The Corinthians are commanded A. D. 59. A. D. 59. A. M. 4063. lice and wickedness; but with the un- || brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or A. M. 4063 leavened bread of sincerity and truth. an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to or an extortioner: with such a one no not company with fornicators: S r 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 2 Cor. vi. 14; Eph. v. 11; 2 Thess. iii. 14. Chap. i. 29. John xvii. 15; 1 John v. 19. to eat. y Z а 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge a them that are within ? nicator, &c., with such a one, no not to eat-Which is the lowest degree of familiarity. The sense of this is, that a conscientious Christian should choose, as far as he can, the company, intercourse, and familiarity of good men, and such as fear God; and avoid, as far as his necessary affairs will permit, the conversation and fellowship of such as Paul here describes. This is a thing (what decay soever of public discipline there may be) in each particular Christian's power. What exquisite skill, both here and everywhere, || equally heinous; or with the covetous, or extortionconducts the zeal of the inspired writer! How ers, or idolaters-Sinners against themselves, their surprising a transition is here! And yet how per- neighbour, and God. For then must ye needs go fectly natural! The apostle, speaking of the incest- out of the world-Then all civil commerce must uous criminal, slides into his darling topic, a cru- cease, the citizens of Corinth being generally such. cified Saviour! Who would have expected it on So that going out of the world, which some account such an occasion? Yet when Yet when it is thus brought in, a perfection, Paul accounts an utter absurdity. who does not see and admire both the propriety of || now I have written unto you-Now I explain my the subject, and the delicacy of its introduction? || mind more fully, that I meant it of persons professTherefore let us keep the feast-Let us feed on him ing Christianity: not to keep company-To abstain by faith; or let the whole of our lives be like the || from ordinary, familiar, unnecessary converse with Jewish feast of passover and unleavened bread. them. If any man that is called a brother—A Here is a plain allusion to the Lord's supper, which || Christian, and a member of your church; be a forwas instituted in the room of the passover; not with || the old leaven-Of heathenism or Judaism; or with such errors and vices as we were formerly addicted to, and influenced by: neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness-Nor allowing ourselves in || any unkind and corrupt affections, or sinful practi- || ces, or tolerating among us any scandalous conduct. Malice is ill-will in the mind; but wickedness is illwill expressed by actions, especially such as are accompanied with treachery. Hence the devil is styled o rovnρos, the wicked one. But with the un- Verses 12, 13. For, &c.-I speak of Christians leavened bread of sincerity and truth-With the only: for what have I to do to judge them that are most simple and sincere desire of knowing and || without-Namely, heathen: do not ye judge them practising every branch of our duty; which if we that are within ?—Ye, as well as I, judge those of really have, it will keep us from all these evils, and your own community: them that are without, God will ensure such a uniformity of behaviour, as will || judgeth--The passing sentence on these God hath be honourable to our profession, and agreeable to reserved to himself, and they shall not go unpunishthe design of its glorious author. The apostle gives || ed, though they fall not under your censure. Therethe epithet of unleavened to the graces of sincerity || fore-In consideration of this, both in one view and truth, in allusion to the emblematical meaning || and the other, let it be your immediate care, as you of the unleavened bread, which the Israelites were to eat during the feast of the passover; for thereby they were taught to celebrate that feast with pious and holy dispositions. || || regard the peace of the church, and the safety of your own souls; to put away from among yourselves-Speedily, and with all due solemnity; that wicked person--Whom I have mentioned, and any Verses 9-11. I wrote to you in a former epistle- others, whose characters may, like his, be scandaDoubtless both Paul and the other apostles wrote lous and infectious. The apostle is thought, by many things which are not extant now; not to some, to have written this, and the preceding verse, company—Mŋ ovvavaμyvvodai, not to be intermixed, to show the Corinthians the reason why, after comnot to associate with fornicators, and such scanda-manding them to pass so severe a sentence on the lous sinners; not to contract any intimacy or ac- || man, he said nothing to them concerning the woman, quaintance with them, more than is absolutely ne- who was guilty with him. The discipline of the cessary. Yet not altogether—I did not mean there- || church was not to be exercised on persons out of by that ye should altogether refrain from conversing it. Hence it appears that this woman was a heawith heathen, who are guilty of that sìn, or others || then. The Corinthians are reproved CHAPTER VI. for going to law with each other. CHAPTER VI. Here, (1,) The apostle reproves the Corinthians for prosecuting their brethren in heathen courts, 1-8. (2,) He solemnly warns them of the sad consequences which would attend the indulgence of those criminal dispositions and practices to which they had been formerly addicted, but from which they were now reformed and cleansed, through the merits of Christ and the Spirit of God, 9–11. (3,) After cautioning them against the abuse of their Christian liberty, in meats and other things indifferent, 12, 13, he vehemently exhorts them to shun all uncleanness, as a defilement and abuse of their bodies, which were the members of Christ, inhabited by his Spirit, and purchased by his blood, to be instruments of glorifying God, 13-20. || be decided; of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the churchEven the weakest among you might be adequate to that work, and certainly fitter for it than unjust heathen. I speak to your shame-To make you ashamed of your proceedings. The apostle certainly did not seriously design that they should set persons to judge in these matters, (though of little importance, in comparison of spiritual things,) who were the weakest and of least esteem among them, as appears from the next clause; but he spoke ironically. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you-Among you who are such admirers of wisdom, who is wise enough to decide in such causes? Not one able to judge between his brethren-In those disputes which they have about earthly things? But brother goeth to law with brother-One Christian with another; and that before the unbelievers To the great discredit of the Christian name; yea, to the scandal of the whole Christian institution; for they cannot but take occasion, from your mutual quarrels and accusations, to brand the whole body of you as injurious and avaricious; who, while you pretend to be so far superior to secular views, are yet so strongly attached to them, that, with all your professions of universal benevolence and brotherly love, you cannot forbear wronging one another. Verses 1-6. The apostle, having mentioned one very great irregularity among the professors of Christianity at Corinth, proceeds now to animadvert upon another, namely, their entering into suits of law with each other in heathen courts: Dare any of you-Have you so little regard for the glory of God, and the credit of Christianity, that, having a matter against another-Any controversy about civil affairs; you go to law before the unjust- || Heathen judges, who generally were very corrupt, and from whom a Christian could expect no justice: and not before the saints-Who might easily decide || these smaller differences in a private and friendly manner. Do ye not know-This expression occurs six times in this single chapter, and that with a peculiar force: for the Corinthians knew, and gloried in their knowledge, but their conduct was not consistent therewith. That the saints-After having || been judged themselves; shall judge the worldShall be assessors with Christ in the judgment wherein he shall condemn all the wicked, as well angels as men, Matt. xix. 28; Rev. xx. 4. And if || the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy -Unfit, unable for such a work; to judge the small- || est matters-Differences about worldly affairs, which || are of small moment, in comparison of spiritual and heavenly matters. Know ye not that we shall judge Verses 7, 8. Now therefore-But, indeed, there is angels?-Namely, evil angels: as Christ is their plainly a fault in you, whoever may have the right judge, we shall be honoured to join with him in on his side; that ye go to law with one another—Or that judgment also, when all his enemies shall be that ye quarrel with one another at all, whether ye put under his feet and ours. How much more are || go to law or not. Why do ye not rather take, or ye fit to decide in these low and transitory secular suffer, wrong--Endure it patiently, and sit down affairs? If then ye have judgments-Differences to with the loss? Why do ye not suffer yourselves to || All indifferent things are lawful, A. M. 4063. f A. D. 59. 9 Know ye not that the unrighte- || justified in the name of the Lord Je- A. M. 4063. ous shall not inherit the kingdom of sus, and by the Spirit of our God. God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor || things are not 1 expedient: all things are lawabusers of themselves with mankind, ful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: h but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are be defrauded-Rather than seek a remedy in such a way as this? All men cannot, or will not, receive || this saying. Many aim only at this, "I will neither || do wrong nor suffer it." These are honest heathen, but no Christians. Nay-A22a, but, ye are so far from bearing injuries and frauds, that ye do wrong to, or injure openly, and defraud-Privately, and|| that even your Christian brethren. vices. 1 of a society which God hath founded by his extraordinary interposition, and into which he hath been pleased in so wonderful a manner to bring even you, who were in a most infamous and deplorable state. well as discharged, from the condemnation to which ye were justly obnoxious. See the nature of justification explained in the notes on Rom. iii. 21, 22; and its fruits, on Rom. v. 1–5. In the name of the Lord Jesus-Through his merits, or his sacrifice and intercession; and by the Spirit of our GodCreating you anew, and inspiring you with all those blessed graces which are the genuine fruits of his Verses 9-11. Know ye not--With all your boasted || divine influences, Gal. v. 22, 23. You ought thereknowledge; that the unrighteous-That is, not only || fore, as if he had said, to maintain the most grateful the unjust, but those destitute of true righteousness sense of these important blessings which God hath and holiness, comprehending the various classes of || conferred upon you, to stand at the utmost distance sinners afterward mentioned, the term unrighteous || from sin, and to be tender of the peace and honour here including them all: shall not inherit the king-|| dom of God--Namely, the kingdom of eternal glory. And can you contentedly sacrifice this great and glorious hope which the gospel gives you, for the sake of those pleasures of sin which are but for a short season? Be not deceived--By a vain imagi- Verses 12-14. All things—That are indifferent in nation that the Christian name and privileges will their own nature, and neither commanded nor forsave you, while you continue in the practice of your bidden; are lawful unto me-Or, as some para Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, &c.- || phrase the clause, All things which are lawful for Idolatry is here placed between fornication and || you are lawful for me. Since the apostle could not adultery, because these things generally accompa-|| say, in any sense, that absolutely all things were nied it. Indeed, among the heathen idolatry was lawful for him, the sentence must be considered as not only a great crime in itself, but was the parent || elliptical, and what is wanting to complete it must of many other crimes. For the heathen were en- be supplied, according to the apostle's manner, from couraged in the commission of fornication, adultery, || the subsequent verse. But all things are not exsodomy, drunkenness, theft, &c., by the example of pedient-Proper to be used, in regard of circumtheir gods. Nor effeminate-Who live in an easy, stances; as when they would offend our weak indolent way, taking up no cross, enduring no hard- || brethren, or when they would enslave our own ship. But how is this, that these good-natured, souls. Although all things-Of the above descripharmless people are ranked with idolaters and tion; are lawful for me, yet I will not be brought sodomites, those infamous degraders of human na- || under the power of any-So enslaved to any thing, ture? We may learn hence, that we are never se- as to be uneasy when I abstain from it, for in that cure from the greatest sins, till we guard against || case I should be under the power of it. Meats for those which are thought to be the least; nor indeed || the belly, &c.-As if he had said, I speak this chiefly till we think no sin is little, since every one is a step with regard to meats; particularly with regard to toward hell, And such were some of you-Namely, those offered to idols, and those forbidden in the in some kind or other; but ye are washed-De- Mosaic law. These, I grant, are all indifferent, and livered from the guilt and power of those gross have their use, but it is only for a time, for soon, abominations. Ye are sanctified-Renewed in the meats, and the organs which receive them, will tospirit of your minds, dedicated to, and employed in gether moulder into dust. For God will destroy the service of God; conformed, at least in a measure, both it and them-Namely, when the earth, and the to his image, and possessed of his divine nature, and things which it contains, are burned. From this it this not before, but in consequence of your being is evident, that at the resurrection, the parts of the justified. Or, Ye are regenerated and purified, as || body which minister to its nutrition are not to bę || || restored; or, if they are to be restored, that their || r avoid uncleanness. A. D. 59. 17 But he that is joined unto the A. M. 4063. Lord is one spirit. 18 s Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth, is without the body; but he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body. t 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? 23; Eph. iv. 4; v. 30.————s Rom. vi. 12, 13; Hebrews xiii. 4. t Rom. i. 24; 1 Thess. iv. 4." Chap. iii. 16; 2 Cor. vi. 16. x Rom. xiv. 7, 8. to maintain habitual temperance in the use of meat and drink. Verses 19, 20. Know ye not, &c.-As if he had said, There is another view in which the baseness of this crime must appear to you, Christians, in consequence of your relation to that blessed agent, the Spirit of God. For your body is the temple of God -Dedicated to him, and inhabited by him; even by that Spirit which is in you—As true believers in Jesus, John vii. 37, 38; Eph. i. 13. Which ye have— Which you receive; of God-As a most important, most necessary gift, without which you could not be Christ's, Rom. viii. 9. What the apostle calls elseVerses 15-18. Know ye not that your bodies are || where, the temple of God, (chap. iii. 16, 17,) and the the members of Christ-Mystically united to him, || temple of the living God, (2 Cor. vi. 16,) he here as well as your souls, if you are his true disciples, || styles the temple of the Holy Ghost; plainly showas you profess to be. Shall I then take the members of || ing that the Holy Ghost is the living God. The two Christ—My body, which is united to him, with its things, as Whitby observes, necessary to constitute members; and make them the members of a harlot— a temple of God, belong to the bodies of believers: United to her, and used to gratify her sinful inclina- they are consecrated to God, and he resides in them. tions? Know ye not-Need I inform you; that he who "Excellent, therefore,” says he, "is the inference of is joined to a harlot is one body with her? But he that Tertullian; that since all Christians are become the is joined unto the Lord-By faith and love; is one || temple of God, by virtue of his Holy Spirit sent into spirit with him. And shall he make himself one their hearts, and consecrating their bodies to his serflesh with a harlot? Flee fornication-All unlawful vice, we should make chastity the keeper of this sa commerce with women, with speed, with abhor- || cred house, and suffer nothing unclean or profane to rence, with all your might. Every sin that a man enter into it, lest the God who dwells in it, being disdoeth-Every other sin, except gluttony and drunk- pleased, should desert his habitation thus defiled.” enness, or every other sin that a man commits || And ye are not your own-Even as to your bodies, against his neighbour; is without the body-Ter-|| any more than your souls. Both are God's, not only minates in an object out of himself, and does not so by creation and preservation, but by redemption, immediately pollute his body, though it does his being bought with a price; and that infinitely besoul. But he that committeth fornication-Or any yond what you can pretend to be worth, even the kind of lewdness; sinneth against his own body—|| precious blood of Christ, by which you have been Pollutes, dishonours, and degrades it to a level with || redeemed out of the hands of divine justice, and brute beasts; and perhaps infects and enfeebles, || through which, being put in possession of the Holy wastes and consumes it, which these vices have a || Spirit, you are rescued from the bondage of sin and manifest tendency to do. Inasmuch as the person Satan, and have become subjects and servants of who is addicted to gluttony and drunkenness sins Christ, who has thus obtained an eternal dominion against his own body, as well as a fornicator, and over you: whose you are too by a voluntary donadebilitates it by introducing into it many painful and tion of yourselves to him, and a mystical union with deadly diseases: in this prohibition of fornication, him as his temples. Therefore glorify God in your those vices likewise are comprehended, being in- body-By temperance, chastity, purity; and in your deed the ordinary concomitants of it. And the way || spirit-By faith, hope, and love; humility, resignato flee whoredom, is to banish out of the mind all|| tion, patience; by meekness, gentleness, long-sufferlascivious imaginations, and to avoid carefully the ing, and universal benevolence. Or, as the words objects and occasions of committing that vice, and || may with equal propriety be rendered, Glorify him Directions to persons in A. M. 4063. A. D. 59. Y ye are bought with a || your body, and in your spirit, which A. M. 4063. therefore glorify God in are God's. 20 For Y price y Acts xx. 28; Chap. vii. 23; Gal. iii. 13; with your body and your spirit; that is, yield your bodies and all your members, as well as your souls and all their faculties, as instruments of right Heb. 1x. 12; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19; 2 Pet. ii. 1; Rev. v. 9. eousness to God: or devote and employ all you have, and all you are, entirely, unreservedly, and for ever, || to his glory. CHAPTER VII. The apostle now proceeds to answer certain questions which the Corinthians had put to him: and first those which related to the marriage state; with respect to which he determines, (1,) That, in some circumstances, it should be entered into and continued in, but in others forborne, 1-9. (2,) That for the honour of Christ, and for preserving the federal holiness of their children, married Christians should not separate from their heathen consorts, 10-16. (3,) That ordinarily, persons should be content to abide in that civil station in which they were first called to the faith of Christ, 17-24. (4,) That marriage was not generally expedient in the distressed circumstances of the church at that time; and the rather, as all such things were very transitory, and marriage cares often hindered the service of God, 25-35. (5.) That great prudence, as well as piety, ought to be exercised in the marriage both of virgins and widows, 36–40. A. M. 4063. NOW concerning the things where- || benevolence: and likewise also the A. M. 4063. of ye wrote unto me: a It is good|| wife unto the husband. A. D. 59. 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 b Let the husband render unto the wife due a Verses 8, 26.-- b Exod. xxi. 10; 1 Pet. iii. 7. NOTES ON CHAPTER VII. || A. D. 59. although he recommends a single life in certain circumstances, this and the injunction (verse 5) given to all who cannot live chastely unmarried, is a direct prohibition of celibacy to the bulk of mankind. Further, as no person in early life can foresee what his future state of mind will be, or what temptations he may meet with, he cannot certainly know whether it will be in his power to live chastely unmarried. Wherefore, as that is the only case in which the apostle allows persons to live unmarried, vows of celibacy and virginity, taken in early life, must in both sexes be sinful."-Macknight. Verses 1, 2. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me-The letter of the Corinthian believers to which the apostle alludes here, and in which it appears they put divers questions to him, hath long been lost; a circumstance to be much regretted; for had it been preserved, it would doubtless have illustrated many passages of the two epistles to the Corinthians, which are now obscure because we are ignorant of the matters to which the apostle alludes in these passages. It is good for a man-Who is master of himself, and has his passions and appetites under due control; not to touch a woman Verses 3, 4. Let the husband-Where this relation That is, not to marry; so great and many are the is commenced; render unto the wife, Tŋv opeiλoμevnv advantages of a single life, especially in the present || Evvolav, the due benevolence—That is, the conjugal calamitous state of the church. Nevertheless-Since || duty, the duty resulting from the nature of the marthe God of nature has, for certain wise reasons, im- || riage-covenant. Or, let not married persons fancy planted in the sexes a mutual inclination to each other; to avoid―That is, in order to prevent; fornication—And every other species of uncleanness and pollution; let every man-Who finds it expedient in order to his living chastely; have his own || wife-His own, for Christianity allows no polygamy; and every woman her own husband-" Here the apostle speaks in the imperative mood, using the style in which superiors give their commands; but that there is any perfection in living with each other as if they were unmarried. The wife hath not power over her own bọdy-Namely, in this respect, but by the marriage-covenant hath transferred it to her husband. And likewise the husband hath not power over his own body; but it is, as it were, the property of the wife, their engagements being mutual; so that, on every occasion, conscience obliges them to remain appropriated to each other. "The |