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Awful case]

CHAP. V.

[of fornication. the speech of them which are puffed fornication as is not so much as named up, but the power. among the Gentiles, that one should

20 For the kingdom of God is not have his father's wife. in word, but in power.

21 What will ye ? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? (D)

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2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed:

EXPOSITION.

(D) Ver. 1-21. Ministers stewards of God's house, and accountable to him for the employment of their talents.-Paul having assured the Corinthians, that among the "all things" which were theirs, himself and brethren must be reckoned; here directs them in what light they were to be 3 considered, namely, as " the servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God:" these they were to dispense, as they found them in the gospel, with the utmost fidelity and impartiality, seeing they must render an account to God, when they shall be called to appear before him. St. Paul then adds, that in naming his beloved brethren, Peter and Apollos only, instead of many others, that he wished his beloved Corinthians to compare their lives and labours with those of others, who had opposed him. They, indeed, had abounded in fair speeches, and boasted of their ministerial talents, not considering, whatever talents they possessed, they had nothing but what they had received; and studiously avoiding the pain and stigma of the cross, they lived in ease and affluence and honour, while he and his brethren were like those unhappy gladiators, who were brought into the theatre with no prospect short of certain death. To comprehend this allusion, we must understand that it refers to a custom among the Romans, "of bringing forth those persons into the theatre, on the after part of the day, either to fight with each other, or with wild beasts, who were appointed to certain death, and had not that poor chance of escaping, which those brought forth in the morning had. Such kind of spectacles were so common in all the provinces, that it is no

wonder we should find such an allusion here." The terms "set forth," or exbibited, and “a spectacle" (Gr. theutron), meaning a theatrical spectacle, have in this case a beautiful propriety; and men and angels are represented as the surrounding spectators. See Doddridge.

"We are fools," he adds, "for Christ's sake;" i. e. exhibited to the world as such: but " ye are wise in your Christian profession, and strong, and honourable;" that is, so esteemed by men. What is added, of hunger, thirst, and nakedness, was doubtless often literally true of the apostles, as well as of the ancient patriarchs. (Heb. xi. 37.) Very strong is the expression afterwards used, when Paul speaks of himself and brethren as esteemed "the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things"-alluding to those wretches who were offered by the heathen as expiatory sacrifices to their gods, on which every reproach was heaped, even as the sins of Israel were laid upon the head of their expiatory sacrifices.

In the close of this chapter, the apostle mentions his sending Timothy with this Epistle, and mentions his expectation of shortly coming himself, clothed with apostolic powers, that is, with the power of working miracles; and then would he call upon his boasting opponents to show the like authority; lest by persisting in their opposition, they should draw down upon themselves the like judgments that had befallen Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas the Sorcerer, and others. (See Acts v. 5-10; xiii. 10, 11; 1 Tim. i. 20.) He wishes, however, to avoid this painful necessity, and to he received in the spirit of love and meekness.

NOTES.

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. Not so much as named among the Gentiles.-Cicero, indeed, calls it an incredible and unheard of wickedness." Doddr.--His father's nife-i. e. his step-mother, or mother in law, his father being living; otherwise she would have been his father's midon.

Ver. 3. Present in spirit.-Some suppose this to refer to the exercise of some miraculous power; but Dr. P. Smith says, "I perceive no evidence of any thing, more than that exercise of the imagination in cases strongly interesting to us; which is no uncommon form of speech in all languages, to denote

Fornicators must be]

1 CORINTHIANS. [excluded from the church.

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators:

10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one, no, not to eat.

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked per son. (E)

CHAP. V.

EXPOSITION.

(E) Ver. 1-13. The necessity of excluding from the church incestuous persons, and all heinous offenders.-The term here used for fornication is of extensive import, and sometimes includes adultery, and every species of uncleanness; but this species of fornication was of a nature so aggravated, as not to be named, even among the heathen, but with reprobation. It is astonishing, therefore, that it should be tolerated for a moment in a Christian church; and this can only be accounted for on the supposition that the offender was a rich man, and a chief supporter of the Christian cause; and in such cases, it must be confessed, that things are tolerated among us, that in poor meu would be considered as utterly intolerable. The apostle, however,

made no such distinction; and, therefore, directs them how to proceed in order to exclude the offending member from their communion. This he calls delivering him over to Satan, who reigns as god of this world, and claims a dominion in the hearts of all those who apostatize from Christ. This is said to be" for the pu nishment of the flesh," probably by some severe illness; it being evident that the apostles, and Paul in particular, had such power, as in the case of Hymeneus and Alexander (1 Tim. i. 20), and gives us reason to hope that, after all, the party might be saved-" Yet SO as by (or through) fire." See chap. iii. 15.

The apostle first writes to the Corinthians not to keep company with fornicators; yet, considering that this licentious

NOTES-Chap. V. Con.

an ideal presence." See Col. ii. 5. Smith's Messiah, vol. i, 245.

Ver. 4. Power of our Lord-i. e. miraculous power.

Ver. 7. Purge out.... the old leaven-i. e. the leaven of hypocrisy. See Luke xii. 1.-Sacrificed. Marg. "Slain."

Ver. 9. I wrote unto you in an epistle.-From this,

some have inferred that St. Paul had written an Epistle to the Corinthians before this; and we are by no means sure that we have all the writings of the apostles, more than of the prophets. See Exposition of Numb. xxi. 14. Others, however, so render this verse, and verse 11, as to apply them to the present letter. "I write (or have written) to you in this epistle] not to [keep] company," &c.

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Against going to law]

CHAP. VI.

CHAP. VI.

DARE any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ?

3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them o judge who are least esteemed in the church.

5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, hat there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to udge between his brethren?

6 But brother goeth to law with rother, and that before the unbeievers.

7 Now therefore there is utterly a

[before the heathen,

fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I

EXPOSITION.

ity was full of such characters, be farther xplains himself, as not meaning that they aight not do business with them; he only autions them, not to form intimacies with them; and this applies particularly to he case of Christian brethren, who had een guilty of such enormities, in whom he crime was far more aggravated: much ess should they allow such to communi

cate with them in the Christian Passover, the Supper of our Lord. And we cannot help observing here, that covetous persons, and extortioners, and railers, are ranked in the same class with fornicators, idolaters, and drunkards! Alas, how would a rigid attention to this rule thin some of our popular congregations!

NOTES.

CHAP. VI. Ver. 1. Dare any of you, &c.-" Jophus observes, that the Romans (who were now asters of Corinth) permitted the Jews who resided foreign countries to decide private affairs, where othing capital was in question, among themselves; nd from hence Dr. Lardner argues the justice of is rebuke of St. Paul, as there is no doubt but e Christians might have had the same privilege, s they were looked upon as a Jewish sect. But, parate from that, they might certainly, by mutual impact, have chosen their brethren as referees" by way of arbitration). Doddridge.

It is observable, that the Greek Church have such dread of the Turkish Magistracy, that they take he advice of St. Paul, and generally refer their disutes among themselves to the decision of their own relates. See Hughes's Travels in Sicily, &c. vol. i. 314.

Ver. 3. We shall judge angels-i. e. fallen angels, the text is generally understood: but if it must e taken literally, the term judge must be used with eat latitude, though not with greater, perhaps,

than when applied to the judgment of mankind. It may refer only to the plaudit of the redeemed. See Rev. xix. 1-4.

Ver. 4. If then ye have judgments-Doddr. "controversies "-matters which call for judgment.Set them-Doddr. "Do ye set them?" Rather, perhaps, Why do ye set them? &c.--Who are least esteemed-Doddr." of no esteem," or not esteemed; i e. the heathen. The sense is, If you have disputes among yourselves concerning worldly matters, why do you refer them to the judgment of the heathen?

Ver. 7. Why do ye not rather take—(Doddr. “ endure")-wrong?

Ver. 9. Nor effeminate.-The original term is much stronger than the translation, and refers to certain men dressed in women's apparel, for the use of the next class," Abusers of themselves with mankind," both which were allowed in the heathen temples, and Corinth was so infamous for its voluptuousness, that Elian says, it was thereby totally ruined. Orient. Lit. No. 1473.

Christians temples]

1 CORINTHIANS.

will not be brought under the power of any

13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

[of the Holy Ghost.

which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and

16 What? know ye not that he in your spirit, which are God's. (F)

CHAP. VI.

EXPOSITION.

(F) Ver. 1-20. Against going to law with the brethren before heathen judges. All believers members of Christ's mystical body.-By the severe reproof with which this chapter commences, it should seem to have been a common practice with the Corinthian Christians to appeal to the Pagan tribunals, ou matters of complaint against each other, on the pretence that themselves were not qualified to judge each other. But the apostle spurns at this, under the idea that they shall be honoured to judge angels, and consequently be qualified thereto. What is meant, however, by saints judging angels and the world, is a matter of much controversy, and we can form but very inadequate ideas of that august scene till we behold it. How far angels, perfect or fallen, may be made the subjects of a general judgment, is not for us to say; nor is it necessary for us to ascertain what part saints or apostles may sustain in this awful scene. It is enough for us to know that Christ will be the supreme Judge, and that the companions of his passion shall participate in all his glory.

The advice which follows, rather to suffer wrong, in many cases, than to go to law, is the same that our Lord gave to his disciples, in Matt. v. 39–42; and is, indeed, no less applicable to us in the present age, when immense sums are annually

thrown away in unnecessary litigations, where the best that can be expected often is, that both parties will be losers; and when this happens, as it sometimes does, among professing Christians, it shows an equal deficiency of religion and of good seuse: but it is to be feared that many now, as in St. Paul's time, go to law, not so much to procure justice for themselves, as to defraud their brethren: these, however, are classed by the apostle with the vilest of mankind. "Such (he adds) were some of you;" but he now hopes better things of them: "Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justitied.." These are the saints of which he speaks (verse 2), who shall judge the world, and even angels; and yet these are the men whom the world despise and ridicule but, despised as they may be, the Lord Almighty says, they are excellent in whom all his delight is!" (Ps. xvi. 1.)

"the

In verse 12, the apostle adverts to another subject, and one certainly of no small interest. "All things (says he) are lawful unto me;" that is, all things that are lawful to others are so to me; and he then instances, in two particulars, 1. In respect of meats-a variety and choice of food was as lawful to him as to others; and, 2. With respect to cohabitation with the other sex, as he says in chap. ix. 5, "Have we not power (or right) to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other

NOTES-Chap. VI. Con.

Ver. 16. Two, saith he, shall be one flesh.-See Gen. ii. 24.

Ver. 18. Every sin.-Doddr. “ every [other] sin." All and every are often used for many and most. Xenophon represents Socrates as saying, that "in

temperate men hurt themselves far more than others; whereas other sinners secure some profit to them. selves, though they are injurious to others." See Doddridge.

Marriage a remedy]

CHAP. VII.

CHAP. VII.

NOW concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again,

[for fornication.

that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

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EXPOSITION.

"All

apostles?" Certainly he had; but he denied himself all the indulgences of the table and a married life, because they were inconsistent with that laborious course to which he had devoted himself, for the extensive propagation of the gospel. things," in both these respects, were as lawful to him as to others; but they were not expedient;" i, e. they did not accord with his plans of devotedness to Christ, as an apostle. "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats," says he; but these are all perishable things, and "God shall destroy both it and them" in the course of nature, though the body shall be raised again at the last day. But in the latter part of the verse he does not say, 'The body is for fornication,' &c. but, on the contrary, "The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord." Adverting, then, to the original law on which marriage is founded (Gen. ii. 24), he says, "Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then (adds he) take the members of Christ, and make them the members of

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an harlot? God forbid." This brings the subject home, then, to the case of the incestuous Corinthian (See chap; v. 1), who, supposing him to be what he professed to be, had, in his own person, united a member of Christ with an incestuous harlot. He then concludes this part of the subject with an important precept-"Flee fornication;" that is, not only avoid it, but flee from it, as from the face of a serpent, or the approach of an overwhelming deluge. As Solomon says, emphatically, of the path of the wicked" generally-"Avoid it; pass not by it; turn from it [Marg. keep aloof off it], and pass away:" and this precept is enforced by two arguments; 1. Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and to defile them with a harlot is sucrilege-than which no crime was held in greater abhorrence by the heathen. 2. "You are bought with a price;" namely, that of the precious blood of Christ; your body and spirit are therefore both God's, and ought to be consecrated to his service.

NOTES.

CHAP. VII. Ver. 1. Not to touch-Parkhurst. "To have nothing to do with"-a woman. Ver. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication.Macka, "wboredoms." The Greek is plural, including different species of uncleanness.

Ver. 3. Due benevolence.-See Exod. xxi. 10. Ver. 5. Fasting and.-These words are omitted in many ancient copies, and by Griesbach; but the

internal evidence seems in their favour.-Incon tinency-Want of ability to restrain the passions. Ver. 6. By permission, &c.-i. e. by way of permission, and not of commandment. Drs. John Edwards, Hammond, and Macknight.

Ver. 10. Not I, but the Lord--i. e. the Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh, Matt. v. 32; xix.9.

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