχιτέκτων. Verse 10. As a wise master-builder] 'Qs rodos The design or plan of the building is from God; all things must be done according to the pattern which he has exhibited; but the execution of this plan was intrusted chiefly to St. Paul; he was the wise or experienced architect which God used in order to lay the foundation; to ascertain the essential and immutable doctrines of the gospelthose alone which came from God, and which alone he would bless to the salvation of mankind. Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.] Let him take care that the doctrines which he preaches be answerable to those which I have preached; let him also take heed that he enjoin no other practice than that which is suitable to the doctrine, and in every sense accords with it. Verse 11. Other foundation can no man lay] I do not speak particularly concerning the foundation of this spiritual building; it can have no other foundation than Jesus Christ: there cannot be two opinions on this subject among the true apostles of our Lord. The only fear is lest an improper use should be made of this heavenly doctrine; lest a bad superstructure should be raised on this foundation. Verse 12. If any man build—gold, silver, &c.] Without entering into curious criticisms relative to these different expressions, it may be quite enough for the purpose of edification to say, that, by gold, silver, and precious stones, the apostle certainly means pure | and wholesome doctrines: by wood, hay, and stubble, false doctrines; such as at that time prevailed in the Corinthian church; for instance, that there should be no resurrection of the body; that a man may, on his father's death, lawfully marry his step-mother; that it was necessary to incorporate much of the Mosaic law with the gospel; and, perhaps, other matters, equally exceptionable, relative to marriage, concubinage, fornication, frequenting heathen festivals, and partaking of the flesh which had been offered in Christians are A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. CHAP. III. b the temple of God. 14 If any man's work abide self shall be saved; yet so as which he hath built thereupon, Anno Imp. Nero a he shall receive a reward. A. U. C. 809. nis Cæs. 3. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he him A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. by fire. 16 Know C ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Ch. iv. 5.--b Jude 23.- -- Ch. vi. 19. 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. ii. 21, 22. Hebr. iii. 6. 1 Pet. ii. 5. sacrifice to an idol; with many other things, which, with the above, are more or less hinted at by the apostle in these two letters. Verse 13. The day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire] There is much difference of opinion relative to the meaning of the terms in this and the two following verses. That the apostle refers to the approaching destruction of Jerusalem I think very probable; and when this is considered, all the terms and metaphors will appear clear and consistent. The day is the time of punishment coming on this disobedient and rebellious people. And this day being revealed by fire, points out the extreme rigour, and totally destructive nature, of that judgment. And the fire shall try every man's work] If the apostle refers to the Judaizing teachers, and their insinuations that the law, especially circumcision, was of eternal obligation; then the day of fire-the time of vengeance, which was at hand, would sufficiently disprove such assertions; as, in the judgment of God, the whole temple-service should be destroyed; and the people, who fondly presumed on their permanence and stability, should be dispossessed of their land, and scattered over the face of the whole earth. The difference of the Christian and the Jewish systems should then be seen the latter should be destroyed in that fiery day, and the former prevail more than ever. Verse 14. If any man's work abide] Perhaps there is here an allusion to the purifying of different sorts of vessels under the law. All that could stand the fire were to be purified by the fire; and those which could not resist the action of the fire were to be purified by water, Numb. xxxi. 23. The gold, silver, and precious stones, could stand the fire; but the wood, hay, and stubble, must be necessarily consumed. So, in that great and terrible day of the Lord, all false doctrine, as well as the system that was to pass away, should be made sufficiently manifest; and God would then show that the gospel, and that alone, was that system of doctrine which he should bless and protect, and none other. He shall receive a reward.] He has not only preached the truth, but he has laboured in the word and doctrine. And the reward is to be according to the labour. See on ver. 8. Verse 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he suffer loss] If he have preached the necessity of incorporating the law with the gospel, or proclaimed as a doctrine of God any thing which did not proreed from heaven, he shall suffer loss-all his time and labour will be found to be uselessly employed Some refer the loss to the work, not and spent. to the man; and understand the passage thus: If any man's work be burned, IT shall suffer loss— much shall be taken away from it; nothing shall be left but the measure of truth and uprightness which it may have contained. But he himself shall be saved] If he have sincerely and conscientiously believed what he preached, and yet preached what was wrong, not through malice or opposition to the gospel, but through mere ignorance, he shall be saved; God in his mercy will pass by his errors; and he shall not suffer punishment because he was mistaken. Yet, as in most erroneous teachings there is generally a portion of wilful and obstinate ignorance, the salvation of such erroneous teachers is very rare; and is expressed here, yet so as by fire, i. e. with great difficulty; a mere escape; a hair's breadth deliverance; he shall be like a brand plucked out of the fire. The apostle obviously refers to the case of a man, who, having builded a house, and begun to dwell in it, the house happens to be set on fire, and he has warning of it just in time to escape with his life, losing at the same time his house, his goods, his labour, and almost his own life. So he who, while he holds the doctrine of Christ crucified as the only foundation on which a soul can rest its hopes of salvation, builds at the same time, on that foundation, antinomianism, or any other erroneous or destructive doctrine, he shall lose all his labour, and his own soul scarcely escape everlasting perdition; nor even this unless sheer ignorance and inveterate prejudice, connected with much sincerity, be found in his case. The popish writers have applied what is here spoken to the fire of purgatory; and they might with equal propriety have applied it to the discovery of the longitude, the perpetual motion, or the philosopher's stone; because it speaks just as much of the former as it does of any of the latter. The fire mentioned here is to try the man's work, not to purify his soul; but the dream of purgatory refers to the purging in another state what left this impure; not the work of the man, but the man himself; but here the fire is said to try the work: ergo, purgatory is not meant, even if such a place as purgatory could be proved to exist; which remains yet to be demonstrated. Verse 16. Ye are the temple of God] The apostle resumes here what he had asserted in ver. 9: Ye are God's building. As the whole congregation of Israel were formerly considered as the temple and habitation of God, because God dwelt among them, so here the whole church of Corinth is called the temple of God, because all genuine believers have the Spirit of God to dwell in them; and Christ has promised to be always in the midst even of two or three who are gathered together in his name. Therefore where God is, there is his temple. Verse 17. If any man defile the temple] This clause is not consistently translated. Ει τις τον ναόν του Θεού φθείρει, φθερει τουτον ὁ Θεὸς If any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy. The verb is the same in both clauses. If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the church of God by false doctrine, God will destroy him—will take away his part out of the book of life. This refers to him who wilfully opposes the truth; the erring, mistaken man shall barely escape; but the obstinate opposer shall be destroyed. The former shall be treated leniently; the latter shall have judgment without mercy. Verse 18. If any man among you seemeth to be wise] El Tiç dokεl σopos εivaι If any pretend or affect to be wise. This seems to refer to some individual in the church of Corinth, who had been very troublesome to its peace and unity: probably Diotrephes (see on chap. i. 14), or some one of a similar spirit, who wished to have the pre-eminence, and thought himself wiser than seven men that could render a reason. Every Christian church has less or more of these. Let him become a fool] Let him divest himself of his worldly wisdom, and be contented to be called a fool, and esteemed one, that he may become wise unto salvation, by renouncing his own wisdom, and seeking that which comes from God. But probably the apostle refers to him who, pretending to great wisdom and information, taught doctrines contrary to the gospel; endeavouring to show reasons for them, and to support his own opinions with arguments which he thought unanswerable. This man brought his worldly wisdom to bear against the doctrines of Christ; and probably through such teaching many of the scandalous things which the apostle reprehends among the Corinthians originated. Verse 19. The wisdom of this world] Whether it be the pretended deep and occult wisdom of the rabbins, or the wire-drawn speculations of the Grecian philosophers, is foolishness with God; for as folly consists in spending time, strength, and pains to no purpose, so these may be fitly termed fools who acquire no saving knowledge by their speculations. And is not this the case with the major part of all that is called philosophy, even in the present day? Has one soul been made wise unto salvation through it? Are our most eminent philosophers either pious is foolishness with God. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. ishness with God: for it is written, d He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. e 21 Therefore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or e Ps. xciv. 11.-—ƒ Ch. i. 12. iv. 6. Ver. 4, 5. 6.- 2 Cor. iv. 5, 15. or useful men? Who of them is meek, gentle, and humble? Who of them directs his researches so as to meliorate the moral condition of his fellow-creatures? Pride, insolence, self-conceit, and complacency, with a general forgetfulness of God, contempt for his word, and despite for the poor, are their general characteristics. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.] This is a quotation from Job v. 13, and powerfully shows what the wisdom of this world is: it is a sort of craft, a subtle trade, which they carry on to wrong others and benefit themselves; and they have generally too much cunning to be caught by men; but God often overthrows them with their own devisings. Paganism raised up persecution against the church of Christ, in order to destroy it: this became the very means of quickly spreading it over the earth, and of destroying the whole pagan system. Thus the wise were taken in their own craftiness. Verse 20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise] They are always full of schemes and plans for earthly good; and God knows that all this is vain, empty, and unsatisfactory; and will stand them in no stead when He comes to take away their souls. This is a quotation from Psalm xciv. 11. What is here said of the vanity of human knowledge is true of every kind of wisdom that leads not immediately to God himself. Verse 21. Let no man glory in men] Let none suppose that he has any cause of exultation in any thing but God. All are yours; he that has God for his portion has every thing that can make him happy and glorious: all are his. Verse 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos] As if he had said: God designs to help you by all things and persons; every teacher sent from him will become a blessing to you, if you abide faithful to your calling. God will press every thing into the service of his followers. The ministers of the church of Christ are appointed for the hearers, not the hearers for the ministers. In like manner, all the ordinances of grace and mercy are appointed for them, not they for the ordinances. Or the world] The word kooμos, here, means rather the inhabitants of the world than what we commonly understand by the world itself; and this is its meaning in John iii. 16, 17; vi. 33; xiv. 31; xvii. 21. See particularly John xii. 19: O kooμos onlow AUTOV |